Renowned Niger Delta activist, Comrade Ozobo Austin, popularly known as the King of the Dragons, has lauded Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), for deploying over 142 beneficiaries to pursue postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, while others have been placed in Nigerian universities.
Ozobo described Dr. Otuaro as a detribalised, accommodating, and high-performing administrator who has given the amnesty programme a facelift after years of mismanagement by previous administrations. He urged critical stakeholders and Niger Delta youths to support Otuaro’s reforms and programmes, stressing that his leadership was already yielding positive results.
“Dr. Otuaro is ever ready to address genuine concerns regarding the Amnesty Programme. He should ignore campaigns of calumny by sponsored detractors because the well-meaning people of the Niger Delta are solidly behind him,” Ozobo said.
He further congratulated the successful scholarship recipients, urging them to use the opportunity to build their future and avoid actions that could jeopardise their stay abroad.
Recall that Dr. Otuaro had earlier emphasised that the beneficiaries were carefully placed in competitive and professional courses to contribute to the socio-economic growth of the region, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Laptops were also distributed to support the scholars in their academic work overseas.
At the flag-off ceremony, the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to PAP for the opportunity and pledged to be worthy ambassadors of their families, communities, and the Niger Delta. Officials, including Edgar Daniel, Technical Assistant to the PAP Administrator, and Dr. Charles Ariye, Head of PAP’s Education Department, sensitised the students on cultural, diplomatic, and academic challenges of studying abroad.
Ozobo’s commendation, observers note, underscores the positive transformation of PAP under Dr. Otuaro’s leadership, with human capital development now at the forefront of the programme.
