Nigeria send 96 of another 258 - Niger Delta ex- militants to the Philippines for Skill Trainings

(July 9, 2011 11:51 AM)

Lagos (WorldStage Newsonline)-- A total of 258 former Niger Delta militants are traveling this weekend to four different countries (Philippines, South Africa, India and Poland) for training in maritime, crane operations and pipe line wielding, through the post amnesty re-integration programme of the Federal Government.

The breakdown of the delegates are: 21 delegates for Maritime training in Poland, 44 delegates for diving in India, 96 delegates will fly to the Philippines for welding while 97 delegates will jet out to South Africa for welding and crane operations.

The Philippines is chosen to be the country for skills training of the 96 ex Delta militants as the world recognized the Philippines’ welding technology is advance and  the new skills they would learnt would be use for their new jobs back to Nigeria.

This new group brings to 857, youths who have been sent abroad for different programmes, either for skills acquisition or university education.

Special adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku in a short address at a send off ceremony in Lagos at the weekend spoke on government plans to facilitate jobs for some of the ex- militants.

He cautioned them on the need to be of good behaviour in their respective countries of training, warning that the slightest sense of misconduct will make him repatriate them and see them face justice.

He spoke of plans by government to facilitate jobs for some of the ex- militants that had completed their vocational training in South Africa, affirming that negotiations were on going with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA), to engage the five divers that graduated from South Africa.

Kuku said : "Well the five divers that returned from South Africa after their training are yet to get jobs, we are in the process of communicating appropriately with Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA), we have engaged NIMASA in some discussions, if the discussions go well, we will get jobs for the youth there.

"The oil companies will not foot drag, the Federal Government is doing all it can to persuade them to engage to do what is right, and what is right means, they must train our youths in their areas of demand, to the extent of absorbing them in the industry, we cannot force them, the average Niger Deltan wants to work in the major oil multinationals, the workforce needed by the major companies , is here, all they need is to train them in their areas of industrial demand and absorb them, after graduation, we will get experts who will look at the possibilities of post training engagements in compliance with the local content law, we will do all we can to engage those we can engage, and those who want to be on their own, we will also be encouraged through set up to be on their own."

Kuku explained that since the commencement of the of the re- integration phase of the program  in August 2010, more than 7,000 transformed ex- combatants had been allocated to both local and offshore training centers with more slated for educational and vocational training offshore.

He explained that only 26,358 ex-militants who accepted the Federal Government's amnesty program were officially recognized under the ongoing rehabilitation scheme.

He said the ongoing disarmament exercise in the Niger Delta was illegal and had nothing to do with the presidential proclamation being handled by the Amnesty Office.

He declared that as far as the Federal Government was concerned, the disarmament program conducted by the presidential committee on amnesty had been concluded on May 25, 2009.

He urged the Joint Task Force (JTF) to stop the purported disarmament exercise currently going on in the region in order to avoid disruption of the amnesty program.

“When amnesty was proclaimed on June 25, 2009 only 20,192 persons complied with the presidential directive. An additional list of 6,166 beneficiaries was registered later,” he said.

“For me, amnesty has ended in the Niger Delta. Only 26,358 persons accepted the amnesty and they are they ones recognized by the Federal Government.”

Story by Ayoola Ponmile (email - ayoolaponmile@gmail.com)

http://www.worldstagegroup.com/worldstage/index.php?&id=3122&active=news

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The Philippines' books in the Netherlands - release

To uphold the Philippines not only through travel guide books but also through books on its history and culture, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center of the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands is bringing selected Filipino books to Selexyz Rotterdam, the biggest bookstore in the said country.

Alma Argayoso, commercial attaché of the Philippines to the Netherlands, said that they partnered with Selexyz to make the books available not only to the Dutch, but more importantly to the Filipino expatriates who do not have easy access to books from home.

The selection includes books on culture, history, languages, travel and even stories by Filipino immigrants who have immersed themselves in the local culture.

One of the books entitled “A Taste of Home, Pinoy Expats and Food Memories”, is a collection of personal stories by Filipino expatriates from around the world, on the major role Filipino food plays in their lives, how they try to prepare the authentic taste of home in their own kitchens in foreign lands while struggling to integrate themselves into the new cultures of their adopted countries.

Other Philippines’ books includes:

·        “The Philippines through European Lenses”, written by a Dutch anthropologist commissioned by the Dutch Ambassador to the Philippines Robert Brinks

·        Rizal Without the Overcoat

·        101 Stories of the Philippine Revolution

·        Philippines: Islands of Enchantment

·        25 Tropical Houses in the Philippines

·        Authentic Recipes from the Philippines

·        Etiquette Guide to the Philippines

·        Tropical Gardens of the Philippines

·        Filipino Cookbook

·        Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories

·        The Tropical House: Cutting Edge Design in the Philippines

·        Tagalog for Beginners

·        Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teachings from Philippine Ancestral Traditions

·        The Politics of Redress

·        Philippine Folklore Stories

·        Filipino Ghost Stories

·        Pan de Sal Saves the Day

·        My First Book of Tagalog Words

·        Filipino Home-style Dishes

The initiative was supported by Tuttle Publishing, Anvil Publishing, North Atlantic Books, Abela Publishing and the Mama Sita Foundation.

NY Times bestselling author visits PHILIPINES

National Book Store brings back New York Times’ bestselling author Lauren Kate for the launch of her new book titled Passion, the third installment to the supernatural romance series, ‘’Fallen,’’ on July 16, Glorietta 5 Atrium, and on July 17, Ayala Center Cebu Activity Center. With the success of ‘’Fallen’’ and its sequel ‘’Torment,’’ debuting at No. 3 and No. 1 in the New York Times Bestseller list respectively, ‘’Passion’’ is one of the most awaited young adult fiction releases this year.

In this new book, Lauren takes the readers into a journey with Luce, a devoted woman who spends her afterlife reliving her love story with Daniel in hopes of finding the key to a world where love transcends time and death. Terrified of what might happen if Luce rewrites history, Daniel decides to chase her through their shared pasts.

K-Zone releases ‘Boredom Buster 2’

K-Zone's latest book release, Boredom Busters 2 introduces kids to cool and fun things to do to bear boredom.

Kids can be spies, a wildlife adventurer, ghostbuster, movie director, rockstar or a mad inventor. The book also features puzzles, riddles and do-it-yourself activities and experiments

K-Zone Boredom Busters 2 also shows how to create your very own K-LEB Automata. Just cut-out the images and follow the simple instructions on how to make your very own miniature K-LEB.

Philippines’ Football “Team Azkals magazine”

Summit Media launches Team Azkals, an unofficial fan magazine featuring everything you need to know about the Azkals.

Featured are more than 45 unknown things about the Azkals—including their respective sports heroes, dream dates, and even their relationship status! The players themselves also reveal who is the team’s funniest, friendliest, and flirtiest member.

The magazine also gives a quick lesson on the basics of football, chronicles the team’s humble beginnings and recounts ten Azkal game highlights.

Team Azkals magazine comes with free pin-ups and posters and even tells you how to snag your favorite player’s heart. Team Azkals is now available in newsstands, bookstores and supermarkets nationwide for only P150.

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