By Kenneth Ehigiator

The post-amnesty programme of the Federal Government kicks off tomorrow at Obubra, Cross River State, where 26 American experts are scheduled to train 20,192 ex-militants in non-violence and conflict resolution.

The team, led by Dr. Bernard Lafayette, is to be joined by four more trainers from South Africa. Special Adviser to the president on Niger Delta, Mr. Timi Alaibe, who received the team at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, said the first phase of the training was to clean up the ex-militants to prepare them for re-integration into the society.

Alaibe, who noted that N4 billion had already been set aside for the training in 2010 budget, said the existing structure of paying the ex-militants monthly allowances would subsist as the training progressed.

“The arrival of the team marks the commencement of de-mobilisation and reconciliation of Niger Delta youths.  The federal government is committed to ensuring that even non-violent Niger Delta youths will be considered in terms of unemployment.

“There is serious light at the end of the tunnel for Niger Delta youths.  With the death of the former president, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, there was cynicism as to the commitment of the federal government to the post-amnesty programme, but the arrival of this team has shown the president’s commitment to this programme,” Alaibe said the world was eagerly waiting to see new role models in the Niger Delta, which the post-amnesty programme is set out to achieve.

Alaibe, who described the training of the ex-militants as the software aspect of the post-amnesty programme, said government would thereafter follow with the hardware part of the programme, which is the massive development of the Niger Delta.