Warri — THE reported planned protest against the non-inclusion of Itsekiri and Urhobo youths in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, as alleged by the Presidential Amnesty Office has been described as a hoax and figment of imagination of some individual tribalists and ethnic bigots in the Presidential Amnesty Office.

Reacting to the report in a telephone chat, yesterday, National President of Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, Mr. David Tonwe, said: "Whoever made that statement to the press is most satanic.

"While I cannot speak for youths of Urhobo extraction, to the Itsekiri the idea of protesting for now is not in our agenda, when we are now on a very strong and robust constitutional, moral and legislative pedestal on this issue of unfair alienation of formally armed Itsekiri youths from PAP.

"When we were unjustly alienated from PAP, we opted for the civilised method of protest firstly, by protesting to the Presidential Amnesty Office.

"When that office opted to remain obdurate and we could not get any reply from it; we again sent a petition to Mr. President protesting the non-inclusion of Itsekiri youths, who openly disarmed within the stipulated time frame.

"After waiting for months and no reply from the Presidency, we formally protested to the House of Representatives through our representative."

It was after this that the House Committee on Public Petition invited representatives of INYC and Mr. Kingsley Kuku who is the Special Adviser to the President of the Niger Delta for public hearing."