Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance Refusal to Release Appropriated Funds for the Presidential Amnesty Programme is out to Frustrate Vice President/Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo
Vice President/Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo have earned the respect, trust and understanding of the Niger Delta people through his ground breaking tour of the Niger Delta to seek peace, cooperation and development of the Niger Delta; but the refusal of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance to release appropriated funds to the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme is calculated to frustrate and undermine Vice Presidential/Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s efforts and plunge the region right-back into a new and unnecessary crisis.
According to an unnamed female staff who spoke to us anonymously, because she was not authorized to speak on this matter, states that: “the Finances Minister’s refusal to release Appropriated Presidential Amnesty Programme funds is seriously restricting the office ability to meet its basic obligations; for instance: the paying of ex-militants monthly stipend which is in arrears of over Three months, shool fees and students upkeep; contractors outstanding payments for works done and the day-to-day running of the Programme” She further stated that “the Presidential Amnesty Programme had expended lots of precious capital in stalling protest and actions of frustrated Ex-Militants that, would readily, not be in the interest of the Nation Economy due to the Finance Minister refusal to release over N20 Billion 2016 Supplementary Budget appropriated by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Mohammadu Buhari.
The Finance Minister’s hostility toward the Presidential Amnesty Programme and antipathy to Niger Delta region is bound to unraveled the spectacular work, efforts and success of the Vice President/Acting President Professor Osinbanjo tour of the Niger Delta and Brig. General PT Boroh’s (SA to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman/Coordinator Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme) strategic vision of wrapping up the Presidential Amnesty Programme by 2020 with his aggressive push toward Agriculture by exiting Ex-Militants into Farming.
The Ijaw Institute of Strategic studies is very concerned as well as every well-meaning Nigerian by the Finance Minister’s illegal actions not only because Mrs. Kemi Adeosun should be the first person to know and appreciate the NigerDelta Presidential Amnesty Programme contributions in the stability of oil and gas production; but the life-line of the nation’s economy and backbone of Nigeria’s budget which the Minister depends on. We believe strongly that there is truth in the talk in some highly place quarters that Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Finance Minister is mainly responsible for Nigeria’s present recession because of her deliberate actions and inactions to frustrate the President Mohammadu Buhari’s government economic agenda of which the Vice President is in charge. One of her instruments is her illegal action of refusal to release appropriated funds to the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme which is calculated to instigate a new crisis in the Niger Delta, economy and an affront to the presidency and the National Assembly..
The Director General 0f Ijaw Institute of Strategic, Ekiyorbomode Edotimi, therefore calls on the Vice President/Acting President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, to take appropriate disciplinary actions against Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance for her illegal actions and disrespect for the Presidency and National Assembly.
Ekiyorbomode A. Edotimi
Director General
Ijaw Institute of Strategic Studies
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