N3.8bn suit: Amnesty Office disowns list of empowerment beneficiaries

The Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, has disowned list of over 1,200 beneficiaries purportedly empowered with starter packs and items in the ongoing suits at two Federal High Courts in Abuja, over request for payment of N3.8 billion to 15 companies over alleged unexecuted contracts with links to the vandalised N60 billion Presidential Amnesty Programme Training Complex in Boro-Town, Kaiama, Bayelsa State.

According to the Amnesty Office, the list which was tendered in evidence by the 15 companies, and which contained names of alleged beneficiaries from states of the Niger Delta region, were fake and cannot be authenticated.

PAP’s Office, in a letter replying the request from a law firm, Messrs. Folurunsho Aweda and Associates under the Freedom of Information Act 2011, with reference number FAA/AMN/ABJ/MISC/29/8/22 and dated August 29, 2022, argued that after going through the lists of names of beneficiaries as tendered by the 15 companies in connection with the distribution of empowerment items, “the acknowledge stamp shown on the lists of beneficiaries forwarded by your law firm for authentication differ from the standard stamp used by PAP to receive documents from vendors.”

The letter disowning the lists submitted by the 15 companies, by the Principal Officer on behalf of the Interim Administration, CO MPI Captain (Nigerian Navy) and dated September 8, 2022, added: “Additionally, it was further observed that the character “OSAPND” that appeared on the stamped list of beneficiaries forwarded by your law firm does not match the character on PAP stamp used by the registry unit during the same period (2019).

“There is no written evidence acknowledging the documents on all lists of beneficiaries submitted by your firm. Please note that a written acknowledgement is a standard documentation process in PAP.

In the light of the above findings, PAP hereby states that the list of beneficiaries forwarded by Messrs. Folurunsho Aweda and Associates did not originate from the PAP as claimed. Hence, PAP cannot take responsibility for the lists.”

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