INC Explains Visit to PAP Boss, Says PND Criticism Malicious

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The apex body of Ijaws worldwide, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has explained a recent visit to the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP), Dennis Otuaro, by its President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba.
INC frowned at the criticism elicited by the visit by a Niger Delta group, the Project Niger Delta (PND), saying their outburst was quite unfortunate, malicious and not in the best interest of the Ijaws.

Explaining to newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said contrary to reports that the INC endorsed the PAP Boss, the visit to Otuaro, was not a private visit and neither did the apex Ijaw body endorse Otuaro.
PND had faulted media reports credited to the Special Assistant on Media to PAP Administrator, Igoniko Oduma that the President of INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba commended and endorsed Dr. Denis Otuaro.

In the statement signed by Princewill Ebebi, Executive Director/Coordinator of Project Niger Delta, made available to newsmen on Saturday, the group stated that Prof. Okaba did not inform any of his EXCO members before going ahead to endorse Dr. Otuaro.
But Okaba, while reacting to the statement by PND, said the visit to the PAP Boss in Abuja was not planned but a visit to an Ijaw brother by his Ijaw brothers, adding that it has no bearing to the incoming scheduled visit to the PAP office by the INC executives

Okaba said rather than trying to cause dissatisfaction among the ethnic nationality, those criticizing the visit should see the positives from the meeting as lots of developmental initiatives including the planned visit by the INC executives were discussed.
He said: “In fact, I even called the Publicity Secretary when I was with the amnesty boss. I called him that I’m here with the amnesty boss and even spoke with him, but he is now masterminding the mischief because he did not follow me.

“We cannot keep this low because it is not good for the Ijaw image. It’s not also good for the amnesty boss.
“We didn’t go there to endorse anybody; if there is any contention that is when you want to endorse. So, endorsement is way out of it.
“The visit was never planned, the amnesty engagement with the entire exco is still intact and will come up in a short while and the president did not go there to talk about himself and endorsement. There was no endorsement because there was no need for any endorsement.

“It is mischievous for anyone who is in tune with the operations of the INC to conceive and say that the President and his cohorts endorsed the SA/Coordinator of the PAP. As there are no known rivals or contestants to the President and other NEC members since after the appointment of the present occupant of the office.

“Is the grouse and unwarranted attack by this group (PND) and their sponsors premised on the absence of some NEC members or that Dr. Otuaro has not been appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?”

Prof. Okaba insisted that he went to the PAP office on the invitation of the PAP boss who learnt he was in Abuja on a national assignment and that his visit was not official as claimed in the statement by PND.

He said to show his transparency, he took along some INC members who were already in Abuja and elder statesman, Prof. Steve Azaiki, on the visit, saying that impact of the meeting is already having positive signs and trickling down to the INC executives.

While calling on members of the public to disregard the statement by PND, he called on those working against the interest of the Ijaws for their own selfish purposes to desist from demarketing the Ijaw nation.