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Tag: FG

  • FG to close all technology gaps in Nigeria – Onu

    FG to close all technology gaps in Nigeria – Onu

    The Federal Government says it will close all technology gaps to advance national development.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said this when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

    He said all agencies under the ministry would be fully engaged, particularly the National Office for Technology and Acquisition Promotion (NOTAP), to fast-track development in the country.

    “NOTAP is working very hard; we have the national technology acquisition promotion initiative.

    “We are going to use that initiative to close technology gaps that we have in the country.

    “There is a lot of technology gaps almost in all sectors.

    “So, NOTAP we help us .We have a baskets of incentives, some will come from NOTAP, some will come from ministry of trade investment and some will come from ministry of finance.

    “ These are incentives that will promise the company that come into Nigeria with the aim not only to make profits but also to transfer to allow Nigerians to acquire the technology.“

    Onu said the Federal Government, represented by the ministry, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NASCO Foods Limited, Jos, for commercial production of high nutrient density biscuits for the National School Feeding Programme.

    According to him, the MoU indicates the Federal Government’s commitment in keeping to its campaign promise to provide quality education in the country.

    “The MoU was meant to provide a strategic guide for the collaboration between the Ministry, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, and Nasco Foods Limited, Jos, on commercial production of High Nutrient Density Biscuits.

    “The initiative was an innovation of FIIRO for the National School Feeding Programme in the spirit of Public-Private Partnership being promoted by the government.

    “This is based on the realisation that an institute on its own cannot make the much desired impact without collaborating with relevant organisations.

    “With this collaboration, jobs and wealth will be created, while the national GDP will be enhanced through the productive sector of the economy, “ the minister said.

    Onu stated that the choice of Nasco Foods Limited in the partnership is based on the company’s integrity and experience in the industry.

    The minister said the Project Development Institute (PRODA) had a crucial role to play in innovation, adding that the ministry had given the institute the mandate to produce pencils.

    “We consume pencils in millions considering primary school pupils, artists, and architects that use pencil and all the component parts of pencil are in Nigeria.

    “What we want is to use our own raw materials to produce all the component parts for making the pencil, because that is how we can create the jobs.

    “If you bring in the machines and the parts from outside, you are not creating jobs.

    “If you have to process, add value to our own locally available raw materials, then you will create a large pool of jobs.

    “After that is done, we will now look at those machines to redesign and produce in Nigeria.

    “That (way) again, we create a new set of jobs,’’ Onu said.

    He affirmed that technology was the way to go for Nigeria if it was to diversify its source of revenue and the economy.

    The minister expressed optimism that the success of the projects would encourage Nigerian entrepreneurs to stay and do business in the country.

  • FG to address abuse of expatriate quota by foreign coys

    The federal government is working towards stopping abuse of expatriate quota to ensure qualified Nigerians are not displaced from their jobs.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige stated this yesterday in a news conference to mark the first year of the Buhari administration.

    Ngige said his ministry was collaborating with the ministry of Interior to examine the expatriate quota provisions and ensure strict compliance.

    He also said government was creating a comprehensive data of employed and unemployed Nigerians, pointing out that the ministry was already partnering with reputable data companies for this.

    Ngige said: “A situation where foreigners drive bulldozers and other heavy-duty machines, some are even taking over as graders and displacing Nigerians in low skill jobs in the oil and gas industry is not acceptable. The Inspectorate Division of my ministry is on its toes already”.

    The Minister said job creation is one of the cardinal agendas of the administration, stressing that the Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken concrete steps towards realisation of that objective.

    According to the minister: “Notwithstanding the prevailing economic down turn, government is doing its best in the provision of jobs with emphasis though on blue-collar.

    “The main agency of job creation is the National Directorate of Employment, which is under my ministry.

    “The NDE has over one hundred skills acquisition centres across Nigeria, apart from the ones owned by some Federal ministries, agencies and states.

    “Since I came in, we have embarked on the rehabilitation and re-equipping of these NDE skills centres to enhance their training capacity.”

  • FG develops pesticide to fight Tomato pests

    FG develops pesticide to fight Tomato pests

    The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has developed a pesticide agent that is very effective against the new tomato Pest-Tuta Absoluta which has recently ravaged tomato farms in Nigeria and has been of great concern to the nation.

    The  Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, made this disclosure in Abuja yesterday when he received in audience a delegation from Kids-Fest.

    According to the minister, an agency under his ministry- The National Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria developed the pesticide agent, using natural resources available in the country.

    Dr. Onu further opined that the pesticide is a ready solution to the rampaging pests and there is no reason whatsoever to “go outside the country to import a solution”.

    It is the view of the minister that the development of the pesticide agent and the expected mass production by industrialists and support from other sources will make Nigeria contribute to food security in Nigeria, Africa and the world.

    The Ministry of Science and Technology, according to the minister, is always ready to provide necessary support to all sectors of the economy in the sustained effort to promote national development.

    Earlier on, the National Project Coordinator of Kids-Fest Nigeria, Prince Paul Ikonne, had informed the minister that the Kids-Fest Foundation is part of a global project which was founded by a German woman named Sussane Prahl in Sarajevo shortly after the ethnic crisis that rocked that part of the world over a decade ago.

    It has since become a global brand that promotes social integration of children through various events designed for children to mingle, share useful ideas, learn new skills, exhibit their creative talents and generally entertain themselves and the society at large from their innocent and free spirited viewpoints.

    The Nigeria edition is scheduled to hold in Abuja this August and the minister assured the delegation of the support of the ministry in ensuring the realization of the laudable objectives of Kids-Fest Nigeria.

  • FG introduces automated payment of salaries, allowances

    FG introduces automated payment of salaries, allowances

    The federal government is alarmed that it is spending N165 billion every month on salaries and allowances of workers across the country.

    To find a way of reducing the huge wage bill, President Muhammdu Buhari has directed the compulsory automation of payment of workers’ salaries and allowances as a means of reducing the cost of governance.

    Speaking when serving Chiefs under the federal ministry of interior came to the ministry of finance to plug into the payment automation exercise, the minister of finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun said President Muhammadu Buhari wants everybody to be on the automated payment system which will lead to improvement in financial control and transparency.

    Adeosun then lamented that the government spends N165 billion every month on payment of salaries and allowances a development which has now made it necessary to automate this payments.

    With regards to capturing the biometric details of members of the military and other security agencies, the finance minister disclosed that the military has been asked to design a road map for securing their information and assured other security agencies that their security dates will be adequately protected.

    Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, federal ministry of interior Mr. Bassey Akpanyung said the presidential directive to automate the payment systems to enable government know who is being paid and the number of personnel in its services to help determine if any services requires more men or is over staffed.

    The Ministry of Finance’s Director of Special Projects, who is in charge of the continuous audit exercise, Mr. Mohammed Dikwa said the essences of the automation of the payment is that there is need to look carefully to make sure that all those areas of leakages are blocked, “and we have come up with a plan to implement this programme.”

    Dikwa also revealed that “as at today, since we started the continuous audit programme, we have saved about N50 billion and over 43,000 ghost workers have been removed from the payroll of the federal government.”

     

  • Why Dasuki won’t be released now – FG

    Why Dasuki won’t be released now – FG

    The Federal Government on Thursday explained why a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, was still being held by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    It said Dasuki was being held on the ground of national security, his involvement in the over $2billion arms procurement scam and for his safety.

    The government said with the quantum of arms and ammunition recovered from Dasuki’s Abuja home, which he allegedly kept illegally, there was general apprehension that he possesses more, which the state was yet to discover.

    The government argued that the ex-NSA’s detention was justified based on the intelligence and security report at the disposal of the nation’s security agencies, saying national security supersedes individual’s security.

    These formed the submission of the lawyer to the government, T. D. Kabiru, while arguing the defendant’s case in the suit filed by Dasuki, before the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Abuja, challenging his continued detention.

    The lawyer said, “The position of the defence, which is not controverted by the applicant, is that the arms and ammunition recovered during the search is not the only arms and ammunition in the possession of the applicant.

    “There is fear that he has more. There is intelligence report that some are yet to be recovered. That we fear he has more is a ground to hold him. There are on-going investigations which are revealing fresh facts concerning him.

    “The right of an individual cannot supersede the security of a country when there is intelligence report to suspect the conduct of the individual. The applicant did not deny that these guns were recovered from his house.

    “By Section 3 of the Firearms Act, CAP F28 LFN 2004, Part One of the Schedule thereof prescribes the arms that cannot be licensed for individual’s possession. The arms found in his house fall into this category of prohibited arms.

    “Since they were illegally kept by the applicant, the deduction is that they were kept for illegal purposes. The Federal Republic of Nigeria has justified, with the evidence it has placed before the court, the detention of the applicant on ground of his own safety, and for the safety of other Nigerians by virtue of the security report received by the DSS.”

  • FG to NLC: Return to negotiation table

    FG to NLC: Return to negotiation table

    The Federal Government on Wednesday said it was prepared to reopen negotiation with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the fuel price hike.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said in a statement on Wednesday night that the strike action called by the NLC to press for the reversal of fuel price will neither earn more money for the government or repair the refineries.

    He, however, debunked claims by the leadership of the NLC that government did not consult the union before announcing the new pump price, adding that government and labour met twice on the issue with organised labour offering its own suggestions on the template presented by the Minister of Petroleum.

    Ngige appealed to the NLC leadership led by Ayuba Wabba to return to the negotiating table, saying he has obtained the mandate of the government negotiating team to reopen negotiation with them.

    The statement reads: “The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. (Dr.) Chris Nwabueze Ngige is constrained to respond to a number of issues which were raised today (Wednesday) by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, after he led the NLC to withdraw from the negotiation between the Federal Government and organised labour on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.

    “It is instructive to note that most Nigerians have shown great understanding of the fact that the current problem is not a subsidy removal issue, but how to deal with the non-availability of foreign exchange, a situation that leaves the federal government with no other choice than to deregulate the downstream of the petroleum sector which resulted in rise in pump price of petroleum.

    “In view of the above, the federal government is fully committed to the quick implementation of the palliatives in the 2016 budget, while developing other ways to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

    “The federal government appreciates all the important issues raised by the labour unions and has taken them into consideration. Government is resolute in making sure that the economy is not only strong, but able to provide jobs and opportunities for all Nigerians.

    “The federal government went to court to seek an injunction restraining labour from embarking on strike because there is a clear process of declaring labour strike under the law. It is therefore the view of government that those processes were not complied with before the NLC called the strike.”

     

  • FG applauds TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    FG applauds TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    The Federal Government has applauded the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for their understanding to shelve the planned strike by organised labour.

    Mr Babachir Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), gave the commendation in Abuja at a news conference early on Wednesday after a meeting called with a view to avert the proposed strike.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that organised labour had scheduled to commence an industrial action on Wednesday in protest against the liberalization of the petroleum downstream sector, leading to a new fuel pump price of N145.

    Lawal said that the Federal Government, after two consecutive days of deliberations, had full cooperation from the TUC and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC, to set aside the planned strike.

    According to him, a faction of the NLC completely agreed with the position of the TUC that they will participate in all the technical committees and that work continues on Wednesday as usual.

    He, however, noted that the elected NLC representatives had decided that unless government addressed their demands, they would have no further participation in the process.

    “We only received a notice from them on Saturday and it is government position that it is not humanly possible to respond to their demand within the time frame.

    “Government is fully assured that there will be no strike.

    “Again, we will like to report to Nigerians that the Industrial Court has given an injunction that no strike should hold by NLC and TUC.

    “Government wishes to assure all Nigerians that they should report at their duty posts and go about their jobs as usual.

    “Anyone embarking on strike is doing so illegally.”

    He also said that government responsibility was to guarantee security of lives and property as well as freedom of movement and association.

    The SGF said anyone found in anyway trying to compel Nigerians to do otherwise, would be challenged by the laws of the land.

    Furthermore, Lawal said that the Federal Government had taken the painful decision to liberalise the petroleum sector, knowing that there could be possible adverse consequences to the comfort of Nigerians.

    “But it is a decision needed to be taken at this time and it is the President’s believe that for a better future, painful decisions need to be taken now.

    “The government is determined to bring Nigeria out of previous rot and take bold decisions where necessary, with some expected to be painful.

    “There is no other choice to this matter; if the president had choice to take other options that would be less painful than this, he would have gone for it,” the SGF said.

     

  • FG to explain reasons for Dasuki’s detention

    FG to explain reasons for Dasuki’s detention

    The Federal Government will on Thursday explain why a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, is still in detention.

    The Nation gathered on Tuesday that the state intends to utilise the opportunity granted it by the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to call oral evidence for that purpose.

    The ECOWAS Court on Tuesday granted the government’s request to lead oral evidence in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Dasuki.

    Justice Friday Nwoke, who presided over a three-man bench, ordered Dasuki to present his case on Wednesday, while the government will file its defence on Thursday.

    Lawyer to the federal government, Tajani Ganzali, in his application to lead oral evidence, told the court the state intends to make public, the alleged atrocities committed by Dasuki while in office.

    He said the state will call “insiders” who will give details of what happened under Dasuki and why the federal government cannot grant him freedom for now.

    Justice Nwoke said: “Having listened to parties in this matter and the parties having filed and put all necessary documents and exhibits at the disposal of this court, and having granted accelerated hearing in this matter, it is in the interest of justice that this case must be expeditiously dealt with.

    “In this regard, the plaintiff is hereby ordered to make out his case on Wednesday, May 18 and the defendant to ventilate its defense the following day, May 19, after which we will adjourn for judgment.”

  • Fuel price hike: Nigerians don’t need strike now – CAN

    The Northern branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Monday told the Federal government and organized labour union to abort the planned strike in the interest of Nigerians.

    The CAN Public Relations Officer in the region, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, who spoke with journalists in Kaduna, told the federal government and labour to  sheath their swords and safe poor Nigerians from further hardship.

    “We understand the challenge of the time, though we may frown at the process in which the deregulation was carried out, but it is not enough reason for us to repeal the deregulation now, we must stop the attitudes of going forward and backward.

    “Our plea to the masses, labour and the federal government is to stop the strike action, because it will not remedy the pains Nigerians are going through,” he stated.

    They also appealed to the federal government to address whatever problems that led to the fuel hike with human face and with all responsibility and humility.

    “Labour and government must go to the roundtable and hold discuss on what to do to improve the living conditions of the people they are representing.

    “Strike will only affect our economy negatively and it will not even do good to the people we want to protect. It would only worsen their condition,” CAN argued.

     

  • FG should hands off refineries – Olafemi

    FG should hands off refineries – Olafemi

    A former Acting Governor of Kogi State and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Clarence Olafemi, has called on the Federal Government to liberalize crude oil refining licence.

    This he said will encourage more private participation in crude oil refining in Nigeria.

    Olafemi in a position paper issued Monday in Lokoja, a copy of which was made available to The Nation, called on the government to hands off refineries, if it was intent on eliminating corruption in the sector.

    Speaking further on the controversy arising from last Wednesday’s announcement of the N145 per litre price ceiling announced by government, up from the previous N86.50 per litre official price, he called on the authorities to find a balance between reining in the excesses of the private players in the industry and complete deregulation.

    According to him: “The best option is to create massive private participation in local refining of crude oil by liberalising licensing.

    “The government has no business running a refinery; otherwise we will only be transferring corruption from importation to maintenance/running cost. For example if the government is directly involved in cement manufacturing, we would not by now be where we are as a nation in being self sufficient in the product and conserving the huge foreign currency for importation of finished cement products.

    “Nigeria should quickly and hurriedly remove all obstacles on guidelines for owing a private plant and guaranteeing regular sales of crude to them at international market rate, and you will have a stable and competitive situation in the selling price. Mr. President can safe Nigeria from this recurring perennial problem by focusing in this direction.

    “I want to believe some serious impediments still exist that is not attracting both local and international investors from jumping at the offer. Let us remove those impediments immediately and millions of jobs will be created in addition to disposing with this problem of product scarcity and noise about pricing.

    He called on the government not to abandon the sector to the vagaries of market forces, asserting that doing so will be to the detriment of the common man.

    He added, “There are factors that represent deregulation, which the businessmen will still form a clique to exploit the ordinary people. This is the reason why the government still needs to intervene in establishing those input and telling the importers to find appropriate source to march the government established parameters. If you therefore want to use English to describe in absolute term what is happening then use regulated deregulation.”