Otuaro Urges Stakeholders To Support Developmental Initiatives, Says President Tinubu Has The Political Will To Develop The Niger Delta Region -

By Freeborn Abraye

According to Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), President Bola Tinubu has a strong political resolve to promote the Niger Delta’s sustainable development, stability, and peace.

L-R-: Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro; Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku; and the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NDDC, Boma Iyaye, during the technical session of the Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Summit 2024 in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

This came just after he said that Niger Delta residents and stakeholders must play a crucial part in guaranteeing the region’s advancement.

On Wednesday, Otuaro delivered a speech at the Niger Delta Stakeholders’ Summit 2024 Technical Session, which was organized by the NDDC and had as its theme “Renewed Hope for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

His Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Igoniko Oduma, issued a press statement with his remarks.

Otuaro emphasized that the President will not let the people down and voiced trust in Tinubu’s declared commitment to the region’s faster advancement.

However, he emphasized that the local communities might not experience sustained growth and development if stakeholders and local residents did not contribute their fair share to nonviolent projects.

Otuaro emphasized that the PAP’s penultimate week’s four-day stakeholders’ engagement in Warri, Delta State, was intended to underscore the President’s sincere want for continued peace and the region’s development in line with his renewed hope motto.

The PAP Administrator argued that project designs and contract models should take into account the unique characteristics of riverine and upland communities, while also emphasizing the crucial role that stakeholders play in the development of communities.

“Stakeholder engagement by the NDDC has been long anticipated over the years,” he stated. That is the reason the Presidential Amnesty Programme called stakeholder meetings two weeks ago in Warri, Delta State, and convinced everyone of the President’s objective of renewed optimism.

“The President possesses the political will to encourage the Niger Delta’s development. Although we are confident that he won’t let us down, we still have a part to play as stakeholders and members of the community since the peace we are discussing is about us and comes before oil. Many of us won’t be able to visit our communities when there isn’t any peace there.

Therefore, including stakeholders in the design of community projects is essential. The Niger Delta Development Corporation’s management is aware of how vital peace and stability are to the region’s growth.

Peace, security, and stability are contingent upon the involvement of various stakeholders, such as women, youth, traditional rulers, and others, many of whom were excluded from the NDDC’s operations. Furthermore, most individuals are unaware of what is going on.”

The head of PAP urged all interested parties to make the most of the NDDC stakeholders’ gathering in order to press the interventionist organization to fulfill its goals for the area.

“Today, as stakeholders, we should all seize this dialogue opportunity and push the NDDC management to carry on with this stakeholder engagement,” he continued.

“When we support them, they will ask for our input on local projects, particularly those that deal with the urgent needs of the communities.

Although I am aware that each NDDC state has a different topography, I still feel that the NDDC should carefully review the designs for any projects that will be located near rivers because they serve as the contracting models. Examine the differences between the methods you use for making contacts in the upland and riverine communities.”