Ijaw nation expresses willingness to work with Dokubo

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Office and the highly-respected leaders of the Ijaw nation have expressed their willingness to assist the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo in refocusing the amnesty programme to its original mandate for the sustenance of peace and development of the region.

This followed recent social media post by the President of Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), Mr. Oweilaemi Pereotubo, claiming that the Ijaw nation had passed a vote of no confidence on Prof. Dokubo.

A statement signed by Dokubo’s Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Murphy Ganagana, yesterday said: “Pereotubo comments on a social media platform made a few hours after an appeal for a meeting of the amnesty programme boss with a select group of Niger Delta stakeholders to be rescheduled for a later date, was tempestuous, malicious, and mischievous.”

He noted that in the quest to ensure that the PAP is moved to the ‘Next Level’ in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate, Prof. Dokubo has held several consultative meetings with leaders of ex-Niger Delta agitators, beneficiaries of the PAP and other critical stakeholders.

“In furtherance of this effort, he had scheduled a meeting with a selected group of Niger Delta stakeholders for Thursday, May 9, 2019, at the Wellington Hotel in Warri, Delta State. “Unfortunately, due to exigencies of his duties, his trip was aborted barely an hour to the scheduled time for the meeting and he promptly dispatched a management staff to the venue of the meeting to tender his unreserved apologies to invited guests who he holds in high esteem for his failure to be with them.

“After explaining Prof. Dokubo’s unavoidable absence and tendering his apologies, Elder T. K Ogoriba and other highly respected leaders expressed the desire and willingness of critical stakeholders to assist Dokubo in moving the Amnesty Programme forward. It is pertinent to state that at no time was a vote of no confidence passed on Prof. Dokubo by the Ijaw nation, before, during or after the recent congregation in Warri, and Pereotubo, who was in attendance didn’t make a comment while the session lasted. So for him to leave at the end of a session where no decision was taken, and circulate a post purporting to have emanated from the Ijaw nation on a social media platform is unwarranted to the office and person of Prof. Dokubo” he said.

PAP, however, urged the IYC President to channel his youthful energy towards building bridges of unity, progress and development among the youths of the great Ijaw nation rather than engaging in dangerous antics that will provoke and incite the youths against the Federal Government of Nigeria.