NIGERIAN STUDENTS OF NIGER DELTA EXTRACTION STUDYING IN THE UK AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, UNDER THE PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY SCHEME.
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI
7th September, 2015
His Excellency,
President Muhammadu Buhari
Aso Rock Villa
Abuja.
Your Excellency Sir,
We are writing on behalf of the over two thousand abandoned and dejected Nigerian Students of Niger Delta extraction studying in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, under the auspices of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. It would be recalled that following the outcry of the students under the amnesty scheme and agitations by prominent and respected leaders from the region, leaders of the ex-agitators forum, other well placed and well-meaning individuals, the Ijaw Youth Council, several Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society groups, before your excellency appointed a substantive Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty Programme. Sadly, nothing has changed since the appointment was made; rather the situation is becoming more precarious each passing day.
When the new coordinator Brig- Gen. Paul Boroh rtd, took over the reins of office as the new helmsman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). We thought he would immediately commence the process of remedying the obvious hitches confronting the programme as a result of the delay in the appointment of a new head for the programme during the transition period but rather what we are told is that, he is busy embarking on a wild goose chase, with a few of his cronies under the guise of verification with the sole aim of lining his pocket. At this juncture, lets us inform Nigerians and the International community of what has necessitated this missive. Presently, Nigerian students of Niger Delta extraction are frustrated and disillusioned because of the uncertainty as regards the prolonged delay and non-payment of tuition fees, in-training allowances, accommodation fees and other stipends that would aid their stay in foreign lands.
Nigerian Students of Niger Delta extraction are now a bout of joke around the world. Especially, in the UK and have practically turned refugees and laughing stock in their respective cities where their institutions are, we have just received the news of the death of one of our fellow students in the University of Belarus, occasioned by the present hardship faced by the students and also in Malaysia some of our students have been arrested and are daily subjected to inhuman treatment. It is on record that, between when the former helmsman of the amnesty programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku left office and the subsequent appointment of the current coordinator, the office had in its coffers about 11 billion naira. The question all discerning minds are asking, has the money developed wings?
What we hear from sources close to the amnesty office is that, because of the present directive from the president that all federal government agencies should operate a single pool account. The office decided to put the money into the federation account but is presently finding it difficult to access the money now that it is urgently needed. According to them, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Central Bank claims that there is no money in the federation account that is why they are still unable to implement Mr President’s recent directive on the need to urgently pay the students their money. Now we ask, why will Mr President utilise the money meant for the amnesty students because of his recent Single Treasury Account (STA) policy; on one hand, while on the other hand; directing the same institutions to pay the students their money? Is it a ploy by President Muhammadu Buhari to punish the people of the region for not voting for him in the last presidential election?
As at this moment, schools in the UK and other parts of the world have started resuming for a fresh academic session. Unfortunately, Nigerian students of Niger Delta extraction may not be able to join their colleagues in their various institutions of higher learning because of the callous delay in the payment of their tuition fees and in-training allowances, in addition to their present refugee status. Worse still, students that did foundation programmes in the UK and where successful are presently denied Visas by the UK embassy because of the yet to be resolved challenges experienced by the students. All the relevant authorities are aware of this development but because it affects the people of the Delta region, no one seems to bat an eyelid.
The current coordinator Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh from all indication may have a good profile and curriculum vitae but is not ready and prepared for his new assignment. He was specifically assigned to see to the disastrous end of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. That is why he remains unperturbed, no matter what the students are going through.
We earnestly appeal to the President and other well-meaning individuals to save this illustrious son of the region, the huge embarrassment of the imminent collapse of the amnesty programme in his hands. The president should do the needful by saving us, from a bleak future by standing faithfully and religiously on his inaugural address, regardless of the 5% vote he recorded in some states of the region. Curiously, we have some leaders from the zone, who claims to be championing the course of ruling party, the A P C in the region and are now self-appointed spokesmen for the President but have deliberately turn deaf ears and blind eyes to the plight of the students of the region under this present administration. How can the people of the Delta region suffer for a God given resources tapped within their domain that serves as the mainstay of the nation’s economy?
Obviously, we have exhausted every peaceful means of amicably resolving this impasse. Following therefore, we have directed the various chapters that house our students across the world to embark on a massive demonstration in the Capital and State Houses where the country leaders are residing in a couple of days. Our mission is to inform the world how insensitive this present government is; to the plight of her citizens in their country.

Signed:
Comr. Elliot Yibakeni Comr. Emomotimi Ziprebo
Swansea University, UK Birmingham City University, UK



Note....am also under this scheme and i have went through hell april to august unpaid stipend for portsmouth,plymouth etc...

Did you really deserve the amnesty, were you really in the creeks? Or because you had a contact up there who substituted your name for someone who was duly qualified for it?

[quote author=saaedlee post=37806128]Did you really deserve the amnesty, were you really in the creeks? Or because you had a contact up there who substituted your name for someone who was duly qualified for it?[/quote
is this your only contribution?if so smh for you brother

Dsegsam:
[/quote] quote author=saaedlee post=37806128]Did you really deserve the amnesty, were you really in the creeks? Or because you had a contact up there who substituted your name for someone who was duly qualified for it?

is this your contribution?is so smh.

Am also under the Niger Delta Amnesty programme and nothing has been said to me or my colleagues... waiting for the people in charge to call us to start moving to the UK, I got my offer in University of Liverpool!!! But we're all kept in a world of silence specially now that new people have been appointed, I just get feedbacks from the school I undergone the programme. Just don't know where to get a contact from to keep me as well as my colleagues posted!!!

Hmmmm

pgrex20:
Am also under the Niger Delta Amnesty programme and nothing has been said to me or my colleagues... waiting for the people in charge to call us to start moving to the UK, I got my offer in University of Liverpool!!! But we're all kept in a world of silence specially now that new people have been appointed, I just get feedbacks from the school I undergone the programme. Just don't know where to get a contact from to keep me as well as my colleagues posted!!!

my brother e nor easy for here i would employ you not to give up in your pursuit.its well