Niger Delta Group Condemns Akpodoro’s Ethnic Coloration Of PAP, Issues Stern Warning

The Niger Delta Integrity Group (NDIG) has condemned in strong terms of the ethnic coloration and false claims of Mr Eshanekpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro against the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-General Barry Ndiomu (Rtd).

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Port-harcourt by the Group Coordinator, Mr Boma Horsfall described Mr Eshanekpe Israel as a self-acclaimed Major of Urhobo land and leader of ex-agitators whose identity is questionable from proper investigations carried out basically.

Mr Akpodoro in bid for relevance and recognition from the presidential amnesty programme office, called for the sack of the interim administrator whose tremendous performance and management of the programme is constantly applauded by ex-agitators and critical stakeholders across the Niger Delta region and beyond.

Mr Boma while condemning the misleading claims of Mr Eshanekpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro, faulted media outlets for disseminating falsehood against the interim administrator of the programme, stressing that journalism requires professionalism to curb dissemination of fake news.

While condemning the call for the sack of the interim administrator on the basis of ethnicity, Mr Boma stated that the presidential amnesty programme was not established on the basis of ethnic or regional background, but was established to curb pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft etc.

“The appointment of the office of the interim administrator should be on the basis of merit and competence, and not ethnic background, which the current interim administrator has performed tremendously well,” Mr Boma added.

While responding to the statement of the interim administrator by the previous administration, Mr Boma stated that President Bola Tinubu reappointed Maj-General Ndiomu as a result of his competent and effective management of the presidential amnesty programme.

“It is on record that when the Ijaws accepted the presidential amnesty programme by submitting their arms to the federal government at the beginning of the programme, they were labelled criminals by other tribes, before the tribes much later accepted the programme,” Mr Boma added.

Mr Boma stated that the Niger Delta as a major oil-producing region has been very peaceful in recent times as a result of the effective management of the programme by the current interim administrator, adding that there had been increase in crude oil production in the past few years.

The group urged the amnesty boss, Maj-General Ndiomu not to be distracted by unguarded statements from uneducated and unenlightened miscreants looking for relevance and recognition by spreading falsehood against his office, and continue the good works he has being doing.

While urging critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta for continuous support of the interim administrator, Mr Boma called on President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to continuously render the requisite support to the amnesty boss for continuous effective management.