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NSA, Monguno Not ‘On War Path’ With Amnesty Boss, Dikio Over Tenure Elongation Plot
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The Office of the National Security Adviser has refuted media report implying that the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd.) and the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) are ‘on war path over tenure extension’.
BIGPENNGR reports that ONSA stated this in a statement on Sunday following an online publication that the expiration of the one year tenure of Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is brewing tension in the Niger Delta region.
According to report, there has been a brewing battle of wits between the Amnesty boss and the National Security Adviser to the President, Major General Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd.) over the issue of tenure elongation.
Report claimed that Dikio was allegedly lobbying family members and friends of the National Security Adviser Major General Monguno (rtd.) to prevail on the NSA for his recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the extension of his tenure as Amnesty Interim Administrator for another one year.
But a statement signed by Zakari M usman, Head, Strategic Communication.
Office of The National Security Adviser, said that “the report is false and concocted to stoke confusion and mislead the public”.
The statement reads; “The attention of the Office of the National Security Adviser has been drawn to an online news report published implying that the National Security Adviser and the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme are ‘on war path over tenure extension’.
“The report is false and concocted to stoke confusion and mislead the public. Therefore, stakeholders across the Niger Delta, the public and the media are advised to disregard and dismiss the report as a spurious work of journalism. The Amnesty beneficiaries are equally encouraged to continue to support the ongoing reform of the Programme.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme enjoys the full support and confidence of the National Security Adviser”.
Report in Pointblanknews.com, had it that Dikio left for the United States same day his tenure expired as a way of instigating crisis within the programme to force an extension of Tenure.
The development, which is already being condemned by stakeholders across the nine states of the Niger Delta region, according to the report, was described as blackmail and attempts to arm twist the Presidency.
The stakeholders, through a statement issued by Chief Bekeowei Francis Opuama condemned the actions of former administrator which amounts to blackmail and treason.
He explained that Col. Dikio (rtd.) has been going around lobbying family members and friends of the National Security Adviser Major General Babagana Mohammed Monguno (rtd.) to prevail on the NSA for his recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the extension of his tenure as Amnesty Interim Administrator for another one year.
A plea, the NSA, Gen. Monguno (rtd.) had turned down.
Pointblanknews.com also gathered that a good number of over 3000 Amnesty beneficiaries across the Niger Delta region who have been receiving monthly payments for over 10 years may really be fraudulent beneficiaries, a development the NSA is seeking explanation.
According to Opuama, “After he intentionally created tensions and crisis across the region, Col. Dikio (rtd.) fled out of Nigeria to the United States of America on the same day (26th of August, 2021) pretending to be on a two weeks holiday to enable him spend time with his family in the United States of America.
“Meanwhile, on same day, 26th of August, 2021, hundreds of angry Amnesty beneficiaries stormed the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Yenagoa, bayelsa state where the Branch Manager was almost lynched by a mob of angry youths demanding for their payments but the manager escaped the mob of angry youths with the help of divine intervention.”
Chief Opuama stated that he believes that Col. Dikio (rtd.) came up with this cynical plan to create crisis across the region in order to blackmail the NSA and the Presidency into extending his tenure for another year to enable him return from the United States of America and pretend to resolve the crisis which he created in the first place, otherwise why did he not suspend thousands of these beneficiaries accounts within a year ago when he, Col. Dikio (rtd.) was appointed.
“Hundreds of angry youths that showed up at the Amnesty office at 37A Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja to protest the injustice were beaten and mercilessly flogged and wounded by the Military Guards stationed at the Amnesty gate on the allege orders of the Chief Security Officer (CSO).
“Given these developments, thousands of angry Amnesty beneficiaries across the region are planning for protests across the region in the coming days and weeks ahead.”
Chief Opuama called on the National Security Adviser and President Muhammadu Buhari “to investigate the clandestine plot to embarrass the Federal Government and come out with a clear position on the Tenure of the Interim Administrator by trying a different hand of leadership by urgently appointing a new Amnesty Coordinator to clean up the mess that Col. Dikio (rtd.) created for his selfish reasons before the security situation in the Niger Delta region spiral out of control the statement reads.”