The new special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta affairs and coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme, Prof Charles Dokubo, has set up an eight-man review committee to take an initial look into its activities.
The members of the committee include Prof Ayibaemi Spiff, Chief Otonye Amachree, Unyime Isong Eyo, Azizat Muhammed, the current directors of finance and accounts, procurement, administration and the head of audit in the presidential amnesty office.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, Professor Dokubo said: “I will not go into examining those who were here before. I am trying to drive a part I will follow.
“Whatever problem that existed here is not my problem. It is the problem of government to do whatever they like to do. I don’t investigate people.
“I have just come to this place, if there is any issue, the federal government should take up those who are involved in it. I am not here to do that.
“I am dealing with a peculiar situation; our country has been turned into shreds. Our environment has been so militarized. What we are trying to do is to take a unique step.
“The steps we are taking are different from what is obtainable in the UN amnesty programme. “You have those who have obtained their PhD and masters degrees under this programme, that is why it is home grown and home driven programme.”
In a statement obtained by theportcitynews.com, Dokubo mandated the committee to dissect and carefully go through the handover notes received from his predecessor, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd) and also look through all the briefs received from departmental heads.
Prof Dokubo said he would focus more on the reintegration aspect of the programme, adding that he would not accommodate new entrants.
“My focus is on reintegration. How do we get jobs for those who have been trained here such that they would no longer live on stipends?
“I wish to use the opportunity of the inauguration of the committee to underscore the compelling need to recalibrate and reboot the amnesty programme to meet current realities in the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large,” he said.
The committee has two weeks from date of inauguration to submit their report.
President Muhammadu Buhari sacked Brigadier-General Paul Boroh (Rtd) from his position as coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for former Niger Delta militants. The new development was contained in a statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity on Tuesday, March 13.
