The Senate on Thursday directed the Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun to release the balance of the sum of N15 Billion in the 2016 Appropriation Act for the funding of the amnesty programme.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly mandated its committee on Niger Delta to investigate the circumstances leading to funding constraints besetting the amnesty programme with a view to avoiding re-occurrence and report back within two weeks. They also mandated the committee to investigate the alleged cases of exemption in all the states concerned.
The development followed a motion sponsored by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. The lawmaker noted with serious concern the monumental challenges facing the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) due to paucity of funds to run the programme arising from delayed and staggered release of funds from the 2016 Appropriation Act by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
He said the situation is already threatening the well-conceived amnesty programme of the Federal Government as the Amnesty office is finding it extremely difficult to meet its obligation to its workers and beneficiaries of the amnesty programme. “The Amnesty Programme was conceived by the Federal Government of Nigeria to stem the tide of disaffection, agitation and militancy in the Niger Delta Area, which resulted in loss of lives, properties and oil revenue and the result of the programme has been quite encouraging,” Nwaoboshi said.
He expressed worried that funds appropriated for the programme have been depreciating steadily, leading to adverse impact on the operation of the programme.He noted that tension is already building up in the Niger Delta region.
“Worried also that 30,000 beneficiary of N65,000:00 monthly allowance are being owed 5 months in arrears and on the education programme (onshore) the debt to Universities in the country is N1,873,044,700:00 in addition to the backlog of unpaid in-training allowance amounting to N830,500:00. While educational programme (offshore) is suffering, the same fate as unpaid in-training allowance for 750 students between 2016 and 2017 amounted to US$4,200,000:00 and unpaid tuition fee for 350 students amounting to US$17,500,000:00,” Nwaoboshi added.
Nwaoboshi observed that 70% of the 637 students in various institutions in 27 countries who are expected to graduate at the end of 2016/2017 academic year may not be able to do so for non-payment of tuition fees.
“Currently more than 80% have been excluded from their studies and the tuition fees are not promptly settled. This may lead to their repeat of the whole academic year. About 100 graduates are currently stranded in the United States of America, Malaysia, United Kingdom and South Africa, awaiting their October 2016 to January 2017 allowances to enable them settle their bills and return to Nigeria,” he said.
The Lawmaker further stated that students in United Kingdom have plans to protest at the Nigeria High Commission any moment from now over non-payment of the tuition fees and allowances by Amnesty office and if the protest is carried out, it will definitely bring Nigeria to ridicule and opprobrium before the comity of nations.
