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Tag: Dokubo

  • Amnesty: Buhari won’t forsake Niger Delta – Dokubo

    Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Prof. Charles Dokubo, said on Friday that a terminal date for the Presidential Amnesty Programme was not a card on President Muhammadu Buhari’s table.

    Speaking at a foundation laying ceremony for a vocational training centre of the Amnesty Programme at Gelegele, Edo State, Dokubo gave assurance that President Buhari would not leave the Niger Delta behind in his determination for transform the country.

    “Our people should know that they are all part of the Amnesty Programme which was set up by the late President Yar’Adua, who brought the demands and aspirations of the Niger Delta people to the bare. He knew that for a long time we had not gained from whatever was produced in the country. So this was the vehicle to achieve the two aims of peaceful development and economic enhancement of our people. And President Buhari has promised that this programme will not end.

    “He said he will never leave the Niger Delta people behind because without Niger Delta it will be difficult to maintain Nigeria. So let us know the role we are going to play in the country. But the only way we can walk tall is to make proper use of the Amnesty Programme; brother helping brother, sister helping sister, husband taking care of family, so that we can all become one large family in the Niger Delta. I have come here to put my footprint on this soil, and then as I go, nobody will forget me here because whatever programme I carry out, I will never forget Gelegele.

    “The people of Gelegele must benefit from this project. Their children will be sent to school and there will be peace in the community. Amnesty is a programme by the federal government to assist those of us who need help in different parts of the Niger Delta. Nobody owns it; you own it. I was just appointed to administer the programme, and each one of us here has a role to play in the amnesty programme and also to benefit from it”

    The ground-breaking ceremony for the Amnesty Programme Vocational Training Centre (VTU), Gelegele, preceded the launching, earlier on the same day, of a vocation training centre at Kaiama, Bayelsa State, which was completed, fully equipped by Prof. Dokubo within a short period in office.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Dokubo: I won’t bow to pressure to share Amnesty cash

    The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo, has said he would not bow to pressure to share funds meant for ex-militants.

    He advised Niger Deltans to shun unnecessary criticism  and fully support Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    He spoke at a meeting with the Niger Delta Amnesty Vendors Association in Abuja yesterday.

    Dokubo added that he would ensure that Amnesty Programme funds were prudently managed in spite of pressure from individuals and groups with parochial interests.

    He said he was unperturbed by the desperation of some persons using the media to harass and blackmail him for his refusal to disburse funds meant for genuine beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme to people not captured in the programme.

    “If you are not on this programme, forget about getting N65, 000.00 monthly. You must be captured by this programme to be entitled to payment of monthly stipend.  Nobody from the Niger Delta has come to me that I didn’t give a listening ear. For me, right from the beginning, I have said I’m not going to use Amnesty money for myself; I’m in this Office to serve. I don’t need to steal money. Amnesty money is for empowerment of Niger Delta people. As long as I’m in this office, I’ll do the right thing. If you stand aside and watch, that is your business. Amnesty Programme is here for you. It is for all of you; to empower the Niger Delta people”.

    The President of the Niger Delta Amnesty Vendors Association, Mr. Tari Okosi, warned youths and elders of Niger Delta against frivolous and malicious petitions that could turn back to haunt the region if the Amnesty Programme failed.

    He hailed Dokubo for his transparency in the award of contracts and establishing a Job Placement Unit which has created more jobs to people of the region.

  • Dokubo urges Niger Deltans to back Amnesty programme

    Rather than indulging in unnecessary criticism, the people of Niger Delta have been enjoined to get involved and fully support Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo, stated this at a meeting with the Niger Delta Amnesty Vendors Association yesterday, in Abuja.

    Dokubo also reiterated his determination to ensure that the Amnesty Programme funds are prudently managed for the purpose it was set up, in spite of pressure from individuals and groups seeking parochial interests.

    He said he was unperturbed by the desperation of some persons who use the media to harass and blackmail him for his refusal to disburse funds meant for genuine beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme to people not captured in the programme.

    “If you are not on this programme, forget about getting N65, 000.00k monthly. You must be captured by this programme to be entitled to payment of monthly stipend.  Nobody from the Niger Delta has come to me that I didn’t give a listening ear. For me, right from the beginning, I have said I’m not going to use Amnesty money for myself; I’m in this Office to serve. I don’t need to steal money. Amnesty money is for empowerment of Niger Delta people. As long as I’m in this office, I’ll do the right thing. If you stand aside and watch, that is your business. Amnesty Programme is here for you. It is for all of you; to empower the Niger Delta people”. 

    President of the Niger Delta Amnesty Vendors Association, Mr. Tari Okosi, warned youths and elders of Niger Delta against frivolous and malicious petitions that could turn back to haunt the region if the Amnesty Programme failed.

    He commended Prof. Dokubo for his transparency in the award of contracts and establishing a Job Placement Unit that has created more jobs to people of the region.

  • ‘Dokubo’ll achieve much for amnesty programme’

    The National Chairman Phase 2 Ex-agitators under the Amnesty Programme, Mr Stephen Ebisinte, has expressed his happiness over the appointment of Prof. Charles Dokubo as the new Coordinator of the amnesty programme, describing him as a vibrant and resourceful technocrat.

    He maintained that with Prof. Dokubo at the helm of affairs, the programme will be taken to the next level.

    He said one of the good aspects of the programme is that training of ex-agitators is still ongoing; adding that he hoped the government will fulfil its promises to ex-agitators.

    He said he is confident that Prof. Dokubo will succeed in his assignment because “being a Niger Deltan who recognises the pains and challenges of the youth, he will ensure that government’s plans for ex-agitators are fully implemented.  We ex-agitators under Phase 2 of the programme have a strong belief in Dokubo’s capabilities.

    “That Dokubo is at the helm of affairs of the programme is a good thing that has happened to it. He is a man who understands the pains of the people of Niger Delta. I advise detractors to allow him do his best for the ex-agitators,” he said.

    On the recent protest by some ex-militants, Mr. Ebisinte said the protest was staged out of ignorance and misinformation.

    “The protesters had thought that the N150, 000 transition safety allowance paid to ex-agitators by the former coordinator of the programme, Hon Kingsley Kuku, was a yearly house allowance for ex-agitators. It was because of that they protested,” he said.

    On whether they are owed by the programme, he said: “The amnesty programme under Dokubo does not owe us any salary arrears. There was no time house allowances were paid to ex-agitators since inception of the programme. But we appeal to the Federal Government to consider payment of house allowances to ex-agitators.”

    He advised the beneficiaries to always clarify issues concerning the programme from their group leaders before embarking on any protest.

    I also want them to know that our present coordinator is a man of integrity who is working for their well-being. He should be encouraged in order to achieve set goals.

     

  • Amnesty beneficiaries disown petition against Dokubo

    •No funds misappropriated-Amnesty boss

    Alleged victims of a purported fraud in the Amnesty Programme under the aegis of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Forum (NDEF) have disowned a petition they reportedly submitted to Speaker Yakubu Dogara against the programme’s coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo.

    A Warri-based law firm had on behalf of some unidentified persons acting under the aegis of NDEF petitioned the National Assembly, alleging refusal of the Amnesty Office to pay monthly stipends and diversion of funds meant for training and empowerment of ex-agitators.

    The petitioners attached a list of 61 persons said to be victims of the alleged fraud.

    A statement at the weekend by Special Assistant (Media) Dokubo, Murphy Ganagana, explained the coordinator immediately directed investigation into the allegations as soon as he received the petition.

    “However, checks at the Amnesty Office on the list of 61 persons attached to the petition indicated that it comprised 40 beneficiaries enlisted into the Amnesty Programme under Phase One, 20 beneficiaries under Phase Two, and a person from Akwa Ibom State not enlisted in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    “Interestingly, out of the 60 persons on the list which were verified as beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme, 33 had already been trained in various areas awaiting empowerment, while the rest are on queue to undergo training soon.

    “Contrary to allegations of misappropriation of funds by officials of the Amnesty Office and denial of the N65, 000 monthly stipends, records at the Amnesty Office indicated that all the 60 beneficiaries had not been receiving stipends since the inception of the programme in 2009.”

    He added: “When contacted on the development, some of the 60 persons listed on the petition denied involvement in the allegations by the purported group, describing it as the handiwork of some unscrupulous individuals with sinister motive.

    “Among those on the list who disowned the petition are Amatelemowei, Otutufegha Mike Waibode and Simeon Emmanuel, all of whom said they had completed their training programmes and were awaiting empowerment.

    “Confirming he had not been paid stipend since the inception of the programme in 2009, Amateleowei, a beneficiary under Phase One, disclosed that he did not partake in the disarmament exercise due to ill-health. He said he therefore never bothered over none receipt of monthly stipends till date.”

    Ganagana dismissed the allegations as laughable, saying it was unthinkable for someone of Dokubo’s pedigree to be accused of diversion of monthly stipends for beneficiaries of Amnesty Programme or refusal to enlist them on training.

    “While I can neither deny nor confirm that some unwholesome practices might have occurred in the past at the Amnesty Office, it is pertinent to note that all the issues raised in the petition had been there since 2009 when the Amnesty Programme started.

    “If successive managers of the programme were not able to address some of the complaints of the 60 beneficiaries listed in the petition due to the fact that the allegations were acts of commission or omission by the beneficiaries, you cannot now turn around and blame Prof. Dokubo who assumed duties barely four months ago.

    “Let me emphasise that since Prof. Charles Dokubo assumed office in March 2018, no beneficiary of the Amnesty Programme entitled to payment of monthly stipends has been denied his/her financial entitlement.

    “In fact, he has ensured consistent and prompt payment of stipends up to date.”

     

  • Dokubo: we’ve refocused amnesty for result

    The Coordinator,  Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Prof. Charles Dokubo,  yesterday lamented that the initiative had not produced results.

    Dokubo, who spoke when he visited the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor,  Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) in Yenagoa, said the people of the Niger Delta would not have been suffering if the scheme had lived up to expectations.

    He said he studied its flaws and took a decision to refocus the scheme.

    “The amnesty programme has taken a new turn. Amnesty has been here for a very long time, but those of us from this state have not gained it effectively. If we have, most of our people will not be suffering”.

    He told the deputy governor that he came to the state to officially launch a new dawn in implementing the scheme to enable people in communities benefit from it.

    Dokubo said his administration was focusing on the reintegration phase, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari was interested in the scheme reaching rural communities.

    “The people of the Niger Delta for a long time have been marginalised,  ostracised and oppressed. But now we have come to a position where we can focus.

    “I believe that this system has changed.  The objective of the government clearly states that they want to nurse back communities to health in such a way that they will be part of the bigger picture. Niger Deltans are not lazy. We work hard.

    “Anybody who tells you that we are lazy is making a big mistake. How many persons can go into water  early in the morning to catch fish?  When the Federal Government decided to take this programme about training  and reintegration,  it was because it was necessary”.

    He said the Amnesty Office would no longer allow beneficiaries of its empowerment programme to resell their starter packs.

    The new thinking, the coordinator added is to open workshops in areas of beneficiaries and monitor them for four months.

    In his remarks,  the deputy governor told youths in the region to prepare for lives after amnesty.

    “There must be an exit point. It can’t last forever. But there must be programmes to exit. The exit must be painless“,  he said.

    He said the amnesty was designed to create opportunities for Niger Delta people to compete with their peers.

    But Jonah said there were areas the region needed to be given preferences, such as federal character.

    He said the government would support the new vision of the Amnesty Office, urging beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity.

  • How we’ll re-energise Amnesty Programme, by Dokubo

    How to achieve lasting peace and security in the Niger Delta was the focus of a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, yesterday, in Lagos.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof Charles Dokubo, promised to strengthen the implementation of the programme, pointing out that the reintegration component of the Amnesty Programme would be his main area of focus.

    He said the Presidency created the Amnesty Office to discourage violent agitations and give Niger Delta denizens a new lease of life in post-militancy era, noting that his predecessors had already achieved disarmament and demobilisation, which are other components of the programme.

    Meeting stakeholders comprising traditional rulers, former government officials, environmental activists and leaders of various interest groups in the region, Dokubo outlined his cardinal objectives to re-invigorate the programme to achieve peace and security in the region.

    The meeting, he said, is part of his consultation plans to ensure success of the programme. Each delegate was invited based on contribution to peace in the region.

    Dokubo urged support and collaboration to ensure he achieved his aims, reminding the stakeholders that the failure of the amnesty programme would bring more hardship to the oil-producing region.

    He said: “Before my appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, the disarmament and demobilization of ex-agitators had been completed in three phases. I am privileged to continue with the very critical reintegration phase of the programme, which entails providing the ex-agitators with either vocational training or formal education. There is also re-insertion part of the reintegration phase, which entails aiding processes of returning already trained ex-agitators to the society. This, we believe, will reinvigorate the programme.”

    Dokubo revealed that the database of amnesty beneficiaries he got after assuming office was “heavily compromised”, keeping 11,297 primary beneficiaries out of the loop of the programme. He said the shortcomings had been corrected and promised to enlist those left out on vocational trainings and formal education in the university.

    The amnesty programme coordinator said his office was undertaking the construction of five Vocational Training and Reintegration Centres across the oil-producing region. He added that weeks of interactions with stakeholders and leaders of the ex-agitators had helped him to design seven key areas of priority.

    He said: “Our areas of priority include completion and activation of all vocational training centres under construction across the Niger Delta states to fast-track the training of the several beneficiaries yet to be captured in the programme. We will empower and monitor several trained ex-agitators through provision of start-up packs to enable them become entrepreneurs and job creators.

    “We are restoring sanctity of the database of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and put strong measures in place to forestall future breaches. We aim to properly take care and sensitise our Education Department to make it more impactful and cost effective.

    “We will facilitate synergy between the Amnesty Office and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government saddled with the task of deepening peace efforts and sustaining development in the oil-producing region. We are liaising with state governments with a view to creating platforms for the gainful employment of some of the trained beneficiaries.”

  • ‘We’ve a true leader in Dokubo’

    A notable ex-militant leader, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro, has solicited support for the Co-ordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme and Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, Prof Charles Dokubo.

    Israel called on fellow ex-agitators in Niger Delta to assist Prof Dokubo to actualise his agenda aimed at programmes to consolidate peace in the region.

    The former agitator described the presidential aide as “a true regional leader”, capable of accelerating developments in Niger Delta.

    Akpodoro, who is president of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE-A), spoke in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Speaking after an enlarged meeting with members, he said Dokubo, who was recently appointed to oversee the programme, has, within the short time, demonstrated enough expertise in human and material management.

    Dokubo’s management prowess, he noted, shows  he is a selfless and a detribalised leader, who will take the region to a “glorious” height.

    He said his appointment rescued the programme, which was nosediving into extinction due to poor handling by previous managers.

    The Urhobo-born ex-militant leader noted that Dokubo has established legacies that will outlive him in the office.

    “The critical stakeholders in the region are full of praises for him because it is the first time a man with genuine interest in the region was appointed to pilot affairs of ex-militants and youths,” he said.

    The progress and development of the youth, he said, now depended on the expertise of Dokubo.

    He called on youths to shun crimes, noting that peacebuilding should be everyone’s business.

  • Dokubo: New dawn for Amnesty Programme

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of Professor Charles Quaker Dokubo as Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in March, is perhaps the most cheery news this year for the people of Niger Delta. It demonstrated the President’s commitment to turn around the sad narrative of a long deprived and impoverished oil-rich region, using the Amnesty Programme as a purveyor.

    His choice of a new pilot for the programme further indicates President Buhari’s determination to clean the mess at the Amnesty Office from where unpleasant reports had emanated. Born in Abonnema, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dokubo, an erudite professor of international repute, is not a stranger to the Niger Delta debacle. With a first degree in Modern History & Politics from the University of Teesside, Middleborough; a Masters in Peace Studies, University of Bradford, and a doctorate in Nuclear Weapon Proliferation and Control, he has a thorough grasp of the Niger Delta situation. He is deeply-rooted and experienced for the office, setting out from the top-flight Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Lagos, where he was a Research Professor.

    An epitome of excellence, Professor Dokubo is conscious of the gargantuan task on his shoulders.  He has a firm resolve to make a difference. “Today, we are gathered here to take a major step in the on-going efforts by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to deepen peace, safety and security in the Niger Delta, using the instrumentalities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for former agitators in the region. I am truly delighted by the confidence the President has reposed in me to take the Amnesty Programme, particularly the critical reintegration phase to the next level. Previous heads of the programme, in my humble view, have done their bit and possibly their best. It behoves us to improve on what was bequeathed to us based on lessons learnt so far. The President and indeed all Nigerians expect a much more robust and impactful Amnesty Programme,” he remarked at the inauguration of committee he constituted to review the PAP on assumption of office.

    Barely two months of mounting the saddle, there is palpable anxiety, particularly from ex-agitators and delegates for educational programmes within the country and offshore. It is understandable. They had been owed arrears of stipends, tuition fees and allowances before Professor Dokubo assumed office. There are also several pending issues which they want sorted out promptly. But they need to show understanding and exercise a measure of patience.

    Against the backdrop of the circumstances that necessitated his appointment, he does not need to be forewarned to avoid the proverbial banana peel by treading cautiously. Standing as a wedge, he has to draw a bold and clear line from the past. He has a vision and mission: refocus the Amnesty Programme to its original mandate. But in charting a new course, he has to avoid the pitfalls of the past.

    On assumption of office, he received handover notes which contained a maze of words and figures that threw up questions without answers. Professor Dokubo had to clear the fog in the operations of the Amnesty Office before taking further steps in his transformation agenda. This, no doubt, required a bit of time, support and patience of stakeholders. Therefore, he was not expected to go on a voyage to disaster by blasting on full throttle immediately after his appointment.

    Despite his intimidating academic credentials and vast experience, Professor Dokubo has displayed uncommon humility and broadmindedness by not assuming a monopoly of  knowledge. His first move after perusing the handover documents unveiled the new face of the Amnesty Programme, as he opened a window of access to his thoughts: “I wish to use the opportunity of the inauguration of this committee to underscore the compelling need to recalibrate and reboot the Presidential Amnesty Programme to meet current realities in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large. I have said it severally that when Mr. President graciously appointed me to head the Amnesty Programme, I do not intend to run a one-man show. I am very conscious of the fact that the region, like most other parts of Nigeria, is a repository of intellectuals and innovative thinkers. Given my resolve to put my best foot forward in carrying out the assignment our great nation has given me, it is pursuant to this resolve that I have invited some of the best minds I know to help me and, indeed, the Federal Government of Nigeria, to begin the process of charting a new course for the Amnesty Programme,” he told members of the Professor Ayibaemi Spiff-led Review Committee.

    The committee was mandated to take a critical look at the handover notes and ascertain the current status of the programme; ascertain current level of compliance with the original mandate of the PAP, recommend programme or policy reviews, where necessary, and review all contracts awarded by the Amnesty Office since 2015, with a view to determine the level of work done, monies paid, beneficiaries and extent of work done.

    Other terms of reference included, recommending a payment schedule for only qualified contractors, determining financial assets and liabilities of the Amnesty Office; conducting a thorough assessment of all departments in the office and offer useful suggestions on how to improve on their performance; determine the current status of all reintegration centres built or still under construction across the states in the Niger Delta; ascertain the current status of the database of the Amnesty Office to determine its certainty and sanctity; determine the current status of all on-going vocational, educational and post-training programmes of the office within the country and offshore, and to assess the current relationship between the Amnesty Office and PAP’s critical stakeholders with a view to making the relationship more robust.

    With the recent submission of the committee’s report, Professor Dokubo has set the ball rolling. He has embarked on consultative visits, meeting the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and other top government officials. Two weeks ago, he met with Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark and hosted members of the executive committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) led by its national chairman, Air Comdr. Idongesit Ikanga (retd). He is in the process of meeting other critical stakeholders.

    A chain of activities is expected to take place in the next few weeks, with stakeholders’ engagement topping the schedule. Facilitation of processes for outstanding school fees and allowances is also receiving the desired attention, alongside a reintegration implementation review. While about 100 beneficiaries are projected for deployment to the Oil and Gas Vocational Training Centre at Agadagba, Ondo State in the three months, plans are also underway to deploy same number of beneficiaries to the Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre, Kaiama, in Bayelsa State.

    The Amnesty Office is also taking the initiative to collaborate with International Development Agencies on a One-Year Work Abroad project; African Teachers Exchange programmes, internship opportunities, and a Nigeria Work Engagement/Employment programme through Human Resource Trade Fair. Verification of students in local institutions will also commence soon.

    Clearly, Professor Dokubo is focused on delivering quality service to the people of Niger Delta and Nigeria. He is resolute in keeping hope alive. It’s a new dawn for the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

     

    • Ganagana is Special Assistant (Media) to Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme.

  • Amnesty chief Dokubo to review contracts

    •’No new entrants will be accommodated’

    Presidential Amnesty Programme Coordinator and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs Prof Charles Dokubo has described the  note he received from his predecessor as “a maze of words and figures with many questions unanswered”.

    Dokubo, who spoke with reporters yesterday in Abuja, set up a Special Review Committee to ‘’redirect the course of the Amnesty Programme’’.

    Members include Prof. Ayibaemi Spiff, Chief Otonye Amachree, Mr. Unyime Isong Eyo, Ms. Azizat Muhammed, director of Finance and Accounts, director of Procurement, director of Administration and the head of Audit.

    Dokubo replaced Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, who was removed following allegations of corruption.

    He said the committee is at liberty to “take oral depositions or seek clarifications from any person or persons, including departmental heads”.

    “I came into this office with a brief that is very scanty. I received the handover note of my predecessor and written briefs of departmental heads. I have, of course, taken my time to go through the note and the departmental briefs. The documents contain a maze of words and figures. I dare say, however, that these documents left questions unanswered. So, I have set up a committee to give me a guide that will take the Amnesty Programme to a different level.”

    Dokubo said he would focus on reintegration aspect of the programme, adding that no new entrants will be accommodated.

    “My focus is on reintegration. How do we get jobs for those who have been trained such that they would no longer live on stipends? I use the opportunity of the inauguration of the committee to underscore the need to recalibrate and reboot the programme to meet realities in Niger Delta and Nigeria,” he said.