January 21, (THEWILL) – The attention of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has been drawn to content trending on various social media platforms, with a rumoured outright cancellation of the scholarship scheme.
A press statement signed by Freston Akpor, SA, Media to Presidential Amnesty Programme, said 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 emphasised that the Presidential Amnesty Programme scholarship scheme has temporarily been placed on hold, due to financial constraints occasioned 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), was 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 the award of fresh scholarships without an adequate restructuring of its current debts and effectively planning with available resources vis-a-vis intended new programs.
The PAP under its current leadership recognises 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 opportunities are made available to beneficiaries of the programme.
About the Author
