Hoodlums invade Amnesty Vocation Centre, cart away Starter Packs worth millions of naira

Akam James, Yenagoa

The multi-million naira entrepreneurship starter packs supposedly arranged for beneficiaries of the Vocational Technical Education scheme by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Presidential Amnesty Programme was carted away as hoodlums invaded the centre in Kaiama, Bayelsa State. The Starter Packs which include Welding machines, Fridges, Generators and technical equipment, was meant to help beneficiaries to become self-employed and dependent after under-going the trainings. According to an eyewitness, Mr. Kennedy Suoye, the looting commenced on the 14th of February 2019 and lasted for three days, while security personnel posted to the area to bring the situation under control did little or nothing and watched the looting go on. “The centre was earmarked for official commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari during his campaign tour to Bayelsa State. But when the President failed to show up for the commissioning so that they would start to share the starter packs, some miscreants took advantage of the situation and broke into the place and started the looting. “The security personnel stationed at the centre watched haplessly as hundreds of people descended on the centre to grab whatever they can lay their hands on. Even the window frames of the centre was not spared. After doing this, tomorrow they would blame the Federal Government of not meeting the needs of the Niger Delta people.” Suoye said. A staff of the Amnesty Programme at the centre, who wouldn’t want his name mentioned, said “as part of the official commissioning of the centre, the office was expected to give out Entrepreneurship Starter Packs, to beneficiaries of the programme. “But things got out of hand as some persons accused the officials of carting away equipment in truck loads from the centre in the guise of delivering it to beneficiaries, which eventually led to the breakdown of law and order. And eventually a free for all looting ensued”. It was further gathered that the Amnesty Office went on to commission the Vocational Training Centre designed to provide a wide array of Training programmes in Plumbing, Catering, Fashion Designing, Building and interlock blocks making techniques, Shoe/leather works, in spite of the looting.