Various groups, especially militants in the Niger Delta have been agitating and engaging the federal government for one concession or the other. This gave birth to the rebirth of Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) which was inaugurated in September 2020. The amnesty program’s objective is the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-agitators, luckily the man-in-charge, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio is not new to Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programs. He was the Military Adviser/Principal Programme Officer Peacekeeping at ECOWAS Executive Commission.
In Sierra Leone he was involved in the Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Camp in Orogu and Disarmament Camp in Newton.Though the amnesty program is not open ended, the helmsman, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio, has promised that the promises the Federal Government made to the ex-agitators are fulfilled. He has also promised that the Program would ensure execution of its services to these agitators.Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (retd) the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program has been adjudged by analysts and the Niger Delta stakeholders as the best man for the job. A distinguished retired senior Military officer, seasoned administrator and security consultant, Col. Dikio is equipped intellectually and psychologically for the job. He is an expert in conflict resolution and counter terrorism. In 2004, he retired voluntarily from the army after over 27 years of meritorious service to his fatherland, after holding several command positions while in service and creditably distinguishing himself in various duties he was assigned while in the army. He was particularly outstanding in peace keeping operations being one of the officers in the ECOMOG, AU and UN contingents.
His pedigree and wealth of experience have given him an edge in the sensitive position he presently holds in the nation. After his appointment last year, he swung into action. He is committed to the restoration of the mandate of the Amnesty Program, which is taking services of the program to the Niger-delta where the ex-agitators are domiciled.He has trained the ex-agitators to net entrepreneurs and employers of labourers. This has enabled many of them to get out of dependence on stipends, rather they have become net contributors to the economy of the region.The Amnesty Program under Col Dikio’s watch has worked with federal agencies created to support the actualisation of the amnesty package. Likewise, he has worked with various state governments to ensure the region is the most secured and safe place to live in Nigeria.Recently, the Amnesty Program floated back to the region tour, which was informed by the need to take the service back to those the Program serves. This was helpful in removing the label of an Abuja project from the 11 year old program. Given his pedigree and the steps he has taken so far, has shown that Col. Dikio is the right man for the job. He has proven to be an eminently qualified personae for the amnesty program job. And so far, he has been able to convince everyone including most especially his ardent critics that he understands why he is occupying that office.
Col. Dikio has been focused on his mandate, taking proactive steps in the Niger Delta region and poised to make an indelible mark as the helmsman of the program.Reports say, in his inaugural address, Col. Dikio made it clear that his mission is service delivery, adding that he is willing to engage all stakeholders for this purpose. His policy has been an all-inclusive leadership style, which has been yielding positive results. He has made the Program accessible to all stakeholders—the ex-agitators, staff, partners, contractors, community leaders etc. running an open-door policy which has given room for fresh ideas and strategic implementation of the programs of the agency.He has received overwhelming acceptance from stakeholders in the region, as PAP has examined the objectives of the program, and has improved on it at every given opportunity.
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial board of TheScript Newspaper
