By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has urged the general public to disregard the list of Beneficiaries for the Youth Internship Scheme describing it as false.

The commission said the certain lists circulating in the social media, purportedly representing selected beneficiaries of the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the commission’s Director, corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama and made available to News Express.

According to statement, the fraudsters spreading false information about the youth internship scheme are also demanding personal information and payment of an acceptance fee.

It reads: “Please, note that the NDDC does not require any fees or payments for the placement of qualified youths in its internship programme.

“We wish to clarify that no such list has been collated, approved or released and any claim to the contrary is false. Those who registered for the scheme should note that the process of selection is on-going.

“The final list of beneficiaries will be drawn from the NDDC’s official database and only those that were duly registered between August 5, 2024, when the registration was formally launched and August 31, 2024, when it closed, will be considered.

“We advise members of the public, especially our youths who are eagerly waiting for the completion of the selection process, to ignore any unauthorised list and seek information only from the NDDC official channels.

“We assure all our stakeholders that we remain committed to transparency and fairness in all our activities, including our youth empowerment programmes.

“It is indeed disconcerting that some mischievous individuals are trying to take advantage of our youths who are seeking ways of being gainfully engaged in legitimate activities. In the light of this unfortunate development, we urge our youths to be wary of these scammers.

“For inquiries about our empowerment programmes, please contact us directly through our official channels. We also encourage beneficiaries of our programmes to verify facts on the NDDC’s official website: [www.nddc.gov.ng] and social media handles.”