The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has emphasized his commitment to reposition the programme and create the needed value for the beneficiaries.
He stated this at the weekend when he visited a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe in Abuja.
Otuaro said the programme, which was established in 2009 by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, was designed to provide sustained peace and development in the Niger Delta as well as empower repentant militants in the region.
He noted that upon his appointment, he discovered the gaps in the system due to some administrative lapses and went to work immediately to rescue the program from losing focus and direction.
“I have been working hard alongside my team to redirect the programme and make it work for the main beneficiaries as well as people of impacted communities,” Otuaro said.
According to him, to achieve his vision, he has constantly interfaced with critical stakeholders to share perspectives and learn from their experiences.
Otuaro added that his ongoing reforms have been yielding fruits based on his constant interactions with governors of the region, traditional rulers, ex-agitators, and other critical stakeholders.
While commending Alaibe for his many contributions over the years to ensure the region is peaceful, he said the former NDDC managing director remains one of the greatest assets to the Niger Delta.
In his remarks, Alaibe, who was also a former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the PAP, thanked Otuaro for the visit.
He said that so far, the PAP boss has done well, especially with the recent deployment of 1,700 students to various universities across the country and the specialized maritime training program.
Alaibe assured the PAP helmsman of his support, saying his doors are always opened for continuous consultation and engagement for the interest of the people of the region.
He also advised Otuaro to remain focused and not be distracted by those who have sinister motives targeted at derailing the programme because of personal and selfish reasons.