The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has deployed 98 delegates for a boot camp and a refresher course in maritime-related skills as part of its manpower development scheme for the Niger Delta.

Addressing the maritime cadets during the flag-off ceremony at the Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies and Research, Otomewo in Delta State on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, said manpower and human capacity development were critical to the economic growth of the region and Nigeria at large.

Otuaro described the deployment of the 98 maritime cadets as strategic and in tune with President Bola Tinubu’s policy on the blue economy to harness the massive opportunities in the country’s maritime industry for national development.

He noted that Tinubu was interested in manpower development for the nation’s blue economy, stressing that the PAP deployed the 98 maritime cadets to train skilled workers for the maritime sector of the economy.

Otuaro, however, urged the maritime cadets to take their one-month boot camp and refresher training seriously and demonstrate discipline throughout the duration of the programme.

The PAP boss said: “I consider this deployment of 98 delegates as strategic because the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is very interested in human capacity development for the blue economy. Manpower development is very important to our region and our country.

“Today (Wednesday), we are starting with 98 delegates as maritime cadets for the blue economy. And you all owe us a duty to be committed to your study and demonstrate that the Niger Delta people are ready to key into the blue economy policy of the President.

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“Your moral conduct should be high. See yourselves as ambassadors of the PAP and the region. We will not condone absconding. Obey the regulations of Joemarine. Our eyes are on you. We need good results from you for your communities, the Niger Delta and the President who is very happy over this deployment.”

Otuaro, again, thanked Tinubu for giving him the opportunity to serve the people of the Niger Delta.

On his part, the PAP’s Head of Vocational Training Unit, Lambert Daunemighan, explained that the training was designed by a team of personnel from the Presidential Amnesty Office, South Side International Resources (the consultants) and Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies and Research.

Daunemighan described the deployment as “a rare achievement by the PAP Administrator”, noting that the aim was to develop world-class maritime professionals for the country’s maritime industry.

The CEO/MD of Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies and Research, Akpos Epidei, said the institute had trained over 10,000 maritime professionals from different parts of the country within the past 14 years.

Epidei, who conducted Otuaro and other officials on a facility tour of the institute, thanked the PAP boss for finding them worthy to handle the training of the maritime cadets.

Ebi Jackson, who spoke on behalf of those deployed, expressed gratitude to the PAP for giving them a platform to acquire maritime-related skills with the potential for meaningful engagement in the maritime sector.

The Star