PAP trains 500 Niger Delta Ex-agitators on vocational skills

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Presidential Amnesty Programme has trained about 500 beneficiaries in various vocations and crafts such agriculture, logistics management, wielding and fabrication, oil and gas, oil spill clean up and remediation among others.

Out of this number, 110 of them were trained in modern farming techniques at the Krisdera Agro Allied farms in Omoku, Rivers State, while about 200 were trained and got certified at SUNU Logistics Ltd training centre, with 145 obtaining basic and advance certificates in Oil spill clean up after being trained at Giolee Global Resources Limited in Port Harcourt.

The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rted) said this while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to continuously expose Niger Delta ex-agitators under the programme to various forms of training in order to enable them to develop the capacity for greater productivity and self-reliance.

According to a statement by Special Assistant on Media to the Interim administrator, Thomas Peretu, the PAP boss, who cited manpower development as essential to the amnesty Programme’s successful implementation, states that the PAP will keep looking into opportunities for collaboration and partnership with relevant public and private institutions to meet the beneficiaries’ training needs in line with the Programme’s goals.

The amnesty boss commended the graduates in his message of goodwill to PAP beneficiaries who recently received their diplomas from a variety of vocational training programmes held in three locations in Rivers State.

The training was designed to give the graduates the knowledge and skills they need to take full control of their lives after the amnesty Programme.

Ndiomu who was represented at the graduation ceremonies by some principal officers of the PAP, including Mr. Wilfred Musa, Head of Reintegration, Mr. Freston Akpor, Special Adviser on Special Duties to the interim administrator and Mr. Amazuo Bereprebofa, Head of call centre, said he has since assumption of office in September, 2022 opened conversations with the heads of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to seek employment opportunities for ex-agitators who have been trained under the Programme.

In addition to assuring them that the Federal Government is still committed to their welfare and wellbeing, he urged the beneficiaries to maintain their positive disposition toward the PAP and urged them to keep striving to build on the successes of the amnesty programme.