Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Charles Dokubo, has disclosed plans were underway for leaders of Niger Delta former agitators to be enrolled in leadership training within the country or offshore, for effective coordination of their followers.
He stated this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during a meeting with 170 leaders of former agitators enlisted in Phase 3 of the Amnesty Programme, just as he urged them to set aside violence and work in harmony to deepen peace in the Niger Delta towards enhancing development.
Dokubo said leadership training for the ex-agitators was necessary to equip them with knowledge and skills on how to manage their followers and possibly empower them to undertake entrepreneurship initiatives that will positively impact on the Niger Delta.
“I have thought about leadership training and there was a time they sent people to South Africa. I told the Phase 2 leaders I met here (Uyo), that we will design a programme for leadership training. If you don’t have training, how can you lead your people? It is not about stipends, it is how you can acquire knowledge. This knowledge will not be confined to amnesty, you can also get somewhere.
“So, training is very essential; I will create a programme where leaders will go. I will get a list of all the leaders so that we can send them for training in batches. We cannot send all at the same time. It is for your own strength and leadership,” he said.