Pap: MADND congratulates Otuaro, says appointment well deserved

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Dreams of Niger Deltans (MADND), a group of leaders of former agitators in the Niger Delta region yesterday said that the appointment of Chief Dennis Otuaro PhD, the Owelle 1 of Niger Delta as the Sole Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme PAP was long overdue.

The group said that Otuaro’s appointment was well deserved owing to his contribution and expertise.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, a former warlord, Josiah Oyakonghan aka Commander Oyimi 1 and Acting Secretary General Comrade Kagbala Agbobulagha, the group described the appointment of Otuaro as that of a square peg in a square hole.

According to the statement, "To start with, we want to congratulate our bosom friend and brother who is also a figure to reckon with in the hay days of the Niger Delta struggle of this well-deserved appointment.

“Though everything has its appointed time to materialised if not, I would have said it's long overdue, because we clamoured for this Ijaw son from Delta State to occupy this office for a long time.

“Thank God, finally, our prayers have been answered in a glorious manner. I pray to God Almighty to give him the wisdom and the enablement to pilot the affairs of the PAP to the satisfaction of Mr. President who gave him the appointment, the country Nigeria at large and to the people of Niger Delta particularly to the Ijaws in Delta State whom this office has eluded despite playing the Mother hen role of the Emancipation struggle.

“Otuaro is a son of the soil who also knows the reason why the PAP was created. He knows the yearnings and aspirations and the level the programme is envisioned.

“MADND members’ years back made publication on several national dailies drawing the attention of the then administrations to appoint a Niger Delta Ijaw son from Delta State where the agitation administrative base was located which was the dreaded and ferocious Camp 5 to the position of the PAP Administrator.

“All that plea fell into deaf ears and that never materialised until the political Marodona in person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Iyelaowei (a very important person) of Gbaramatu Kingdom ascended the office of Presidency.

“One can only say again that this, well balanced gesture of Mr. President will ever be etched in the memory of all Delta Ijaw sons and daughters because we all have been looking forward to for this propitious day to come."

The group also appreciated President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for finding one of their illustrious son worthy for this sensitive, strategic office.

"Mr President is a well-known democrat, technocrat whose political sagacity and national consciousness, national oneness and a mind of federal character is once again demonstrated.

“The above sublime and impeccable characters enabled him to form a formidable appointment scouting team to discover a fine erudite, gentle, wellread, technically and strategically sound person like Dennis Otuaro".