Kuku blasts Tinubu over comments on amnesty programme

Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, has faulted the claim by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that the programme is constituting a drainpipe to the nation’s treasury.

Kuku said in a statement by PAP’s Head, Media and Communications, Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday that Tinubu’s claim was not true, adding that the programme had helped to stabilise the country’s security and economy.

He said Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, was fond of politicising every policy of President Goodluck Jonathan including the amnesty programme.

The statement quoted Kuku as saying that, “It is regrettable that as a former governor of a state like Lagos, his stock-in-trade is not only to politicise every policy or programme of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration but also vilely tries to achieve political capital through such less than salutary criticisms.”

Kuku challenged the APC leader to show proof of his allegations against the amnesty programme.

The statement also read, “As a security stabilisation programme for the hitherto restive Niger Delta, the amnesty programme has achieved its objective ,through well thought-out vocational training and formal education schemes for the former agitators in the region.”

Tinubu had on Monday described the programme as a drainpipe, adding that right from its inception, it had been corrupted and hijacked by the President’s clique.

The former governor had  said, “The amnesty conceived from inception has been corrupted and hijacked by the President’s clique. It is one of Nigeria’s drainpipes. A slush fund for political expeditions and a conduit to siphon money to the boys.”