Col. Milland Dixon Dikio

By Nimot Adetola Sulaimon

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has launched a new model of empowerment that will transform delegates into skilled entrepreneurs and/or employable citizens contributing meaningfully to the economy of the Niger Delta region, and the nation at large.

The Interim Administrator of the PAP, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) announced this in a statement on Monday, describing it as an end-to-end empowerment model.

The statement says that PAP will partner with organizations that are ready and capable of training its delegates, employing successful trainees and mentoring them to achieve post-training proficiency.

Thereafter, they will be encouraged to branch out or own subsidiaries of the parent company. The catch is that since the delegates are potential employees, they will be well trained to fit into the company offering the
training. Those who do not make it will have themselves to blame for a missed opportunity.

According to Col. Dikio (rtd), this will curb the multiplicity of the same kind of empowerment and substandard empowerment packages that are not in line with the vision for the Amnesty Programme.

“We have designed a wholistic high-quality empowerment package that will reduce delegates’ dependence on monthly stipends.”

“We cannot continue to say we are empowering our delegates and they cannot boast of anything to do or even find suitable jobs that suit the skills they have learnt.”

“This is the model that is used by most businesses and organizations in the South – East and this has proven to be highly successful and effective”.

The statement further explains that vendors who wish to start their training and empowerment programmes for beneficiaries must obtain a letter of approval before commencement.

Col. Dikio (rtd) assured delegates that the Presidential Amnesty Programme is currently working out the processes that will ensure that they are not short-changed or deprived of their opportunities.

It will be recalled that one of the focal points of the programme is to make the Niger Delta the best place to live and do business by directing available resources to achieve optimum results, and the leadership of
the PAP is committed to actualizing this goal.