Training Of 6166 Ex-Militants To Begin In December

The rehabilitation training for the remaining 6166 ex-militants will commence at the Obubra camp in December 2011.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman Presidential Amnesty Committee, Kingsley Kuku, made this known in Calabar when he paid a courtesy call on the Cross River State governor, Senator Liyel Imkoe.

Kuku, who said he was on a thank you tour, commended the state for accepting to host the programme which commenced on 5 June, 2010, stating that so far, 20,192 ex-militants have graduated from its phase one while 6166 will undergo training in phase two.

He disclosed that the programme has not recorded any death neither has it received any external assistance from donor agencies which makes it a “made in Nigeria” product, adding that the Presidency sent its gratitude to the people of the state especially the Obubra people for being a good host to the programme which was earlier rejected by other states, saying that the “hospitality is Cross River-like”.

The Special Adviser said though activities commenced at the camp without standard infrastructure coupled with the conflict which led to the ex-militants leaving the camp, they were well received when they returned while expressing that he came to thank the state for providing them a house where there was none.”

According to him with the completion of the phase one of the training programme, the original owner of the camp, NYSC, can use it for its orientation programme for the next batch of corp members in November before the commencement of the second phase in December, saying that the Presidency will hand it back to the State Government at the end of the programme while promising to assist the state in its programme to transform youths.

Governor Imoke on his part said when the move to establish a camp for the training of ex-militants was mooted by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he did not know, neither was his consent sought.

He said he had to support the siting of the camp in the state when the decision was put across because he was humble and had to accept though there were options, addting that the success of the programme has ensured peace in the Niger Delta region.

According to the governor, the success of the programme has erased the impact of militancy in the Niger Delta and that the credit must go to its operators as thousands had passed through it while giving credit to Hon Kuku who had been involved in militancy affairs before the setting up of the amnesty committee.

The Governor averred that the level of economic growth and development in the Niger Delta is unquantifiable and that though the camp was not located in Bayelsa or River states but in Cross River State still shows that it is located within the Niger Delta because it was a role the people could play to bring peace to the region, adding that the programme attracts commendation because it has not received any support from donor agencies.

By Emma Una/Calabar