•••We Are Not Owning Fees In Any Institution

The Presidential Amnesty Programme has said that it is not owing school fees of 5000 students of Itsekiri extraction in Novena University, Ogume, Delta State.

The PAP, in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mr Igoniko Oduma,
Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, stated that the agency is not owing fees in Novena or any institution within or outside the country.

The agency was reacting to claims by the so-called Office of the Sole Representative of His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri to NNPCL, that the Amnesty Programme is “indebted” to Novena University concerning “all Itsekiri students” who graduated from the institution purportedly under the programme’s scholarship scheme.

The monarch’s agent, Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, made a curious claim in a statement that the alleged liability made the Olu’s palace to announce an intervention to settle the “outstanding tuition and clearance fees” of all the affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena.

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But PAP said that there were no records in Novena University and the Amnesty Office concerning award of scholarship to the 5000 Itsekiri students of the institution.

PAP explained in the statement that the report of an inquiry into the issue by previous heads of the agency revealed that the 5000 Itsekiri indigenes were sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 without the involvement of the agency.

It added that it was not conceivable for the PAP to take responsibility for the students who were not deployed by the agency.

The statement reads, “The management of PAP wishes to state unequivocally that it is not owing Novena university any tuition fees on account of the said Itsekiri graduates and any claim to the contrary is totally false, baseless, and represents an attempt to stand truth on its head.

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“PAP wishes to say also that it is not owing tuition fees in any institution within or outside the country.

“To set the records straight, it is necessary to inform the public that the affected Itsekiri graduates were a subject of a formal investigation launched by a previous PAP leadership into allegations of scholarship admission racketeering under the programme’s formal education at Novena. Three other partnering universities were also investigated.

“The report of the inquiry showed that the affected Itsekiri graduates constituted a list of 5000 Itsekiri indigenes that was sent to the management of Novena university by the Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) in 2017 purporting them to be PAP scholarship beneficiaries.

“The investigation revealed that the list in question did not emanate from the PAP, and did not also have any authorization or approval of the Amnesty Programme office. Therefore, the affected Itsekiri indigenes could not have been deemed to be beneficiaries of the PAP scholarship scheme.

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“Additionally, the inquiry also revealed that there was no correspondence between the PAP and Novena university indicating that the PAP approved the purported list of 5000 Itsekiri students to be deployed to the institution.

“The investigative committee, during its work, met with the INYC president and the secretary, as well as principal officers of Novena university led by its Vice-Chancellor who could not produce any documentation between the PAP and the institution on the affected Itsekiri graduates.

“At the end of the exercise, the PAP duly informed the management of Novena university that the Amnesty Programme office would not bear any liability for the affected students. Doing so would have amounted to encouraging sharp practices.

“Therefore, the PAP could not have accepted responsibility and obligation where it had none. The affected Itsekiri graduates of Novena university that the Olu’s palace is intervening for, were never beneficiaries of the amnesty programme’s scholarship.

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“All the PAP administrations that preceded the current one headed by the Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, had seen the official report of the investigation and they respected the incontrovertible truth so established.

“Thankfully, Dr Otuaro has expanded the PAP scholarship scheme in order to create more access to higher education for ex-agitators and beneficiaries, and aggressively bridge the human capital development gap in the Niger Delta.

“His noble reforms and initiatives to ensure that the PAP renders efficient service to the people of the Niger Delta have been applauded in official quarters, as well as by all well-meaning individuals and organisations.

“Dr Otuaro remains unwaveringly committed to deepening the implementation of the programme’s mandate, especially through his policy of inclusivity, to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for the Niger Delta.”

Edo State Government has denied allegations that it has five percent shares in Ossiomo Power, an indigenous electricity generation and distribution firm.

The government, while stating that Ossiomo Power was a private firm, clarified that it was one of its customers just like any other individuals.

Ossiomo Power had been shut down since September 1st due to ownership tussle between the Nigeria partners and the Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC).

It generates 95MW of electricity which it supplied to government buildings, Edo government house, Edo NUJ secretariat, private organisations, streetlights amongst others.

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Already, 115 subscribers of Ossiomo Power have indicated interest to switch back to Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting with Ossiomo Power subscribers, Director General of the Edo State Electrification Agency, Saturday Omozokpea Egbadon, said available records showed the state has no shares in Ossiomo Power.

Egbadon said 80 percent of state government facilities have been migrated to a dedicated line provided by the BEDC.

He said management of Ossiomo Power was yet to officially inform the state government about troubles in the firm.

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Egbadon insisted that the state government provided the 11kva lines Ossiomo subscribers were connected to.

According to him, “We cannot keep the state like that. We have to act quickly. Ossiomo did not consult the state government. We did not play any role in their crisis. We are just their customers. We were told the state government has shares in Ossiomo but records showed that we are their customers. We don’t have any five percent shares. They are using our facility. We pay over N2m monthly to vend.

“Before this crisis, we have given Ossiomo licence to operate in Edo Central. It is between him and the Chinese partners.”

The Delta State Government has sealed six unapproved primary schools in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state

The schools were sealed for failing to comply with registration requirements mandated by the state.

The enforcement action followed a monitoring visit on Monday by a team from the Ministry of Primary Education, led by the Commissioner, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu.

The visit was part of ongoing efforts to ensure all private schools operating in the state meet regulatory standards.

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The affected schools include Splendour Care Nursery and Primary School, Immortal Dominion Academy, Glorious Height Nursery and Primary School, Magnified Mercy Nursery and Primary, CossyJully Academy, and Ducams Schools.

According to Dr. Ashibogwu, the institutions were found to be operating without official government approval and offering unauthorised educational programmes.

“The ministry has sent warnings on several occasions to all unregistered primary schools across the state to do the needful. This decision is not meant to witch-hunt anybody, but for the academic well-being of our dear children”, the commissioner stated.

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He further emphasised that the closures would remain in effect until the affected schools obtain proper approval from the Ministry of Primary Education.

The commissioner reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding the quality of education in Delta State and urged school proprietors to comply with all regulatory guidelines to avoid future sanctions.

The exercise is part of a broader statewide campaign aimed at sanitising the education sector and ensuring that only properly licensed schools are allowed to operate.