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The Presidential Amnesty Programme, through its Rivers State Liaison Office, has undertaken the provision of Commodity Shop/Starter Pack empowerment items to beneficiaries of the programme.
This as coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo, has said that the empowerment starter pack, which is meant to enable them start their own commodity shops, would no longer be distributed directly to the beneficiaries by vendors, but would be distributed from the beneficiaries’ state offices.
Prof. Dokubo, who was represented by the manager of the agency’s Rivers State Liaison Office, Alabo Fenibo M.M. Jack, said the reason behind this is to check the excesses of some vendors who engage in fraudulent practices.
Speaking during the presentation of the items at the Rivers State Liaison Office in Port Harcourt, on Friday, Prof Dokubo said the Amnesty office is committed to empowering the ex-agitators for them to live a meaningful life.
“What you’re seeing here is the first of what you are going to be seeing. We have decided that instead of allowing vendors go and set up anything anywhere, we are going to be doing it from our offices, where you’re going to get all that belongs to you”.
He said the people of the region would be reaping a lot of benefits from the decentralisation of the Amnesty operations embarked by his administration.
He frowned at some beneficiaries who instead of utilizing the starter pack for their empowerment, resort to selling off the items and advised them to make judicious use of the items given to them.
Representative of the vendors, CCC Vision Limited and Dasmax Value Projects Limited, Mr. Aniefiok Akpan, said the empowerment starter pack contains full grocery store with cash of N360,000 to defray shop rent, local government tax as well as purchase perishable provisions.
In their response at the presentation, the beneficiaries commended the Amnesty office for empowering them with the starter pack items.
A beneficiary, Blessed Karibo Akpana, said, “I feel very happy for being empowered by Prof. Charles Dokubo. He has been doing wonderfully well ever since he assumed office as the Coordinator. With these items, I know that in the next six to eight months, I will elevate to the next level. I’m going to put in my best to make sure it grows to higher level. The Market square we see everywhere today, started like this. I really appreciate it.
Another beneficiary, TamunoIboroma Eferebo said, “I believe that my family, friends and loved ones will benefit from this. I also believe that I will be employer of labour through this. Many people will work under me”.
Madam Esther Minabo, another beneficiary who hails from Okrika LGA, Rivers state, praised President Muhammadu Buhari for empowering the people of Niger Delta.
“Let God bless our President and my leader, HRM King Ateke Michael Tom”, she prayed.
The presentation was attended by some leaders of the ex-agitators including, Mr. Sammy Adokiye, Mr. Joshua Opia, Mr. Bartholomew Ephraim among others.
The starter packs, which include; deep freezers, generators (Sumec 3000), standing fan, plastic chairs, tables, cartons and packs of beverages, detergents, food items, insecticides and other retail items, were distributed to 25 beneficiaries trained by the Presidential Amnesty Programme from all the camps in the Niger Delta region.
