By Fortune Eromosele, Abuja

The Niger Delta Integrity Group (NDIG) has cautioned against defamatory statements directed at the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, under the leadership of Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd).

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Convener of the NDIG, Dr. Boma Horsfall, faulted online blogs “who do not understand the rudiments of facts-based journalism for allowing their platforms to be used to sponsor misguided articles against the PAP”.

Horsfall urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to tinker with the current peace in Niger Delta.

He said, “Presidency has to be reminded that currently, the most peaceful region of Nigeria is the Niger Delta for obvious reasons, thus, appointing a non-Ijaw Administrator to head the PAP will trigger devastating consequences, which will be detrimental to the country at large”.

He further called on the Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro, to focus on extolling PAP.

The NDIG recalled that the First Phase ex-agitators were the ones who originally embraced the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and laid down their arms in Obubra, Cross Rivers State in 2009.

Horsfall said, “He (Akpodoro) does not belong to the First Phase. The public should take note that he is a Second Phase member. The Second and Third phases are the ones giving the PAP issues.

“They are not the ones that this programme was originally set up for in the first place.

“When the Ijaws submitted their arms at the inception of the Amnesty Programme, other tribes labelled them criminals. As I speak, the First Phase delegates are even ashamed of being referred to as ‘generals’ or ‘ex-warlords’ in public places. If the National Security Adviser cannot see through and understand the issues, then his competence is questionable.”

To this end, the group urged Ndiomu not to be dismayed by unguarded statements from ‘uneducated miscreants’ and focus on his noble stewardship of the PAP.