Mr Administrator! As the Presidential Amnesty Budget increased, Or, Is it not? Passman Akpos Writes Otuaro Open Letter

Dear Chief Dennis Brutus Otuaro PhD. The Administrator of the presidential Amnesty programme.

Before I dive deep into the reasons am writing you this letter, I want to use this opportunity to appreciate the president of the federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his magnanimity to increase the presidential Amnesty budget.

It is said in our local parlance “Book nor dey lie” in the Appropriation Act of 2025, it is clearly stipulated in code number 2202103B, on the line item “Presidential Amnesty Programme: Reinterpretation of Transformed Ex-militants, a sum of N115 billion is appropriated, also in code number 220221041 with Line item that reads, “Contingency” with the sum of N36 billion appropriated. This brings the total sum to N151 billion.

What are “Contingencies”? These are provisions for future events or circumstances which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty.

The president, with his Knowledge of the presidential Amnesty programme and understanding the peculiarity of the Niger-Delta region, made these provisions available. “Baba! I doff my hat” you are indeed a political strategist.

The presidential Amnesty budget, used to be N65 billion, looking at the figures seen in the Appropriation Act, it is clear, that the amount has been, more than doubled the initial Amount, and this is because of the current economic situation, that money does not have value again.

At this point, before I move further, I want to still ask, “Mr Administrator, is it false, that the budget was increased?

Let me assumed that the presidential Amnesty budget was increased to these figures I mentioned earlier, it is appropriate that beneficiaries of the programme demands their stipends increased, not only their stipends, which is a poky part of the programme, but it should affect positively their trainings, scholarship programmes, and among others.

Talking about scholarship, let me digress a little bit. Mr Administrator, you know, your scholarship programme started last year 2024, and according to available data, you said about 3,171 scholarship students were in the resumption list of the 2024/2025 academic session.

I must commend, this is a great feat, but on the contrary, Administrator sir, these scholarship beneficiaries, many of them were sent to their different schools since November 2024 and we are now in June 2025, this is going to over eight months, just few months remaining to make a calendar year, yet! Their house allowance has not been given to them.

Parents who think their children has gotten Amnesty scholarship, that they are relief of Educational financial stress, has been put into the reality of life. student on campus now face hunger and stress for this long time, those who can not bear, can stay at home for sometime or some of our girls can go into prostitution to sustain themselves for the meantime even before you will decide to pay their in house allowance.

Mr Administrator, the forgoing is an oversight, now let move a little deeper. Beneficiaries agitated for the increment of the presidential Amnesty budget even myself, I agitated for the increment because of the prevailing economic situation and now what we agitated for is given, but it’s impact is not felt, Instead, the hardship grows, even the ordinary monthly N65k, you can not pay it as when due, some times you struggle to pay going to the ending of the next month with “abeg”!. Mr Administrator, the question in the lips of the Beneficiaries of the presidential Amnesty programme is, “where is the money entering?.”

I majored in the communication field, and there are so many ways to communicate to a particular audience, and your body language has indicated that you are very adamant in the increment of the N65k monthly stipends and that’s why some beneficiaries agitated, the likes of Owoupele Eneoriekumoh Owous. And the best you can do is to arrest him in order to silence his voice because you are in power.

Is not a hidden fact, that you have favourite beneficiaries you work with to silence who so ever speak the truth. Even myself, after you sued me with your N1 billion Naira Lawsuit, I have been having assassination attempt on several occasions. but I want to let you know, that I have JESUS!

There is this rumour that you are planning or already enlisted over 3000 new delegates into the programme. I believe this is not true, but if is true, Let me school you on this, Mr Administrator.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) was established in 2009 to address the Niger Delta militancy issue. The program’s primary goal is to provide a framework for the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of ex-militants into society. Here’s a brief overview of the program’s key components ¹:

– *Disarmament*: Repentant militants voluntarily surrendered their weapons to the Federal Government in 2009, with over 29,000 ex-militants participating and surrendering their arms and ammunition.

– *Demobilization*: Essential information on the background and stations of the disarmed ex-militants was collected, and they were counseled, trained, documented, and enrolled into the program.

– *Reintegration*: The program aims to reintegrate beneficiaries fully into society after training and empowering them to become entrepreneurs or employable citizens who can contribute to the economy of the Niger Delta region.

Mr Administrator, in the data base, we have 30, 000 Ex-agitators who were counseled, trained, documented, and enrolled into the programme. Changing this figure is tantamount to abuse of office and is a punishable offence.

We are currently in the last stage of the programme, which is to reintegrate beneficiaries fully into society after training and empowering them to become entrepreneurs or employable citizens who can contribute to the economy of the Niger Delta region.

Administrator sir, the increase in the 2025 appropriation Act is to achieve this objectives and not for frivolities, anything outside this, you are working contrary and at any time another Administrator or investigation is made on the programme, you will be called upon for questioning and if proper explanation is not given, then, your guess is as good as mine.

With all these financial addition into the programme, beneficiaries now have the worst experience of all time, ranging from delayed monthly stipends payment, scholarship student stranded in different schools. When we are expected to move forward but we are practically moving backwards.

Instead of receiving motivation, we are currently receiving intimidation from you.

To end this epistle, Mr Administrator, you happens to be the worst Administrator that the presidential Amnesty programme ever had, please change your ways.

Stop sending Assassins after me, I have JESUS!

I’m PASSMAN AKPOS

The Militant with a Pen, An Activist, A social commentator, A political Analyst, A child of God.