The Ijaw Youth Network (IYN) has strongly condemned what it described as a “coordinated campaign of calumny” against the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, vowing that all sponsored attempts to derail the programme will fail.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Frank Ebikabo, and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, on Saturday, the group denounced recent allegations of mismanagement made by a group identified as “Niger Delta Concerned Youths for Change,” calling them “baseless, malicious, and unfounded.”
The IYN accused the shadowy group of being part of a wider plot aimed at distracting the PAP Administrator from the “remarkable work” he is doing to sustain peace and development in the Niger Delta. According to the IYN, the accusations are recycled tactics from desperate elements who have been cut off from siphoning funds intended for former agitators and development programmes.
“Every other week, a new ghost group springs up with similar accusations, a pattern designed to harass and discredit a man whose only offence is his diligence, transparency, and love for the Niger Delta,” the statement read. “All such wicked plots to derail the programme will fail like others before them.”
The group noted that since his appointment, Dr. Otuaro has implemented deliberate reforms that have expanded the programme’s scholarship and vocational training schemes. They praised the administrator for prioritizing youth empowerment, education, and skills acquisition in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“The Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dr. Otuaro has become a pride of the Federal Government and a reference point in post-conflict reintegration and rehabilitation,” the statement added.
The IYN also questioned the credibility of the accusers, describing the “Niger Delta Concerned Youths for Change” as fictitious and linked to faceless individuals with questionable motives, including one ‘Comrade Lion Ogorry.’
The group further alleged that the ultimate aim of the attacks was to blackmail President Tinubu, who appointed Dr. Otuaro to reposition the Amnesty Programme. They urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies to resist being drawn into politically motivated smear campaigns.
“We say unequivocally: Leave Dr. Dennis Otuaro alone. He is doing an excellent job. The people of the Niger Delta, including ex-agitators, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders, are solidly behind him,” the statement concluded.
The IYN also cautioned against ethnic bias, stating that public officials from other regions are not subjected to such relentless blackmail, and called on stakeholders to address what they termed “an ugly and divisive trend.”
