Wednesday, April 14, 2010
N'Delta: FG to train ex-militants in UK, US, others

Sola Adebayo, Warri


The Federal Government has concluded plans to send some repentant militants in the Niger Delta for overseas training in skill acquisition programmes as part of strategies to resettle and re-integrate them into the society.

[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2010/apr/14/punch/images/pix20090917156937[1].jpg[/img]
Militants



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Findings by our correspondent on Monday showed that the ex-militants would be sponsored by the Federal Government to five countries to undergo training in specific professions to enable them to resume decent living under the post-amnesty initiative of the government.

Specifically, investigation by our correspondent revealed that the government had opted for the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, India and Ghana for the rehabilitation and re-integration of the ex-fighters in the troubled region.

It was learnt that the government decided on the foreign courses for some of the ex-militants in order to expose them to world-class training in major disciplines, especially in maritime and welding technology.

Sources close to the Presidential Sub-Committee on Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Re-integration, which is now being managed by the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Timi Alaibe, told our correspondent on Monday that the beneficiaries of the foreign training would depart the country after the mandatory two-week demobilisation and encampment exercise at the UNICEF Tent, in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.

Further enquiries by our correspondent revealed that the ex-militants scheduled to proceed on the foreign trips and their counterparts programmed for training locally would depart the camp in Calabar simultaneously for their re-integration programmes.

The committee under the leadership of a former Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd.), had registered 20,192 ex-fighters during the amnesty programme.

But, it was not certain the number of beneficiaries of the foreign trips and those to be trained locally.

A source said, "The Acting President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has accepted the recommendation that some ex-militants in the Niger Delta be sent to the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, India and Ghana for training, particularly in maritime and welding technology. The number of beneficiaries would depend on the number of those of them who opted for training in welding and maritime-related disciplines.

"The ex-militants scheduled for training in the five countries would be sorted out during the demobilisation and encampment exercise in Calabar and they would proceed to the respective countries immediately while their colleagues who are going to be trained locally would also proceed to the various locations for their training for rehabilitation and re-integration into the society.

"Whether they (ex-militants) are trained abroad or locally, the ultimate objective is to enable them to resume decent living in the post-amnesty era and ensure enduring peace and sanity in the Niger Delta region."

Alaibe was not available for a reaction to the report as his mobile phone was switched off on Monday. Calls to his cell phone did not go through while the text message was not delivered.

However, one of his aides, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned in print, confirmed the report, adding that the gesture of the Federal Government was meant to afford the ex-militants the opportunity to live a responsible life.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/apr/14/820.html

It pays now to become a militant. Nigeria o

and who says "violence" doesn't pay in the end?

terrorism 101. google it.

This move will encourage OPC and Massob to start their own wahala. Don't ya think so?

Is this some April fool's joke ?

No

What a doomed country we come from,sending militants overseas for training my ass.

Just another way of stealing billions from the treasury again.

While not develp the Niger Delta instead with the money.

Whoever is coming up with this nonsense is planning to steal the Amnesty funds.

Only the funds would make it abroad - which country is going to grant a know militant a visa?

MASSOBians! We know what to do!

EzeUche:

MASSOBians! We know what to do!

so this is your new tactic to get your cousins to obodo oyinbo

Train them to become future Osama Bin Ladens

bawomolo:

so this is your new tactic to get your cousins to obodo oyinbo 

He gotta do what he gotta do in that jungle called Naija

am joining,where is MEND registration form?abegi bring am quick quick.

people can believe anything, what will be rationale for sending them on training outside nigeria and which country will like to take the risk of hosting them, this is a big lie no country will ever dare.

Train ex-millitant on foreign land is this a joke or mere rumour? I presumed it can be true. Is the training for more knowledge on weapon carriage and usage or to become Bin Laden? Or on whose account that will be written to? Or for what benefit does that mean to Nigeria even to the Niger Deltan? I cant really say much on this because I still dont regard this news as geniue yet.

Why not they added Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria and Norht Korea? The list will have be so beautiful.

please pple.where is d millitant camp.so that i can join them.pls tell them to train armed robers too and those twenty naira police

It is a very beautiful idea if it is true. Massobians and others are free to agitate but they should please point out their resources and what those resources contribute to the economy. How much they generate.


In my opinion it should be a policy statement in this country to send indigent Nigerians who are host to major installations like the Hydropower producing areas, the Cocoa producing areas and all sorts and set up a commision who will enable the training of the people in relevant knowledge to harness the resources.

marvix:


It is a very beautiful idea if it is true. Massobians and others are free to agitate but they should please point out their resources and what those resources contribute to the economy. How much they generate.


In my opinion it should be a policy statement in this country to send indigent Nigerians who are host to major installations like the Hydropower producing areas, the Cocoa producing areas and all sorts and set up a commision who will enable the training of the people in relevant knowledge to harness the resources.

you called this idea beautiful.it is a tactic by jonathan to keep his brother out of events till after the 2011 elections so that they wont be use by desperate politicians to forment trouble and rig elections

~Bluetooth:

you called this idea beautiful.it is a tactic by jonathan to keep his brother out of events till after the 2011 elections so that they wont be use by desperate politicians to forment trouble and rig elections

@bluetooth, then is it not a good idea if they cant be used to rig elections.

marvix:



@bluetooth, then is it not a good idea if they cant be used to rig elections.

what happened to the skills acquisition centres in nigeria?.are they receiving such privileges because they are trouble makers from the same region with jonathan.just a waste of fund

they just want to waist our money for nothing sake the should go and learn tailor, or mechanic, panel beater, capenter, pls fg should not waist our fund for nothing sake nigeria is ok for them

~Bluetooth:

what happened to the skills acquisition centres in nigeria?.are they receiving such privileges because they are trouble makers from the same region with jonathan.just a waste of fund

Can the skill acquisitions you are talkin abt give skills in Maritime and weldin technology among other critical skils required in the oil and gas business, pls dont just be a spoil sport who never sees anything good in what govt is doing, this simple move will ensure that they are truly relevant and employable.

I find this article and the direction of 90% of its contributors to be very disturbing and shameful.

Those boys deserve every ounce of training they can get out of the govt. Nigeria is fed and watered of the back of the Niger Delta, but rather than reap benefits, ND land and waterways are seized and polluted with impunity by the FG. In other parts of the country, the jobless can fish, farm or hunt; in the ND, land, water, birds, fish and animals have been destroyed. The Niger Delta is the most polluted oil producing area in the whole World. What a shame!. . . What alternatives are left but to fight?
In order to positively occupy the hands and minds of those whose lands have been destroyed to enrich the nation, compensation must be paid. The training of the fighters is one form of compensation, but a lot more is coming, especially with the US agreement (signed last week) to develop the area. Its going to be the first industrialised part of Nigeria and deservedly so.

^^^^^

i wonder how people who negotiate only with violence will integrate into the workplace

i also wonder if you would hire people who had kidnapped your workers and blown up your facilities in the past.

these same repentant militants who went on a looting and raping spree at uniport?

oh well, crime does pay

@beaf no mind all this bad belle pple is it because we hav not insisted dat PTDF scholarship shld b 4 only NDeltans graduates

i love this development

marvix:

@beaf no mind all this bad belle pple is it because we hav not insisted dat PTDF scholarship shld b 4 only NDeltans graduates

Exactly, people just want awuf to flow, even if it is over other peoples dead bodies.

oyb:

i wonder how people who negotiate only with violence will integrate into the workplace

i also wonder if you would hire people who had kidnapped your workers and blown up your facilities in the past.

these same repentant militants who went on a looting and despoiling spree at uniport?

oh well, crime does pay

When you force people into crime, you get to pay them for your sins. Justice done.

Osama10:

What a doomed country we come from,sending militants overseas for training my backside.

Just another way of stealing billions from the treasury again.

While not develp the Niger Delta instead with the money.

its like our leaders are perpetually blind. . .

I theBeaf is correct, then i can imagine why suchtechnicalskill would prove critical in establishing the Niger Delta as an industrialized region. Hope they don't bungle this idea too though.