•PAP to prioritize vocational training, quality education — Otuaro

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has said that the PAP Office will not relent in its determination to improve the manpower base of the Niger Delta.

He said this will be achieved with quality vocational, educational skills and empowerment as well as agriculture, among others.

He stated this at the weekend while hosting four cadet pilot trainees of the PAP, Lawrence Oliki, Kingsley Bassey, Osekporovwere Diamond and Crosby Otobo, at Presidential Amnesty Office in Abuja.

The quartet had successfully completed the type-rating programme as cadet pilots at the Sim Aerotraining Limited in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, Mr Igoniko Oduma, on Sunday, said the cadet pilot trainees graduated on June 28, 2024 and received their certificates during the graduation ceremony at the aviation training institution.

Present at the graduation event were 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.

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 type-rated cadet pilots, he said he was delighted at their performance in the training, noting that the gesture was to encourage them to excel in their career in the aviation industry.

Otuaro praised the President “for his invaluable support and unshakable desire to ensure that the Programme 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 very 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 is impacting on 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 the Head of PAP Vocational Training Unit, Mr Lambert Daunemigha, and other officials for their efforts towards the successful completion of the aviation training by the cadet pilots.

Earlier, while giving an overview, the Head of PAP Vocational Training Unit, Lambert Daunemigha, had said that in collaboration with Alom Aviation Services Ltd, the Administrator deployed the four cadet pilots on May 31, 2024 to South Africa for their type-rating on ERJ-145 and ATR-72 500.

He said: “The training was designed to ensure that pilots are not only proficient in handling aircrafts but also adept at making decisions during unexpected situations. The programme was rigorous, with a strong focus 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 aircrafts.

“They can handle complex flight scenarios, and they meet the highest standards of aviation safety and professionalism. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence have brought them to this point in their careers.”

Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Cadet Pilot Lawrence Oliki, thanked the President, the Federal Government and the PAP Administrator for the type-rating programme sponsorship, promising they would do their best to be successful story 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.

The PAP Office had also in November 2023 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 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.

•The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro (centre); Cadet Pilots Lawrence Oliki and Kingsley Bassey (left); Cadet Pilots Osekporovwere Diamond and Crosby Otobo (right) when the Administrator officially hosted the quartet at the PAP Office in Abuja on July 5, 2024, after the completion of their sponsored type-rating programme in South Africa.

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