The member representing Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has described the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, as the best coordinator in the history of the programme, saying his leadership has transformed the agency from a largely stipend-driven intervention into a platform for education, skills development, economic empowerment and sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.
Ugochinyere, in a statement on the performance of the Amnesty Programme under Otuaro, said the Administrator had demonstrated that the most effective way to secure the future of the Niger Delta was through massive investment in human capital.
According to him, Otuaro’s record since assuming office in March 2024 shows a deliberate shift towards education, professional training, entrepreneurship, reintegration and peacebuilding, with measurable results across several sectors.
He particularly cited the expansion of the PAP scholarship scheme, noting that 4,500 students were deployed to universities across Nigeria for the 2025/2026 academic session, while overseas postgraduate opportunities were also expanded.
PAP has stated that its in-country scholarship deployment rose from 3,800 beneficiaries in 2024/2025 to 3,900 in 2025/2026, alongside about 200 foreign scholarship beneficiaries.
The lawmaker also highlighted the academic performance of PAP beneficiaries, saying the results demonstrate that the programme is producing a new generation of professionals for the Niger Delta.
Ugochinyere further commended Otuaro for opening opportunities for beneficiaries in highly specialised sectors, particularly aviation and maritime services.
He recalled that 40 Aircraft Maintenance Engineers were deployed for specialised training and mandatory on-the-job experience, while cadet pilots received advanced aviation training in South Africa and Nigeria.
He also praised the decision to revive the programmes of 98 maritime cadets whose training had been stalled for years in Poland, Vietnam and Sweden, describing the intervention as an example of leadership that refuses to abandon beneficiaries whose professional dreams had been interrupted.
The Ideato lawmaker said Otuaro’s reforms went beyond physical projects and scholarships, pointing to the restructuring of PAP’s beneficiary database as an important institutional achievement.
He noted that 12,467 beneficiary records were verified, with duplicated, incomplete and obsolete records identified, while 9,253 records were updated and 3,215 new beneficiaries added.
According to him, the reform has strengthened accountability and helped PAP better monitor its beneficiaries and scholarship obligations.
Ugochinyere also praised Otuaro’s emphasis on dialogue and conflict prevention, describing stakeholder engagement as an important component of the Administrator’s strategy.
He said the training of PAP stakeholders in alternative dispute resolution, mediation and leadership has strengthened the peacebuilding architecture of the Niger Delta.
The lawmaker also said the most significant transformation under Otuaro was the increasing emphasis on building capacity rather than dependency.
“Dr. Dennis Otuaro has shown that the real meaning of the Amnesty Programme is not simply to pay stipends. It is to give our young people the education, professional skills, entrepreneurial capacity and opportunities they need to become productive citizens. That is why I make bold to say that, based on the measurable interventions we have seen, Dr. Otuaro has emerged as the best coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme since its establishment,” Ugochinyere said.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their support for PAP, saying the political backing provided to the programme had enabled the Administrator to expand its interventions.
The Ideato representative urged stakeholders in the Niger Delta to support programmes that promote peace, education, skills acquisition and economic opportunity rather than activities capable of undermining the stability of the region.
He said the ultimate measure of PAP’s success should be the number of young people who leave the programme with degrees, professional qualifications, businesses, jobs and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
“Today, we are seeing beneficiaries becoming graduates, engineers, aviation professionals, maritime professionals and entrepreneurs. We are seeing a programme investing in the next generation. That is the legacy we should encourage. A peaceful and prosperous Niger Delta will not be built by dependency; it will be built by empowered young people who have the knowledge and skills to shape their own future,” Ugochinyere added