Why We Train Ex-Agitators On Food Security, Blue Economy – Dikio
INDEPENDENCE
The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dikio (retd), has said the scheme is focusing its training of ex-agitators on food security and blue economy to maximise the economic comparative advantage of the Niger Delta and avoid overdependence on external sources.
According to him, the oil industry, marine sector and agricultural sectors remained the dominant economic features of the Niger Delta and must be harnessed to attain self dependence.
Dikio said, “The dominant economy in this part of the world for me are two; the oil industry and the whole blue economy, the marine sector and everything marine.
“That is why under my management we are focusing on those two areas plus food security. If you can feed yourself you will be dependent on others. And today food is used as a political weapon.
“We cannot continue to neglect those things that are indigenous to our environment. The Petroleum Industry is key and we must get the best out of it, including other areas I mentioned”.
A statement on Thursday said the amnesty boss spoke when he visited the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun and the Sapele Power PLC both in Delta State.
He insisted that in the next few years, the Niger Delta would produce a critical mass of entrepreneurs and very skilled individuals that would be most sought after in Nigeria and across the world.
Dikio said he was confident that the specialized training model he instituted for ex-agitators popularly known as Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM) would turn the beneficiaries into entrepreneurs.
He said his mission to the two facilities was to expand the ongoing partnerships that had been built with private and public institutions for the training of ex-agitators.
The PAP boss said, “It is in the spirit of the partnership we are building around that is why we are here. The imperative for this mission is to see first hand what you have on ground. Quite frankly, I like the fact that you are certification minded. I tell people that skill is key.”