Tag: King Ateke Tom

The Palace of the Amanyanabo of Okochiri, His Royal Majesty, King Michael Ateke Tom, has rubbished reports that the King humiliated the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro during his birthday celebration.

Describing the reports as misleading, the palace in a statement  by the King’s Assistant on Media, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, said such fabricated report was aimed at creating unnecessary tension in the Niger Delta.

The statement reads: “Contrary to the claims in the concocted report, King Ateke Tom’s birthday celebration held seamlessly, peacefully, and in high spirits. The celebration witnessed influx of respected leaders, dignitaries, friends, and well-wishers from across the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large. 

Read Also: PAP boss lauds King Ateke Tom’s contributions to peace in Niger Delta

“We state that there was no time during the birthday event that confrontation, rebuke, or embarrassment, as alleged by the mischievous reporters, ensued between His Majesty and the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“The allegation that King Ateke Tom rejected monetary gifts from Dr. Otuaro and labelled him as insincere is not only baseless, but an insult to the intelligence of all who were present at the event. 

“This falsehood seeks to sow seed of discord, damage reputations, and derail ongoing peace-building efforts in the region. We urge the public to disregard this cooked up narrative designed to mislead and misinform them”.

The statement said the king was deeply interested only in the peace and development of Niger Delta and would not derail any event that would strengthen it. 

The palace said Otuaro remained fully committed to the objectives of PAP and had continued to engage with all stakeholders, traditional rulers, ex-agitators, community leaders, and civil society, in a transparent and inclusive manner to sustain peace, reintegration, and development in the Niger Delta.

The statement said: “Therefore, the King calls on all well-meaning Niger Deltans and the general public to focus on the bigger goal of regional development and transformation, and to continue supporting constructive engagement over the spread fake news reports.”

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has hailed the contributions of the traditional ruler of the Okochiri Kingdom in Rivers State, His Royal Majesty, King Ateke Tom, to peace in the Niger Delta

 Otuaro was among the prominent guests who graced the colourful 61st birthday celebration of King Ateke at his palace in Okochiri, Okrika local government area on Monday.

The PAP Boss in a statement signed by his special assistant on media, Igoniko Oduma, described the Rivers monarch as “a respectable leader whose reign has brought about unity, peace, progress and development around his community.”

He stressed that King Ateke, who is also the ‘Sekuro of the Niger Delta’, was a great asset who had contributed immensely to the peace, stability, security and development of the region.

Otuaro expressed his utmost regard for the traditional institution and the vital role of traditional rulers in the peace and development of communities in the Niger Delta.

He noted that traditional rulers were among the critical stakeholders that the PAP was collaborating with to strengthen the programme’s peace-building process in the region.

He reiterated that the programme was in safe hands, and strongly motivated by President Bola Tinubu to bridge the region’s human capital development gap through formal education scholarships and vocational training in aviation, maritime, agriculture, and other relevant trade areas.

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Otuaro said his policy of inclusivity had ensured the involvement of Niger Delta women in the programme’s initiatives, stressing that there were plans designed for their empowerment and contribution to the region’s socio-economic growth.

He emphasised that he was focused on rendering quality service to the people of the region, and not distracted by the shenanigans of his detractors.

Otuaro called on all stakeholders of the region to remain steadfast in the effort to sustain the prevailing peace in the region so that socio-economic and developmental activities could thrive around the communities.

While expressing appreciation to King Ateke for his unwavering support to the programme, the PAP boss prayed to God to grant him a long reign, longevity and good health.