Ignore Frivolous Claims That Accounts Of 3,000 PAP Beneficiaries Were Suspended

…Says ex-agitators cleared of multiple accounts scam have been paid

National Leader of the Third Phase of Ex-Agitators, Comrade Tonye Bobo, has described as frivolous and fraudulent, claims by some ex-agitators that 3,000 delegates under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) were suspended.

In a statement made available to journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State over the weekend, Bobo posited that the claims were being made by criminally minded agitators and their collaborators to cause disaffection and paint the leadership of the PAP in bad light.

He explained that as members of the Strategic Communication Committee (STRATCOM), of the PAP, they have been duly carried along in all issues that affects ex-agitators, and as such, the report of suspension of beneficiaries is false.

According to Bobo, accounts on the PAP payment list were suspended in November 2022, following a verification exercise carried out on the list by professional third party verifiers.

He explained that a host of irregularities were uncovered as a result of the exercise, and amongst the irregularities was the discovery that 513 beneficiaries had 1,370 accounts linked to their BVNs.

“To address these issues and sanitize the payment list, the PAP set up a portal for delegates to key into and feed in the details required by the portal.

“So far, 1163 delegates have been cleared from the portal and their stipends paid in full from November 2022 to date. Another portal has also been designed for delegates who have multiple accounts linked to their BVNs. The delegates are to choose just one of their numerous accounts on the payment list and link this one account to their BVNs on the portal.

“The name on the chosen account should also correspond to the name on the BVN. Of this category, 194 of the 513 involved have so far been cleared and their arrears also paid in full from November 2022 till date.

“It is unfortunate that a disgruntled group of delegates are allowing themselves to be used in trying to subvert the good intentions of the PAP under Maj-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd).

“Today, PAP can boast of sanitized payment list, one that is far more decent and in tune with international best standards than what this present administration met,” Bobo said.