Leader of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, popularly known as ‘Egberipapa’, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently implement a 2021 Senate resolution allocating 2,000 slots under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to members of his camp.
Egberipapa made the demand in a petition submitted to the State House, saying over 4,000 former agitators linked to Egberipapa Camp have remained outside the PAP framework since 2009.
According to him, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had, after considering his 2021 petition, recommended the integration of Egberipapa Camp into PAP and the allocation of 2,000 slots.
He said the resolution remains unimplemented, creating frustration and a sense of injustice among the affected former agitators and their families.
Jackrich warned that continued delays could undermine peace in the Niger Delta, with some aggrieved youths potentially resorting to “self-help.” He stressed that the warning was not a threat but a call for preventive action.
Beyond his camp’s demand, the NDLF leader asked Tinubu to order an independent review of PAP’s slot allocation system since 2009 and a forensic audit of its finances.
He wants the audit to examine funds appropriated and released, expenditures, procurement, training and empowerment programmes, beneficiary allocations and compliance with financial regulations.
Jackrich also urged the President to direct the National Security Adviser to engage relevant stakeholders and establish a time-bound process for resolving the matter.
He commended the Tinubu administration for efforts to boost crude oil production and sustain Niger Delta interventions, stressing that his approach remained peaceful and institutional.
The Presidential Amnesty Programme was established in 2009 to disarm, rehabilitate and reintegrate former agitators in the Niger Delta through stipends, education, vocational training and empowerment.
