Dr. Dennis Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), has described President Bola Tinubu as a youth-friendly president.
He made this known on Tuesday while speaking at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Executive Management Engagement with ethnic nationalities’ youth leaders and selected stakeholders, themed “Let Us Build Together,” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Igoniko Oduma, Otuaro urged the people of the Niger Delta to support the Tinubu administration because of his youth-friendliness and love for the region.
He stressed that the president’s favourable disposition was the reason he was appointed alongside Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the NDDC, among other individuals.
The PAP boss enjoined Niger Deltans to be patient with Tinubu, stating that he has initiated reforms under his Renewed Hope Agenda to revamp the nation’s economy and also fast-track development in the region.
While reiterating his call for the sustenance of peace and security in the Niger Delta, he urged youths to shun the proposed national protests on August 1, saying they should not allow any group of persons to force them to return to the old ways.
Otuaro noted that the president was supporting the programme tremendously to achieve its mandate for the region.
He stressed that, in line with the president’s directive, the PAP had designed a scheme to empower more than 1,000 youths who have been engaged this year.
Otuaro stated that under the education policy of the programme, the office would increase the number of scholarship beneficiaries to 500 Niger Delta students studying in universities.
He further disclosed that the PAP prioritizes women in its stakeholders policy, adding that the office would, in the near future, hold a women’s summit to interface with the region’s female folk.
He commended the NDDC for organizing the sensitization meeting and pledged PAP’s readiness to partner with the interventionist agency.
“The government of President Bola Tinubu is a youth-friendly government, and he really loves the Niger Delta. I was at the NDDC before he appointed me to head the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office. Samuel Ogbuku is the Managing Director of the NDDC.
“Therefore, it is time for us to support Tinubu’s administration. Let us not join the protests. We need to be patient with him for his reforms to materialize. Nobody should make us return to the old ways.
“This year in the PAP, we have a programme to empower over 1,000 of our youths. In education, we are going to expand the scholarship to 500 beneficiaries of the PAP scholarship scheme.
“For our women, they are our priority. We have had stakeholder meetings with ex-agitators, and we are also going to hold another meeting involving women only. In that meeting, our women will articulate their issues.
“I will not impose anything on our women. The meeting will cut across the Niger Delta. We will partner with the NDDC; we already have the manpower,” he said.
Dignitaries present at the event included Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and the national chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) Emmanuel Ibok Essien.
Others included President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Jonathan Lokpobiri, Niger Delta female activist AnnKio Briggs, Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo, and the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Ayiri Emami.
