‘How BVN exposed fake Amnesty beneficiaries’

By John Alechenu

ABUJA—The Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, has said its insistence on the Federal Government’s Bank Verification Number, BVN, policy has exposed fake beneficiaries and fraudsters feeding off the programme.

The office, while condemning what it described as blackmail and campaign of calumny against its administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, by some misguided elements from the Niger Delta, said it would  not succumb to blackmail and will not sideline the BVN policy designed to link all bank accounts belonging to individuals and eradicate corruption.

“The PAP office cannot be the exception in the execution of the government’s policy on BVN designed to eradicate corruption in the society,” the Office said in a statement, yesterday, Mr. Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, said.

“Clearly, anybody using the tool of blackmail to arm-twist the office to sideline BVN is either a criminal or a fraudster, who should be under security watch. The Office has asked them to come for verification of their claims, but they will not.

“These serial blackmailers are purveyors of falsehood and hollow narratives; they are driven by sheer greed with the sole objective of denting Dr. Otuaro’s image and distracting him from focusing on the task given to him by President Bola Tinubu.

“These misguided elements are angry with Dr. Otuaro for prudent management of resources, and introducing reforms that have sanitised the PAP. Many of them are angered by what is statutorily paid to them by the Office. Some want to be awarded bogus contracts which, the office under Otuaro, is not inclined to do.”

The programme said rather than divert funds to satisfy blackmailers, resources are being deployed efficiently for lasting peace and security in the Niger Delta, with tangible results including 13,300 onshore and over 500 offshore scholarships, distribution of laptops to beneficiaries, and prompt payment of ex-agitators’ monthly stipends.

It listed other achievements as employment of four cadet pilots and 20 aviation trainees after training, on-the-job training for 40 cadets, professional certification for 98 maritime cadets, and training of over 360 stakeholders on alternative dispute resolution and mediation.