The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, High Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has charged stakeholders referred to as 'Elders' Council' to join hands with the Administrator to ensure that the federal government initiative designed for the benefit of the Niger Delta people, succeeds.

The Amnesty Boss made this known at the stakeholders' meeting which entered its fourth day at the KFT Place in Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

In his opening remark ahead of the brainstorming session, Dr. Otuaro who described the Elders' Council as the "face of the struggle" reiterated the important position occupied by the leaders in the agitation for a better Niger Delta hence his engagement with them to sought for their opinions after meeting with the various phases of delegates.

Dr. Otuaro, who is the Ibe-Uyadonwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, lamented that "Over the years the figure (of beneficiaries) has reduced drastically" and that there is the need to send more of "our people" to school by capturing more beneficiaries into the programme.

However, in a cautionary note, the Amnesty Boss also hinted on the need for prudence in the management of the resources of the amnesty programme, stressing that "anytime this programme is mismanaged," everybody in the Niger Delta become casualties. 

The Administrator also announced the opening of the amnesty portal for JAMB students seeking scholarship opportunities as well as the restarting of foreign scholarship programmes but for only specialised fields.

"For this year, the portals are already open for our educational programme so that those that wrote JAMB should apply. Our foreign scholarship is a programme I want to start but it will be based on special areas," Otuaro said.

The Administrator appealed to the Elders' Council for their support noting that the programme should be seen by them as their project and as such all hands should be on deck to move the PAP to the next level while also assuring them of the will of President Bola Tinubu to do the needful.

Dr. Otuaro, a native of Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, whose appointment as S.A. to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Niger Delta and Administrator of the PAP was effected March 15, 2024, has been meeting with critical stakeholders from across the region in his bid to effectively reposition the PAP in line with its established mandate.

The stakeholders' meeting which began on Friday, June 21 with phase one delegates and was followed with phase two and three delegates on Saturday, June 22 and Monday, June 24, respectively, was wrapped up on Tuesday, June 25, with the Elders' Council.

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