40 youths conclude post-amnesty training

Forty youths, drawn from the Niger Delta region, have completed a nine-month skills acquisition scheme on oil and gas in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State.The Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, said at the graduation ceremony in Ibeno on Tuesday that the Federal Government was determined to address the development challenges of the region, including youth restiveness.She said the skill acquisition programme was part of government's youth empowerment policy initiatives to positively engage the non-militant youth of the Niger Delta.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 ministry's 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 Government's 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 Yar'Adua 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 ministry's empowerment gesture.
Click here to read full news..