THE Presidential Amnesty Office, and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) have agreed to partner on the training of beneficiaries of the amnesty programme.

The ITF Director General, Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko who made the offer of training at a recent courtesy call on the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (Rtd), said her organization was ready to deploy the use of its over 800 training centres to help prepare the ex-agitators for their reintegration into the society.

Chukkas-Onaeko said the primary function of the ITF, which was established in 1971, is training to build indigenous capacity and provide certification, a function she said is in tandem with the current task of the Amnesty Programme, which is training to ensure sustainable reintegration of the Amnesty beneficiaries.

She added that, the ITF training centres have the capacity to train in areas such as oil and gas, telecommunications and agriculture. The Director General said the ITF can carry out skills study in the Niger Delta, which can lead to the employment of locals rather than foreign employees in areas like oil and gas.

She proposed a Memorandum Of Understanding between the ITF and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, while calling for a synergy with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other related organizations.

In his response, Boroh, said his office is interested in partnering with the ITF to develop the skills of the Amnesty beneficiaries, empower and ensure their sustainable reintegration. He said that the focus of his office is to ensure the complete and sustainable reintegration of all beneficiaries. The Presidential Amnesty Programme he said is anxious to work with all organizations and strategic partners including international organizations to achieve the objectives of the Amnesty Programme.

Meanwhile, retirees of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), who had been owed over N314 million in 66 months arrears of increment in pension in line with the implementation of the Federal Government circular of 2014, have now been settled through the intervention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related of Offences Commission (ICPC).

The Commission’s Media Consultant, Folu Olamiti said the ICPC intervention came after an aggrieved pensioner J. B Makinde, petitioned the commission that the Director General of the Institute had diverted the money for personal use.
However, ICPC investigation revealed that the federal government had not released the fund to the ITF at the time of the petitioning.

The ITF was advised to pay the affected pensioners as soon as the money is released to it, which is what has now been done according to Olamiti.
The commission therefore, advised petitioners to be sure of their claims before writing petitions that would put officials in bad light.

Consequent upon the release of the funds by the government, the ITF has now paid the retirees the sum of N314.6 million.
The Commission advises petitioners to always avoid sensationalizing, embellishing or fabricating allegations, which impugns the integrity of public officers who are wrongly accused of corrupt practices.