Chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwabushi said, weekend, that the Senate was proud of the achievements of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo, within his short period in office, pledging more support from the National Assembly  to uplift the programme to greater heights.

•Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo

Nwabuchi, who spoke at the commissioning of Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre, Agadagba-Obon, Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State,  commended Dokubo for his prudent management of funds allocated to the Amnesty Programme and his transparency.

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Nwabushi, who was represented on the occasion by his deputy, Senator Baba Bashiru, said: “The Presidential Amnesty Programme, which was established in 2009 has had four chief executives as Special Advisers/Coordinators. Of all the four, I can confidently say that the current coordinator has been very proactive and eager to realise the mandate of the programme.”

Speaking on behalf of members of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Istiphanus Gyang, said the Amnesty Programme was designed to train and empower youths in the oil-rich region, noting that the Oil and Gas Basic Skills Vocational Training Centre will profitably engage some beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme in the oil industry.

Earlier, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme, Dokubo said the Oil and Gas Basic Skills Training Centre was set to commence building human capacity to fill gaps in the lower and middle cadre levels of the highly competitive oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy.

In his remarks, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of  Ondo State, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, said the Amnesty Programme had not only impacted on the lives of individuals, but also transformed the entire Niger Delta, especially in human capacity building and empowerment, thereby deepening peace in the area.