Africa | Niger Delta Affairs
The leadership of the Third Phase Ex-Agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has firmly dismissed a recent publication alleging marginalization and ethnic bias in the administration of the Programme under Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, describing it as politically sponsored, misleading and driven by selfish interests rather than the collective good of the Niger Delta.
Speaking on behalf of third-phase beneficiaries, the National Chairman, General Elaye ThankGod Dollar Slaboh, cautioned ex-agitators and the general public against allowing themselves to be used as instruments by what he termed “self-centred leaders and desperate politicians” whose relevance has waned. According to General Elaye, the said petition and accompanying publication—credited to Monday Excel and others—should be disregarded in its entirety, as it represents personal grievances disguised as regional advocacy.
“These same individuals crying foul today were once at the helm of affairs during the administration of Dr. Kingsley Kuku. At that time, they behaved like untouchable gods, acting as though power and privilege would remain in their hands forever. Today’s outcry is nothing more than envy and bitterness over progress they can no longer control,” Elaye stated.
He emphasized that the Presidential Amnesty Programme does not belong to any ethnic group, phase or individual, and warned that attempts to heat up the polity with divisive narratives risk undermining the fragile peace painstakingly built in the Niger Delta.
General Elaye further alleged that many of the petitioners currently posturing as champions of justice are themselves guilty of long-standing exploitation of their followers, calling on the PAP office and relevant security agencies to investigate several camp leaders named in the petition. “These are the same camp leaders who have consistently failed to pay their boys the approved ₦65,000 monthly stipends for years. Instead of addressing their own misconduct, they are now trying to distract the public with baseless accusations,” he added. Reacting to claims of ethnic favoritism and exclusion, the third-phase leadership described such allegations as reckless and unsupported, noting that the current PAP administration has continued to engage beneficiaries across phases while pursuing reforms aimed at sustainability, accountability and broader inclusion.
General Elaye commended Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro for what he described as focused, transparent and progressive leadership, stressing that the Administrator inherited deep-seated structural challenges and competing interests which cannot be resolved overnight.
“Dr. Otuaro is doing tremendously well under very challenging circumstances. He has shown commitment to stabilizing the Programme and ensuring it serves its core purpose. We sincerely thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing a capable and disciplined administrator who is not beholden to old power blocs,” he said.
He concluded by urging ex-agitators across all phases to remain calm, law-abiding and united, and to resist attempts by disgruntled elites to weaponize the Amnesty Programme for personal or political bargaining. “The future of the Niger Delta lies in peace, dialogue and genuine development—not in recycled petitions by individuals who believe the Programme is their private estate,” Elaye declared.
Signed: Chief Inko Brightstar a.k.a Whoknows Tomorrow Naional Publicity Secretary
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