Third Phase Amnesty Leader, General Preye Ekpebide Calls For Removal Of Felix Omatsola Ogbe As Executive Secretary Of NCDMB Over Marginalization Of Ijaws -

By Esther David

General Preye Ekpebide, the Third Phase National Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), has issued a strong call for the immediate removal of Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), widely referred to as the Local Content Board.

General Ekpebide accused Engr. Ogbe of gross marginalization of the Ijaw people, a core oil-producing ethnic group in the Niger Delta, by deliberately excluding them from critical capacity-building, training, and employment opportunities provided under the NCDMB mandate. He described this pattern as an unacceptable breach of the principles of fairness, equity, and federal character, alleging that the Executive Secretary has been running a covert agenda that focuses primarily on the training and empowerment of his own Itsekiri kinsmen, as if the office exists solely for the benefit of one ethnic group.

According to Ekpebide, this ethnic bias not only undermines the spirit of the Nigerian Content Act, which was designed to create inclusive economic opportunities for all Niger Delta communities, but also threatens the fragile peace that the federal government and stakeholders have painstakingly built in the region since the inception of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in 2009.

Ekpebide contrasted Ogbe’s leadership with the inclusive and visionary approach of Chief Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, the current Sole Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. He commended Dr. Otuaro for fully integrating all ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta, including the Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko, and others, into PAP’s training, education, and empowerment initiatives. This, Ekpebide stressed, is the hallmark of effective leadership: prioritizing unity, shared growth, and sustainable development over narrow tribal interests.

The Third Phase National Chairman reiterated that true leadership in the Niger Delta must reflect the diversity of the region, ensuring that no ethnic group is left behind. He warned that continued exclusion of the Ijaw people from strategic national agencies like the NCDMB could rekindle grievances and destabilize the peace currently enjoyed in the oil-rich region.

Ekpebide therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and all relevant authorities to take immediate corrective action by relieving Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe of his position and appointing a leader who embodies competence, integrity, and inclusivity in line with the vision of the Nigerian Content Development initiative.

He concluded by affirming that the Niger Delta cannot afford a return to the days of exclusion, marginalization, and unrest, stating:

“Our people demand fairness. Our people deserve equity. And our development must reflect the collective aspirations of every community in the Niger Delta, not just the interests of a select few.”

Signed: General Preye Ekpebide, The Third Phase National Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP)