The Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (retired), has said the successful and sustainable reintegration of former militants under the programme required multilateral cooperation.
Boro stated this yesterday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The PAP coordinator noted that the reintegration component of any Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) often required such cooperation to succeed.
He said: “This is in view of its huge cost implication, the need to further develop skills and the imperatives for utilisation of trained skilled personnel.
“PAP, since inception in 2010, has been solely sponsored by the Federal Government. To this end, the Amnesty Office has engaged some agencies and development partners in a bid to achieve its mandate of successful reintegration of trained delegates.”
Boroh listed the partners as: the World Bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
He added: ”Others are: the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Foundation for Partnership Initiative in Niger Delta (PIND) and the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
”Also, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the Israeli Government and the Oil and Gas Foundation (OGIF) are among the partners.”
Boroh said PAP was also partnering with Local Content Development and Monitoring Board, National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Ministry of Niger Delta, Environment, Agriculture, Niger Delta, Development Commission (NDDC), Bank of Industries (BOI), Niger Delta and state governments.
He said: “We also have collaborations with the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation, United Nations Centre for Peace and Disarmament to support disarmament in the Niger Delta region and militant groups wishing to disarm.”
Boro acknowledged efforts of the Federal Government to ensure opeace in the region. He sought support for continued patronage from the partners.