The Presidential Amnesty Programme Cooperative Society Limited (PACOSOL) has commenced the disbursement of the second tranche of loans to ex-agitators in the Niger Delta.
The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd), at the flag off of the event, said it was in fulfillment of the earlier promise by PAP that more people would be captured under the scheme.
Ndiomu, represented by his Special Assistant on Special Duties, Mr. Thomas Peretu, explained that with the commencement of the exercise, the number of entrepreneurs being created by the programme would increase, adding that the scheme will help to create more jobs and reduce poverty in the Niger Delta.
In a statement, the PACOSOL Management Consultant, Zigha Ayibakuro, said Ndiomu expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would make good use of the loan, disclosing that the scheme was running simultaneously with the other empowerment training programmes and initiatives of the PAP.
He said:”This loan is just one aspect of the entire programme that will give the beneficiaries a sustainable means of livelihood as well as 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 people of the region.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the PACOSOL Management Board, Retired Justice Francis Tabai, who spoke through a member of the board, General Emmanuel Salubi (retd), said the scheme was designed to discourage the over-dependence on the monthly N65,000 stipend.
He said: “The N65,000 monthly stipend is not enough to sustain them and their family. 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.
Also speaking, Ayibakuro commended beneficiaries of the first batch for making judicious use of the loan.
He commended the interim administrator for graciously approving the disbursement of the second batch, saying those, who hitherto did not believe in the process had come to attest to its reality.
Some of the beneficiaries appreciated Ndiomu for the opportunity, assuring him that they would work hard to make him proud.
