KUKU CALLS FOR ESTABLIHMENT OF 3 TRAINING CENTRES FOR FORMER MILLITANTS IN N/DELTA

The Presidential Amnesty Office on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government to establish three basic training centres in Niger Delta for former militants to reduce capital flight.
Mr Kingsley Kuku, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, made this call in Abuja when Mr Oluseyi Onafowokan, the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Kuku urged the Federal Government to expand its ambit of operations to set up at least three basic skill training centres for the former militants in the country.
He said that although the establishment of such centres was not part of the office’s mandate, but if the former militants were trained in the country, a lot of funds would be saved.
 ``The establishment of skill training centres is not part of our mandate. We don’t have that mandate as it operates now.
``However, it is one of the prayers we are making to President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly, where they can expand our ambit of operations by giving the amnesty office the power to set up at least three basic skill training centres in the region.’’
Kuku, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, said that if the Federal Government expanded its ambit of operations, the office would establish three basic training centres namely oil and gas and marine, basic skills and construction skill centres.
 ``It is our prayer to put these three centres in place in the Niger Delta. Most of the trainings that we are taking to some countries are resulting to capital flight and can be done in this country.
``It will keep the fund in Nigeria and a lot of Nigerians will be engaged. It will also bring back labour within our economy. This is what we are praying for.
``Again, in the 2013 budget, we are praying that we should be allowed to establish the centres instead of taking people abroad for training,’’ Kuku said.
The amnesty boss said that since the commencement of the amnesty programme in 2009, 393 former militants had graduated from various training institutions in Ghana.
They graduated from courses ranging from welding and fabrication, agriculture and fish farming, crane operation, maritime and drilling technology.
He said that currently, 383 of the former militants were  receiving training in Ghana.
Onafowokan said that the visit was to express the high commission’s support to the amnesty office and see how the amnesty programme would work for the betterment of the country.
The high commissioner commended the Federal Government for the continuity of the amnesty programme, saying, ``the idea will rejuvenate the whole Niger Delta and the Nigerian youths from all over.’’
He said that the visit was also to report to the Federal Government, the former militants’ brilliant performance in the various training institutions in Ghana.
``I have visited many of them.  I must confess that the amnesty office is doing a very good job because the boys are composed.
``I think this is a way of taking our boys off the streets and crimes and making them productive members of the society,’’ Onafowokan said.