The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dennis Otuaro, has defended the enforcement of the federal government’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy for beneficiaries of the programme, insisting that no amount of pressure or blackmail would stop efforts to strengthen financial accountability.
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Key Highlights
- PAP Administrator Dennis Otuaro says the BVN requirement for beneficiaries will not be dropped.
- He says anyone using blackmail to sideline BVN is “either a criminal or a fraudster.”
- Otuaro claims some critics lost access to inflated contracts under his reforms.
- PAP has awarded 13,300 onshore and over 500 offshore scholarships, he said.
- 98 maritime cadets certified; four cadet pilots and 20 aviation trainees employed.
Otuaro maintained that the BVN requirement is necessary to prevent fraud, promote transparency and ensure that public funds were properly managed, warning individuals opposed to the policy to submit themselves for verification, rather than pressure the programme to abandon the exercise.
The PAP administrator made the position known in a statement issued through his Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Odums, on Wednesday.
“PAP cannot be an exception”
He said the Presidential Amnesty Programme would not be exempted from the federal government’s financial regulations, stressing that the ongoing reforms are intended to eliminate irregularities and prevent individuals from benefiting from questionable financial arrangements.
According to him, some individuals in the Niger Delta have allegedly launched campaigns against his administration because of its financial discipline and efforts to discontinue practices that allowed access to public funds without proper accountability.
“The PAP office cannot be an exception of the execution of the government’s policy on BVN designed to eradicate corruption in the society,” he said.
Otuaro further warned that individuals attempting to use blackmail to force the programme to abandon the BVN policy would not be entertained.
“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,” he added.
The administrator alleged that some of his critics were unhappy because the reforms have denied them opportunities to secure inflated contracts and access funds through practices his administration had discontinued.
He insisted that resources allocated to the amnesty programme must be directed towards the educational, vocational and economic empowerment of Niger Delta youths, rather than meeting the demands of individuals seeking personal benefits.
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Scholarships, aviation and maritime training
Beyond defending the BVN policy, Otuaro used the statement to highlight some of the achievements recorded under his administration, particularly in education, skills acquisition and employment opportunities for beneficiaries.
He disclosed that the programme has awarded 13,300 onshore scholarships and more than 500 offshore scholarships to beneficiaries, while also distributing laptops to support their academic activities.
He also said his administration has sustained the prompt payment of monthly stipends to ex-agitators, describing the commitment as part of efforts to maintain stability and support the reintegration of beneficiaries.
In the aviation sector, Otuaro disclosed that four cadet pilots and 20 other aviation trainees had secured employment after completing their training.
He added that 40 cadets were currently undergoing on-the-job training, providing them with opportunities to gain practical industry experience.
The PAP administrator also highlighted developments in the maritime sector, revealing that 98 maritime cadets had obtained professional certifications.
According to him, the programme has equally trained more than 360 stakeholders in alternative dispute resolution and mediation as part of efforts to strengthen conflict management and peace-building across the Niger Delta.
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