The coordinator of the Niger Delta amnesty programme and special adviser to the President, Brig. Gen Paul Boroh (rtd) has described the last twelve months as the most successful year of the amnesty programme since it was created in 2009 to restore peace in the restive Niger Delta region.Boroh who spoke to journalists yesterday in Abuja said in the last one year, through collaborative efforts, the amnesty office has succeeded in restoring peace in the region which has witnessed zero attacks on oil facilities in recent time.According to him, the Presidential amnesty office has achieved eighty percent of its mandate.He said the visit by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to oil producing states in the Niger Delta has helped restored confidence in the present administration as well as cemeent the relationship between the region and the federal government.He said, the Presidential amnesty office will soon embark on a visit of Cross Rivers, Abia and Ondo states with a view at look at all the challenges with the sole aim of proferring solutions that will help in stabilising the region.He said, The amnesty prigramee is in course and is very successful. The Presidential amnesty programme has had its best experience in the last 12 months. It has also had its own challenges within the same period. These were trying times both for the office, beneficiaries.We had to contend with achieving much with little resources. Perhaps our greatest achievement was in contributing to maintenance of peace in Niger Delta which has resulted in zero vandalism of oil facilities.The winning strategy is the President Muhammadu Buharis approach. The visit of the vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to most oil producing state is a winning formular which has solidify the relationship between the region and the administration.Speaking on successes recorded by beneficiaries of the programme in the last one year, Boroh said in the2015/2016 academic year, the Presidential amnesty office deployed about 1294 delegates to various universities in the country, recording 681 graduates with 14 coming out with first class.According to him, it was so gratifying that the Benson Idahosa university had to retain four beneficiaries of the amnesty programme who graduated with first class from the university as lecturers.He said further, 454 students graduated from UK universities. With 20 of them graduating with first classThe amnesty office has not only succeeded in helping to stabilise the Niger Delta region but has also worked in synergy with other government agencies to empower youths and develop the regionHe also disclosed that in line with the present administrations policy to diversify the economy, various beneficiaries have been enrolled in the various agricultural training scheme.According to him, another set of 200 beneficiaries have been deployed to innoson motor with a view to training and equipping them to become auto engineers. He said these 200 with another 200 trained at the same innoson motor last year with form the work force at the Bayelsa automobile industry expected to begin operation in one year.
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