Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dikio (rtd), has called for the implementation of the Niger Delta Stabilization Programme (NDSP) to halt resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta and guarantee permanent peace in the region.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Nneotaobase Egbe, Dikio made the call during a visit to the palace of HRM Maj. Gen. Felix Mujakperou (rtd), the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom in Delta State.
Dikio who described the NDSP as a proactive vehicle designed to keep youngsters between 12 to 18 years old away from armed struggle, militancy and other violent crimes, urged the federal government to consider NDSP as a smart and cost-effective measures to ensure uninterrupted development of the Niger Delta and safeguard the future of young people in the region.
The PAP boss explained: “We want to create what we call the Niger Delta Stabilization Programme, because the current programme is only focused on the rehabilitation of the 30,000 registered ex-agitators, who responded to the declaration of amnesty. However, it does not address the causative factors or motivations for successive generational waves of militancy in the region since the 1960’s.
“So the question is, as we are drawing down on this Amnesty? Could we also keep an eye on the younger generation and give them a new orientation in response to the socio-economic issues in the region? Yes, we can focus on ages 12-18, because those who are 12 now will be 22 in 10 years, and those who are 18 now will be 28. This was the age bracket of most of the ex-militants.
“If you are treating an ailment, you must also take measures to prevent more from developing. The NDSP is designed to give our youngsters a better view of life in order to dry up the pipeline that leads to deviant behavior and militancy.”
Dikio, who lauded the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, who is also the Chairman, Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, solicited his support and other stakeholders from the region to actualise the plan.
He also used the occasion to highlight the gains of the novel Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM) scheme aimed at changing the current economic fortunes of people of the Niger Delta through those captured by the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
