General News
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) on Saturday said it would henceforth emphasise entrepreneurship programmes for ex-militants from the Niger Delta region who embraced the amnesty offer by the Federal Government.
The PAP said it has adopted a new model of empowerment that would transform beneficiaries into skilled entrepreneurs or employable citizens contributing meaningfully to the economy of the Niger Delta region.
The Interim Administrator of the PAP, retired Col. Milland Dikio, stated this in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Meotabase Egbe, described the model as end-to-end empowerment..
According to Dikio PAP, would partner organisations that are ready and capable of training its delegates, employing successful trainees and mentoring them to achieve post training proficiency.
He explained that thereafter, the beneficiaries would be encouraged to branch out or own subsidiaries of the parent company.
“The catch is that since the delegates are potential employees, they will be well trained to fit into the company offering the training.
“Those who do not make it will have themselves to blame for a missed opportunity,” Dikio said.
According to the interim administrator, the approach would ensure variety rather than duplicating the same scheme for all, and curb substandard empowerment packages that are not in line with the vision for the Amnesty Programme.
“We have designed a holistic high quality empowerment package that will reduce delegates’ dependence on monthly stipends.
“We cannot continue to say we are empowering our delegates and they cannot boast of anything to do or even find suitable jobs that suit the skills they have learnt.
“This is the model that is used by most businesses and organisations in the South-East and this has proven to be highly successful and effective.
The PAP explains that vendors who wish to start their training and empowerment programmes for beneficiaries must obtain a letter of approval before commencement.
It assured delegates that the Amnesty Office is currently working out the processes that would ensure that they are not short-changed or deprived of their opportunities.
The PAP recalls that one of the focal points of the programme is to make the Niger Delta the best place to live and do business by directing available resources to achieve optimum results.
Dikio assured that the leadership of the PAP is committed to actualising this goal. (NAN)
-Feb 27, 2021 @ 5;49pm
Tags: Presidential Amnesty Programme moves to prioritise entrepreneurship amongst beneficiaries
