The management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme ( PAP) says the scholarship scheme is ongoing and not cancelled as reports in the social media suggest.
PAP in a statement signed its Special Adviser on Media, Freston Akpor described the report as mere rumours saying there was no time the Agency announced cancellation of the scheme.
It recalled an earlier statement in January which announced the temporary suspension of the scholarship scheme due to financial constraints and said it would be illogical on its part to award fresh scholarships without sorting out its current challenges.
“The attention of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has been drawn to contents trending on various social media platforms with a rumored outright cancellation of the scholarship scheme.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PAP had not at any time announced the cancellation of the ongoing scholarship scheme to eligible beneficiaries.
“According to an official statement issued by the PAP on 06/01/2023 which clearly emphasized that the Presidential Amnesty Programme scholarship scheme has temporarily been placed on hold due to financial contraints ocassioned by the huge debt profile associated with the Formal Education component of the programme.
“Evidently, the recent award of scholarships (not by the present management) were done without recourse to proper budgetary considerations and efficient financial planning thus having an adverse effect on PAP’s current budgetary needs.
“It will therefore defy any logical reasoning on the part of the office to commence award of fresh scholarships without adequately restructuring of it’s current debts and effectively planing with available resources vis-a-vis intended new programs.
“The PAP under it’s current leadership recognizes and acknowledges the importance of education and capacity building to the growth and development of the Niger Delta and will therefore not relent in doing everything possible to ensure that formal education opportunities are made available to beneficiaries of the Programme.
