Scores of angry Ijaw Youths under the Federal Government Presidential Amnesty Programme, weekend, sent a protest letter to the President, Muhammadu Buhari and the Leadership of the National Assembly to intervene and prevail on the Amnesty Implementation Committee to pay outstanding tuition fees totheir institutions in Nigeria and United States of America, under the Kaplan agreement.The angry youths said though all channels of communications on the issues have been utilised and they may resort to disruption of peace along the East/west road if the issues are not resolved, the failure of the Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh led Amnesty Implementation Committee to pay up the Tuition fees and Six months allowances have led to their ejection from schools in Nigeria and United States and turned them to beggars.The Local and Foreign Institutions identified are the Lead City University, Ibadan, Igbinedion University, Okada,Edo State, the Elizade University, Ogun State, Benson Idahosa University, Edo State and the Afe Babalola University,Ekiti State.The Ijaw Youths, aftera well attended meeting of students, under the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) at theIjaw House in Yenagoa,Bayelsa State, said the refusal of the Amnesty Committee to pay up tuition fees owed the various institutions of learning in the Nigeria and United States is threatning to jeopadise their lives and career.The angry youths, in the letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly, signed bySigned by the Chairman,Comr. Joshua M. Amangala, Secetary,Comrade JusticeIpiteikumoh,Hon.AmaebiOsaribie,Comr.OluwatobiOkeandComr. Johnny Kenneth,stated that we have met todiscussvital issues pertainingtothe welfare and wellbeing of beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Initiative, specificallyonthenon paymentof tuition fees,in-training allowances and thecase of some students thatarestrandedinthe United States of America,under the Kaplan agreement.At the end of the meeting;the following observations were made.Due to the non paymentofthein-training allowancesand tuition fees;thestudentsbeneficiariesof the Amnesty Programarelooked downon and treated likesecond class citizensin their respective institutionsFrom all indications, the Gen. Boroh led leadershipof the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) has connived with some officials in the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Finance to deliberately and systematically,stiflethe studentscomponent ofPresidential Amnestyinitiative in exchange for their so-called agricultural program.With thethoughtlessnessandcareless handling of the Amnesty Programme, particularly with regardto the welfare and wellbeing of the studentssegment of theprogram (both locally and internationally), ithas resultedto theincrease inarmed robbery, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping and otheranti-socialvices andhaspavedway for the resurgence of militancy in the region which the programwasdesigned to address.The unholy alliance between theGen.Boroh led Amnesty office and hisilksin the presidency has resulted to the termination of a validly entered agreement with an educationalserviceprovider,theKaplan International which has renderedsome studentsstranded in the United States of America.Sequel from the foregoing and taking into account, the factthatwith the non payment of tuition fees and stipends, the students are now miserable and have chosen to take their destinyinto their hands. Therefore, thefollowingresolutions were taken:Thatthe students are requestingforthe immediate payment of their stipends which has accumulated toSix (6) Months and alsothepayment of tuition fees.That there is no cordial relationship between the students who are delegates in their respective institutions and the Presidential Amnesty office,especially under the present leadership of the PAP. TheAmnesty office has not deemed it necessary to go round the various schools to know the plight of the delegates in their respectiveinstitutions.That the students aredemandingfor Gen. Boroh to throw in thetowel, particularly as it is obvious that the demands of providing effective leadership towards faithfully implementing the Amnesty Program haveoverwhelmed him. This is with a view of protecting his name and reputation. That failure to respond swiftlytosome of theseissues raised;especiallyas it relatesto thenon payment of stipends, tuition fees and alsotoreconsider the terminated.Kaplan agreementwithinseven (7) workingdays.The studentswill be left with no option thanto block all major national corridors leading totheDeltaregionand a protest march on the National Assembly.Conclusively, we urge all men of good conscience, the Security and Intelligence community, the National Assembly, the International Community, theNigerian Students communityandother relevant stakeholders within the Nigerian polityto prevail on the Amnesty Office and theFederal Government to attend to ourplight with all sense of urgency, in the spirit of sustaining the present relative peace being enjoyed in the region and beyond.
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