Category: Niger Delta

The Federal Government(FG) has assured of its readiness to always ensure the all-round development of oil-producing host communities in the country as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Head of Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Warri Regional Office, Olusegun Ogunnubi, gave the assurance in a statement on Thursday, in Warri, Delta State.

He noted that the Host Community Development Trust fund (HCDT) created by the Petroleum Industry Act, gave the Commission the statutory obligation of ensuring the settlors, fund it for the concerned communities.

“Through the Host Community Development Trust fund (HCDT), Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), will continue to ensure compliance from the settlors as regards their statutory responsibilities towards the concerned communities together in which 3% of their operating expenditure will be used to develop the communities,” he assured

Read Also: FG postpones national award collection

However, the NUPRC Regional Head asserted that if the concerned communities could not form a Trust Fund, the bulk of the funds would be used to develop projects defined by the communities.

While commending stakeholders and communities in the state for their cooperation with the commission, he called for more support from the people of Ugborodo community, charging as well that the smooth-running of escravos operations must be ensured.

Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse 111, assured of his readiness to always rally round the leadership of the NUPRC as led by the Chief Commission Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe OFR FNSE, urging him and his team to see to the plight of the host communities.

Atuwatse 111 made this known while playing host to the Head Warri Regional Office NUPRC and his team earlier in his palace at Warri.

The monarch who called for transparency in their engagements with the people, stakeholders and the host communities, said he was optimistic that the NUPRC Warri Regional Office would succeed in its assignment.

He urged the Commission to organize an enlarged parley of relevant stakeholders and the host communities for felt-needs assessment for the betterment of all.

1. He was born on October 25, 1951 to the family of Chief Williams Ayaoghena Dokpesi and Mrs. Alice Aishetu Dokpesi of Agenebode in Edo State.

2. Raymond Dokpesi had his primary education at Ebenezer African Church School and secondary education at  Immaculate Conception College (ICC) Benin City.

3. He established the first indigenous shipping line in Nigeria

4. He contracted COVID-19 and survived it alongside his family members who were also infected.

5. Raymond Dokpesi had his university education at University of Benin before travelling abroad for Masters and doctorate degrees in Wyzsza Szokta Morska Gdynia and University of Gdansk Sopot, Poland respectively.

Read Also: Raymond Dokpesi, wife in action

6. He was the Chief of Staff of the Gongola State Government from October to December 1983 and subsequently the Managing Director of African Ocean Line Limited from 1984-1988.

7. He gained more popularity for earning the first license for private radio broadcast in Nigeria with Raypower 100.5FM.

8. He lunches his autobiography titled “The Handkerchief” on his 70th Birthday.

9. Raymond Dokpesi worked with different government parastatals including the Federal Ministry of Transport and Aviation as the Head of Water Transport Division on Secondment from Nigerian Ports Plc (NTCC) between 1978-1983.

A member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Olorogun Bernard Okumagba has congratulated President Bola Tinubu (GCFR) and Vice President Kashim Shettima (GCON) on their inauguration as the 16th President, and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

He wished them success in guiding Nigeria country towards stability, true democratic governance and economic development.

Reacting to Tinubu’s inaugural address titled “The Nigerian ideal”, Olorogun Okumagba eulogised the President for his firm and unequivocal commitment to “progressive good governance in furtherance of the Nigerian ideal” succintly captured in his five governance principles.

Read Also: Toyin Abraham, Eniola Badmus, others rock matching outfits for Tinubu’s inauguration

“The principles that will guide his administration as outlined by President Tinubu include “governing according to the constitution and the rule of law; to defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that threaten the peace and stability of our country; and to remodel our economy to bring about growth and development through job creation, food security and an end of extreme poverty.”

The prominent All Progressives Congress leader in Delta State also applauded Tinubu’s promise to address the nation’s economic problems and his directive to the monetary authorities to make monetary policy to be more business friendly and work towards a unified exchange rate.

Okumagba, a former Delta Commissioner for Finance, in a statement  also reckoned that new President who has an established reputation as a bridge builder, a true progressive, an astute believer in true federalism, and who has over the years sacrificed to ensure the sustenance of democracy in our country, will bring these remarkable skills and attributes to bear in renewing the hopes of Nigerians for a more prosperous nation.

Okumagba appreciated the significant role President Tinubu played in seeking solutions to the political and economic challenges assailing our nation

He recalled Tinubu’s remarkable transformation of Lagos State as Governor between 1999 and 2007, and the sustenance of a succession pipeline has since made Lagos the state of choice to live in, work, and play.

According to him: “I look forward to your tenure marked by peace and prosperity of our country through an inclusive national reconciliation process; remarkable focus on confronting insecurity through a reform of the sector; growing the economy; and tackling multi-dimensional poverty, which would boost Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and thereby create a robust middle class that will drive our Country’s economic rebound under your watch.”

• By Rafiu Ajakaye

“In God we trust, all others we investigate”, my uncle – a retired military officer — quipped in the language of crime fighters as he narrated to me on Tuesday the incidents that led to the death of a relative around Isanlu Isin, the capital town of Isin local government of Kwara State. The deceased, husband to a second cousin, had run into a scene of abduction in the area. He had seen a victim of the abduction lying face down on the road on the order of masked gunmen. The fellow himself was not the target of the abduction; he also had run into the scene and was ordered to lie face down while they carried out their operations unhindered. It had just happened when our brother in-law got there. As he sought to give the tension-stricken man the courage to get up, two of the abductors reappeared at the scene. They had forgot their mobile phones at the scene. The deceased manned up and unmasked one of the gunmen. He instantly recognised him as a man, indeed a son of the soil, living a few metres away from the country home of a top political actor in Isanlu Isin. They fired at our in-law and he died in spite of his initial efforts to outmanoeuvre them — but not before the valiant had killed one of them whom he had unmasked in his shock at his level of betrayal of community ties! 

Read Also: ‘How security operatives killed my gateman chasing IPOB/ESN members’

There was a claim that the plot was to abduct and extort the politician who was burying his mother in Isanlu Isin. But his brother was taken instead alongside some other community folks — some of whom have since regained freedom. There had been varying narratives on the incident across WhatsApp platforms, especially those dominated by Kwara southerners. 

That unfortunate incident again led to heated debates and finger-pointing on the crisis of security in the region. In all of the debates, scanty attention was given to ‘ _in God we trust, all others we investigate_ ’. Attention was focused largely on the strangers who have dominated much of Kwara South, especially the Igbomina axis. The suspicion is that these crimes are perpetrated in the main by non-indigenes. But the account of the man that our in-law saved confirmed that the abductors were indeed persons from Isanlu Isin and some adjoining Igbomina communities. This is where the problem is: our penchant, or instinct, to always suspect strangers living among us. When a crime is committed, everyone except the victim is a suspect and due diligence must be done to get to the roots of the matter. That way, innocent persons are not punished and criminals are unable to hide under the cover of collective suspicion of the strangers living among us. Evil-doers among the strangers are also not able to get away with crimes as everyone is sincere enough to submit to proper probe of any incidents. 

Suspicion breeds hostility and tension, which then snowball into a cycle of violence and deny us the benefits of diversity and good neighbourliness. Suspicion and blanket profiling of the ‘usual suspects’ allow real criminals to create alibi for themselves. The Isanlu-Isin scenario is a nationwide phenomenon, as had been reported in different media reports, and we should adjust our national conversation to sincerely accommodate the possibilities that the most dreaded crimes in our communities could well be perpetrated by our own kith and kin who are desperate for things of the world. This does not necessarily exonerate the strangers who commit crimes.

While our government’s most important responsibility is to protect lives and properties, citizens must realise that anti-crime measures succeed only where the people, the citizens, consciously decide to be part of the solution, and not just a blame party. We should be vigilant and hold ourselves to account in our own corners. Everyone should be part of the solution. Our communities need to adopt the broken window theory to support government’s efforts to combat crime by ‘policing’ ourselves in the most civil way possible. 

A belief that we will be safe only when we chase away ‘strangers’ or adopt some hostile policies towards them may be a costly fallacy, given the trend of global migration and our fast-changing demographies. Human migration will remain constant and dynamic till the end of time. Just like our forefathers will be shocked to see the current ethno-religious composition of some communities, we are also unlikely to recognise much of where we live today in the next five decades as different factors push people in different directions. That is the harsh reality of our world, as rightly predicted by Shamit Saggar who said: “This century is likely to see more movement across the globe by more people than at any other time in human history. To put it in another way, more of us would be encountering more people different in many ways from ourselves than any of our ancestors….We already know that increasingly, the first great battle for the twenty-first century humankind will be to live sustainably with our planet. It is becoming clear that the second great struggle will be to live with each other graciously’. If nothing else speaks to this reality, the japa syndrome among Nigerians should.

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has admonished the Institute of Directors (IoD) to ensure the advocacy for ethical governance is not mere rhetoric and slogan. 

He stated this at the 40th-anniversary dinner of the Institute in Lagos.  He said the organisation has, over the years, transformed into an independent, strong, and reliable institution providing innovative solutions to different professionals in Nigeria.

He said: “As a body with membership drawn from the different cadres of our society, IoD has remained a key partner in progress and a stakeholder in our quest for good corporate culture and economic development. I am pleased that your members are the leaders who drive businesses and implement most of the corporate policies that affect the common man in different parastatals and companies across the country. 

Read Also: Jonathan inaugurates longest flyover in Southeast

”This is why we must pay attention to your activities and continue to encourage you to deliver on the objective of boosting public policy through advocacy and building  the capacity of directors to be competent and committed professionals through well-developed programmes, mentoring schemes and sound ethical practices.”

He hailed the institute’s commitment over the years, especially on capacity development and the relentless pursuit of ethical governance in boardrooms and other spheres of governance.

While reminding them of the enormous responsibilities that lie before them, he urged them to work hard to ensure that the advocacy for ethical governance is not mere rhetoric and slogan but rather a manifest reality in the character of members, who should, in turn, implement these ideas in the various places they find themselves.

Jonathan reiterated the fact that more than ever, Nigeria needs people of integrity to be at the helm of affairs to help address the challenge of trust existing between those in positions of leadership and the citizens.

By Emeka-Rems Mgbemena 

The National Youth Service Corps was established by Decree No.24 of 22nd May 1973, now quoted as NYSC CAP N84, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Taking a walk down memory lane, General Yakubu Gowon, the Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria from1st August, 1966 to 29th July, 1975 in his Independence Anniversary broadcast on 1st October, 1972 announced Government’s plans to establish the National Youth Service Corps as a follow-up action of sorts to the 3 Rs of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, enunciated by Government to speed up the healing process of a country recovering from the throes of a thirty-month civil war that started 6th July, 1967 and ended, 15th January, 1970, leaving in its wake, millions of casualties on both sides of the conflict.

It was on the cessation of hostilities that the then leadership of the country came to the realisation that it would take more than the staccato of gunfire, the rolling of tanks and the booming of bazooka to hold the numerous ethnic nationalities making up the entity, Nigeria into a unified whole.

Unity and peaceful coexistence cannot be decreed.Therefore, a pathway to this, Government rightly thought should be to create a sustainable platform that would engender mutual trust, respect and understanding among the youths which will foster national unity. 

Thus, the announcement of the establishment of the Corps, which would afford university graduates that veritable platform to begin the process of nation building resulted in protests by the students who felt that dedicating one whole year to the service of the fatherland would be an unnecessary waste of time, as many of them were to secure white collar jobs upon graduation from the universities. 

There is no gainsaying the fact that as at then, many graduating students had up to two or more job offers. Employers would flood the universities to interview graduating students for possible employment. Interestingly, available job vacancies outstripped the number of graduating students. 

Hence, the acquisition of a university degree was a passport to better life, given the fact that on getting employed, a three bedroom flat and a vehicle loan awaited the employee which explains the anger and frustration of the students at the thought of getting “conscripted” into the so-called national service. 

On the other hand, their parents, relatives and guardians were apprehensive; and gravely concerned about their safety, given that the country had just emerged from a bloody conflict, which made journey outside one’s cultural zone seemingly precarious. 

Read Also: NYSC, New Horizons seal ICT skills training

Indeed, parents expressed genuine concerns, as inter-ethnic suspicions were quite high. They felt that the deployment of their children to “far- flunged” areas, was akin to putting them on a slaughter slab which must be resisted. 

Besides, they ( parents) were in a hurry to start reaping the fruits of their labour, having made so much sacrifices in order to see their sons and daughters through tertiary education which was a no mean feat.

Be that as it may, the heat generated did not deter the Federal Military Government from going on with the establishment of the Corps through the promulgation of Decree No. 24 which gave it legal backing. 

It is imperative to emphasise that Government beamed the searchlight on graduate youths to drive the process of building a renewed Nigeria, in recognition of their enormous strength, and centrality to national development, being the most enlightened class of Nigerian youths.

The university graduates would be yearly mobilised to contribute in building a new nation out of the ashes of the fratricidal war — a new nation founded on egalitarianism, an indivisible and prosperous entity the citizens and Africans would be proud of.

Gratifyingly, on 2nd July, 1973, the first set of Corps Members, comprising 2364 graduates who were thirty years of age and below, drawn from the then existing Nigerian universities ( University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University, and University of Lagos) became the pioneers of the Scheme.

The NYSC has the following objectives, as enshrined in NYSC Act CAP N84 Laws of The Federation of Nigeria 2004;

a, to inculcate discipline in Nigerian youths by instilling in them a tradition of Industry at work, and of patriotic and loyal service to the Nation in any situation they may find themselves;

b, to raise the moral tone of the Nigerian youths by giving them the opportunity to learn about higher ideals of national achievement, social and cultural improvement;

c, to develop in the Nigerian youths, attitudes of mind acquired through shared experience and suitable training, which will make them more amenable to mobilisation in the national interest;

d, to develop common ties among our youths and promote national unity by ensuring that;

i, as far as possible, youths are assigned to jobs in the states other than their state of origin;

ii, each group assigned to work together, is as representative of the country as possible;

iii, the youths are exposed to the modes of living of the people in different parts of the country, with a view to removing prejudices, eliminating ignorance, and confirming at firsthand the many similarities among Nigerians of all ethnic groups;

e, to encourage members of the Corps to seek at the end of their Corps service, career employment all over the country, thus, promoting the free movement of labour;

f, to induce employers, partly through their experience with Corps Members, to employ more readily qualified Nigerians, irrespective of their states of origin, and;

g, to enable our youths to acquire the spirit of self-reliance.

The Act which repealed Decree No. 24 of 22nd May, 1973 that established the Corps came with accompanying changes in structure of the Scheme and nomenclature:

i, Director-General replaced National Director as Chief Executive, 

ii, The “National Directorate” replaced “Directorate” of the Scheme,

iii, The NYSC “State Governing Board” replaced “NYSC State Committee”, but had its membership and functions retained;

iv, The Act provides for the establishment of an NYSC Local Government Committee in each Local Government Area in the county, and specifies the composition and functions of these Committees, 

v, Creation of Zonal Offices in line with Government’s objective of grassroots development. 

The Corps employs four cardinal programmes that drive the objectives, namely : Orientation course; Primary Assignment; Community Development Service; Winding-up/Passing-out.

A critical assessment of the Scheme’s 50 years trajectory indicates that it has remained on course as a pivot of national unity and development; and has equally grown in leaps and bounds over the years in numerical strength.

From its humble beginning of 2364 Corps Members mobilised at inception, the Scheme at present, mobilises on the average, three hundred and fifty thousand Prospective Corps Members every year for service, thereby making it the biggest youth — mobilisation agency in Africa.

The NYSC has witnessed twenty-two Chief Executives, starting from Col (Dr) Ahmadu Ali rtd to the present Director-General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed.

The Chief Executives variously made impactful contributions to the growth and repositioning of the National Youth Sevice Corps in line with the vision of the founding fathers at their respective time. 

As a dynamic institution, the Scheme has continued to evolve over the years, and in reaction to socio-economic stimuli which will be explained. 

Today, the National Youth Service Corps is supervised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, with Chief Sunday Dare as the Supervising Minister.

Like other government parastatals, there is a Governing Board Board, appointed by the President, charged with the key responsibilities of appointment, promotion and discipline of staff members, in addition to seeing to the welfare and deployment of Corps Members for service, as well as policy formulation. The Board at present is chaired by Her Excellency, Ambassador Fatima Balla Abubakar OON.

The Scheme today operates 13 Departments, 4 autonomous Units, 6 Area Offices, 37 Secretariats, 148 Zonal Offices and 774 Local Government Offices.

The foregoing structure that drives the policies and programmes of the National Youth Service Corps, in line with its objectives, as encapsulated in the enabling Act.

Doubtlessly, in 50 years, the NYSC has left indelible imprints in the proverbial sands of time, particularly in the spheres of Health, Education, Infrastructural development, Advocacies, among others.

The enormous contributions of the Scheme in the area of Education cannot be over-emphasised. It is a truism that in some States of the Federation, the primary and secondary school systems are sustained by Corps Members, that if their services are withdrawn, there will be a system collapse. 

Remarkably, Corps Members are found in the remotest parts of the States, where even the natives do not want to work in, imparting knowledge, catering to the healthcare needs of the people. 

Similarly, in some rural communities, the only doctors the people have ever seen are Corps doctors, who function as Chief Medical Director, and in most instances multitasking.

The NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) driven by Corps medical personnel ( doctors, pharmacists, nurses, medical lab scientists, physiotherapists) ensures free medicare to the rural dwellers regularly. 

The community development projects of Corps Members, ranging from civil construction works, such as water boreholes, wells, bridges, culverts, classroom blocks to intangible projects such as free extra-mural lessons, campaigns against drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, harmful health practices, dangerous driving, among others have continued to deepen the relevance of the Scheme as a development– oriented agency, thereby making it a household name in Nigeria.

It is pertinent to note that the NYSC, in partnership with UNICEF for so many years drove the biggest HIV/AIDS sensitisation project in the world, through the Peer Educator Trainers ( PETs) programme, with Corps Members as the vanguards. They were the engine of the project and rescued millions of Nigerians, especially the youths from the preying claws of the monster, HIV/AIDS, through massive education and generation of awareness on the virus, treatment and preventive measures. 

Talking about national integration, so many inter – tribal marriages have been contracted over the past 50 years by ex-Corps Members as a result of their exposure to the Scheme, thus, strengthening the bond of unity among Nigerians, and pulling down the obstacles of ethnic suspicions and stereotypes. 

Conversely, bridges of unity and lasting friendships among the Corps Members have continued to be built each service year, with a good number of Corps Members settling down in their respective states of service after the service. This indeed has a far reaching positive implications for national unity and integration.

Suffice it to say that in the area of national assignments, the participation of Corps Members in the nation’s electoral process brought about some measure of credibility to the entire process. By the Scheme’s policy, Corps Members are deployed to states other than their states of origin, which to a reasonable extent forecloses partisanship on the part of Corps Members working as election umpires. Since their foray into national elections, they have continued to approach the national assignment with fervour, discipline and patriotism. 

Their sterling performances in the conduct of past national elections had earned the Scheme commendations from both government and non governmental bodies, including the European Union and some international bodies. 

Undeniably, the Scheme in 50 years has continued to make direct positive impact on the lives of Corps Members, building their character and changing their world view which is usually utopian while in school.

Revealingly, there have been instances Corps Members who were cultists while in school discarded membership of the clandestine groups after life – changing encounters in the NYSC Orientation camps, which have discipline as bedrock.

In 2012, the Scheme in response to socio-economic stimuli as earlier stated introduced Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme ( SAED), with a department dedicated to coordinate the activity. The skill programme starts during Orientation course, with in-camp training, and progressing to post-camp training, after the Orientation course.

It goes without saying that SAED is one of the greatest initiatives of the Scheme which is in line with its objectives of making “Corps Members self-reliant”, and has continued to raise a crop of entrepreneurs from amongst the ranks of Corps Members over the years. The Scheme has not only provided them with the requisite platform to acquire or hone their skills, but equally links them up with financial institutions such as Bank of Industry ( BOI), Bank of Agriculture ( BOA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Access Bank, among others that extend grants and credit facilities to the Corps entrepreneurs.

Consequently, so many ex-Corps Members today are entrepreneurs, running profitable businesses, mentoring and employing thousands of Nigerians, and contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products ( GDP). SAED is a direct answer to the often asked rhetorical question: After the NYSC, what is next?

A corollary to the foregoing are the NYSC ventures, with Ventures Management Department established to oversee the activities of the initiative. Today, the Scheme has established integrated pilot farm settlements across the six geopolitical zones of the country. They are sited in Ezillo, Ebonyi State; Iseyin, Oyo State; Obubra, Cross River State; Dangulbi, Bauchi State; Samantha, Kebbi State and Leleyi, kwali in the Federal Capital Territory. 

The Scheme also has Livestock Feed Mill at Ipaja, Lagos; garri processing factory, Afon Kwara State; Rice Mill, Abakiliki, Ebonyi State; Garment Factory, Minna, Niger State; Garment Factory, Mgbakwu, Anambra State; NYSC Water Factory and Bakery, Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory; NYSC Bakery, Water and Garment Factories, Keffi, Nasarawa State,;NYSC Printing Press, Kaduna, all contributing to the national economy, while also serving as centres for skill acquisition and entrepreneurship training, for both Corps Members and youths of the community where they are located.

One other radical change witnessed in the Scheme is the transition from manual process of mobilisation to online method, which has revolutionised the entire NYSC mobilisation process. It has improved the integrity of mobilisation, eliminated to the barest minimum inclusion of unqualified people for service, made data retrieval easy and improved the monitoring of Corps Members through biometric clearance of Corps Members. The online mobilisation started with 2014 Batch “C” Corps Members.

The introduction of online mobilisation process with a department established to oversee the operations has eliminated the old system of Prospective Corps Members having to travel to their respective institutions of graduation to collect their call-up letters. That system exposed Prospective Corps Members ( PCMs) to the dangers of vehicle accident, robbery, kidnap, rape, among others.

Now, the PCMs can print out their call-up letters in the comfort of their various homes. Lost call-up letter can also be reprinted.

In 2022, the Scheme established NYSC TV and Radio Stations in order to ensure robust information dissemination, while also serving as training ground for Corps Members to hone their skills in broadcast media, under the supervision of NYSC managers.

In June, 2021, the Scheme under the leadership of then Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, now Major General, unveiled nine books that holistically captured its contributions to national development, in so many sectors of our national life. The books present readers a vantage view of the 50 year old Scheme that has weathered several existential threats to stand the test of time.

NYSC Museum of Dynamic History, which unarguably is one of the biggest in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was established in 2021 also. A visit to the world class museum takes one back in time, and to the present, with invaluable lessons to be gleaned from the museum domiciled in the basement of NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja. 

However, just like every other organisation, it has not been all rosy. The Corps is confronted by numerous challenges, most of which are extraneous to it. 

Insecurity is an extraneous problem which is of global and national dimensions, and a critical challenge confronting the Scheme. As a result, so much pressure is exerted on the deployment and relocation policies of the Scheme, with Prospective Corps Members, as well as their parents demanding for preferential deployment and relocation, often supported with forged medical papers. 

Some Prospective Corps Members who could not meet their expectations evade service, while some of those already serving abscond from Service, all of which are infractions of the Act setting up the Service Corps. 

In addition to the challenge of insecurity, some State and Local Governments have not been discharging their statutory responsibilities to the Scheme. For instance, Some States do not have permanent NYSC Orientation camp which falls within the purview of their statutory responsibilities, as enshrined in the NYSC Act, while some NYSC Permanent Orientation camps are in a state of dilapidation, yearning for urgent attention.

The Scheme is however grateful to a number of State Governments that have been living up to their statutory duties, and even going beyond that.

Many other challenges revolve around inadequate funding, in the face of other competing national interests.

I give kudos to the Federal Government which shoulders the greatest responsibility of funding the Scheme since inception, which has been an uphill task.

Nonetheless, there appears a silver lining, with the proposed National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (NYSCTF) which has been passed by the National Assembly, and awaiting presidential assent.

Refreshingly, the trust fund will address the infrastructural deficits besetting the Scheme — dilapidated orientation camps and offices; establishment of more skill acquisition centres, among others. 

The fund will equally boost the Scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme by granting credit facilities or grants to a greater percentage of willing and qualified Corps Members who have acquired skills, and in need of funds to establish their businesses.

In 50 years, the Scheme has remained a catalyst for national development, and with the quality of leadership offered by Brigadier General YD Ahmed – led Management; it will obviously continue to break new frontiers, having stepped on the threshold to attainment of diamond jubilee.

Emeka-Rems Mgbemena, Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, writing on remsony@yahoo.com is an Abuja based public affairs analyst.

The Federal Government has approved the retirement of Mr Sylva Okolieaboh, the Acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) based on the notice of retirement he submitted on April 13, 2023.

Sources at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance as well as the Presidency confirmed Okolieaboh sent in his notice of retirement to the Head of Service of the Federation in mid-April in line with established civil service rules. 

A source at the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation confirmed receipt of the letter and acceptance of same early this month.

Okolieaboh, who served in the position for almost a year following his appointment in June, 2022, has also prepared his handover papers in readiness for departing the public service on May 28 when he will attain the statutory retirement age of 60. 

He joined the Federal Civil Service in August 2000 as an Assistant Chief Accountant, rising through the ranks until his elevation to Acting AGF. Okolieaboh who hails from Uli, Anambra State is the first head of the institution from the South-East in the history of the institution. 

He has been a core member of the Federal Government of Nigeria Public Finance Management (PFM) reform team. He was also pioneer PFM Team Leader for the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and author of the GIFMIS Chart of Account which has now been adopted as the National Chart of Accounts. 

Okolieaboh was the pioneer Director, Treasury Single Account (TSA) at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Nigeria (OAGF). He is an international expert in Public Financial Management (PFM) and has written extensively on various PFM topics in both local and international journals.

In his Notice of Retirement, the Acting AGF expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to serve. 

Read Also: Buhari appoints Madein as new AGF

He also thanked the Chief of Staff to the President, the Minister of Finance and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. 

During his time in office, Okolieaboh rallied his colleagues to stabilize the nation’s apex finance management office following the instability that characterized the tenures of his two predecessors. The nation witnessed his brilliant intervention in the ASUU-FG impasse over the IPPIS. He also consolidated on the reform especially with the roll-out of the bottom-up cash management and enforcing stricter control on the IPPIS.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr. Okolieaboh holds a Masters Degree in Public Financial Management from the University of London and has received executive training from some of the world’s most reputable institutions including Harvard Kennedy School; London School of Economics; University of Oxford; among numerous others. In June 2014; Mr. Mr. Okolieaboh was invited directly by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to participate in a month-long training Government Finance Statistics in Washington DC. He was the only participant from the entire West Africa at the course.

It was also learnt that at the May edition of the monthly Service-Wide meeting of the Head of Service, Permanent Secretaries, Accountant-General of the Federation and Auditor-General of the Federal; the out-going head of the nation’s Treasury informed the august body of his impending retirement from service. In what a serving Permanent Secretary who was present at the meeting termed as a short but rousing valedictory speech, Mr. Okolieaboh expressed his gratitude to Mr. President, the Chief of Staff to the President, Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Amidst intermittent applause, he poured encomiums on some of his closest Permanent Secretaries associates including the Permanent Secretary Finance, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed; Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Mallam Ibrahim Idris Yusuf and Permanent Secretaries, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri.

Sources at the Federal Ministry of Finance also confirmed at the last monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee which was chaired by the outgoing AGF on behalf of the Minister of Finance; the Permanent Secretary Finance, Mr. Ahmed gave a long and flattering valedictory speech in honour of the AGF. 

He spoke aboutOkolieaboh’s long service at the Treasury House, his intellect and expertise as well as the well documented roles he played in the PFM reforms.