Interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-Gen. Tariye Ndiomu (rtd) has intensified his efforts to absorb the beneficiaries of the amnesty into ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) as well as conventional security organisations after their training.
The latest of such drive came recently in Abuja when Ndiomu visited to the inspector-general of police (IGP) Alkali Baba Usman at the Police Headquarters in Abuja to solicit the support of the Police High Command in the recruitment of ex-agitators to its rank and file and officers’ corp.
A statement by the special adviser on media to the Interim administrator, Thomas Peretu, Gen Ndiomu revealed that the PAP has over the years trained a lot of youths from the Niger Delta region who would fit into manpower needs of the Police.
Ndiomu while appreciating the Police High Command for providing security services at PAP offices and facilities in Abuja and across the Niger Delta region also called on the Service to absolve the beneficiaries.
In his response, the IGP who expressed disappointment with the low turnout of potential recruits from the region at recruitment exercises conducted in the past years, added that the quota of South South region was rarely filled despite efforts to encourage the enlistment of young men from the region.
The IGP assured that the Police is ready to partner with the PAP in the recruitment of officers especially at the grassroots.
He said the police have put in place structures for better emoluments and career advancement.
IGP Usman stressed that the Police will assist the PAP in the area of criminal investigation when such cases are brought to its attention.
He said “Infractions in the agency must not be not be swept under the carpet”.
He added that the element of punishment in law enforcement will be brought into force to avoid recurrence of criminal acts in the organisation.
The interim administrator had also sought employment of the ex-agitators into the federal civil service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at different fora.
Despite these efforts, the interim administrator has faced criticism following his assumption of office the programme which has exposed several anomalies in the scheme.
Sources knowledgeable of the amnesty programme said General Ndiomu was facing criticism because he has unravelled years of fraudulent practices and multiple stipend frauds.
He said, “In the last few months, various petitions, and accusations have come from individuals claiming to be beneficiaries of the programme. This might not be unconnected to the recent clampdown of ghost payments made by the previous administration in the Amnesty Office which has caused the current backlash on Ndiomu.
“Just recently, the amnesty office under the leadership of Major Gen. Ndiomu Rtd. released a list of names who have been receiving duplicate payments from the office. This fraud was carried out through payments to pseudo names, which after BVN verifications, it was discovered that multiple entries had the same BVN linking to individuals and bulk payments to group heads, which after scrutiny, it was realized that the actual beneficiaries never get their stipends.
“This mismanagement has been going on for close to 2 years and might be a reason for the termination of Milland Dikio’s administration.”
“The last administration in the amnesty office had numerous issues, ranging from this recently revealed diversion of stipends and companies owned by aides of the then Interim Administrator being awarded contracts for doing nothing. These contracts ran into billions of Naira.”
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