PAP to Nigerians: Beware of fraudsters — we don’t demand money for vocational training

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) says Nigerians should be wary of persons demanding money for vocational skills training and scholarships in the name of the office.

In a statement issued on Thursday, PAP said the trend started in the wake of a dialogue between Niger Delta stakeholders and former militants.

The dialogue, which took place on Tuesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, was hosted by Gift Johnbull, the senior special assistant to the president on community engagement, south-south.

PAP said that due to the event, some persons were collecting money from “unsuspecting victims” under the guise of providing vocational training and empowerment benefits.

The amnesty programme dissociated itself from the dialogue, adding that some of its officials have been impersonated to deceive Nigerians.

“This clarification becomes necessary due to the misconception in some quarters that the PAP office was involved in the event,” Igoniko Oduma, the special assistant on media to the PAP administrator, said.

“We are concerned that based on the event, some persons are impersonating the PAP Office and collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public with a fake promise they will be engaged in vocational skills training and other empowerment opportunities in return.

“The PAP administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, advises PAP delegates of Phases One, Two and Three as well as beneficiaries to, in their own interest, stay away from activities that are not officially sanctioned by the Office.

“The PAP Office does not demand money from potential beneficiaries for enrollment in its vocational, educational scholarship and post-training initiatives.”

Otuaro called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those involved in the alleged scam.

“The administrator is urging security agencies to apprehend and prosecute those using the name of the PAP Office to engage in fraudulent activities. The public should count the PAP office out of such pay-for-engagement activities,” the statement added.