We Are Ready For Any Probe Not Blackmail – Presidential Amnesty Office

The Presidential Amnesty Office has said the department was ready for probe of its activities, but vowed that it would not succumbed to blackmail from anyone.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja obtained by BigPen Online on Sunday, in which the Media Head of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Owei Lakemfa reacted to calls for probe of the amnesty office by some groups.

The statement read: ” The attention of the presidential amnesty office has been drawn to a group demanding a probe of its activities. As a public institution answerable to the public, the Office is obliged to give account of its activities.

“So in itself, there is nothing wrong with a probe. Also, a probe does not mean guilt; it is merely an inquiry to find out if any infraction has been committed. It is like a man under-going a routine medical check-up which does not necessarily mean he is sick.

“If in truth this group wants a probe, it ordinarily would wait for the response of the authorities it has petitioned and the outcome of the probe.

“To proceed to call for so-called protests in and outside the country until the leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme is replaced, is to pronounce guilt even before any investigation is carried out or the officials are given any chance to respond to the load of unsubstantiated claims.

“This is against the laws of natural justice, our national and international laws and ethics which give every human being the fundamental right to defend himself before a competent authority or court of law.

“This exposes the under belly of the probe demand as being far from altruistic; it is an indication that a hatchet job is under way. Unfortunately, there is a growing culture of some persons mainly from the South -South of the country playing on blackmail to get by or get contracts; this will not work with the Presidential Amnesty Programme. It is no more business as usual.

“Also, despite the blackmail, the Office stands by its decision that those on the Amnesty scholarship in tertiary institutions would not be entitled to be paid stipends along with their monthly In-Training-Allowance as this amounts to double payment.

“The Presidential Amnesty Programme is a professional and security interventionist agency designed to bring peace, stability and development to the Niger Delta and has so far succeeded in its primary mandate; it is therefore unpatriotic to seek to politicize it. It is indeed a security programme not a political one and the leadership of the Programme under Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd) the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Programme has strived and has so far succeeded in shielding it away from partisan politics.

“As we know, the Federal Budget was passed about midyear, which led to long delays in payment of stipends, school fees ,projects and In-training-Allowance,  but through pain staking reach out programmes, meetings, explanations and support by all and sundry,  the Boroh leadership has been able to  maintain continuous peace in the Niger Delta.”