The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has strongly condemned what it described as episodes of misinformation and negative narratives being “sponsored” in the media against the Interim Administrator of PAP, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd).
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Freston Akpor, Special Assistant on Media to the PAP Interim Administrator, maintained that despite the obvious misinformation, his Principal, Major General Ndiomu (rtd), has successfully sanitized the Programme. He urged members of the public to ignore the claims of “mischief makers” spreading false information.
Akpor affirmed that since Major General Ndiomu assumed office on September 19 last year, he has had to address several challenges, including unpaid scholarship awards, uncompleted vocational training centres, non-formal education programs, and a significant financial burden. Nevertheless, he has effectively sanitized the operations of the PAP.
He cautioned those individuals spreading misinformation with the intent to generate negative public opinion against the leadership of the Programme, whom he referred to as “faceless,” to refrain from such actions. He also highlighted the critical role of the media in Nigeria, considering it a vital tool to communicate the efforts of the PAP in transforming the socio-economic narrative of the Niger Delta region.
Akpor explained that since Major General Ndiomu took office, he has strategically cleared all inherited debts through effective financial models. This includes debts owed to contractors, agencies, and scholarship beneficiaries.
He stated, “The PAP, which has been watching with strong indignation the unsubstantiated statements attributed to some mischief makers hiding under pseudonyms, would have ordinarily not joined issues with faceless persons, as such an exercise would only elevate the enterprise of those bad hats.”
However, Akpor emphasized the need for the PAP to clarify the records and prevent stakeholders and the public from being exposed to and influenced by the negative narrative in the media.
Regarding the strategic steps taken by General Ndiomu to reform the PAP, Akpor provided an example of how instead of cancelling the incomplete scholarships awarded by his predecessor, Major General Ndiomu opted to sanitize and adopt the process.
This resulted in the payment of all fees for 1,700 PAP students in tertiary institutions across the country, along with an additional 55 delegates entering their first year in universities abroad.
He highlighted the administration’s commitment to fully paying the scholarships, covering tuition and In-Training-Allowance (ITA), for the 2022/2023 academic session.
Akpor categorically dismissed insinuations that the current administration has not deployed delegates under the scholarship program, labelling such claims as “mischievous, uncharitable, and ungodly.” He reiterated the efforts of the PAP to launch the Formal Education Trust Fund, which aims to enhance the formal education scheme of the Programme.
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