The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has thrown his weight behind Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over his decision to unleash a war against illegal bunkering and artisanal refiners.
Dikio, who spoke during the 50th-anniversary dinner and award night of the Port Harcourt Polo Club in Port Harcourt, Rivers state said illegal refineries and harmful activities were the cause of the environmental pollution in the region.
“I commend the Rivers State Governor, Wike, for taking on the issue of illegal oil refineries also known as kpofire head-on. But, a lot of work still needs to be done. Kpofire is not the only pollutant and so individually and collectively what are we doing, especially corporate organizations to reduce unwanted emissions into our environment?”
On the issue of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), he urged the people of the region to find out what they could do with the allotted percentage rather than bickering over it.
The PAP boss also reiterated the programme’s commitment to raeting moe opportunities in the Niger Delta with its Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM), model.
He noted that in the next 10 years, the Niger Delta should have a critical mass that would make people of the region competitive in all spheres.
“We’re looking for a partnership with businesses that can train these ex-agitators and give them the required skills for employment in their businesses.
“We, in PAP, will pay for the training. It’s a partnership because we want those who train them to guarantee that they will employ them.
“We are doing this which is a departure from the old model which only train people and put them back in the bloated unemployment market. We feel that is a waste of money and everybody’s time. It increases the anxiety level in the economy and the polity.”
