Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), the interim administrator of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), disclosed that the intervention cost N1 trillion.
Former agitators have been apprehended by the PAP, which the late President Musa Yar’Adua founded in 2009.
Ndiomu made a plea for their continued support during a meeting with traditional leaders in the South-South on Monday, which was presided over by HRM King Frank Okurakpo.
According to the administrator, his policies would make sure that the programme had a greater impact on the intended recipients.
Ndiomu noted that monarchs and other stakeholders must be consulted to maintain the desired peace and stability in the region.
“PAP is a national security programme and considering the role of our monarchs in the Niger Delta, it is very important that you’re carried along with the new policies.
“This programme has already swallowed over a trillion naira. I personally believe that if we had properly directed the resources, a lot more could have been achieved,” he noted.
Ndiomu declared he was asking the federal government’s permission to organise former agitators into cooperatives so they could become self-sufficient.
2,984 students are receiving training at various academic schools across the nation, according to the retired general.
Between 2015 and 2022, the programme produced 121 first-class graduates at various stages of the plan; 2,881 graduates were produced between 2018 and 2022.
According to the breakdown, there are 1,862 BSc students, 362 MAs, and 38 PhDs. 53 students are presently pursuing First, Masters, and PhD degrees abroad.
