54 Students Fly To UK, Others Beg For Food: Amnesty Scholarship Scheme Faces Fresh Backlash

By Passman Akpos

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has come under renewed public scrutiny after announcing the departure of another 54 postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries to the United Kingdom, even as students studying in Nigerian institutions continue to raise concerns over months of unpaid allowances.

The latest development has triggered questions about the priorities of the programme under its Administrator, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, particularly following an official PAP memo acknowledging that some students are owed allowances for as many as six or nine months.

In a notice dated September 8, 2026 and signed by Charles Ariye, Head of Education, Presidential Amnesty Programme, the office acknowledged “the concerns of students regarding the delay in the payment of their outstanding allowances,” stating that in some cases the arrears had extended to six or nine months.

The memo further stated that payment arrangements were anticipated to be ready from December 2026, subject to the completion of Federal Government processes.

That disclosure has intensified anger among beneficiaries and observers who are questioning how students already enrolled in Nigerian universities are expected to survive for several more months without their outstanding allowances.

Hungry Students, New UK Deployments

The controversy became sharper on September 12 after PAP announced that 54 postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries had departed Nigeria for the United Kingdom.

According to the programme’s media statement, the students are part of 150 beneficiaries who underwent pre-departure orientation in August, bringing the number of offshore postgraduate scholarship deployments for 2026 to 243.

The students are expected to study courses including software engineering, cybersecurity, global public health, oil and gas engineering, law, fintech analytics, construction engineering management, forensic audit and data science analytics.

PAP said the deployments reflected what it described as the unprecedented support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the programme.

But while the UK-bound beneficiaries were being celebrated, the announcement immediately reopened an uncomfortable question:

What about the students already inside Nigeria who are reportedly waiting months for money meant to keep them in school?

For some beneficiaries, the issue is no longer simply about scholarship opportunities. It is about feeding, accommodation, transportation, learning materials and the ability to remain enrolled.

Tarakirivoice recently monitored concerns from Amnesty students at the Federal University Otuoke and other institutions over the hardship allegedly caused by delayed allowances.

One account described some beneficiaries as being pushed into desperate circumstances because parents and guardians, believing that PAP was supporting their children, had reduced or stopped financial assistance.

The allegation that some students have contemplated abandoning their studies because of hunger has further raised questions about whether the programme’s educational intervention is achieving its stated objective.

‘Why Send More Students Abroad When Existing Beneficiaries Are Owed?’

The latest UK deployment has therefore created an uncomfortable contrast.

On one side are students receiving international postgraduate opportunities.

On the other are beneficiaries reportedly waiting six, nine or even more months for outstanding allowances.

That contradiction has become a major talking point among Niger Delta youths.

One commentator, Fred Awi, questioned why the programme could continue deploying students abroad while existing beneficiaries allegedly remained unpaid.

Another commenter, Itari S. Mie, lamented what he described as a system in which “the true persons who fought for the struggle” are allegedly not benefiting sufficiently from its opportunities.

A further comment questioned whether offshore opportunities were disproportionately benefiting Gbaramatu Kingdom, asking why some beneficiaries appeared to be travelling abroad while others were left to struggle within Nigerian institutions.

These comments are opinions expressed by members of the public and are not independently established facts by Tarakirivoice.

Perela Attacks Otuaro Over PAP Priorities

Apostle Daniel Ezekiel Perela, a critic of the PAP administration, has gone further, accusing Otuaro of prioritising politically connected activities and new deployments over the welfare of existing beneficiaries.

Perela alleged that PAP funds had been used for various activities while students remained unpaid.

He also questioned why, following the increase in the PAP budget from ₦65 billion to ₦115 billion, beneficiaries were still allegedly receiving a monthly stipend of ₦65,000.

His central question was blunt:

“What is he doing with the money?”

Perela also alleged that PAP resources were being diverted towards political activities and accused the administration of favouritism in the implementation of the programme.

Those allegations have not been independently established by Tarakirivoice, and PAP officials have the opportunity to respond to them.

The Memo That Changed The Conversation

The September 8 PAP memo is particularly significant because it provides an official acknowledgement that delayed student payments exist.

Rather than dismissing the issue as propaganda, the document expressly recognises that some students have experienced delays of six or nine months.

PAP attributed the delay to “pending processes and funding arrangements at the Federal Government level” and urged beneficiaries to remain calm.

The proposed December 2026 payment timeline, however, means some affected students may have to wait several additional months.

For students already struggling to eat, pay transport fares, buy academic materials or meet accommodation expenses, that waiting period could be devastating.

Is PAP Expanding Before Fixing Existing Problems?

The fundamental question now confronting the Amnesty leadership is not whether Nigerian youths deserve international education.

They do.

The question is whether PAP should continue announcing fresh deployments while existing beneficiaries remain burdened by substantial payment arrears.

A scholarship is more than an admission letter.

For a student from a financially vulnerable background, the allowance attached to the scholarship may determine whether that student can actually remain in school.

Sending another group abroad may therefore be celebrated as an achievement, but it cannot erase the hardship allegedly being experienced by beneficiaries already enrolled in Nigerian institutions.

‘People Who Are Not Amnesty Beneficiaries Are Benefiting’

Some reactions to the UK deployment have also centred on the question of eligibility.

One commenter alleged that people who were not original Amnesty beneficiaries were being given opportunities ahead of recognised beneficiaries.

Another asked why “people who are not beneficiaries” were allegedly being sent abroad while existing beneficiaries remained without adequate support.

These claims require documentary verification.

PAP should therefore publish the criteria used to select the 243 offshore postgraduate beneficiaries deployed in 2026.

The programme should also make public, where legally permissible, sufficient information to allow stakeholders to understand the selection process, including beneficiaries’ programme of study and relevant eligibility categories.

Transparency would help answer the questions now spreading across the Niger Delta.

The Bigger Question For Otuaro

Dr. Dennis Otuaro has repeatedly presented education as one of the major pillars of his administration.

PAP’s latest statement similarly described education as a vehicle for the socio-economic advancement, peace and stability of the Niger Delta.

But that philosophy now faces a practical test.

Can an education programme genuinely empower young people if beneficiaries are left waiting months for the financial support attached to their scholarships?

And can PAP claim success from sending students abroad while students within Nigeria allegedly struggle to remain in classrooms because of unpaid allowances?

These are questions the PAP leadership cannot simply wish away.

The programme owes beneficiaries not only opportunities but accountability.

If funding delays are caused by Federal Government processes, PAP should clearly explain what has been done to resolve them.

If there are administrative bottlenecks, beneficiaries deserve to know.

If there are funding constraints, the figures should be made public.

And if allegations of selective scholarship opportunities are false, PAP should publish enough information to conclusively dispel them.

From Hope To Frustration?

The Presidential Amnesty Programme was created as an intervention aimed at addressing the grievances and socio-economic challenges of the Niger Delta.

For many young people, its educational scheme represents one of the few opportunities capable of transforming their lives.

That is precisely why prolonged payment delays are so serious.

The danger is not merely that a student becomes financially uncomfortable.

The greater danger is that a young person who has finally secured an opportunity to change his or her life could be forced out of school by circumstances beyond their control.

The UK scholarship announcement may be good news for the 54 students who have departed.

But for the students allegedly waiting months for their allowances, it raises an entirely different question:

If PAP can find a way to send another batch abroad, when will it find a way to pay those already struggling at home?

Until PAP provides convincing answers, the widening gap between high-profile international scholarship announcements and the reported hardship of existing beneficiaries will continue to fuel suspicion, anger and debate across the Niger Delta.