Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Brigadier General Paul Boroh, has said about 14,366 former agitators have been trained.
Boroh spoke at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, yesterday.
He explained that their capacities had also been developed in the areas of agriculture, automobile engineering, aviation sector while we are also looking at the sports sector.
“As we speak, we have trained well over 5,000 persons in the area of education capacity development and we have trained well over 22,000 others in the area of skills acquisitions and entrepreneurship development.”
He added that since the inception of the programme, it had granted amnesty to 30,000 former agitators of the Niger Delta as well as pronouncement of their engagement to capacity development.
General Boroh said between now and December 17, its organisation would continue to graduate more former agitators, who have benefitted from the scheme.
According to the coordinator, the amnesty education programme was winding down and there was need to graduate more of the beneficiaries.
He said the role of education in a national development cannot be over emphasised and added that education was a pivotal investment for human and economic development, influenced by the environment within which it existed.
Boroh said the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was aware of the need for youths to have a specific set of skills to survive in the competitive world to progress.
The presidential aide said the beneficiaries, who were now graduates, were aware of the socio-economic scenario of the nation and could help in moving the region and the nation forward.
According to him, the beneficiaries could now contribute towards nation-building which required a democratic society that allowed the contribution of all, rich or poor.
“From now till December 17, you will be hearing of graduations because we are winding down and positively for that matter as well as empowerment.
“We are using government institutions, we think the resources we spent in this programme will be better utilised within the country.
“That is why we are using government-owned institutions instead of institutions abroad, this is our focus.
“Right now, we have trained about 14,366 former agitators in the programme and their capacities have also been developed in the areas of agriculture, automobile engineering, aviation sector and then we are also looking at the sports sector,” he said.
He said other areas included skill acquisitions, entrepreneurship and educational development. Boroh stressed the need to sustain the peace in the Niger Delta toward ensuring infrastructure development.
He said the existence of peace was not negotiable as it would only bring development in infrastructure projects among others in the region. The presidential aide praised the current administration for bringing infrastructure development as well as peace to the people of the region.
He said the economic impact that infrastructure improvement had on nation building could not be over-emphasised.
According to the coordinator, the growth of any country’s economy hugely depended on the status of its infrastructure.
The presidential aide added that the dearth of needed infrastructure in a given society placed serious limitation on human capital development, while the PAP had been able to ensure stability and development of the people.
“The programme is one of the pivotal institutions in country responsible for ensuring peace, stability and development of the Niger Delta.
“We thank Mr. President for ensuring that his commitment which he said during his campaign has come to bear.
“He ensured that the Niger Delta region is of concern to him and that he would do all he can with support also from other people to make sure the region is peaceful, is stable and then there will be development.
“Peace is expensive to achieve and then to attain, it is difficult to calculate one plus one mathematically to get an exact figure that has been spent in this amnesty programme.
“But importantly, there is peace in the region now, people go about their business, they are happy,’’ he said.
Boroh, however, reiterated the commitment of the government in ensuring lasting peace in the area.

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