Tag: Dikio

  • Okowa, Dikio, Nexim bank, others seek revival of Niger Delta economy

    Okowa, Dikio, Nexim bank, others seek revival of Niger Delta economy

    Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa

    Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) and the Executive Director Business Development, Nexim bank, Stella Okotete, have proffered solutions to the economic challenges of the Niger Delta region.

    The trio spoke in Warri, Delta State at a one day economic summit organised by the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for its delegates with the theme, ‘Restoring Wealth Creation In Niger Delta Region’.

    Others, who also reflected on the way out of the region’s poor economic indices, a security expert, AVM Terry Okorodudu (rtd); ex-freedom fighter, High Chief Bibopere Ajube aka Shoot-at-Sight and business development coach, Francis Okumagba

    Okotete said while other regions in the country were taking advantage of their resources to create the needed wealth, people in the Niger Delta, particularly the youths were relying on handouts.

    She said with the agricultural resources in the region and the huge talents in the entertainment industry, people should form clusters and build the structures that will make it easier to access funding from institutions like the Nexim bank to begin export trade.

    According to Okotete, “Non-oil sector is what is driving the economy of every country and in this region, there are a lot of resources that can be exported. The various governments in the region need to create the enabling environment for more investors to come.

    “The government needs to create a balance between economic and infrastructural development. It’s not just enough to build roads, yes roads are good but they should also build industries.

    “We must look at the export space. Export creates massive wealth. We must wake up and look into the future. Nobody will build the Niger Delta for us, it is only we that can do that. Let us start selling our region to the world and create a better future for our children.”

    Okowa, who was represented by the Executive Secretary Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Orezi Esievo, called for more private sector involvement in the development of the region, saying government alone could not do it.

    The governor, who spoke on the importance of SMEs to any economy, said his administration is open to partnership that will ensure sustainable wealth is created for people of Delta State and the region as a whole.

    On his part, AVM Okorodudu (rtd), said it was unfortunate that since 2009 when the amnesty programme started, agencies of government like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), had failed to carry out their responsibility of reconstruction.

    Okorodudu who commended Dikio’s effort, noted that funding the training of ex-agitators was an expensive venture, but added that it was sheer waste of resources to train them without employing or engaging them.

    On their parts, Senior High Chief Ajube and Okumagba, urged the ex-agitators to be inspired by the stories of successful people and stop allowing their immediate environment distract them from success.

    They stressed that youths in the region needed to renew their mindsets and believe in the possibility of becoming great industrialists and entrepreneurs.

    In his remark, Dikio, said the summit was aimed at highligting the limitless opportunities readily available within the region to enable the ex-agitators have an idea of how to benefit from it.

    “This summit is a test-run of a larger one to come next year that will be all encompassing. Basically, we are here to preach the gospel of shared prosperity. We can talk about how rich and prosperous Niger Delta is but if we don’t do something about it, it will be more wishful thinking”, Dikio said.

  • Dikio unveils action plans for ex-agitators

    Dikio unveils action plans for ex-agitators

    Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa

    The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has unveiled his next plan for ex-agitators saying he will focus on wealth creation leveraging on partnerships that will have positive effects on the economy of the Niger Delta and the country.

    He said having laid the foundation in his first one year with his outlined vision, the time for action had come to produce the desired result for the benefit of all.

    Speaking at separate meetings with leaders of first and third phases of the PAP in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Dikio said his quest to leave a strong legacy was driven by his passion for the development of the region.

    The amnesty boss in a statement signed at the weekend by his Special Adviser, Nneotaobase Egbe, encouraged the ex-agitators to strive to see beyond the monthly stipends, to the economic opportunities around them.

    He said: “Within the short time I have, we will change things for the better. That is why we have changed the model of trainings that you get to the Train-Employ-Mentor model. The kind of trainings that will make you self-sufficient and qualified to have a job that you will be paid far above the N65,000; trainings that will bring more value to you”.

    The PAP boss disclosed that there were plans for a summit in Warri, Delta State where the delegates will be taught how to grow and manage businesses, and also highlight the opportunities in the city and the region in general.

    According to Dikio, the Niger Delta remained the richest place in the country not because of oil and gas but its natural endowment, such as human capital, farm produce and fisheries, domiciled across the region and waiting to be explored by willing hands.

    He said: “We have to be competitive in the water business and take advantage of the blue economy. The Niger Delta is blessed with a lot of opportunities and we need to take charge.

    “We are organizing a summit in Warri soon. Warri used to be the oil city with lots of activities but now it has become like a ghost town. We want to highlight what the city has, its economic importance and also for entrepreneurial purpose. We have to do everything possible to bring back businesses to the region.”

    “I keep saying this that if you are not providing service you can’t be rich. Once you have what you are offering and when you are able to take care of yourself, nobody can insult you”.

    In his remarks, leader of the first phase ex-agitators and National President of the Leadership, Peace, and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI), Pastor Reuben Wilson, thanked Dikio for restoring their confidence in the PAP.

    He said in the past the programme was managed like a personal estate with the beneficiaries grossly shortchanged while others became billionaires but with the coming of Dikio “we now have hope because of the new vision”.

    In their remarks, National Chairman and Secretary of the third phase, Tonye Bobo and Elaye Slaboh, said in the last one year they had not embarked on any form of protest because of what Dikio had done to change their mindset.

    They said in the past street protests were regular for them but didn’t know that it was de-marketing the region and driving away businesses.

    The leaders made a number of requests including leadership training and empowerment, education and vocational training, and setting up liaison office in Bayelsa.

  • Substance abuse can fuel new wave of Militancy in Niger Delta, says Dikio

    Substance abuse can fuel new wave of Militancy in Niger Delta, says Dikio

    NDLEA partners PAP to curb drug abuse

    Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa

    The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (retd) has said that substance abuse among youths in the Niger Delta is capable of fueling a new wave of militancy in the region.

    Dikio, who spoke when he paid a visit to the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa (rtd), in Abuja said urgent steps should be taken to curb such abuse.

    Dikio in a statement signed on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Nneotaobase Egbe, said that the partnership between NDLEA and PAP would drastically reduce cases of drug abuse and reposition the minds of the youths for more productive ventures to sustain the peace and development in the region.

    He said: “We have a unique challenge in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) that of managing ex-militants; we call them ex-agitators. We want to take active measures to not only manage the present ex-agitators, but to pre-empt and stop the pipeline that leads to deviant behaviour and militancy.

    “It goes without saying that some of these people get their motivation by using or abusing substances, so we want to key into what you are doing on the arrest side and learn what we can do on the prevention side”.

    In his remarks, Marwa promised that the NDLEA would partner with PAP to curb the intake of hard drugs and other banned substances by youths in the Niger Delta.

    He decried the wave of drug-induced crime in the country, especially among youths noting that the collaboration between PAP and his agency would focus on sensitisation and counselling programmes as a major preventive measure to curb the menace.

    While identifying poverty as the main cause of drug abuse in Nigeria, the NDLEA boss explained that criminals used drugs to embolden themselves before embarking on any criminal activity.

    Marwa (rtd), who used the opportunity to reel out some alarming drug statistics in the country also lauded the willingness and commitment of Dikio to make the Niger Delta a drug-free zone.

    He said 80 per cent of drug users in the country only required counselling, adding that records corroborated by a United Nation’s study showed that in Nigeria, one in seven persons between age 23 to 64 abused drugs.

    He said: ” We have also found that the students, bandits, kidnappers, rapists, down the line youths, militants, use drugs and we will be very happy to collaborate with the Amnesty Programme.

    “We don’t need to wait for people to become drug addicts first; the majority have not used drugs, others have tasted but are not addicted to it. The ex-agitators are also normal human beings that will like to marry and raise families.

    “The advice we give that will deal with the drug problem is to find some source of income for them through skills acquisition and if it is affordable, some kind of wage structure”.

  • Dikio tasked committee on public perception of PAP

    Dikio tasked committee on public perception of PAP

    Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa

    Interim Administrator Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has charged members of PAP’s Strategic Communications Committee to change negative public perception about the scheme.

    Dikio urged the committee consisting of ex- agitators to ensure effective dissemination of information about the scheme to attract expected development to the region.

    Speaking on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the second quarterly meeting with members of the committee, Dikio, explained that the absence of a proper channel of commumication in the past led to misinformation.

    But he said PAP under him was determined to correct the anomaly through the committee for the benefits of the beneficiaries and all critical stakeholders.

    He asked members of the committee to be adequately prepared for the task ahead and to understand the sensitive nature of their assignment.

    Dikio further urged them to know the importance of operating within the limits of their mandate and recognizing the hierarchy and chain of command in the dissemination of information emanating from the PAP office.

    He noted that any information coming out of his office must be authorized by him and disseminated through the media office duly signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Neotaobase Egbe.

    He said: “It’s important for members of this committee to clearly understand that in PAP we take the dissemination of information very seriously. We are very deliberate about information that we put out in the public space and this is why we have a structured system in place on how information coming out of PAP get to the public.

    “You must know that all information going out to the public from PAP are authorized by me through my SA on Media. However, your roles are clearly spelt out in the documents given to you”.

    Dikio stressed that members of the committee must cross-check with PAP’s media office before going public with any information.

    He said a specialized training on public communication, media relations for members of the committee would be organized to build their capacity and further equip them for the job.

    The meeting also examined other issues of critical concern in the region, especially on the need to create a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive.

    He said for business to thrive and for development to be attracted to the region, the committee must take its task seriously, particularly in the way and manner its members shape the narrative and enhance public perception about the region.

    In his remarks, the chairman of the Strategic Communication Committee, Mr. Nature Dumale, and the Spokesman, Mr. Ellington Tam, expressed their excitement over the appointment describing it as a call to duty.

    They said one of the major tasks was to make sure that peace was maintained in the Niger Delta region and the communities were effectively carried along in their activities.

    Highpoint of the meeting was the presentation of official letters to members of the committee, signaling their appointments and documents clearly spelling out roles and their terms of reference.

  • Dikio appoints ex-agitators into special committee

    Dikio appoints ex-agitators into special committee

    Ex-agitators appointed into PAP’s strategic communication committee

    Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa

    The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (retd),  has appointed ex-agitators into a novel committee he constituted on Strategic Commumications.

    The committee, which was inaugurated in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, came at the backdrop of the workshop on Strategic Communications organised for select ex-agitators in March by PAP in conjunction with Academic Associates Peacework.

    The 10-member committee had been mandated to act as watchdogs of PAP; act as an extension of the scheme’s media unit and provide feedback from the region to the PAP office. 

    Inaugurating the committee, Dikio charged the ex-agitators to enrich, monitor and propagate the PAP’s roadmap. He also charged them to come up with workable ideas that will help to create a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive in the region, this he believes will encourage industries that left the region to return. 

    The return of businesses back to the region will enable ex-agitators seek ways to generate multiple streams of income, and go beyond the collection of N65,000 monthly stipends.

    “Nobody survives on one stream of income and that’s why it is important for you to take cognizance of the provisions in the Niger Delta Recovery Plan which is embedded in the post DDR and sustained impact of the programme”, he said.

    Dikio said members of the committee represented a special think tank group of the PAP, describing them as change agents and urging them to live up to their new assignment.

    He underscored the importance of strategic communication in the region and appealed to the committee to carry out their assigned tasks with due diligence and with a keen sense of awareness, commitment and high degree of responsibility. 

    Dikio said: “It is important to let you all understand how critical your roles are as members of the committee. You are considered as think tanks and change agents. As members of PAP’s Strategic Communications Committee, you are our eyes and ears in the region.

    “That’s why I am associating the committee as an extension of our media and communication unit in PAP headed by the Special Adviser on Media, Neotaobase Egbe. 

    “We are interested in you taking the message from us down to the region and also giving us feedback. By so doing, it will help us  to serve our region, people better and also remove any form of misunderstanding, including providing clarity of thoughts and expression to our vision and mandate.  

    “We strongly believe effective communication brings people together, closer to each other. And in our bid to change the ugly narrative about PAP and the region, we decided to engage you all as members of this very important committee”.

    In his response, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Nature Dumale Kieghe, thanked the Interim Administrator for finding him and his colleagues worthy to be part of the committee.

    He assured him of the committee’s commitment to discharge its responsibilities effectively to support PAP’s quest to transform the region.

  • Dikio named Administrator of Amnesty Programme

    Dikio named Administrator of Amnesty Programme

    President Muhmmadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Col. Millhand Dixon Dikio (Rtd) as Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

    The appointment, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, took effect from August 21, 2020.

    The immediate past Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Professor Charles Dokubo, has been directed to hand all official matters of the office over to the most senior officer of the programme.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Col. Milland Dixion Dikio (rtd) as Interim Administrator (Amnesty Programme) with effect from August 21, 2020.

    “This followed the President’s approval of the disengagement of Prof. Charles Quarker Dokubo from Office as the Coordinator, Amnesty Programme with immediate effect.

    “Prof. Dokubo has been directed to hand over all official matters to the most senior officer of the Programme.

    “President Buhari appreciated the services of Prof. Dokubo to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wished him the best in his future endeavours”, the statement said.

    Dikio is from Mbiama in Ahoada West council area of Rivers State where he attended Baptist High School, Port Harcourt (1971-1975).

    He was admitted into Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) 21st Regular Combatant Course and was appointed the Academy Cadets Adjutant in recognition of his leadership qualities