The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Saturday urged the Federal Government to expand the current amnesty programme to accommodate more youths in the Niger Delta region.
Akeredolu made the call when the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Paul Boroh (Rtd) visited him in Akure.
The governor said the Federal Government could take a cue from Ondo State, which created a University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa, where people could learn how to build boats and take engineering courses.
“It is unnecessary to send them out of the country.
“A university can be set up here; the one that can teach them to build flying boats and other things that will make them to be useful to themselves and the area.
“So many things can be learnt from the university. Let us integrate more of them into the amnesty programme; let us engage them to reduce youth restiveness in the region,” he said.
Earlier, Boroh said he was happy with the relative peace in the ijaw area of the state.
Boroh said he was in the state because of the summit of the National Council on Niger Delta and to assess other issues.
NAN
