₦115bn PAP Puzzle: Students Still Wait For Allowances, Delegates Remain Angry—“Where Is The Money Going?” Apostle Daniel Challenges Otuaro: Who Is Accountable?
by Passman Akpos
The leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has come under renewed criticism following a blistering assessment by Apostle Ezekiel Daniel, who accused the programme’s current Administrator, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, of failing to translate increased government funding into meaningful improvements in the lives of PAP delegates.
Daniel questioned how PAP funding could reportedly rise from about ₦65 billion to ₦115 billion while beneficiaries continue to raise concerns over stipends, education, training, empowerment and other aspects of the programme.
His comments come as fresh concerns are also being raised over alleged delays in the payment of educational allowances to PAP scholarship beneficiaries across Nigerian universities.
The official PAP website continues to identify Otuaro as the Administrator and has published several activities under his leadership in 2026, including the deployment of scholarship beneficiaries to universities in Nigeria and abroad.
Daniel therefore directed his criticism at the current administration of PAP, arguing that the true measure of its performance should be the impact beneficiaries can see in their daily lives.
«“From ₦65 billion to ₦115 billion, the question remains: where is the change for the people?” Daniel asked.»
The Apostle further claimed that he personally advocated for increased funding after Otuaro allegedly complained about inadequate resources.
According to him, the additional funding should have produced improved delegate welfare, stronger educational support, expanded skills acquisition and sustainable empowerment.
Fresh Questions Over Scholarship Allowances
The controversy has been further complicated by allegations that PAP scholarship beneficiaries in different Nigerian universities have gone for months without receiving their In-House Training Allowances.
Tarakirivoice previously reported complaints from students who alleged that prolonged payment delays had created serious difficulties involving feeding, transportation and other basic academic needs.
After a document dated September 8, 2026, began circulating, purportedly signed by PAP Head of Education Dr. Charles Ariye and stating that payment arrangements could be ready from December 2026, Tarakirivoice contacted Ariye directly.
Asked whether the document originated from him, Ariye responded:
«“Not at all.”»
Consequently, Tarakirivoice cannot authenticate the circulating document or treat its December 2026 payment projection as an official PAP position.
However, the fact that the Head of Education was contacted over the document—and the continuing allegations by students regarding unpaid allowances—raises fresh questions that PAP may need to clarify publicly.
The Bigger Accountability Question
With Otuaro still serving as PAP Administrator, Daniel’s criticism places the focus squarely on the current leadership and its management of the programme’s resources.
The central question is no longer simply how much money PAP receives.
It is whether delegates and scholarship beneficiaries are actually experiencing the benefits of that funding.
For critics, a programme created to rehabilitate, reintegrate and empower Niger Delta youths cannot be judged solely by budget figures, official announcements or the number of students deployed.
Its success, they argue, must ultimately be measured by whether beneficiaries receive their entitlements on time and whether PAP funding produces sustainable improvements in their lives.
For Otuaro and the PAP leadership, the growing controversy presents a straightforward challenge: explain where the money is going, explain the delays, and show the beneficiaries where the promised change is.
