The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr Dennis Otuaro

  • Ijaw stakeholders applaud PAP boss for awarding 3,000 scholarships

    Ijaw stakeholders applaud PAP boss for awarding 3,000 scholarships

    Stakeholders under the auspices of the Ijaw Youths Network (IYN) have applauded the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, for empowering indigenes of the Niger Delta region with over 3000 scholarships.

    The stakeholders commended Otuaro’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration through his unflinching commitment to the peace and development of the Niger Delta.

    The IYN in a statement on Saturday by its National Coordinator Frank Ebikabo and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, said that Otuaro had not departed from his avowed commitment to bridging the human capital development gap in the region.

    The stakeholders further hailed the  PAP boss for the recent deployment of 161 beneficiaries from impacted communities for targeted programmes in universities in the United Kingdom.

    They urged Otuaro to remain focused and dedicated  to the cause of the region and to ignore all attempts by mischief makers to distract him.

    The group said the deliberate steps taken by Otuaro to spread educational opportunities in the communities of the Niger Delta remained one of the most effective ways of entrenching lasting peace and development in the region.

    The stakeholders said that the Niger Delta and the entire country would feel the positive impacts of Otuaro’s visionary input to education in years to come.

    The youth leaders also commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his strategic supervision of the Presidential Amnesty Office, and contributions to entrenched peace in the Niger Delta.

    The IYN called on youths of the Niger Delta to prioritize the interest of the region in making a political choice in 2027 and urged them to back Otuaro’s call to support President Tinubu in the forthcoming election.

    They recalled the efforts by Otuaro in previous scholarship deployments and vocational training, stressing that the president had been supportive of the PAP initiatives.

    The group said:  “We have noted with keen interest the recent deployment of a huge number of Niger Delta indigenes for scholarship programmes within and outside the country.

    Read Also: IMF meetings: UBA White Paper to unlock $4tr Africa’s assets

    “The record we have shows that over 3000 young people are benefiting from these unprecedented efforts of the PAP under Otuaro’s leadership within the country and 161 in the UK universities for the 2025/2026 academic year.

    “We at the IYN commend the PAP boss for his laudable efforts. We know his antecedents, and we are not surprised that he has made this level of unprecedented impact within a short time.

    “We urge him to remain focused on the job and ignore detractors spreading falsehood about the programme and its leaders.

    “We also call on our colleagues in the Niger Delta to give the requisite support to Otuaro and the Tinubu administration, which has given priority to issues affecting our people.”

  • Niger Delta will support only Tinubu in 2027, says PAP boss

    Niger Delta will support only Tinubu in 2027, says PAP boss

    …insists Tinubu has earned region’s confidence 

    The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has declared that the Niger Delta will support only the reelection of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

    Otuaro spoke at the weekend during closing ceremony of the Stream 1 batch 3, three-day strategic leadership, alternative dispute resolution and mediation training organised by the PAP for its stakeholders in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.

    Otuaro insisted that President Tinubu had genuine intentions for the Niger Delta and was determined to sustain the prevailing peace in the region while galvanizing developmental activities and socio-economic growth through his Renewed Hope Agenda.

    The PAP boss in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Oduma, urged the people of the region to unite firmly behind President Tinubu’s second term ambition for the greater good of the area.

    He advised the Niger Delta people to beware of political manipulators in the buildup for the 2027 election. 

    The PAP boss urged the people of the region to be wary of the antics of desperate politicians with the intent to cause mischief in the region.

    Otuaro stressed that President Tinubu had proven in the past two years that he had the best of intentions for the region, noting that his administration, when re-elected, would consolidate on the laudable gains it had so far recorded.

    He said that President Tinubu had given unprecedented encouragement to the PAP, particularly his approval of an increase in the programme’s budget to enable it expand opportunities in formal education, vocational training and post-training empowerment schemes for ex-agitators and beneficiaries.

    Otuaro expressed optimism that President Tinubu would do much more for the region as he had demonstrated strong commitment and the political will to deliver on his mandate in the past two years.

    Otuaro said, “As Niger Delta people, we will support only His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, in 2027. Let us not allow anybody to deceive us that come 2027, there is a new and better agenda. That is not true and we are wise enough to know.

    “We are sure that President Tinubu has the best agenda for the country and indeed the Niger Delta, and he is the only candidate that we will all support.

    Read Also: Olojoku to captain Nigeria at African Youth Scrabble Championship 

    “The President has proved that he has genuine intentions to sustain the peace, security, infrastructure and human capital development, and the socio-economic advancement in our region. He means well for us, and this is incontrovertible.

    “We shall therefore fully support him. Supporting him is the right thing to do. Anywhere the President goes, we go. And that will be our mandate because the Niger Delta is our agenda.

    “Though the elections are several months away, we must be aware of political manipulators who are out with their agenda of mischief.

    “We must watch out as Niger Delta people. Let’s not allow anybody to use anyone against us and the agenda of the President. We are so focused that we cannot be distracted. We know what is working for us, and what is good for our region and we will work to sustain the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President”.

    He urged the people of the Niger Delta to shun divisiveness and work together in unity for the betterment of the area and to lay a solid foundation for the future.

  • Otuaro: back Tinubu in 2027 to sustain peace, growth in Niger Delta

    Otuaro: back Tinubu in 2027 to sustain peace, growth in Niger Delta

    Administrator of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has urged stakeholders in Niger Delta to maintain peace in the region and support the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

    Otuaro spoke at a training on leadership, alternative dispute resolution and mediation organised by PAP, in collaboration with Nigerian Army Resource Centre, for PAP stakeholders yesterday in Abuja.

    He stressed that the people should consolidate on the region’s peace process and stability so socio-economic growth and development could thrive in communities as encapsulated in the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

    The administrator assured Niger Deltans that Tinubu is committed to the peace, stability, and development of the region and Nigeria.

    He said since his election, the President has shown this dedication to the people.

    Otuaro noted that the strategic capacity building initiative underscored his resolve to broaden stakeholders’ participation in PAP activities, and complement Tinubu’s determination to impact communities in Niger Delta.

    He said PAP, in the last one year under him, has impacted the region by expanding the scholarship scheme, vocational training for former agitators and beneficiaries, and deepened inclusivity in implementing PAP’s mandate.

    Declaring the training open, Otuaro told participants the essence of the exercise was to equip them to play more critical roles in the peace process.

    Read Also: Nine longest reigning Monarchs in Nigeria

    He said: “The objectives of this initiative highlights the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and his administration’s commitment and dedication to peace, security, stability, socio-economic growth and development of Niger Delta and the country.

    “I am grateful to President Tinubu for his support to PAP, particularly his approval of my proposal to set up a Rehabilitation Unit in the programme, a vital component not in place before now. This will help cater to related aspects of the programme’s mandate.

    “I urge stakeholders and the people of Niger Delta to support the President and work with his administration to do more for the region.”

    Otuaro hailed Office of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, “for his encouragement and supervision of PAP, which has led to the success recorded under my leadership.”

    He told participants to engage in the strategic training, and take away lessons to “guide your conduct and approach to resolving issues and disputes that may arise around or within your spheres in Niger Delta and the country.”

    “This workshop will sharpen your leadership skills and deepen your understanding of the essence of conflict resolution and mediation, to bring about peace and development in our communities and region in the implementation of PAP’s mandate,” Otuaro said.

  • Niger Delta youths dismiss allegations of nepotism, others against PAP boss

    Niger Delta youths dismiss allegations of nepotism, others against PAP boss

    Niger Delta youths have dismissed all allegations of nepotism, favouritism, and financial mismanagement against the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, describing them as false.

    The youths, who spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from the camp of Dennis Philip said Otuaro had never been involved in such misdeed.

    A youth leader from the camp, Tarry Foray Fayeofori, also dismissed as an outright lie the claim that Otuaro was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) insisting that such a claim was a gross distortion of facts crafted with the sole intention of misleading the public.

    Fayeofori said the attacks on Otuaro were a calculated attempt by self-serving individuals to disrupt the remarkable progress being recorded in PAP under his visionary leadership.

    He said: “These unfounded allegations represent a desperate effort to tarnish Chief Otuaro’s reputation and undermine the stability and growth of the Niger Delta region.

    “The perpetrators of these baseless accusations fail to acknowledge the groundbreaking achievements of the PAP under his administration and instead seek to destabilize the peace and development championed by his leadership.

    Read Also: CDS to commanders: think critically, make tough decisions, act decisively to end terrorism

    Fayeofori, a prominent youth leader in Rivers State insisted that the allegations were malicious falsehoods lacking any foundation in truth.

    He described Otuaro as a man of integrity, a true son of the Niger Delta, and a product of the PAP himself, adding that his appointment to lead the PAP was a divine intervention aimed at restructuring and reinvigorating the initiative for the greater good of the region.

    He said Otuaro’s tenure has ushered strategic reforms that focused on empowering ex-agitators, fostering lasting peace, and spearheading economic transformation across the Niger Delta.

    Fayeofori said: “Under his leadership, the PAP has made significant strides in ensuring that former agitators are reintegrated into society through various skill acquisition programs, educational scholarships, and entrepreneurial support. His policies have not only stabilized the region but have also laid a solid foundation for sustainable development, reducing restiveness and creating viable opportunities for the youth.

    “It is regrettable that faceless individuals, driven by selfish political and economic interests, are sponsoring groups in Abuja to malign the reputation of a man whose only crime is his unwavering commitment to the Niger Delta cause.

    “These coordinated smear campaigns are deliberate distractions aimed at halting the remarkable progress and transformative policies implemented under Chief Otuaro’s administration.

    “The Niger Delta region cannot afford to be swayed by deceitful narratives peddled by those who prioritise personal enrichment over collective development.

    “We must recognize the deliberate attempts to create division and instability in a region that has long struggled for peace and progress. The orchestrated attacks against Chief Otuaro must be rejected with the firmness they deserve”.

    Fayeofori said all stakeholders in the Niger Delta including the Ijaw Youth Council and the Ijaw Youth Consultative Forum (IYCF) were solidly behind Otuaro and had dismissed the allegations as wild, ridiculous, and completely unfounded.

    “The public is therefore urged to disregard these misleading reports and instead continue to rally behind the transformational leadership of Chief Otuaro, whose dedication to fulfilling the mandate of the PAP remains resolute. His visionary approach to governance and youth empowerment must not be derailed by unfounded distractions”, he said.

    Fayeofori said rather than resorting to deceit and character assassination, individuals and groups with genuine concerns should engage through proper channels to seek clarification.

    He said the Niger Delta region needed unity, constructive dialogue, and responsible leadership and reaffirmed the youth’s unwavering and absolute support for Otuaro and the PAP.

    He said: “As Niger Deltans, we must remain vigilant and ensure that the progress made under Chief Dennis Burutu Otuaro’s leadership is not sabotaged by those whose interests lie in division and economic exploitation. The region cannot afford to be dragged backward by the schemes of individuals who do not have its best interests at heart.”