The Presidential Amnesty Programme Cooperative Society Limited has started distributing the second round of loans to former agitators in the Niger Delta. Major-General Barry Ndiomu (retd.), the Interim Administrator, announced at the event that this step fulfills the PAP’s earlier commitment to include more individuals in the program.
Through this initiative, the PAP aims to boost entrepreneurship, generate employment, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta, as highlighted by Mr. Thomas Peretu, the Special Assistant on Special Duties, who represented Major-General Ndiomu at the ceremony.
The Interim Administrator expressed optimism that beneficiaries would utilise the loans effectively, emphasising that the scheme runs concurrently with other empowerment training programmes and initiatives of the PAP, according to a statement from PACOSOL Management Consultant, Zigha Ayibakuro.
Ndiomu stated, “This loan is just one aspect of the entire programme that will give the beneficiaries a sustainable means of livelihood and also for them to become employers of labour.
“Don’t forget that other initiatives are also ongoing. The scholarship programme, the vocational and aviation training. These are deliberate efforts to change the story of the people of the region.”
During his comments, Justice Francis Tabai (retd.), the Chairman of the PACOSOL Management Board, conveyed through board member General Emmanuel Salubi (retd.), emphasised that the program aims to reduce reliance on the monthly N65,000 stipend.
He said, “The N65,000 monthly stipend is not enough to sustain them and their family. And so this is the best thing for them.
“To embrace entrepreneurship so that they can make more money for themselves and contribute to the GDP of the region and country.
“What we did as the management of the scheme was to also introduce mentorship for them to guide their operations and show them the way to succeed in their different businesses. This way it will be difficult for them to fail.”
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