The Amnesty Office has condemned “ambitious politicians desperately eyeing” the position of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
A statement issued by Murphy Ganagana, the Special Assistant (Media) to PAP, Prof. Charles Dokubo, was reacting to the invasion of the Presidential Amnesty Programme Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State by some protesters.
The protesters had alleged that Dokubo orchestrated the looting of items meant for the empowerment of residents of communities impacted during the Niger Delta crises to cover up fraud under him.
The statement reads: “The hired protesters also reportedly alleged that no action was taken by Prof. Dokubo throughout a five day period that the looting of starter pack items and vandalisation of property at the training facility lasted.
“We wish to state emphatically that these allegations are not only nonsensical, entirely false, preposterous, mischievous and wicked, but a calculated attempt to smear the hard-earned reputation of Prof. Dokubo, a descent and incorruptible scholar of international repute who has, within one year in office, given hope to the Niger Delta people through fresh initiatives that would reposition the Amnesty Programme to its original mandate.
“It is on record that the invasion and looting of items at the Kaiama training facility occurred in the presence of security personnel, including the police and the military deployed in the centre, but they were simply overwhelmed by the numerical strength of the massive invaders”.
The statement added that the incident was immediately reported at the Divisional Police Headquarters at Kaiama, and later at the Bayelsa State Police Command headquarters in Yenagoa.
“The police had promptly launched intensive investigation on the incident and have some suspects in custody. None of the suspects arrested in connection to the looting of items and vandalisation of the facility, has linked any official of the Amnesty Office to the crime.
“We urge enemies of the Niger Delta, particularly ambitious politicians eyeing Prof. Dokubo’s office to desist from smear campaigns and other ignoble acts capable of portraying the Niger Delta people in bad light.
“Sponsoring ill-motivated protests aimed at causing mischief and splashing muddied water on Dokubo, a patriot and committed Niger Deltan will do no one any good,” the Amnesty Office said.
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