Amnesty: FG commended for huge Investments on development of Niger Delta Youths

By Piriye Kiyaramo

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo has lauded the federal government for its significant human capital investment in the Niger Delta region in the last four years through implementation of sustainable reintegration component of the amnesty program aimed at restoring peace and security to the Niger Delta region.

Prof. Dokubo, who was represented by his senior reintegration officer, Mr. Eghe Ogbodu from the Post Training and Empowerment unit of the Amnesty office, at the closing ceremony of a one week refresher course on welding and electrical installation for sixty eight ex-agitators at Canewood hotel, Warri Delta State, noted that human capital development was an essential determinant of economic growth, pointing out that the disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation programme has helped in contributing immensely to the peaceful transition of ex-agitators from militancy to civil life through various academic and vocational skills trainings which enabled them to gain employment in various facets of the Nigerian economy, which ultimately resulted in the restoration of peace and security to the region and the Nigerian polity.

According to the Amnesty boss, vocational training improves productivity as well as enhances efficiency of labour for better participation in economic development, reiterating that the skills acquired by participants of the refresher course will help them to become self reliant and also assist them in their peaceful reintegration back into their communities under an atmosphere of peace and stability.

“This refresher course underscores the goal of the Presidential Amnesty programme, which is to restore and sustain peace, security and stability in the Niger Delta region.

“The fact that the Nigerian economy is dependent mainly on oil, further heightens the need for a peaceful and stable Niger Delta as significant number of the multinational oil corporations with multiple oil fields and oil wells operate in this region.

“Particularly, education geared towards addressing conflict is vital for economic growth and development. Researchers believe education can help secure and sustain peace in post conflict environments.

‘This means, the focus of peace building is not only to stop the violence, but to also put in place mechanisms that address the underlying social, economic, or political factors to sustain peace. The goal of the amnesty programme was to address the underlying factors that brought about the Niger Delta crisis”, he noted.

In his remarks, Head of Presidential Vocational Training Centre, Boro town, Orubiri, Jude Gbaboyor Akpodubakaye, who commended Prof. Charles Dokubo for his vision of building human capital among the youth in region, noted that the Amnesty Programme was introduced by late former President Musa Shehu Yara’Dua to tackle the human capital development problems in the region to achieve socio-economic development, sustainable peace and stability.

He emphasized that “this is especially important as various vocational trainings, skill acquisition and formal education provided to delegates in the programme is premised on the belief that the education, trainings, and skills acquired will turn the ex-agitators away from engaging militancy and help them become productive citizens in their various communities and the country in general.

This, will, ultimately, help bring about peace in the region and increased economic activities both in the region and the nation”.

Mr. Akpodubakaye asked the delegates to think outside the academic box and make the most of their lives by exploring other skills which could help them gain extra income.

Earlier the facilitator of the training, on behalf of three vendors, Karl-Kani Engineering & Energy limited, Muzarab Business Services Limited and Fragani Nig. Limited, Mr. OmidjiGodday Oghenenyore, while giving brief about the refresher course explained that three vendors were contracted to empower sixty eight delegates in welding and fabrication and electrical installation, saying that the course which lasted for one week was hitch-free.

He commended the course participant for their show of maturity and understanding while the training lasted; just as he assured them of quick empowerment package from the Amnesty office to enable them do their businesses as entrepreneurs, with a view to becoming self-reliant and employers of labour in due course.

Speaking on behalf of the course participants, Mr. Okotie Blessing Omas, Lubi Fidelis and Maika Victor, thanked President Muhammendu Buhari and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo for their abiding fate in Niger Delta youth.

The delegates for welding and fabrication were taken through course content which included; introduction to welding, welding processes (arc, gas, resistance energy beam and solid state welding). They were also exposed to geometry, quality, heat, glass and plastic welding, in addition to safety principles, entrepreneurship, business management and lectures on attitudinal change.

While delegates for electrical installation were taken through a course content that included; introduction, subfields, power, control, electronics, microelectronics and nanoelectronics, signal processing, telecommunications, instrumentation, electrical measurements, advances in engineering graphics, equipment, installation, cases/categories of building wiring, factors and types of wiring.

Outside their core skill areas, delegates were also exposed to entrepreneurship and business management principles in addition to lectures that bother on behavioural change delivered by seasoned resource persons drawn the corporate world.

Resource persons at the training programme include a human resource management expert, Dr. Ighoro Alexander and a Public Relations consultant, Piriye Kiyaramo among others.

Highpoint of the closing ceremony was the issuance of certificates to course participants by the representative of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Eghe Ogbodu, who is also a senior reintegration officer from the Post Training and Empowerment unit of the Amnesty office, Abuja.