Kuku sponsors training of 2,255 N’Delta youths abroad

Kuku

  The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, recently disclosed that so far about 2,255 non-militant youths from the Niger Delta region had been trained in various university degrees overseas.

A statement from the Amnesty's office indicated that the scholarship was aimed at upgrading the formal skills of youths in the region that did not carry arms.

The Programme's Head, Media and Communications, Daniel Alabrah, noted that this special scheme was not a part of the amnesty programme. 

Of the 2,255 students under the special scholarship, 595 are currently studying in the United kingdom, 187 in Malaysia, 71 each are in South Africa and USA. Others are in Belarus, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Philippines and seven other countries. Those who are studying in Nigeria are 1067.

Of these figures, the scheme on Sunday sent out another 35 youths from the Niger Delta to the United Kingdom for formal education, 31 of whom are from the Itsekiri extraction.

At a reception held to orientate the new students before their departure to the UK on Sunday evening, Technical Adviser to Kuku, Mr. Larry Pepple who delivered his goodwill message, enjoined the youths to be of good character and do Nigeria proud.

“You are under the special scholarship scheme of the office of the Special Adviser on Niger Delta. This Programme is borne out of the creativity of the SA to build capacity of Niger Delta youths. The only way you can pay back is to study hard,’ he admonished.

Head of Education Unit, Eugene Abeis further disclosed that 30 of the students were going for post graduate courses, while others were going for under graduate courses.

“We expect 100 per cent class attention” he added.