The Niger Delta group, Concerned Niger Deltans for Sustainable Development (CNDSD) took to the streets yesterday, to call for the sack and prosecution of Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP) coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo, saying Dokubo could not exonerate himself from last month’s brazen looting of the multi-billion naira vocational training centre in Boro town, Bayelsa State.
The group took their protest to the office of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Yenagoa, the state capital, to draw media attention, saying the unchallenged five-day looting of the N60 billion Boro Town Training Complex was unprecedented.
Kingsley John, who led the protest, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to have Dokubo step down to allow investigation into the uninterrupted looting and vandalism of the centre. He also called on the president to investigate the non-existent supply contracts, persistent stealing, fraud, corruption and intimidation of whistleblowers at the amnesty office.
The group stated: “The uninterrupted five days looting of the N60 billion Boro Town Training Complex is unprecedented. No group of persons can go into the University of Abuja, University of Ibadan or University of Lagos and steal everything for five days without the security agencies challenging them.
“Mr. President, Prof. Dokubo has openly mocked your anti-corruption war and Nigerians are waiting for your response. Prof. Dokubo has allegedly been awarding fake supply contracts to front companies amounting to over N13 billion and then orchestrated the five days looting of the complex to cover his fraud.
“External auditors from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF) audited supplies contract files at the Niger Delta Amnesty office and found 30 companies used by Prof. Dokubo and his front men to cart away funds meant to develop the youths in the region.”
It alleged that Dokubo directed the head of the vocational training centre, Jude Gbaboyor, to open the warehouse where supplies were kept, and then arranged with hoodlums to clear the items supplied.
But the special adviser to the president on Niger Delta and PAP coordinator has disagreed with claims linking his office with the looting. A statement from the Amnesty office claimed that the allegations were calculated to smear Dokubo’s reputation.
The statement noted: “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 invaders.
“The incident was also immediately reported at the Divisional Police Headquarters at Kaiama, and later at the Bayelsa State police command in Yenagoa. Following the complaints, the police launched intensive investigation into the incident and have some suspects in custody. Meanwhile, none of the suspects arrested in connection with the vandalism has linked any official of the Amnesty office to the crime.”
