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General News of Thursday, 20 May 2021

Source: punchng.com

Stop falsehood, no new enlistment into amnesty programme - Administrator

Col. Milland Dikio (retd) Col. Milland Dikio (retd)

The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Milland Dikio (retd), has said his mandate does not include admission of new beneficiaries into the amnesty scheme.

He stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Wednesday to defend a petition against PAP by a former agitator, Sobomabo Jackrich, popularly known as Egberipapa.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday by Dikio’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Nneotabase Egbe. He told the committee that only the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), had the exclusive powers to admit people into the programme.

Jackrich in his petition complained that his boys were excluded from the scheme despite surrendering their arms in line with the conditions in the amnesty proclamation made by late President Musa Yar’Adua.

Dikio, who honoured the invitation of the committee chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, said though he was aware of the matter when he took over the leadership of PAP, such a function was beyond his mandate.

He said, “I lack the power to admit anyone into the scheme because such power can only be exercised by the President. As a man under authority, my mandate as the Interim Administrator of PAP is to cater for 30,000 ex-agitators, who have been duly registered and captured as beneficiaries of the scheme.”

Speaking after the panel session, Dikio also dismissed the alleged plot to enlist more beneficiaries into the scheme and warned persons behind the report to desist from spreading falsehood.