The Presidential Amnesty Office, led by General Barry Ndiomu, is facing strong indications of massive fraud, leading stakeholders to demand a thorough investigation. Insiders within the office have sounded the alarm about the alarming mismanagement of funds under the current leadership.
The concerned stakeholders are urging anti-graft agencies, including the National Security Adviser, to scrutinize the utilization of the monthly N5.4 billion allocation to the office. They allege that certain members of the Interim Administrator’s team are receiving exorbitant amounts as welfare, with heads of departments receiving between N10 and N15 million.
Whistleblowers within the organization are reportedly facing victimization for raising concerns about financial matters. On the other hand, retired officers willing to overlook financial impropriety are being given prominent positions within the agency.
There are also reports of bureaucratic interference, as the appointment of a new Director of administration was hindered by the leadership of the Amnesty office. The functions of the Administration department were allegedly transferred to a new department called “Head of Human Resources,” staffed by individuals from non-mainstream civil service backgrounds.
The sources claim that the office deducts N500 million monthly for a suspicious cooperative system, prompting calls for a federal government investigation.
Workers expressing concern over the office’s management have allegedly been replaced by newly employed individuals, and there are concerns that the Amnesty Office has lost its significance under Ndiomu, as it has been stripped of its key roles in the Niger Delta region.
Ndiomu’s decisions, such as halting fresh student deployments for the scholarship program and discontinuing training or empowerment programs for delegates in the region, have also raised serious concerns about the office’s effectiveness and relevance.
It should be noted that shortly before the end of the Buhari administration, the then National Security Adviser, Gen Monguno, attempted to shut down the program, but faced resistance from the leaders and people of the Niger Delta. When Barry Ndiomu assumed his position, he initially aimed to wind down the program, but regional tensions and complexities made an abrupt end to the program unfeasible.
