The immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for reappointing Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for another one year tenure.
Dickson, who is the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, and a member of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta, also thanked the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) for the effective supervision of the office and his support for Dikio.
The Senator also called on the president to ensure the constitution of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) without further delay and appoint a tested person of integrity like Dikio to head it.
Senator Dickson said that the decision of President Buhari to retain Dikio as the Head of the PAP deserves commendation from the critical stakeholders and indeed the people of the Niger Delta.
The lawmaker added that he was happy that Dikio was able to work towards the sustenance of peace and stability in the region in spite of the circumstances that heralded his appointment in 2020.
According to him, Dikio used his wealth of experience as a senior military officer, a seasoned administrator and tested crisis manager, to reposition the Amnesty Office for the expected level of productivity.
He said that Dikio reconnected the ex-agitators and stakeholders with the original focus of the programme and initiated reforms designed to stop wastage in the office.
The former Bayelsa governor added that the reappointment of Dikio was in the overall interest of the Niger Delta and the entire country.
He stressed further that he was not in any doubt that Dikio, who commands the cooperation of the ex-agitators and critical stakeholders would sustain his sterling performance at the PAP.
Dickson recalled that Dikio took over as the leader of the PAP when the organisation was bedeviled by rampant incidents of fraud and wastage but was able to ensure that the Programme was repositioned towards achieving the objectives that inspired its establishment.
“I think everybody is aware of Dikio’s efforts at the PAP in spite of the challenges in the office which had become prominent for the wrong reasons at the time.
“Col. Dikio displayed dedication courage and capacity by working effectively to ensure the sustenance of peace in the region.
“It is heartwarming that the President recognized these efforts and reappointed him. We can only thank the President for this beautiful move.
“I call on the President to use the opportunity to also constitute the NDDC board so that these agencies can complement one another in their responsibility to develop the region.
“So far, what we have is a case of a body clapping with one hand. He should get credible persons like Col. Dikio to head the NDDC”, he said.