Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — 500 persons sponsored by the Presidential Amnesty Programme for training in health, safety and environment, have received their certificates, as part of efforts by the Federal Government to deepen peace and stability in the Niger Delta through the positive engagement of youths in the region.
Beneficiaries of the professional development course drawn from various communities in the Niger Delta, according to the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof Charles Dokubo, were trained at the Onshore and Offshore Safety Institute of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Dokubo, said the training was part of fresh initiatives to extend gains of the Amnesty Programme to inhabitants of communities impacted during the Niger Delta crisis.
Presenting certificates to the beneficiaries at a ceremony in Abonnema, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dokubo, said the development signaled the commencement of implementation of a robust action plan for the training and empowerment of youths in the Niger Delta.
He expressed joy with the certification of the 500 youths after training, saying that the trainnees were now fit for engagement in all sectors of the economy, particularly the oil and gas sector, as they had acquired broad training in health, safety and environment.
In his words, “The Presidential Amnesty Programme under my watch will ensure aggressive engagement of youths in the Niger Delta, to achieve sustainable peace and development in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision for the region.
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“I am determined to ensure that gains of the Amnesty Programme extend beyond beneficiaries enlisted in the Programme to youths in the crisis-impacted communities.”
Responding on behalf of beneficiaries, Bobmanuel Fabiawari, commended President Buhari and Prof. Dokubo for inspiring the people of Niger Delta with youth empowerment programmes.
According to her, “We thank them for sponsoring us for this intensive professional development programme at the end of which we were awarded Health, Safety and Environment level I, II and III certificates.
“With this, I can fight fire, manage waste, issue work permit, identify hazardous areas, and manage environmental safety,” she said.
