New Amnesty Coordinator pledges to focus on reintegration of beneficiaries

Prof. Charles Dokubo, Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), has promised to focus on the reintegration of beneficiaries into the society.

Dokubo made the pledge while speaking to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, stating that there would be no new entrants into the programme during his tenure.

He said that many persons from the Niger Delta region had benefitted from the programme as interns of trainings both offshore and onshore were idle.

“My position here today is to show you the way forward and to make sure that this programme moves on for the fulfillment of the Federal Government’s plan.

“The mobilisation has been done; therefore, my focus is on reintegration; making use of those who have been trained and have acquired viable experiences.

“We will fix them to jobs in their areas of specialisation so that they can earn money with their hands instead of depending on stipends.

“I am going to drive this institution in a way that all those who have benefitted from the programme all these years would have a pride of place in the society.” Dokubo said.

He added that he had already contacted the aviation industry on ways they could employ qualified pilots who benefitted from the amnesty programme.

The coordinator said that the agriculture initiative of the programme would be sustained as farming was vital to the growth of the nation.

Dokubo also set up a four-man committee that would assist him in pursuing a task that would move the programme forward.

He said that the committee would draw the path that would form his mission and vision, adding that PAP was meant to nurse Niger Delta to health.

Dokubo gave the committee two weeks ultimatum to submit a report on ways to move the office to the next level.

The committee members are Prof. Ayibaemi Spiff, Chief Otonye Amachree, Mr Unyime Eyo and Ms Azizat Mohammed.