By Perez Brisibe

UGHELLI – THE people of the Niger Delta region under the aegis of South-South Peoples Assembly, has launched a campaign against the reappointment of Prof. Charles Dokubo as coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Prof. Charles Dokubo

The group in a statement yesterday by its national secretary, Dr. Ayakeme Whisky, said the programme under the present leadership, has allegedly created ominous signs of derailment such that the fragile peace and order in the Niger Delta region is being gravely threatened.

Expressing worries that it doubts if the present leadership appreciates the enormity of responsibility in pursuing and sustaining peace in the Niger Delta region, the group alleged that “innumerable reports it received, shows how some vendors and contractors who were awarded contracts since May 2018 have remained unpaid.”

The statement reads: “After committing these contractors to supply insurance bonds at cost, and later Advance Payment Guarantees (APG) from banks at even higher costs, we have it on good authority that they are yet to be paid the statutory 15 percent mobilization fee.

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“Regrettably, Prof. Dokubo led management was reported to have issued a memo dated 19th August 2019, to the effect that the Amnesty Program will no longer pay mobilization fees and other graduated certificates of completion until the final completion certificate is issued.”

Accusing the amnesty boss of allegedly terminating the appointment of non-Niger Deltans and subsequently replaced with persons from other region, the group stated further saying: “While we do not quarrel with the decision to employ people from other parts of the country, why must such be carried out at the altar of sons and daughters of the region the blood of whose relatives gave birth to the Amnesty Program?

“Prof. Dokubo has been a monumental mistake, failure and lacks the mental and managerial acumen to be retained as the coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program.

“We, therefore, demand without equivocation that for the interest of sustainable peace and order in the Niger Delta region, he should not and must not be reappointed unless the administration of President Muhammad Buhari and the self-confessed anti-corruption crusade is a hoax.”

VANGUARD