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Tag: Dennis Otuaro

  • Why we expanded PAP’s scholarship scheme, by Otuaro

    Why we expanded PAP’s scholarship scheme, by Otuaro

    The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has said that the desire to capture more indigent students and communities led to the expansion of the  PAP’s scholarship scheme.

    Otuaro spoke while explaining his decision to expand the scheme and increase formal education opportunities for poor students and to build a huge manpower base in the region.

    Otuaro spoke during an interactive session in London at the weekend with the beneficiaries of the scholarship initiative deployed for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in universities across the United Kingdom.

    A statement by Otuaro’s Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Oduma, said the engagement, which was at the instance of the PAP boss, provided an opportunity for the Amnesty Office and the scholarship students to discuss issues pertaining to their welfare and challenges with a view to addressing them.

    Otuaro said that while in-country scholarship deployment was 3800 in the 2024/2025 academic year, the figure increased to 3900 in the 2025/2026 and foreign scholarships were about 200.

    He attributed the increase in deployment to the massive support of President Bola Tinubu and the Office of the National Security Adviser.

    Otuaro stressed that he was greatly encouraged by the President and the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and that he knows how impressed both of them are concerning the PAP initiatives, which align with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

    He reiterated his call on the students to justify the huge investment in their education by the Federal Government by studying hard to make good grades.

    He also urged them to conduct themselves and be responsible ambassadors of Nigeria while in the U.K, stressing that “you will be adding value to your families and communities when you complete your programmes successfully.”

    The PAP boss said: “We want the scholarship programme to impact more students and communities in the Niger Delta. That’s why we have expanded it and increased formal education opportunities.

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    “We want you to take this opportunity very seriously so that the government, too, will be encouraged. I know how much support His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu GCFR, gives to the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    “Mr President and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, are very impressed with what we are doing. On your behalf I would like to, once again , thank His Excellency and the NSA for giving you this life-changing opportunity. We are confident that Mr President and the NSA will continue to support us.

    “The knowledge you are receiving in your institutions today is to enable you plan yourself and prepare for the future. Whatever knowledge you gain cannot be taken from you. 

    “So as PAP scholarship students, we expect responsible and good behaviour from you. Government is investing heavily in you and you have the obligation to justify the investment. Be agents of change and avoid acts of mischief while in the U.K.”

  • ‘How Amnesty drives peace, innovation in Niger Delta’

    ‘How Amnesty drives peace, innovation in Niger Delta’

    National advocacy group, Polivox, has hailed the transformation in Niger Delta under Dr. Dennis Otuaro, saying his approach is a strategic reintegration model reshaping the regionand reinforcing security.

    In a statement: “From Arms to Algorithms: How Otuaro’s Stewardship Is Scripting a New Future for Niger Delta,” the group said Otuaro, who heads Presidential Amnesty Programme, has moved the region from pacification to prosperity in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope.

    Otuaro inherited a programme at a crossroads, but he introduced “Otuaro Doctrine” a shift from stipends to investment in education and sustainable entrepreneurship.

    “This is not just about giving a man a fish, or even teaching him how to fish,” a senior official explained.

    “It is about training him to master marine engineering, aquaculture technology, and global export logistics.

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    Dr. Otuaro sees these  former agitators and youths not as beneficiaries, but as future architects of Niger Delta’s economic diversification.”

    The statement said Amnesty has deployed more than 160 international scholars in 2025 to study Cybersecurity, Data Science, Marine Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Renewable Energy, with hundreds of onshore students in Nigerian universities.

    Polivox said these investments are strategic measures, arguing that turning former agitators into engineers and data scientists helps dismantle the foundations of unrest and build a lasting culture of peace.

    It noted peace and stability under Otuaro have raised oil output and national revenue.

  • Don’t abuse PAP foreign scholarship, Otuaro tells beneficiaries

    Don’t abuse PAP foreign scholarship, Otuaro tells beneficiaries

    The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has advised the beneficiaries of the post-graduate foreign scholarship of the programme not to abuse the opportunity to further their studies.

    He gave the admonition at the orientation programme for the third batch of the foreign scholarship beneficiaries, who make up over 140, deployed for post-graduate studies in universities in the United Kingdom, at the PAP headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

    Like the previous two batches, the third batch beneficiaries also received brand new laptop computers from the PAP office to help them in their studies and research in their various institutions in the U.K.

    Otuaro expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for supporting the initiatives of PAP towards bringing the Amnesty Programme close to the people of the Niger Delta.

    He warned the beneficiaries that their deployment was not a window to “japa”, saying they should return to Nigeria after successfully completing their programmes and add value to the development of the region and the country.

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    He noted that the large-scale deployment, which started with the first batch in January 2025, followed by the second batch on September 11, 2025, was part of a deliberate effort to close the human capital development gap in the region.

    He stressed that the area was in dire need of relevant manpower in critical disciplines and human endeavours.

    Otuaro urged them to conduct themselves responsibly and obey the laws of their host country, as well as the rules and regulations of their various universities while studying hard to justify their sponsorships.

    The PAP helmsman said: “I don’t want any of you to abuse this post-graduate scholarship opportunity that is given to you.

    “I am saying this because previous abuses have made our chances to become so slim in some European countries, but the U.K. Government has been very considerate.

    “I want to admonish you as beneficiaries to go, complete your studies and come back and add value to our region and the country. That is why we are giving you this opportunity. This is not an opportunity to japa (abscond).

    “We give honour and appreciation, first, to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCRF, for the huge support he has given to the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and also the Office of the National Security Adviser.

    “I appreciate them immensely for supporting us in the direction we are going.

    “All we are doing is a deliberate effort to close the human capacity development gap in the region, so that at every point in time, we have people qualified for any field of endeavour.

    “Some of us didn’t have the opportunity to benefit from scholarship awards, but today you are beneficiaries. Tomorrow it will be the turn of others.

    “So this post-graduate scholarship is an opportunity for you to go and study, finish, and come back home. The deployment is based on skill-demand of the Niger Delta. Don’t overstay.

    “At the end of your programme, return home, and if you have anything else you want to do, reapply (for visa) to go back there.

    “Don’t use this opportunity to crash into other programmes that will give you problems.”

    He urged them to make good use of the sponsorship and also make their families, communities, the region, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the President proud.

    While congratulating all beneficiaries on their deployment, Otuaro expressed gratitude to the Government of the U.K. for accepting over 140 post-graduate students who make up the three batches deployed by the PAP on January, and September 11 and 18, 2025.

  • ‘PAP boss committed to unity across Niger Delta’

    ‘PAP boss committed to unity across Niger Delta’

    The Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Stakeholders (CNDYS) has said the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has injected credibility, transparency, and fairness into the Amnesty programme.

    The Convener, CNDYS, Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei, said the Amnesty boss is committed to unity across the Niger Delta and will not be cajoled or blackmailed by any person or any ethnic group bent on playing tribal cards.

    He said Otuaro’s focus remains on strengthening the programme for peace, rehabilitation, and opportunity across all ethnic nationalities.

    Kemepadei emphasised the importance of accurate historical representation and unity among different ethnic groups in the region.

    He challenged any narratives that seek to portray one group as victims at the expense of another, advocating instead for a balanced understanding of events surrounding the Amnesty Programme and the relationships among the diverse communities in the region.

    The Coalition, therefore, addressed significant claims made by an Itsekiri leader, Daniel Reyeneiju, regarding the Itsekiri community and the Amnesty Programme.

    In a recent post by Daniel Reyeneiju, he had claimed that “the Itsekiris are under siege” and that the Amnesty programme has been turned into a weapon of bias.

    He also alleged that the so-called bias predated Dr. Dennis Otuaro’s appointment and then threw the insinuating question of whether Dr. Otuaro will be complicit in sustaining it or dismantle what he termed an “engine of injustice.”

    Apostle Kemepadei, who also chairs the Board of Trustees, Izon Cultural Heritage Centre (ICHC), expressed strong disapproval of Reyeneiju’s remarks, labeling them as misleading and historically inaccurate.

    The CNYDS boss highlighted the ethnic undertones in his statements, which the Coalition believed serve to create divisions rather than foster unity.

    While stating the historical context of the Amnesty programme, Kemepadei asserted that when the Federal Government first announced the amnesty, the Itsekiri people openly rejected the offer, stating they had no conflicts with the government and were satisfied with the presence of international oil companies (IOCs).

    He said the Itsekiri leaders positioned themselves as peaceful, distinguishing their communities from militant groups.

    He stated that the Itsekiris supported the disarmament of militant groups, specifically the Ijaw, viewing themselves as victimised by their actions and maintaining that they did not qualify for amnesty, which they perceived to be meant for “criminals.”

    Kemepadei noted that in 2013, after the amnesty process concluded, the Itsekiris sought inclusion in the benefits of the programme, saying that their request was brought to the National Assembly but was ultimately denied due to the closure of the amnesty window.

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    In a gesture of fairness, he said the Itsekiris were offered 500 educational slots as compensation, which benefited many students in their communities.

    The Coalition’s Convener contended that Reyeneiju’s recent statements were a manipulation of factual history, suggesting that he aimed to generate discord rather than facilitate constructive dialogue.

    Kemepadei asserted that the letter he referenced was merely an appeal for inclusion and mischaracterising it as evidence of bias against the Itsekiri community is viewed as divisive.

    Kemepadei asserted: “The truth is clear: Dr. Dennis Otuaro has injected credibility, transparency, and fairness into the Amnesty programme.

    “He is committed to unity across the Niger Delta and will not be cajoled or blackmailed by Reyenieju or any ethnic group bent on playing tribal cards. Otuaro’s focus remains on strengthening the programme for peace, rehabilitation, and opportunity across all ethnic nationalities.

    “Frankly, history cannot be edited to suit propaganda; the truth will always stand. The Itsekiris themselves rejected amnesty at inception. No amount of propaganda can erase that fact. What the region needs now is support for Otuaro’s leadership, not revisionist campaigns.”

  • Don’t allow blackmailers distract your focus, stakeholders tell PAP boss

    Don’t allow blackmailers distract your focus, stakeholders tell PAP boss

    Stakeholders of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) under the auspices of the Phase Two Camp Leaders called on the Administrator of the programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, to remain focused and shun blackmailers.

    While expressing satisfaction for his achievements in the first year of his appointment, the ex-agitators urged him to remain resolute and not distracted by the mischievous activities of his detractors, who did not mean well for the peace, stability and development of the Niger Delta.

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    The PAP phase two camp leaders’ National President, Mr. Salvation Ibena, spoke when he led a delegation of the group on a courtesy visit to Otuaro in Abuja, on Friday.

    A statement signed by Otuaro’s Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Oduma, noted that the administrator’s innovative leadership and policy of inclusivity were responsible for his outstanding achievements.

  • Boro’s Legacy: Otuaro advocates for peace, unity, expanded opportunities

    Boro’s Legacy: Otuaro advocates for peace, unity, expanded opportunities

    As the Ijaw Nation marked Boro Day on Thursday, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), High Chief (Dr.) Dennis Otuaro, called on Niger Delta youths to embrace peace, unity, and collective vigilance for the future of the region.

    Speaking at a gathering to commemorate the legacy of late Ijaw freedom fighter, Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, Dr Otuaro emphasized the importance of using intellectual engagement and governance participation as tools for advancing the struggle for resource control.

    “Today, we are not just remembering Boro as a hero of the past, we are celebrating him as a father of the Ijaw nation whose spirit is alive with us. He laid the foundation for our fight for justice. Our elders fought differently, but today, we must channel our struggle through intellect, unity, and peace,” the PAP boss said.

    Representing the federal government, Dr. Otuaro conveyed goodwill messages from President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser and stakeholders in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, assuring that the programme would be more inclusive going forward.

    According to him; “Peace in our communities brings peace to our region. My appeal to our youth, kingdoms and clans is to uphold this peace. We must love one another, and even love our neighbours. Let us be vigilant, united, and committed to sustaining the calm we have”.

    Reflecting on the progress made within his first year in office, Dr. Otuaro disclosed plans to broaden the scope of the Amnesty Programme to reach more beneficiaries.

    He said that; “We currently have 30,000 people captured in the database, but this is not just about numbers. I am a product of the Niger Delta struggle, and I understand what this means for our people, our women, our mothers, and our children. The goal is to ensure no one is left out”.

    Addressing critics and what he described as attempts at blackmail, Dr. Otuaro made it clear that the Amnesty Programme under his leadership would not be hijacked by personal interests.

    In his words; “This programme is not for a few greedy individuals. It belongs to the people. I am focused on my mandate, and I will not be distracted by those who feel entitled. Everyone must be carried along in line with the purpose of the programme”.

  • Otuaro preaches love

    Otuaro preaches love

    The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has called on the people of the Niger Delta  to reflect on the essence of Easter and show love to one another.

    In his Easter message yesterday, Otuaro, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, urged all stakeholders of the region to imbibe the spirit of peace, unity, and sacrifice embodied by Jesus Christ.

    Otuaro urged the people of the region to use the season to deeply reflect on the virtues of Christ and walk in them to ensure peace, stability and harmony in the Niger Delta.

    He stressed that Easter called for a re-commitment to the cherished values of peace, forgiveness, kindness and service.

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    The PAP boss expressed the unwavering commitment of his leadership to the implementation of the programme’s mandate for sustainable peace, security, stability and development of the region.

    He also enjoined stakeholders of the Niger Delta to continue to support President Bola Tinubu and his administration’s noble reforms aimed at achieving economic recovery and shared prosperity for all.

    Otuaro said:  “I will like to heartily greet all stakeholders of the Niger Delta on this joyous occasion of the commemoration of Easter. It is a time to reflect on its essence and the values of love, peace, forgiveness and sacrifice exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ.

    “I urge all youths, ex-agitators, men, and women to imbibe the virtues embedded in Jesus Christ and the significance of His death and resurrection as God’s perfect gift for redemption and reconciliation of mankind. Let us love one another, promote unity and peace in the interest of the Niger Delta.”

  • Otuaro to Niger Delta: support Tinubu’s administration

    Otuaro to Niger Delta: support Tinubu’s administration

    The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has called on all stakeholders in the Niger Delta to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    While felicitating with President Tinubu at 73, Otuaro described the President as a national treasure, who had made invaluable contributions to the growth of democratic governance in the country.

    He said it was a beautiful thing that the President, a patriot with sterling democratic credentials, is at the helm of affairs, providing quality and historic leadership at a critical moment in the nation’s democratic journey.

    He said that the President came with a clear vision of what he wanted for Nigerians and had made unrelenting efforts to make the country a better place since his emergence in 2023.

    He commended the President for taking the decisive step to remove the fuel subsidy, which he said had become a heavy burden to Nigerians and the country.

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    The Amnesty Boss thanked the President for his genuine, unwavering, sustained fatherly support for the sustenance of peace, security and development in the Niger Delta.

    He stressed that the President’s love for the people of the Niger Delta was the reason behind the signing into an act the bill establishing the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, and the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland; the South South Development Commission and the ongoing construction of Coastal Road including sustained support for the various agencies in the region.

    He also said that the President had replicated same in other regions as the father of the nation.

    Dr. Otuaro particularly thanked the President for his fatherly encouragement and unflinching financial commitments for the operations of the PAP.

    He stressed that the President demonstrated his love for the Niger Delta in various ways through his actions and deserved the support of the people of the region.

    He used the occasion of the President’s birthday to call on the people of the Niger Delta to reciprocate the good work of the President by giving him and his administration their support.

    While joining millions of Nigerians and all men of good conscience to celebrate the President, he prayed God to continue to sustain him in good health to continue to deliver on his electoral promises to Nigerians.

  • Ex-militants: we are proud of Otuaro’s strides in Amnesty Office

    Ex-militants: we are proud of Otuaro’s strides in Amnesty Office

    The first set of former Niger Delta freedom fighters who accepted the Federal Government’s amnesty arose from their meeting in Port Harcourt with a resolution that all those distracting the coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Chief Dennis Otuaro should allow the man to concentrate in his assignment.

    Saying that they were proud of Otuaro’s efforts in stabilising the PAP and deliberately ensuring that beneficiaries of the amnesty programme got their dues as and when due, leaders of the first phase repentant militants said those attacking Otuaro were doing so for selfish reasons.

    They spoke as the ex-militant leaders have begun the processes of getting fresh leaders that will coordinate their activities. 

    Pioneer president of the first phase ex-militants forum, Pastor Reuben Wilson. who spoke with journalists after their meeting said they could not fold their hands and watch people run down a man who was doing very well for the amnesty programme.

    He said: “The man is doing very well in the office as the administrator. He has done very well, he has tried. At least he is truly taking the amnesty programme to higher heights. He’s been someone that has been in the struggle. 

    “100 per cent of his stay in the Niger Delta creeks was for the struggle; so he knows all the (ex-militants camp) leaders by their names. And what he is doing now, we are really happy with it. 

    “We have noticed that we have some criminal elements that are trying to bring him down, but we are here to say that their actions will amount to nothing because they are not working in the interest of the amnesty programme.”

    Wilson, a major supporter and campaigner for the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, also said it was the best decision to appoint Otuaro as head of the amnesty office. 

    He said it was gratifying to note that Otuaro was already giving proper expression to the president’s dream of a properly managed amnesty office. He said Tinubu must have seen how well Otuaro had managed the amnesty office, insisting that a greater percentage of the stakeholders were very happy with the coordinator.

    “We want him(Otuaro) to succeed and if we as major stakeholders say that Otuaro is good and active, that means he is good.  We can confirm to the world that the PAP coordinator is doing excellently well. That is why we, in the course of our meeting, decided to pass a vote of confidence on him,” he added. 

    Wilson said part of the issues Otuaro was having was his decision to close the doors against ghost contractors who were merely collecting monies but refusing to work. 

    “There are people who were making millions of naira through the back door.

    “So, as Otuaro decided to end that regime, they decided to go against him. Now, there is no way for them to make the money they were making, hence their decision to start cooking up stories in order to rubbish the man. That is all that is playing out,” he argued. 

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    Also speaking, Prince Emeka Igwe, the Imo State coordinator of the group said “Otuaro is trying to change the narrative, he is trying to change the old ways that things were being done and the system is fighting back. 

    According to him: “The SA is reaching out to the grassroots, interfacing with everybody, making sure that those that own the programme will benefit from it; that is what is happening. All of us today passed a vote of confidence on him because of his leadership style. We are very, very happy with him. 

    “Anywhere we go, we say that he is trying and we want him to do more in this line that he is going, let nothing distract him. Anytime, any day we are with him 100 per cent.”

    Nature Dumale Kieghe, the pioneer secretary of the First Phase Ex-agitators in the Niger Delta, who also spoke said:  “Among ex-agitators in the Niger Delta, over time we have been classified as the most responsible, as touching the way we do our things and presentations in different fora.

    “We have vowed that we will not bring down any of our own, we took that decision a long time ago, when Kingsley Kuko was special adviser to the president on amnesty. Now we have another administrator, in the person of Dr Dennis Otuaro, who is also our won.”

  • Otuaro receives award of excellence from youth leaders

    Otuaro receives award of excellence from youth leaders

    The youth leaders of Okerenkoko Federated communities in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have conferred an award of excellence on the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro.

    The youth leaders unanimously acknowledged Otuaro’s giant strides in quality service delivery at the PAP through its robust educational and vocational schemes, stakeholders’ engagement and peace-building processes, and policy of inclusivity, among others.

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    The community youth leaders, including Famous Ololobou, Ijoukumor Oturubo and Samuel Ijeleba, who spoke separately, urged Otuaro to continue to do his best for the growth and development of the region, despite the unnecessary distractions by his detractors.

    They said persons working against Otuaro were undermining President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda which the PAP helmsman was implementing through the programme to foster sustainable peace, stability and security in the region.