Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa
The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has explained that training projects for ex-agitators have not taken off because he is not willing to continue with corrupt practices bugging the system.
Dikio in a statement signed on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Nneotaobase Egbe, said he met an entrenched system of inducements, kickbacks and other illegal practices and was unwilling to continue with them.
He accused some officials in the amnesty office of derailing the mandate of PAP because of their selfish interests noting that such persons were frustrating the projects and programmes of PAP using officialdom to seek kickbacks.
He said the corrupt officials had adopted various tactics to stall important projects in the reintegration process.
The amnesty boss said a major agricultural project designed to train and employ about 800 beneficiaries on crop and livestock farming as well as other agro-based services had been stalled by the officials, who were demanding kickbacks.
He said such officials were also sitting on training programmes for 3000 delegates in the maritime sector, adding that they were frustrating training projects for 520 delegates on fabrication, aviation and oil and gas.
Dikio said: “On assumption of office, my mission has been to ensure that delegates are trained to become employable citizens and successful entrepreneurs, who can contribute meaningfully to the economy of the Niger Delta region and the nation at large.
“This was why I introduced the Train-Employ-Mentor (TEM) model that will ensure that the ex-agitators are trained and mentored overtime thus able to reintegrate successfully into the society thereby increasing the peace, security and economic stability of the Niger Delta region.
“These contracts and projects for training and employment are designed to be vital instruments in the reintegration process, thus induced delays will not do any good to the delegates and cannot benefit the Niger Delta”.
Dikio said his vision remained to make the Niger Delta the best place to live and do business in Nigeria and to stop militancy in the region through the Niger Delta Stabilization Programme.
He said: “I call on well-meaning citizens to note that insecurity in any part of Nigeria is insecurity everywhere. My team and I are committed to giving our best to make a positive difference”.
