Despite reported backlog, FG says it’s not owing any amnesty programme students abroad

Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Office, says the Federal Government has fulfilled all its obligations to beneficiaries of the amnesty programme studying abroad, including school fees, upkeep and other allowances, despite reported backlog in unpaid allowances.

Boroh disclosed this in a statement by the Director of Information, Amnesty Office, Mr Charles Dafe, on Saturday in Abuja. He dismissed the allegations that the Nigerian Government owed some amnesty beneficiaries abroad their entitlements.

The programme’s coordinator revealed that 90 per cent of the beneficiaries would graduate in December, noting that only 10 per cent of the beneficiaries would be left on the scholarship abroad.

He said, “with our beneficiaries in onshore Nigerian universities including those on vocational training, our office if fully up to date in settling their educational and empowerment requirements.

“we have no funding issue in settling our offshore and onshore students.

“There are other developmental agencies for the Niger Delta region that have granted scholarships to students abroad and may have payment issues for their students, they are not sponsored by Presidential Amnesty Office,’’ he said.

Boroh said that those alleging that the amnesty office had outstanding foreign students’ bills were peddling false information and were clearly disregarding government’s sustained effort towards making the programme succeed.

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He claimed that some of the changes he had introduced into the programme, like domestication of the programmes that did not require sending beneficiaries abroad, were responsible for the unfair attacks by those it affected.

Other changes, according to him, include policy of strategic exit arrangement, which compelled beneficiaries educated and empowered to quit the programme.

“These government well-considered changes or policies that are meant to reduce government expenditure and are in the best interest of the country.

“The policy changes in the programme affected some students, who failed their studies and expect government to fund their endless time of studies.

“It also affected militants not originally captured in the programme pressurising to be part and those that have benefited first degree but insisting that the programmes must see them up to doctorate degree level,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, students sponsored by the Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in the United States have praised the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for sustaining the Amnesty Programme and the peace in the Niger Delta region.

A statement by Jimmy Iwezu, leader of the Amnesty Students in the U.S., also dissociated the group from a planned protest at Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

“We wish to express our appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment and dedication to sustainable peace and development in the Niger-Delta through his support and continuation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“We also wish to commend the able leadership of Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd) for the positive changes that he has brought to bear on the programme through prompt payment of our fees and allowances.

“While it has not been all rosy, we note that despite the economic recession that Nigeria went through, it was still able to sponsor our education abroad and we are very grateful.”

The statement drew the attention of the public to the activities of those it called “a few faceless fraudsters” in the U.S.

It claimed the group was using the social media platform to spread “misleading and mischievous information about our welfare as government-sponsored students in different institutions of higher learning in the United States”.

“We wish to disassociate ourselves from any attempt to tarnish the image of Nigeria in the U.S. through outright lies, falsehood and blackmail being peddled in the social media by a faceless group that has called on people to join them on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, for a public demonstration against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House in Washington DC, USA.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to put it on record that our allowances and tuition fees have been paid up to the month of September, 2017 and the Amnesty Office has promised to pay up to November, 2017 when the next payment is made.”

The students also appealed to those they termed “detractors and sponsored saboteurs” to desist from their activities.

“We also appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria for the sustainability of the programme, which has achieved its mandate of ensuring peace and stability in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria”, it said.

 

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