Boroh says PAP trainees will get empowerment kits

The Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh, has reassured beneficiaries undergoing training in various centres across the country that they will receive empowerment packages at the end of training.

Boroh, also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, gave the assurance at Songhai, Omukpe-Delta, where 100 beneficiaries were undergoing empowerment training in fishery and poultry production.

Piriye Kiyaramo of Media and Communication Department, PAP, said in a statement in in Abuja on Thursday that Boroh was represented by the Head, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Mr Bestman Probel.

He reiterated that President Muhammandu Buhari was determined to ensure stability in the Niger Delta region through his socio-economic development agenda.

According to him, agriculture will guaranty food security in Nigeria.

The Deputy General Manager of Songhai Delta, Mr Ifowodo Rasmus, commended Boroh for his foresight of focusing on agriculture as a means of empowering youths.

The manager, represented by the Centre director, Dr Jude Okpidi, described the current batch of 100 beneficiaries at the farm as the best in terms of conduct and attention to studies.

“The trainees have been so wonderful.

“Initially when I heard of amnesty programme, I was apprehensive but after working together, I observed that most of them have been refined and can work and integrate into the larger society properly.

“We have been handling amnesty beneficiaries over the years but this set is the best.

“They have been able to comply with our code of conduct and they have behaved maturely throughout the training here.

“Songhai Delta has been engaged in all aspects of integrated farming, ranging from animal husbandry, crop production, agro allied processing, welding and fabrication, computer training, poultry, fishery, grass cutter, snail, piggery, quail and all other areas related to animal husbandry.

“In the area of crops, we mill exotic vegetables, like carrot, garbage, cucumber, spring onions and the rest. In the agro allied section, we compound our feeds here for all animals, both fish, then we process juice. We are also into pastry production.

“Under crops, we are into milling of palm fruits; the palm oil you get from Songhai Delta is hundred percent pure. Most of the equipment we use here like our feed mill machines were fabricated here.

“So far we have trained them on how to start their own agro-allied enterprises and business accounting,’’ he said.

Earlier, a senior integration officer and a social media expert, Mr. Gbaboyor Jude had admonished the delegates on the relevance of the training.

Jude said that at the end the beneficiaries would be empowered to start their own farms under the mentorship of the Amnesty Office.

Jude, also a beneficiary, said the Amnesty Office, under Boroh, had injected new blood into the programme through the introduction of various life changing packages.

He listed some of the new programmes as automobile engineering, aquaculture, hospitality and catering, among others.

A beneficiary at the centre, Koroama Solomon, said they were fortunate to be part of the integrated agricultural training.

“The Amnesty Office has tried for us because after finishing this training we will work for ourselves without going to look for jobs.

“We don’t have to rely on crude oil because when the oil price drops, agriculture becomes the next thing we can use to feed ourselves.

“We really appreciate the Amnesty office for this initiative.

Another beneficiary, Roseline Avwayekerho, thanked the coordinator for giving the trainees lifelines through agricultural empowerment.

Avwayekerho said the knowledge would assist her to start a poultry farm to feed her family and also become an entrepreneur.