Former Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, has called on the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd), to breathe new life into and finalize all vocational training centres in the Niger Delta region.
Kuku, who previously chaired the PAP under the Jonathan administration, highlighted the dire need to restore the vandalised vocational training centre in Kaiama, Kolokuma Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, which was destroyed by hoodlums in 2019.
During a courtesy visit to the Presidential Amnesty Office in Abuja, Kuku emphasized the significance of reviving the facility, stressing its potential to not only provide training for ex-agitators but also to serve as an advanced training centre for universities in the region.
He commended the late President Umar Yar’Adua, ex-Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, and incumbent President Bola Tinubu for establishing and sustaining the programme.
Addressing the partisan attacks against Ndiomu, Kuku urged the interim administrator to remain resolute in his efforts to transform lives in the Niger Delta, affirming that although he might face criticism now, his impact will be appreciated in the future.
Moreover, Kuku lauded the Aviation Resuscitation Programme for pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, acknowledging the career opportunities it will provide for the beneficiaries.
He expressed his satisfaction with Ndiomu’s commitment to the Niger Delta and pledged his unwavering support for sustaining the gains of the amnesty programme.
In his response, Ndiomu credited Kuku for his contributions to the enormous number of graduates under the amnesty scheme, despite the financial challenges inherited by his administration.
Regarding the Amnesty Programme’s unfulfilled objectives, Ndiomu proposed a potential transition of the scheme into a “social investment agency” to directly impact the lives of youths in the region. He also voiced his concern about the vandalisation of the Kaiama Vocational Training Centre in Bayelsa and announced that the vocational training centre in Agadagba-Obon in Ondo State will be named after Kuku once completed.
The Amnesty Office additionally revealed that 106 out of over 800 beneficiaries have received training and certification in various digital skills through its collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and over 600 are presently enrolled in different digital courses.
