Presidential Committee on small arms kicks off skills acquisition training

The Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons has flagged off the alternative livelihood component of its projects for 300 repentant militants from Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, south-south Nigeria.

The National Project Coordinator of the Nigerian component of the ECOWAS-EU Small Arms project, Dickson Orji said that the skills training were targeted at 300 beneficiaries from the states.

Long awaited

Two beneficiaries, Charles Effiom from Akpabuyo and Ibam Monday from Obubra local government areas commended the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and the presidential committee for instituting the project.

Effiom said, “we have been living from the streets. This has given us hope that the Nigerian Government, Cross River State and the ECOWAS-EU are collaborating to give us alternative means of livelihoods. But we appeal that they should fulfill their promise and I in turn will encourage others out there to embrace the programme.” 

Monday stated, “it is a good opportunity for me. I have seen that the Nigerian Government has remembered us. I intend to make good use of it. If the government stays true to its word, then we will benefit more. I am going to be trained as a tiler.” 

Alternative livelihoods

Orji, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the presidential committee, Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe, stated, “today marks a major milestone in the implementation of the Nigerian component of the ECOWAS-EU Small Arms Action. The first batch of the selected beneficiaries is being lifted to the various centres of excellence across Nigeria where they would undergo training on the skills of their choices.”

According to him, “It entails skills acquisition and attitudinal training, vocational training, business development training, career development, agricultural business, greenhouse farming and more,”.

He further explained that the training duration for the different vocations ranges from one or two months in line with a streamlined curriculum designed to guarantee maximum benefits to the participants.

Providing logistics

Austine Ibok, the Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor on Amnesty and Rehabilitation, said that the government was providing logistics for the 150 persons selected for the training.

Ibok said, “the beneficiaries would receive mental reorientation and skills training that would positively impact their lives. As the beneficiaries return, they will be empowered to start their own businesses.

The Cross River State government is providing logistics for their movement to the various training centres within the south-south. We expect that they would be of the best behaviour while in training,” he said.

Also speaking, Dr. Alfred Mboto, the Permanent Secretary in charge of Special Services, Governor’s Office, Calabar, urged the participants to be serious with the training since the government was particularly interested in ensuring that the beneficiaries gain from the project.

Mboto noted, “security is not only prohibiting the proliferation of arms and weapons, it is about making sure that the repentant people are reintegrated into the society, gainfully employed and are able to contribute to the development of all.

“If you could recall, some of these were militants in the creeks, who surrendered their arms two years ago and today the first batch of 150 people are departing Cross River for training in selected centres,” he said.

He said that the state government was collaborating with the Presidential Committee and other international bodies to rehabilitate repentant youths with vocational skills.

It could be recalled that in January 2021, the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons in partnership with the Cross River State Government and relevant security agencies conducted an arms destruction exercise in Calabar where 260 arms and 5,510 ammunitions were neutralized.

Emmanuel Ukoh