By Tracy Moses
Leaders and members of the Akwa Ibom Ex-Agitators’ Forum have passed a vote of confidence in the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, rejecting calls for his removal and urging the Federal Government to retain him in office.
The group said Otuaro had demonstrated commitment to the mandate of the PAP since assuming office, particularly in the areas of peace-building, rehabilitation, reintegration, empowerment and sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
The forum stated this in a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and copied to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. It also reaffirmed its support for the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the ex-agitators, stability and continuity in the leadership of the PAP are essential, given the strategic role the programme plays in sustaining peace and addressing the socio-economic challenges that have historically contributed to unrest in the Niger Delta.
“Since assuming office as Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro has demonstrated commitment to the core objectives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), particularly the promotion of peace, reintegration, rehabilitation, empowerment and sustainable development for beneficiaries and communities in the Niger Delta,” the group said.
The forum argued that the PAP should not be reduced to a programme for the payment of monthly stipends, stressing that its mandate was broader and focused on peace-building, human capital development and the reintegration of former agitators.
“In our considered view, the Presidential Amnesty Programme is not merely a platform for the payment of monthly stipends. It is a strategic peace-building and conflict-prevention intervention of the Federal Government, established to address the underlying conditions that contributed to militancy and instability in the Niger Delta,” it said.
The group maintained that the effectiveness of the Administrator should therefore be assessed against the broader objectives of the programme, including education, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, empowerment, reintegration and engagement with beneficiaries and communities.
It said Otuaro had approached these responsibilities with “diligence, consultation and a clear understanding of the sensitive nature of the Programme.”
The endorsement comes amid calls by some individuals and interest groups for Otuaro’s removal from office.
While acknowledging that criticism of public officials was legitimate in a democratic society, the ex-agitators expressed concern over what they described as attempts to portray the PAP leadership negatively.
The group alleged that some of those calling for Otuaro’s removal could be motivated by “personal, political or sectional interests rather than the overall interest of the Niger Delta and the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”
It therefore urged the Federal Government to distinguish between genuine concerns requiring investigation and what it described as campaigns designed to advance personal interests.
“We respectfully urge the Federal Government to distinguish between genuine concerns that require investigation and politically motivated campaigns designed to secure personal advantages, appointments, contracts or other interests,” the group said.
The ex-agitators also addressed demands for an increase in stipends paid to PAP beneficiaries, arguing that such decisions were matters of government policy and could not be determined solely by the Administrator.
According to the group, issues relating to PAP funding, beneficiary structure, policy direction, approvals and the overall financial framework fall within the purview of the Federal Government and the Presidency.
“The Administrator operates within policies, directives, approvals and budgetary provisions established by the appropriate authorities,” it said.
The forum consequently described calls for Otuaro to increase beneficiaries’ stipends as an “oversimplification of a complex institutional matter.”
It further warned that frequent changes in PAP leadership could disrupt existing programmes, undermine institutional memory and create uncertainty among beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
The group said the Niger Delta required sustained engagement and institutional consistency to preserve the peace achieved over the years, adding that decisions on PAP leadership should be guided by performance, accountability and the overall interest of the region.
Established in 2009, the Presidential Amnesty Programme was introduced by the Federal Government to address militancy and unrest in the Niger Delta through the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former agitators.
The programme has since expanded to include education, vocational training, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and other empowerment initiatives.
Otuaro was appointed Administrator of the PAP by President Tinubu in March 2024, succeeding Major-General Barry Ndiomu (retd.).
In its resolution, the Akwa Ibom Ex-Agitators’ Forum also commended the Tinubu administration and expressed confidence in the National Security Adviser, Ribadu.
The group reaffirmed its support for President Tinubu’s aspiration for a second term, saying continuity was necessary to consolidate ongoing reforms and interventions in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
It urged beneficiaries and other stakeholders in the region to prioritise peace, unity and development over personal and political interests.
“Our position is not motivated by personal interest, but by our conviction that peace, stability, continuity and the collective interest of the Niger Delta must remain paramount,” the forum said.
The group consequently appealed to President Tinubu, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, to retain Otuaro as PAP Administrator and provide him with the necessary institutional support to discharge the programme’s mandate effectively.