Students under the scholarship of the
Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have asked the National Assembly to
consider an upward review of the N20 billion 2016 budgetary allocation
for the scheme, because of an “enormous work that needs to be done.”
A communique issued after a meeting of
“UK returnee Students nand solidarity from other students in some
private institutions in Nigeria, under the sponsorship of the
Presidential Amnesty Programme,” said the 2016 budgetary provision for
PAP may not be sufficient for the fiscal year.
“We feel uncomfortable with the
budgetary provision of 20 billion naira for the Amnesty Programme, for
this fiscal year. Though, it could be argued that due to the declining
revenue profile of the Nigerian state as a result of the steady fall of
the price of oil in the global market, may have informed the reasoning.
“However, we feel strongly that if the
present government that anchors its philosophy on the ‘change mantra’
wants the programme to achieve its set objectives, there is a need for
an upward review of the current allocation to the Amnesty office,” the
students argued.
They asked the National Assembly to do
the needful, adding that doing so will go a long way, in assisting the
Amnesty Office to discharge its responsibilities effectively,
“especially in light of the region’s consistent and continuous
contribution to the common wealth of the nation.”
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