Ijaw Elders Council urges Otuaro to strictly monitor Amnesty program to mate fraud

Ijaw Elders Council urges Otuaro to strictly monitor Amnesty program to check mate fraud 

..... As Oporoza house throws weight behind Otuaro

By: Francis Tayor&Cletus Opukeme

Warri _____ Ijaw Elders Council, a combination of former Presidents of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Ijaw National Council, INC has charged the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, High Chief (Dr.) Dennis Burutu Otuaro to strictly supervise the various vocational training and education scholarship programmes in order to check manipulation and fraudulent practices by contractors as well as staff in the office.

They gave the charge on Tuesday June 25, 2024 in warri, during the five days Niger Delta stakeholders meeting organized by the office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

According to the ljaw intellectual activists noted that the essence of the strict monitoring is to prevent low standard jobs been executed by contractors as well as staff trading away the Amnesty scholarship and vocational training chances to other tribes instead of the real ex-agitators (delegates) in the Niger Delta to benefit.

Meanwhile, the Oporoza House, otherwise known as the ljaw leaders of thought, have thrown their weight behind the Special Adviser, stressing that the emergence of Dr. Dennis Otuaro has resurrected the Oporoza House which  spearheaded the  amnesty programme process in 2007 during late President Musa Yar’Adua. They said the Oporoza house will give 100% support to the new coordinator of the amnesty programme, saying that Dr. Dennis Otuaro is one of their own. They described the appointment of Dr. Dennis Otuaro as a square peg in a square hole.

In their separate reactions, Elder T.K Ogoriba and Dr. Felix Tuodolo, a pioneer national President of the Ijaw youths council ( world-wide) have thrown their weight behind Dr. Dennis Otuaro’s appointment. They both thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the wise choice of Dr. Dennis Otuaro.

Responding, PAP boss, Dr. Dennis Otuaro expressed gratitude to God and thanked the Ijaw leaders for honouring his invitation and the maximum support so far.   He acknowledged the meaningful role the Oporoza house played during the Niger Delta struggle and how they played gallant role during the peace process that gave birth to the amnesty programme” He asserted. He described the group as face of the Niger Delta struggle.

While highlighting some of the grey areas in the Amnesty programme, he said his office has re-opened the foreign scholarship programme. But noted the foreign scholarship programme will be mainly on professional disciplines. That he would not approve of areas like political science and other social sciences. Saying that he studied political science in Nigerian University and such courses could be handled effectively in Nigerian Universities.

He complained that the amnesty programmes budget has been reduced by half and that he needed more funding to achieve the goal and visions of the programme.

”We need more funding in the amnesty programme. The budget of the Amnesty programme was reduced by half over the years.

” Over the years,  the amnesty budget has been  reduced drastically. There were irregularities.  You stopped foreign training and you are sending people behind the door to abroad to study. As I came. I said the foreign scholarship should commence. I have sent a few number of beneficiaries to abroad to continue their foreign training and more will go on both educational and vocational training” He said".