Current Audit Has No Connection to Otuaro’s Tenure, Ex-agitators Tell House Committee
Current Audit Has No Connection to Otuaro’s Tenure, Ex-agitators Tell House Committee
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Phase 2 leadership has clarified that the ongoing audit review by the National Assembly has no connection to the tenure of the current Administrator, Chief Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro.
The national chairman of PAP Phase 2, Ibena Rufus Salvation, said in a statement on Sunday that reports suggesting the House of Representatives Committee threatened to arrest the Administrator were false and misleading.
He urged the public to disregard such claims, noting that the National Assembly “never threatened nor even has the powers to threaten or arrest the current Administrator over issues linked to past administrations.”
Ibena explained that the figures under review by the legislature relate to activities and transactions carried out by former Administrators of the Amnesty Programme.
He said, “The National Assembly already knows that the current audit has nothing to do with the present Administrator. It is a matter concerning the office as an agency with past Administrators.”
The PAP Phase 2 leader emphasised that the Amnesty Programme remains a security intervention initiative designed to stabilise the Niger Delta and support ex-agitators, stressing that accuracy in public communication is crucial for sustaining peace in the region.
He noted that the Administrator, Chief Dr. Otuaro, is a law-abiding citizen who is accountable only for funds and decisions made during his own period in office.
Ibena stressed that the funds in question were spent three years before Otuaro was appointed and have nothing to do with the current Administrator. He advised the National Assembly to carry out its duties diligently and without sentiment.
Commending recent reforms in the PAP, he added, “The Amnesty Boss, barely two years in office, has initiated sweeping reforms that have restored sanity, blocked financial leakages, and repositioned the programme to serve genuine ex-agitators across the Niger Delta.”
He also said that the invitation by the House Committee should not be misinterpreted, noting that it provides an opportunity for the Amnesty Office to present facts and verifiable evidence of its financial prudence.
Ibena appealed to the House Committee and all stakeholders to ensure clarity, fairness, and accuracy in handling issues related to the Amnesty Programme, as misinformation could undermine the progress made so far.
