By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos.
The leadership of the Niger Delta Ex-Agitator Phase 1 has expressed its gratitude to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for appointing Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro, PhD, popularly known as Owelle of Niger Delta as Administrator of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to address the underlying causes of conflict in the Niger Delta and to guide the PAP towards enhanced efficacy and influence.
They described the appointment as a round peg in a round hole.
Speaking on behalf of the ex- agitators, Comrade Toriomo Yerindideke Excel, widely known as Leader Excel, stressed that Chief Otuaro is a well known personality, an achiever and a ma of integrity with the ability to deliver the mandate of his office.
His words, “We have known Chief Otuaro to be an achiever and a man of integrity, we believe strongly that Chief Otuaro is going to deliver the mandates of the office because he has never disappointed his constituency even those who cross his path.
“He is a deep rooted grassroot man whose track records as the leader of Students’ union, has been promoting peace and tranquility to thrive in the Niger Delta”.
“Chief Dennis Otuaro’s appointment as the administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme has a significant turning point for the Niger Delta and its former agitators. With Otuaro at the helm of affair of PAP, it is a beginning of a new era in the region, progress and development.”
Excel also said his group attention has been drawn to a publication by a faceless group calling for appointment of a card carrying member of the ruling party APC, just as he noted that “the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, is not a political party.
He explained that, “The PAP was established through the emancipation of arm struggle that grossly caused low production of crude oil which affected the economy of the nation Nigeria, and thereby resulted to Multinational companies, IOC’s leaving Nigeria!
“The government actually came up with options on how to handle the situations being a critical issue that needed urgent attention and has to be addressed. We know ourselves, thise of us who were in the creek before the implementation of the programme and we know the reasons why the programme was established, political parties or being a card carrying member of a political party was never the reason”.
The ex- agitator further said that “there was no organisation that actually supported us before PAP came up, the mechanism of Niger Delta Development, I believe has objectives and purpose, it wasn’t because of political party’s interest, it all basically how the Niger Delta region will gain her peace and development that will attract investors to the region, and for us as people to have a conducive environment to live.
” For clarity sake these are the people who signed the Niger Delta Development mechanism with the Federal Government. Admiral. Peter Ebhalemen. CFR., Brig. Gen. Cletus Emein, Prof. (Mrs) Ayebaemi I. Spiff, Hon. D. I. Kekemeke, Chief, Timi Alaibe, Chief, Charles uwensuyi Edosomusan, Hon. Nduese Essien, Mr, Ledum Mitee (Chairman), Obongawan Grace Ekong, Prof. Richard King, Dr. Kalu Iduka Kalu. (OFR), Chief, Isaac Jemide, Col. Paul Edor Obi (Rtd), Prince Tonye T.J.T. princewil, Prof. Omar Fume onoge, Mr, Ombrai Oguoko, Dr, Youpele Banigo, Godsill Ihetu, Mr Atei Beredugo,
Abom Tony Esu, Dr. Sam Amadi, Abel Dafiaghor, Prof. Augustine A. Ikein.”
“Above are fathers and mothers who signed mechanism of the Niger delta development, with the federal government in 2008 and there is no paragraph captured that organisation, or a specific or particular political party will produce administrator for the presidential amnesty program. Get it right that the appointment of Chief, Dr. Dennis Otuaro. PhD. Is a long awaited answer to our prayers, for the president to have deemed it fit to appoint one among us,who has sound Knowledge of the reason of the arm struggle which gave birth to the establishment of the amnesty programmd”, he said.
