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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Member of the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has lauded the transformation of the Presidential Amnesty Program ( PAP) under the leadership of the current Administrator, Dennis Otuaro.
Ugochinyere, in a statement, on Friday, stated that under the present PAP Administrator, the agency has been transformed from a largely stipend-driven intervention into a platform for education, skills development, economic empowerment and sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the Administrator has
demonstrated that the most effective way to secure the future of the Niger Delta was through massive investment in human capital.
The lawmaker, who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, noted that since March 2024, when the new leadership assumed office, there have been a deliberate shift towards education, professional training, entrepreneurship, reintegration and peacebuilding, with measurable results across several sectors.
Ugochinyere, who lauded the expansion of the PAP scholarship scheme, noted that 4,500 students were deployed to universities across Nigeria for the 2025/2026 academic session, while overseas postgraduate opportunities were also expanded.
The lawmaker, while expressing delight over the opportunities for beneficiaries to benefit from training and in highly specialised sectors, particularly aviation and maritime services, recalled that 40 Aircraft Maintenance Engineers were deployed for specialised training and mandatory on-the-job experience, while cadet pilots received advanced aviation training in South Africa and Nigeria.
“Dr. Dennis Otuaro has shown that the real meaning of the Amnesty Programme is not simply to pay stipends. It is to give our young people the education, professional skills, entrepreneurial capacity and opportunities they need to become productive citizens.
” That is why I make bold to say that, based on the measurable interventions we have seen, Dr. Otuaro has emerged as the best coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme since its establishment.
“Today, we are seeing beneficiaries becoming graduates, engineers, aviation professionals, maritime professionals and entrepreneurs. We are seeing a programme investing in the next generation. That is the legacy we should encourage. A peaceful and prosperous Niger Delta will not be built by dependency; it will be built by empowered young people who have the knowledge and skills to shape their own future,” he stated.
The lawmaker also commended President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their support for PAP, saying the political backing provided to the programme had enabled the Administrator to expand its interventions
