By Femi Ipaye
Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro was appointed the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the 14th of March, 2024, with a clear mandate. The President had, in the statement announcing his appointment expressed the hope that Chief Otuaro will bring his requisite experience and know-how to revamp the Amnesty Programme and advance the realization of its founding purpose and vision.
For Chief Otuaro, that Presidential order meant working day and night (just as he had done since his appointment) for the realization of the mandate of Amnesty Programme of transforming ex-agitators into entrepreneurs and /or employable citizens so that they can become net contributors to the economy of the region and Nigeria.
It also means bringing back PAP to its original to its original intent by taking service to the Niger Delta where the ex-agitators are domiciled as well as training the ex-agitators to become entrepreneurs who will act as agents of change to reverse the narrative of a people dependent on stipends to self-actualised employers of labour and net contributor to the economic prosperity of the Niger Delta.
Of course, the task of coordinating and cooperating with relevant agencies set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to complement the efforts of the Amnesty Programme to ensure the development and security of the Niger Delta in line with the broader Amnesty Package is also on his shoulders. Chief Otuaro is to work with the various governments in the region so that together the Niger Delta can be made to be the most secure place to live and do business in Nigeria.
Immediately on assumption of office, Chief Otuaro, identified five key areas that will help him in the advancement of the mission and vision of the PAP as ordered by the President.
These key areas of impact are Beneficiary Management, Stakeholders Engagement, Scholarship scheme, Vocational Training and Empowerment Programmes. He was clear that his passion is for the peace, security and development of the Niger Delta through the main streaming of ex-agitators and creating opportunities for them to become self-sufficient and independent.
For one, he has ensured regular payments of stipends to verified ex-agitators. But much more, as a man of his word, within a year of being in office, Chief Otuaro has recorded progress in the key areas of impact which have had far-reaching effects in the region.
Some of his key achievements in just one year in office include:
- Deployment of four cadet pilot trainees Niger Delta indigenes to South Africa for type-rating training at the SIM Aerotraining Ltd.
- Training of 98 men and women in specialized maritime skills at the Joemarine Institute of National Studies and Research, Otemowo, Delta state.
- 1700 scholarship beneficiaries deployed in various Nigerian Institutions for the 2024-2025 session.
- Deployment of 780 women to universities abroad.
- Deployment of 2,781 females in Nigerian Universities.
- Training of 1,389 women and post-training empowerment of 1,208 women.
- Partnering with the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority (NDRBDA) to support the project titled ‘’Food security is the Real security’’
Even more important, he has also embarked on critical stakeholders’ engagement that some analysts belive have contributed to the relative peace being witnessed in the Niger Delta and increase in the country’s oil production.
For example, Chief Otuaro had in the past one year prioritized engagement with traditional rules and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta with the aim of fostering a peaceful atmosphere for businesses and other engagements. Some of the traditional rulers he has had such engagements with include the Chairman of Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Major General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd) whom he visited in his palace at Orerokpe.
He also organized maiden meeting with Niger Delta women in Warri Delta state themed Niger Delta women empowerment: A Panacea for peace, stability and economic growth in the region. His all-inclusive administration views women as an integral part of peace building in the consultative process towards fostering sustainable peace, stability and economic growth in the region.
He also met with the leaders of ex-agitators from Bayelsa State led by His Royal Highness, Selky Kile Torughedi and President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Jonathan Lokpobiri, etc.
The Presidential Amnesty Programme established in 2009 to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate ex-agitators into the mainstream of society and expand educational opportunities for indigenes of impacted communities is currently in the reintegration phase.
However, the Administrator is not resting on his oars to ensure enduring peace and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region through the creation of programmes and projects that would lift the face of the people of the region.
Indeed, the future is bright for PAP, the Niger Delta and her people under Chief Otuaro as he continue to implement initiatives aimed at empowering the ex-agitators and other vulnerable groups including women.
Looking ahead, Chief Otuaro has pledged to continue his aggressive pursuit of vocational training for registered beneficiaries, empowerment of trained beneficiaries in their respective skill areas and empowerment programmes aimed at equipping and uplifting women in the region, among others.