Ex-agitators threaten protest over Dikio’s planned arrest

Former militant leaders in the Niger Delta under the auspices of Reunion Leadership for Peace Initiative have warned of mass demonstration should the Senate Committee on Public Accounts carry out its threat of issuing a warrant of arrest on the Interim Administration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Milland Dikio (retd.), over failure to account for the mismanagement of N10bn meant for the programme.

The chairman of RLPI, under amnesty phase one, ‘Ex-General’ Godgift Ayabowei, gave the warning while reacting to the decision of the senate committee in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday.

NAIJA LIVE TV reports that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Matthew Urhogbide, had said the decision was as a result of Dikio’s failure to honour the invitation of the committee on the alleged scandal contained in the 2018 report of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

Condemning the committee’s threat, Ayabowei argued that the auditor-general’s report covered transactions carried out at the amnesty office between 2015 and 2016.

He stated that Dikio had not been appointed the PAP boss even as of 2018 when the auditor-general’s report was officially submitted.

The ex-agitators’ leader said, “It is, therefore, our candid opinion that the committee should withdraw their threat of warrant of arrest on Colonel Milland Dixon Dikio (retd.) because anything to the contrary might spark off public protest.”

Ayabowei pointed out that Dikio could not be held responsible for the alleged misappropriation of the N10bn, adding that the committee’s move was suspicious.

He said, “Furthermore, the PAP is a very technical and sensitive programme because it deals with ex-agitators who have volatile mindsets and characters.

“If Colonel Milland Dixon Dikio (retd.) was not performing up to date, the ex-agitators would have been the ones to cry out and not the senate committee.”

Ayabowei, however, said the RLPI would not discourage Dikio from appearing before the committee as it was clear that the alleged mismanagement did not happen under his watch.

He stressed that the group was particularly against the warrant of arrest on him, and it would mobilise for a protest if the committee apprehends the PAP boss.

Comments

comments