Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dennis Otuaro, has appealed to ex-agitators enrolled in the programme to avoid anything inimical to peace and security in the Niger Delta.
Otuaro, who stressed the need for them to promote peace and security in the oil-rich region, emphasised the importance of avoiding actions that could undermine the PAP’s objectives.
He gave the charge at a stakeholders’ meeting with former agitators in Warri, Delta State, weekend with the theme, “Fostering, Consolidating, and Collaborating for the Peace, Security, Stability, and Development of the Niger Delta.”
His special assistant on media, Igoniko Oduma, said in a statement yesterday that leaders from all phases of PAP participated in the meeting.
Otuaro stressed that all stakeholders in the region must work towards this goal and consolidate the success of the Amnesty Programme to prevent the Niger Delta from relapsing into the pre-amnesty years of serious conflicts and violence, which negatively impacted the region and the country.
“Sustaining the peace and security of the Niger Delta is the mandate of the Amnesty Programme, and we must do this for our communities, our children, and their children,” Otuaro said.
The programme was established in 2009 to disarm, demobilise, and reintegrate former Niger Delta agitators. The first two phases of the programme have been completed, with the Amnesty Office now tasked with the reintegration of former agitators into society and providing institutional support for impacted communities in the Niger Delta.
Otuaro stated that the PAP was an opportunity for the people of the region, which, if well leveraged, could help to resolve some of the challenges of the Niger Delta, especially human capital development.
He urged the stakeholders not to worry, as he had assurances from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the federal government would prioritise the development of the Niger Delta.
“The President is very serious about the peace and security of the Niger Delta region,” he said.
Otuaro affirmed that despite its lean budget, the PAP has made significant achievements. “Many delegates and beneficiaries from our impacted communities have received quality training and high-level manpower skills in diverse fields of human endeavours,” he stated.
“Today, several are gainfully employed as air traffic controllers, flight instructors, aircraft maintenance engineers, pilots, and underwater welders,” he added.
He added, “Others have also been trained and empowered through the programme and are doing very well in various trades such as fashion design, unisex salon, fish farming, baking and confectionery, rice production, hairdressing, cement, and building materials.
“In addition, several PAP scholarship students have made First Class and Second Class Upper in different courses of study, including Medical and Clinical Sciences, in universities at home and abroad. My leadership is committed to sustaining this trajectory of academic excellence, which is being applauded by well-meaning individuals and organisations across the region and indeed the country.”
Otuaro pledged to enhance the Amnesty Office’s operations to make it more responsive to stakeholders’ needs, promising regular meetings to get valuable feedback from delegates and respond swiftly to complaints.
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