Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has said his office would not relent in its determination to improve the manpower base of the Niger Delta.
His pledge was made as four cadet pilots on PAP scholarships completed their training in South Africa.
Otuaro said his plan for the oil-rich region would be achieved through quality vocational and educational skills, empowerment, and agriculture, among other things.
The PAP boss stated this at the weekend when he hosted four PAP cadet pilot trainees, Lawrence Oliki, Kingsley Bassey, Osekporovwere Diamond, and Crosby Otobo, at the Presidential Amnesty Office in Abuja.
The quartet had completed the type-rating programme as cadet pilots at the Sim Aerotraining Limited in Johannesburg, South Africa.
A statement issued yesterday by the special assistant on media to the administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, said the cadet pilot trainees graduated on June 28, 2024 and received their certificates during the graduation ceremony at the aviation training institution.
The managing director/head of training, Sim Aerotraining Ltd, Captain Keith Roseveare; project coordinator Rendani Mbedzi; PAP head of vocational training unit Lambert Daunemigha; the administrator’s secretary Ebimene Jackson-Jackon; and a senior reintegration officer Mr Toby Precious were present at the graduation event.
Otuaro said that the PAP Office, under his leadership, would continue to create opportunities for Niger Deltans to achieve their dreams and contribute meaningfully to the growth, sustainable development, security and peace of the region and the country in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Presenting plaques of excellence to the cadet pilots, he said he was delighted at their performance in the training, noting that the gesture encouraged them to excel in their career in the aviation industry.
Otuaro praised the president “for his invaluable support and unshakable desire to ensure that PAP remains committed to its laudable objectives for the region and indeed the nation.”
The PAP boss described the four cadet pilots as worthy ambassadors of the programme and assured them of continued support.
He said, “We will encourage you to go to the right places. Under my administration, we will not just train people for the sake of training but will continue to create opportunities for our people, and everyone will have his dream fulfilled.
“We will support you; we will not abandon you. This also applies to other areas under our mandate, from vocational to education, agriculture, empowerment etc, to make our region attractive for positive impact. I am happy that you are back and ready to contribute to the development of our country.
“Your profession is a very sensitive one. Today, we want to encourage you and emphasise that the Programme impacts human capital development in the region. Our people should be available in every area when the opportunity comes. This is the flying side of aviation training. There are other aspects.”
Otuaro commended Daunemigha and other officials for their efforts in ensuring the cadet pilots’ successful completion of the aviation training.
While giving an overview, Daunemigha, in collaboration with Alom Aviation Services Ltd, the administrator, deployed the four cadet pilots to South Africa on May 31, 2024, for their type-rating on ERJ-145 and ATR-72 500.
He said, “The training was designed to ensure that pilots are proficient in handling aircraft and adept at making decisions during unexpected situations. The rigorous programme focused on safety, adherence to regulatory standards, and operational efficiency.
“The pilots completed their programmes on the 28th of June 2024, and they now have a thorough understanding of the ERJ-145 and ATR-72 500 aircraft.
“They can handle complex flight scenarios, and they meet the highest aviation safety and professionalism standards. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence have brought them to this point in their careers.”
On behalf of the trainees, Cadet Pilot Lawrence Oliki thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Otuaro for sponsoring the type-rating programme, promising they would do their best to be successful stories in the aviation sector.
In May, during the trainees’ pre-departure briefing in Lagos, the administrator had charged them to take their training seriously, shun all forms of distractions and social vices and be good ambassadors of Nigeria, the PAP, the Niger Delta and their communities.
In September and November 2023, the PAP Office sent 40 trainees (20 in each month) for aircraft maintenance engineering at Leadstream Aviation Training, Lagos, who finished their programme and are currently undergoing on-the-job training.
In November 2023, the PAP Office also deployed two batches of six cadet pilot trainees each to SIM Aero Training Ltd and ALT Academy, also in Johannesburg.
In January this year, the PAP Office also sent eight cadet pilot trainees for type-rating training at SIM Aero Training Ltd and another six to ALT Academy for the same training, while two trainees were also sent for helicopter instrument-rating and aeroplane type-rating training, respectively, at Henley Airfreight Training Ltd, also in Johannesburg.
