News

One Year, Big Impact: Otuaro’s Silent Revolution in the Niger Delta

Published

3 months ago

July 18, 2025

By Julius Ogunro

It is barely over a year since Dennis Otauro, PhD, was appointed as the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. Still, in that short time, his impact as the region’s strong voice, advocate, and the president’s outreach arm, bringing hope and development to the Niger Delta, has grown significantly.

When he was appointed in March 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, his designated beat was the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), which was established in 2009 to manage the disarmament, rehabilitation, and reintegration of frustrated Niger Delta activists, some of whom had taken up arms against the government to protest the region’ economic marginalization and the degradation of its environment by oil exploration.

From 2009 until March 2024, the amnesty programme was led by several administrators, who bore different titles and did their best to achieve its mandate of peace and security in the Niger Delta through the payment of stipends to ex-agitators and the provision of vocational and formal education opportunities to members of the communities impacted by the militancy.

Then enter Otuaro. His vision for the Programme is bold, transformative, and inclusive. Apart from the agitators who are on the government payroll, he has refocused the amnesty programme to capture the next generation of Niger Delta leaders, expanding its frontiers to cater to the interests of a range of stakeholders, especially women and young people.

His strategy centres around a broad range of initiatives designed by him and his team to foster enduring peace and prevent any resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region. One of these is the Programme’s intervention in expanding education opportunities, especially the scholarship scheme for undergraduates from the Niger Delta.

Although Otuaro did not initiate the undergraduate scholarships scheme, which had existed for many years before his appointment, he has so reinvigorated it that the award, to use a metaphor, has been given a new lease of life.

Before Otuaro, only a few hundred Niger Delta students managed to get the annual scholarships through a cumbersome process, as it was opaque and many had criticised it for being unfair and lacking integrity. Perhaps this was because the previous administrators did not consider education a top priority and viewed the scholarships as not central to their role at Amnesty.

But Otuaro’s vision is different. In his first year as administrator, the undergraduate scholarship scheme has increased from a few hundred students to over 3000. Even more, the award process is now more open and inclusive, starting with a media announcement for interested Niger Delta youth to apply, with assurance that merit will play a significant role in the process.

And merit did play a role in the grant of the scholarships for the current session. Many prospective students applied, did the aptitude tests, and were awarded the multi-year scholarship, which covers tuition, accommodation, and living expenses, with little or no influence from the amnesty office, a far cry from what used to happen in the past, when there were complaints that money had exchanged hands.

In addition, the overseas postgraduate scholarship, suspended by the previous administrators, has been reinstated and broadened. For this current academic session, about 70 Niger Delta postgraduate students were awarded foreign scholarships to universities in the US, Canada, Britain, and other overseas countries. Otuaro made sure that the awardees are pursuing courses that are development-focused and relevant to the material needs of the Niger Delta people.

Otuaro’s footprints are also visible in vocational training. With 98 delegates deployed for maritime-related skills training, including refresher courses at Joemarine Institute for Officer of the Watch (OOW) certification; 40 Niger Delta youth trained as aircraft maintenance engineers; another 39 deployed for on-the-job training at organisations like Seven Star Global Hangar and Aero Contractors; and four cadet pilots sent to South Africa for type-rating training, with successful graduation and return to Nigeria.

The focus on human development and young people appears to be a genius move by the administrator of the amnesty programme, and a strategy to stop future militancy before it even happens. In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, the Niger Delta boiled as several groups took up arms against the government and oil companies to protest the neglect of the region, which is the goose that lays Nigeria’s golden egg, as nearly all the oil exploration and production take place there.

Pipelines were destroyed, workers kidnapped, and oil production was significantly disrupted, leading to huge economic losses for Nigeria and the oil companies operating in the region. The militancy also led to a humanitarian crisis, with many communities suffering from the effects of oil spills, environmental degradation, and violence. The dire situation drew global attention and concern, which highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the root causes of the conflict and promoting sustainable peace and development in the Niger Delta region.

The federal government’s response was the amnesty programme in June 2009. Over three years, up to 2012, three phases of the programme were declared to reintegrate thousands of armed militants and pacify the region. It has been over a decade and a half since the first phase of the amnesty scheme began, and many of the beneficiaries are thus getting old and have probably lost the appetite for armed struggle.

Yet the conditions that gave rise to the uprising still exist, despite the government’s efforts over the years. The fear is that those challenges may breed the next generation of militants, angry over the prevalence of poverty and underdevelopment of the Niger Delta.

That is why Otuaro’s strong intervention in human development in the Niger Delta, through various initiatives in formal and non-formal education, is brilliant and commendable. That he has implemented the schemes openly and transparently, thus giving the son of a fisherman and the daughter of a boat-maker in the creeks a chance to make something of themselves, is nothing short of transformative, providing hope and opportunities to the overlooked voices.

And he has done all this while not neglecting the original agitators on the government payroll, ensuring they are paid promptly, resolving challenges related to payment delays, offering suitable training to wean them off government handouts, and advocating for qualified beneficiaries’ placement in jobs in the public service.

Otuaro’s impact in just one year is visible and enduring. An asset to the current administration, he is proof that government in its purest form is not merely an idea or an institution on paper but a living presence, something that can be seen, heard, and felt in the everyday lives of the people.

News

Two Schoolchildren Electrocuted In Anambra During Rainfall

Published

32 minutes ago

October 14, 2025

Editor

Tragedy struck in Nnewichi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State on Monday when two schoolchildren were electrocuted while taking shelter from the rain at a roadside shop.

The incident, which occurred at St. Peter’s Claver Junction, threw the community into mourning.

Eyewitnesses and CCTV footage revealed that several pupils had gathered at the shop to escape the downpour when the tragedy happened.

A resident near the scene, who pleaded anonymity, recounted, “Several pupils were taking shelter at the roadside shop during the heavy rainfall. But tragedy struck when the wet bodies of two of the schoolchildren came in contact with a live metal, and they were instantly electrocuted.”

According to witnesses, panic spread as the children collapsed instantly, while others narrowly escaped.

The shop owner was said to have not yet opened for business when the incident occurred.

“It took the intervention of some security officers and passers-by, who used protective gloves to evacuate the bodies,” another eyewitness said.

The incident came just days after a similar tragedy in the same Nnewi area, where a woman was swept away by floodwaters in the Uruagu community.

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, noting that an investigation was underway.

“The facts are not clear yet, but the divisional police officer has been directed to find out the details for a comprehensive report,” Ikenga stated.

The latest tragedy adds to recent cases of electrocution in the state.

In May, a three-year-old girl was killed in Awka after stepping on a live cable belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.

Residents had reportedly alerted officials about the fallen high-tension wire, but it was not repaired until after the fatal incident.

A resident, identified as Uche, said, “The cable fell on Friday and wasn’t fixed until Sunday, after it had electrocuted the girl. The officials even requested ₦30,000 to fix it but didn’t show up until it was too late.”

The repeated incidents have reignited public concern over poor electricity infrastructure and safety negligence in Anambra communities.

News

Oyo Orders Traders To Vacate Airport Road In Two Weeks

Published

45 minutes ago

October 14, 2025

Editor

The Oyo State Government has issued a two-week ultimatum to traders operating along Airport Road, Old Ife Road, and Onipepeye areas of Ibadan to vacate the roadside or face enforcement action.

The directive was detailed in a Tuesday statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr. Suleimon Olanrewaju.

He warned that the state would no longer tolerate roadside trading or the placement of container shops on drainage.

According to the statement, “the government has provided markets and other designated spaces for trading across the city, making it unnecessary and unsafe for traders to occupy roadsides.”

The government said the action was necessary to safeguard lives, prevent environmental hazards, and protect public infrastructure.

It also warned that trading on walkways and blocking drainage channels increases the risk of flooding and undermines the state’s efforts to promote tourism.

“The government has a duty to protect citizens from all manner of danger,” the statement said, noting that roadside trading exposes people to serious risks.

The ultimatum expires on October 27, after which enforcement will begin.

The government said “non-compliance could lead to the confiscation of goods and prosecution of offenders.”

It appealed for cooperation from residents to ensure a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable environment in the state.

News

Admissions: Mathematics No Longer Compulsory For Arts Students, Says FG

Published

49 minutes ago

October 14, 2025

Editor

Nigerian senior secondary school students in arts and humanities will no longer be required to present a credit in mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination, organised by the West African Examination Council and National Examination Council, as a condition for admission to universities and polytechnics, the Federal Ministry of Education said on Tuesday.

For years, admission seekers in arts and humanities, like their contemporaries in sciences and social sciences, have been mandated to have five credits, including mathematics and English language, to secure admission into higher institutions.

“The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards.

“The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies across the country as follows:

“Universities: Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.

“Polytechnics (ND Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programs.

“Polytechnics (HND Level): Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

“Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs,” a statement by the FME’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, said.

An education analyst, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja, hailed the reform.

“This is a brilliant reform, which we hope will open the doors and improve the ease of admissions into tertiary institutions for more seekers.”

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education.

The ministry also approved a comprehensive reform of admission entry requirements into all tertiary institutions across the country, increasing the average annual intake from about 700,000 to one million students.

According to the government, the new policy aims to expand access to higher education and create opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 admissions each year.

The minister explained that the reform became necessary after years of limited access, which left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission despite meeting the required standards.

“Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission. This imbalance is not due to lack of ability but outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.

“The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students each year. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed—putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action,’’ he said.

The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards.