No fewer than 150 ex-militants from the Niger Delta area have begun one month training in agriculture in Umuahia, the Abia State capital as part of the federal government’s amnesty programme.
The programme is organised by the government in collaboration with the Abia State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in partnership with FADMOBAT at the headquarters of the ADP. The ex-militants would be trained on poultry, fishery, land tilling and preparation, book keeping, farm business, produce marketing and farm personnel management.
Flagging off the training, the programme manager of the ADP, Chief Batho Onyemaobi said at the end the participants were expected to be proficient in their respective areas of specialisation.
He said the need for the country to return back to massive agriculture to promote food sufficiency and create employment opportunities for the teeming youth cannot be emphasized at this time.
Siilarly, the coordinator of the training, Chika Abangwu appealed to them to forward any challenges they may encounter during the period in writing for onward transmission to the appropriate quarters.
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Mr Abraham Ebiyekon wondered why their training should last for only one month while those of others before them lasted for about nine months.
