The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Development

  • Experts advise organisations on human capital development

    Organisations have been urged to adopt new strategies and approaches that focus more on developing human capital, to close the huge gap  in business performance potential.

    Human Resources experts who spoke at the third edition of the Deloitte’s Talent Management Platform (DTMP) and launch of its 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report, held recently in Lagos, noted that investment in human capital was the single most-effective way of not only promoting growth, but also distributing its benefits fairly.

    They further asserted that such investments would guarantee and promote better leadership, more effective management, better decision making and a greater return on investments (RoI).

    Speaking on the theme: “Rewriting the Rules for Digital Age,” consulting partner, Deloitte West Africa, Joseph Olofinsola, said as human capital experts, representing various organisations, there was the need to keep rewriting the rules of the practice through recruitment, promotion and discipline to attain and sustain the desired growth in the economy.

    He maintained that the new rules reflect the shift in mindset, behaviour and actions required to lead, organise, motivate, access, manage and engage the 21st century workforce.

    “The workforce is changing. It is more digital, more global, diverse, automation-savvy and social media proficient. At the same time, business expectations, needs, and demands are evolving faster than ever before. While some view this as a challenge, we see it as an opportunity to reinvent HR, talent and organisational practice.

    Also, as an opportunity to create platforms, processes and tools that will continue to evolve and sustain their value overtime. An opportunity to take the lead in what will likely be among the most significant changes to the workforce that we have seen,” he said.

    According to Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte West Africa, Fatai Folarin who was represented by Femi Abegunde, more than ever before, firms and institutions must recognise the importance of human capital as a critical first step in tapping into unrecognised potential.

    “At Deloitte, we focus on helping our clients achieve organisational excellence by improving their operational performance and developing their people. Organisations can continue to grow only if they have competent people.

    Consequently, organisations must value and invest in people because they are a unique asset to greater heights,” he stated.

    Panelists at the event were sector leaders such as Executive Director, Human Resources, Mobil Producing, Udom Inoyo, Human Resources Director, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc., Wale Adediran, Head, Corporate Services, AIICO Insurance, Mrs Phil Maduagwu and Human Resources Director, Airtel Nigeria, Gbemiga Owolabi, among others.

  • Leadership development for public servants

    In a piece of advice directed at the management of organisations, Fionnuala Courtney stated that, “the success of leadership training always depends on how it is done. Think back to the best manager you have ever had. I’m sure you can remember the person because good leaders are memorable… and excellent leaders are unforgettable. What was it about their leadership that motivated and encouraged you? For that same reason, I bet you can also remember your worst leader. Great leaders move us and inspire us to do our best work. That said, itis important that you have effective leaders in your workplace to empower and influence your people to achieve business and team goals.”

    Courtney further stated the good news that “leaders can be created through effective leadership training” while articulating six of the big benefits that leadership training can offer any organisation. According to her submissions, any organisation, including the Lagos State Public Service, can benefit from leadership trainings as follows. First, the right, consistent leadership can increase the productivity of the people in an organisation. At its primal level, leadership is about understanding people emotionally. She stated that, in a book titled, The New Leaders, Daniel Goleman states that emotional intelligence is critical to the success of a leader. Emotional intelligence involves being smart about emotions and using empathy effectively to empower and engage employees. Leadership training that encompasses emotional intelligence can hone these emotional skills in people managers and leaders.

    Secondly, leadership training can help retain people.( Ms. Courtney stated that 75% of people voluntarily leaving jobs don’t quit their jobs but in fact ‘quit their bosses’! This means that employees leave because of ineffective managers and managers with poor leadership skills. By investing in leadership trainings, an organisation can retain its people and reduce costly recruitment expenses.

    Third, leadership trainings help nurture future leaders.( Organisations need to be strategic about developing and nurturing future leaders. Without strategy, leadership roles are often given to the most forward candidates with dominant personalities. Quality leadership is a combination of the right qualities and the right training. Identify those who have what it takes and provide them with targeted leadership training. Nurturing future leaders supports succession planning and offers career pathways to employees, further increasing retention.

    Fourth, it increases employee engagement.( We all like to know how we are progressing in our roles, receiving praise when it is well-earned and constructive feedback as necessary. In fact, 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week compared to only 18% of those with low engagement. Giving feedback is a skill of successful leaders. Through leadership trainings, organisations can teach effective ways to give feedback to motivate and increase the skill level of their people.

    Leadership trainings can assist in implementing the most appropriate leadership style for organisations and the work they do. There are several leadership styles, all with their own advantages and disadvantages. Leadership trainings can also help individual leaders develop their own personal leadership style that their team members will best respond to. Leadership

    Last, but absolutely not the least, leadership trainings can result in better decision-making. How? Because leaders functioning at a high level of emotional intelligence have the perspective to make informed, intelligent business decisions. For that reason alone, organisations can consider their leadership training investments returned.

    Indeed, the need for ensuring and assuring the efficiency and effectiveness of public institutions has never been greater than now. In a dynamic age of constant changes, it is widely agreed that institutions must have clearly-defined missions that are relevant to the needs and aspirations of its stakeholders. Following this, the human capital at the helm of leadership in these institutions must have the courage to envision a future that realizes the attainment of the defined mission of the institutions. In order to actualize the vision, however, leaders must be trained to possess both the hard and soft skills that are fundamental for success.

    It is indisputable that organisations will make rapid progress and experience exponential growth when its units and teams and departments are headed by persons who understand what leadership means and who have developed their leadership potentials and have enhanced their performance skills. To such an organisation, no problem will be too complicated, no task too herculean, no challenge too huge, and no task too complicated for it to confront head-on.

    I therefore challenge you all to join in envisioning our dear Lagos State Civil Service as an organisation where no problem will be too complicated, no task too herculean, no challenge too huge, and no task too complicated for it to confront head-on. You should therefore regard this training as yet another effort at kick-starting the monumental task of helping every officer of the public service become impactful, influential and productive to such degrees that the output of the Lagos State Civil Service will inspire our dear citizens.

    One of the leadership competencies that have proved especially indispensable is that of problem-solving skills. One of the modern writers on skills development in the workplace, Alison Doyle noted that, “In nearly every sector, problem solving is one of the key skills that employers seek…Itis hard to find a blue collar, administrative, managerial, or professional position that doesn’t require problem solving skills of some kind.” Indeed, as part of engagement and promotional interviews, it is now common place for officers to be required to describe situations they encountered in previous roles, the processes they followed to address the problems, the skills they applied, and the results of their actions. Now, behavioural scientists have been able to study and codify the ‘best-practice’ stages to solving problems. While this workshop is not directly focused on the development of this skill, I am sure that the general leadership essentials to be taught in this workshop will provide insights into how the competencies can be applied to solve problems.

     

    • Excerpts of paper presented by Akintola FCArb, Honourable Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions at the Opening Session of the 2-Day Workshop tagged: ‘Leadership Development & Performance Enhancement for Public Servants in Lagos State’.

  • Media and development

    Development refers to an improvement in the economic situation of the people where the basic necessities of life such as food, housing, education, good income and health care are met at affordable cost and where the society is safe, peaceful, secure, attractive and worth living.

    The media have big roles to play in helping our people come up in the Human Development Index as popularised by the UNDP and its Sustainable Human Development (SHI). The media can pursue reportages that promote people-centred development through people’s empowerment; encourage popular participation that put the people first, a bottom- up development model from the grassroots that also promotes shared environmental responsibilities.

    In most parts of Africa and indeed Nigeria, mass media activities have remained urban enterprises to the neglect of people living in the rural areas where 70% of the population lives. When the story of the agricultural breakthrough deal brokered by the Anambra State government broke in 2016, rather than explore further by climbing boats and using other means to get to the locations where the Ugu and Onugbu farms are located, many of our colleagues chose rather to report ‘convenient falsehood’ which were regurgitated and fallacious stories bordering on scandalous falsehood copied from bogus and fake internet websites and off the face book pages of sworn enemies of the Anambra State government.

    The attitude of many point to a growing culture of cynicism bordering on hate, if not dislike, of the activities of the present administration in the state. Such narrow- mindedness tends to preclude purveyors of such vile and hate-filled narratives from seeing anything good in what the government is doing. Since when did journalism become anti-progress and anti-development to the point that a journalist who probably is sitting in this auditorium did not find any single thing good to write about the Willie Obiano administration after going round the state for 2 days.

    John and Olusola (2015) opine that Development-oriented messages are largely elusive in the rural areas of Africa. According to him, Media, as custodians of development, have done little or nothing in the dissemination of development messages in the rural areas. The fate of the rural African people in the face of urban- centric media practice and elusive development-oriented messages still hang in the balance with regard to information, mobilisation and education.

    What could be the reason for this? Don’t we find reporting rural communities of Anambra State attractive? Is it dangerous to report from the rural communities? Are there no stories to be told from the rural communities of Anambra State? Is it difficult to access rural communities? Why is journalism practice in Anambra State majorly an urban phenomenon? I am aware that the Anambra State Ministry of Information and Communication Strategy has Information Officers at all the LGAs and communities in Anambra State but the question is, to what extent do their reportage make it to mainstream media? Also to what extent are the information officers effective in taking back developmental news and information from the city centres to the rural communities?

    One may conclude that modern means of mass communication have not lived up to expectation in terms of adequate coverage of newsworthy events in the rural areas where Wilson (1999) notes “seventy percent of the people live without access to modern media of communication.”

    It is my view that if media practitioners in the state are guided by the theory and principles of development communication, it would serve us better. Development media theory which is recommended for countries at lower levels of economic development and with limited resources takes various forms but essentially proposes that media freedom, while desirable, should be subordinated (of necessity) to the requirements of economic, social and political development.

    To empower rural dwellers, there has been a push in the advocacy for the establishment of community radio. Individuals, as a matter of right, should have access to media and the right to be served according to their own needs. Therefore, the siting of rural community radio stations and even viewing centres in most rural areas for education, enlightenment, and information becomes imperative. The same goes for the establishment and shared ownership of local community newspapers in native languages and the continued use of other traditional media forms.

    Media organisations operating in Anambra State should increase the Igbo language content of their offerings. This is to help promote the dying language, promote Igbo language, culture and identity and also carry the rural dwellers along by giving priority to news and information links with rural areas for balanced and unbiased news reportage and analyses.

    We expect that journalists operating in Anambra State take further interest in helping to sensitise Ndi Anambra on ecological and other issues facing us. As men of conscience, we need to review how we reported the aftermath of the rainfall in some parts of the state last week, the rains washed up debris on the roads from blocked drainages but some of us chose to blame the government for this. In encouraging the efforts of the state Ministry of Environment and the state waste management agency (ASWAMA), the media can help in campaigning and informing our people on good waste disposal manners.

    We appear to be much fixated on reportage of government activities to the neglect of other issues. Why is this so? Is it much more ‘lucrative’ to praise or criticise government? There are too many stories we are not yet telling which are begging to be told, for example, the plight of widows in our society and other such stories.

    Other areas that media practitioners can help in the socio-economic development of Anambra State are: (1) Promoting government’s developmental strides (2) Sensitisation of the people in health and related matters (3) Voter sensitisation, registration and voting to discourage apathy in the coming gubernatorial elections (4) Promoting Anambra State’s shared values, anthem etc. (5) Promoting the investment opportunities that abound in Anambra State, the works of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) and Anambra Small Business Agency (ASBA) (6) Promoting the language and culture of Ndi Anambra (7) Promoting peace and inter-community relationships (8) Highlighting the ills in the society with a view to suggesting accepted norms and sharing best practices etc.

    As media practitioners, when we partner with the government and Ndi Anambra in these areas, we are helping to promote socio-economic development in Anambra State.

     

    • Excerpt of a paper presented by Uche Nworah, MD/CEO, Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), at the Anambra Media Summit organised by the Anambra State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, March 28 – 29, 2017

  • Fed Govt backs development of underground space

    The increasing pressure on land for development purposes may have influenced the Federal Government to endorse the development of the nation’s underground space in tackling the country’s infrastructural deficit.

    The Federal Government last week endorsed tunneling and underground space development.

    At the first Nigeria International Tunnelling and Underground Space Conference held in Lagos, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the nation needed interventions to build critical sectors to raise the bar of the country’s infrastructural needs. The conference was organised by the Tunnelling Association of Nigeria (TAN).

    He said the conference, theme: ‘Developing the Tunneling and Underground Space Industry in Nigeria,’ clearly showed the readiness of Nigerians to seize opportunities that abound around the world in solving myriads of the nation’s development deficits.

    Amaechi, who was represented at the event by the Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Freeborn Okhiria, said the presence of International Tunneling and Underground Space Association President, Dr. Tarcisio Celestino, as well as other partners from all over the world at the conference, was an assurance of the global community’s belief in Nigeria’s potential to attain the dream.

    He assured the international community of the  administration’s commitment to its change agenda, which he said, places so much hope on the youth; the professional bodies’ ingenuity and every Nigerian all over the world, to deploy their God-endowed potential towards the nation’s growth, development and prosperity.

    “According to the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan draft of 2013, Nigeria needed about $2.9 trillion in 30 years to close its infrastructural gap; that was the period the country was spending $10 billion on its infrastructures at lower interest rate. But reports of 2016 suggested that the country requires between $12 and $15 billion annually over the next six years to meet the infrastructure requirements. At current market rates, this amount to over N7 trillion per year,” he explained.

    Amaechi said though closing the gap requires commitment from the government, but not without the inclusion of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders in the key sectors for the development of its infrastructures.

    “In this spirit, we commend TAN for its initiative to opening up this emerging trend, first in building capacities of Nigerians to embrace the imperatives of developing our underground space, which is long overdue, and broadening it to combat the challenges and mitigate the impacts of congestion and other needs in Nigeria’s growing cities.

    “He noted that underground space development will be a major inter-ministerial commitment to respond to national needs. This, he further revealed, informed the government’s willingness and commitment to buy-in into the vision,” he said, assuring that the present administration would do everything possible to provide an enabling environment for the vision to flower, mature and be embraced as major factor in the country’s quest for national planning in road, rail, flood control, power and other areas.

  • Foundation supports educations development

    Youris Olatunji Bashorun Education Foundation, (YOBEF), has declared its support for the promotion of quality education for Nigerians.

    The foundation as part of its support, has consecutively held the annual quiz competition for selected schools across the six education districts in Lagos State.

    Speaking at the grand finale of this year’s competition held at Isolo area of the State, Mr. Yakub Bashorun a son of late Olatunji Bashorun with whom the Foundation was named after, said the initiative has over the years produced awardees whose academic performances remained reference points among their peers.

    Bashorun who is Lagos State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, provides scholarship awards to indigent students from the Isolo local government.

    He expressed the belief that if relevant stakeholders identify with the education sector, such support would inspire students for improved academic performance and healthy rivalry.

    Bashorun further said YOBEF has also decided to expand its scope to accommodate sponsorship of result-oriented school teachers to pursue post graduate degrees.

    He urged participants at the competition to leverage on the opportunity to strive for the best in their academic pursuit.

     

  • Lawmaker honoured for community development

    For his active roles in community development and media-friendliness, a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has been rated as the best lawmaker in the Southwest.

    Oyintiloye, representing Obokun State Constituency, was honoured by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) as the best lawmaker in the Southwest for the year 2016.

    The lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Information and Strategy, was honoured alongside Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, among others.

    Secretary to the Osun State Government Moshood Adeoti presented the award on behalf of the corporation in recognition of the lawmaker’s contributions in media and community fields.

    Speaking after receiving the award, Oyintiloye urged government at all levels and citizens to pay more attention to the development of rural communities.

    Identifying the gaps in the area of mentoring, capacity building, provision of support services to the vulnerable and marginalised groups, youth and infrastructure development, he said to tackle those challenges, community service must be embraced.

    He said: “I advocate bottom-up approach to development, which is community-driven. We must revert to the old-African cultural mode of developing our community to achieve more result. We must imbibe the culture of community spirit, community service and community development.

    “As for me who represents an agrarian constituency, that is what I have been doing, as I have sponsored five bills that are all in relation to community development. Less than two years in the House of Assembly, I have used my earnings to develop my communities.

    “I call on government at all levels and citizens to pay more attention to the development of rural communities so that the people there can also have sense of belonging and play their roles effectively.

    “Nigeria will outlive recession, no doubt, but we must work very hard, sacrifice, open and patriotic for us to get out of recession. All Nigerians, regardless of social strata, can add value and must add value towards the development of their communities, state and the country.”

    Describing the award as inspiring, the lawmaker said it has re-energised him to continue in the community service of his Obokun State Constituency.

    He commended the FRCN for acknowledging good works, promoting diligence, merits and rewarding them accordingly, saying that celebrating excellence will go a long way in resetting the value system and aiding the anti-corruption war.

    FRCN’s Zonal Director, Mohammed Bello, said recipients of the awards were selected based on merit, saying they have made impacts in their various callings and deserved to be honoured.

  • ‘Corruption bane of development’

    ‘Corruption bane of development’

    The Senator representing Ondo Central District, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, has attributed the low pace of development in Nigeria to corruption, ethnicity, and religious bigotry.

    Alluding to the book written by the late sage,Chief Obafemi Awolowo,”The travails of Democracy and the rule of law”, the lawmaker said since early sixties, political and financial corruption  have remained obstacle to development.

    The Chairman,Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) spoke as a guest lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife during the 2017 Distinguished Guest Lecture/Award Ceremony organised by its Faculty of Social Sciences.

    The lecture entitled: “Leadership: The bane of development in Nigeria” was delivered on his behalf by his Senior Legislative Aide (SLA),Wale Alake.

    The lawmaker noted that the Transparency International (IT) had ranked Nigeria as 132nd most corrupt country out of 182 countries worldwide.

    He said: ”As we speak,whistle blowers are responding to the new government policy on revealation of financial crimes, stressing that mind boggling sums were being discovered in the possession of totally’ unconscionable’Nigerians.

    Alasoadura noted that Nigerians are now discovering why the country is undeveloped and wallowing in the midst of plenty.

    However, Alasoadura enthused that Nigerians have taken their destiny into their hands by electing President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the country from treacherous and dishonest leaders.

    The former Commissioner for Finance in Ondo State recalled that in 2015, President Buhari told Nigerians that corrupt officials had stolen more than $150b from government coffers within the last 10 years.

    He pointed out that the revealations have shown that the President was right.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain noted that several infrastructures and industries could have been built with the ‘stolen’funds now in private pockets.

    Alasoadura urged the youths, particularly students in higher institutions, who he described as leaders of tomorrow to think, find and develop better leaders for Nigeria to facilitate progress.

  • World Bank spends $320m on community development in Nigeria

    World Bank spends $320m on community development in Nigeria

    A World Bank-funded Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) in Nigeria yesterday said the bank has provided about $320 million credit to assist the poor and vulnerable groups in the country.

    The agency added that the bank late last year, approved addition $75 million for the Northeast region for resettlement of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) caused by insurgency in the region.

    Task Team Leader of CSDA in Nigeria, Prof Foluso Okunmadewa spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital at the adoption of vulnerable groups’ operation manual meeting of the agency.

    The team leader said the project has gotten the support and endorsement of almost all the governors in the federation, noting that they “have all put the structures, mechanisms in place to be able to access the funds.”

    He said: “As at about seven years ago a credit of $200 million was provided by the World Bank to the government of Nigeria and was used up until 2015 by 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). And this was exhausted and the then Federal Government requested for additional financing of $140 million.

    “It was provided and became effective in 2016. All the 26 states that were in original project are now active in this new additional financing of $140 million. All the states have established agencies and are moving into the communities to do all the micro projects that the communities have put forward.

    “I must say that as a result of the insurgency in the north-east and the desire by the Federal Government and the states in the region to have some more funds that can help in the resettlement and recovery of livelihood of people back in the rural areas. An additional request of $75 million was made by the federal government to the World Bank to put resources into this kind of project that seems appropriate be able to be used by these people as they go back.

  • Ugwuanyi’s development strides in 2016

    A review of the activities of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State in 2016 towards the advancement of good governance and provision of critical infrastructure in the state couldn’t have come in any other better time than now. The year under review, was no doubt a tough one, considering the adverse effects of the economic recession in the country on the people. It was indeed, a year many Nigerians, both the rich and the poor, will not forget in a hurry.

    In Enugu State, even though 2016 was rendered tough by the severe economic hardship in the country, the pragmatic, people-oriented and visionary leadership of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi made a mark and impacted positively on the lives of the people through the provision of critical infrastructure and good governance.

    The governor’s development trajectory despite the meagre resources occasioned by the economic meltdown in the country has endeared him to the people of the state.

    His administration has remained focused and steadfast in its efforts to deliver on its campaign promises, “to deploy government services to create fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen to make a living and create wealth, educate our children, and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment.”

    Ugwuanyi during his one year anniversary in office on May 29, 2016, pledged that “rather than allow the severe economic recession occasioned by the negative developments in the oil sector, deter us from achieving our goals, we will instead, turn the situation into an opportunity to look inwards and harness those potentials which free oil money has blinded and prevented us from exploiting all the while.”

    According to him, “it is indeed a very well-known fact that, as a consequence of the nation’s current economic woes, the monthly allocation to states from the Federation Account has fallen to less than 38 per cent of what it used to be.

    “Before we came into office, governors used to enjoy access to excess crude fallouts but now, the language has changed to bailout funds. The situation has become so bad that many states are unable to pay salaries and meet other obligations; and when a governor pays salaries, he is applauded and it makes news. The Federal Government essentially summed up the situation with its recent and solemn declaration that the country is broke.

    “However, notwithstanding these bleak economic realities, we were able to embark on the massive development of urban and rural roads across the state in fulfilment of our promise to create more urban centres, enhance rural access and boost economic activities in every corner of Enugu State.”

    From the foregoing, a critical review of the achievements of Ugwuanyi’s administration in 2016, in the midst of the daunting economic challenges speak volume and  showcase his leadership qualities in navigating the state to greater heights.

    It was in 2016 that Ugwuanyi’s administration commenced massive construction of over eight major roads spread across the three senatorial districts of the state, which were flagged off in late 2015.

    The roads include the Nike Lake road; the Abakpa Nike road; the Opi-Nsukka dual carriage road; the Amaeke-Ngwo-Nsude- 9TH Mile bypass; the Amankwo-Amaeke-Amah Brewery Junction-9th Mile by-pass; the  Ohom Orba Junction-Imilike Ani- Ezimo Uno- Ezimo Agu-Imilike –Ogbodu Aba-Obollo Etiti-Amalla-Obollo Afor ring road; the Enugu Road Junction-Umuezebi-Nru Junction-University Gate road; the Post Office Roundabout- Odenigbo Roundabout- Ogurugu Road-Ikenga road; and the Obechara Road Junction-Umuakashi-Mechanic Village-Ikenga Hotels Junction road. It is worthy of note that five of these roads have been completed and inaugurated while others are nearing completion.

    It was also during the year under review that a data-simplifying civic organization, BudgIT, listed Enugu, Lagos and Rivers as the only three states out of the 36 states of the federation that can fulfill obligations to their workers. Enugu State in spite of the economic recession has been regular in the payment of workers’ salaries and still executes capital projects. In fact, the state government paid last December salaries on the 19th to enable its workers celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. The wise decision was based on the fact that Enugu is predominately a civil service state and it is only when workers’ salaries are paid that the economic activities of the state are reactivated for the overall interest of the people.

    In 2016, Ugwuanyi’s administration grabbed the bull by the horns and embarked on the rehabilitation of the failed sections of the federal government roads along Oji River-Ugwuoba-Anambra State boarder road by old road and 9th mile-Egede-Nsukka-Obollo Afor- Benue State boarder road to alleviate the pains road users experience on the roads and guarantee smooth and safe transportation during this Yuletide.

    It was also last year that the governor, in a move to extend the frontiers of development to the rural areas with the aim of creating more urban centres to boost economic growth and improve the lives of the people,  simultaneously flagged off 35 infrastructural projects across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state. The projects, which comprise 25 roads, water schemes, electricity, hospitals, schools, buildings, among others, are ongoing.

    The state government last year approved the release of funds for the execution of N3 billion worth of projects for the renovation of over 276 primary and secondary schools in the state with the Federal Government providing 50 percent of the sum. It also embarked on the recruitment of 2000 primary school teachers to improve the standard of education in the state.

    Recently, 750 unemployed youths selected from across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state were enrolled into the SDGs Skill Acquisition programme to create opportunity for them to realize their potentials with the aim of creating employment and eradicate poverty in line with the administration’s four-point agenda.  The state government pays each trainee N5,000 per month for transportation and N100,000 at the end of the training to assist the person start his or her own business.

    The governor’s passion for sporting activities and support to the Enugu Rangers International Football Club saw to the club’s winning of the 2016 Nigerian Professional Football League – a remarkable feat that broke the club’s jinx of not winning a trophy since 32 years.

    It was also in 2016 that Enugu State through the instrumentality of its Economic Advisory Council organized the first ever Enugu State Investment Summit christened “Oganiru” to showcase the economic potentials of the state in line with the promise to vigorously promote investment and pursue the diversification of the State’s economy.

    These landmarks recorded by the governor during the year under review, were made possible through accountability, transparency, financial discipline and prudent management of the state’s lean resources.

    It was also possible through the application of the best economic practices, reform programmes in the public service, finance and economic development sector which had resulted in a significant increase in the state’s internally generated revenue. For instance, the state government after a staff audit in the 17 Local Government councils discovered a total of 3,916 ghost workers who receive salaries on monthly basis.

    With the recent presentation of the 2017 Budget estimates tagged, “Budget of Economic Recovery and Inclusive Development” before the Enugu State House of Assembly, which articulated the plans and vision of the present administration to create an environment that will further encourage full development of its human and natural resources, Ugwuanyi has rekindled his commitment to the provision of social services and rebuilding of vital infrastructure in all sectors and across the State.

    As the present administration has always promised not to allow the prevailing harsh economic climate in the country, prevent it from attaining the lofty objectives that was set out for the benefit of the people, the onus, therefore, is for the people of the state to continue to support and pray for its success for Enugu State is truly in the hands of God.

     

    • Amoke, writes from Enugu State.

  • Lighting up Taraba for development

    Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku, governor of Taraba State is no stranger to the technicalities of electricity power generation and distribution. He routinely dealt with those details as minister of power in the immediate past federal administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. In that position, Ishaku co-ordinated the activities that eventually led to the creation of the present dispensation of active private sector participation in electricity power distribution in the country.

    He came out of that job also well-grounded in the knowledge of the economic benefits of stable power and with the resolve to use that experience, whenever he had the opportunity to serve his people, as key for unlocking the huge potentials of the state, to create employment opportunities and raise the standards of living of the people. It is, therefore, no surprise that the provision of electricity in urban and rural communities in Taraba State is today a priority of the Ishaku administration.

    One of the first things Ishaku did on assumption of office as governor was to identify existing but broken or low performing power generating facilities in the state, assess their state of functionality and determine how they can be immediately put to full and effective service of the people. That exercise has paid off very handsomely. It has led to the restoration of electricity power supply in many towns and communities in Taraba State. But it took not a small amount of courage and commitment on the part of a government that was not only new but was constrained by the long litigation process over the gubernatorial election result in the state and also hamstrung by a treasury that had been plundered and emptied.

    One of the communities that benefitted from this new and positive attitude of government in electric power delivery is the tea producing Kakara community in the Sarduana Local Council Area of the state. In August last year, a few months after his election victory, Ishaku commissioned the small but very vital Tunga Dam hydro power project which now provides un-interrupted power to the tea factory in Kakara and neighbouring communities. The commissioning was a product of a political will which previous administrations in the state lacked and which almost crippled the project.

    Ishaku’s intervention came at the time the European Union, EU, which provided the turbines for the project was threatening to dismantle them and take them to Ghana because of the delay in putting the equipment to use. The commissioning has saved the project and provided succour for the people of Kakara and other neighbouring communities. The project is today seen as a pathfinder for what the nation’s stands to benefit from the bigger Mambilla Hydro Electricity Dam Project that is yet to start in terms of stability in electricity. Ishaku has visited the Sardauna Council area three times in less than one year to sensitize and elicit the support of the people for the bigger Mambilla project. He has also been to Abuja several times to discuss the project and to awaken the appropriate federal authorities to the need to start work on this very important but long neglected electricity power generating project.

    Many other towns and communities have benefitted from the very aggressive disposition of the Ishaku administration towards electrification of Taraba State. Lau is one of them. Ishaku had arranged for electricity power to be stepped down in Lau from Kunini and this has greatly and positively transformed power situation in Lau and other adjoining communities. Before then, power supply in the area was far more than epileptic. The commissioning of that project has brought relief for small scale business entrepreneurs whose businesses depend on power.

    The Kakulu Bible Institute in Zing Local Council Area also now has steady power supply, provided by the administration of Governor Ishaku. Yakoko, another community in the area is profiting from the Kakulu project. Monkin village has a similar good tale to tell on electricity. Its long dream of regular power supply was finally fulfilled with the commissioning of an electricity project by Ishaku early in the life of the administration.

    Bali Local Council area has a more pleasant tale to tell about electricity. Five transformers were provided and installed at the same time while 30 electric poles were also mounted to facilitate the provision of electricity in the area. Governor Ishaku executed and personally commissioned this project within the first 100 days of his administration. In Takum, a lot has also been achieved by the administration in the provision of electricity. Electricity is now far more regular with the purchase and installation of three transformers to boost power supply. Similar projects are replicated in virtually every local government council area in the state.

    In less than two years, a lot of progress has been made to extend power supply to urban and rural communities. A lot of people are even surprised how Ishaku was able to finance these projects at a time that government revenue sources are on the decline. But even with the lot that has been achieved in a short time in the provision of electricity, a lot more needs to be done. In fact, truth is that what government has achieved, remarkable as its impact has been, is a mere scratch on the surface of the power needs of the state. The ultimate solution depends on the outcome of the Mambilla Hydro Electricity project which is yet to take off. Governor Ishaku is not oblivious to this truth and reality. And that is the reason he has been drumming support for the Mambilla project.

    Unfortunately Mambilla, as far as the federal government is concerned, is all talk and no concrete action. Nothing really is on ground as testimony to the federal government’s commitment. In fact most of the people speaking on the project at the federal level and building the people’s hope of the nation for regular power supply on the Mambilla project have never even visited the site. As at today, there is no access road to the site of the proposed dam. This is the reason people are asking if the federal government is, indeed, committed to the project at all.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has a date with history on the issue of Mambilla. Many Nigerian leaders before him made promises on the project but did virtually nothing to redeem those promises. Many people know President Buhari to be a man with the reputation to stand by his words. He should do so on Mambilla project. To say that the project is critical to national aspiration for development is an understatement. We can only pay lip service to this project to the detriment of these aspirations. Buhari should take the first major crucial step towards actualising the Mambilla project now.

    • Yaro is a public affairs commentator.