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Gov. Oyetola inaugurates FG’s 774,000 special public works in Osun
Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, on Monday inaugurated 774,000 Federal Government Extended Special Public Works Programme in Osogbo.
Oyetola said that the public works initiative was in line with Osun’s Development Agenda, aimed at guaranteeing and securing a better future for the teeming youths in the state.
“This programme, through a short-term response to the rising spate of unemployment in our country, deserves to be commended for its ambitious coverage and transparent recruitment process.
“With 1,000 beneficiaries drawn from each of the 774 local governments in the country, this programme further mobilises our young people to contribute to societal development.
“This will earn a modest income within the space of three months, in the first instance.
“Again, this programme communicates the readiness of President Muhammadu Buhari to address the urgent need to provide economic empowerment for our teeming youth population”.
Represented by his deputy, Benedict Alabi, Oyetola said that the administration was resolute in its efforts to equip young people to be competent contributors to the growth and development of the state.
The governor said the administration would not relent in its efforts to continue to seek creative ways of providing employment for the people, particularly the unemployed youths.
“In many ways, this programme aligns with our administration’s agenda of equipping our young people to be competent contributors to the growth and development of our state.
“All our existing programmes, including the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), Post-COVID 19 Recovery Plan, are already being recalibrated for employment generation and better service delivery.
“We shall not relent in our efforts to continue to seek creative ways of providing employment for our youths and our people”, Oyetola added.
In his remarks, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for being committed to the welfare and well-being of the citizens.
Aregbesola was represented by Adekunle Ige, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state.
He described the Federal Government’s initiative as one that would fast track the quest to ensure quick recovery of the nation’s economy, which was hitherto lost to the adverse socioeconomic effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Also, Malam Abubakar Fikpo, the Acting Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiative.
He said that the President’s noble intent gave birth to the national employment scheme to minimise the scourge of poverty and unemployment among the citizenry.
Fikpo, who was represented by his Deputy, Malam Ismail Yekini, reassured the capacity of the NDE to successfully execute the programme.
“This is a significant scheme designed to combat mass unemployment rate and alleviate poverty in our dear country. “With this programme, the scourge of poverty and joblessness will be drastically reduced.
“We commend President Buhari for the confidence he has in NDE to implement the programme.
“We assure him of our capacity to deliver as we are conscious of Mr President’s commitment to use the scheme to mitigate the adverse effects of the global Coronavirus pandemic”, he added.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday, approved the appointment of eight new Federal Permanent Secretaries.
The appointment was contained in a statement issued by the president’s Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale
He said the permanent secretaries were appointed to fill in existing and impending vacancies of some states and geo-political zones in the top administrative cadre of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to Ngelale, they were appointed after a diligent selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The new Permanent Secretaries are, Dr. Emanso Umobong Okop – Akwa-Ibom, Obi Emeka Vitalis – Anambra, Mahmood Fatima Sugra Tabi’a – Bauchi, Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi – Jigawa, Olusanya Olubunmi – Ondo, Keshinro Maryam Ismaila – Zamfara, Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma (South-East), Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen (South-South).
“The President anticipates that the new Federal Permanent Secretaries will exercise absolute dedication, diligence, and fidelity to the nation in the discharge of their functions and ensure optimum service delivery to the Nigerian people”, the statement added.
Gov. Usman Ododo of Kogi says the choice of the state as a special agro-industrial processing zone by the Federal Government is a step in right direction.
Ododo said this when he hosted a delegation from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on Friday in Lokoja.
He explained that his administration was ready to meet all requirements for the establishment of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in the state.
The project ,which is an initiative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Kogi government, is expected to attract significant foreign and domestic private sector investment into the state.
The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone is expected to process maize, cassava, rice, palm oil, cashew, sugarcane and fish, in line with the commitment of Gov Ododo to transform Kogi into an agro-industrial hub.
The governor said: “We have already allocated 254 hectares of land in Ukpake, AjaoKuta Local Government Area for the purpose of the special agro-industrial processing zone.
“Our decision to establish the agro-industrial processing zone in Ukpake was due to its strategic location and proximity to essential resources such as water supply, electricity, gas, a railway line linking Kogi and a number of states and the proposed international cargo airport in Adogo ,which is a few kilometers from the proposed site of the agro-industrial facility.
“We wish to assure you that Kogi government will do everything possible to provide the enabling environment for the selection of the state for the phase II of the project and its eventual take off.
“This is because it is in line with my administration’s policy on industrialisation and the strong will to guarantee food security in the state through investment in agriculture.
“We are also aware that such investment in agricultural value chain will increase productivity, provide access to market for farmers and provide job opportunities for the teeming population of the state.”
Ododo commended the African Development Bank for the initiative, which he said would enhance job creation and guarantee food security in Kogi and Nigeria ,at large.
In his remarks, Dr. Bashir Ibrahim-Gaya, who led the AfDB delegation, said the assessment tour was intended to verify the readiness of states to be selected in the phase II for the establishment of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone.
Ibrahim-Gaya explained that the SAPZs were being implemented in 18 countries across Africa, including Nigeria.
According to him, the phase I in Nigeria, covering seven states ,including the Federal Capital Territory, has commenced.
“Our team is here in Kogi to assess the state’s readiness as a possible beneficiary in the phase II of the project, ” he said.
In their separate remarks, the State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Ashiru Idris and Commissioner for Agriculture,Mr Timothy Ojomah, assured of the political will by the state government to see to the realisation of the project in the state.
Ojomah said the proposed agro-industrial processing facility would be supported by adequate and reliable supply of raw materials and semi-processed agricultural produce from the state Agricultural Transformation Centres in Alape, Anyigba and Osara.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government (FG) to grant its demands for better welfare and administrative conditions in public universities.
The union made the request on Friday at a news conference held at the Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu.
The Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Calabar Zone, Mrs Happiness Uduk, said that the only way to avert the imminent nationwide strike was for the State and Federal Governments to meet the union’s demands.
Uduk said that the body had given a two-week ultimatum for its demands to be met, warning that failure to do so would result in an industrial action.
She regretted that the FG had yet to fulfill its commitments under the FG-ASUU agreement in 2009, leading to stagnation in salary scales and overall welfare improvements.
She said: “Government had an agreement with ASUU in 2009, which tells us that for 15 years running, ASUU members have been on the same salary scale, nothing has changed.
“We are requesting that government should complete negotiations it started with us more than 13 years ago, first with the Babalakin-led team, then the Munzali-led team, finally the Briggs-led team.
“These people had completed the negotiations and, if the negotiations had been completed and Mr President has the document, we don’t know why for a year now he has not called us to talk to us about it.
“So, government should as a matter of urgency address our renegotiation and take into account current realities, including inflation rate, exchange rate and whatever needs to go into that,” Uduk said.
She called on the Federal and State Governments to address issues bordering on revitalisation fund for public universities, payment of earned academic allowances and withheld salaries, high taxation and victimisation of ASUU members
She also said that ASUU strongly insisted on the removal of its members in federal universities from the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS).
Uduk further said that the high rate of taxation experienced by ASUU members was a result of “the introduction of an obnoxious platform” for salary payment.
“Whatever government has in mind with regards to that, it should use our University Transparency and Accountability Solution or any other platform that would originate from universities rather than the IPPIS,” she said.
She advised that the FG’s students loan scheme be replaced with grants which, she said, would alleviate financial stress on students and improve their academic pursuit.
Uduk called on the FG to stop the proliferation of universities and focus on better funding for the existing ones to improve overall standards within the existing institutions.
She also advocated for the quick resolution of the minimum wage debacle and introduction of a living wage that obtains in saner climes.
On Abia, the ASUU zonal coordinator called on the Abia Government to pay the 11 months salary arrears owed to lecturers in ABSU.
“We are not negotiating any part of that salary for anything because we have worked, taught students and examined them and some of them have graduated,” Uduk said.
She urged the Abia Government to discontinue the use of Treasury Single Account in the payment of ABSU lecturers’ salaries and address the recent inconsistency in the payment of salaries.
According to her, Government is owing April, May and June.
“Let the Abia Government leave payment in the hands of the university administrators and a platform that is consistent with the institution’s operations.
“But it can do its oversight as far as ABSU is concerned,” she said.
Uduk said that some ASUU members at the Ebonyi State University had been suspended for more than two years without salary.
“We call on the Ebonyi governor to look into the peculiarities of the problems in the state university and ensure that our members are reinstated forthwith,” she said.
Uduk said that the ongoing interface with stakeholders was to encourage Nigerians to appeal to the government to do the needful, “otherwise, in two weeks time ASUU will go on strike”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union had earlier held an interactive session with critical stakeholders, parents, children and traditional rulers, amongst others.
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