Amnesty Programme Reintegrates 13,000 Ex Militants

Amnesty Programme Reintegrates 13,000 Ex Militants

James Sowole in Akure

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Prof Charles Dokubo has said that over 13,000 ex agitators in the Nger Delta have been fully reintegrated into the society by the federal government.

Dokubo disclosed this at the inauguration of the vocational training centre built by the Presidential Amnesty Programme in Agadagba-Obon in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The special adviser said the vocational centre being inaugurated would train 100 ex-agitators to acquire skills in five areas that are mostly related to oil industry.

According to him, the centre would train ex-agitators in mechatronics, drilling technology, instrumentation and control and two other areas.

Dokubo that many of the ex agitators that had been integrated were already doing well in the society.

The special adviser, who declared that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to the development of the Niger/Delta Region, said vocational centres was also being built in four other states of the region.

The four other states that would soon have the vocational centres are Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers and Delta states.

He said the vocational training would partner with the Petroleum

Training Institute located in Effurun, Delta State, while the National

Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), would award certificate for graduates of the institute.

Dokubo sais he training programme would also deepen peace, safety and security in the region and the country at large.

In his remarks, Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu said the

Amnesty programme has transformed the Niger/Delta region in the area of capacity building.

Akeredolu who was represented by his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi said the Federal Government has through the amnesty programme increased the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as militants no longer engage in asbunkering and vandalization of petroleum pipelines.

He appealed to the federal government to engage more youths,

especially ex agitators in the Niger/Delta region in its amnesty

programme, as according to him many of them are yet to benefit from

the programme.

Akeredolu commended the initiative of late President Umar Musa Yar ‘Adua by introducing the amnesty programme, which has been able to check restiveness in the region.

Related Articles