From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has explained the reason behind the delay in payment of N65,000 monthly stipends to some beneficiaries of the programme.
Dikio while explaining the development in a statement signed yesterday, by his Special Assistant on Media, Nneotaobase Egbe, however, reiterated the commitment of the PAP to ensure genuine beneficiaries received their monthly stipends regularly and timely.
He said PAP has commenced an in-depth investigation into many complaints and petitions it received over the years from ex-agitators and other stakeholders on allegations of fraudulent conversions of beneficiaries’ names and other irregularities.
Dikio said the investigations became necessary to correct identified anomalies and cleanse the system.
He clarified that the ongoing verification led to a number of irregular payments as stipends meant for some names under investigation had to be suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
He assured that the genuine beneficiaries affected by the ongoing probe would surely receive their stipends.
Dikio explained that contrary to reports, only the stipends of a few beneficiaries were affected by the investigations.
He urged the beneficiaries to remember that their stipends had always been paid on time, even before the 25th of every month in fulfillment of the promise he made to them when he assumed office.
The amnesty boss said that the development did not warrant any kind of protests or disturbance of the peace and urged the beneficiaries to shelve any plan for such action.
He directed all affected delegates to write to the office, specifying their names, phone numbers, Bank Verification Number (BVN), United Nations Code (UNCODE) and camps.
He said they should also attach their bank statements, amnesty identification card, amnesty certificate and current passport photograph to the letters.
Dikio said the applications should be sent to [email protected], adding that a physical verification team would be in the region shortly to authenticate their data, assuring them that their BVNs would not be made public.
Dikio reassured delegates that PAP was committed to keeping them the focus of the scheme with the aim of transforming them into contributors of the economy in line with the best standard of practice for reintegration.
He urged them to continue to support the programme and work together to make the Niger Delta the preferred place to live and do business.