Niger Delta: New amnesty boss orders probe of workers over sales of scholarship slots
…Slots sold to non-Niger Deltans as high as N650,000
The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj.-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd), has ordered an investigation into the alleged sale of scholarship slots by some staff members of the agency.
According to report by Punch, 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.
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