N’Assembly hails ex-militants training in S’Africa

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 BY SODIQ OYELEKE LEAVE A COMMENT

Members of the Senate and House Committees on Niger Delta have expressed their satisfaction with the utilisation of the Amnesty Programme funds.

This was contained in a statement by the Head of Media and Communications, Amnesty Office, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, on Sunday.

The committee members stated this in Johannesburg, South Africa, after completing their inspection visit to the Africa Union Aviation Academy in Mafikeng and the Flight Training Services in Midrand, where 53 Niger Delta ex-militants are undergoing training as pilots.

According to the statement, the lawmakers described the implementation of the amnesty programme for Niger Delta youths as judicious use of public funds.

Leader of the delegation and Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, said the programme would give youths hopes.

He said, “From what we have seen and experienced during our interaction with the trainees, I can tell Nigerians that the amnesty programme gives us hope and we are very proud of these youths.

“The funds allocated to the programme are being judiciously used and we will continue to support and expand its scope. The young pilots are the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry.”

Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta, Mr. Warman Ogoriba, commended the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, who oversees the programme, saying he had succeeded in bringing the programme to a reality.

He said, “When the amnesty was granted, most Nigerians thought nothing good would come out of it. But now the story is different. Our youths are being trained all over the world in critical sectors. We are very impressed and my advice to these young Nigerians is to continue to be good ambassadors of our country,” Ogoriba said.

The Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi said aviation was a sector that requires excellence globally and the trainees must give their best to be able to compete.

Ningi said the amnesty programme was not an issue confined to the Niger-Delta but a Nigerian project.

He said, “We, as members of the National Assembly, are impressed and proud of what these young Nigerians have been able to achieve in less than a year of their training here.”