By Sunday Apah
The Itsekiri Congress United Kingdom (ICUK), the apex umbrella body representing Itsekiri diaspora organisations in the UK, has formally called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to urgently investigate the alleged systematic exclusion and marginalisation of Itsekiri beneficiaries under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
In a joint statement issued by ICUK President, Mr. Sunny Oritsegbubemi Okuku, and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Norris Orighoye, the organisation expressed grave concern over the glaring absence of qualified Itsekiri youths from recent high profile academic and technical capacity building initiatives implemented by the PAP leadership.
Skewed Foreign Scholarship Allocations ICUK drew attention to the recent deployment of more than 270 students selected for specialised postgraduate studies abroad in vital fields including Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Data Science, Maritime/Energy Law, Forensic Auditing, Fintech Analytics, and Construction Engineering Management.
According to verified reports reaching the diaspora leadership, the scholarship cohort reflects severe ethnic asymmetry, allegedly drawn almost exclusively from select Ijaw communities, most notably Gbaramatu and networks tied to specific political figures, with virtually zero representation from eligible Itsekiri candidates.
“The Presidential Amnesty Programme is a federally funded security and developmental
stabilisation initiative. It was conceived for the entirety of impacted Niger Delta communities,
not as an exclusive patronage network or ethnic fiefdom,” the statement read.
“The complete omission of qualified Itsekiri candidates from a 270 person advanced foreign scholarship cohort is indefensible and demands a transparent, public disclosure of the selection metrics used.”
Transparency Concerns in Onshore University Placements The congress also expressed serious reservations regarding the ongoing deployment of
approximately 3,900 PAP beneficiaries to tertiary institutions within Nigeria for the 2025/2026
academic session.
ICUK warned that ongoing online application exercises must not serve as
mere window dressing to legitimise pre-determined beneficiary lists. The leadership
appealed directly to the NSA’s office to mandate the publication of quota distributions and
verifiable merit criteria across all participating oil producing ethnic nationalities.
The organisation specifically called on the Special Adviser to the President on PAP, Dr.
Dennis Burutu Otuaro, to rise above parochial leanings and govern the agency with strict
adherence to federal character, equity, and transparency.
ICUK noted with concern that historical disputes regarding administrative partiality and
community delineation in Delta State remain fresh in memory. It would be deeply counterproductive if the current leadership of the PAP allows perceptions of ethnic favouritism to reignite distrust and undermine the hard won peace in the oil rich coastal belt.
Reiterating that the Itsekiri nation has historically remained a peaceful, law abiding host to
major oil and gas infrastructure, ICUK warned that their peaceful disposition should never be
exploited or misconstrued as weakness.
ICUK requests that the Office of the National
Security Adviser review both the offshore postgraduate deployment and onshore
tertiary admissions lists.
The leadership demands immediate affirmative
action to integrate qualified Itsekiri beneficiaries into upcoming vocational tranches,
professional certifications, and subsequent foreign educational awards.
ICUK urges Dr. Otuaro to demonstrate good faith by engaging directly with accredited Itsekiri stakeholders to rectify these disparities.
We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and NSA Nuhu Ribadu to act decisively. Justice, equity, and verifiable transparency must remain the guiding principles of the Presidential Amnesty Programme if it is to retain its legitimacy and fulfill its mandate
across the Niger Delta.
