The Guardian (Nigeria)

Auditors uncover payroll fraud in PAP

- From Julius Osahon, Yenagoa

Spayments, insisting that the TRATEGIC new management of PAP is Communicat­ion poised to reposition the Committee ( SCC) of the scheme for optimum perPreside­ntial Amnesty formance.

Programme ( PAP) has disDumale said following the clos ed that external and developmen­t, the Interim internal auditors recently Administra­tor, Maj.- Gen. uncovered payroll fraud in Barry Ndiomu ( rtd), immedithe amnesty office. ately initiated verificati­on of Speaking at the weekend in all beneficiar­ies of the proYenagoa, Bayelsa State, the gramme as part of the ongoSCC, led by its Chairman and ing investigat­ion. ex- agitator, Nature Dumale He explained that the audit Kieghe, said it was discov - and efforts of Ndiomu to ered that an individual was clean the payroll was the reareceivi­ng stipends of 33 person some beneficiar­ies of the sons through fraudulent programme had yet to means. receive their monthly

He also said about 513 perstipend­s, adding that all sons were linked to multiple affected and genuine outstandin­g stipends would be paid after verificati­ons. Describing Ndiomu’s efforts as proactive, Dumale said upon assumption of office, the amnesty boss renegotiat­ed all existing contracts with vendors and in the process saved N1.5bn for PAP.

He said: “Ndiomu initiated internal and external audit of PAP’S database. The auditors uncovered monumental fraud, especially in the payment of stipends where an individual is receiving stipends meant for 33 persons through fraudulent means.

“The proactive interim administra­tor has ordered immediate verificati­on of all delegates to be carried out next week. Delegates are to be rest assured that whoever that is verified will be paid immediatel­y.”

Dumale said Ndiomu had concluded plans to set up cooperativ­es to be managed by ex- agitators and supervised by consultant­s and experts in grant management.

He noted that five months after his appointmen­t, Ndiomu had replaced the Train, Employ and Mentor ( TEM) model with the Train, Empower and Exit ( TEE) to allow empowered beneficiar­ies to exit the programme.

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