Port Harcourt—The Presidential Amnesty Programme PAP has denied allegations of corruption and fraud in the disbursement of funds to its cooperative.
According to a statement by the spokesman to the Interim Administrator of PAP, Freston Akpor, one Friday Iko Iko had among other issues alleged that some members of staff in the office are receiving huge amounts for welfare ranging between 10-15 million naira as monthly running cost.
Akpor in the statement sternly denied the allegations, insisting that “the monies mentioned are clearly a figment of the imagination of the newsmaker who intends to use the media to achieve malicious ends only known to him.”
He described the claims as a baseless and calculated attempt to commence another round of a smear campaign against the Interim Administrator—retired Major General Barry Ndiomu and his dedicated management team.
He advised the media not to allow phoney personalities to use their platforms to spread mischief, warning that they could be in for litigations as a result.
While he further maintained that the PAP under Ndiomu has been forthright in discharging its mandate as a national security programme, the spokesman urged security agencies to apprehend those he said are spreading false stories to disturb the peace of the region.
“The PAP has conducted a background check on the purported newsmaker and has found no person of note with that name or identity.
“The media is therefore advised to be circumspect in allowing personalities bearing pseudonyms to use their platforms to broadcast or publish such mischief as they (media houses) could be in the crosshair of possible litigations”
“As a national security programme, the PAP under General Ndiomu has been ethical and above board in discharging its mandate of ensuring peace and stability in the Niger Delta region.
“The PAP, therefore, wishes to call on the security agencies to arrest those spreading falsehood to undermine the peace in the region. The PAP will also not hesitate to bring charges against those who employ such falsehood to defame the chief executive and hardworking staff of the Programme,” he said.
