Former President of the Itsekiri National Youth Council, Barrister Esimaje Vincent Awani, has called for clarity on the recent deployment of 5,000 students to Novena University in Ogume, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

Awani noted that the development has generated concerns in some quarters and urged relevant authorities to review the process and provide transparent explanations to all stakeholders.

In a statement issued on Monday, September 8, Awani emphasised the need for greater oversight in PAP’s education support schemes, adding that beneficiaries and partner institutions alike deserve clear guidelines to ensure smooth implementation.

While raising questions on the process, Awani also commended the current leadership of PAP under Dr. Dennis Otuaro. He highlighted Dr. Otuaro’s efforts to ensure inclusiveness, noting that over 210 Itsekiri applicants had been considered for the 2025/2026 academic session, alongside some foreign students.

He described Dr. Otuaro’s administration as transparent and innovative, stressing that his open-door policy has made the PAP office more accessible to people of the Niger Delta region. Awani expressed optimism that ongoing reforms will improve the programme’s effectiveness and expand scholarship opportunities.

The statement partly read, “Given the nature of the deployment, the PAP office, under the leadership of Dr. Dennis Otuaro, cannot be held responsible. It’s worth noting that Dr. Otuaro was appointed as the Administrator of PAP in March 2024, and his administration has expressed commitment to transparency and innovation.

“The present Administrator has done his best in including the Itsekiri nation in his agenda unlike the past Administrators…We, however asked for more if the opportunity avails itself as we have more interested applicants who are ready to be engaged.

“We appreciate Dr. Otuaro’s leadership style and open-door policy, which has made this administration more accessible to the people of the Niger Delta Region. His efforts to increase the number of scholarship students and improve the program’s effectiveness are commendable.

“We express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Dennis Otuaro for his dedication to transparency and innovation in the PAP. We look forward to collaborating with him to deliver on the program’s objectives.”