Youth leaders from the Niger Delta region have supported the ongoing reforms in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) under the Interim Administrator, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd).
The leaders in a letter addressed to Dikio,expressed satisfaction that he resisted the pressure to pay desperate and evil contractors for unverified projects.
The letter, which was signed on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by their Coordinator and former Spokesman, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Jeremaiah Owoupele, said Dikio endeared himself to stakeholders in the Niger Delta when he took his time to tour the region and engage critical owners of the programme.
Addressing Dikio in the letter, Owoupele said: “Your strength of character really manifested when you remained unyielding when urged to pay contractors who did imaginary jobs and whose stock in trade is to find willing allies in defrauding our people and depriving them the opportunity of getting the benefits of our hard-earned struggle.
“This has further struck a chord amongst the vast majority of our people, particularly leaders across the length and breadth of our beloved Ijaw nation who have championed several crusades to ensure that officeholders retain a character that is people-oriented.
“I am equally briefed on your decision to break from the norm and re-strategize on your running of the office, with the aim of maximizing and achieving optimal results befitting the office and its mandate. I believe I speak on behalf of many of our kith and kin when I say that this decision has troubled the waters and has left many concerned. However, our support and prayers are with you my honourable sir.
He told Dikio that they were aware of plans by profiteers of anti-people’s policies in the region to frustrate his plans and continued with their business as usual, but urged him not to compromise his ideals”.
