From Magnus Eze, Abuja

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The German Government, yesterday, pledged to support the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) in the Niger Delta, just as the Federal Government appealed for more support from the international community and interest groups for the programme.
German Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, Mr. Dietmar Kreusel, disclosed this in Abuja after meeting with the PAP Coordinator and Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd), at the amnesty office.
The envoy said he was on fact-finding mission to see areas of collaboration with the amnesty office, assuring that his country would expand its intervention in Rivers State to involve more youths in the region.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Boroh explained that the visit was part of the amnesty office’s search for alternative sources of funding the programme, which, he said, was becoming too expensive for government alone to shoulder.
“The German ambassador came to see how they can support the programme as well as help in transforming positively the former agitators in different skills. That is when he mentioned that they have ongoing skills programme in Rivers State; which also falls within the Niger Delta states. So, we discussed more and he agreed they will expand that to create space for more youths in the skills acquisition programme,” the presidential aide added.
He also said similar discussions held late last year with the Netherlands and Israel will soon yield result as both countries have promised to support the amnesty programme in their budgets for this year.