Izon Cultural Heritage Centre Slams Shola Mese Over PAP Comments, Warns Against Ethnic Tension

The Izon Cultural Heritage Centre (ICHC) has expressed deep concern over recent comments attributed to Dr. Shola Mese, a representative of the Olu of Itsekiri in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

The ICHC described the comments as “unguided” and “misrepresentative” of the programme’s scope, mandate, and beneficiaries.

The ICHC, led by Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei, in a statement emphasized that the PAP is a federal intervention designed to address the needs of its 30,000 documented beneficiaries from across the Niger Delta region, without ethnic or sectional bias.

The centre warned that attempts to impose influence or create the perception that the PAP is subject to the directives of traditional authorities could undermine the fragile peace and stability of the region.

The ICHC condemned Dr. Mese’s remarks, which suggested that the PAP is skewed against the Itsekiri people, describing them as “false” and “calculated to stir unnecessary ethnic tension.”

The centre reiterated its full confidence in the leadership of Dr. Dennis Otuaro, who has worked with diligence, inclusivity, and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The ICHC urged all and sundry to respect the sanctity of the office of the PAP boss and exercise moral restraint, warning against actions or statements that could fan the embers of discord.

The centre emphasized that the PAP belongs to the entire Niger Delta, not just the Itsekiri people or their monarch, and that its continuity and success demand unity and not division.

Below Is The Full Statement:

The Izon Cultural Heritage Centre (ICHC) has observed, with deep concern, recent comments and tendencies emanating from the palace of the Olu of Itsekiri through one Dr. Mese who claims to be a representative of the Olu in the Amnesty programme, his unguided utterances seeks to misrepresent the scope, mandate, and beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

For the avoidance of doubt, the Amnesty Programme is not created to serve the Itsekiri Traditional Rulers Council, nor is it an appendage of the Olu of Itsekiri to be remotely dictated from his palace. The programme is a federal intervention designed to address the needs of its documented 30,000 beneficiaries; delegates drawn from across the Niger Delta region, without ethnic or sectional bias.

It is therefore inappropriate and unhelpful for any traditional authority through proxies like Dr. Mese to attempt to impose influence or create the perception that the PAP is subject to their directives. The programme does not answer to the Itsekiri Palace, and its operational focus remains firmly on the empowerment, reintegration, and welfare of its registered beneficiaries across all Niger Delta communities.

We implore the Olu of Itsekiri and his proxies to refrain from actions or statements that could fan the embers of discord or present a distorted narrative about the PAP’s operations. Such a path, if replicated by other traditional rulers, risks undermining the fragile peace and stability of the region; peace which is essential for governance, development, and even the effective administration of traditional domains.

We therefore urge His Majesty to respect the sanctity of his office and exercise the moral restraint befitting the honour and responsibility that comes with the revered Itsekiri throne.

Importantly, the era of disarmament under the PAP has long passed, and the Itsekiri people:like every other ethnic nationality, must acknowledge this fact. The current phase is reintegration for already documented beneficiaries, not an avenue to reopen old disarmament claims or alter established beneficiary lists.

In addition, the ICHC vehemently strongly condemns the recent remarks by Dr. Shola Mese, who has attempted to mislead the public by suggesting that the PAP under Dr. Dennis Otuaro is skewed against the Itsekiri people. Such claims are not only false but are calculated to stir unnecessary ethnic tension. While Dr. Mese claims to have been involved in the disarmament phase years ago, that era is over. The PAP is now in its reintegration phase, which operates strictly on the basis of the existing list of beneficiaries, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko, and others alike without room for ethnic favoritism, blackmail or political manipulation.

We remind Dr. Mese that his purported appointment as Sole Itsekiri Representative to the PAP Office in 2024, courtesy of the Olu of itsekiri recommendation is not tenable because there is no such thing as ethnic liaisons in the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office. Such presumptuous position that only exists in the imagination of the Olu of Itsekiri and Dr. Mese does not confer them the pretense of authority to dictate programme policy or undermine the Administrator, the PAP does not answer to the palace.

The PAP is a Niger Delta-wide peace instrument, not an ethnic bargaining chip for palace politics.

The ICHC, led by Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei, reiterates its full confidence in the leadership of Dr. Dennis Otuaro, who, since assuming office, has worked with diligence, inclusivity, and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His track record of engaging stakeholders across ethnic divides, and ensuring fairness in programme delivery, stands as a testament to his capability and dedication to the beneficiaries.

Let it be known: the PAP belongs to the entire Niger Delta not the Itsekiri people nor their Olu and its continuity and success demand unity, not division.