Itsekiri youths fault PAP over 2026 scholarship list

The Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) has voiced strong dissatisfaction with the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), alleging ethnic bigotry in the selection process for the 2026 scholarship list. The youth group claims that Itsekiri youths have been deliberately excluded from the scholarship opportunities.

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The INYC wishes to bring to the urgent attention of the National Security Adviser the growing tension and sense of injustice arising from the 2026 scholarship deployment process.

In a statement, the INYC's Public Relations Officer, Tuoyo Ebigbeyi, urged the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to intervene and address what he termed an injustice that jeopardizes the peace and unity of the Niger Delta. The council is demanding an immediate review of the 2026 scholarship list to include Itsekiri beneficiaries and insists on a transparent, ethnically balanced selection process for future programs.

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Information available to us confirms that names have already been forwarded to private universities in Nigeria for local scholarships while the programme continues to pretend it is receiving applications from interested candidates. Shockingly, there is not a single Itsekiri name on the list.

"Information available to us confirms that names have already been forwarded to private universities in Nigeria for local scholarships while the programme continues to pretend it is receiving applications from interested candidates. Shockingly, there is not a single Itsekiri name on the list," the INYC stated. They believe this exclusion stems from ethnic bias exhibited by the program's coordinator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, and warn that such patterns, if unchecked, could destabilize the region.

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The INYC believes this continued exclusion is a direct result of the persistent ethnic bigotry allegedly exhibited by the coordinator of the programme. This pattern, if left unchecked, threatens the peace and unity of the Niger Delta.

The INYC emphasized that denying educational opportunities to any ethnic group is a recipe for crisis, highlighting the significant contributions of the Itsekiri people to national development. They are calling on the National Security Adviser to caution the PAP Coordinator against ethnic bias and ensure equal opportunities for the Itsekiri ethnic nationality in all future scholarship programs. The council affirmed its commitment to peace but stated it would not remain silent in the face of injustice.

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We respectfully call on the National Security Adviser to caution the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, to set aside ethnic bias and ensure that the Itsekiri ethnic nationality is given equal opportunity in this and all future scholarship programmes.