The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Federal government

  • Job centres to be created in 774 LGAs – Ngige

    Job centres to be created in 774 LGAs – Ngige

    The Minster of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has said that the Federal Government will create job centres in all the 774 Local Government Areas, next year.

    Ngige disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while feeding questions from youths at a Special Town Hall Meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

    The minister said the decision is to reduce the increasing rate of unemployment by ensuring that youths are fixed in any vacancies in public and private sectors.

    Ngige said the centres would serve the purposes of registering all unemployed youths in every locality and ensuring that those interested in agriculture will be trained on entrepreneurial skills among others.
    He assured that his ministry would not relent in its efforts at ensuring active engagement of youths in the developmental agenda of the present administration.

    The minister said that the recruitment of 10,000 youths into the Police Force and many others into the military and para-military agencies was adopted to put smiles on the faces of the youth.

    “We are actually trying to bring the youth out so that they do not feel government have abandoned them. But not everybody will get white collar jobs.

    “Agriculture is the main place the young should go into now.

    “Even at those job centres, we are going to register those who want to go into agriculture and give them what we called entrepreneurship training.

    “This will enable them to fit in immediately.

    “The same goes for the miners, those that want to go into mining will register their location and we will capture them and fix them in nearest mining point in the Local Government,’’ he said.

    The minister assured that government will not rest on its oars in making life easy for the youths.

  • N12bn earmarked for hospitals’ decongestion in 2017 Budget

    N12bn earmarked for hospitals’ decongestion in 2017 Budget

    The Federal Government made a commitment of N12 billion to decongest national hospitals and other tertiary teaching hospitals in the country.

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this on Monday in Abuja at the sideline of the Public Presentation of the 2017 Budget Proposals tagged “Budget of Recovery and Growth”.

    He said in the 2017 Budget, about N51 billion was proposed for health infrastructure development, part of which would be dedicated to implementing the new National Health Policy.

    He said that the policy would focus on strengthening primary healthcare centres and encouraging states to strengthen secondary healthcare centres while the Federal Government focused on the tertiary teaching hospitals in the country.

    “In the last 12 months, we have seen the rehabilitation of close to 3,000 of primary healthcare centres. This was done from both internal funding and funding from development partners.

    “In 2017, we intend to continue to support primary care. In addition to this, we intend to take more people away from tertiary hospitals.

    ” Many Nigerians go to tertiary hospitals for any kind of ailment, be it a headache, fever, diarrhoea they go to national hospitals. That is not where they ought to go.

    “They should go to the primary healthcare facility close to them. So we will de-congest the tertiary hospitals so that they can attend to serious cases such as cancer, heart disease among others,” he said.

    Adewole said that the ministry planned to leverage and partner with the private sector to get more funding for the sector, especially in the development of tertiary teaching hospitals.

    “The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority will help us pull more money from the private sector so that we can grow this N12 billion.

    “The N12 billion is not up to what we need; but with the private sector, we can achieve our goals for the year,” he said.

    “We have the human resources; we just need to upgrade the facility and give doctors space to achieve specialisation,” he said.

    With this done, he says Nigeria will stop losing money to medical tourism which is one of the focus of the Federal Government in 2017.

  • Recession: BDC operator wants special funds for manufacturers

    Recession: BDC operator wants special funds for manufacturers

    The Chairman, Bureau De Change Operators in Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Sahabi, has advocated the provision of special intervention funds, by the Federal Government, to local manufacturers in Nigeria.

    Sahabi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Monday that the funds would greatly help in reviving the collapsed local industries.

    He said: ‘’The revival of local industries is key to finding plausible solutions to the current recession hitting Nigeria hard.

    ‘’The industries that have collapsed and others comatose include; textiles and others producing a myriad of items.’’

    Sahabi further said that the revival of the industries would reduce poverty, unemployment and the high demand for the scarce foreign exchange.

    The chairman further called for the special provision of foreign exchange to large scale importers to reduce pressure on the parallel market.

    Sahabi described the recent move by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to cleanse activities of the foreign exchange market operators as a good development.

    ” We really welcome any action that will rid the market of bad eggs to ensure that all the operators are law-abiding.

    ” Such actions are crucial, more so that President Muhammadu Buhari is wagging a very commendable war against corruption.

    ” The president should sustain or even increase the tempo of the war, in spite the intricacies.”

    The chairmen also expressed optimism that the 2017 budget was capable of taking Nigeria out of recession and restore its economic prowess if effectively implemented.

    ”My only appeal is that the budget should be religiously implemented and all the programmes and policies aimed at reforming Nigeria’s economy sustained.

    ” These include Anchor Borrowers’ Programmes, diversification of the economy away from oil, as well as the planned recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture, among others.”

  • N450bn unremitted revenue: FG recovers additional N793 million from MDAs

    N450bn unremitted revenue: FG recovers additional N793 million from MDAs

    An additional N793 million unremitted operating surpluses from three revenue generating agencies has been recovered by the Federal Government from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) accused of short-changing the government.

    This was announced in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Salisu Dambatta.

    According to the statement, this is thanks to the Recovery Committee set up two weeks ago by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

    The Committee was tasked to recover unremitted N450 billion operating surpluses from Federal revenue-generating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    The surpluses are legally classified as a Federal Treasury Revenue.

    The Committee immediately swung into action by issuing demand notices to 17 of the initial 33 affected Agencies, out of which it met with 10.

    They included the National Shippers Council, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, National Health Insurance Scheme, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigeria Communication Commission.

    The rest were Nigeria Postal Service, National Pension Commission, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company, Raw Materials Research and Development Council and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

    According to the statement, the recoveries, totalling N793 million, were made from the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), N278 million; Nigeria Shippers Council, N407 million and Nigeria Export Promotion Council, N108 million.

    “So far, the cumulative total amount recovered is N1.44 billion, given the earlier recovery of N650 million from the Nigeria Shippers Council.

    “Several other agencies were in the process of submitting repayment plan for approval.

    Meanwhile, four agencies that were unable to make it to the meeting due to short notice have been rescheduled to appear before the Recovery Committee.

    “They are the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Pensions Commission (PENCOM), Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA),” it stated.

    The Minister of Finance announced recently that many revenue generating Federal Government agencies have not remitted the operating surpluses from the revenues they generated totalling N450 billion from 2010 to date.

    The agencies are required to pay the operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government not later than one month following the statutory deadline for publishing each
    corporation’s account as provided in the Fiscal
    Responsibility Commission Act 2007.

  • Nnamdi Kanu: FG can protect witnesses – Court

    Nnamdi Kanu: FG can protect witnesses – Court

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday approved Federal Government’s request to protect the identities of prosecution witnesses in the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and three others.

    Ruling on the motion filed by Mr. Mohammed Labaran, counsel to government, Justice Binta Nyako held that the application was meritorious.

    “The prosecution witnesses who should appear in a combination of alphabets will be given screens, which will be provided by the court.

    “The defendants and their counsel will, however, be able to see the witnesses before they testify,’’ Justice Nyako held.

    The judge later adjourned the trial till January 10, 2017.

  • Uyo collapsed building: FG medical experts arrive Akwa Ibom 

    Uyo collapsed building: FG medical experts arrive Akwa Ibom 

    The Federal Government has sent a 10 member team of experts who are majored in neuro surgeon to Akwa Ibom to compliment the efforts of medical personnel already on the ground.

    The team arrived University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH, Monday.

    Speaking with reporters on arrival at UUTH, the leader of the team and a consultant orthopedic Surgeon from University of Lagos, Prof. Suleiman Giwa, said that the team was put together on the instruction of the Minister for Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole to come and render helping hands.

    The special team of experts, he said, consists of two Neuro Surgeon, three Orthopaedic Surgeons, three plastic surgeon and two specially trained Operating room Nurses.

    He explained that they were in the state to offer necessary assistance and support needed for the victims of the collapsed church building.

    His words: “The unfortunate incident as you are aware did not affect only the people of Akwa Ibom but all Nigerians and the Health Minister in his wisdom decided that we should raise a team of experts to come to Uyo and render a helping hands and bring succor to the weak, the sick and those who are in dare need of complicated surgery.”

    Prof. Giwa said that team will visit all the hospitals where the victims of the tragedy were admitted and also examine them and offer useful medical suggestions where necessary to ensure that those who are sick get back to their normal life.

    Prof. Giwa said: “As we are here in Akwa Ibom, we did not come empty handed we came with drugs and other medical supports to make our coming easier, and we are prepared for the task ahead.

    “We have visited the University Teaching Hospital and we are now at the Ibom specialist Hospital, so far most of the patients we saw are responding to treatment which is gladdening ”.

    On his part, UUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Etete Peters Peters thanked the Federal Government delegation for coming to Akwa Ibom at the most appropriate time and not leaving the state alone in time of sorrow.

     

  • FG launches N13bn mortgage refinancing scheme for civil servants

    FG launches N13bn mortgage refinancing scheme for civil servants

    The Federal Government has launched a N13 billion mortgage refinancing scheme for federal civil servants to be managed by the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Plc (NMRC).

    In the first phase, a total of 5,635 civil servants would benefit from the scheme which the government said would address the housing challenges facing the country, improve the living conditions and welfare of its work-force and people and generate gainful employment for the youth.

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun while launching the scheme in Abuja on Friday said “the government had in recognition of the importance of housing earmarked N40 billion in the 2016 budget for the implementation of a comprehensive housing scheme line with the government’s overall objective of providing the necessary stimulus to kick-start growth in the current challenging economic environment.”

    Adeosun noted that the N13 billion mortgage refinance investment commitment by the  NMRC, would signal to investors at home and abroad that there are significant   opportunities in the Nigerian housing sector.

    According to the finance minister, “the Federal Civil Service workforce play an important role in nurturing and developing our nation so it is only fair that those who serve the country can be afforded the opportunity of owning their own home by retirement.”

    To check untoward activities, Kemi Adeosun stated that government has “put in place the right incentives as part of our anti-corruption drive to plug leakages.”

    The scheme is a collaboration initiated by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Programme and the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Plc.

    Managing Director of NMRC, Prof Charles Inyangete assured the government that the agency would continue to provide liquidity to the housing market, noting that with the huge housing deficit in the country, “there is need for those involved in housing delivery to come up with affordable houses for the people.”

     

     

     

  • Falana to FG: ….Stop begging for money, recover stolen loots

    Falana to FG: ….Stop begging for money, recover stolen loots

    Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has called on the Federal Government to adopt an “aggressive policy” to recover looted funds and stop asking for loans.

    Falana said this on the side line of an event to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day organised by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Thursday.

    “People have stolen our money, why are you begging them to return it? We need to fight them and collect the money; we do not need loans that will mortgage the future of our country.

    “The government is asking for a loan of $29.6 billion and we have more than that to recover,” he said.

    He called on the U.S Government to intervene and also urged anti-graft agencies to enhance cooperation to ensure the recovery of such funds.

    He said that the Federal Government’s current plan to recover stolen loots of past administrations would not get the country out of its economic crisis.

    ” For instance, $458 million has been forfeited in the U.S.; Nigeria has filed an application before the High Court in Jersey where the money was traced to.

    “But the U.S. Government has filed an objection to the release of the money to the government of Nigeria, claiming the money should be paid to the U.S Government to be managed for Nigeria.

    “We also have some money to collect from the Swiss Government; the Swiss Government is illegally saying that they are not going to release this money unless the World Bank is ready to supervise the management of the fund.”

    Falana added, “Unfortunately, the government (Nigeria) is not challenging such violations of our sovereign rights as a nation.

    “Unless the Federal Government is prepared to adopt an aggressive policy against western governments and their very corrupt financial institutions, we are not going to come out of this mess.”

    He said that the Federal Government’s request for loans would be detrimental to the future of the country.

    Falana further called on Nigeria media to join the campaign of the return of the country’s looted wealth.

    “The Financial Times Magazine of the UK wrote an editorial asking the UK Government to release not less than one billion pounds instead of giving us aid; the Nigerian media should join the campaign,” he said.

  • Ban on vehicles importation, tonic to automotive industry — Union

    The Automobile, Boatyards, Transport, Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association (AUTOBATE) has described the Federal Government’s ban on importation of vehicles through land borders as a tonic to the automotive industry.

    The General Secretary of AUTOBATE, Mr Sola Olorunfemi, told journalists in Lagos on Thursday that the ban was a decision in the right direction.

    The government on Dec. 5 issued an order banning the importation of vehicles through land borders.
    He said, “Prohibiting the importation of vehicles – new or old – through land borders is a welcome development and if well implemented will create employment.’’

    He said the policy would energise the automotive industry as many people would have to patronise locally manufactured vehicles.

    The scribe said locally manufactured vehicles might be expensive at the initial stage, but with increased patronage, prices would reduce with the emergence of more manufacturers.

    He, therefore, urged the government to ensure comprehensive implementation of the policy to improve the economy and enhance productivity.

  • FG should remove hindrances, check corruption at seaports -Experts

    Dr Samuel Nzekwe, former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) on Thursday advised the Federal Government to remove all hindrances delaying the clearing of goods at the seaports.

    Nzekwe, who gave the advice in an interview with journalists in Ota, Ogun added that the move would boost the nation’s revenue.

    “The Federal Government should make clearing of vehicles and other goods easier at the seaports because Nigeria is losing huge revenue to neighbouring countries,’’ he said.

    The financial expert added that there was the need for government to look into reasons why people preferred to use the land border than the seaports.

    He said that if seaports were conducive for clearing of goods, the issue of bringing vehicles through land border would not happen.

    The  Federal Government on Monday banned the importation of vehicles into Nigeria through land borders.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Wale Adeniyi, said this in a statement he made available to newsmen on Monday in Lagos.

    Nzekwe stressed that the ban on importation vehicles through the land borders would reduce government revenue in the short-run.

    He, however, urged the government to address corruption among the customs officials, so that more funds could be generated into the nation’s treasury.

    Another expert, Dr Titus Okunronmu, former Director, Budgetary Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), however, expressed concern on the ban on the importation of vehicles through land borders.

    He said that the ban might not achieve its objective, considering the size of the country.

    Okunronmu also stressed the need for government to tackle sharp practices among customs officials with a view to making them accountable for money collected in the discharge of their duties.