Otuaro Is the Answer to a Decade of Amnesty Programme Failures

By Wilson Macaulay

WARRI

In a sweeping and unequivocal endorsement that cuts through years of controversy surrounding the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), the National Chairman of Amnesty Phase Three, General Ogidigba Godstime Ogidigba, has declared that the appointment of Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro as Administrator marks the definitive answer to what he described as a decade of failure, drift and missed opportunities within the Programme.

Reacting to persistent agitations, protests and petitions targeted at the Amnesty Office, General Ogidigba offered a detailed assessment of the Programme’s troubled past and its emerging renaissance under Otuaro’s leadership, insisting that the current Administrator has restored direction, credibility and hope to thousands of Niger Delta youths.

A Programme That Lost Its Way

According to General Ogidigba, the Amnesty Programme suffered a steady decline following the exit of former Administrator Hon. Kingsley Kuku, noting that the period that followed was characterized by inconsistency, weak policy execution and a gradual abandonment of the Programme’s core mandate.

He alleged that several administrators appointed during that era — including Gen. Paul Boroh, Prof. Charles Dokubo, Dikkio and Ndiomu — presided over a phase in which the vision of the Amnesty Programme was either diluted or deliberately undermined.

“Some of them were appointed without a clear commitment to sustaining the Programme,” Ogidigba stated. “Some stopped sending students to universities, others convened meetings only to announce that they were mandated to wind down the Programme. In the process, genuine beneficiaries suffered while a few individuals enriched themselves.”

The Otuaro Turning Point

General Ogidigba stressed that the appointment of Chief Dennis Otuaro signaled a decisive break from the era of uncertainty and stagnation. Describing him as “a product of the struggle,” he said Otuaro’s leadership is rooted in firsthand understanding of the sacrifices that birthed the Amnesty Programme.

He disclosed that when Otuaro assumed office, fewer than 100 beneficiaries were actively engaged in scholarship and training programmes. Today, according to him, over 4,000 Niger Delta youths are enrolled in both local and international universities under the Amnesty scholarship scheme.

“This single achievement speaks volumes,” Ogidigba said. “It shows capacity, commitment and clarity of purpose. It proves that the Amnesty Programme can work when it is led by someone who understands its soul.”

Expanding Empowerment and Human Capital

Beyond education, General Ogidigba highlighted the revival of leadership training initiatives, ongoing empowerment programmes and the provision of laptops and learning tools to beneficiaries as evidence of a comprehensive reintegration strategy under Otuaro.

He noted that these interventions are not cosmetic but foundational, designed to equip Niger Delta youths with leadership skills, professional competence and economic independence.

According to him, such investments in human capital are critical to sustaining peace and preventing a relapse into restiveness across the oil-producing region.

Call for Broader Training Framework

While commending the progress recorded, General Ogidigba appealed to the Administrator to expand the scope of leadership training by increasing the number of leaders captured in the programme. He proposed that leadership training in Abuja should run concurrently with vocational and skills acquisition training in Delta and Edo States, allowing for faster and more inclusive reintegration.

“This dual-track approach will help us conclude leadership training while simultaneously empowering youths with practical skills,” he explained.

Peace as the Cornerstone

The Amnesty Phase Three Chairman emphasized that no reform can thrive in an atmosphere of hostility and instability. He urged ex-agitators, beneficiaries, stakeholders and political actors to embrace peace and constructive engagement, warning that protests and media attacks risk undermining the gains already recorded.

“We can only consolidate these achievements if we give peace a chance,” Ogidigba said. “The Amnesty Programme was established to stabilize the Niger Delta, not to become an arena for endless conflict.”

Rallying Support for Sustainability

General Ogidigba concluded by calling for broad-based support for Chief Dennis Otuaro’s administration, stressing that collective responsibility, unity of purpose and patience are essential to sustaining the Programme’s renewed momentum.

According to him, the future of the Presidential Amnesty Programme — and by extension, the peace of the Niger Delta — depends on allowing competent leadership to work without distraction.

“Otuaro is not just an administrator,” Ogidigba declared. “He is the answer to a decade of Amnesty Programme failures and the bridge to a more stable and empowered Niger Delta.”