A coalition of ex-agitators under the aegis of Progressive Peace Ambassadors of Presidential Amnesty Programme, PPAPAP, has urged the Federal Government to increase their stipends, saying the N65,000 introduced in 2009 under President Musa Yar’Adua is no longer sufficient for them.

The ex-agitators also urged the office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, to jettison favouritism during its selection process for scholarships, training and empowerment.

In a statement signed by Markson Isere (Rivers State), Parker Wariitimi (Bayelsa State), Karebi Onbe (Delta State), Joseph Isanmi (Edo State), they voiced concerns about the current state of the Amnesty Programme, lamenting that internal divisions and favouritism have eroded its core mission.

They warned that failure to address these challenges could lead to renewed unrest in the region.

The group insisted that the programme must return to a transparent system where beneficiaries are selected based on a fair and verifiable database, free from political or personal bias.

The ex-agitators also commend the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for his strides in repositioning the Amnesty Programme since assuming office and noted that the “benefits of his good works are not getting to them because of leadership tussles and lack of transparency and integrity.”

Making their demands known to the federal government, the group stated: “We need an increase of stipends to reflect contemporary reality. The N65,000 stipend, introduced in 2009 under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, is no longer sufficient given the rising cost of living.

“The total resolution of BVN matters, which is still persisting in the third Phase. Despite efforts to resolve BVN-related issues, thousands of ex-agitators remain unpaid.

“We need training and empowerment. We need third phase leadership training. We need scholarship slots. Most of us in the third phase did not get scholarship slots.

“There should be a transparent selection process for scholarships, training, and empowerment.

The PAP office should put an end to preferential selection based on personal connections. There should be a fair system that ensures all qualified beneficiaries get what they deserve.

“While we remain committed to peace, we will not tolerate the continued mismanagement of the amnesty programme.”

On the leadership dispute within the Third Phase of the Amnesty Programme, they said: “As peace ambassadors, we believe in dialogue and solutions. However, if these issues continue to be ignored, it can lead to chaos. We cannot afford another phase of crisis in the Niger Delta.”