*52,000 apply for 2,000 Technical Aids Corp slots

By John Ighodaro &

CALABAR—The outstanding difference between the second batch of ex_militants undergoing the  rehabilitation and re_orientation course at the Obubra camp in Cross River State and their predecessors is the relative order in the camp. The other is their low population.

Young men in baggy shorts are reclining on white plastic chairs looking at passers-by with disinterest; long lines of middle_aged men, wearing white caps and vests are sitting opposite them. Five or six men are sitting under the shade of a leafy tree and some other men are walking up and down the narrow dirty road that traverses the settlement.

Equally, about eight armed soldiers in camouflage are looking relaxed, but alert under a tree with luxuriant branches: This is the ex_militants camp in Obubra.

Second day running, the Special Assistant on Peace and Security to the Obubra Local Government Area Chairman, Hon. Solomon Ekang agreed. He said: “The experience here is that during the first batch, we had some challenges.

Then we had about 2,000 ex_militants. The facilities on ground were overstretched and so were the nerves of the officials. But it is different now. You can see that the perimeter fence is in place and there is adequate security.

“We in the local government area are happy with the trainees who are our brothers, friends and compatriots. However, I want to ask the Federal Government to provide a football pitch and lawn tennis court in this place, so that when the programme expires, the NYSC people can also continue to benefit from those facilities.”

Camp Commandant, Lt. Col. Larry Patrick (rtd), expressed satisfaction at the orderly manner of events during this second batch. He said:  “I am impressed. Really impressed. The camp is calm.”

An ex_militant from Edo State, Mr. Frederick Bula, also expressed satisfaction with the way the programme was being handled.

He said: “I am happy over what I have seen. I didn’t know it was going to be like this. I can see that President Goodluck Jonathan is serious about this thing. Before now, I thought it was just all talk but I can see that there is action too. I am embracing this whole thing. It will bring about development and also our re-integration into the society.”

52,000 apply for 2,000 jobs

Meantime, no fewer than 52,000 unemployed undergraduates in the nine states of the Niger Delta
Region applied for 2,000 slots in the Niger Delta Development Commission Technical Aid Corps, NTAC, programme across the oil producing states in the country.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDDC, Mr. Chibuzor Ugwoha, said in Akure, at the inauguration of the NTAC programme, that  only 15, 000 of the applicants met the requirements set by the commission, while only 2, 000 were eventually engaged for the programme.

Ugwoha added that 180 of the 2, 000 slots were allotted to Ondo State based on the quota of oil being produced by the nine states in the region.

The managing director who spoke through the commissioner representing Ondo State on the commission, Mr. Benson Enikuemehin said: “The large number of graduate applicants for the programme was a clear pointer to the terrible unemployment situation in the region. The main requirement for the qualification was that the applicant must have completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, between 2007 and now.

The NDDC boss said the programme was designed as a pilot scheme meant to terminate after two years, stressing that beneficiaries would be attached to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as skilled manpower after a successful completion of their training.

Ugwuoha said the Commission would pay the beneficiaries N30, 000 monthly, while the participating SMEs would pay a minimum of N15, 000.

He added: “The scheme will provide a pool of employable graduates for the real sector of the economy and create multiplier effects including the enhancement of purchasing power of the hitherto unemployed graduates.”

Consultant in charge of the programme in Ondo State, Chief Francis Williams, said the trainees would be exposed to curriculum in diverse fields like basic computer appreciation, basic teaching methodology, entrepreneurship, ethics, leadership and citizenship.

Williams said the consulting firm would assist in the coordination and supervision of the NTAC programme through regular vis