1,075 youths turned back from post-amnesty training camp

Business Day

20 August 2011

1,075 youths turned back from post-amnesty training camp

No fewer than 1,075 youths, desperate to be part of the Post Amnesty training programme, have been turned back since the 16th batch of trainees began their training on Aug.

14. Frederick Anesah, the camp commandant, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen Saturday in Obubra, Cross River.

Anesah said the 1,500 trainees in the camp from Rivers were currently undergoing the mandatory transitional training in non-violence He said that those turned back included ex-militants who are women, who could not be accommodated in the current batch.

``The 16th batch of trainees from Rivers came in on Aug. 14. They are 1,500. We have a good number of illiterates and physically challenged persons in the batch and they are doing well.

``Some ex-militants who are women also came, but since we cannot accommodate them in this batch, we asked them to go. Anesah said that the youth, who were turned back, decided to come on their own and hang around.

``We made them to understand that since their names were not on the list they would not be allowed to participate in the programme.’’ Also speaking, Tunde Jegede, the camp’s medical doctor, said that eligible trainees whose health conditions could not allow them to participate in the training had also been