A new insurgent group in the Niger Delta, Niger Delta Sea Disciples (NDSD), has demanded the sack of the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, (PAP) and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Prof. Charles Dokubo, within 21 days.
The group, in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly warned that the continued stay of Prof. Dokubo as boss in the Amnesty Office was already breeding bad blood among Niger Delta people.
The statement, signed by the group’s spokesman, Solomon Akonkon, said the people of the Niger Delta could not continue to experience incompetence and unsatisfactory performance from Prof. Dokubo, stressing that the presidency must not aid him while those who fought for the Amnesty programme now receives the alleged painful strokes of abandonment and alienation.
It, however, warned that if President Buhari and other critical stakeholders in his administration fail to replace Dokubo within the given 21 days, they would be left with no other option than to mobilise members across the country to protest to the National Assembly and block all major roads in the country.
However, when reached for a reaction, the Special Assistant on Media to Professor Dokubo, Mr. Murphy Ganagana, said he would not react to the call.
It also warned that the 784 Amnesty delegates’ protest at Kaiama in Bayelsa State that caused gridlock on road users led by Comr. Lucky Ighogho on Tuesday 4th of February 2020 will be a tip of the iceberg compared to what the group is planning.
“We, Niger Delta Sea Disciples (NDSD), have exhausted our patience, hence we have to come out to speak, enough is enough, we are giving the Federal Government of Nigeria 21 days ultimatum to replace Dokubo Or face massive protest from Niger Deltans
“We must not continue to celebrate this free reign of impunity, all critical stakeholders in the amnesty programme are complaining, lack of training of genuine Ex-agitators, questionable empowerment packages, shortchanging of supposed amnesty beneficiaries with the host of several debilitating tendencies prompted us to add our voice for his removal, he knows nothing about the Niger Delta struggle and how to run the office hence he should give way for others with better understanding to man the office.
“Our ultimatum starts from Today, Wednesday the 5th of February 2020, we will shock all those that may want to doubt our strength.
“Our targeted protest would be peaceful that of course is what we are assuring Nigerians, particularly Niger Deltans and our dear Ex-agitators, some will match to the National Assembly, others will protest in the major roads across Niger Delta and other undisclosed intellectual steps will be taken”, the statement said.
When reached to react to the statement, Media Assistant to the Presidential Adviser, Mr. Ganagana, said he would not react to it, saying “it’s not just today, I saw it since yesterday. I won’t react to that kind of thing”.
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