The Federal Government has suspended the Director-General of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs Nellie Mayshak.
She will be on suspension pending the determination of the investigation of alleged financial impropriety.
Mrs Mayshak was suspended on Monday after she was summoned to the Office of the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.
The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said the Federal Government is planning to create about three million jobs in the next three years.
The three-year job plan, he said, is expected to come from the technology, wholesale and retail, construction and agro-allied sectors of the economy, while the 700,000 jobs which would be private sector driven, would come from the agro-allied sector.
A statement endorsed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President, Laolu Akande, explained that the job projections was contained in the report of an implementation of job plan titled “Strategic Framework & Implementation Plan for Job Creation & Youth Employment in Nigeria, submitted to Prof Osinabjo by the Job Creation Unit (JCU) of the Presidency and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Receiving the report, the Vice President said: “We are in a situation now when the only way is up.” He thanked the NESG “for working so hard on this project.”
Osinbajo who expressed excitement and hope recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had set job creation as the central focus of government policy when he instructed that policy planning must address the question of “how many jobs would the policy create.”
Stressing that job creation might be “painfully slow,” Osinbajo assured Nigerians that President Buhari was addressing the constraints that businesses face including regulatory and institutional delays.
He said government and the private sector needed to work together to produce positive results.
“I am extremely excited at all that is available. We really have everything we need, we just need to get it right,” he said
Speaking earlier at the meeting, NESG Chairman, Mr. Kyari A. Bukar said: “NESG is honored to be part of the Committee, and we commit to collaborate with the JCU whilst leveraging our vast private sector network to collectively solve the unemployment challenges Nigeria faces.
“We have had the opportunity to review the Strategic Framework & Implementation Plan for Job Creation developed by the JCU, with the support of Dahlberg, and understand the urgency in addressing unemployment in Nigeria.”
A Nigerian-based firm, Inview Technology Nigeria Limited, has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government’s anti-graft war prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The firm is a software middleware partner for the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC’s) common standard set top boxes to enable customers access the free-to-view platforms by Digital Switchover (DSO).
A statement by its Chairman, Nick Markham, said: “Inview Technology Nigeria Limited is proud to be supporting the Nigerian government in the Digital Switch Over (‘DSO’) programme, and is committed to helping the NBC deliver free digital channels to the Nigerians.
“To ensure that the DSO programme is managed correctly, Inview respects and supports the EFCC’s work investigating payments relating to DSO. As part of the EFCC’s investigation, allegations have been made in the press concerning actions that the Inview’s CEO, Babatunji Amure, may have taken.
“Inview has taken these allegations seriously and has held discussions with the EFCC senior Investigating officer, who has confirmed that Inview is not involved in this matter.
“The EFCC has confirmed that in fact the allegations relate to Mr. Amure’s role as CEO of D-Vine and therefore any actions Mr. Amure may have taken would have been outside the scope of his employment with Inview.
‘’The EFCC has also confirmed that the investigation has no impact on Inview’s work with the government concerning DSO. Inview will continue to support and assist the EFCC during these investigations,” the statement read.
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) President Mr Ahmed Yakasai has urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the sector to thrive.
According to him, a viable pharmaceutical sector would strengthen the naira.
Yakasai spoke at the Bi-monthly meeting of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) tagged The Nigeria pharma industry economic outlook 2016.
The theme was: ‘’Exploring the opportunities of Nigeria’s 2016 non-oil budget for inclusive growth and development in the pharmaceutical industry.’’
The government, he said, should also give the health sector, especially the pharmaceutical industry a preferential treatment in the allocation of foreign exchange (forex).
He said the pharmaceutical industry relies on importation of finished formulations, or raw materials, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), additives, machineries and packaging materials for the local manufacturers sub-sector.
Yakasai called for low lending rate for the sector, adding that this would serve as an a driving force for its growth.
“Most companies currently produce at a high cost because of our weak currency,” he said.
The PSN president advocated five percent allocation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for the sector.
Beaming, he said the industry has been included on the National Council of Health (NCH).
‘’Besides, Health Minister, Prof Isaac Adewole has urged us to establish Pharmaceutical Advancement Training Centre (PATC) for research and development.
‘’The Ministry of Health will establish a bio-equipment centre,’’ Yakasai added.
NAIP Chairman, Mr Gbenga Falabi urged the Federal Government to consider the health sector in the allocation of vital forex.
Moreover, the pharmaceutical industry depends on the importation for its raw materials.
Falabi said the coming on stream of the vital petro-chemical industry, an allied component of the Dangote Oil Refinery, was a good development.
“This will address the issue of sourcing affordable APIs locally for the pharmaceutical industry in not too distant a future,” Falabi said.
THE Federal Government will not import food towards implementation of its school feeding programme, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.
He made the remark while receiving a delegation of the World Food Programme (WFP) in his office in Abuja.
The delegation was led by its Executive Director, Ms Ertharin Cousin.
Osinbajo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the Home-Grown School Feeding through which primary school pupils will receive one full meal a day will energise the agriculture base in the state for farmers to benefit.”
Ruling out the importation of food stuff, the Vice President noted that the programme would also create jobs for caterers and the entire value-chain in the entire local communities.
According to him, the school feeding has already started in some states and the impact was being felt with well-fed students, rise in school enrollment and energised agricultural economies.
The Federal Government has welcomed an offer by the Swiss government to return $321 million stolen funds from Nigeria under the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo spoke yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a meeting with a Swiss delegation, led by the country’s Federal Councillor and Head of its Foreign Affairs Department, Mr. Didier Burkhalter and the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Eric Mayoruz.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said a framework was being developed on how the money would be managed.
“The framework will guarantee that returned assets will be used for the people.”
Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister Mr. Abubakar Malami signed an agreement described as a “Letter of Intent” with the Swiss government on the restitution of illegally-acquired assets forfeited in Switzerland.
Mr. Burkhalter signed for the Swiss government.
Under the agreement, the Swiss government will award to Nigeria $321 million “of funds illicitly acquired by the Abacha family.
, initially deposited in Luxembourg and confiscated by the Judiciary of the Republic and Canton of Geneva pursuant to a Forfeiture order of December, 2014”.
The Federal Government has shortlisted 21 candidates for the post of the Post Master General of the Nigerian Postal Service (Nipost).
Minister of Communication Bayo Shittu, who spoke with reporters in Ibadan at the weekend, said NIPOST had become moribund due to the invasion of mobile services.
He said:” Instead of appointing the next in position to the present Post Master General as the new one, we decided to make the position open to everybody by advertising the position and only 47 candidates applied for it, out of which 21 were short-listed based on merit by the screening panel.
“We didn’t want the screening to be done by the ministry alone; so, that was why we decided to include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Department of State Security (DSS), activists, lawyers, and human rights activists to ensure transparency in the appointment that will be done this week.”
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has urged the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support the Federal Government’s vocational skills acquisition programme and promote the trade test certificate issued by the ministry for skills export.
The minister spoke when he hosted IOM’s Chief of Mission, Ms Enira Krdzalic, who was on a courtesy visit to Nigeria. The minister observed that many skilled youths took the part of irregular migration with its attendant danger due to lack of information.
He called on IOM to do more in the area of advocacy, publicity and sensitisation through the newly established Migrant Resource Centre under the 10th European Union Development Project.
“Irregular migration is one of the worst problems because some of these migrants have skills and vocations that can put them on the part of regular migration, but because of the absence of information and knowledge they veer off and undertake the part of irregular migration, which has caused them a lot of hazards,” he said.
Ngige said the ministry’s partnership with IOM will afford skilled Nigerians the opportunity to work abroad as regular migrants with relevant documents thereby reducing the spate of irregular migration and the danger it posed to the youths.
Earlier in her remarks, Ms Krdzalic said her organisation is partnering the Ministry of Labour and Employment to promote gainful employment opportunities as government alone cannot generate all the needed jobs.
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) President Mr Ahmed Yakasai has urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the sector to thrive.
According to him, a viable pharmaceutical sector would strengthen the naira.
Yakasai spoke at the Bi-monthly meeting of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) tagged The Nigeria pharma industry economic outlook 2016.
The theme was: ‘’Exploring the opportunities of Nigeria’s 2016 non-oil budget for inclusive growth and development in the pharmaceutical industry.’’
The government, he said, should also give the health sector, especially the pharmaceutical industry a preferential treatment in the allocation of foreign exchange (forex).
He said the pharmaceutical industry relies on importation of finished formulations, or raw materials, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), additives, machineries and packaging materials for the local manufacturers sub-sector.
Yakasai called for low lending rate for the sector, adding that this would serve as an a driving force for its growth.
“Most companies currently produce at a high cost because of our weak currency,” he said.
The PSN president advocated five percent allocation from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for the sector.
Beaming, he said the industry has been included on the National Council of Health (NCH).
‘’Besides, Health Minister, Prof Isaac Adewole has urged us to establish Pharmaceutical Advancement Training Centre (PATC) for research and development.
‘’The Ministry of Health will establish a bio-equipment centre,’’ Yakasai added.
NAIP Chairman, Mr Gbenga Falabi urged the Federal Government to consider the health sector in the allocation of vital forex.
Moreover, the pharmaceutical industry depends on the importation for its raw materials.
Falabi said the coming on stream of the vital petro-chemical industry, an allied component of the Dangote Oil Refinery, was a good development.
“This will address the issue of sourcing affordable APIs locally for the pharmaceutical industry in not too distant a future,” Falabi said.
Nigeria will start new talks with South African mobile phone operator MTN “very soon” to settle a dispute over a $3.9 billion fine but the final decision rests with President Muhammadu Buhari, Communications Technology Minister, Adebayo Shittu has said.
Last week, MTN said it had withdrawn a lawsuit against Nigeria over the fine, which originally stood at $5.2 billion, and aimed for a settlement. MTN was fined for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM users and has paid $250 million toward a settlement.
“It is (now) for government to meet with them and conclude negotiations,” Shittu told Reuters late yesterday, the first reaction from the ministry.
MTN shares, which had been down 2.8 per cent yesterday, trimmed losses after the comments although they were still down 1.8 per cent by 1045 GMT (05:45 a.m. EST).
Shittu said President Buhari would make the final decision on any settlement over the penalty. “It is within his power and jurisdiction to do that if he feels that it would be in the interests of Nigeria to so do,” he said.
The issue could come up when South African President Jacob Zuma visits Nigeria next week for talks with Buhari.
Nigeria has been trying to halt the widespread use of unregistered SIM cards, fearing they are being used for criminal activity, including by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.