By Efe Onodjae

THE Association of Well- Meaning Phase 1 Ex- Militant Leaders (AWPEL) has strongly denounced the attacks aimed at discrediting the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and its leadership, Dr. Dennis Otuaro.

The 12 ex-militants urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to disregard the bitterness from those whose objective is to sink the Amnesty Office for the dearth of criminal patronage by the current management. In a statement signed by General Asawana Lucky, Bayelsa State; Gen Nathaniel Munemune, Bayelsa state, Gen Aroni, Delta State; Gen Wilson Gbare, Delta State; Gen Amechi Adibue, Imo State and Gen Pere Ejune, Edo State.

Others are: Gen Away, Delta state; Chibuike Emmanuel, Abia State; Gen Boma Obori, Bayelsa state; Gen Semens Nisor, Edo State; Gen Douglas Otokolo, Bayelsa and Gen Godwin Ikori- Edo State , read, “We have observed with utter dismay the unwarranted attacks and campaigns of calumny and sustained negative propaganda since the appointment of Dr. Otuaro by renegades, reactionary forces, power-mongers, influence-peddlers, and their agents who have held the Amnesty Programme by the jugular over the years.

“This badly orchestrated plan was recently in full throttle when a rag-tag group led by one Odey Otunu launched a calculated and unwarranted barrage of diatribes and invectives at the person of Dr. Otuaro in sustained efforts at getting rid of him from office as the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.

“Such a shameful display of moral deficiency is barbaric and an affront to decency and a subtle invitation to anarchy with its attendant destabilizing potentials in the Niger Delta region.

A clearly defiant group led by one Otunu Odey and his paid protesters, who are not part of the Amnesty Programme is a sad reminder of a Nigeria suffering a dearth of role models “We, the leadership of AWPEL, peopled by notable ex-militant leaders across all ethnic nationalities who are in the Presidential Amnesty Programme have found it very necessary to address the fourth estate of the realm – the ever vibrant Nigerian Press, today on topical regional issues which have to do with the office of the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP currently occupied by the erudite Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro.

“When Dr. Otuaro was commendably appointed by the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to take charge of the then dying Amnesty Programme, his assignments were clearly spelt out – Revive and breathe life into the intervention agency to drive human and material development in the region, and to empower the youth population of the region by building their capacity to be employable in the competitive global employment market. “