Protesters against Otuaro were hired by blackmailers – Ijaw youths alleged

Youths under the auspices of the Ijaw Youths Network (IYN) have described persons, who blocked the National Assembly, on Wednesday to protest against the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Boss, Dr. Dennis Otuaro as street urchins hired by desperate and corrupt persons from the region.

The IYN appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ignore a faceless group, the Niger Delta Liberators and Ex-Agitators Forum (NDLEF), involved in peddling outright falsehood against Otuaro.

The group commended the President for his sustained support for the PAP, its leadership, and the Niger Delta.

The IYN said that those sponsoring the protest were angry with Otuaro because he refused to open the coffers of the Amnesty Office to them, in the same manner they swindled previous leaders of the programme through blackmail.

The IYN in a statement issued by its President, Frank Ebikabi, and the Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, 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 group advised the President to look carefully and see the falsehood in the allegations of the NDLEF, stressing that they were willing tools in the hands of their sponsors.

The IYN 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.

“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 lives 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 group insisted that Otuaro remained committed to transparency, accountability, and the empowerment of Niger Delta youths in the administration of the Programme.

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

The IYN said: “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.”

Comments

comments