By Davies Iheamnachor, Port-Harcourt
The new Interim Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (Rtd) has resumed duty at the Amnesty office, Abuja.
This was disclosed in a statement obtained in Port Harcourt signed by Dibiaezue-Eke, Florence (Mrs) the Director, Information amnesty office. Dikio, who addressed members of the senior staff of the office, Monday, promised to work with all stakeholders and complementary agencies to the PAP, to ensure that programme benefits the people of the Niger Delta region.
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He stated that a lot of fictions and misconceptions had been put out in the public about what the Amnesty Programme is, adding that such narratives would be changed. The Interim Administrator, while noting that the new administration did not intend to dwell on the past said: “We shall not neglect the lessons of the past; noting that if we learn well, we will do better.”
“The Programme will be focused on service delivery. The primary purpose shall be to focus on the reintegration of the ex-agitators and seek the input of relevant stakeholders in the region to realize the objectives for which this programme was set up.
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“The Presidential Amnesty Programme entails Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) – a subset of the Amnesty Package. The Amnesty Package is a basket of government avowed plans to address and ameliorate the grievances that led to the agitations and subsequent armed struggle in the Niger Delta.”
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his appointment and assured all that he intends to work towards justifying Mr President’s confidence reposed in him.
Dikio further thankes the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, for successfully holding forte, and assured the Management Staff of PAP of his readiness to work with everybody.
