• IYC condemns Reps’ ₦26bn probe targeting PAP Administrator Otuaro
• Council warns arrest-threat approach could destabilise Niger Delta
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• Says alleged expenditures predate Otuaro’s appointment to Amnesty Office
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, has criticised the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee over its threat to issue an arrest warrant against the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Burutu Otuaro, describing the move as “ill-conceived” and procedurally unjust.
This was contained in a statement signed by Comrade Nicholas Igarama (Chairman, IYC Western Zone), Ebi Joshua Olowolayemo Esq. (Secretary), and Comrade Tare Magbei (Information Officer).
The statement reads partly: “The IYC frowns vehemently at this development and considers the posture and statement of the House ill-conceived. While this position is not intended to shield Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro from accountability if any wrongdoing is established under his watch, we are deeply concerned about the manner and approach being adopted by the House of Representatives in exercising its oversight functions.”
“The threat of an arrest warrant at the stage of a summons is, in our view, hasty and unnecessary. More importantly, the ₦26 billion reportedly under probe pertains to expenditures made during the 2020–2021 fiscal years, which clearly predate Dr. Otuaro’s assumption of office as Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”
“It would, therefore, have been more appropriate and honourable for the Public Accounts Committee to direct its invitation to those who were at the helm of affairs during the period in question, to account for the said funds.
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“By our assessment, since assuming office, Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro has not fallen short of the expectations of the larger Niger Delta interest. His administration has been marked by robust stakeholder engagement, timely and real-time mobilisation of students both locally and abroad, and, most notably, the prompt payment of stipends to ex-agitators.”
The Council stressed that the funds being examined were expended years before Dr Otuaro assumed leadership of the PAP, insisting that he cannot reasonably be held accountable for financial actions taken prior to his tenure.
It warned that the committee’s current posture risks “playing into the hands of unscrupulous elements” intent on fuelling instability in the region, and emphasised that the Niger Delta would resist any action capable of provoking tensions.
While acknowledging the constitutional mandate of the House of Representatives to conduct oversight, the IYC urged the lawmakers to pursue their duties with fairness, restraint and sincerity, noting that impartiality is vital in maintaining public confidence in the ongoing investigative process.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to justice, due process and regional stability, calling on the committee to adopt a more transparent and balanced approach that does not inflame sentiments in the Niger Delta.
