The Federal Government is to hand over the Amnesty Camp used for the rehabilitation of ex-militants at Obubra to the Cross River State Government.The handover would be done after the training of the last batch of repentant youth likely in the first quarter of 2012, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Committee on Amnesty, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, said in Calabar on Monday.While commending the state for accepting to host the programme, which commenced on June 5, 2010, Kuku said a total of 20,192 ex-militants had graduated from its phase one, while 6,166 will undergo training in the Phase Two.According to him, the original owner of the camp, National Youth Service Corps, can use it for its orientation programme for the next batch of corps members this month before the commencement of the second phase of the post amnesty programme in December.He said the Presidency would hand over the camp to Cross River at the end of the programme, promising to assist the state in its programme to transform the youth.Kuku said the programme had not recorded any death and did not receive any external assistance from donor agencies which made it a "made in Nigeria" product.Governor Liyel Imoke said though when the move was made by the late President Umaru YarAdua, his consent was not sought but had to support it when a decision was taken.He said the programme succeeded because of the manner it was handled, which he said was aimed at ensuring peace in the then troubled Niger Delta region.He said, "The success of the programme has erased the impact of militancy in the Niger Delta and that credit must go to the operators of the programme as thousands had passed through the training programme at the Obubra camp."Imoke added that the level of economic growth and development in the Niger Delta was unquantifiable.He said the programme had attracted commendation because it had not received any support from donor agencies.Meanwhile, 40 youths drawn from the Niger Delta region have completed a nine-month skills acquisition scheme in oil and gas in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom.The Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Mrs. Zainab Kuchi, said at the graduation ceremony in Ibeno on Tuesday that the Federal Government was determined to address the challenges of the region, including youth restiveness.Kuchi, represented by Mr Shola Oshotimehin, the Deputy Director, Capacity Building and Youth Development in the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, said the programme was aimed at making the beneficiaries self-employed and employers of labour.She announced that 595 youths had so far benefited from the ministrys skills acquisition programme in the oil and gas, maritime and agriculture sectors.'The minister urged the beneficiaries to utilise the knowledge acquired to improve on their productivity and also justify the Federal Governments huge investment in the scheme.She commended the management of Azimarine and General Services for collaborating with the ministry, noting that it provided training services in its ultra modern training school.Kuchi pledged to deepen the relationship.In his remarks, Chief Isaac Abakam, the Chief Executive Officer of Azimarine and General Services, said the company had been offering free skill training to youths from within and outside Akwa Ibom since 1985.Abakam announced that Azimarine, an oil services company, would give automatic employment to the best four graduating trainees.Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Noah Sunday paid tribute to the late President Umaru YarAdua for initiating the amnesty programme and expressed gratitude to the Federal Government.He urged the government to sustain the scheme and consider the pioneer trainees for further training outside the country.Meanwhile, the 40 beneficiaries were given laptops as part of the ministrys empowerment gesture.
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