By John Ighodaro & Samuel Oyadongha
The third batch of ex-militants will commence their training at the ex-militants camp in Obubra, Cross River State, Monday.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Co-ordinator of the Amnesty Committee, Mr. Timi Alaibe disclosed this at the camp Monday at the passing out parade of the 2nd batch of ex-militants.

He also said the first and second batches would commence their skill acquisition training on August 20 at their the designated centres.

According to him, “in the next batch, 1,000 exmilitants would be admitted into camp for the orientation and rehabilitation course.”

He also disclosed that the militants who were not registered for this programme and who did not meet the Federal Government’s deadline on the renunciation of militantcy would have to wait, adding, however, that they were being documented and undergoing verification.

Oil firms to invest $500m on N-Delta youths

In line with the Federal Government local content policy, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, yesterday said operators of the oil and gas industry are to spend over $500 million annually in the next five years for the training of youths in engineering design projects.

The Board also disclosed that the industry was expected to spend another $800bn annually on fabrication and integration as well as empowerment of the youths with a view to curbing crime rates in the country particularly in the Niger Delta, the hub of the nation oil and gas sector.

General Manager, Capacity Building, NCDMB, Engr. Taiwo Elegba stated this in Yenagoa during a workshop for media practitioners to mark the first 100 days of the Board.

According to him, the board and the stakeholders in the oil and gas sectors are expected to start reaping high dividends of the Nigerian Content Act recently passed into law by the Federal Government.

Engr. Elegba who reiterated the determination of the board to improve oil and gas activities in the country so as to attract investors to the sector added that it was the aspiration of NCDMB to increase the country’s reserve to 40 billion.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Ernest Nwapa lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Nigerian Content Act shortly after its passage by the National Assembly, describing it as a demonstration of the commitment of the administration to squarely address the longstanding issues of lack of local capacity and the near absence of meaningful indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry.

“The issue of Nigerian content is no longer news because we have sufficient domain knowledge to guide us through a successful implementation of the law which was developed with high level of industry participation in the legislative process.

“This law is an opportunity to resurge our national economic development, create employment, develop local industrial and technological capacity growth, douse the tensions in the Niger Delta by integrating the inhabitants of the oil producing communities into the mainstream of industry activities,” he said.

Engr.Nwapa said most expatriates working in Nigeria would be disposed to comply with provisions of the law because their home countries require them to do so and had done such in other jurisdiction they operate in,” adding, “a major gap is the continued absence of commitment and resolve on the part of Nigerians in key positions of authority within the industry to insist that we collectively and consistently abide by the provisions of this law and make it count in the way other nationals drive their local content laws.”

He, however added, “if we don’t insist the foreigners won’t help us with compliance.”