The interim administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has appealed to Niger Delta people in the diaspora to come home and invest in the region disclosing that there are various opportunities for investment in the region, especially in maritime, agriculture and gas sectors.
Speaking at the 2022 IjawDiaspora Convention, which held in New Jersey, USA, on July 3,Dikio referred to the palm oil sub sector as another opportunity with huge economic potential begging for attention.
He decried the emphasis on crude oil explaining that palm oil has broader market, greater economic value and better profit if serious investments could be made to harness it.
Dikio in a statement signed by his special adviser, media, Neotabase Egbe, described the opportunities in the region as new market frontiers waiting for investors to unlock and reap bountiful economic benefits.
He allayed the security fears of those in the diaspora saying the interventions of the Amnesty office had calmed down frayed nerves and restored peace in the region maintaining that the PAP has redesigned the training programmes of ex-agitators with the introduction of the novel Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM) initiative.
He disclosed that currently, under TEM, 1500 delegates had been deployed to various reputable companies to pursue careers in maritime, agriculture, oil and gas, among others.
The statement read: “The ex-agitators no longer block roads because of my efforts to make PAP focus on beneficiaries and my introduction of new conflict resolution system. Also, my administration created the strategic communications committee (SCC) comprising ex-agitators, who were taught negotiating skills, bridge building, networking and other friendly ways of resolving conflicts.
“The tension in the region has reduced drastically following my deliberate policy of continually engaging all stakeholders to tackle problems. My leadership is focused on the mission of making ex-agitators economically self-reliant either through entrepreneurship or paid employments.
Correcting the misconceptions on the PAP, Dikio said, “The broader amnesty package is critical for all to understand because people equate the whole basket of incentives that the federal government rolled out at the time of the amnesty declaration to the Amnesty programme.
“Amnesty programme is always mistaken for the Niger Delta recovery plan with many placing unrealistic expectations on the programme. It is a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme; in essence, a holding fort to create enabling environment for peace to reign in the Niger Delta.
“It is pertinent to know that the ministry of Niger Delta and the NDDC are saddled with infrastructural development in the Niger Delta. It is their core mandate,” he explained.
