The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, on Monday, visited the Julius Berger Nigeria Plc Associated Furniture Producers (AFP) Showroom and its industrial factory in Abuja as part of his effort to deepen the implementation of the programme’s objectives.
Otuaro also toured PrimeTech, an international firm known for sustainable design and construction of buildings, industries, civil structures, roads and infrastructure.
He was conducted round the facilities by the General Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc AFP, Oliver Cohnen, and the company’s Head of Corporate Security and Compliance, Poul Nielsen.
The PAP Administrator was accompanied by his Technical Assistant, Edgar Daniel; Special Assistant, and the PAP’s Head of Vocational Training Unit, Lambert Daunemighan, as well as the Head of Special Projects, Victor Ebikonte.
Speaking during the visit, Otuaro said the move was aimed at exploring avenues for the PAP to carry out high-quality training of ex-agitators and beneficiaries in furniture and woodwork, alongside sustainable architectural design and engineering solutions with global standards.
He explained that his goal was to ensure that beneficiaries of industrial-scale training would apply the vocational skills and knowledge they gain to add value to the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria.
According to him, “My interest is that our youths have to add value to the social-economic growth of the Niger Delta and that of the country. They can do this effectively when they acquire high-quality training that will make them to be useful to themselves, the region and the nation.”
Otuaro noted that when ex-agitators and other beneficiaries are equipped with the right expertise in a structured environment, they will be able to produce products that meet international standards and have high market demand.
He expressed satisfaction at the quality of the finishing, creativity and exquisite outlook of the furniture he saw during the tour, stressing their durability and international appeal.
He added, “I decided to undertake the visits to these facilities to enable me to see things for myself to be able to take the right decision on the vocational initiative I have for ex-agitators and beneficiaries of the PAP in the areas of furniture and woodwork, and designs.
“I am pleased with the top-class industrial equipment, high-quality furniture and the huge factory I have seen here and the fact that they have international appeal. This means that if our people are able to acquire the right vocational skills here, they will be able to produce furniture of international standards.”
The PAP Administrator emphasized that President Bola Tinubu had given him a mandate to take the programme directly to the people of the Niger Delta.
He described seeking the right facilities to train and retrain many youths in critical vocational trade areas as one of the key steps toward realizing the president’s vision.
He concluded, “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, gave me a mandate to take the programme to the people, and that is what I am doing. This initiative is part of the deliberate plans to achieve that mandate.”