From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The effort of the Federal Government to rehabilitate some ex-Niger Delta militants through skill acquisition under the Presidential Amnesty Programme has continued to yield useful dividends at Innoson Kiara Academy in Nnewi, Anambra State where another batch of about 200 of the ex-agitators graduated recently.
Innoson Kiara Academy is a technical and vocational institution established by an international consulting firm in partnership with Innoson Group of Companies.
The graduands had been trained in auto mechanic, auto welding and fabrication, auto painting and spraying, among other areas that have to do with automobile production.
Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd) at the event said the programme since its inception in 2010 had succeeded in training and engaging beneficiaries of the programme in diverse skills.
“Having gained skills in automobile manufacturing and maintenance, it is important you know that the automobile industry is a large employer of labour in many advanced countries and a major contributor to the economy. There are so many lucrative opportunities for all of you to excel. The industry is constantly evolving to improve efficiency and production of vehicular goods that consumers need in a highly competitive market,” Boroh said.
He explained that the amnesty programme was currently at the re-integration phase where the delegates were expected to use their skills and initiatives to better the lots of the nation.
He said he knew that the delegates had learnt practical skills, adding that their character had been further developed while undergoing the training.
Boroh also told the graduands that the Nigerian automobile industry had been in existence for more than 30 years, pointing out that with the current efforts of the present administration to revamp the the automobile industry, lots of opportunities abound for them.
He said that their engagement in Innoson Group of Companies was a wonderful tool for the country.
He charged them to face with confidence every challenge that they might encounter, knowing that they had achieved a worthwhile goal and had been equipped with the necessary tools to handle every challenge they would come across.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the academy, Mr Endi Ezengwa said it was a blessing for the Innoson Group to have opened its gate for the trainees when so many companies approached did not show interest.
He described Nnewi as a blessed community with the largest concentration of billionaires per square kilometer East of the Niger.
He told the graduands that as they had been trained in Nnewi they should get the spirit of Innoson, the spirit of Chicason, the Ibetos and other flourishing business moguls who had contributed and are still contributing in no small measure to the economic development of Nigeria.
Result from the academy showed that out of the 200 trainees, 195 had distinctions, four credits and one could not make it. Certificates were presented to the successful graduands by Boroh.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of a book written by one the graduands, Mr Koleji Efe Robinson.
The book, which is entitled: “The Niger Delta Agitations: Issues Arising,” made a comprehensive analysis of the agitations in the Niger Delta region over the past 60 years, the amnesty programme, its advantages and challenges, among other interesting readings.