Ijaw youths: Protesters against Otuaro hired to blackmail him

The Ijaw Youths Network (IYN) says those who blocked the National Assembly on Wednesday to protest against the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, are “street urchins” assembled by desperate and corrupt persons from the region.

The IYN urged President Bola Tinubu to ignore call by a group, the Niger Delta Liberators and Ex-Agitators Forum (NDLEF), allegedly involved in the spread of falsehood against Otuaro.

The group, in a statement on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, commended Tinubu for his sustained support for the PAP and its leadership.

The group said those behind the sponsored protest are enraged by his refusal to open the coffers of the amnesty office to those who are used to swindling previous leaders of the programme through blackmail.

The IYN stated that its observation of the people wielding placards showed that “they are jobless under aged youths from outside the region.”

The IYN condemned the demonstration and described it as a “staged and orchestrated” attempt to blackmail and distract the administrator from his ongoing reforms at the PAP.

The IYN also urged Tinubu to look carefully and see the falsehood in the allegations of the NDLEF, stressing that they are “willing tools in the hands of their sponsors who are carrying out their selfish agenda.”

The group said: “We strongly condemn the protest in its entirety. Those behind this mischief, and criminal enterprise are those who have registered fake camps to steal funds belonging to the government, and they are not happy that Otuaro’s reforms at the PAP have prevented them from achieving their criminal intentions.

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“We call on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to disregard the Niger Delta Liberators and Ex-Agitators Forum. If the President checks their activities properly, he would see how hollow their allegations sound.

“Otuaro will not succumb to cheap blackmail. Their lies fly in the face of cogent reforms being carried out by Otuaro. Nigerians are wise enough to see through the nefarious antics of these serial blackmailers whose lies are clearly visible to the discerning mind.

“To convince the public about their sponsored protest on Wednesday, the NDLEF hired young urchins, bought them new shirts and trousers and slippers to make them appear neat during the protest.”

The IYN stressed that Otuaro remained committed to transparency, accountability, and the empowerment of Niger Delta youths in the administration of the PAP.

Dismissing the allegations of nepotism and financial mismanagement against the PAP leadership, the group stated that “all contracts awarded followed due process in line with procurement laws.”

The group added: “This protest is nothing more than an act of desperation by those who wish to derail the progress being made in the Amnesty Programme. Otuaro will not succumb to cheap blackmail.

“We urge Niger Deltans to disregard the allegations. The administrator’s primary focus remains the fulfillment of the PAP’s mandate.

“We reaffirm our support for Otuaro’s leadership, and no amount of propaganda would derail his transformative agenda for the Amnesty Programme.

“We also call on stakeholders and beneficiaries of the PAP to remain steadfast because the programme, under Otuaro’s leadership, will continue to work towards sustainable peace and development in the Niger Delta.”

The Star