Says ‘pull him down’ attacks uncalled for

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

A Niger Delta ex-agitator and National Secretary of the Phase 3 Amnesty Programme, Comr. Tam Odogwu, Friday, cautioned allegations leveled against the Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Col. Millard Dikio (Retd), by some persons and media organizations.

Odogwu stated this while speaking with Vanguard on allegations written by an online media organization which alleged that N1.6 billion was paid in March, N452.2 million in April, and N574.8 million in May, as ‘bulk payment of stipends’ to some ex-agitators camp leaders by Dikio.

According to him, bulk payment of stipend to few top leaders did not start with Dikio, “therefore it doesn’t affect him in anyway.”

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He said: “The attention of the National Secretary of the Phase 3 Amnesty Programme, Comr. Tam Odogwu has been drawn to another kind of Pull Him Down allegation that Govspend.ng obtained data from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation which revealed that, N1.6 billion was paid in March, N452.2 million in April, and N574.8 million in May, as ‘bulk payment of stipends to some Ex-agitators camp leaders by the Interim Administrator Col. Millard Dixon Dikio (Retd).

“Bulk payment of stipend to few top leaders didn’t start with Dikio, therefore it doesn’t affect him in anyway. I will advise Govspend.ng to go to the beginning of Single Treasury Account or the beginning of the Amnesty Programme to trace how it started. Dikio didn’t start it and he didn’t pay himself the money.

“He is only managing a system that was handed to him. However, he has started making painstaking efforts to current some abnormalities which cannot be magic.”

He also expressed worry over what he described as ‘pulling him down’ allegation, “The first Pull Him Down allegation was a media report that tried to create rift between the National Security Adviser and the Interim Administrator which the National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) immediately dismissed as unfounded, that he is on war path with the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Milland Dixion Dikio (rtd), over tenure extension.

“An online platform had reported that the NSA and the Amnesty boss are at loggerheads over tenure extension. But Monguno in a statement signed by ZM Usman, Head, Strategic Communication. Office of The National Security Adviser, noted that the report ‘is false and concocted to stoke confusion and mislead the public’.

“I am still of the opinion that we stop this witchcraft style of lobbying to pull your brother down in order to get in. Everyone needs good things but the act of destroying your fellow brother to clamp is evil.

“There is no sign of patriotism. Allegations of corruption and mismanagement should not always come because you want someone out of a system. The target should not be to rubbish and pull down.

“How long do we continue this pull him down attitude by changing our people in office? A government system is more negatively affected when changes becomes too frequent.

“Every government unit needs reasonable time in office to consolidate for effective and efficient operation. Am not saying Dikio has done well in all ramifications. But the fact remains that it is impossible to have someone that is very good in all aspects.”

On the forensic report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari, he (Odogwu) said on appointing board members as part time members is unacceptable.

“All the Niger Delta interventionist agencies are dying as a result of lack of instability and unity. The forensic audit report submitted few days ago recommended that the board should be downsized.

“The overview of the report, said that the team recommended managerial as well as structural changes which was the downsizing of the NDDC’s board and that members of the team should henceforth be appointed on part time basis which is totally unacceptable.

“The Government based on the recommendation will run the NDDC like the amnesty office with limited powers if implemented. This is an aberration and gross violation of the NDDC Act 2000 under a democratic dispensation, which Rule of Law is a strong pillar of any democratically elected government.

“The NDDC Act is sacrosanct and must to be followed, and anything like recommendations should not be allowed to alter it. 

“The National Assembly is to stand by the Act and stop any move that will tamper with the legal instrument of the Act.

“We can’t keep fighting ourselves at our own detriment. Rather we should channel our energies to collectively agitate on issues affecting the region”, he added.

Vanguard News Nigeria