200 Repentant Militants Depart Cross River for Agricultural Training in Nasarawa
By Bassey BASSEY
A total of 200 Bakassi repentant militants have departed Cross River for a two-week innovative and integrated agricultural value chain training in Nasarawa.
Beautifully adorned with
crested T- shirts and face caps to match, the team left today in a convoy of buses after passing through a rigorous profiling and sensitization by the State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Hon. Patrick Egbede and the State Security Adviser, Retired Major General Obongha Ubi.
It was also gathered that the Cross River government will foot all expenses.
Addressing the repentant militants before departure, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Hon. Patrick Egbede, informed that the program was borne out of the magnanimity of the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, to spread the net of his 'People First' mantra,' to accommodate all categories of persons.
The Commissioner disclosed that this set of trainees make up the second batch, having accomplished the feat with same number some months back with resounding results in both character and learning.
He remarked that the governor's interest is principally to lay a good foundation for aggressive agricultural revolution in the State that would boost the economy and increase employment, particularly among the youths.
According to him, "the training would be climaxed with empowerment by the State Government to ginger the graduates into productive ventures with attendant wealth creation while attaining the enviable status of employers of labour."
Egbede pointed out that the agricultural training program would be comprehensive, covering every aspect of modern agricultural practice, maintaining that the beneficiaries would stand chances of becoming self reliant and may never wish to indulge in insurgency again.
He advised them to be ambassadors of the state by exhibiting good character while adhering to the rules and regulations of the school.
"This present batch brings to 400 Cross Riverians benefiting from the training and empowerment," Egbede stated.
The State Security Adviser, Retired Major General Obongha Ubi, urged the repentant Bakassi militants to reciprocate the governor's gesture by strictly falling in line with the rules governing the program, as the State has zero tolerance for any form of misconduct throughout and after the training.
Ubi assured that the monitoring team of the state government would continually beam its search lights to identify any form of default.
Commending them for their courage to lay down their arms and embrace peace, he advised those still tenaciously gripping their unpalatable stance against the State to have a rethink as such would yield no good.
He urged them to to take a cue from their colleagues and enjoy the benefits of peace which is capable of transforming their lives for the better.
The trainees who were visibly excited commended Otu for the generosity and promised to remain loyal, hardworking and committed to the training program.
