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Presidential Amnesty: Ex-agitators intensify calls for Ndiomu’s immediate removal, invites NSA, IGP, says MD Ogbuku should be Cautious of him
The Bayelsa State Chapter of the Ex-agitators’ Leadership forum, has intensified calls for the immediate removal of the interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Gen. Barry Ndiomu, for threatening the peace enjoyed in the region by redirecting the programme to suit personal ambition.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Yenagoa, the Chairman of the first phase ex-agitators leadership forum, General Charles James Kurobo noted that “Gen. Ndiomu’s deft ears and blind eyes towards the first phase leaders from Bayelsa State can no longer be condoned” and that they’re being forced to return to the streets by the leadership style of the interim Administrator.
While, applauding the the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, for his efforts in repositioning the NDDC for continuous improvement, the ex-agitator leaders advised the NDDC boss not to align with Gen. Barry Ndiomu who is under persistent calls for suspension and immediate arrest for abnormalities.
The forum said “the reigning peace in the region is sustained to attract investors” has become a common saying or slogan, so-to-say and we are no longer comfortable when components set up by the federal government to sustain the peace enjoyed so far are the ones pushing the said peace to fragility.
“We appreciate Dr. Ogbuku for his efforts to repositioning the NDDC for continuous improvement and applaud such laudable achievement but aligning with Gen. Barry Ndiomu at the time of persistent calls for his suspension and immediate arrest is not in the best interest of the NDDC boss and we advice him not to join issues bedeviling the Ex-agitators’ Leadership forum, Bayelsa State Chapter of especially the first phase leaders and the PAP with the NDDC.
“We have done our best and we know it. We also appreciate the world’s knowledge on the corporate ways of addressing issues beyond street agitations but it is also our responsibility to let the world know the appointees mandated by the federal government in some quarters, to manage and sustain the peace, are those pushing us back to the streets because they flourish more during chaos and crisis.
“For as much as we don’t want to be seen as gullible for such antics, Gen. Ndiomu’s deft ears and blind eyes towards the first phase leaders from Bayelsa State can no longer be condoned because we are overstretched already.
“You can not expect us to stay off the streets by deliberately subjecting us to penury and to be honest, we are at the end of that line because the IA has given us no room,” they said.
Calling on the President, H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to suspend the interim Administrator of PAP as his continued stay in office may spark another regional crisis from ex-militants who genuinely gave up arms, the ex-agitators noted that Gen. Ndiomu is continually creating room for a crisis by forming and appointing groups on their behalf and introducing figures that are not justifiable.
“We honestly can not continue like this. We have made series of appeals over the state of the PAP under Major Gen. Barry Ndiom’s deplorable behavior and we, the Ex-agitators’ leadership forum, Bayelsa State chapter are saying we can not take this anymore! We are once again calling on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to immediately suspend and arrest the interim Administrator of the PAP as his continued stay in office may spark another regional crisis from ex-militants who genuinely gave up arms.
“He is continually creating room for a crisis he cannot manage by initiating appointments on our behalf and introducing figures we can not identify or point out there roles during the struggle.
It’s never been heard about such an office as ‘The national Chairman of Ex-agitators’.
“Sponsoring people for publications with titles just so they attend secret meetings like the one held in Port Harcourt recently where the NDDC played host, was not in the interest of peace or the Ex-agitators’ Leadership forum because chapters were in attendance, including Bayelsa State, meaning we were not invited. How then do you sustain peace under such measure? It could either be a clear attempt to undermine and distort or a clear lack of competence to manage and sustain existing peace,” they said.
Explaining that the Interim Administrator has lost focus and mobilizing people with no idea of the struggle against the actual beneficiaries, the ex-agitators noted that the PAP office under Gen. Ndiomu is now characterized with lack of transparency, mismanagement of resources allocated to the program, favoritism and support meant for Ex-agitators been grossly misappropriated.
“People with no idea of our pains before and during the struggle cannot be seen as our leaders after peace has been restored for this long. This, we will resist by any means necessary.
“We are hereby calling on the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) the CG, NSCDC, to urgently intervene and redirect the steps to the context and goals of the Presidential Amnesty Program and see to it that it’s original objectives that typically began with an official announcement and declaration by the Nigerian government in 2009, where eligibility and benefits were offered to former militants who participated in the region, as a foundation.
“There are clear indications of how the Interim Administrator has lost focus and seen the actual beneficiaries as enemies which has put us under intense pressure and frantic calls seeking solutions to issues and redress concerning PAP office has not been fruitful. Unfortunately, a lot of questions like; “who are these people claiming to be representing Ex-agitators and what do they represent?
“People hired by Gen. Ndiomu are obviously not helping matters because they can not best advice him in areas requiring practical field experience to do so. We have been taken for granted for far too long by the IA and we see him taking advantage of the fact that after realizing the benefits of dialogue and toeing the line of peace, our hands are tied to act otherwise. I advice the retired general to have a rethink.
“Lack of transparency, mismanagement of resources allocated to the program and favoritism resulting in the benefits not reaching the intended beneficiaries and while the rehabilitation and reintegration phase were well-intended, the support meant for Ex-agitators has been grossly misappropriated, giving room to peace fragility.
“The inadequate support for education, job placement and societal reintegration has kept us under pressure, seeing that some of the ex-militants the I.A has pushed to the wall don’t fall back to violence or criminal activities and calls to get Gen. Ndiomu’s attention on the way forward to these situations we seek solutions to, has constantly fallen on deft ears because he has derailed and clearly lost focus due to his quest to redirect the program to suit his personal ambition and for this reason, we appeal for the redemption of the PAP office from Gen. Barry Ndiomu through the offices mentioned above.
“Instead of concentrating on goals of the program, Gen. Ndiomu’s lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities for the reintegration has led to extreme frustration among Ex-agitators, making some more susceptible to regrouping for an unproductive course,” they added.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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From Construction Sites to Community Service: Temitope Akinyemi Emerges as a Model of Leadership and Impact
Energy experts in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector have defended the pricing structure of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, accusing some fuel markers of attempting to blackmail the refinery and mislead the public over the recent increase in petrol prices.
The experts said reports suggesting that the refinery’s latest adjustment is solely responsible for the recent hike in fuel prices were misleading, noting that importers are also bringing in petrol at almost a N1,000 per litre, while the refinery’s coastal price is N948 and the gantry or ex-depot price stands at N995 per litre.
They stressed that public comparisons fail to consider the differences in pricing structures and supply channels.
According to the experts, N948 per litre represents the coastal delivery price, which refers to petroleum products transported by marine vessels or barges from the refinery to depots along the coastline. On the other hand, N995 per litre represents the gantry or ex-depot price, which is the rate paid by marketers who load petrol directly from the refinery into tanker trucks at the loading gantry for onward distribution across the country.
The experts explained that the two figures should not be interpreted as conflicting prices but rather as different logistics arrangements within the petroleum distribution chain.
Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, energy expert David Okon said the pricing adjustments were inevitable given prevailing market conditions.
According to him, Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals operates in a deregulated market and procures crude at international prices, which have risen sharply due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“The refinery is already absorbing part of the cost to cushion the impact of the crisis on Nigerians. We can see what is happening in other parts of the world where shortages and scarcity are being reported despite higher prices, yet the Dangote Refinery has continued to guarantee domestic supply,” he said.
Okon explained that when the refinery previously sold petrol at N774 per litre, crude oil was landing at about $68 per barrel. However, with crude now arriving at roughly $95 per barrel, the cost difference of about $27 per barrel translates to nearly N40,000 per barrel when converted to Naira.
“You cannot expect a refinery to continue selling at the old rate under those circumstances,” he added.
“If imported products were truly cheaper, importers would still be selling at the previous prices.”
He warned that without local refining capacity, Nigeria could have faced severe fuel shortages, long queues at filling stations and a resurgence of black market sales.
“Without the Dangote Refinery, many filling stations would likely shut down, queues would return across the country and black market traders would exploit the situation, hawking four litres keg at N20,000 or more. The refinery has effectively prevented that scenario,” he said.
Another analyst, Mohammed Ibrahim, also faulted narratives circulating in some quarters suggesting that the refinery’s pricing adjustment was responsible for worsening economic hardship in the country.
Accusing some importers of attempting to manipulate public perception, he said, “What we are seeing is nothing but deliberate blackmail by some fuel importers who feel threatened by local refining.
“They are twisting the pricing structure to mislead Nigerians and create unnecessary panic in the market.
“By exaggerating the refinery’s gantry price and ignoring the comparable costs of imported fuel, they are trying to make it appear as though Dangote Refinery is the cause of rising prices and economic hardship. This is a calculated attempt to protect their import businesses and undermine local refining, which is meant to reduce our dependence on imported petrol.”
Ibrahim added that such narratives were aimed at portraying the refinery as the reason Nigerians were struggling with higher petrol prices.
He stressed that petrol pricing in Nigeria is largely influenced by global crude oil prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and distribution logistics, noting that these factors affect both locally refined and imported fuel in the country’s deregulated market.
Afolabi Olowookere, Managing Director and Chief Economist at Analysts’ Data Services and Resources (ADSR) Limited, explained that although Nigerians expect refined products from the refinery to be significantly cheaper, prevailing market realities such as global crude oil prices, the cost of crude supply and refining margins make substantial price reductions unlikely in the short term.
“Therefore, improving domestic crude allocation to the refinery would strengthen supply stability and enhance the long term benefits of local refining for the economy,” Olowookere noted.
Recent conflicts in the Middle East and disruptions along key shipping lanes have tightened global oil supply, pushing crude prices past $90 per barrel, a development that directly raises the cost of both imported and locally refined petrol in Nigeria.
The unrest has pushed up fuel costs and transportation in several countries, including Ghana, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, and Japan, as rising crude prices increase the cost of refining, distribution, and logistics globally.
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