The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh, (retd), on Friday, asked warring youths in the Niger Delta region to sheathe their swords and join the Federal Government to develop the region.
Boroh further said that the amnesty office had changed focus from being a free-cash donor to an agent of development and agricultural revolution in the Niger Delta region.
Boroh reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to diversify the economy through agricultural revolution and stop over-dependence on oil.
He lamented that over-dependence on oil-rich Niger Delta only succeeded in making Nigeria a mono-economy.
He said oil has brought destruction of the ecosystem, poverty, starvation and resource-based conflicts in the region.
Speaking after inspecting facilities at the Bio Resources Development Centre, Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Boroh said that 500 ex-militants from the Niger Delta would be trained in various agro-related skills.
According to him the amnesty office has changed focus and no longer a place to share free money.
He urged the youths of the Niger Delta to embrace the new change and join hands with the government to make the Niger Delta, the agricultural hub of the nation.
He said the ex-militants would be sent to Songhai Farms in Delta State and various agricultural programmes and departments of the Delta State University (DELSU), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), and the Peremabiri Rice Farms in Bayelsa state.
Boroh stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was pursuing drastic diversification of the economy using agriculture as the best alternative.
He said: “The shift from reliance on agriculture to over-reliance on oil income has had a tremendous impact on agriculture and the localities where crude petroleum is found and has become the harbinger of hunger, starvation, unemployment and ecosystem degradation and that is the bottom line of the resource-base conflict in the Niger Delta.
“President Buhari has embarked on drastic diversification of the economy from oil and gas dependence and agriculture provides the nation the opportunity for growth, investment, wealth and job creation.
“To successfully address the imperative of diversification, promotion of peace and development in the Niger and achieving Mr. President’s agenda on peace and development we are collaborating with various institutions within and outside the country to train our youths in various agricultural-related fields.”
Presenting certificates to some graduating students of the center, the amnesty boss described the center as a blessing to the region and urged the people to take advantage of it.
In his remarks, the Director of the Centre, Mr. Josiah Habu, said that it was an establishment of the Federal Government to provide scientific and technical knowledge to improve agricultural production in the country.
Since its establishment in 2003, the Director, said the center has been rolling out key bio-enterprises and building capacity of entrepreneurs in agro-related business, human and financial management, information technology and many others.
