News

We’ve Repositioned PAP To Tackle Unrest, Unemployment In Niger Delta — Ndiomu

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2023

The Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP has been repositioned to tackle unrest and unemployment in the Niger Delta by empowering youths in the area with requisite skills, the Interim Administrator of PAP, Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd), has said.

Ndiomu, during a courtesy call to the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA in Lagos, said he has had to redirect the programme to its primary objective of boosting the capacity of youths in the Niger Delta.

While soliciting the partnership of the authority for some of its programmes, especially the Deep Sea Diving School in Rivers State, Ndiomu was received by NPA’s Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko and the other management team.

He said, “When I took over in September 2022, I discovered that the programme had been drifting away from the core objectives of why it was established. I had to redirect the vision towards the initial concept, which is essentially to build the capacity of the teeming restive youths in the region. Like they say, ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’.

“When these boys are jobless, what do you expect from them? They engage in criminal activities, including pipeline vandalization, piracy and other activities which affect the economy.”

Ndiomu explained that the Amnesty Programme has five vocational centres, which were established with different specialisations such as in Agadagba in Ondo state aimed at training youths in oil & gas related activities; another in Bomadi, Delta state with the objectives of building capacity in energy-related activities while the one in Rivers state is for deep sea diving training.

While lamenting that the centre in Boro town, Bayelsa State was vandalised after its completion, Ndiomu solicited technical support as well as long-term strategic collaboration in utilising one of the jetties of the NPA for the deep-sea diving school in Rivers state.

“I want to solicit your support and assistance with a view to using one of your jetties in Rivers state which we can develop further together for the purpose of the deep sea diving school and other related marine training. This is one area where we can get the youths to create sustainable livelihoods.

“These boys are willing to learn. Many of them have been trained but sadly, they are unemployed. I don’t think this is in the best interest of the country. We have been managing them by paying them the recommended stipend monthly but it is not the right way to go because we are indirectly encouraging the culture of indolence and dependency. It is not something we should encourage in our youths, rather we should give them the opportunity to be self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” he added.

The MD of NPA, Bello-Koko, who commended Ndiomu for boosting the capacity of youths in the Niger Delta, said the programme has helped in addressing unrest in the region.

He assured the PAP team of the willingness of NPA to provide technical support and other assistance needed for the success of the deep-sea diving school. He said the authority has improved activities in the ports in the region as a way of gainfully engaging the youths through provision of jobs.

“For us in NPA, we have tried to improve activities of our ports in the region as a way of tackling restiveness because with these activities, jobs are created and the youths are engaged. We will work with you to give you all the support you need. We’ll work with you to see any available jetty for the purpose you want to use it for. When it comes to deep sea diving and other marine related training, we have experienced staff here that we can always send to you to offer training and advisories whenever the need arises.

“We have tried as much as possible to have a very good working relationship with the host communities in the Niger Delta. We have seen a reduction in restiveness because of what you have been doing as well as our engagement with the host communities. We also seek your support when you are engaging with the communities around the port locations; they need to realise that their action and inaction will determine how viable the ports are,” he said.

News

Anambra Guber: ‘I’m On Sabbatical,’ Don’t Use My Name In Your Campaign, Ngige Tells APC

Published

6 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

Former Anambra State governor and two-time minister, Senator Chris Ngige, has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, and his running mate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, not to link him to their campaign, saying he is currently on sabbatical from partisan politics.

A campaign poster featuring Ngige alongside the APC candidates has been circulating on social media, creating the impression that he is backing the party in the November 8 governorship election.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Hyggi Obialo, Ngige clarified that his consent was neither sought nor obtained before the publication was released.

“Senator Chris Ngige is on sabbatical from active partisan politics as he takes a well-deserved rest after 25 years in politics and public service,” the statement read. “We advise those behind the poster to respect his wishes, as he has repeatedly stated in public that he is out of partisan politics for now.”

Ngige served as governor of Anambra State from 2003 to 2006, represented Anambra Central in the Senate from 2011 to 2015, and was Minister of Labour and Employment from 2015 to 2023.

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8,246 mentally ill inmates in custody nationwide – NCoS

Published

6 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Correctional Service(NCoS) says no fewer than 8,246 inmates are currently suffering from mental illness across the custodial centres nationwide.

The Assistant Controller General of Corrections (ACG), in charge of Medical Services, Dr Glory Essien, disclosed the figure during a public hearing on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Other Inhumane Treatment by the NCoS began the third public hearing on Monday.

Essien, however, highlighted the harsh reality of incarceration and its impact on mental health during her address to the panel.

“We have 8,246 inmates with mental health conditions in our custodial centres.

“From the moment someone is brought in, those who have seen a custodial centre know what I mean.

“The police escort them to the gate, and it’s opened, they’re admitted, and then that gate is locked behind them.

“That instant loss of freedom can trigger something. Some begin to show signs of disturbed behaviour almost immediately, as if something in their mind has shifted,”she said.

Essien explained that the prison system relied on an internal network of trained inmate-leaders who assisted staff in identifying those showing signs of psychological distress.

According to her, these leaders are trained to alert the staff when they notice concerning behaviour.

“They might say, ‘This inmate seems dazed, hasn’t eaten, hasn’t spoken to anyone.’ That helps us intervene early,” she said.

Essien said in spite of these efforts, the scale of mental health issues far exceeded the available resources.

She said: “If you’re in a facility housing 500 to 1,000 inmates, and you’re the only attending doctor, nurse, or psychologist, it’s simply not possible to monitor everyone individually.

“That’s why we rely on these trained inmates to help us identify those in need, so we can provide care as best we can,” she said.

She, however, underscored the logistical challenges of delivering mental healthcare in correctional facilities.

“Mental illness is chronic. It’s not like malaria, where a single dose clears up the issue, highlighting transportation issues, limited drug supplies, and staff shortages as ongoing obstacles.

“We’re not operating in a five-star environment.But with the little we have, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of our work,” she maintained.

Similarly, the Assistant Controller General of Corrections in charge of pharmaceutical services, Mohammed Bashir, addressed concerns around drug provision and mental health treatment.

He said that the Federal Government had actually been doing its utmost to ensure that it catered to the health needs of the inmates.

“Money has been appropriated, but is the money enough? No.

“Out of 81,122 inmates in 256 correctional facilities nationwide, about 2.3 per cent are female,” he said.

Bashir revealed that a single item, such as sanitary pads for menstruating inmates, costs over “four million naira monthly.

On mental healthcare, Bashir confirmed that a psychological services unit had been created within the service to focus on treatment.

“We have partnership with this psychiatric and psychological association. We have the consultants who usually go to about 12 designated custodial centres that have a large number of these cases,” he said.

He, however, admitted that drug supplies often ran out within weeks due to inadequate funding and staffing.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, called for urgent support and systemic changes.

Ajani made a passionate appeal to the Nigerian Medical Association and pharmaceutical companies for support.

“Please come to Macedonia and help us. We are in dire need of psychiatric and psychological aid in remote states beyond Abuja and Lagos.”

Ajani, who chairs the panel, expressed concern over the maldistribution of mental health professionals.

“Let them not only be centered in Abuja and Lagos. We need them to go out to the fields. Because if we even put two in the states, it will help them,” she added.

The PS emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration with private companies, noting that public-private partnerships would be beneficial.

According to her, we can approach companies that can give us drugs as CSR; they do it.

“So, don’t let us sit in the office and forget our primary responsibility.

“Do it now. Build a bridge and empower younger people to be able to sustain that bridge that you are building,” she emphasised.

News

Tinubu Appoints New NCC Chairman, Fresh Board Members

Published

6 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

President Tinubu has approved the appointment of Idris Olorunnimbe as Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr Aminu Waida, will continue to serve in that capacity.

President Tinubu also approved the appointments of the members of the board of the NCC.

The members include Abraham Oshidami, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services; Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management; Hajia Maryam Bayi, Former Director, Human Capital and Administration; Col Abdulwahab Lawal (retd); Senator Lekan Mustafa; Chris Okorie, and Princess Oforitsenere Emiko.