Kuku needs N23.625b to pay 30,000 ex-militants N65, 000 monthly stipends

The Federal Government is to spend a total of N35.830 billion for the reintegration of ex-militants enlisted in the Presidential Amnesty Programme in 2014.

Special adviser to the president on Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku revealed this at a budget defence session with the House of Representatives committee on Niger Delta Affairs.

Kuku also disclosed that another N23.625 billion is required for the payment of N65, 000 monthly stipends to 30,000 ex-militants, adding that N3.825 billion will also be needed to cover the cost of operations in the Presidential Amnesty Office.

Kuku disclosed that about 2,200 transformed ex-militants are expected to be placed in either formal education or vocational training, explaining further that out of the 1,100 of them that have opted for vocational training, 700 would be trained locally while 400 will be trained outside Nigeria.

He said  the balance of 200 will be placed on foundation or pathway programmes that will be conducted within the country to prepare the delegates for placements for universities offshore.

"Of the  30,000 statutorily enrolled in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, a total number of 18,000 delegates have either graduated or are currently in either vocational or educational training facilities within the country and abroad.

"With this figure, we are left with a total number of 11,200 delegates awaiting placements in reintegration facilities.

He  informed the committee  that in 2013, the sum of N38.909 billion was appropriated for already demobilized ex-agitators adding that in compliance with the United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Charter Code, a total sum of N546 million was provided for in the 2013 budget to take care of the reinsertion/transition safety allowance for 3, 642 transformed ex-agitators and their leaders enlisted in the third phase of the Amnesty programme.
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