Presidency to N’Delta Youth: Amnesty will not last forever

Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Charles Dokubo, has charged Niger Delta youths to initiate developmental ideas to improve their lives and communities, stating that the Amnesty programme cannot last forever.

Dokubo, who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a document: The Ijaw Youth Development Strategy and Action Plan 2019-2023: 9 Goals to Transform Ourselves and Our Future”.

The document which is by the Ijaw Youth Consultative Forum proffers a nine-goal development action plan to be achieved within four years.

While receiving the document, Dokubo promised to create a platform for collaboration and exploration of the ideas and plans in the development plan.

He also urged youths of the Niger Delta to initiate and proffer responsive ideas, plans, programmes and solutions to better their lives through the instrumentality of the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.

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He said: “It is interesting for me to listen to this conversation. It is good for young men and women of my area to sit down and do something good like this. I’m also happy in the sense that this is different from what we are used to.

“It is not crying for no payment of stipends or calling for removal of Charles Dokubo. The fact is that as people of Niger Delta, it is now we’ve realized what we need, and also what we can make use of within the ambit of this programme has been provided to us.”

Dokubo admonished them to always go beyond viewing the PAP and other similar special purpose agencies of the Federal Government as mere monthly stipend.

He said that they should always constructively engage in developmental ideas and plans that would positively impact their lives, families, communities and the nation.

He said: “There is no part of this country that has more agencies than the Niger Delta. No part of this country has a Ministry attached to that place. It is not about all these things. It is about the fact that have not really been using them effectively.

“My position has always been: we talk about amnesty, amnesty, amnesty. Amnesty will end. And if it ends, what are we going to tell our people? What has it done for them? No government in this world can sustain this thing forever. The earlier we make use of this vehicle that has been provided for us, the better.”

Dokubo maintained that his administration would, henceforth, focus on job placement following aggressive pursuit of education, skill acquisition and empowerment for Niger Delta youth and directed Head of Reintegration, Amnesty Office, Chief Brown Aroloyeteim, to liaise with IYCF for greater impact.

The Development Strategy and Action Plan covers peace and security, education, health, environment, empowerment, job creation, agriculture, industrialization and skill acquisition.

IYCF also requested the establishment of an Ijaw Parliamentary Caucus and a platform to contribute to the National Council on Niger Delta, a contribution that the Amnesty Coordinator agreed could be harnessed in a critical sector like health.

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