Ijaw national leader and elder statesman, Chief Pa. Edwin Clark, has tasked the Ijaw Publishers Forum (IPF) with a mandate to protect and defend the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, High Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro, from those he referred to as distractors and enemies of the Niger Delta region who are hell bent towards hindering the successful implementation of his initiatives in the PAP.

Pa Clark, who is leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, gave the charge when a delegation of the Forum visited the Ijaw national leader at his Abuja residence to discuss burning issues affecting the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta region.

According to the former minister of information, the PAP Administrator needs to be supported and protected from distractors and enemies of the region who may seek to hinder his progress in the Amnesty Office.

Clark emphasised the importance of Dr. Otuaro's good initiatives in advancing the PAP which has brought hope and transformation to the lives of many beneficiaries in the region.

The elder statesman also gave reason why he opposed the appointment of non-Ijaw as the coordinator of the amnesty programme as he stated emphatically that 95 percent of the beneficiaries of the programme are from Ijaw extraction, a fact that Ijaws were the reason for the establishment of the programme.

Pa Clark also reiterated the fact that this was the only time the Nigerian government had gotten it right by appointing a core member of the struggle from Delta State to oversee the PAP since the inception of the programme.

He further commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for doing what is noble by appointing Dr Otuaro as the PAP Administrator, urging him to ignore all blackmails and mischief against Dr Otuaro, describing such blackmailers as not patriotic sons of Niger Delta.

Following this mandate, the IPF has reaffirmed its commitment to protect and support Dr. Otuaro, who is dedicated to improving the lives of the beneficiaries of the amnesty programme and advancing the Niger Delta region.

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