Ex-militants Protest: Coordinator Dikio Tenure Expires Without Approving Payments

Ex-militants Protest: Coordinator Dikio Tenure Expires Without Approving Payments 

Lobby for Extension Failed, Abandoned Protesting Agitators, traveled to USA as ploy

The expiration of the one year tenure of Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is brewing tension in the Niger Delta region as the ex-militants are already protesting the non payment of their monthly stipend by the Amnesty office.

Pointblanknews gathered that the inability of Dikio to approve the payment before leaving office, Thursday was a ploy to force President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to reappoint him as the administrator of PAP.

But there has been a brewing battle of wits between the Amnesty boss and the National Security Adviser to the President, Major General Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd.) over the issue of tenure elongation.

A ccording to a sources, Dikio left for the United States same day his tenure expired as a way of instigating crisis within the programme to force an extention of Tenure.

Already, stakeholders across the nine states of the Niger Delta region have condemned the actions of Dikio, describing it as blackmail and attempts to arm twist the Presidency.

The stakeholders, through a statement issued by Chief Bekeowei Francis Opuama condemned the actions of former administrator which amounts to blackmail and treason.

He explained that Col. Dikio (rtd.) has been going around lobbying family members and friends of the National Security Adviser Major General Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd.) to prevail on the NSA for his recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the extension of his tenure as Amnesty Interim Administrator for another one year.

A plea, the NSA, Gen. Monguno (rtd.) had turned down.

It was also gathered that a good number of over 3000 Amnesty beneficiaries across the Niger Delta region who have been receiving monthly payments for over 10 years may really be fraudulent beneficiaries, a development the NSA is seeking explanation.

According to Opuama, “After he intentionally created tensions and crisis across the region, Col. Dikio (rtd.) fled out of Nigeria to the United States of America on the same day (26th of August, 2021) pretending to be on a two weeks holiday to enable him spend time with his family in the United States of America.

“Meanwhile, on same day, 26th of August, 2021, hundreds of angry Amnesty beneficiaries stormed the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where the Branch Manager was almost lynched by a mob of angry youths demanding for their payments but the manager escaped the mob of angry youths with the help of divine intervention.”

Chief Opuama stated that he believes that Col. Dikio (rtd.) came up with this cynical plan to create crisis across the region in order to blackmail the NSA and the Presidency into extending his tenure for another year to enable him return from the United States of America and pretend to resolve the crisis which he created in the first place, otherwise why did he not suspend thousands of these beneficiaries accounts within a year ago when he, Col. Dikio (rtd.) was appointed.

“Hundreds of angry youths that showed up at the Amnesty office at 37A Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja to protest the injustice were beaten and mercilessly flogged and wounded by the Military Guards stationed at the Amnesty gate on the allege orders of the Chief Security Officer (CSO).

“Given these developments, thousands of angry Amnesty beneficiaries across the region are planning for protests across the region in the coming days and weeks ahead.”

Chief Opuama called on the National Security Adviser and President Muhammadu Buhari “to investigate the clandestine plot to embarrass the Federal Government and come out with a clear position on the Tenure of the Interim Administrator by trying a different hand of leadership by urgently appointing a new Amnesty Coordinator to clean up the mess that Col. Dikio (rtd.) created for his selfish reasons before the security situation in the Niger Delta region spiral out of control the statement reads.”