By Emem Idio, Yenagoa 

An Ijaw group known as Izon Cultural Heritage Centre, ICHC, has appealed to the House of Representatives to exercise restraint and safe guard the hard won peace in the Niger Delta by conducting its oversight functions with professionalism, balance, and respect for established peace-building gains.

The group’s statement is coming against the backdrop of the House of Representatives probe into alleged financial irregularities highlighted against the agency in the 2021 audit report of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

Chairman of ICHC, Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei, in a statement in Yenagoa, Wednesday, said as a cultural institution committed to peace building, social stability, and the preservation of the Niger Delta’s collective interests, the ICHC recognizes the constitutional mandate of the national assembly to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public institutions, but added that oversight must be conducted, and public officials must provide clarifications when required.

However, he said the ICHC strongly cautions that the tone, manner, and escalating posture of the committee risk creating unintended tensions in a region that has, through considerable sacrifice and deliberate effort, enjoyed unprecedented peace in recent years.

Kemepadei said: “The Izon Cultural Heritage Centre, ICHC, has noted with concern the ongoing exchanges between the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), particularly regarding the summons issued to the Programme’s Coordinator, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro.

“However, the ICHC strongly cautions that the tone, manner, and escalating posture of the Committee risk creating unintended tensions in a region that has, through considerable sacrifice and deliberate effort, enjoyed unprecedented peace in recent years.

“It is essential to underscore that Dr. Otuaro’s antecedents as a stabilizer, peace advocate, and conflict mediator are well established across the Niger Delta. Long before his appointment as PAP Coordinator, he played a pivotal role in grassroots conflict resolution, community engagement, and confidence-building among ex-agitators and stakeholders. His leadership since assuming office has further deepened reintegration efforts, strengthened vocational empowerment programmes, and maintained a non-confrontational, youth-focused approach that has contributed significantly to the current atmosphere of calm.

“Given this background, any public treatment perceived as hostile, coercive, or politically coloured may be misinterpreted by stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme. Such misinterpretation has the potential to create avoidable tension in a region where stability is both delicate and strategically important to national security and economic continuity.

“The ICHC therefore appeals to the House Committee to conduct its oversight functions with professionalism, balance, and respect for established peace-building gains; adopt engagement methods that encourage cooperation rather than confrontation.Ensure that institutional processes do not inadvertently destabilize a region that has made enormous progress toward sustained peace.

“Furthermore, the ICHC urges the National Assembly to redirect substantial attention to the worsening insecurity in several northern states, where banditry, insurgency, mass displacement, and violent attacks continue to challenge national stability. At a time when communities in these areas are under severe threat, it is imperative that national efforts focus on restoring safety and order where it is most urgently needed.

“By contrast, the Niger Delta remains relatively peaceful and largely due to the collaborative work of community leaders, youth organizations, traditional institutions, and agencies like the PAP. This peace must be protected, consolidated, and not undermined by actions that may inadvertently spark unrest.”