Prominent sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region have drummed support for the Special Investigative Panel on Oil Theft/Losses led by the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd).
The 11-member panel was inaugurated on Tuesday by the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), to unravel those behind oil theft and submit report on or before February 1, 2023.
A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the PAP Interim Administrator, Thomas Peretu, said sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region, who sent in goodwill messages, were unanimous in their submission that "the new appointment is a presidential endorsement and acknowledgement of Ndiomu's outstanding performance within the short period he has held sway as the PAP boss."
He quoted a frontline Niger Delta activist, Ann Kio-Briggs, as saying the choice of General Ndiomu to chair the Presidential Committee on Oil Theft did not come as a surprise in view of his strong personality, zeal, doggedness, resilience and will to succeed in whatever position he finds himself.
Ms Briggs described General Ndiomu as a visionary leader who always aims at the goal post, noting that he has demonstrated capacity in running the affairs of the Presidential Amnesty Programme with the introduction of key reforms capable of consolidating and improving on the gains recorded by the programme since its establishment in 2009.
She expressed confidence in the ability of the Ndiomu-led committee on oil theft to effectively handle the assignment and called for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to enable the committee succeed.
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"We have no doubt in our minds that you and your team are more than qualified and capable of delivering on this new task assigned to you. The progress made within the short period you have been in charge of the PAP gives us the confidence that you can take on higher responsibilities and succeed. The task ahead is enormous, but we strongly believe in the ability of your team to dig deeper and unravel those behind many years of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta region," Ms Briggs was qputed as saying in the letter delivered to the PAP boss.
Also a foremost traditional ruler in the Niger Delta, HRM Dr. Owoupele Danladi Foubiri, the Angulu 1 Ebenanaowei of Tarakiri Kingdom in Delta State, in his goodwill message, hailed the appointment of Major General Ndiomu as chairman of the Presidential Committee on oil theft and pipeline vandalisation, describing the PAP boss as the one whom the cap fits
His letter reads in part: "We are indeed happy to read that the PAP boss, Maj Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu, a man of honour and integrity has been appointed as the chairman of a special committee on oil theft.
"We are not totally surprised at this turn of events given his amazing achievements at the PAP in the last two months. His forthrightness, candour and patriotism leaves no one in doubt about his leadership abilities.
"We hereby wish the committee success as it unravels the brains behind this endemic challenge confronting the nation"
