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FG Ends Amnesty Programme, Soon
The Federal Government says it is desirous to wind down its Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the Niger Delta region soon.
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen Paul Boroh (rtd) revealed this in Abuja, after a meeting with stakeholders to analyse the success of the programme.
It will be recalled that the programme was established in 2009 by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and was meant to last for only three years.
Boroh said the Presidential Amnesty Programme has met its mandate of providing peace and stabilising the Niger Delta security environment through its training and empowerment of ex-militants and was now due for termination.
He explained that the 92 per cent (21,805) of those schooling abroad and those undergoing various skills training out of the 30,000 estimated beneficiaries had graduated, leaving only 8 per cent (8,195) to be engaged in agricultural programmes.
“We have successfully trained a total of 21,805 amnesty beneficiaries in both our local and overseas universities and in vocational training institutions within and outside Nigeria as pilots, marine engineers, oil and gas engineers, medical doctors, lawyers etc. They have become valuable generation of skilled youth that are contributing positively to national development.
‘‘Also, in line with government economic diversification policy, large numbers of our trained delegates are now empowered and deployed into various fields of agriculture and its value chain in order to revamp Nigeria economy.
‘‘The services of 131 offshore universities/institutions to train 1,723 and from these foreign institutions, 1,523 have graduated with a balance of 200 that will graduate in 2018. 1,054 ex-militants have graduated from Nigerian universities and there is a balance case load of 2,843 that are at various stages of their scholarship programme and most will graduate in 2018.
‘‘Also, the services of 200 local and foreign Skills Acquisition Centres was utilised to train 15,140 beneficiaries. Under its post training empowerment, 4,203 have been empowered and delegates have established their businesses. They are now entrepreneurs and are helping to provide gainful employments to other youths.
‘‘With these, it is obvious that the programme has met its strategic mandate. This was achieved with the efforts of the Federal Government, PAP, PANDEF and the youth leaders”, Boroh said.
‘‘That is why we are highly desirous to wind down the amnesty programme very soon,’’ he added.
On his 2018 programme plans, the coordinator said his office will continue to deepen its agricultural empowerment programme in line with Federal Government green alternative initiative and use it to create jobs for youth, with special interest in rice farming, fish pond, piggery and snail farming.
According to him, the training of delegates has already commenced in cluster farms in the nine Niger Delta states.
“My office has projected to empower and create 10,000 new farms owners, who will then employ 40,000 farm workers, their logistics and processing agricultural value chain will also create additional 30,000 new jobs, thus making our agricultural empowerment scheme to provide 80,000 new jobs.
‘‘We have concluded discussions with a trawler company, the Greek Fisheries Institute to use the Burutu sea port in Delta State to train and engage 1,000 ex-militants into commercial aquaculture fishing business.’’
However, Boroh said that some African countries have shown interest in applying the method used by the amnesty office to achieve peace in the Niger Delta.
He listed Namibia, Uganda, and Cote D’Ivoire as some of the countries that have sent in their request, and assured that the PAP would do everything possible to export the expertise in line with the United Nations principle.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.