Fifty repentant militants have been shipped to Abia State to learn new skills in agriculture, UGOCHUKWU UGOJI-EKE reports
The Niger Delta militants have always attracted attention. When they picked up their guns and bombs everyone on earth noticed, and begged. When they laid down their arms in a federal government amnesty deal, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Even the amnesty arrangement has attracted attention, with some claimants saying they were either left out or that what they were getting was not enough. Many of them have been trained in various job skills to help them adjust to life after militancy.
Now, no fewer than 50 of the ex-fighters have been taken to Abia State to be trained in various fields of agriculture.
But why Abia, since the former combatants all hail from the Niger Delta? The state is said to have developed its agriculture enough to accommodate the plan of the ex-militants’ minders. They want them to acquire diverse job skills to support themselves and stay off trouble.
That was why they were shipped off to Abia where the former fighters will be taught skills in agriculture under the state’s Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in conjunction with FADMOBAT Investment Limited.
The exercise will last for two weeks, The Nation was told.
Speaking at Abia ADP premises in Umuahia, the state capital, while welcoming the delegates, the programme manager of ADP, Batho Onyemaobi said they were in the state to learn the trade of modern-day agricultural farming to enable them become self-dependent.
Onyemaobi recalled that before the advent of petroleum in the country that agriculture was the main stay of the economy of the country through which numerous investments were made for the benefit of the citizenry.
The Abia ADP boss noted that before now that Nigeria was known for its agricultural prowess which led to the north having the groundnut pyramid, the cocoa in the west and palm produce in the east.
He regretted that the agricultural economy collapsed with the discovery of petroleum to the extent that the country imports what she eats.
“This has made the federal government to commence the efforts to return the country back to agriculture,” he said.
Onyemaobi noted that this desire by the federal government to return people to farming has made them to ask people to start small farms at the back and sides of their homes at least to produce what they can feed on.
The Abia ADP boss said that the aim of the federal government in this direction is to ensure that there is food for all even to the extent that “the much or excess we cannot consume could be exported to generate more revenue for the development of the country”.
He explained that the results of what government has done are there for all to see as people have started planting enough rice to the level that some of them are now being exported to the outside world.
Onyemaobi said that the era of petroleum products being the order of the day is fast dwindling, stressing that those in authority have seen the future, “Which is the reason they have decided to engage the youths into farming to be useful instead of wasting away”.
He noted that there are various arms of farming which the delegates will benefit for their own use such as poultry, piggery, snail farming among other forms of farming, “You should know that the best meat for sausage and its allied products are from pig, so there is a lot in farming”.
The ADP program manager said, “While you are here, you will be trained in various aspects of mechanized farming which will include both theory and practical so that when you leave here it is expected that you will become useful to yourselves and the society at large”.
In his response the coordinator of the delegates, Cletus Abangwu thanked the management and staff of Abia ADP for accepting to have and teach them, stressing that they are in the best place in the country for their agricultural training.
Abangwu said, “They delegates are happy to be in their midst and we believe that they will learn a lot, at the end they are going to testify that they have benefitted a lot from their training which will go a long way to better their lives”.
“We want to thank you again for the warm reception given to us since our arrival and the efforts you and your team have put in place to ensure that we enjoy our stay in Abia state as well as receive the best of agricultural training”.
“Our major concern during the training is to ensure that the delegates get skilled in various agricultural areas which at the long run will be beneficial to them in particular and the country in general”.
Reacting, Promise Uduku, one of the delegates pledged on behalf of others to work with the management and staff of Abia ADP, adding that all they are asking for is cooperation from all for them to work together to achieve their aim of coming to the state.
Toru Baike another another delegate from Bayelsa state warned that the coordinator should not attempt to run away with their money, “It has always been the case especially when the training is about to end”.
Baike said, “Mr programme manager we want you to warn the coordinator not to attempt to run away without money and if he tries it despite the presence of the military in this premises, we will scatter this place and they the military cannot stop us when we start”.
Organisers of the training exercise are not likely to trifle with that warning.
