Ex-INYC President, Awani extols Presidential Amnesty Boss

Iwere born Niger-Delta activist and immediate past President of Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, Comrade Esimaje Awani, has extoled the Interim Administrator (I.A) of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (Rtd.) over what he described as the Amnesty Boss’, “steadfastness in ensuring that the purpose of establishing the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP is a reality, in his short stay in office thus far”.

Speaking to newsmen weekend at his Warri country-home in Delta State, Comr. Awani, opined: “Some salient areas, where the I.A had performed excellently well, include but not limited to the swift response of the plight of students faced with non-payment of their In-Training Allowance since 2017/18 academic session and deployment of beneficiaries under the PAP scholarship”.

Awani, recounted the ordeal students affected with, “the ignoble act of non-payment by the previous Special Adviser to the President on the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo, had to experience, following the refusal of Prof. Dokubo to pay the students their ITA, which led to plunging some of the students into untold hardship, while undergoing their academic pursuit, not minding the plea from both the students and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta region”.

He stressed: “It is regrettable to state clearly that a supposed Professor, who should have placed more premise on education, meted such grave injustice on the body of knowledge, thereby leading to lots of students forfeiting their scholarship.

“Such an act from the former S.A, was shocking as it is contrary to the fundamental ideology that gave birth to this laudable project, which can be described as the best initiative in the Niger-Delta region. The programme was set up to alienate security challenges posed by youth restiveness, militancy, illegal bunkering and reintegrate the ex- Niger-Delta Agitators into the society, through human capital development, aimed at achieving relative peace and development”.

Comr. Awani, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to: “Acknowledge the outstanding performance of Col. Dixon Dikio (Rtd.) within his short stay in office and make his appointment substantive, in order to put an end to the incessant administrative instability rocking the programme right from inception”.

The former Itsekiri Youth leader, appealed to the Col. Dikio: “To continue his benevolent act towards students and stakeholders in the Niger-Delta region. Moreso, the issue of 2017/18 academic session outstanding payment of some students’ In-Training Allowance, should be given top consideration as the current I.A had on previous occasion, promised that there will be no more partial scholarship for beneficiaries of PAP”.

Comr. Awani, advised scholarship beneficiaries at all level to remain focused in their studies and coordinate themselves in a more civil and acceptable manner, as they continue academic pursuit in their various academic institutions across the globe. 

“Evidently, it is clear that the days of untold hardship, has come to an end under the leadership of Col. Dixon Dikio (Rtd.) who is more intone with today's reality and the issues plaguing the Niger-Delta region”, he enthused.

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