Dennis Otuaro, the administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), announced that four cadet pilots on the scholarship scheme have successfully graduated from the type-rating programme in South Africa. The cadet pilots, Lawrence Oliki, Kingsley Bassey, Osekporovwere Diamond, and Crosby Otobo, completed their training at Sim Aerotraining Limited in Johannesburg.
During a weekend event at the PAP office in Abuja, Otuaro hosted the young pilots and commended their achievements. The ceremony, which marked their graduation on June 28, saw attendance from notable figures including Captain Keith Roseveare, Managing Director and Head of Training at Sim Aerotraining Ltd; Rendani Mbedzi, Project Coordinator; Lambert Daunemigha, PAP Head of Vocational Training Unit; Ebimene Jackson-Jackson, the Administrator’s Secretary; and Toby Precious, a Senior Reintegration Officer.
Otuaro reiterated PAP’s commitment to enhancing the manpower base of the Niger Delta through vocational and educational training, empowerment, and agriculture. He expressed his delight at the cadets’ performance and presented them with plaques of excellence. He also praised President Bola Tinubu for his invaluable support and commitment to the programme’s objectives.
The administrator described the cadet pilots as worthy ambassadors of the programme and assured them of continued support. “We will encourage you to go to the right places. Under my administration, we will not just train people for the sake of training, but will continue to create opportunities for our people and everyone will have his dream fulfilled,” Otuaro stated.
Lambert Daunemigha highlighted that the training, conducted in collaboration with Alom Aviation Services Ltd, was rigorous and focused on safety, regulatory standards, and operational efficiency. The cadet pilots now possess a thorough understanding of the ERJ-145 and ATR-72 500 aircrafts, enabling them to handle complex flight scenarios while meeting the highest standards of aviation safety and professionalism.
Lawrence Oliki, speaking on behalf of the trainees, expressed gratitude to the federal government and the PAP administrator for the sponsorship, promising to strive for success in the aviation sector.
In previous initiatives, PAP sent 40 trainees for aircraft maintenance engineering at Leadstream Aviation Training in Lagos and deployed multiple batches of cadet pilot trainees to various training institutions in Johannesburg.
