Special Adviser on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Kingsley Kuku

By Chinedu Eze

Special Adviser on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has said the post-amnesty programme, of the Federal Government had put an end to the orgy of violence in the region, as the people had embraced peace through the various education programmes, which had helped to fortify them intellectually.

Kuku said part of the intellectual struggle was the take over of the many jobs in the oil and service companies, which were carried out by expatriates, promising that with the on-going training and skill acquisition of the youths, they would be well positioned to take over the highly technical jobs.

Kuku made this known at a farewell ceremony organised for 82 former militants, who left for Israel and Philippines at the weekend for training in agriculture, pipeline welding and underwater welding.

The ex-militants, now called delegates, were assured that through government's local content Act and the existing opening in the their areas of planned specialisation, there would be jobs waiting for them by the time they finished the training.

Out of the 82 delegates, 32 headed for Israel, for skill acquisition in modern agriculture, while the other set of 50 headed for the Philippines for pipeline welding and underwater welding.

This departure of former militants brings the number of delegates sent overseas for training to 1,438.
Speaking to the delegates headed for Isreal, Managing Director of ONIDA Develop-ment Limited, Kidron Israel, who is one of the trainers, advised them on their conduct in Israel.

He told the delegates that Israel was a long way ahead of Nigeria, in terms of agricultural development and the skill acquired at the Galilee Institute, would put the delegates on the pedestal to improve agriculture in the country.