The federal government plans to spend N195 billion on the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) between 2026 and 2028, despite damning audit reports that have exposed massive financial irregularities in the scheme.
A review of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 2026–2028 shows that N65 billion has been budgeted annually for the programme over the three-year period.
This fresh allocation comes on the heels of revelations that the government already spent N130 billion on the amnesty programme within just two years.
According to SaharaReporters’ findings from the Budget Performance Document for Q4 2024, the federal government expended N65 billion on PAP in 2024, the same amount spent in 2023, bringing total spending between both fiscal years to N130 billion.
The Presidential Amnesty Programme was established to rehabilitate and reintegrate ex-militants from the Niger Delta region following years of armed agitation over resource control.
However, its financial management has come under intense scrutiny.
In November 2024, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that an Auditor-General of the Federation’s report uncovered the withdrawal of over N6 billion from PAP accounts without proper auditing procedures.
The report revealed that N1.53 billion was paid as tuition fees to various universities for PAP beneficiaries without supporting documents such as admission letters, receipts, or proof of payment.
“The sum of N1,529,669,500 were paid to various universities as tuition fees for students under PAP and relevant supporting documents were not attached to the paid vouchers,” the report stated.
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The payments were found to violate Paragraph 708 of the Financial Regulations, 2009, which prohibits payment for services not yet rendered or goods not supplied, as well as Paragraph 603(i), which mandates detailed documentation for all vouchers.
The Auditor-General further disclosed that N3.62 billion was raised and spent without undergoing internal audit checks.
In another violation, N29 million was issued as cash advances to PAP officials for procurement, far exceeding the approved N200,000 limit per officer.
“Some officers were granted multiple advances without evidence of retiring previous advances,” the report noted.
Additionally, N87.7 million was reportedly spent on store items without any evidence that the goods were recorded in store ledgers.
Despite attempts to obtain explanations, the Auditor-General said management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme failed to respond to audit queries, blaming the lapses on weak internal control systems at its Abuja office.
The latest plan to inject another N195 billion into the programme is likely to reignite concerns over transparency, accountability, and the continued survival of a scheme increasingly dogged by allegations of financial abuse.
