The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) has said that with the recent suspension of Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo from the Presidential Amnesty Office, there is need for President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint his replacement with another coordinator without delay to oversee the programme.
Barrister Roland Pereotubo Oweilaemi, President, IYC worldwide.
Who spoke to NEXT EDITION Tuesday, said his organsation rejected the purported interim committee which was given mandate to manage the programme, describing it as nebulous.
According to him, an esoteric interim management committee would not be able to manage the amnesty programme, which he said was very sensitive and key to the economic stability in the oil sector, and should not be manned by one unknown interim committee.
He said: “The ex-agitators do not need interim committee. The President should therefore appoint another coordinator immediately to coordinate the affairs of the programme.”
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The IYC boss maintained that in considering who to be appointed as the next coordinator of the programme, the President should not make the mistake of appointing non-Ijaw person as the coordinator.
According to him, “The Amnesty Office was created to coordinate the affairs of the ex-agitators, who are mainly Ijaws. Only someone who understands the ex-freedom fighters can manage the boys.
“Mr. President should avoid acts that will bring crisis to the region. We heard it on strong authority that some powerful forces in the ruling party are working round the clock to convince the president to appoint their lackeys from sister tribes in the Niger Delta region as the coordinator. IYC wishes to caution President Buhari not to fall into the pranks of those desperate forces.
“We cannot guarantee peace should the next coordinator is appointed from any tribe in the Niger Delta apart from Ijaw people. We believe that Buhari will not get it wrong in order not to set the now peaceful region aflame. A word is enough for the wise.
