…as PAP boss harps on training, alternative method
The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has been hailed by the Nigerian Army for initiating moves to empower ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region.
The Commander, 2nd Brigade of the Army, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Brig-Gen. Magaji Inuwa, passed the remarks while playing host to Dikio in his office.
He particularly observed that Dikio’s approach and deployment of “soft power” had helped reduce violent agitations in the region.
“The combination PAP is adopting is the solution”, Inuwa applauded, adding, “Dikio’s reforms and policies are helpful to the region”.
He, as a result, called on some federal ministries and agencies to collaborate with PAP for the overall development of the Niger Delta region.
Meanwhile, a statement detailing the visit, signed by Dikio’s Special Adviser, Media, Neotaobase Egbe, quoted the PAP boss as saying the Programme was only one of the approaches designed to tackle the problems in the region.
Dikio insisted that synergising with other Niger Delta-related ministries and agencies would facilitate the development of the Niger Delta region.
He added that the petroleum assets’ redistribution, enabled by the passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB); the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministry of Environment, and the PAP, had complementary mandates to develop the region.
“The amnesty programme happens to be one leg; there is also a leg on petroleum assets redistribution.
“The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is the vehicle for ensuring that, and there are: the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC-whose mandate is to take care of the agitations or grievances about lack of physical development in the Niger Delta.
“Of course, there is the Ministry of the Environment, whose mandate is to address the issues of environmental degradation”.
Dikio explained that the late President Musa Yar’adua embraced the concept of “soft power” by establishing PAP as an alternative measure, against the use of “kinetic power” in resolving issues.
He, as such, added that his office was saddled with the responsibility of managing the process, noting that while in Akwa Ibom, he visited facilities where the ex-agitators could be trained, employed and mentored.
Dikio also said the amnesty office was doing everything possible to make ex-agitators understand the importance of adopting alternative ways of expressing their grievances.
“We provide the soft approach of administering these ex-agitators and teaching them alternative ways of expressing their misgivings.
“This we intend to do through our training, employment and mentoring scheme.
“While in Akwa Ibom State, we visited some facilities with the intention that PAP will pay for the training of these beneficiaries; they will then be employed by these organizations till they know the craft, and then be mentored so that they can stand on their own and then be employers of labour,” he stressed.
Dikio, however, commended the Army commander for his warm reception and promised to keep partnering with security agencies to make the region safe.