FG sends 109 Niger Delta youths to UK varsities

The Federal Government through the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. kingsley Kuku, has concluded arrangements to dispatch 109 youths of the Niger Delta region to study diverse courses in universities and colleges in the United kingdom and Cyprus.


Kuku said during an orientation programme organised for the youths at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel on Saturday that the youths were not repentant militants and were therefore not part of those undergoing reintegration under the supervision of his office.

Some of the institutions listed in the programme of the orientation ceremony are University of Wales, Cambridge Ruskin International College, University of Plymouth, Plymouth Devon Internal College, Anglian Ruskin University, London International College of Business and Technology, Conventory University and Brunel University.

The President’s aide said 20 of the beneficiaries had secured admission into Inter College, Larcana in Cyprus.

The 109 youths, who are billed to leave the country for the UK and Cyprus, are to be enrolled for courses which include Medicine, Biomedical sciences, Law, Business Management, Economics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/electronics engineering, Civil Engineering and Computer Engineering.

Kuku said, “You are not ex-militants, you were not militants and you can never be ex-militants, Never!

“The Niger Delta belongs to all of us. You cannot empower only those who carry arms; if you do that you will be encouraging everybody to carry arms.”

However, Kuku threatened to ensure immediate deportation of any of the benefitting youths for acts of indiscipline that could undermine the image of the country.
Culled from Punch