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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The Presidential Amnesty Programme has dissociated itself from a purported ‘demobilisation exercise’ being bandied in the Niger Delta by “unscrupulous elements who are going about collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public for pipeline surveillance and other vocational trades.”
A statement signed by Mr Igoniko Oduma, the special assistant on Media to the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, on Tuesday, said the clarification became necessary after the agency was inundated with inquiries from concerned stakeholders over the said exercise.
It stated that the PAP under the leadership of Otuaro does not collect money or solicit favours from Niger Deltans in order for them to become beneficiaries of its educational scholarship scheme and vocational training programmes.
The agency urged members of the public to be vigilant and report such characters to security agencies so that they are apprehended for prosecution.
The statement read, “It has come to the attention of the Presidential Amnesty Programme that some unscrupulous elements are going about collecting money from unsuspecting Niger Deltans for a purported demobilisation exercise by the PAP Office.
“These unpatriotic elements claim that the PAP Office will use the demobilisation exercise to recruit people for training in pipeline surveillance and other vocational trades.
“Our findings show that these dishonest persons have deceived their targets into believing that the exercise will take place at designated centres in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Ondo states etc.
“The PAP office states categorically that it is not organising or carrying out any demobilisation exercise in any part of the Niger Delta.
“The presidential amnesty office does not collect money or solicit favours from Niger Deltans to be beneficiaries of its educational scholarship scheme and vocational training programmes.
“The office therefore advises the youths and indeed the people of the Niger Delta not to fall victim to the criminal activities of these unpatriotic characters. No Niger Deltan should be hoodwinked into taking part in the criminal enterprise.
“The PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, frowns at the brazen attempt by these unpatriotic characters to tarnish the image of the office with their fraudulent activities.
“The PAP helmsman urges security agencies to arrest and prosecute those involved in the fake demobilisation programme to serve as deterrent to others.”