The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has revealed that training projects for ex-agitators have not commenced because he is not willing to be part of corrupt practices bedevilling the system.
The PAP boss made this known in a statement signed by his special assistant on media, Nneotaobase Egbe, on Wednesday.
Dikio stated that he met an entrenched system of inducements, kickbacks and other illegal practices and was unwilling to continue with them.
According to him, some officials in the amnesty office are frustrating the mandate of PAP because of their selfish interests, by using their position in the office to seek kickbacks.
Dikio stressed that the corrupt officials had adopted various tactics to stall important projects in the reintegration process.
He explained that a major agricultural project designed to train and employ about 800 beneficiaries on crop and livestock farming as well as other agro-based services had been stalled by the officials, who were demanding kickbacks.
He said such officials were also sitting on training programmes for 3,000 delegates in the maritime sector, adding that they were frustrating training projects for 520 delegates on fabrication, aviation and oil and gas.
He said: “On assumption of office, my mission has been to ensure that delegates are trained to become employable citizens and successful entrepreneurs, who can contribute meaningfully to the economy of the Niger Delta region and the nation at large.
“This was why I introduced the Train-Employ-Mentor (TEM) model that will ensure that the ex-agitators are trained and mentored over time thus able to reintegrate successfully into the society thereby increasing the peace, security and economic stability of the Niger Delta region.
“These contracts and projects for training and employment are designed to be vital instruments in the reintegration process, thus induced delays will not do any good to the delegates and cannot benefit the Niger Delta.”
Dikio maintained that his vision is to make Niger Delta the best place to live and do business in Nigeria and to stop militancy in the region through what he called the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme.
“I call on well-meaning citizens to note that insecurity in any part of Nigeria is insecurity everywhere.
“My team and I are committed to giving our best to make a positive difference,” he said.
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