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PROTEST: Be Patient With Tinubu; Revamp, Reformation In Economy On Course – Otuaro

Published

2 years ago

July 31, 2024

Editor

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio (2nd right); House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu (1st right); Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro (middle); Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku (2nd left); and the Chairman, Governing Board of NDDC, Mr Chiedu Ebie, at the NDDC Executive Management Engagement with Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders and Selected Stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday 30th July, 2024.

The administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has pleaded to Nigerians to be patient with the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

Otuaro added that Tinubu has already initiated reforms under his Renewed Hope Agenda to revamp Nigeria’s economy and also fast-track development in the Niger Delta.

The PAP boss stated these in his remarks at the NDDC Executive Management Engagement with Ethnic Nationalities, Youth Leaders and Selected Stakeholders themed, “Let Us Build Together”, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, quoted the PAP boss as urging the people of Niger Delta to own the administration of Tinubu because of his youth-friendliness and love for the region.

Otuaro, who described President Tinubu as a youth-friendly president, urging youths to shun the proposed national protests on August 1.

The boss, while reiterating his call for the sustenance of peace and security in the Niger Delta, noted that the president’s favourable disposition was the reason he appointed him as administrator of PAP, and Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the NDDC, among others.

He further urged them not to allow any group of persons to force them to go back to the old ways.

Otuaro noted that the President was supporting the Programme tremendously to achieve its mandate for the region.

He said in line with this, the PAP had designed a scheme to empower more than 1,000 youths that had been engaged this year.

He stated that under the education policy of the programme, the office would increase the number of scholarship beneficiaries to accommodate 500 Niger Delta students to study in universities.

Otuaro also disclosed that the PAP prioritizes women in its stakeholders policy, adding that the office would in the nearest future hold a women’s summit to interface with the region’s female folk.

He commended the NDDC for organising the sensitization meeting, and pledged PAP’s readiness to partner with the interventionist agency.

He said, “The government of President Bola Tinubu is a youth-friendly government, and he really loves the Niger Delta. I was at the NDDC before he appointed me to head the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office and Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the NDDC.

“Therefore, it is time for us to own the administration of Tinubu. Let us not join the protests. We need to be patient with him for his reforms to materialize. Nobody should make us go back to the old ways.

“This year in the PAP, we have a programme to empower over 1000 of our youths. In education, we are going to expand scholarship to 500 beneficiaries of the PAP scholarship scheme.

“For our women, they are our priority. We have had stakeholders meeting with ex-agitators, we are also going to hold another meeting involving women only. In that meeting, our women will articulate their issues. I will not impose anything on our women. The meeting will cut across the Niger Delta. We will partner with the NDDC, we already have the manpower.”

Among dignitaries present at the event were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; Chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong; national chairman of PANDEF, Emmanuel Ibok Essien; President of Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba; President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri; Niger Delta female activist, AnnKio Briggs; Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo; the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Ayiri Emami, among others.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

4 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

4 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.

News

N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.

The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.

At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.

Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.

“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”

“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”

Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.

Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.

Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.