Twenty five beneficiaries of Nigeria’s presidential amnesty programme have graduated from the Ogbebor Leadership and Skills Acquisition Academy.
The training program is part of efforts to empower ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region and sway them from militant activities.
Drawn from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States, the trainees were taught courses on rubber technology, products manufacturing techniques and other sociological and communication skills and the program lasted for six months.
President of the academy Col. Paul Ogbebor (rtd) said what was most rewarding to the trainees was the on the job training of the youths in rubber technology which would qualify them for the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) Modular Trade Certificate on rubber technology.
He commended the Federal Government’s Agriculture initiative which is targeted at reviving the erstwhile abandoned rubber plantations and businesses which are currently yielding Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and India annual returns of about fifty billion US dollars and over 1.5 million jobs.
He said, “it is axiomatic that rubber cultivation if sufficiently revived, could generate for Nigeria the coverage at 5 million direct and indirect jobs and earn the country 60 billion us dollars income every year”.
“The Federal Government knows the value of rubber and it is part of the reason it sent this youth to come and learn the skills involved in tapping it. She also knows the foreign exchange value hence the need to get involved for export such that it can contribute more to Federal purse”.
“My joy is that we have taught them how to tap rubber. It is very important because once tapping of the rear is not properly done it can destroyed the tree or cause it to be unproductive. Tapping starts 6:30am and two people are usually attached to a tree.”
A representative of the Amnesty Office in Abuja, Lambert Daunemighan said he was glad to be part of the graduation ceremony.
He advocated that state governments in rubber producing areas of Nigeria key into rubber cultivation, processing and marketing for the economic revival of their states.
