The leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has expressed a strong commitment to completing and activating all vocational training centers across the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
This, according to the Amnesty Office, is to help the Programme reach its full potential and ensure the sustainability of beneficiaries’ livelihoods.
The Interim Administrator of the PAP, retired Major General Barry Ndiomu stated this on Wednesday while speaking to newsmen in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Ndiomu who insisted that the Amnesty Programme has served its purpose, said there are some areas that have not reached their 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.”
Ndiomu further lamented the long-standing complaint by International Oil Companies (IOCs) that youths in the region lack the requisite industry skills for employment, a narrative, the PAP is working hard to change, he said.
He charged state governments in the region to complement the efforts of PAP and other interventionist agencies like the NDDC and NCDMB in creating opportunities for young people.
Responding to questions on possible threats from splinter ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region, Ndiomu reiterated that at the time of disarmament, not all armed groups agreed to lay down their arms, thus, the PAP was “solely” set up to cater to those who embraced amnesty.
He added that the PAP Cooperative Fund, unlike other similar initiatives in the past, is strategically set up to drive sustainability of livelihoods, and has been carefully handed over to professional consultants to guide and mentor beneficiaries to ensure success.
