The Presidential Amnesty Office has welcomed the probe of its activities,but objects to the follow-up blackmail of the supervising officers, the leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and their families.
A statement made available to TheNiche by
its Head, Media, Owei Lakemfa, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, said as a public institution answerable to the public, it is obliged to give account of its activities.
its Head, Media, Owei Lakemfa, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, said as a public institution answerable to the public, it is obliged to give account of its activities.
Reacting to a group demanding a probe of its activities and a call for its replacement,it added: “If in truth this group wants a probe, it ordinarily would wait for the response of the authorities it has petitioned and the outcome of the probe. To proceed to call for so-called protests in and outside the country until the leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme is replaced, is to pronounce guilt even before any investigation is carried out or the officials are given any chance to respond to the load of unsubstantiated claims.”
This, Lakemfa said, is against the laws of natural justice, our national and international laws and ethics which give every human being the fundamental right to defend himself before a competent authority or court of law.
“This exposes the under belly of the probe demand as being far from altruistic; it is an indication that a hatchet job is underway.
“Unfortunately, there is a growing culture of some persons mainly from the South South of the country plying on blackmail to get by or get contracts; this will not work with the Presidential Amnesty Programme. It is no more business as usual.
“Also, despite the blackmail, the Office stands by its decision that those on the Amnesty scholarship in tertiary institutions would not be entitled to be paid stipends along with their monthly In-Training-Allowance as this amounts to double payment.”
According to the statement, the Programme is indeed a security programme not a political one, and the leadership of the Programme under Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd), the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Programme has made efforts and has so far succeeded in shielding it away from partisan politics.
“As we know, the Federal Budget was passed about mid-year, which led to long delays in payment of stipends, school fees ,projects and In-training-Allowance, but through painstaking reach-out programmes, meetings, explanations and support by all and sundry, the Boroh leadership has been able to maintain continuous peace in the Niger Delta.
“The Presidential Amnesty Programme is fundamentally on course and we appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to give the Programme the needed support to sustain the peace in the Niger Delta Region. Peace is expensive and therefore requires sustainability,” the statement added.