Nigeria, Aug. 24 -- The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, has called on the federal government to put off alleged plans to scrap the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region.

Such action, he said, would be premature and ill-timed and could jeopardise the fragile peace in the region.

Mr Omo-Agege spoke in Abuja on Sunday when he played host to a socio-political organisation, New Era Forum, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Yomi Odunuga.

The amnesty programme, introduced by a former president, Umaru Yar'Adua, has been enmeshed in allegations of corruption since inception. The allegations have led to the exit of the programme's past leaders - the most recent being Charles Doku...