N115bn PAP Budget: Otuaro Has Not Embezzled Funds, His Achievements Are Visible
— Gen. John Abugor
By Wilson Macaulay
WARRI
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The leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Phase 3 has rejected allegations that the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Chief Dr Dennis Otuaro, embezzled N115 billion allocated to the programme, describing the allegation as unfounded, misleading and unsupported by credible facts.
General John Abugor, a prominent leader of the PAP Phase 3 and an indigene of the oil-rich Jesse Community in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, who reacted to the allegation credited to Christopher S. Agbedikuru, said those making such accusations should provide verifiable evidence rather than create an impression that increased funding to PAP had disappeared without corresponding benefits to ex-agitators.
Abugor maintained that Chief Dr Dennis Otuaro has done well since assuming leadership of PAP, stressing that his assessment was not based on political patronage or praise-singing but on what he described as measurable programmes and interventions carried out under the current administration of the programme.
According to him, the claim that the increase in PAP’s budget under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not translate into benefits for ex-agitators was a sweeping conclusion that failed to take into account the various empowerment, educational and leadership-development initiatives implemented under Otuaro.
He said: “Otuaro has not embezzled money. The records of what has been done under his administration are there for anyone who genuinely wants to examine them.”
General Abugor particularly cited the leadership-development programmes organised for former agitators, saying generals and other leaders within the programme had benefited from training designed to improve their leadership capacity, orientation and ability to contribute meaningfully to peace and development in the Niger Delta.
He also pointed to the scholarship initiatives under the present PAP administration, noting that thousands of beneficiaries have been sponsored to study in universities and other institutions of higher learning both within Nigeria and abroad.
The PAP Phase 3 stakeholder said such interventions could not reasonably be dismissed as evidence that PAP resources had failed to reach their intended beneficiaries.
He argued that the administration of Otuaro should be assessed on the basis of its programmes, beneficiaries and verifiable outcomes rather than allegations that, in his words, were capable of undermining public confidence in an institution established to promote peace, rehabilitation and human-capital development in the Niger Delta.
Abugor described Otuaro as a dependable administrator who has proven his mettle, adding that his leadership had demonstrated a commitment to strengthening the human-capital component of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
He further stated that the present administration should be encouraged to consolidate the gains already recorded, particularly in education, leadership development and other initiatives designed to prepare ex-agitators and youths of the Niger Delta for sustainable livelihoods.
“We are not praise singers,” Abugor said. “We are giving a genuine assessment of the good works of the Administrator. If somebody says money has been embezzled, let the person bring the evidence. But if we are talking about performance, there are programmes and beneficiaries that can be identified and verified.”
He urged Niger Delta stakeholders, beneficiaries and members of the public to scrutinise the records objectively rather than rely on sensational allegations.
Abugor also appealed to the Federal Government to continue supporting PAP while strengthening transparency, accountability and effective monitoring of its programmes.
He said the ultimate objective should be to ensure that resources appropriated for the Presidential Amnesty Programme continue to produce tangible benefits for ex-agitators, their communities and the wider Niger Delta region.
The Phase 3 top leadership member therefore dismissed calls for Otuaro’s removal based solely on the alleged N115 billion embezzlement claim, insisting that such a serious accusation should not be used as a basis for removing an administrator without compelling evidence.
He maintained that Otuaro deserves commendation for the progress recorded under his watch, particularly in the areas of education and leadership development, and urged stakeholders to separate legitimate criticism from allegations that cannot withstand factual scrutiny.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper, September 12 2026
