By Ochuko Akuopha, Ughelli

COALITION of Unlisted Niger Delta Ex-militants in the third phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to shut down the programme.

Coordinator, of the coalition in Delta State, self styled Gen Marshal Atake made the appeal while reacting to reports that President Buhari directed the new Interim Administrator of PAP, Major-General Barry Ndiomu (retd) to shut down the programme by February 2023.

He noted that it was absolutely neccessary for the presidency to allow PAP to continue so as to give those who surrendered their arms and ammunations since 2011 but are yet to be documented to be integrated into the programme.

 Marshall said: “Since the inception of the programme in the Niger Delta region, the lifestyle of many of the youths have been transformed with the help of PAP stipends, education and skills acquisition training in the region.

“However, after 11 years of  embracing the programme, we have not been documented and integrated into it despite promises made by previous coordinators of PAP.”

While congratulating Ndiomu on his appointment as the new Interim Administrator of PAP, Marshal urged him to take urgent step to look into the issue of the unlisted ex-agitators to give them a sense of belonging.

“We know that President Muhamadu Buhari is a listening President who has the interest of the Niger Delta at heart, so we hereby appeal to him to look into our plight and ensure that we are not continued to be excluded from the programme,” he said.