By Chesa Chesa
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) received an uncommon oomph when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Dr. Dennis Otuaro as the Administrator. That was in March 2024, one year ago. One great feature of this anniversary is that though protests and controversies used to surround PAP as a second feature, such have now totally disappeared.
Yes, the programme has been running since 2009 with varying degrees of implementation of its mandate. However, since one year ago, a breath of fresh air which came via Dr. Dennis Otuaro, a man who has brought his wealth of experience in comparative politics, development studies, and public administration to the programme, thus transforming it into a beacon of hope for the people of the Niger Delta, has transformed the organization. It has become obvious that from the day he was appointed, he took the mandate of his office to heart, with a determination to make a positive impact.
Unfortunately, it is easy to overlook the importance of the cohesive normalcy that has embraced PAP’s activities since Otuaro’s watch began. Nigeria’s recent history, particularly the current democratic dispensation that started from 1999, cannot be fully written with mention of the tumultuous days of the Niger Delta agitation and how the civilian administrations found some sort of solution to the decades-long problem. Specifically, the government of President Umar Yar’Adua made the bold move to end the violent agitation in the region with an offer of amnesty to repentant militants. Not only did this pave way for peace, it was an opportunity for youth and other indigenes of the area to get some succour with proceeds from the mineral wealth their region spewed forth for the entire nation. That was how the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) was birthed in 2009.
Since then, its activities have been encased by controversy until Otuaro came into the Administrator’s office and focused strategic attention on nothing else, not even crass politics, but on PAP’s mandate.
And what is the mandate? The vision of the amnesty programme as spelt out officially are as follows:
* Restore the mandate of the Amnesty programme to its original intent and take service to the Niger Delta where the ex-agitators are domiciled.
* Train the ex-agitators to become entrepreneurs who will act as agents of change to reverse the narrative of a people dependent on stipends but to self-actualised employers of labour and net contributors to the economic prosperity of the Niger Delta.
* Coordinate and cooperate 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.
* Ultimately, by working with the various governments in the region we can make the Niger Delta the most secure place to live and do business in Nigeria.
Now, if Dr. Otuaro is to be assessed on these, how has he fared in the past 12 months? First off, the new man on the saddle has seen the reintegration of ex-agitators, who have become thriving entrepreneurs and employers of labour within their communities. The Programme under him has also prioritized vocational training and education, equipping beneficiaries with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the modern economy.
Another notable achievement of PAP under Dr. Otuaro’s administration has been the deployment of students for onshore and offshore training. This initiative has opened up global opportunities for Niger Delta youth, enabling them to access world-class education and build professional expertise that contributes to regional and national development.
This is in addition to implementation of many community-based projects seeking to strengthen relationships with these communities as well as state governments and private sector partners, while improving living conditions across the Niger Delta. This is key to national growth because the Niger Delta region is the primary source of Nigeria’s oil and gas exploration revenues, and any large-scale insecurity often leads to drop in production output and resultant revenue losses for the country.
The trust President Tinubu places on Dr. Otuaro is obviously yielding results and helping to avert any such disruptions. This is because the Administrator has been meticulous in assisting the Tinubu government in maintaining peace and stability in the Niger Delta. It is noticeable that pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering have reduced greatly because while the security agencies do their work, PAP under Dr. Otuaro has helped to keep the youth of the region either in school or employed or meaningfully engaged in other productive activities. This stems from the regularity of his office in listening to and striving to address the communities’ complaints of marginalization and lack of economic opportunities.
The effect of Dr. Otuaro’s willingness to tackle the challenges is the creation of opportunities, in education and human resource development, to empower Niger Deltans with the skill and knowledge to contribute to national development. This is why PAP under him continues to expose ex-agitators to several training opportunities. Only recently, 98 young men and women from the region were trained in specialized maritime skills at the Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies and Research, Otomewo, Delta State. Many others have also benefited from various vocational and post-empowerment training while the rest have also been sent outside the country for similar training. Indeed, about 1,700 students were offered undergraduate and foreign Master’s degree scholarships through an open, competitive, and merit-based process. The scholarship covers tuition and accommodation and provides a living stipend for the duration of the beneficiaries’ programmes.
It is important to note that Dr. Otuaro has curbed the negative publicity that PAP attracted in the past over non-payment of tuition or allowances of its trainees in and outside the country. So, no more scandalous stories tarnishing Nigeria’s image abroad because of PAP programmes and no more disruption of academic programmes of beneficiaries of PAP interventions. Aside from these disruptions from beneficiaries on academic or vocational programmes, there had been occasional threats of or actual violence erupting in communities that accuse PAP of serious infractions of agreements or neglect of its obligations to them. Such had led to destruction of oil and gas assets in the past. These stories have, however, become rare under Dr. Otuaro. His managerial capabilities deserve replication in other sectors.
It appears the Renewed Hope mantra of President Bola Tinubu is manifesting in the Niger Delta through Dr. Otuaro. Therefore, all stakeholders are encouraged to rally behind the man with the magic wand so that with sustained collaboration and support, the PAP can further solidify its impact in ensuring that the Niger Delta is a showpiece of massive development and contribution to the country, even beyond oil and gas.