By Mudiaga Affe
The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dikio (retd.), has called on former agitators to develop business proposals and ideas capable of transforming them into successful entrepreneurs.

Dikio, in a statement on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Nneotaobase Egbe, said the amnesty boss spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, when he met with some leaders of the first phase amnesty programme drawn from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, led by Nico Sintei.

He said the PAP would support business proposals and ideas from ex-agitators to aid their transition into entrepreneurs, adding that beneficiaries would no longer depend on the N65,000 monthly stipend.

Addressing the leaders, Dikio said, “I want to encourage you to bring your ideas and business proposals forward and let’s support you to become successful entrepreneurs.

‘’We will organise business seminars to train and equip you to do good and legitimate businesses.”
On the new policy of PAP about contracts, he said, “We are no more giving out contracts in the Amnesty Office.

‘’You are going to train, employ and mentor our ex-agitators. That’s our new philosophy of going forward.
“PAP will pay for the training, but with the understanding that our people will be employed and mentored afterwards.

‘’We are simply adopting the Igbo apprentice-ship system so that, at the end of the day, it’s a win-win for everybody.”

He appealed to ex-agitators to form cooperatives to enable them take advantage of the business opportunities in the region. “There are endless opportunities beyond the payment of stipends. As a people, we need to take advantage of the opportunities around us to transform our region.

‘’For instance, we can exploit our huge maritime potentials to benefit the region. “Our maritime resource is key to the development of the Niger Delta, and it is one sector where people of the region can benefit substantially if they are well trained to harness the enormous opportunities therein.

“Nothing stops you from forming yourselves into cooperatives to enable you access loans to acquire fishing trawlers. ‘’It’s important that you start thinking beyond N65k monthly stipends,” he said.

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On their part, the ex-agitators commended Dikio for regularly engaging them, praising his humility and initiatives to give them sustainable economic empowerment.

They assured him of their resolve to cooperate and work with him to actualise his vision for PAP.