The Niger Delta Coalition Group, a wide network of civil society organisations, community leaders, youth groups, and advocacy stakeholders across the oil-rich region, has firmly rejected recent allegations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by the group’s spokesperson, High Chief Comrade Preye Ebizimor, the coalition described the claims as “baseless, malicious and politically driven,” noting that they were orchestrated by detractors seeking to derail the renewed gains under Dr. Otuaro’s leadership. The statement was issued in response to a petition reportedly credited to a faceless group, “Niger Delta Concerned Youths for Change,” which had called for an EFCC probe of the PAP.
According to the Coalition, the allegations are the handiwork of “self-seeking actors who no longer enjoy unrestricted access and patronage they had under past administrations.” Ebizimor stressed that the Amnesty Programme, under Dr. Otuaro, has undergone commendable reforms, transitioning from mere documentation of ex-agitators to implementing sustainable empowerment and reintegration strategies.
“Dr. Otuaro is not running a personal empire,” said Chief Clara Ebiwei, a respected voice from Bayelsa. “He is rebuilding an institution that is crucial to the peace and future of the Niger Delta.”
The group cited strategic stakeholder engagement, vocational and educational training initiatives, and renewed community-based empowerment schemes as clear signs of the Programme’s transformation under the current leadership. It emphasised that the Administrator’s approach aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, placing inclusivity, transparency, and peace-building at the core of PAP’s mandate.
Warning against the politicisation of the Programme, the group said attempts to weaponise the EFCC for media trials would only undermine hard-won peace and stability in the region.
“The EFCC is not a political tool,” Ebizimor asserted. “If anyone has genuine claims, they should approach appropriate legal channels instead of resorting to populist blackmail.”
Calling for unity and forward momentum, the Niger Delta Coalition urged all sons and daughters of the region to support Dr. Otuaro’s vision of transforming PAP into a vehicle for economic inclusion, youth development, and lasting peace.
“This is the time to build, not destroy,” the statement concluded. “The future of the Niger Delta must not be sacrificed on the altar of personal grievances.”
