I Intend to serve Niger Delta people to best of my ability— Dokubo

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Professor Charles
Quaker Dokubo as the new coordinator of Presidential Amnesty
Programme for ex-Niger Delta militants. The Guardian had an
interview with Dokubo, who was formerly the Director of Research
and Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs
(NIIA).
Is the new coordinator,

what are you bringing to the table?

We are going to redefine the vision and mission of the amnesty
programme. The amnesty thing is a very big organisation, as it
deals with the social provision for Niger Delta people.

Whatever we are doing, therefore, we must try as much as
possible to make sure it impacts positively on the lives of Niger
Delta people.

We don’t have to do anything and almost everything for
everybody. We must be very careful and make sure we put up a new
focus to redirect Niger Delta issues, especially the amnesty
programme.

The amnesty programme has been bedevilled right from
inception with all manner of allegations. For instance, there was
the alleged massive padding of amnesty payroll with ghost names
alongside other issues. How do you intend to handle all
these?

I am just assuming office and haven’t really settled so to say.
The fact is that I just have to look at the totality of the amnesty
programme and all that it takes.

It is not the selective adoption of one position and trying to
redesign and redefine it, but to take a holistic view of the Niger
Delta issues. And even if there are ghost names in the amnesty
programme as is being alleged, we would try our best to remove
those names.

This is the work I am supposed to do here. And I will try my
very best to make sure I do the job, so that it will be shown that
nothing bad or nothing hidden is in the project.

All these allegations will be looked into and we will ensure
that we weed out all false names and give the programme a proper
focus. We will also streamline it and make sure it is run
efficiently and effectively.

How do you intend to deal with the stakeholders in this
region, especially the traditional rulers, who are divided between
the Pan-Niger Delta Forum and the Pan-Niger Delta People’s
Congress?

They are fighting to control activities in the region… As far as
I am concerned, all the stakeholders in the region will be gathered
and spoken to, so that we will be able to buy them into our
programmes. Whatever leadership this people have, I presume it is
for the well-being of the generality of the people of Niger Delta
Region.

I am sure the aim and desire of whatever group or groups they
have in the region is to make sure that Niger Delta People are well
taken care of. Let us see things in this light.

We will talk to all concerned and make sure we key them into the
new programme in order to and drive it. This is the way we are
going to go. We are never going to look at factions. We are only
going to concern ourselves with the holistic nature of the
programme.

How soon should Niger Delta people expect tangible
actions from you?

I was only given this job on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. So, I need
to first carefully go through all the handover notes from my
predecessor.

You do not expect me to just jump into a minefield and do what
is not proper?

I am going to take my time and buy my time in such a way that I
will do all the things expected of me and impact the people
positively, as well as see to the well-being of the Niger Delta
people.

What should the Niger Delta people expect from your
leadership?

I expect cooperation from every Niger Delta indigene. The fact
is that whatsoever programme is being driven by the Federal
Government is for the Niger Delta people, and if we don’t use the
facility and provide services for our people, then we are not
treating our own people right.

Irrespective of the colour of government, what is for the Niger
Delta people is for the Niger Delta people.

So, it is for them to use it and achieve all they want to do.
You don’t selectively adopt projects for the Niger Delta people
because if you do that, you short-change them. This is part of the
focus that I have.

Guardianng

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Professor Charles
Quaker Dokubo as the new coordinator of Presidential Amnesty
Programme for ex-Niger Delta militants. The Guardian had an
interview with Dokubo, who was formerly the Director of Research
and Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs
(NIIA).
Is the new coordinator,

what are you bringing to the table?

We are going to redefine the vision and mission of the amnesty
programme. The amnesty thing is a very big organisation, as it
deals with the social provision for Niger Delta people.

Whatever we are doing, therefore, we must try as much as
possible to make sure it impacts positively on the lives of Niger
Delta people.

We don’t have to do anything and almost everything for
everybody. We must be very careful and make sure we put up a new
focus to redirect Niger Delta issues, especially the amnesty
programme.

The amnesty programme has been bedevilled right from
inception with all manner of allegations. For instance, there was
the alleged massive padding of amnesty payroll with ghost names
alongside other issues. How do you intend to handle all
these?

I am just assuming office and haven’t really settled so to say.
The fact is that I just have to look at the totality of the amnesty
programme and all that it takes.

It is not the selective adoption of one position and trying to
redesign and redefine it, but to take a holistic view of the Niger
Delta issues. And even if there are ghost names in the amnesty
programme as is being alleged, we would try our best to remove
those names.

This is the work I am supposed to do here. And I will try my
very best to make sure I do the job, so that it will be shown that
nothing bad or nothing hidden is in the project.

All these allegations will be looked into and we will ensure
that we weed out all false names and give the programme a proper
focus. We will also streamline it and make sure it is run
efficiently and effectively.

How do you intend to deal with the stakeholders in this
region, especially the traditional rulers, who are divided between
the Pan-Niger Delta Forum and the Pan-Niger Delta People’s
Congress?

They are fighting to control activities in the region… As far as
I am concerned, all the stakeholders in the region will be gathered
and spoken to, so that we will be able to buy them into our
programmes. Whatever leadership this people have, I presume it is
for the well-being of the generality of the people of Niger Delta
Region.

I am sure the aim and desire of whatever group or groups they
have in the region is to make sure that Niger Delta People are well
taken care of. Let us see things in this light.

We will talk to all concerned and make sure we key them into the
new programme in order to and drive it. This is the way we are
going to go. We are never going to look at factions. We are only
going to concern ourselves with the holistic nature of the
programme.

How soon should Niger Delta people expect tangible
actions from you?

I was only given this job on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. So, I need
to first carefully go through all the handover notes from my
predecessor.

You do not expect me to just jump into a minefield and do what
is not proper?

I am going to take my time and buy my time in such a way that I
will do all the things expected of me and impact the people
positively, as well as see to the well-being of the Niger Delta
people.

What should the Niger Delta people expect from your
leadership?

I expect cooperation from every Niger Delta indigene. The fact
is that whatsoever programme is being driven by the Federal
Government is for the Niger Delta people, and if we don’t use the
facility and provide services for our people, then we are not
treating our own people right.

Irrespective of the colour of government, what is for the Niger
Delta people is for the Niger Delta people.

So, it is for them to use it and achieve all they want to do.
You don’t selectively adopt projects for the Niger Delta people
because if you do that, you short-change them. This is part of the
focus that I have.

Guardianng