FG probes N’Delta amnesty workers, suspects scholarship fraud

Agency Report

The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd.), has ordered an investigation into the alleged sale of scholarship slots by some staff members of the agency.

The workers were said to have sold the scholarships meant for Niger Delta indigenes for N650, 000 per slot.

Ndiomu was also reportedly worried about the fact that PAP is paying higher tuition for beneficiaries of its education programmes.

The former military officer, who took over the amnesty programme from Milland Dikio last month, was said to have frowned on the corruption in the agency, especially the scholarship racketeering which has denied many indigent Niger Delta students the opportunity of benefitting from the initiative.

A reliable source, who did not want his name in print because of the sensitivity of the matter, said, ‘’The administrator was understandably worried that the scholarship slots that were meant for Niger Delta indigenes were being sold to outsiders for as high as N650,000 per slot.

“He has also queried the opaque education budget of the PAP. For instance, the administrator observed that the agency was paying higher tuition in schools where it has many students when ordinarily, the agency should get a discount.

“A probe further revealed that the PAP was paying higher fees than what is charged by the schools. These and other discoveries led to the setting up of a probe panel. The panel is expected to unveil the number of scholarship slots awarded, the beneficiaries, and the budget and also recommend punishment for anyone found wanting.”

Meanwhile, the PAP administrator has commenced a tour of the Niger Delta where he is also scheduled to meet with some ex-militant leaders.

Reporters gathered on Wednesday that he has met with some ex-agitators, including Egberi Papa and ‘Shoot at sight’ from Ondo State.

However, his planned meeting with five top ex-militant leaders failed to hold as the men reportedly failed to attend the parley.

It was gathered that Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, Farah Dagogo, Boyloaf and Ateke Tom snubbed the scheduled meeting with Ndiomu, a development that did not go down well with senior PAP officials who viewed the snub as disrespect to the Presidency.

“The men wanted to send their aides to meet with the administrator and this is unacceptable,” a source disclosed.

The PAP Media Consultant, Donu Kogbara, declined comment when asked about the aborted meeting with the ex-agitators.