August 06, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom State’s Governor Udom Emmanuel has said that the Niger Delta Recovery Plan (NDRP) prepared by the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), for the economic empowerment of ex-agitators is the best for the region at the moment.
Emmanuel particularly appreciated an aspect of the plan designed to enable ex-agitators explore other economic potentials of the region, instead of depending mainly on their N65,000 monthly stipend.
Speaking at the Government House, Uyo, on Thursday, when Dikio paid him a courtesy visit, Emmanuel described the new model of Train, Mentor and Employ (TME) contained in NDRP as a step in the right direction saying the strategy would turn ex-agitators into successful entrepreneurs.
He called on ex-agitators and beneficiaries of the programme to grab the opportunity offered them by Dikio and develop other economic potential in the region.
The Governor reasoned that stipends would not solve their economic problems and urged them to embrace the opportunities in the maritime sector, which he observed was a major focus of PAP’s recovery plan.
He said: “Maritime resource is key to the development of any economy and it is a sector where people of the Niger-Delta region need to be trained. The fishery industry will be of great benefit to the region as it is surrounded by water.
“There are endless opportunities beyond payment of stipends. As a people, we can launch into these different industries that will benefit the region.”
Emmanuel, however, thanked Dikio for acknowledging his work in the state and commended him for adding value to the region since he assumed office as the Interim Administrator.
Earlier in his speech, Dikio applauded the Governor’s strides especially in floating the Ibom Air, which he described as a trailblazer.
He further congratulated the Governor for the crowning of Akwa Ibom United as Nigeria’s Premier league champion.
Dikio said he planned to key into the human capital development of Akwa Ibom by seeking opportunities in the state to train ex-agitators.
He said: “Akwa Ibom is known for its human capital development. Others are agriculture and financing, particularly microfinance banks. The industrial strength of Akwa Ibom is well known so we have come to key into all these for the ex-agitators.”
The amnesty boss insisted that his major vision was to turn ex-agitators into successful entrepreneurs and job creators, who would look beyond the N65,000 monthly stipends.
He said: “Over the years, many of our people have been trained and they have all been added to the pool of the unemployed. We are looking out for big business concerns where our people can be trained.
“PAP will pay for the training but with the understanding that our people will employ and mentor afterwards. We are adopting the Igbo apprenticeship system so that at the end of the day it’s a win-win for everybody.”
