Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has affirmed that findings that will emanate from the ongoing investigation into multiple accounts of ex-agitaors linked to one BVN, will determine the fate of protesting beneficiaries.
Seting the records straight on Tuesday while addressing journalists, Mr. Freston Akpor, Media Aide to the PAP Interim Administrator, disclosed that all names of those involved in the BVN fraud have been forwarded to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for investigation.
The Amnesty Office also blamed bank officials for colluding with these ex-agitaors to aid the “financial crime”.
“So investigation is ongoing and honestly, I must tell you there is nothing the Presidential Amnesty Programme can do now over this matter until the investigation is concluded and then the ONSA will take a decision on what to do.
“This is a financial crime that is why the ONSA is investigating the matter. The policy is one name, one BVN. But in a situation where you have more than 30 names linked to one BVN, it becomes an issue.
“We discovered that 513 names were linked to 1370 accounts. And these are the people who have cases to answer. As it stands those who are protesting are the people who fall within those who have multiple accounts linked to their BVN,” Freston explained.
On the purported “gentleman agreement” with leaders of the ex-agitaors to receive monies in bulk to pay the boys, he said “it is these same boys, so-called beneficiaries, who have also come to complain that when the money is collected by this so-called leaders, the money doesn’t trickle down to them”.
A handful of ex-agitaors on Tuesday gathered at the premises of the National Assembly to express angst over the stoppage of their monthly N65,000 stipends, which the PAP office said was necessitated by the issues surrounding BVNs.
