Amnesty Program:Association Urges Buhari To Appoint Substansive Special Adviser

 The Niger Delta Amnesty Vendors Association (NDAVA) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a substantive Special Adviser on the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

 

The association made the call in an open letter address to Buhari, jointly signed by its President, Mr Samson Dabbey and  Secretary, Mr Eferebo Sylvanus and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

 

The letter said that the appointment was important to ensure effective coordination of the affairs of amnesty programmes and sustain the achievements of the president’s administration in development and sustenance of peace in the Niger Delta region.

 

It urged Buhari to urgently direct  the verification of all contracts, including 15 per cent mobilisation fee to be immediately paid for contractors in the region to move back to site.

“Sir, permit us to express our appreciation for your sustained efforts in the payment of the monthly allocation to the Presidential Amnesty Programme which has contributed to sustainable peace and development in the region.

‘”We also appreciate  the 30,000 delegates. However sir, we wish to draw your attention on the need to look into the affairs of the caretaker committee.

”The committee set up by the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Mongunu (Rtd) to coordinate the affairs of the amnesty programme after the suspension of Prof. Charles Dokubo, due to our protest,” it said.

The letter said that three months after Dokubo’s suspension, nothing had been heard from the caretaker committee and several efforts made to interface with it, including letter had not been embraced.

The association in the letter urged the president to urgently instruct for all verified contracts including 15 per cent mobilisation to be immediately paid, so that they could move to site since the contractors have already involved their banks.

It called for appointment of a substantive special adviser to take over the office with immediate effect to avoid the association backing off from mediating with the third phase ex-militants”  following recent threat by one of the milliants.