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Tag: DG

  • DG hails ITF’s double international awards

    DG hails ITF’s double international awards

    The Industrial Training Fund, (ITF) has emerged the overall best in the International Federation of Training and Development Organisation, (IFTDO) competition for the IFTDO Global HRD Awards 2016.

    The position has put Nigeria on the global index of human resource development

    The ITFDO was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1972 to develop and maintain a worldwide network committed to the identification, development and transfer of knowledge, skills and technology to enhance personal growth, human performance, productivity and sustainable development.

    In a February 5 letter, the IFTDO said there were 33 submissions from nine countries for the three categories of the awards which are: Best HRD (Human Resource Development) Practice, Improving Quality of working life and Research Excellence CSTD Award.

    The Secretary General of IFTDO, Mr. Uddesh Kohli, in the statement, said The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) emerged tops in the Improving Quality of Working Life Award category, as well as the overall winner of the IFTDO Global HRD Awards 2016.

    He explained that of the 33 submissions from nine countries reviewed, thirteen were shortlisted by the judging panel for the IFTDO Global HRD Award.

    Kohli said: “ I am happy to inform you that your entry has got the winner award in the quality of working life, as well as overall winner”, adding that the awards will be presented in March at the opening ceremony of the 45thIFTDO World Conference in Bahrain and as the overall winner, ITF will be receiving a cash award, a trophy and a certificate.

    Director General/Chief Executive of ITF, Juliet Chukkas Onaeko, said the award and international recognition is a confirmation that in one and a half year, the ITF management team has been able to reposition ITF for true greatness and global best practices as summarised by the DG’s four point agenda which is also in line with Mr President’s change agenda.

    The ITF director general said the agency will remain focused on achieving the cardinal goals of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government which focuses on job creation/youth empowerment and industrialization, as such they have concluded plans to partner with the Job creation Unit of the presidency to rollout high impact, youth empowerment and job creation programmes which has been scheduled to commence on the 1stof March 2016.

    She explained that the ITF was set to record another first for the country, which is the hosting of the First National Skills Summit, which is set to change the skills ecosystem of the country as well as marking a new era of skills revolution in Nigeria.

    Nigeria is the second African country to win the IFTDO Global HRD Award since inception.

  • Minister suspends NITDA DG

    Minister suspends NITDA DG

    Minister of Communications and Technology Adebayo Shittu has suspended the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack indefinitely for  “misconduct”.

    The suspension in a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the  Hon. Minister of Communications, Victor Oluwadamilare, took effect from yesterday.

    The statement said the suspension became imperative on the strength of deluge of petitions regarding several alleged wrong doings in NITDA and subsequent preliminary findings of an Investigative Committee set up by the Ministry.

    It added that” the petitions against Mr Jack relates to illegal employments not approved by the appropriate authority and procurements carried out in direct contraventions of laid down rules and procedure unknown to Civil Service administration in Nigeria”.

    The statement reads:”Some of the infractions identified by the Investigative Committee made up of three senior Ministry officials include unauthorised illegal recruitment of additional staff totalling 245 within a spate of seven months.

  • Photo : NEMA DG visits blast victims in Yola

    Photo : NEMA DG visits blast victims in Yola

    .DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA), ALHAJI SANI SIDI (3RD R) SYMPATHIZING WITH VICTIM OF THE MALKOHI IDPs CAMP BOMB BLAST DURING HIS VISIT TO FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE IN YOLA ON MONDAY. WITH HIM ARE, THE CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE HOSPITAL, PROF. MUHAMMAD AUWAL (2ND R) AND PERMANENT SECRETARY ADAMAWA STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, MR HARUNA HARMAN.
    .DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA), ALHAJI SANI
    SIDI (3RD R) SYMPATHIZING WITH VICTIM OF THE MALKOHI IDPs CAMP BOMB BLAST DURING HIS VISIT TO FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE IN YOLA ON MONDAY. WITH HIM ARE, THE CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE HOSPITAL, PROF. MUHAMMAD AUWAL (2ND R) AND PERMANENT SECRETARY ADAMAWA STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, MR HARUNA HARMAN.

  • FRCN DG tasks staff on service delivery

    The Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mr. Ladan Salihu, has directed the staff of the corporation to imbibe the spirit of quality service delivery in line with the focus of the President Buhari’s administration.

    He urged the directors in the establishment to ensure prompt execution of cases requiring their attention to reduce the bottlenecks that have impeded quality service delivery.

    Mr Salihu, who gave the directive at the 2015 FRCN SERVICOM conference held in Owerri with the theme “Quality Service Delivery and Corporate Reputation”, maintained that the directive became necessary in view of the nation’s current challenge which he said “requires effective and unbroken dissemination of information.”

    According to him,”our country is now in a new information age and it is incumbent upon us to serve as a veritable link between the leaders and the led through quality service delivery because the people are thirsty of information and we should keep them duly informed on the issues of democracy and the rule of law”.

    The FRCN boss also charged media professionals “to always separate myth from truth and rumours from clear information and black from white.”

  • NISER workers protest against DG

    •Institute’s chief: Action politically motivated

    Activites were yesterday paralysed for hours at the Ibadan, Oyo State  headquarters of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)  when members of the three labour unions in the institute staged a peaceful protest against its managment.

    They decried what they called the continue stay in office of the institute’s Director General (DG), Prof. Olufemi Taiwo.

    He is expected to have retired, on August 16.

    But Prof. Taiwo described the protest as politically motivated, saying the union leaders were pursuing a hidden political agenda.

    Prof. Taiwo held a meeting with members of the Management yesterday morning, an incident that irked workers.

    After the congress of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising members of the three unions, the workers staged a peaceful protest to the main gate of the institution. They carried placards in which they called for Taiwo’s immediate disengagement, following the expiration of his tenure.

    The workers also accused the outgoing DG of traumatising workers during his regime, wondering why he was still staying put after the expiration of his tenure.

    They described the management meeting he held as null and void, saying he has ceased to be the DG.

    They called on the National Planning Commission, which is the supervising commission, to direct Taiwo to hand over to another person, preferably the institute’s Director of Administration in accordance with civil service rules.

    In their three-paragraph letter to the Secretary of the NPC, a copy of which was made available to The Nation, the JAC, comprising the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) were unanimous in their demand for Taiwo’s removal.

    The three-paragraph letter by Comrade Ayo Egunjobi (SSAUTHRIAI), Wole Famoriyo, (NASU) and Muyiwa Babatimehin (ASURI) and addressed to the National Planning Commission reads in parts: “the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of in-house unions of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) use this medium to bring to the notice of the Secretary to the commission that the tenure of erstwhile DG, Prof. Olufemi Taiwo, ended on August 16, 2015.

    “Sir, in line with due process, Prof. Taiwo should have handed-over the administration of the institute in the last working day of his tenure to the most senior professor pending the process of appointing a substantive/acting director-general in accordance with the conditions of service of the federal research institutes, their colleges and allied institutions which can follow later.

    “In view of this, the JAC would continue to appreciate the intervention of your good office in the promotion of industrial peace and harmony in the institute.

    “Please accept the assurances of the union’s highest regards as we await your response. Thank you sir.”

    But, Taiwo, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said the union leaders were being sponsored by some of their colleagues who are interested in his position. He added that he was not desperate to hold on to the position but that he was yet to receive instruction from the NPC on the next step to take after the expiration of his tenure on Sunday.

    He said: “My letter of appointment in 2011 says I was appointed for four years, and that it was renewable for another term of four years. I completed the first term on Sunday. We were awaiting directive from the NPC on what to do.

    “There are clearly three options: renewal of term, appointment of another DG or an instruction to hand over to somebody for temporary leadership pending the appointment of another DG.”

    He said when he did not receive any instruction from the NPC, he contacted the Permanent Secretary of the commission on Sunday but that the latter pledged to contact the Vice President for advice.

    On the allegation of denying workers of welfare, Taiwo explained that his administration wanted to establish Staff Welfare Centre but that the unions opposed it. He said they wanted a revolving loan scheme, which requires a government policy to operate.

    The permanent secretary, the NISER chief said, added that  he would contact Taiwo as soon as he received useful directive. The Vice President is the Chairman of the commission.

    He explained that he held the Management meeting to update members of the team.

     

    ENDS

     

  • Job placements for ITF trainees hit 70 per cent, says DG

    Job placements for ITF trainees hit 70 per cent, says DG

    The Industrial Training Fund has achieved over 70 per cent job placement for its trainees across major sectors of the economy, the Director-General, ITF, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko has said.
    She said the ITF’s focus was to ennsure 100 per cent employment for trainees that benefited from various trainings conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association and other organisations.

    Chukkas-Onaeko spoke in Washington, DC, United States, while briefing stakeholders on the ITF-NECA collaboration.

    She said, “Our focus is to achieve 100 percent employment for all trainees that come on the platform. And so far, I would say that we have done quite well.Up to 70 percent get retained by the companies that work with us to train these people, and some go to sister companies, other companies that offer the same services, and they get employed.”

    Over 74,000 Nigerians have been trained in various vocational and technical areas under the 1,000 per state training scheme, while about one million benefitted from the overall ITF training projects, in-house and across industries in the last one year.

    The DG noted that the ITF would continue to increase the number of trainees in the coming years to further address the issues of unemployment in the country. Already the process of training two million annually has commenced, according to ITF.

    “I have told my team that we should look at training and working on getting jobs for at least 50 percent of four million people to be trained. That is because the need is huge. If we don’t do this considering the number of youths that graduate from the universities every year, from the polytechnics and even the secondary schools, the unemployment rate will continue to grow at a very high rate,” the DG said.

    She added that the ITF would adopt a holistic approach in tackling skills problems and called for the cooperation of both the public and private sector stakeholders in ensuring the right skills for sustainable development of Nigeria’s economy.

    “The number of those living below poverty line is also high and we just need to do everything possible to reduce it. Because the figures are high, we need positive collaborations to achieve success, which is why we have entered into collaborations with different stakeholders. With concerted efforts and innovative thinking, we will get there,” she stated.
    While restatingthe Fund’s commitment to job creation and poverty alleviation, the ITF boss said it was the ITF’s responsibility to lay the foundation for sustainable growth and development through training for impact.

    The DG added that the Fund was collaborating with youths to identify their needs in a bid to work out solutions to leverage on their comparative advantages to develop critical sectors.
    “Right now, we are engaging more of the youths to work out solutions, to help us identify their needs. I have worked with them to carry out some feasibility studies on some two areas that are emerging and they are excited about the work to do,” she said, even as she was quick to add that ITF trainees were not just being trained for the Nigerian employers alone.

    She said, “We are not just training for the Nigerian industries. We believe that when the youths are empowered and they want to go to Europe, US, Asia, wherever, they should go well skilled, ready to add value to that society.

    “So, my focus is to ensure that ITF is well-positioned to deliver effectively, efficiently on its mandate, which is to build indigenous capacity sufficient to meet the needs of the industry, both in the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy.”

  • NIMASA appoints Obi as acting DG

    NIMASA appoints Obi as acting DG

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Tuesday announced Mr Calistus Obi as the Acting Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the agency.

    Mr Isichei Osamgbi, the Deputy Director/Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, in a statement in Lagos said that the appointment followed the handing-over by Dr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi to him.

    The statement recalled that the Federal Government had last week relieved Akpobolokemi of his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the agency’

    He was directed to handover the property of the agency to the most senior officer there.

    The statement said that Obi was, until this appointment, the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services in the agency.

    It said that Obi had acquired over two decades of experience in the law practice as well as in the maritime industry.

    The statement said that Obi, born on May 1, 1964, hailed from Ihiala Local Government Area of Imo State and studied Law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

    “After duly completing the mandatory Law School programme, he bagged a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria,’’ the statement said.

    The statement said that Obi, a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was called to the Bar in 1991.

    It said that Obi was also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), Fellow, Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators as well as other professional associations.

  • Buhari appoints new DG of SSS

    Buhari appoints new DG of SSS

    President Muhamadu Buhari has sacked Ita Ekpenyong as the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) replacing him with Mr. Lawal Musa Daura.

    The appointment was conveyed Thursday in a letter by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Barrister Danladi Kifasi.

    Daura was born in Daura in Katsina State on the 5th of August, 1953.  He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1977 – 1980.

    He started his carrier in the State Security Service in 1982 and rose to the rank of Director.

    He was at one time the Deputy Director Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre at the Presidential Villa Abuja between 2003 and 2007.

    He also served as the State Director of Security Service at various times in Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Imo States.

    He attended various professional courses both home and abroad including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) Kuru.

    The appointment is with immediate effect.

  • NIMASA champions human devt, says DG

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said the agency has championed human development.

    Addressing at a town hall meeting at the weekend in Okerenkoko, Delta State, Akpobolokemi said NIMASA has developed qualified seafarers to man the ships.

    The townhall meeting was organised by the Nigerian Maritime University.

    He said: “As manpower training indigenisation  strategy, NIMASA decided to establish the first Nigerian Maritime University and the Shipyard/Dock Yard facilities, both at Okerenkoko, Delta State. The former President Goodluck Jonathan performed the groundbreaking ceremonies of these facilities and the flag off of activities at the temporary site of the university at Kurutie, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. Academic Studies will begin at the temporary site in September this year. The College of Science and Technology, Okoloba, Delta State, which has resumed academic studies at its temporary site was established to serve as a demonstration school for the Maritime University.”

    Nigerian Maritime University Vice Chancellor Prof. Ongoebi Etebu assured the host communities of the Federal Government’s commitment to the university and urged them to give peace a chance to enable the university begin full academic session in September.

    Those at the townhall meeting included the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof Viola Onwuliri, a member of the Council, Mr. Leke Oyewole, the Deputy Governor of Delta Sate, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, principal officers of the university, an ex-militant leader Mr. Government Tompolo, and community leaders.

  • DG urges Nigerians on safety

    The Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Mrs. Dominga Omolara Odebunmi, has urged Nigerians to be safety conscious.

    Mrs. Odebunmi, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, UK; Member, British Standard Institute (BSI-Global), Member, Institute of Food Science & Technology, UK (IFST) and Member, Institute of Occupational Health & Safety, UK (IOHS), said since it was established in July 2011, LSSC had ensured the safety of people at home, in the office, in school and everywhere.

    She said: “People do a lot of things injurious to their lives. To ensure that life and property are safe, we assist people to have a rethink on how they can avoid danger.

    “Our motto is: ‘Work Safe, Live Safe’. Our vision at the Lagos State Safety Commission is to proactively make safety the lifestyle of Nigerians and turn Lagos to a world-class city. Our mission is to develop policies and strategies that will build a sustainable safety culture through regulated and coordinated safety system.

    “Safety is about you and your neighbours. If the next person to you is vulnerable safety-wise, the vulnerability will eventually affect you. During an inferno, it is the smoke that easily kills victims. Many houses don’t even have smoke alarm. We’ve been educating people to have this.”

    The director-general said the commission reached out to the affluent, the middle class and the masses in the urban areas and at the grassroots in its campaign of safety consciousness, adding: “We are working to attract investors to Lagos State.”

    She noted that it used English language and local dialects during campaigns to spread safety messages.

    According to her, “we hold summits regularly to disseminate safety information to people. We work with the private and public sectors. We educate Nigerians on how to work safe, live safe, rescue themselves from danger and protect their environment from hazards, such as flood, erosion, road damage and so on. We also educate them to protect their health by eating nutritious food and living in a healthy environment.”

    Mrs. Odebunmi, the pioneer DG of LSSC, said the commission developed standards, guidelines and regulations updating policies, while maintaining links with MDAs, local governments/local council development areas, professionals and stakeholders.

    She added that initiatives, such as establishing safety champions in the public service, mandating the private sector to establish functional HSE department, construction/manufacturing summits, an intensive safety management initiative for school authorities, events and gatherings in public places, have contributed to achieving the set goals.