“Calling For Resource Control Without Prioritizing Education Is Nothing But A Political Illusion” Says Comrade Freeborn Abraye, Declares Dr. Dennis Otuaro’s Education Agenda Is The True Pathway To Gaining Resource Control And Niger Delta’s Economic Liberation -

By Ebiowei Gabriel

•••••Calls On Niger Deltans To Reject Short-Term Gains, Embrace Education As The Ultimate Weapon For Resource Control And Sustainable Development

The National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Advocates For Peace, Development and Economic Justice (NDAPDEJ), Comrade Freeborn Abraye, has declared that every campaign for resource control that fails to place education at its very foundation is, in his opinion, fundamentally misguided and incapable of delivering genuine economic emancipation for the people of the Niger Delta.

According to Comrade Abraye, the struggle for resource control cannot be won merely through emotional rhetoric, political slogans, street protests, or demands for immediate financial benefits. Rather, he argues that the greatest obstacle preventing the Niger Delta from assuming greater responsibility over its vast natural resources is the region’s educational and professional capacity gap, which must be deliberately addressed.

He therefore called on all patriotic Niger Deltans, traditional rulers, youth organizations, women groups, political leaders, civil society organizations, stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to rally behind the education-driven reforms being pursued by the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro.

According to him:

“History has taught us painful lessons. There was a period in our struggle when many believed that guns, arms and violent confrontation would deliver resource control. That chapter came with enormous sacrifices and losses, yet the political objective remained largely unrealized. We must be courageous enough to learn from history rather than remain trapped by it.”

“Today, we have before us a lawful, strategic and sustainable pathway, education. This is the instrument that can produce lawyers who will defend our constitutional rights, engineers who will manage our oil infrastructure, economists who will formulate sound fiscal policies, environmental scientists who will protect our ecosystem, entrepreneurs who will create wealth, and administrators capable of managing the enormous responsibilities that accompany greater control over our resources.”

Comrade Abraye stated that no region can credibly demand greater control over strategic national assets while neglecting the development of the skilled human capital required to manage those assets effectively.

He maintained that what Dr. Dennis Otuaro is doing by expanding educational opportunities under the Presidential Amnesty Programme should not be viewed merely as another government intervention, but as what he described as “a deliberate investment in the intellectual liberation of the Niger Delta.”

According to him, every scholarship awarded, every student trained, every graduate produced, and every professional developed under the Amnesty Programme strengthens the region’s long-term capacity to advocate for and responsibly manage its resources.

Comrade Abraye further argued that debates surrounding the recent increase in the budgetary allocation to the Presidential Amnesty Programme should focus on long-term regional transformation rather than immediate financial consumption.

He expressed the opinion that those whose primary demand is an increase in the monthly stipends of beneficiaries, instead of advocating broader educational opportunities and human capital development, are promoting priorities that could undermine the region’s long-term interests.

He said:

“The greatest investment any society can make is not in consumption but in knowledge. While financial support has its place, education creates opportunities that last generations. If additional resources are available to the Amnesty Programme, they should be strategically deployed to expand scholarships, vocational training, professional certifications, postgraduate education, technical skills acquisition and international academic opportunities for our young people.”

“When the day comes that the Niger Delta is entrusted with greater responsibility over its natural resources, it will not be enough to possess oil wells. We must also possess the lawyers to negotiate, the accountants to ensure transparency, the engineers to maintain critical infrastructure, the scientists to drive innovation, the environmental experts to safeguard our communities, and the administrators to govern responsibly.”

The NDAPDEJ National Coordinator emphasized that education remains the strongest instrument for achieving economic freedom, political relevance, sustainable development and meaningful participation in national affairs.

He urged Niger Delta youths to seize every educational opportunity available under the Presidential Amnesty Programme and resist any attempt to reduce the programme solely to monthly financial benefits.

According to him, the future of the Niger Delta will not ultimately be determined by the size of stipends received today, but by the quality of education, skills, professional competence and leadership capacity built for tomorrow.

Comrade Abraye concluded by reaffirming his support for Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro’s educational vision, describing it as a strategic and forward-looking investment in the future of the Niger Delta.

“Resource control is not secured merely by demanding it; it is strengthened by building the capacity to exercise it responsibly. The struggle for the future of the Niger Delta must therefore move beyond slogans to scholarship, beyond confrontation to competence, and beyond short-term expectations to long-term empowerment. An educated Niger Delta will always be a stronger Niger Delta.”

Signed:

Comrade Freeborn Abraye
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Advocates For Peace, Development and Economic Justice (NDAPDEJ).