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Just In: PAP Sends Additional 34 Foreign Post-Graduate Scholars to UK Universities
By: Divine Perezide
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has deployed an additional 34 post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries to various universities in the United Kingdom for the 2025–2026 academic year, as part of its drive to build a knowledge-based workforce for the Niger Delta.
The scholars will pursue post-graduate studies in specialised and industry-relevant fields such as data science, fintech analytics, cyber security, international energy law and policy, construction project management, public health, agri-food technology, electrical and petroleum engineering, among others. PAP officials confirmed that more foreign post-graduate scholars will also be sent to UK universities in the current academic session.
In December 2025, nine students—the first set of offshore post-graduate scholars approved by the PAP Administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024–2025 academic year—successfully graduated from various UK institutions.
Since assuming office in March 2024, Otuaro has facilitated the deployment of over 9,000 students to universities within and outside Nigeria to study “different industry-relevant programmes,” reflecting a scale of intervention not previously seen in the programme’s history.
Speaking during a pre-departure orientation for the beneficiaries at the PAP headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Otuaro said the large-scale deployment was designed to make the Niger Delta a “knowledge-driven region.” He added that his administration “reinvigorated the programme to give it a new momentum in service delivery… based on the mandate of President Bola Tinubu.”
“We are sending all of you for post-graduate studies in various universities in the United Kingdom,” he stated, noting that the initiative aligns with ongoing reforms currently reshaping the PAP. According to him, “The objective behind the huge scholarships deployment is to ensure that we develop the needed human capital to transform the Niger Delta and generate knowledge-wealth.”
He further stressed that the intention is to “develop relevant manpower in critical disciplines for our region and by extension, the country,” adding that the students are “expected to contribute your quota to national development after successful graduation.”
Represented by his Technical Assistant, Mr. Edgar Biu, the PAP Administrator urged the scholars to work hard and excel academically, noting that they must justify the Federal Government’s investment in their education. He warned that beneficiaries should not take such opportunities for granted “in the interest of the Niger Delta and indeed the country.”
Otuaro expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his “enormous interest and support for the Programme,” particularly the approval of an upward review of the PAP budget from N65 billion to N150 billion. He also thanked the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his “impeccable guidance and supervision of the programme’s initiatives.”
The PAP boss cautioned the scholars to obey the laws of their host country as well as the academic regulations of their respective institutions, stressing that they are representatives of Nigeria, the Niger Delta, their communities and families.
A highlight of the orientation was the presentation of laptops to the departing scholars to support their academic research and coursework.
The statement was signed by Mr. Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, dated 8 January 2026.
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Tantita Coordinator Attributes Pipeline Contract to Merit, Dismisses Ethnic Entitlement Claims
By Favour Bibaikefie
A coordinator with Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has pushed back against growing criticisms surrounding the company’s pipeline surveillance contract, insisting that the engagement was secured strictly on merit and capacity, not on regional entitlement.
Engr. Samson Uwatse, who oversees operations along the Warri River axis, including Ugbodede Community and parts of the Trans-Forcados pipeline, stated that Tantita met all stipulated requirements before being awarded the contract.
According to him, the company’s performance since assuming responsibility has validated the decision, pointing to a noticeable decline in pipeline vandalism, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality across the operational areas.
Uwatse maintained that attempts to frame the contract as a “Niger Delta slot” are misplaced, stressing that it is a national assignment awarded to a firm deemed capable of delivering results.
“This is not about regional allocation. It is a contract given to a competent organisation that has proven its capacity to secure critical national assets,” he said.
He further advised aggrieved individuals and groups to channel their energies toward pursuing legitimate opportunities through appropriate federal channels, rather than calling for the cancellation of an already performing contract.
The coordinator also commended the leadership of Tantita under , noting that the company’s structured approach and commitment to community engagement have contributed significantly to improved stability in the Niger Delta.
His remarks come amid renewed agitation in some quarters for the review or withdrawal of the surveillance contract—calls he described as self-serving and disconnected from the realities on ground.
Observers say the relative calm in previously volatile waterways and oil corridors has strengthened the argument of those advocating continuity for Tantita’s operations, as security gains continue to be recorded across the region.
By Ezinne
There is a wave of relief for motorists across the country as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has officially reduced the pump price of petrol at its retail outlets. This significant downward adjustment, effective Monday, March 30, and Tuesday, March 31, 2026, follows a similar price cut by the Dangote Refinery earlier last week.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NNPCL filling stations have adjusted their prices from ₦1,361 per litre down to ₦1,295, representing a ₦66 to ₦71 reduction. Major independent marketers including Mobil, NIPCO, and Ardova have followed suit, with retail prices now ranging between ₦1,280 and ₦1,296 per litre, down from previous highs of nearly ₦1,400.
The price crash is attributed to the Dangote Refinery reducing its gantry price to ₦1,200 per litre, down from ₦1,285, in a move to stabilize the downstream sector amidst global oil market volatility. While stations in Lagos and Abuja have reflected the change, some independent outlets in more remote areas are yet to review their prices downward. The NNPCL has maintained that this adjustment is part of its commitment to ensuring energy security and making fuel more affordable as domestic refining capacity continues to expand
By Favour Bibaikefie
Port Harcourt, March 2026 — The Federal High Court sitting in has upheld the emergence of Alabo Charles MacPepple Jaja, popularly known as King Charles Jaja, Jeki VI, as the next Amayanabo of Opobo Kingdom, bringing clarity to a protracted royal succession dispute.
The court affirmed that the monarch, whose election was conducted on December 31, 2025, is to be formally installed following the demise of the late king, His Royal Majesty King Dr. Dandison Douglas Jaja, Jeki V, who passed on in late December 2025.
In a landmark ruling delivered in March 2026, the court also outlined a structured succession framework aimed at ensuring equity among the royal houses within the Jaja dynasty.
Central to the judgment is the directive that after the reign of King Charles Jaja, the Prince Saturday Jaja War Canoe House shall present nominees for the selection of the subsequent Amayanabo.
The court further ruled that no single War Canoe House within the Jaja Group of Houses shall enjoy exclusive or perpetual rights to the revered stool. Instead, succession to the throne will henceforth rotate among eligible houses through a system of nominations and elections.
Findings indicate that the judgment followed the consolidation of multiple suits filed by contending parties in the kingship tussle. The disputants reportedly reached an amicable agreement, which was subsequently adopted by the court as a consent judgment on or about March 16, 2026.
Legal observers note that the adoption of the settlement not only resolves the immediate dispute but also establishes a sustainable framework for future succession, thereby reducing the likelihood of recurring conflicts within the kingdom.
The ruling is expected to pave the way for the completion of burial rites for the late monarch and facilitate a smooth and peaceful transition of leadership in Opobo Kingdom.
Community stakeholders and indigenes have welcomed the development, expressing optimism that the court-sanctioned arrangement will foster unity, stability, and continuity in the historic kingdom.
Source: Rivers in Picture