..thank Tinubu for his appointment

By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

THE Third Phase Ex-agitators Forum led by ‘General’ Preye Ekpebide has faulted the calls for the removal of Dr. Dennis Otuaro as administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.

Recall that a Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) had earlier in the week in Abuja   expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as an “unprecedented passiveness of the office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme after the recent appointment of Dennis Otuaro as Administrator.”

Led by its spokesman, Dennis Nako Francis, the coalition therefore called on President Bola Tinubu as well as the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who is vested with the power of overseeing the Amnesty Office to revisit the appointment.

But the national chairman of the Third Phase Ex-agitators Forum, Preye Ekpebide, in a statement, on Saturday, said: “The call for Otuaro‘s sack by the unknown coalition is laughable, childish and uncalled-for.”

According to him, “it is too early and  premature for anyone to describe Otuaro’s short reign as passive considering that he was barely appointed two months ago.

“The funny thing is that none of the members of the so-called CSO are known in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“How can persons who are alien to the programme have a say in the scheme of things? Their call for Dr. Otuaro therefore remains null and void.”

Ekpebide described the members of the CSO as destabilizers who are driven by selfishness to distract Otuaro and trigger unrest in the region.

He maintained that Otuaro is amply qualified to lead the Amnesty Programme given his experience, innovativeness, and active participation in the Niger Delta struggle.

“It is laughable and counterproductive for anyone to describe Dr. Dennis Otuaro’s short reign as passive.

“More so, the calls for his sack are infantile and inexpedient, and we strongly believe they have a political undertone, which is sad to say the least.

“What Otuaro needs right now is an unflinching support from all PAP delegates and stakeholders from the Niger Delta to be able to steer the Programme to achieve its mandate,” he stated.

Ekpbide profusely thanked President Tinubu for appointing Otuaro to lead the Amnesty office.

He equally thanked the NSA and other critical stakeholders who may have facilitated Otuaro’s appointment, saying they have the interest of Niger Delta at heart.

The Third Phase Ex-agitators’ leader urged the President to completely disregard the calls to sack Otuaro, adding that the appointment of the PAP boss is akin to putting a round peg inside a round hole.

“We use this medium to admonish Dr  Otuaro to ignore the distractions and focus on the task given to him to lead the Programme to greater heights,” the statement added.