Charles Dokubo, Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, says his major focus at the moment is to train ex-militants in the Niger Delta that would position them for sustainable jobs and not just rely on the N65,000 federal government stipends which are not sustainable.
This is as he appealed to the international organisations, agencies and oil companies to assist in the reintegration project so that the ex-combatants will be fully empowered and engaged in gainful endeavours.
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“Militancy in the Niger Delta is not purely a Nigerian affair because it affects international oil companies directly,” Dokubo stressed, as he addressed the press on progress so far since his assumption of office in March last year.
The government had evolved the Amnesty programme around the willingness and readiness of the militants to surrender their arms and unconditionally, renounce militancy and sign an undertaking to this effect. And in return, the government pledged its commitment to institute programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate ex-militants under a structured Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) programme.
Dokubo said as at the time he took over as the Special Adviser to the President and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program, the programme was at its Reintegration Phase – pivoted on training; education and knowledge; vocational and skills acquisition.
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But his predecessors had only focused on education and training without recourse given to empowerment and job placement, according to available details.
“I injected new thinking which is all about the introduction of job placement programmes, micro-credit, cooperatives, business support, monitoring and evaluation.
“What informed my thought is the fact that for the programme to achieve its objectives, the Niger-Delta youths do not only need be taught to do through training and education, but they should be assisted to rediscover their potentialities and further made to be self-reliant, as this will keep the youths engaged,” he said.
He said since taking over, the number of ex-militants that have graduated has increased geometrically to over 20, 000.
Available data also indicate that on his watch, about 3, 243 persons are presently undergoing training while 5, 578 are at the same time awaiting training.
With regards to education, a breakdown shows that of 2,577 persons are in school right now, 1,060 persons are studying in not less than 10 universities (both private and government) locally, while 1,517 are studying abroad in over 50 universities spread across Europe, Asia, Africa and Americas.
Dokubo frowned at a situation where militants just sit back and collect N65,000 stipends from the government without considering that such doles are just not sustainable.
His words, “Although I am from the Niger Delta, I am also concerned about this concept of paying people N65,000 without doing anything.
“Our people are now used to accepting doles for doing nothing, some people if you find a job that pays say N50,000, they will not take and they forget they can rise on the job and be better off tomorrow.
“I want to carry out a policy of reorganization, indoctrination, to make them realize that amnesty is a short term project and will not last forever. That is the view of our people and I want to change that.”
He is further concerned that the Niger Delta region is not making the best out of the benefits from the government.
“No part of the country has more agencies of government than the Niger Delta and if you cannot make the best of it, we will be blamed.
“Let the people be trained, but beyond that, I have set up a job placement centre so that those who are trained can be absorbed.”
Also under his watch, a total of 18,602 received vocational training in specialised courses. This is the breakdown: agriculture, 2,265; automobile mechanics, 1,171; welding/fabrication 4,686; entrepreneurship, 2,074; carpentry, plumbing & pipe fitting, 402; electrical installation/maintenance, 714; Information and Communications Technology-ICT, 401; Crane/heavy duty operations, 1,536; health safety & environment-HSE, 249; music/fashion/entertainment/
Also, at the moment, 237 are receiving specialised vocational training, 217 in vocational/skills acquisition in Nigeria, and, 20 undergoing specialised training Aviation training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology-NCAT.
Dokubu said his office is at the moment, working on setting up in collaboration with the different state governments Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) in different fields. Two of these Centres are already commissioned. The oil and gas training Centre in Agadaba-Obon, Ondo State and the Basic Skills Training Centre in Kaiama in Bayelsa State.
He said his office has already signed an MOU with a Greek company to train the amnesty participants on commercial and coordinated fish farming business and be equipped.
“We are training and we are putting people into jobs and I believe that in my second year, that will be completed and we will put more people into jobs so that the figures can reduce.
“This means that if you have been given training and a job, you have to exit the programme. That is my plan.
The Amnesty boss explained that PAP is doing all this knowing that knowledge and education are key factors to the full and effective participation of youths in the processes of social, economic and political development.
“What education does to the youth is that it gives them the knowledge, capacities, skills and ethical values needed to fulfil their role as agents of development, good governance, social inclusion, tolerance and peace.
“We recognise the fact that greater focus on universal access to education, quality education, human rights education and learning is key for young people to be able to address their aspirations and challenges, fulfil their potential, and influence current and future social and economic conditions and opportunities.”
Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja
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