From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd), has said that completion and activation of all vocational training centers across the Niger Delta region, would usher in the mandate of the scheme.
Ndiomu stated this on Wednesday in an interview with a television station in Abuja.
Ndiomu, who insisted that the PAP had served its purpose, said there were some areas that have not reached its full potential, especially the completion of Vocational Training Centers.
“If we are able to complete these centers, we can now domicile training of restive youths in the region. One of the things I have been doing since I came on board, is to source for funds to complete these projects,” he said.
He lamented the long-standing complaint by International Oil Companies (IOCs) that youths in the region lack requisite industry skills for employment, a narrative, the PAP is working hard to change, he said.
General Ndiomu charged state governments in the region complement the efforts of PAP and other interventionist agencies like the NDDC and NCDMB in the region in creating opportunities for young people.
Responding to questions on possible threats from splinter former agitators in the Niger Delta region, he reiterated that as at the time of disarmament, not all armed groups agreed to lay down their arms, thus, the PAP was “solely” set up to cater those who embraced Amnesty.
He added that the PAP Cooperative Fund, unlike other similar initiatives in the past, was strategically set up to drive sustainability of livelihoods, and had been carefully handed over to professional consultants to guide and mentor beneficiaries to ensure success.