Delta monarch tasks FG on region’s problems
Youths from the Niger Delta region, under the leadership of Dennis Philip, 1st Phase General of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, have expressed disapproval of recent allegations levelled against the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro.
The youths, who addressed the press on Sunday, described the allegations as “malicious falsehoods” aimed at disrupting the progress made under Otuaro’s leadership.
Reading the position of the youths, a prominent youth leader in Rivers State, Tarry Foray Fayeofori, said: “The allegations are a desperate and futile attempt to derail the remarkable progress made by the PAP under the astute leadership of Dennis Otuaro (PhD).”
The youths reaffirmed that Otuaro has never been involved in nepotism, favouritism, or financial mismanagement, dismissing the claim that he is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as an “outright lie” and a “gross and flagrant distortion of facts.”
They emphasised that Otuaro’s leadership has been instrumental in empowering ex-agitators, fostering lasting peace, and spearheading economic transformation across the Niger Delta, adding that PAP has made significant strides in reintegrating former agitators into the society through various skill acquisition programmes, educational scholarships, and entrepreneurial support.
The youths, however, condemned the coordinated smear campaigns against Otuaro, describing them as deliberate distractions aimed at halting the progress made under his administration.
They urged the public to disregard the misleading reports published in newspapers and continue to support Otuaro’s transformational leadership. Other organisations, including the Ijaw Youth Council and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ijaw Youth Consultative Forum (IYCF), have also openly condemned the allegations, describing them as “wild,” “ridiculous,” and “completely unfounded.”
MEANWHILE, the Paramount Ruler of Idjerhe Kingdom in Ethiope West Council of Delta State, HRM king Obukowho Whiskey, UDURHIE 1, has called on the Federal Government to urgently convoke a stakeholders meeting of the Niger Delta region to address the problems of agitators.
The traditional ruler of the oil/ gas-rich Kingdom, in a statement yesterday, which was made available to The Guardian in Asaba, decried the hordes of protests in the region, calling for dialogue rather than being confrontational in the pursuit of their demands.
The monarch, who is also the National Chairman of the Hoscon Traditional Rulers and Elders Advisory Council, expressed sadness that some people are creating unnecessary tension over the PAP instead of assisting the Coordinator to do the needful to reposition the programme for the benefit of all and sundry. He cautioned those he called “self-centred persons” to think out of the box to move the region forward by finding acceptable solutions to the unending quagmire.
