FG goes tough on oil firms

Sun News

15 October 2011

FG goes tough on oil firms

• May recall amnesty programme trainees

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon Kingsley Kuku, has threatened to withdraw former agitators being trained by multinational oil firms in the Niger Delta under the post-amnesty programme.

Kuku stated this in Paris at a conference on Niger Delta held at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), just as he faulted the travel advice issued by countries in the European Union (EU) to their nationals on the security situation in Nigeria, particularly the Niger Delta.

He expressed disappointment that the oil firms, most of which have their headquarters in Europe, sent some of the youths to centres to train locally as welders, tailors and some vocations that had been rejected by his office.

He said he would soon visit the centres and would withdraw those not being adequately trained.

“If I find out that the training is not appropriate, we will stop it, despite what we are going through to train others in America, South Africa and other parts of the world. The oil companies have never taken one person outside the shores of Nigeria for training.