The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his huge support for the programme’s peacebuilding process in the Niger Delta.
Otuaro spoke on Wednesday while delivering his remarks at the opening ceremony for the second batch of the Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation Training organised by the PAP for its stakeholders in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.
The first batch of the three-day workshop took place from July 16 to July 18, 2025.
He attributed Tinubu’s firm backing of the programme’s peacebuilding initiative to the president’s strong desire for sustainable peace, stability and development in the region and indeed Nigeria.
Otuaro said the president’s massive support for the PAP stemmed from his concern for a better and assured future for the people of the Niger Delta, stressing that “a better tomorrow for our region must be secured today through a deliberate peace process that is massively supported by the President.”
He told the participants that they were critical partners for peace and stability in the region and that the workshop was aimed at improving their leadership and mediation capacity as peace ambassadors of the programme.
Otuaro, while declaring the worskship open, said, “I am very grateful to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for believing in the peacebuilding initiative undertaken by the PAP in our villages and communities in the Niger Delta.
“Mr President’s support has been tremendous, and it shows his profound commitment and dedication to peace, stability and security for the accelerated development and socio-economic advancement in our region.
“So, I want Niger Delta people and all stakeholders to thank Mr President for his remarkable support for the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the peace process that my leadership has embarked upon in our region.
“As stakeholders of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, you (the participants) are worthy ambassadors in the peacebuilding project in our region, and I want you to know that we all have a responsibility to also support Mr President by working assiduously for sustainable peace in and around our communities.”
He also extended profound gratitude to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his “tireless efforts at providing valuable inputs and interventions in the implementation of the programme’s objectives.”
He assured the participants and other Niger Delta stakeholders of his commitment to his policy of inclusivity, adding that plans were ongoing to empower the region’s women “because they were also casualties in the struggle.”
The PAP helmsman, therefore, urged the participants to shun all forms of distractions and take active part in the training so they could gain vital lessons that would be useful to them in their roles as peace ambassadors.
