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PAP: Remain Focused; Don’t Be Distracted By Nay Sayers, Sen. Manager Tells Otuaro

Published

12 months ago

October 20, 2024

Editor

Senator James Manager (left) and the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro during the visit at the Week

Senator James Manager, who represented Delta South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has urged Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, to be focused and never to be distracted by people he (Manager) referred to as “enemies of the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta.”

Manager spoke when Otuaro paid him a consultative visit in his Abuja residence at the weekend.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, on Sunday, quoted Manager as saying some of the challenges besetting the Presidential Amnesty Programme are distractions deliberately executed by some elements who do not mean well for the Ijaw nation and indeed the Niger Delta.

According to him, the malicious plots were designed to distract the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, from performing his duties.

Manager, while stating that the PAP boss had shown great capacity and competence in the discharge of his duties since assuming office, gave Otuaro pat on the back for handling the office effectively despite such distractions.

He noted that Otuaro’s approach to the implementation of the programme’s mandate indicated that he had an idea about how to administer the programme even before President Bola Tinubu appointed him.

Manager, who served the constituents of Delta South senatorial district for 20 years, said there was no doubt that Otuaro understood the challenges of the office and the problems of the Niger Delta.

He expressed delight that he had achieved a huge milestone in repositioning the office for greater service to the people of the region and the country in general.

Manager stressed that the programme was established for the sustainable peace, security, stability and development of the region, noting that Otuaro was on the right track in carrying out the programme’s objectives.

He said, “Once again I want to thank you for your consultative visit. You are someone who was very involved in the struggle, and I trust that you have the capacity and competence to run the office.

“Already, you have shown capacity in the efficient manner you have handled the office and the implementation of the PAP mandate, which was created for a specific purpose and for the sustenance of the peace, security and development of the Niger Delta.

“I want to urge you to remain focused on your goals. It is true some of the challenges of the Presidential Amnesty Programme are orchestrated distractions from some elements who do not think good towards the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta. But just be focused on things your are doing.’

Earlier in his remarks, the PAP Administrator had told Senator Manager that the programme under his leadership was working assiduously to reposition it in the overall benefit of the region.

Otuaro said the programme was at its reintegration phase which was very wide in scope, adding that with more funding the PAP office would achieve much more through its educational, vocational and post-training empowerment initiatives for the people of the region.

He said, “I know the challenges of our region. We are in the reintegration phase of the programme which is very wide in scope, and we need to do more engagement in the interest of our region and Nigeria as a whole.

“We believe that with more funding we will be able to do more for our region in terms of sustainable peace, security and unhindered development of our region.

“We have the educational, vocational and post-training empowerment programmes that we are carrying out to accommodate everybody.

“We are doing whatever we are doing for the betterment of our people and our region.”

News

Boko Haram Once Nominated Muhammadu Buhari As Negotiator – Jonathan Revealed

Published

3 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari as their negotiator.

Jonathan said Boko Haram chose Buhari to negotiate with the Nigerian government on their behalf.

He made the disclosure while speaking at the public presentation of Scars, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), in Abuja.

Jonathan said the insurgents named Buhari after his then-administration set up several committees to explore dialogue with the group.

Jonathan said: “One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.

“So I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and had a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today.”

Jonathan noted that the inability of Buhari to eradicate Boko Haram terrorists showed that the crisis was more complex than often portrayed.

News

Edo: Pandemonium As NDLEA Operatives Chase Escaping Driver With Shooting

Published

5 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

There was pandemonium at Oka Market, Upper Sakponba Road, Benin City, Friday, as operatives of the State Command of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) shot sporadically in chase of an escaping driver.

In the course of the commotion, traders and residents took to their heels, probably to avoid being hit by stray bullets, while others were confused, not sure of what caused the sporadic gunshots.

The sporadic gunshots which lasted more than five minutes at the gate of the NDLEA Head Office, by Oka Market, followed a hot chase of an articulated vehicle driver who was said to have brushed their (NDLEA) vehicle.

The driver, who reportedly brushed the NDLEA vehicle refused to stop for negation, which prompted officers at the scene to alert their colleagues who waited at the alert.

According to eyewitnesses, as the escaping articulated driver approached the NDLEA office, officers who were said to have been alerted by their colleagues pursuing the trailer began to shoot.

Seven of the tyres of the trailer were deflated by bullets of the NDLEA operatives yet the driver refused to stop.

The officers continued to shoot while pursuing him, until he was caught.

A source said that the driver brushed their vehicle on the way, and that every effort by the officers to stop him so they could settle the matter proved abortive; hence the gunshots and deflation of the tires.

“It was a simple thing; they jammed our men, but the officers tried to stop him so that they could settle, but the driver refused to stop. That is why the men have been shooting to stop him. Even after bursting about seven tires, he was still running, but we caught him and they are bringing him back to our office,” he concluded.

Calls and messages sent to the commander, Edo State NDLEA Command, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, were not responded to as at when filing this.

News

JUST IN: Court Bars Police From Enforcing Tinted Glass Regulation

Published

7 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued an order directing the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police to maintain the status quo in the ongoing case concerning the controversial tinted glass permit.

The case, Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector-General of Police & Nigeria Police Force, came up for hearing today.

Delivering the interim order, the Court directed the police authorities to respect judicial processes pending further proceedings in the matter.

Confirming the development, Kunle Edun, SAN, who led the legal team, noted that the directive is a major step in ensuring that the rule of law is upheld while the substantive issues in the case are being determined.

Details of the ruling and the next adjourned date are expected shortly.

Further updates coming soon…