- 26 Amnesty Students Bag First Class in Igbinedion Varsity
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Chief Dennis Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), has reaffirmed his commitment to upholding peace, security, and development in the Niger Delta, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.
This assurance comes as Professor Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, announced that 26 PAP scholarship students at the institution have achieved first-class honours.
Otuaro visited Igbinedion University in Okada and Benson Idahosa University in Benin, Edo State, to engage with university management and students regarding the PAP scholarship program at both institutions.
A statement released by the PAP Administrator’s Special Assistant on Media quoted Otuaro as emphasizing his dedication to implementing the amnesty program effectively to foster trust in the region and garner support for the Federal Government.
“The Presidential Amnesty Programme is crucial for fostering enduring peace in the Niger Delta. By implementing it efficiently and effectively, we can garner greater support for the Federal Government’s efforts to promote security and development in the Niger Delta,” Otuaro stated.
“That is the vision of President Bola Tinubu, which I seek to execute. He believes in sustaining the peace of the Niger Delta. With the president’s belief in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, we need to work harder to ensure that the confidence reposed in us is strengthened,” he added.
Otuaro acknowledged Igbinedion University as the first tertiary educational institution to accept PAP scholarship students, noting that their graduates contribute to the amnesty program’s success story.
The PAP boss announced plans to deepen collaboration with partners to expand the program’s scope.
During his interaction with PAP scholarship students from both universities, Otuaro addressed their concerns and assured them that the amnesty program office would take the necessary steps to resolve their challenges.
Professor Ezemonye, in his remarks, highlighted that in addition to the 26 first-class graduates, numerous other PAP scholarship students have achieved distinctions in professional courses such as medicine, nursing, and medical laboratory science.
He commended the PAP for fulfilling its obligations to the scholarship students, enabling them to excel.
Professor Johnson Oyedeji, Acting Vice Chancellor of Bishop Idahosa University, described the PAP Administrator as an embodiment of encouragement and hope for the scholarship students and the existing partnership.
“We thank God for your life. What we are doing is for national security. We are motivated by a desire to sustain the peace for increased oil production,” he stated.
Wilcox Peremini Zaccheaus, President of the Amnesty Students Association, expressed gratitude to the PAP Administrator for being the first administrator to visit the students for interaction and familiarization.
He thanked the Administrator for the meeting and appealed for an increase in their financial and textbook allowances, as well as the provision of laptops, among other requests.