From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

An Ex-Agitator in the Niger Delta, Pastor Reuben Wilson has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint  Col. Milland Dikio (Rtd) as substantive Cordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

Wilson, is a founder of the Pastor Reuben Initiative for Good Leadership and Accountability, (PRIFGLA), an All Progressives Congress support group and South-South Coordinator of The Asiwaju Group (TAG).

Wilson’s call was contained in a statement issued in Yenagoa and made available to Daily Asset, said the call is premised on the fact that Dikio has brought to bear many positive initiatives that are producing the desired peace and stability in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, PAP is now properly positioned to fulfill its originally designed objectives.

“The introduction of the Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM) model under the administration of Dikio has started yielding results – with respect to the generation of employment for the beneficiaries and productivity of the vendors.

“It’s in fact the panacea to the challenges of unemployment and low productivity in the Niger Delta region. The process of awarding contracts to vendors has also changed positively, and the award of contracts is now based purely on competence and capacity of the vendors.

“The process is very robust, stringent and all inclusive and it is only the capable vendors that succeed in getting contracts. This has greatly enhanced the quality of services and jobs rendered to the office by vendors, with no room for shabby and mediocre service delivery by vendors,” he said.

He further noted that under Dikio’s watch, everything about the Amnesty office has taken a positive turn.

Wilson said that monthly payment of stipends to beneficiaries has become prompt and consistent and a justification for the call.

“It used to lead to blockade of major express roads before payment in the past, but all that has changed under the administration of Dikio.

“The educational scholarship programme of PAP has also changed positively. The programme has become more efficient, and the beneficiaries now receive their educational support and stipends more timely and consistent in contrast to the past.

“Dikio has also expanded the frontiers of the programme by reaching out to relevant and competent partners both within the country and abroad to enhance the programme and the results are obvious for all to see.” Wilson said.

He said that the many achievements and the ongoing transformation of the Amnesty scheme witnessed under the administration of Dikio were both outstanding and commendable adding that a substantive appointment would position Dikio to do more.

He explained that the current designation, Interim Administrator, is limiting to some extent, because some critical stakeholders and partners view his appointment as tentative and without full powers; just like his predecessors.

He further said the interim status affects the level of commitment from such critical stakeholders and development partners as well as investors who are returning to the area.

“As a critical stakeholder of the Amnesty Programme and the Niger Delta struggle, I assure Mr. President that my clarion call for the appointment of Diki in a substantive capacity is purely for the betterment of the programme and the Niger Delta region.

“It is driven by pure passion, patriotism and honest appraisal of the current positive happenings at the Amnesty office, and not motivated by any other interest whatsoever,” Wilson concluded.