In a statement, Head, Media and Communication, Mr. Daniel Alabra said the exercise purported to be for those that underwent the demobilization exercise in Obubra, Cross River State, but were yet to be deployed for vocational or educational training was done without knowledge of the office, noting that the beneficiaries were reportedly asked to surrender the certificates received at Obubra and their identity cards.
“The so-called verification exercise was however conducted without the knowledge of the Amnesty Office and the Special Adviser to the President/Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. The office did not also authorize the conduct of any verification exercise of beneficiaries or delegates on its behalf. We therefore dissociate ourselves and the office from the conduct of that exercise”, he said.
Alabra explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the illegal exercise was conducted by a perennially disgruntled leader of the former agitators in Bayelsa State, whose motive is yet to be ascertained.
He assured all beneficiaries, particularly those that are yet to be deployed, that there is no reason to be unnecessarily apprehensive as everything was being done to fulfil the mandate of the programme and that no genuine beneficiary will be left out at the end of the scheme.
