By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Up to 400 fake or duplicate names have been discovered by the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) which pays N65,000 monthly to former Niger Delta militants in the deal the Umar Yar’Adua administration stuck to appease the region.
PAP Interim Administrator Milland Dikio is investigating the authenticity of more than 3,000 bank accounts into which the money was paid.
Dikio’s Media Adviser Neotaobase Egbe said a preliminary probe revealed that some bank accounts bear fake or duplicate names which were used to siphon funds meant for genuine former rebels, per reporting by The Nation.
“Immediately the investigation was ordered, the amnesty office stopped the stipends of the accounts undergoing probe. It is the right to do.
“I can tell you that some of the accounts had been cleared and their owners will receive their stipends. But there will be deeper probe to discover the identities of persons receiving monies through identified fake accounts,” Egbe explained.
He said Dikio is determined to clean up the system to ensure that the resources of PAP are spent on real and verifiable former rebels, not on impostors.
He alleged that some “angry contractors” are funding propaganda against Dikio because he resisted their pressure on him to pay them for jobs not done.
“Investigations revealed that contractors within PAP office were not delivering their jobs in accordance with their terms of contracts.
“These contractors want to be paid for laptops that were not supplied and others who supplied, delivered counterfeit products.”
Egbe reiterated that Dikio is determined to reform the system and no amount of propaganda would stop him.
Some former agitators corroborated the claims, describing those behind the blackmail against Dikio as disgruntled impersonators who were getting money voted for the genuine beneficiaries of the programme.
They said the blackmailers padded the amnesty payroll with false or duplicate names discovered in the probe ordered by Dikio to sanitise the system.
Magada Victor, a prominent member of the formerly dreaded Camp Five headed by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tomplo, gave an insight into the identities of those waging war against Dikio.
He said the names of some original PAP beneficiaries were replaced in 2009 and their stipends diverted into the accounts of those not qualified for the scheme.
Victor recounted that “when we surrendered and disarmed, a list of those who surrendered were compiled and computed into the system.
“At the point where we surrendered, the place was crowded. People jumped in from the fence and used our names to thumbprint.
“When we got to the point of biometrics, they told us we had already registered. People impersonated us and registered with our names. We were surprised and refused to go without being registered.
“I am not the only one whose stipends have been hijacked. We are many that suffered this fate. We are 15 or more in my group. Those that have been siphoning our money are currently staging the protest against the Dikio leadership.”
