The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, has said the upper chamber of the National Assembly is proud of the achievements of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo, within his short period in office.
Nwaoboshi pledged more support from the federal legislature to uplift the programme to greater heights.
The senator, who spoke at the commissioning of the Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre, Agadagba-Obon, Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday, commended Dokubo for his prudent management of funds allocated to the Amnesty Programme and his transparency.
He said: “The Presidential Amnesty Programme, which was established in the year 2009, has had four chief executives as Special Advisers/Coordinators.
“Of all the four, I can confidently say that the present Coordinator has been very proactive and eager to realize the mandate of the Programme.
“By this, I mean he always rubbed minds with the National Assembly in coming up with activities that will move the organization forward.
“In his short time in office, he has really demonstrated capacity to transform the Niger Delta region for sustainable development.
“Our committee is very pleased with his efforts; he is a square peg in a square hole.”
Nwaoboshi, who was represented at the occasion by his deputy, Senator Baba Kaka Bashiru, added: “The Coordinator has demonstrated that he has nothing to hide by always seeking to synergize with the National Assembly and indeed, with the entire stakeholders to achieve set objectives.
“Last year, the committee recommended N65 billion, which was passed in year’s appropriation.
“When we visited his office, he was able to bring a report to us, which encapsulated so many reports of what he has achieved in the Niger Delta.
“We are very proud of him.
“This year, our committee will do more to improve on the achievements of the agency.
“It is in consideration of his good work that we are here to grace this occasion.
“No doubt, the vocational training centre will impact positively on this community, the local government, this state, the Niger Delta region and the nation.
“We are very proud of the Special Adviser and his hardworking team.”
Speaking on behalf of members of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Hon. Istiphanus Gyang said the Amnesty Programme was designed to train and empower youths in the oil-rich region, noting that the Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre will profitably engage some beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme in the oil industry.
Gyang said: “We at the National Assembly have supported the initiative with appropriation and funding. We are therefore glad today that the sound we created is attracting the needed value as we have seen in this place.”
Earlier, Dokubo had said the Oil and Gas Basic Skills Training Centre is set to commence building human capacity to fill gaps in the lower and middle cadre levels of the highly competitive oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy.
He said: “In line with global best practices, the Amnesty Office has developed training curriculum for the centre.
“It was designed by a team of experts from the United Kingdom for the proper certification of the trainees as approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NABTE).
“In a further bid to achieve the requisite industry training standards and the right certification, the Amnesty Office has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun, Delta State, to handle the core training components.
“Pursuant to the MOU, faculty members from the PTI shall drive the training of the Amnesty Programme’s delegates in this new facility in specialized fields in oil and gas drilling.”
Describing President Muhammadu Buhari as a forthright and incorruptible leader who resisted pressure from some quarters to wind up the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dokubo said the commissioning of the training centre was a celebration of another promise that has been kept by the President and an indication that Buhari loves the people of the Niger Delta.
He said: “Let me place on record that we are able to achieve all these because of the staunch and unalloyed support President Muhammadu Buhari has been giving the Amnesty Programme and the Niger Delta as a whole.
“On his fatherly watch, we have since re-worked the Programme to focus on not just training but also job creation and empowerment of already trained beneficiaries.
“I can confirm to all stakeholders gathered here today that President Buhari loves the Niger Delta and its people and I urge you all to give Mr. President your full support as he seeks to take our great country to the next level.”
Dokubo disclosed that the Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre, Agadagba is among five training facilities kick-started by his predecessors since 2012 across states in the Niger Delta but abandoned at various stages.
He said: “I met five of such centres in several stages of abandonment.
“Other than the one we are commissioning today (Friday), the others are sited at Kaiama, Bayelsa State; Obuama, Rivers State; Bomadi, Delta State; and Gelegele in Edo State.
“It is my candid view that with the speedy completion and activation of these vocational training centres, the training of ex-agitators still awaiting reintegration would be fast-tracked at highly reduced costs to the Federal Government.”
He said 200 beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme have been profile to commence training at the Oil and Gas Vocational Training Centre, Agadagba, which is equipped with world-class facilities.
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