The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • ‘Why Benue can’t pay teachers minimum wage’

    ‘Why Benue can’t pay teachers minimum wage’

    Primary school teachers in Benue state have been on a prolonged  strike over non-implementation of  the National Minimun Wage. The Special Adviser to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Solomon Wombo told journalists why Benue State government cannot pay its teachers. Our correspondent, UJA EMMANUEL was there.

    For some time now government has claimed it was carrying out screening of primary school teachers in the state and upon completion, payment would commence. However, there appears to be a problem somewhere as the teachers have again embarked on an indefinite strike. What went wrong?

    Well, I will address the issue of screening first. It’s true that we went out to screen the teachers to be able to establish who and who were genuine teachers and those that were not genuine. We want to thank God that the screening yielded some results, at least we were able to discover that over a thousand people were on the pay roll were not genuinely our teachers and those names have been expunged. Also, we discovered that some people that are due for retirement, that are no longer productive were there and those ones were also expunged from the list. And that helped to reduce the strength of our teachers to just 15, 200 from the well over 16, 000 that we had. So, in that regards, I’d like to say the screening paid off, at least a considerable number of people that are not supposed to be on our pay roll were expunged from the pay roll. The second aspect of what went wrong; well, on our own side, I think nothing went wrong in the sense that the essence of the screening was to establish the number of teachers and pay the minimum wage. And like we said, if you’ve been part of my briefings before, I’ve always met with the press on monthly basis to brief them of happenings here, since August, we started paying salaries based on the resources available to us, there is a minimum wage.

    In fact, we were one of one of the first states to implement 27.5% increment on the salary of teachers in Northern Nigeria. So, this is a precedent that has been set with regards to the welfare of teachers. And above that, the governor willingly, willingly increased the salary of teachers when he came into power. He saw that figures were not too good and that their pay packets couldn’t create any impact, he willingly increased the salary of this people without any agitation from any teacher. So, these are things that indicate good intentions, they are precedents the governor has set, that he is concerned about the welfare of the teachers. So, this background should be able to give everyone an insight into the capability of the governor in terms of handling the welfare of his own people.

    So, what happens is, the local governments which I preside over is responsible for paying teachers and when we finished the screening, we now looked at our resources and how much we could pay. Now, instead of taking exactly what the federal government implemented at the national level which will not be feasible in the local government setting, we decided to do a new minimum wage structure that was in line with the resources that were available to us. Okay? If we are to implement new minimum wage on what the federal government takes, that is, adopting exactly the structure of the federal government, we will need about 2.6 billion to do minimum wage in Benue. And like I always say in my meetings, the allocation to our local governments are not hidden to anybody, they’re not. You can just google FAAC and get all the figures there, you don’t need to go any far. So, these things could be verified. Last month we had 2.8 as the statutory allocation and we had above 400 million as the cat. These are the only sources that are available to our state to utilize. So, if you are to implement what the federal government is paying federal government staff at the local government in Benue, clearly, you will not be able to pay because the money won’t be there. You know how much we get for internal revenue, it’s not a hidden thing, the figures, I publish them. So, the issue of primary school teachers and the strike, they are saying we should harmonise what the state and federal governments are paying. In fact, the NUT chairman said we should adopt what the federal government gives, that is what he said. What we are saying here is, we don’t have enough resources to adopt exactly what the federal government has done, we don’t. And it’s not an issue that is not verifiable. Like we did, we called the management of NUT and we showed them, these are our figures, this is what we have collected overtime. This is what we used it to do; we give the local governments this amount, we give SUBEB this amount, we give pension this amount, we give money for training and supervision this amount. These are statutory. And the total there is still what we arrived at. And so, this is not a gimmick, it is not politics, it’s reality, that what we have cannot pay exactly what the federal government or the state government is paying. We don’t have such money and it’s real. And they have access to our books and we have always shown them to them, that look, this is what we have and what you are demanding for cannot be paid from here. But instead of leaving you at where you were before, we will do a new salary scale based on the resources available to the state. So, this is what went wrong.

    How do you distinguish between what the government is paying and what we know as the minimum wage?

    I’ve said you do not set people’s salary based on their own needs. You set salaries based on the resources you have available to honour this salary obligation. If you set salaries based on the needs of the people that are working for you or what people are doing you could make a mistake. In sharing of the federal allocation, for example, the federal government does not take the same with the state, the state does not take the same with the local government. The state takes about 36 point something per cent, federal government more than 52 per cent while we take only 22. So, there is no way you can set salary the same at all levels. The negotiation was done by the federal government based on the resources of the federal government and not on the resources of the local government. So, if you go to implement what the federal government and the state are implementing, you could be making a mistake because you’ll end up not paying salary anymore because you’ll have to gather your salary, your allocation for two, three months before you’ll be able honour even one month obligation. And I said, if we are to adapt exactly what the state did, or the federal government did, you need nothing less than 2.6 billion to pay the more than 25, 200 teachers that you have in Benue and this is not possible. I said earlier that Benue local governments have the highest staff in the entire north central, we have the highest number of teachers in the entire north central and our resources are not the same.

    So, when we looked at the structure of the state government and the federal and we saw that it would not be practicable here, we invited them, we told them, look at our resources, we cannot just adopt this, we’ll end up not paying salaries at all. So, look at what we have and let’s do something reasonable. And you remember I told you earlier, because of the enhancement of the salary of teachers and other workers in Benue state, our teachers were taking quite reasonable sums of money as salaries, yet we said despite the fact that they are not earning below the minimum wage, let’s increase their salary based on the resources that are available to us. We brought them, we showed them our allocation for this month, I keep repeating, go to the net and check, 2.8 billion statutory, 400 million vat, the federal government clearly said no more argumentation, whatever thing we served is what we distribute. These are things Nigerians are hearing, these are things every Nigerian is aware of, it is not from me, I don’t distribute federal allocation. It is what is given to us here that we use. So, we showed it to them, this is what we had and the only thing we can do is to cut our coat according to the size of our cloth, not according to our own size even because if you have a small piece of cloth and you go and cut it according to your size you’ll end up not wearing that coat at all. So, we have to structure our coat according to our own resources, and we said from level one to six, fine, we can adopt that because the increase is manageable. But when it begins to be unmanageable we will tinker with it a little, the difference it quite a little. But they are saying, okay, we have seen that you have increased our salary, what we are asking you is, adopt what the state and federal governments have done at the local government if not we wont accept. We are telling them and pleading with them that the resources we have cannot accommodate this. This is the point we can’t meet, that is the issue that is in contention.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NGO decries poor educational facilities for children

    The Isaac Moghalu Foundation has decried the poor standard of educational facilities in schools, which makes it impossible for children to learn.

    They said that so many children in poor communities learn under trees or uncompleted buildings, while so many people can afford to elevate their problems but instead wait for the government.

    The Executive Director of the Isaac Moghalu foundation and wife of the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Maryanne Moghalu made the statement in Abuja, at the commissioning of new classroom blocks donated by the NGO (Non- Governmental Organisation) to LEA primary school, Gishiri.

    She said, “We came here to bridge the gap that can be found in our educational system, in the aspect of the private and public schools, although it is the role of the government to provide such, we as citizens should not just fold our hands and watch because they are our children and someone has to do something.

    “We have provided them with a block of three classrooms, renovated their administrative block and included a library and also given them a new borehole and rehabilitated their water system because formally they did not have drinking water.”

    Mrs Moghalu explained that the foundation which is basically family sponsored also gives out full scholarships to students from secondary school all through the University and so far, they have sponsored about eight students nationwide and by September intend to begin taking 20 people every year to provide scholarships. It is also an educational institutional programme where they renovate and equip schools, just like they did in Gishiri.

    She explained that the foundation which is a legacy of her father-in-law who was very passionate about education, partnered with Regent schools in Abuja to provide books for the library. She said that the Regent school will sustain the program after the foundation leaves and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the LEA to continue the program, whereby every child in the school will each donate a book to the Gishiri library on their birthdays for as many years as possible.

    A school teacher with Regent school, in charge of the project stated that, “We use the opportunity to make our children who are use to some luxury things in life and air conditioned classes understand that there are children in other places in need and how lovely it will be to help them.

    “We will make our children not only contribute to the library but those in class five will come here from time to time to assist the children here read and maintain the library and on some occasions, we will invite the children to our schools for a picnic or something so they can interact with the children in our school also.”

    Other items donated to the school were, cloths, shoes, toys, food items and toiletries.

  • FCT literacy level hits 60 per cent

    The literacy level in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT  has increased to 60 per cent  compared to 30 per cent that it was in 2011 .

    The Director, Agency for Mass Literacy Alhaji Musa Yakubu Maikasuwa who said this at the  FCT Literacy Day held at Gwagwalada Area Council, said efforts are still being taken to ensure that a full level is achieved.

    Alhaji Musa Yakubu explained that the celebration of the day was to showcase the effort of the Agency for providing second oportunity for the disadvantaged youths and adults residing  in the FCT who missed acquisition of suchthese literacy in a formal setting in their impressionae childhood and early adult years.

    To bring literacy to the doorsteps of the residents according to the Director  the agency established six vocational centres on tailoring , fashion and design, brick laying, automobile mechanic, woodwork and joinery at Karshi, Bwari, Abaji, Kwali Gwagwalada as well as in Kuje ARea Council.

    The FCT Minister, Senator  Bala Muhammad who was represented by the Secretary for  Education Secretariat,  Mallam Kabir Usman called for a synergy between the formal and informal sectors in the education system to eradicate all forms of illiteracty in the society.

     

    The Minister pledged the commitment of the FCT Administration to develop the education sectors.

    Some of the representatives of the area councils at the exhibition commended the Agency that have assisted them in producing working tools that have made them to remain self reliant.

  • Abuja, city of job seekers

    Abuja, city of job seekers

    To most people, Abuja is not only the capital of Nigeria; it is also the money centre of the federation, which generally fuels the belief that only the rich live there.

    With the level of unemployment on the increase in a country with such a huge population, people in other parts of the country now nurse the believe that if they cannot find jobs in other parts of the country or encounter any form of hardship, they simply believe that all they have to do is relocate to Abuja with its high rise buildings and beautiful roads and everything will be fine.

    Abuja presently is probably filled with more unskilled workers than skilled, a visit to some estates like the Mbora estate in Jabi, AMAC Aco estate along the airport road etc and the Maitama Nicon junction, Beggar Junction and other specific locations, unskilled workers come out every morning in their numbers with shovels and daggers and wait for either construction companies or people in need of labourers pick them up for daily menial jobs.

    Such unskilled labourers are involved in the ever present construction jobs that is ever prevalent in the city, whether it is in the construction of roads, rails, estates or even private buildings, they are found everywhere ready to do jobs even as little as weeding the highways or weeding grasses of the porches of private buildings.

    Adamu Musa, a native of Kaduna who sometimes hangs around the Mbora estate said that he is not lazy or afraid of hard work. “I was born on the farm and have worked on a farm my whole life. I had to leave the village because farming is now unprofitable and I have a lot of mouth to feed at home, it’s just unfortunate that the jobs we get which are very tasking pay very little.”

    Another set of unskilled workers complained bitterly to the Nation about the kinds of treatment meted out on them by their Chinese owners, most of them who only posse secondary school degrees insisted that the Chinese companies they work for treat them with no iota of respect and whoever dares to complain is immediately relieved of his job.

    These workers who resume work as early as 6am and can still be seen on the site latter than 6pm insisted that they are very hardworking and honestly enjoy being construction workers since the country itself is prevalent with unemployment but will love to be treated more humanly.

    33 year old Samson Moses who works on the rail construction along Kubwa- Arab road said that although they are not well paid, they are left with no option but to keep working due to the situation in the country, he said, “they don’t pay us well but what can we do? They greatest problem we have here is that although we are involved in such a dangerous job, the company does not provide any safety measure for us and whoever gets injured on the job will be the one to treat himself which is not fair.”

    Another worker who sounded really bitter, Isaac Alaqi said,” being a construction worker is not easy, we work all through the day, including Sundays, nobody cares if we eat or not, we don’t have a uniformed salary here, we are paid from N15,000 to N25,000 and one will have to work for complete 30days to receive the amount. Since we do not have representatives or allowed to create one and whoever tries to speak up is immediately sacked since there are many jobless people ready to fill the space.” They all said that it is unfortunate that expatriates are allowed to come into Nigeria and maltreat Nigerians without anyone daring to caution them or tell them how to respect citizens of this country.

    Other unskilled workers in Abuja who are not involved in business are mostly the Okada or tricycle riders, drivers etc, while another percentage of them flood the satellite towns and municipal areas where they are involved in jobs like packing of refuse popularly called mai bola, shoe making, tailors that mend little tears from house to house, pure water sellers and those who sell items in traffic and the most surprising amongst them all are the Hausa boys whose only job is to manicure people nails.

    Unskilled workers flood into the city everyday and resort to other criminal activities like stealing, defrauding people of their money, mostly using the excuse of property sale to defraud people and the most common is the fraudsters popularly known as one chance pretend to be taxi drivers to defraud innocent citizens.

    The unfortunate thing about being a job seeker in Abuja, people continue to stay back even when they cannot find suitable jobs but keep hoping and praying for a better day, when things will get better, such a job seeker is sometimes advised to try other states, most refuse believing that just hanging around the city will probably be enough to meet their needs.

  • 24 patrol vans for FRSC at Xmas

    24 patrol vans for FRSC at Xmas

    The Federal Ministry of Works in partnership with the World Bank has donated 24 patrol vehicles and four trucks to the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC to ensure an accident-free yuletide.

    The equipment are also targeted at ensuring safety and enforcement on specific road corridors where the bank is currently carrying out rehabilitation projects.

    While handing over the vehicles to the Corps Marshall of the commission, Osita Chidoka, the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen said expected target under the Road Sector Development Safety Corridor Project is to ensure fewer accidents and zero deaths.

    Among the expected equipment from the World Bank under the second phase of the Road Sector Development Programme are 21 patrol motorcycles, 3 heavy tow vehicles, 1 low tow vehicle, 6 double stretcher ambulances and 11 single stretcher ambulance among others.

    These road safety and communication equipment from the World Bank is to ensure that Nigeria meets its decade of action target on road safety over the next few years.

    The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Osita Chidoka while receiving the equipments promised to mobilize his men to put them into good use to achieve the desired results.

     

  • The Mandela factor at FEC meeting

    Last Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo had a sizeable number of ministers in attendance compared to past sessions.

    The moment President Goodluck Jonathan is on an official trip abroad, many Ministers are often in the habit of staying away from FEC meetings even though they are in the country.

    These Ministers, however abandon every assignment they have to attend the meetings when the boss is in town.

    In my write-up of October 1, 2013, entitled “Where are the Ministers”, I pointed out how only 14 Ministers attended the FEC meeting presided by Sambo on September 25, 2013 and how the council could not achieve much because of the poor attendance. The meeting only lasted for about one hour, 40 minutes.

    Apart from FEC meeting of September 25 and many other instances before that date, the attendance of FEC meeting conducted by Sambo on Wednesday 4th December, 2013 was not too impressive while full house was recorded the following day when President Jonathan gave 2013 Nigerian National Order of Merit award to three professors at the same venue.

    As if they have all turned a new leaf, 22 ministers did not only appear for last Wednesday FEC meeting, but they were very punctual. The President was away on a trip to South Africa for the late Nelson Mandela’s burial ceremony

    By the time the digital clock in the Chamber was showing 10:00 am, which is the deadline for arriving for the meeting, 19 out of the 22 ministers had already arrived.

    The ministers who attended last week FEC meeting which lasted for about five hours include Special Duties, Police Affairs, Petroleum Resources, FCT, FCT (State), Niger Delta, Niger Delta (State), Mines and Steel, Trade and Investment, Trade and Investment (State), Labour.

    Others include Communication Technology, Power, Agriculture, Women Affairs, Health, Finance, Finance (State), Works (State), Information, Transport and Interior.

    One major reason for the ministers’ high attendance at the meeting is being linked to the opportunity given last week to pay tribute to the Late Nelson Mandela.

    Each of them was given the opportunity to make a comment on the late anti-apartheid crusader.

    Most ministers who were not on foreign trips but absent in FEC meetings presided by Sambo are believed to be using the opportunity provided by the President’s trip abroad to attend to their personal issues.

    Even outside the country, some of them have been accused of abandoning international conferences and seminars to go on shopping spree and other personal businesses.

    A point in case was the recent accusation that some ministers abandoned the Honorary International Investors’ Council (HIIC) meeting in London.

    But the President on arrival in Abuja defended the ministers, saying: “All of them performed very well. I think there are some kinds of misconception. Ministers are not meant to sit throughout the period. Ministers are meant to go and make presentations even in Nigeria.”

    “The only person that normally sits throughout is the Minister of Trade and Investment that warehouses the HIIC. Some ministers don’t normally sit for two days, in a day you may not see a minister. If a minister is meant to make a presentation on the second day, is not that for the two days you will expect all the ministers.”

    “Because I read some of the perception in the media, that the Minister of Communication Technology was not there on Thursday, the Minister of Petroleum was not there on Thursday. They were not meant to make presentation on Thursday, they appeared on Friday and made their presentation. So there is no issue about ministers, people make a lot of insinuations out of nothing.”  He added

    It must be said here again that true service to our fatherland, devoid of pretence or deceptions is paramount in delivering the goods in line with the transformation agenda of the government.

     

  • ‘Why youths aren’t benefitting from Fed Govt’s investment’

    ‘Why youths aren’t benefitting from Fed Govt’s investment’

    The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation Chief Edem Duke has said lack of the right attitude by Nigerian youths has been hindering them from benefiting from government’s huge investments in the sector. He also named lack of value re-orientation as one of the major factors responsible for their human capital development deficits.

    Duke who was represented by Mr Tipato Daniel, Director, Orientation in the ministry, said this at a one-day national youth summit organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Abuja.

    The theme of the programme was  “Rebuilding Nigeria’s National Image Through the Youth”.

    Duke said that government’s effort would “come to naught” if the citizens do not have the right attitude, adding that without the right attitude, there would be no development.

    “Our youths cannot benefit from government’s huge investment in human capital development without the right attitude and proper value orientation,” he said.

    the minister urged the NOA to remain committed to the task of value re-orientation and attitudinal transformation of Nigerians, with particular emphasis on the youth.

    “It is my conviction that if our youths are consciously cultivated and nurtured in the right values and attitude they would grow as responsible adults equipped to contribute to the development of Nigeria,” he said.

    He added that the programme was put together to sensitise the youth on their “crucial” relevance to nation building and the role they should play to secure the future and destiny of the country.

    The minister called on the youth to begin to take interest on issues affecting the country even as they prepared to take over from the older generation.

    He said that the federal government had created multiple programmes and platforms for youth empowerment, adding that the federal government inter-ministerial and inter agency synergy on youth were unprecedented.

    Mr Mike Omeri, Director General of NOA said that the Nigerian youth was the greatest among equals, this he attributed to their excellent innate potentials, which had been manifested in some Nigerian youths.

    According to him, everywhere you go, the Nigerian youth remain the greatest in their exploit such as literature, science, banking and business.

    He said that the Nigerian youth had the capacity to change the world.

    Omeri frowned at some youths who he said have been tarnishing the image of the country by their conduct and attitude.

    He called on youths to take advantage of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in order to add value to their lives.

     

  • Kuje residents seek compensation for demolition

    Kuje residents seek compensation for demolition

    There are many problems associated with living in satellite towns in Abuja. Poor transport system is one of them. Inadequate security is another. Then add the bad road or lack of road networks. There is also the issue of lack of social amenities. These are enough reasons to live in fear in any of the satellite towns in Abuja. But most disturbing of these problems to residents who leave in these satellite towns are the presence of bulldozers pulling down structures deemed to be affecting development projects. When buildings are marked for demolitions, residents become apprehensive, sleeping at night becomes a nightmare. In Abuja, marking buildings for demolition has gradually become a common culture. The trend started with the administration of former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir El – Rufai. El-Rufai won the praise and hatred of many for his campaign, which he said was to protect the city’s master plan. At the time, it was common for families to lose

    their homes and other property.  However, what is not common when these structures are pulled down is the compensation. Who pays the compensation for pulling down houses? For many, the wait for compensation is elusive; they never get any. In this regard, the residents of Pasali, a community in Kuje Area Council are asking for compensation. The Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) Department of Development Control, recently, commenced the demolition of some illegal structures in the area. The FCTA had on November 28 and 29 marked some houses for demolition.  The new demolition move which will render many residents of the community internally displaced when carried out, will pave the way for the construction of the FCT rail tract. Residents of the once quiet town, since the demolition notice was served on their houses now live in fear from being sacked by the FCT authority.  Investigation revealed that over 1225 marked completed houses as

    well as the numerous demolished uncompleted ones are built on an extended landmass originally designated as “government residential lay out.” Located in the extended landmass that accommodates six settlements, namely Pasali, Action areas 1, 2, 3, 4 and 4 extensions, Government Girls Science Secondary School, and the Hajiya Asara community, no less than 20,000 people will be displaced even as the proposed demolition will lead to loss of economic investments. Some residents whose houses have been marked for demolition by the authority described the plan as harsh. An indigene and resident of the area whose house has been marked for demolition, Shehu Sule said he has had sleepless night since the action by officials of FCDA.  He said: “What the government is doing is not good and I have remained worried ever since they marked my house I built two years ago on the land I bought from Kuje Area Council for demolition. Just like that, they have marked my house for demolition without any explanation for their action. Government has started breaking down some houses in the area which has not been completed. We don’t know when they will come again to continue from where they stopped.  ”I want government to help even if they say they must demolish our houses; they should give us money we used to acquire the land and show us another place where we can go and build our houses. “Because I don’t have any other place to live again apart from this place.” However, Spokesman for the Demolition Control Department of the FCDA Mr. Kalu Emeta, in response to the allegations of the residents said: “The marks on their walls are adequate notification and that will last for 21 days and that is what the law prescribes. Anyone who says he has not heard of this demolition is not been truthful and he or she is behind the trend because it has been highlighted in the media severally. “We do not remove structures for the fun of it, the structures being demolished in Kuje were built on the rail track and now that work is progressing on the railway, the structures have to go.” But Chairman of Kuje Residents Association, Pastor Emmanuel Okorie in a chat with our reporter at the weekend said that the settlement was designated government residential layout, a reason he said was responsible for settlers to build residential houses in it.

    He said: “All the houses marked for demolition were built on lands properly got from the government with all papers of allocation necessary. If government wants to use the land they gave us, the law requires that they compensate us adequately both for the economic trees and give us time to relocate. If for overriding public interest, the government wants to use the land for a project it considers is in greater interest of the public, then it should compensate those it will affect, that is our prayer. They have to pay for the lands and for the structures and other investments like trees already made on that land.” Also, the Chairman of Action Area (AA3) Residents Association who spoke on behalf of some affected residents, Alhaji Olayiwola Olayinka, said they were surprised by the sudden marking of their houses for demolition by the FCDA to pave way for the proposed rail line project, as nobody was informed about the exercise.

    “But when we saw markings on our properties, we started asking questions about what was going on; then they explained to us that they were marked because they were sited along the way of the rail line project.

    “The FCDA officials told us that they want 200 meters mapped out, because in addition to the rail line there is a road 106 project that is coming too, and everything is parallel to each other. All the rail line that is usually seen, the highest you can see is 50 meters, but this one is big.

    “It is embarrassing that you wake up or return from work one day, just to see red markings of demolition threat on your property, if they put food on the plate one wouldn’t have the appetite to eat or sleep well. If that is the situation, we are not opposing the government development imitative in the area, but the real fact is that it should be done in line with the applicable town and regional planning law in the country.

    “What we are asking for is that, since government wants to pursue public interest, it should pay appropriate compensation and give us time within which we must move out. Because if they should come and demolish without any compensation, then it means that they are slapping us.”In a telephone interview with our reporter, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Resettlement and Compensation, of the FCDA, Joseph Atta, said that the issue of compensation and demolition has been put on hold as regards the FCT rail line project.He said: “Before any compensation must hold, there must be a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and approved building plans by the Development Control Unit. If they don’t have any documents, there is nothing anybody can do.”

  • NUJ disappointed with Abaji council leadership over projects

    The chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Abuja chapter, Comrade Chuks Ehirim has expressed disappointment over the nonchalant attitude of the leadership of Abaji area council, Hon. Yahaya Garba, towards the NUJ projects tour of area councils, by not willing to make themselves available for the projects inspection.

    Ehirim who could not contain his disappointment over the attitude of the council and some mandate secretariats, when journalists of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Chapter, visited Kuje area council on the media assessment tour of projects execution by the FCTA, area councils and National Assembly members in the FCT, said that the action of the leadership of the council is evident to the fact that the council may be hiding the fact that there no meaningful projects in the council for them to showcase to the public.

    According to the NUJ boss, they gave Abaji two expecting dates which the leadership of the council shifted without genuine reasons, saying that the members of journalists were supposed to have visited the council as agreed, but in the morning they got a message across to the leadership of NUJ that they were not ready to receive the team of journalists again.

    “This projects tour which was given approval by the FCT Minister of State, which is the supervisory Minister of the area councils, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide. We were supposed to have started with Abaji last two weeks, but they pleaded that we should give them some days, which we did and they shifted it again. What it means is that it is possible that they do not have any project in Abaji area council to showcase.

    “Because this tour is about showing the area councils what they are doing with their resources, even the mandate secretariates are included in this attitude, some of them are not showing interest in this projects tour, when they are called upon, they will give you documents that they have done, without coming out to show you where they are sited.

    “Abaji has not given genuine reasons for shifting the dates, other than that their chairman is not around. We are not moving anywhere with the chairman, he could delegate his officials to show us what they have done, because, we are not bothered about if the chairman is available or not, because it is not a cogent reason.

    “We are not happy about it, because it defeats the aim of the tour itself. We are calling Abaji area council and some of this mandate secretariats to take this project tour seriously. If Abaji has no projects to showcase, we will go there and show that they are not doing anything and that is what we are going to do,” he said.

    Ehirim said that no matter how much the leadership of Abaji tries to frustrate the effort by the NUJ from visiting the council, they will not be deterred, that they must visit the council, to know the projects on ground, saying that they do not know the reason why they are shying away from the projects tour.

    “We went to Kwali area council and we were pleased with what we saw; the much the council chairman has done under six months. It is not an imposition, we are not forcing anybody, we are saying show us what you have done, just like the STDA has shown us what they have done in Kuje, Kwali and Gwagwalada area councils and we have helped them to publicize this projects.

    “I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the FCT authority to assist the contractors handling this road projects, because some of this roads are very vital, they are major link roads by the inhabitants of the FCT to the city.

    “Like we have heard from some of the contractors, their projects are hampered by paucity of funding. So, whatever should be done so that they get their funds as at when due, should be considered, so that they could complete the projects for the benefit of the people, we will appreciate it,” he said.

     

  • Abuja Area councils urged to support NHIS

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration has urged all departments, secretariats, agencies and the area councils to support the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHSS), geared towards addressing the health needs of staff for continuity.

    The Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Ademola Onakomaiya  made the  plea at an interactive meeting of FHSS team and managemnt staff of all FCTA hospitals in Bwari Area Council.

    He said the scheme is one of the dividends of democracy and the administration is determined to have a healthy workforce.

    His words: “The FCT health Services Scheme as an organ of the Federal Capital Territory Administration with the aim of addressing the health needs, especially out of pocket expenditure of staff (and their dependants) of secretariats, departments, agencies and thz six area councils has come to stay and all efforts geared towards its sustainability should be encouraged”

    “Our patients, especially FHSS enrollees who access services in our hospitals are our primary concerns and we must ensure that thei hopes and confidence in the scheme will not be dashed”

    He lauded  the FHSS team for restructuring activities that are on-going to reposition the scheme for effective service delivery.

    In his welcome address, programm manager, FCT Health Services Scheme, Dr. Evans Onyekele, said, now the scheme has over 65, 000 enrollees “and we are not  raising our shoulders yet as more work still needed  to be done”

    He said, the scheme is bedevilled with many challenges ranging from “inadequate staff to meet the tasks and late payment of capitations” adding that the meeting is to look into and address the challenges that mitigate against adequate service delivery to the enrollees.

    He said also that the scheme want to revalidate all the enrollees to detect those who are no longer in service and remove their names from the scheme and its also reaccrediting the private health care facilities in order to remove those that fall short of standard or no longer in existence.

    The FCT Health Services Scheme was established by the 12th FCT Executive Committee Resolution on April 4, 2006 and was officially flagged off in August 21, 2009.