The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) says it is investigating multiple accounts linked to BVN.
Freston Akpor, the Special Adviser on media to Maj-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd), interim administrator of PAP, said this when the Coalition of Niger – Delta Ex-Agitators took their protest over the non-payment of over six months allowance to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The protesters who also said many of their wives had deserted them over their inability to cater for them. They added that many of their children had dropped out of school because they could no longer pay for their school fees.
The protesters who stormed the gate of the National Assembly, as early as 7:30 am on Tuesday carried various placards with the inscriptions.
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Addressing journalists at the National Assembly gate, leader of the group Passman Akpus who is also the secretary of Ex Agitators Bayelsa Phase two, said all they want is their N65,000. monthly stipends and that Ndiomu should be relieved of his post if he fails to pay their entitlement.
Meanwhile reacting to the protest, Akpor said they were presently investigating multiple accounts linked to BVN by some of the beneficiaries, adding that the protesters should be patient until the investigation is completed.
He said the Amnesty programme has gone through many phases before the coming of Maj-Gen Ndiomu, but since 2009, the figure has remained thirty thousand ex Agitators.
According to him, when the new Interim Administrator assumed office, he called for a review and the Data department was mandated to carry out a sanitisation exercise.
“So people were asked to submit their BVN and we created a special portal for that, their account and the camp they belong to.”
“We had problems with the BVN issue, we had a situation where we had multiple accounts linked to one BVN. At times more than 30 accounts linked to one BVN. In the process what we have now is 19000 plus, ex agitators.
“Those protesting are part of the problem, they are those whose multiple accounts are linked to one BVN. This is a criminal case, a financial crime, the issue has been reported to the office of the NSA and it is been investigated. Investigation is ongoing and until it is completed nothing can be done.
“The protesters should exercise patience, when investigation is completed we will know the way forward.”