The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has firmly rejected claims that it is responsible for the tuition fees of 5,000 Itsekiri graduates from Novena University in Delta State.
The agency stated it is not owing any fees to the university or any other educational institution.
This declaration came in response to allegations made by a representative of the Olu of Warri’s palace, which suggested the amnesty programme was indebted to the university.
The palace had announced its own intervention to settle the purported outstanding fees for the affected graduates.
The PAP, however, has called these claims “totally false and baseless,” stating they represent “an attempt to stand truth on its head.” The agency clarified that an official investigation into the matter was launched by a previous administration. This inquiry found that the list of 5,000 Itsekiri indigenes was sent to the university management in 2017 by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) without the PAP’s involvement.
“The report of the inquiry showed that the affected Itsekiri graduates constituted a list that was sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 purporting them to be PAP scholarship beneficiaries,” the statement read. It was confirmed that the list “did not emanate from the PAP, and did not also have any authorization or approval of the Amnesty Programme office.”
The investigation committee met with leaders from both the INYC and Novena University, who were unable to provide any documentation proving the PAP had approved the students for its scholarship scheme. Consequently, the university was informed that the programme would not bear any liability, as “doing so would have amounted to encouraging sharp practices.”
The statement concluded that all previous heads of the agency had respected the findings of the report. The current PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, was praised for expanding the legitimate scholarship scheme to benefit ex-agitators in the Niger Delta, ensuring the programme fulfils its mandate under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Amnesty Office emphasised that its records are clear and that it remains committed to its genuine beneficiaries, firmly distancing itself from any financial obligation towards the students in question.
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