. . . Urges detractors to stop

The King of Okochiri Kingdom in Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRM King Ateke Tom, has hailed the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, for the achievements of his administration since he mounted the saddle.

He observed that Otuaro had quietly carried out well-thought-out reforms to reposition the PAP for better and quality service delivery.

The first-class monarch, who stated this when the PAP boss visited him at his palace in Okochiri at the weekend stressed that Otuaro had demonstrated that he has capacity to pilot the affairs of the programme.

The monarch added that Otuaro’s commitment and passion for efficient service to the people of the Niger Delta were not in doubt.

These were contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, on Sunday.

King Tom cautioned those he described as the detractors of Otuaro to stop their distractive activities, and allow him to concentrate on his job.

According to him, the ill-advised attempts by some characters to pull down Otuaro were condemnable and not in the best interest of the region, delegates and beneficiaries of the PAP.

He described Outaro as a serious-minded Niger Deltan and a product of the struggle who believes in wide consultation and collaboration with stakeholders for the success of the programme.

The former frontline freedom fighter thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing Otuaro, stressing that the president made the right choice in his decision.

He said: “Mr (PAP) Administrator, I want to commend you for all that you are doing to better the programme for our people and our region. Since your appointment, I have watched keenly how you have made progress and recorded laudable achievements.

“You are doing well, and that’s why I want to advise people who are not happy over your appointment to stop distracting you. Must we pull our people down, every time? I call on them to support you instead of doing the unpleasant things they are doing.

“We know you as a person that likes to consult and also collaborate with stakeholders. It is not surprising because as someone who was in the struggle, you have not disappointed us, and we trust that you will not disappoint us.

“The President made the best choice for giving you the position of Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme because you are a very serious minded person, and we have confidence in your ability to better the programme in terms of service delivery for our people.”

Responding, Otuaro described Okochiri as an ancient kingdom in Ijaw land, explaining that his visit to the

Traditional ruler was part of his ongoing consultations and engagements with critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta.

The PAP boss noted that King Tom was one of the major Niger Delta activists who was consistent with his advocacy for a better standard of living for the region.

He thanked King Tom for his fatherly advice and words of encouragement, saying that he and members of his team were poised to continually render quality service in line with the renewed hope agenda of the President.

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