THE failure of multinationals in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria to fulfill their promise of training 3, 000 ex-militants in petroleum related fields has become a source of worry to the Federal Government, Special Adviser to the president on Niger Delta Matters, Kingsley Kuku has said.
He lamented that the companies have only trained 1, 200 youths in areas such as tailoring, catering and other vocations not related to petroleum.
Kuku said this at an investiture ceremony at the weekend, where he was honoured as ‘Maritime Man of the Year 2011,’ a statement by the spokesman of the amnesty office, Mr. Henry Ugbolue, said.
According to the statement, Kuku threatened to withdraw the ex-militants from the current centres, where they are undergoing training, if the outcome of his tour does not please him.
Kuku said the target of the amnesty office in 2012 is to train over 8,400 ex- militants in several areas, such that people of the Niger Delta region could get job placements in the petroleum industry.
He said there was no going back on the training of ex-militants in marine related areas, as the target of government is to ensure that in the next few years, the youths would have the skills and competence to take up jobs in the region, which were hitherto given to foreigners.
“It is sad to note that the oil and gas companies are not offering quality training to youths from the Niger Delta region.
