••• URGES BUHARI TO APPOINT DIKIO TO HEAD PROPOSED BODY
Onyedi Igwe, Port-Harcourt
The concerned Niger-Delta Peace Initiative (NDPI), stakeholders have called for the change of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme (NDSP).
The group also called for the appointment of the current Interim Administrator of PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (retd) to head the suggested organization, NDSP.
The stakeholders called on President Mohammadu Buhari to consider Dikio to head the proposed organization because of his sterling performance as the head of PAP.
The group further called on all other critical stakeholders to give Dikio the maximum support adding that the PAP boss had a better vision and plans for Niger Delta people.
The Secretary-General, Moses Kolomo and Publicity Secretary, Jacob Aduna, in a statement, described Dikio as an important key figure in the NDPI.
They added that his leadership of the organization will stabilise the region and avert possible fresh unrest in the future.
According to them, transiting the programme from PAP to NDSP, would remove the militancy tag associated with the Niger Delta in the PAP. They stated that NDSP, would attract more investors to the region.
The statement said the new programme, when implemented by the government, is capable of transforming the Niger Delta youths, if Dikio services is retained.
They said that he has the capacity to manage NDSP and ensure the realisation of the program.
NDPI further explained that the NDSP should be programmed to take care of children and the young ones (12 and 18) years, as a means of checkmating them from joining cult gangs.
According to the stakeholders, the rising trend of cult gangs, if not curtailed, would be lure the youths into a fresh arms struggle against the Federal Government.
“We dont want to lose Dikio because this is the first time someone has shown selflessness, capacity and genuine motive in the management of the affairs of any Niger Delta programme.
“Since the Amnesty Programme is not sustainable, we are calling for the transition of PAP into the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme (NDSP) with the appointment of Dikio to manage it.
“We know that Dikio has perfect understanding of NDSP. We overheard him mention it in different fora and we think it is the best for the Niger Delta region. So, he is the best person that will handle such intervention. We understood that the NDSP will focus on young ones between the ages of 12 and 18.
“This age bracket will determine the future of the Niger Delta. But with the rate people at this age bracket are joining cultism, we are afraid that if no deliberate intervention like NDSP is rolled out by the Federal Government, the region may witness another round of violent agitation in the nearest future”.
