The first phase of 100 ex-agitators in advanced agriculture training have been deployed to the Bio-resource Centre in Odi, Kolokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), inaugurated the programme at the Bioresource Development Centre Odi.

The Coordinator and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brig.-Gen Paul Boroh, told beneficiaries that they would benefit from the training in agriculture production, processing and entrepreneurship.

Boroh said the training would also enable beneficiaries to acquire knowledge in modern farming techniques.

He said the training would be done in batches of 100 each and would be completed in the next five months.

He urged beneficiaries to be dedicated to learning, and assured them of government’s assistance to enable them set up agricultural enterprises in their areas of specialisation.

He said the training was part of his office’s reintegration programme and reminded beneficiaries that they would in turn, train at least 20 other youth in the various fields learnt from the centre.

“By the time each of you trained 20 of your peers back home, we will have 2,000 skilled farmers in various fields.

“That would generate jobs and wealth for the youths and contribute to our national food security’’, he said.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring the development and human capacity building of the region.

Boroh advised the beneficiaries to be serious in their respective choices of specialisation irrespective of education background.

The special adviser advised the youth to start accepting agriculture as a primary or secondary means of income in order to generate jobs, wealth and achieve food security.

The Director -General of National Bio- Resource Development Agency (NBRDA), Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, said the gesture was part of the President’s empowerment programme on agriculture.

Ogbadu added that it was also intended to boost food production in the country, while urging the beneficiaries to put on their thinking caps.

Permanent Secretary of the agency, Mrs Belema Wakama, represented by Mr Oguntunde Abayomi, commended the amnesty office for choosing the institute for the training.

He urged the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge learnt from the institute, as it would facilitate government’s quest for the country to attain food security.

The Coordinating Director of the Centre, Mr Josiah Habu, said the month-long training would be in various aspects of agriculture, and charged the beneficiaries to justify the investment in them.

“Now that you have been selected for the training in various agricultural productions, we charge you to do your states proud by getting all the knowledge, at the end of the training.

On behalf of beneficiaries, Ms Peace Mabiko from Bayelsa State thanked the Federal Government for the gesture and promised not to defeat the aim of the policy.

She, however, pleaded that the gesture be extended to other Niger Delta youth as one of the practical ways to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness.