The Nigeria House of Representatives Wednesday resolved to call for an investigation into the activities of the presidential amnesty office in order to ensure accountability and
efficiency of the programme.
This resolution was followed by a motion sponsored by Hon. Abubakr Chika Adamu (Niger State) who lamented that the budget of the presidential amnesty programme office which ranges from 60 to 70 billion naira annually has been shrouded in secrecy in terms of implementation towards achieving the core objectives of the programme.
He said “the House is disturbed that the allegations of corruption and ineptitude have always bedeviled the Amnesty programme since its inception, resulting in hitches in the Implementation of the programme, especially the non-payment of outstanding allowances to the ex-militants running into billions of naira”.
The house also expressed worry over the presidential amnesty programme office being enmeshed in several allegations of financial impropriety and other acts that are allegedly detrimental to the aim of the Programme.
Olawale Raji (Lagos State),Hon. Daniel Reyenieju(Delta State) among other contributors to the motion were disturbed that the non-payment of tuition fees of ex-agitators schooling abroad has resulted in Embassies and schools throwing out the students despite billions of naira being allocated to cater for the programme annually.
They advised that proper investigation be conducted into the activities of the programme to bring about sanity.
The house however mandated the committee on Niger-Delta Ministry to carry out a comprehensive probe into the management of the funds allocated to the office from inception to date and asses the Impacts of the programme on the ex-agitators.
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, few days ago relieved the coordinator of the programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh of his duties on the grounds of allegations of mismanagement of funds.
