Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum has passed a vote of confidence on the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, while reaffirming its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The Forum, in a statement jointly signed by its President, Elder Imoh S. Okoko, Secretary, Sunny Affiah, and other leaders including Ekpo Ekpo, Henry Okon Etete, Elder Udom Ebetor and Udo Bassey, expressed its unwavering support for Otuaro and strongly condemned recent calls by certain individuals and groups for his removal from office.
The group said as stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Niger Delta peace process, they recognised the critical role of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in sustaining peace, rehabilitation, reintegration, human-capital development and economic empowerment across the region.
The Forum also condemned the use of ethnic sentiment, sectional interests and personal grievances to undermine the leadership of PAP, emphasizing that its position is directed at individuals and interest groups and not against the Ijaw ethnic nationality or any other ethnic group.
The Ex-militants further called for all genuine allegations concerning PAP to be subjected to transparent investigation and due process, while commending Otuaro’s emphasis on education, professional training, skills acquisition, empowerment and sustainable reintegration.
It urged the Federal Government to allow Otuaro to continue implementing his mandate and to support initiatives that promote long-term peace and economic development.
The group reaffirmed its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda, expressing confidence in the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and his efforts toward strengthening Nigeria’s national security architecture and maintaining peace and stability in the Niger Delta.
The Forum said the success of the Presidential Amnesty Programme should ultimately be measured by the peace it preserves, lives it transforms, young people it educates and the sustainable future it creates for the Niger Delta, appealing to all stakeholders to place peace above politics and the collective future of the region above ethnic and sectional considerations.
“Following careful consideration of developments within PAP, the Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum hereby passes a resounding Vote of Confidence in Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs; rejects and condemns calls for his removal where such calls are not supported by credible, verifiable and properly established evidence; condemns the use of ethnic sentiment, sectional interests and personal grievances to undermine the leadership of PAP; emphasises that our position is directed at individuals and interest groups and not against the Ijaw ethnic nationality or any other ethnic group; calls for all genuine allegations concerning PAP to be subjected to transparent investigation and due process; commends Dr. Otuaro’s emphasis on education, professional training, skills acquisition, empowerment and sustainable reintegration; urges the Federal Government to allow Dr. Otuaro’s to continue implementing his mandate and to support initiatives that promote long-term peace and economic development.
“The Forum also reaffirms its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration; expresses confidence in the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and his efforts toward strengthening Nigeria’s national security architecture.
“The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum believes that the success of the Presidential Amnesty Programme should ultimately be measured by the peace it preserves, lives it transforms, young people it educates, skills it develops and the sustainable future it creates for the Niger Delta. We therefore appeal to all stakeholders to place peace above politics, development above personal interests and the collective future of the Niger Delta above ethnic and sectional considerations. The Niger Delta cannot afford another cycle of instability.
“We call on the Federal Government to retain Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and provide him with the necessary support to discharge his mandate effectively”, the statement read in parts