The Nation Newspaper

Tag: jobs

  • ‘Modular refineries ’ll end fuel scarcity, create jobs’

    ‘Modular refineries ’ll end fuel scarcity, create jobs’

    At the centre of the crisis in the nation’s oil and gas industry are oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism, among others. These have resulted into the loss of an estimated $10.8 billion. But the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander, Major-General Emmanuel Atewe, says the problems are surmoutable. The agency, he said, has arrested one of the biggest bunkerers, discovered and destroyed several illegal refineries, seized a catche of arms and ammunition used by some economic saboteurs. Modular refineries, according to him, will improve fuel supply, create jobs and grow the economy. AKINOLA AJIBADE met him.

    Why was the the Joint Task Force (JTF) established?

    The government set up the Joint Task Force (JTF) in  2004 to restore normalcy in the Niger Delta region. Prior to this period, armed gangs and criminal groups were seeking control of mineral resources, especially crude oil in the region.  This made the government to establish the Joint Task Force, with a primary mandate to curtail the activities of militants disrupting the production of crude oil. Having achieved this feat, the government gave the JTF a new mandate to protect oil facilities to prevent vandals, and thieves from accessing them. This gave birth to an idea called: “Operation Pulo Shield”; special troops assigned to monitor and secure oil installations.

    What is JTF’s strength, given the volatile nature of the region?

    JTF comprises the Military, Navy, Police, State Security Service (SSS) and other institutions. These agencies are strong in their own rights. By bringing these institutions together under one umbrella known as JTF, it means the government is committed to the fight oil theft and associated crimes, such as pipeline vandalism and kidnapping. Little wonder that the Joint Task Force boasts of a strategic, combined and stronger platform that can deal decisively with issues such as pipeline vandalism, oil theft and oil bunkering that have not only become a recurrent decimal in the Niger Delta, but are posing as threats to the nation’s economy. By so doing, the government has lived up to its responsibility of protecting its economy from people who are out to destroy it.

    How has it tackled oil theft and related problems in the Niger Delta?

    Fighting oil theft and other crimes has been challenging, in view of the fact that people, who indulge in the activity, are resilient because they do not give up easily. They understand the terrain well; know how, when and where, to dodge when the chips are down. Whenever they break pipelines, they offload its content, put it in a barge, move it to the high sea from where they send the stolen crude to their final destinations, which in most cases are their agents or clients in Europe, United States and others. They make money in hard currencies, a development that informs their decision to stay on in the illegal business. But in all these, the Joint Task Force has been able to overcome their antics. JTF gets tip-off from its patrol team that some people are trying to escape with stolen crude, and immediately we mobilise our men and pursue them with gun boats. In most cases, we catch  them and arrest them. At other times, they escape with the stolen item.

    As I said earlier, JTF has a strong and well-coordinated operation, which has helped it in nabbing criminals on the waterways. We are trained to protect the pipelines, oil sites and other areas that are prone to destruction. It is worthy of note that oil plays a significant role in the development of Nigeria. Oil is the barometer through which the economy’s growth is measured.

    Nigeria derives the bulk of its revenues from oil, hence the decision of the Federal Government to set up the JTF to check the stealing of crude oil.

    What are JTF’s major achievements under your command?

    JTF has arrested a barge few kilometres from Buruntu Village. The barge contained 10 compartments that were fully loaded with crude. The arrest marked a major milestone in the history of JTF. The reason is because the compartments are filled with crude oil, which means the JTF has helped the country in saving a lot of money. Also, another barge which contains an unquantified volume of Automated Gas Oil (Diesel) was arrested by soldiers attached to the Anti-Illegal Oil Bunkering and Oil theft Joint Task Force, after a tip off. Thereafter, the troops followed up and apprehended the barge on its way to the sea. The barge and its products were towed to a safer place and destroyed. Besides, the Force has apprehended 28 suspects for oil theft. Out of this, 25 of the suspects were arrested in six illegal distribution camps while carrying out oil bunkering and theft. The suspects were arrested at oil bunkering sites at Egbokodo, Beneth Island and Otegele in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. Plastic tanks and drums filled with substances suspected to be stolen crude were destroyed and suspects taken to the JTF custody for interrogation.

    Altogether, how many vessels have been arrested so far?

    Over 197 vessels and 300 smuggling boats have been arrested by the JTF in recent times. The vessels were arrested on different occasions, by troops assigned to patrol the waterways to rid the country of activities of oil thieves and other criminals. We are intensifying efforts to arrest more oil vessels and thieves, as part of the on-going efforts to rid the region of criminals.

    JTF has just taken delivery of 30 gun boats to strengthening its operations. What is the cost of the boats?

    It is difficult to say exactly how much was spent in procuring the boats. JTF cannot provide the amount. It is only the Ministry of Defense that can say how much it spent on each boat. The boats are not ordinary because they have different features. The boats are produced in parts, a development which suggests that many manufacturers have input in the production of the boats. This implies that one must get the cost of each part or equipment in the boat before one can arrive at a total cost of each boat. What I know is that the boats are sophisticated and are found useful by the JTF.

    The JTF has declared Zero Tolerance on oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta. Has this  achieved its goals?

    By declaring Zero Tolerance, JTF is only trying to get out punitive measures on such criminals. We want to see how we can bring to book people that engage in oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Once there is stiffer penalty, it would deter others from such illegal activities. For anybody caught stealing oil, when he is brought before the court, he should remain in custody until the case is adjudicated. We have seen a situation where some oil thieves were released on bail after they have been charged to court. When this happens, they come back to continue the illegal business. We want to put a stop to this, and would not relent in our efforts to achieve the desired results.

    How many oil thieves have been prosecuted?

    JTF has arrested many pipeline vandals and oil thieves and handed them over to the Police for interrogation and prosecution. Thereafter, the body ensures that such criminals were brought before the court for examination. Many of them have been tried, others have not. We want a speedy trial of the criminals to prevent people from going into oil crimes. Our aspiration is that the fight against oil theft must be brought to a logical conclusion.

    What are the effects of these criminal activities?

    These issues are having ecological, psychological and economical effects on Nigeria. Economically, the country is losing billions of dollars to oil theft and bunkering. This money would go a long way in developing the country. Physiologically, people living in areas where pipelines are being vandalised have been disoriented physiologically. Poverty and its by-product of frustration is forcing them to go into crimes. Many people in the riverine areas have no concrete means of earning a living. Even those that are employed cannot live a normal life. They cannot access good medical treatment. We discovered that some people use fuel obtained from vandalised pipelines for domestic use. The destruction of the ecosystem is one of the major effects of pipeline vandalis and oil theft. When criminals break pipelines, oil flows or spills into the river, leading to the destruction of aquatic system. Fish and other animals are killed, a development that results in water pollution. This leads to spread of diseases and reduction in lifespan of people living in the riverine areas. When you destroy the ecosystem, the ecological impacts in most cases are very grave. All these have concomitant effects on the standard of living of people in the region.

    What can be done to address the problems ?

    A collective approach is required to solve the problems, such as oil theft, pipeline vandalism, bunkering, and poor infrastructure inhibiting the growth of the region. The Federal and the state governments, the oil and gas companies (both upstream and downstream) operating in the Niger Delta, and the  communities must come together to provide solution. For instance, the state of infrastructure in the region, especially in the riverine areas, is deplorable and needs to be improved to stop criminal activities. The roads are bad, hospitals are not in place, coupled with the poor standard of living of the people.

    The government has started in the right direction by setting up the JTF and further equipping them to tackle oil theft. But a lot still need to be done to proffer solutions to these problems. For instance, the state of infrastructure in the region, especially in the riverine areas, is deplorable and need to be improved upon.

    In the course of our inspection of the oil facilities, we discovered that people are living in poverty. Some use fuel from the vandalised pipelines as a substitute for kerosene because they cannot buy kerosene for cooking. I think when these people get jobs, they would stop vandalising pipelines. They would also stop stealing crude oil.

    Giving the presence of Warri and Port Harcourt 1&2 refineries in the Niger Delta zone, residents, ordinarily, do not have to complain about fuel scarcity . Do you share this view?

    If the refineries are working, there would not have been problems such as scarcity and hitches in distribution of petroleum products in Nigeria. I think the country needs modular refineries to refine crude oil. By this, I mean refineries with smaller capacities.When we have modular refineries on ground, they would help in refining thousands of barrels of crude oil and the economy would be better for it. Besides the fact that the development would reduce fuel scarcity, it would provide jobs for people. People that are unemployed in the Niger Delta region would get jobs. An African adage says an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Once people are employed, they would not break pipelines and steal crude oil. Even if they are going to commit such crimes, the rate at which they do it would not be high. Job creation is one way of reducing restiveness in the Niger Delta. I’m advising stakeholders to come together and see how they can build modular refineries, and further provide multiplier effects on the economy.

    Are the communities in the Niger Delta cooperating with the JTF to check oil theft and other criminal activities?

    The JTF is enjoying the cooperation of the host communities in  fighting oil theft. The people have been supportive in this regard. Beyond the support of the oil producing communities, there is the need for the international community to assist Nigeria in the fight against oil theft.

  • Miliband: EU poll dangerous to jobs, business

    David Cameron’s pledge to hold a referendum on Britain’s European Unon (EU) membership is “a clear and present danger” to jobs and business, Ed Miliband has warned.

    He made the claim as he outlined his party’s business manifesto, which includes a promise to “return Britain to a leadership role” in Brussels.

    The Conservatives want to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU and will hold a referendum by the end of 2017.

    The Lib Dems will hold a poll if more powers are transferred to Brussels.

    The Labour leader used the first official day of election campaigning to unveil his party’s Better Plan for Business during a speech at Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London.

    To reinforce Labour’s business message, the party has also taken a full-page advertisement in the Financial Times, setting out its determination to “put the interests of Britain and British business first rather than risk an EU exit”.

    Protesters wearing Alex Salmond masks outside Bloomberg where Ed Miliband gave his speech

    But a spokesman for Siemens said Labour had “over-stepped the mark” by quoting its Chief Executive, Juergen Maier, in the advert.

    In it, Maier says: “The prospect of a referendum that may or may not happen, at a date yet to be decided upon, with a choice between two unknown options, is profoundly worrying for business leaders.”

    Labour has quoted some pro-EU company leaders in the full page advert the party has taken out in the FT today.

    “We would be devastated – as a company that loves London and wants to be in London – if Britain were out of Europe,” is the view of Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive of the mining giant, BHP Billiton.

    My Labour sources were being very careful to explain last night that the business leaders quoted in the advert were not endorsing Labour.

    They were simply being quoted to show the strength of feeling about Europe.

    What is interesting is that Labour has chosen the first day of the election campaign to focus on an area – business – some see as a weakness for the party.

    While the quote is not disputed, a spokeswoman said the firm would be contacting Labour to express its displeasure. “We did not give them permission [to use the quote]. We did not know about this. We are an apolitical organisation,” she said.

    Asked about Siemens quotes, Mr Miliband said: “We’ve simply quoted public statements by these businesses about the place of Britain in the European Union.

     

     

  • Kelani promises Nigerian Youths of Jobs creation

    The presidential candidate of Action Alliance (AA), in this Saturday’s elections, Senator Tunde Kelani Anifowose has reinstated his commitment to create massive jobs for the youths, if elected as president of Nigeria.

    Anifowose made this known while speaking with journalists during his campaign tour in Ibadan and its environs, where hundreds of party supporters trooped out to welcome him.

    The AA candidate while decrying the rot in the education sector, noted that free education at all levels will be created.

    He also promised that the economy of the nation will be diversified from crude oil to agriculture which according to him is a way of creating massive job opportunities for Nigerians.

    He however declared that INEC should ensure a free, fair and credible election and

    ensure that the use of card readers is well implemented so as to avoid irregularities before, during and after the polls.

    While calling on security agencies to discharge their duties with the fear of God, Senator Kelani Anifowose urged electorate to guide their votes and avoid hot arguments that could lead to crisis.

    He therefore called on Nigerians to come out en – mass and vote for credible candidates that will deliver electoral promises.

    Anifowose also advised the youths not to engage in any political violence that can jeopardize their future because the youths, according to him are the leaders of today and not tomorrow.

  • More jobs coming in Egbin Power, Eko DISCO

    More jobs coming in Egbin Power, Eko DISCO

    With the rehabilitation of its sixth steam turbine, Egbin Power Generation Plc may soon throw its doors open to job seekers. So also is Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), which is carrying out an audit to create fresh openings. EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

    Here is good news for job seekers, especially those with engineering  and technical skills. There will soon be job openings in Egbin Power Generation Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) in Lagos State.

    The Egbin Power management has rehabilitated the plant’s sixth steam turbine (ST06), adding 220 megawatts (MW) to the national grid. The company is also upgrading its facility; overhauling and retooling the ST04 to maximise output. With the rehabilitation, the plant’s six turbines are operational and meeting its 1320MW installed capacity. The jobs will come from the planned expansion of the plant, which will add another 1,350MW from the combined cycle plant.

    Chairman, Egbin Power Plc Kola Adesina said on handover of the plant to its new owners, Sahara Power Group and Korea Electric Power Company Nigeria (KEPCO) in November 2013, the plants rehabilitation became a priority.  He noted that the restoration of ST06 and the retooling of ST04 have created thousands of jobs, adding that more will be created.

    In recognition of the importance of commerce and industry, output from Egbin unit Six will be made available under an innovative bilateral commercial arrangement to Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies to help improve power availability in Lagos and its industrial outskirts.

    “We are, indeed, leading a new dawn in job creation within Lagos and its environs. We have made significant investments in the rehabilitation of Unit Six, overhauling and retooling of Unit Four, renovation of the office space, computerisation of processes, and increase in staff remuneration. We recruited 107 engineers to shore up the capacity deployment in the plant, he said, adding that by the development, over 6,000 direct jobs and over 10,000 indirect employments will be created in terms of support and maintenance services, engineering, procurement, supplies to power sector, including support for the small and medium scale industries.”

    On the new 1350MW plant planned for construction, Adesina stated that the management has inaugurated the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study. After the preliminary activities, including the conduct of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), among others, the company will mobilise to site.

    From the foundation, construction and installation of the turbines, tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created for specialised, skilled and unskilled job seekers outside engineers and technicians, he stated.

    Adesina said electricity has played a pivotal role in unlocking potentials, unchaining productivity and releasing vital energy that guarantees individual and national prosperity, innovation and industrialisation. Electricity supply in a reliable manner will help uplift the creative intelligence of our people and engender exceptional entrepreneurship in our citizens.

    “We have commenced an ambitious plan to double the capacity of Egbin within the next four years, Adesina said, adding that the 1,350MW will be realised with the kick-starting of the Combined Cycle plant with its Front End Engineering Design Study in place.

    “For us to achieve these noble objectives and unravel the bottlenecks in the value chain, we seek government’s help in terms of gas availability and expansion of the transmission network.

    But in the light of paucity of funds faced by the government, the hands of the private sector needs to be strengthened by allowing significant investment in both the transmission and gas infrastructure. With the appropriate models and investment recovery mechanism, this holistic public private partnership (PPP) approach, will engender a faster, cheaper and more productive result in rapidly growing the value chain.

    “Beyond the shores of our nation, we aim to eventually expand the scope of our operations to the African market, through acquisition of existing power facilities and building of new infrastructure, not only through trading of electricity across Africa but also to provide a leeway to trans-national development.”

    The owners of the Egbin Power and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company – the Sahara Energy Group and its partner, Korea Electric Power Company Nigeria (KEPCO) recently employed 107 young graduate engineers who are being trained by the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN) under the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme (NAPSAN). The company is also set for recruitment.

    Adesina said the choice of NAPTIN for this resource function was informed by the company’s belief that it is well equipped to provide the depth of expertise required to master peculiarities of the sector as the reforms continue to unfold.

    He noted that Sahara Power would also take advantage of its relationship with the globally renowned Korea Electric Power Company to expose its professionals to offshore training and exchange programmes.

    The Minister of Power Prof Chinedu Nebo said the Federal Government in an effort to create more jobs spaces in the power sector, initiated a one-year apprenticeship scheme to train 7,400 young Nigerians on technical jobs. Known as NAPSAS at will ensure that there is adequate skilled manpower base that will take up jobs in the sector instead of expatriates.

    Participants are drawn from across the country and trained in batches. Nebo said the initiative is vital or lest foreigners will take up the jobs. “We need this and we cannot run away from it because if we don’t do it, the Chinese and Indians will take them up. They are even here already and you see them doing jobs that Nigerians can do. Why don’t we train our people as we create these jobs so that when the international companies demand for expatriate quota, we can ask them if they have exhausted the local capacity that we have here?”

    The NAPSAS programme will afford young Nigerians the opportunity to receive technical trainings in the area of electrical fitters, cable jointers, linesmen and district substation operators within six months to one year.

    The minister explained the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) will manage the scheme and trainees will be drawn from all states of the federation, with state governments sponsoring 1,000 of them while the federal government will sponsor another 1,000 in addition to providing monthly stipends of N18,000 through the duration of the training.

    On conclusion of the EKEDC audits, some workers will be retired to create employment for the young, it was learnt. “Ongoing staff audit when concluded, will pave way for stronger and efficient workforce. Several engineers, technicians, IT personnel will be added to the workforce. I must also tell you that regular training and retraining of staff will be stepped henceforth.”

    EKEDC Chief Executive Officer Dr Oladele Amoda, confirmed plans, but said the company is not sacking anybody.

    “We only want to re-strengthen the workforce and ensure efficiency to meet the aspirations of the company,” he said.

    “Legacy members of staff are aging and need to be replaced by the younger ones. We don’t want to experience skills-gap. The younger ones that would be employed will get tutelage the employment before the aged workforce,” he said, adding that the company currently has a workforce of about 2,200 staff members.

     

  • Immigration jobs tragedy: One year after

    Immigration jobs tragedy: One year after

    Despite the recent President Jonathan’s fulfilment of job and cash promises made to families of last year’s immigration service job tragedy, Nigerians still wonder why not a single person has been punished nor the report of the senate committee on the tragedy reviewed, even as the tenure of this senate winds to a close. By Assistant Editor, Onyedi Ojiabor, Sanni Onogu and Gbenga Omokhunu in Abuja

    The recent compensation doled out by President Goodluck Jonathan to the members of the families of victims of the March 15, 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) job stampede may have foreclosed the much expected report of the Senate on the matter. Three days after the incident occurred, the Senator Atiku Bagudu-led Senate Committee on Interior was mandated by the Senate to investigate the immigration jobs screening fiasco. Over a dozen applicants lost their lives during the stampede occasioned by the sheer number of job seekers that thronged the various stadia earmarked for the exercise nationwide. Scores were injured. It is however curious that the report of the Senate committee on the tragic incident laid before the Upper Chamber in May last year  is yet to be considered over a year after the gory tale.

    Expectedly, Nigerians had greeted the sad episode with outrage. Many had called for the sack the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, for having exposed the level of unemployment in the country, thereby embarrassing the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Similar calls were also made on the Comptroller-General of the NIS, David Parradang. Others had argued that the unfortunate event had put a lie to the fabulous statistics often reeled out by officials on the administration’s job creation efforts. Prominent Nigerians and other groups had called for the outright sack and prosecution of Moro and other government officials that organised the shoddy exercise. Nigerians were further outraged by the fact that each applicant was fleeced to the tune of N1000 before they could be considered eligible for the aptitude test.

    Observers however believe that the non-consideration of the report by the Senate after almost a year of its presentation represents the height of insensitivity on the part of the Nigerian legislature which is supposed to be the “voice of the voiceless.”

    The recent presentation of employment letters and cash gifts to some of the families of the deceased and injured without any measure of punishment for those responsible for the gross abuse of the hapless job seekers by the NIS, they say, is like telling the perpetrators to go and sin no more.

     

    THE TRAGEDY

    The NIS had advertised to recruit young Nigerians and demanded a fee of N1,000 from each of them to be paid into a designated account. The money was received from 710,000 jobless Nigerians for only 4,500 existing vacancies in the Service. The recruitment exercise which was meant to test the mental and physical fitness of the applicants turned disastrous due to shoddy preparation by the handlers. The hapless young Nigerians were made to gather in different stadia across the country under the scorching sun, with officers herding them like sheep while dishing out orders. Out of desperation, stampede ensued in some centres; the weak and tired and pregnant ones were trampled upon. By the time the dust settled, 15 persons had been sent to their untimely graves while scores sustained injuries of various degrees. For instance, the 60,000 seat capacity National Stadium, Abuja, which was one of the venues for the exercise was filled up to about thrice its holding capacity. Ditto for other centers across the country. About 50 applicants in Abuja including pregnant women were injured in the stampede that broke out, as applicants tried to gain entry into the main bowl of the stadium through the one gate designated for the exercise.

    At the Benin centre, the case of late Mrs. Sandra Amu, who was said to be in her early stage of pregnancy, was particularly pathetic. The Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was parked full with thousands of applicants milling around the main bowl. In line with the directives that they must be on ground as early as 7am on that fateful day, she was said to have arrived the venue very early. But late in the afternoon, the young mother was trampled to death as a result of the uncontrolled human traffic from a desperate and surging crowd of young job seekers.

    The Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, apparently touched by the plight of the bereaved and injured, had given the widower of the late Mrs. Amu N2million and offered employment to 11 of the 20 who sustained injuries at the Benin centre. The governor also pledged legal assistance to those who may pursue their rights at the courts.

    THE OUTRAGE

    In reaction to the incident, many Nigerians called for the sack of Minister Moro and the CGI of NIS, Parradang. They also requested that the duo should be prosecuted for involuntary homicide over the sham recruitment process that provided avenue for the Ministry of Interior to illegally extort at least N710million from the 710,000 applicants nationwide in compulsory levies.

    Moro somehow stirred the hornets’ nest when in his initial reaction to the incident blamed the applicants for their impatience. “The applicants lost their lives due to impatience; they did not follow the laid down procedures spelt out to them before the exercise. Many of them jumped through the fences of affected centres and did not conduct themselves in an orderly manner to make the exercise a smooth one,” Moro had said.

    He also said he was not going to resign. “The point at which we are now is not about resignation. That time has gone,” Mr. Moro said in response to a question over why he refused to quit despite widespread calls by Nigerians on him to do so. “At the time, I think emotions were very high. I was in the eye of a storm. At that time, a lot of options were on the table. The issue is, do you resign or do you stay to sort out the problem that have been created? ”

    SHOCKING REVELATIONS AT SENATE’S HEARING

    Just like the tales of woe that trailed the NIS job aptitude test, the presentations of the various officials responsible for the exercise before the Senate Committee on Interior painted a picture of lack of coordination and shoddy plans. The Minister of Interior, Moro, apologised to Nigerians over the ill-fated recruitment exercise. He accepted responsibility for the tragedy which he said could have been averted if the exercise had been attended by only those that duly registered for it.

    The NIS boss, Parradang and the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB), Mr. Sylvanus Tapgun, told the committee that they were not properly carried along by the Ministry in the planning and execution of the tragic NIS operation. While Parradang claimed that no money was given to the NIS to conduct the aptitude test for the 710,000 applicants by the Ministry, Tapgun said that Drexel Technical Nigeria Limited – the consultant who anchored the application exercise on behalf of the Ministry provided only N45million as “discretionary contribution” for the screening.

    Parradang and a permanent member of the CDFIPB, Mr. Mustapha Zakariya, further claimed that the recruitment exercise was not approved by the board. The NIS boss had specifically faulted the entire exercise and said that he was not carried along in the entire process. He told the committee that he got to know about the date of the exercise on the day the Minister of Interior  appeared before the Committee to defend the 2014 budget of the Ministry.

    Parradang had said: “On September 9, 2013, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board, placed advertisements in some national dailies for appointments into the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Immigration Assistant cadre signed by the then board Secretary, Dr. Attahiru.

    “I immediately placed a call to the then Secretary that I am not aware that the board met on this issue. I immediately placed a call to the Permanent Secretary too, asking whether there was any decision of the board to place an advert in the newspapers or not.

    “I also placed a call to the two commissioners that are seated before you here today whether they were aware that the board met and agreed for a publication to be made for  recruitment into the Service, but they all answered in the negative.

    “I immediately wrote a letter to the then Secretary of the board in which I expressed my dismay that as a stakeholder and as the head of the NIS, that is supposed to do the recruitment, I was not aware of the exercise.

    “He pleaded with me that I should understand with him that he was under immense pressure to put that advert up. He said I should not write the letter but I said no; this is an official matter and that it is not an issue to do with Parradang but with the NIS.

    “So, I wrote him a letter that I was not given any benefit of a reply till way back in October when he had been removed from the ministry. Along the line, we were asked to look for funding and I had to look for funding for this exercise from the Budget Office.

    “I wrote the Director-General of the Budget Office a letter that we have waiver from the Federal Civil Service Commission to recruit 4,556 operatives of the NIS. He told me categorically that the Federal Government was very conscious of overheads and there would be no money made available for it. I thought he was just being reluctant.

    “So I kept pressurising him. I went to that office practically every day for the whole of  that week and subsequent weeks. The last concession I got from him was that I should wait and anticipate that it would be captured in the 2014 budget.

    “So, along the line, the committee of the board met, we discussed this issue of Drexel, being the service provider.  I said look, I am not in support of anybody collecting money for recruitment.

    “I remember very clearly during that meeting that I told them that I read in the papers that in Niger State, there was a recruitment like that and people were meant to pay and there was a lot of outcry and the governor of the state had to step in and cancel it.

    “I said look, we may go this way if we don’t take time. But we kept going and we had no other board meeting to my knowledge till when the then secretary called us to the Steering Committee meeting in January. I told them that it was advisable for us to stagger the exercise and to go by states of origin.

    “But when we appeared before this committee of the Senate, we got to know that we would be conducting recruitment exams on March 15.

    “That was the first day I heard that. I did not hear from any board; there was no board meeting to that effect. As a man in uniform, you must follow the last order. Subsequently, if anyone asked me when Immigration recruitment would take place, I used to tell them that I don’t know. Sometimes, I would say the Minister has declared categorically that we will recruit on March 15.

    “Then, I sent the Deputy Comptroller-General, Human Resources of NIS, to attend all subsequent meetings and when it came to the issue of funding, he told me that they had made a budget of N212million to be used for that exercise.

    “I asked him where the money was going to come from since Immigration does not have such money. He said it was expected that the consultant should provide it. I said okay, go and take representatives of the service provider to the minister, maybe he would have funding for the exercise.

    “He told me there was none till about March 13, when N45million was made available for him to carry out that exercise. We were left with the option of having to mobilise all our officers in the state commands to attend to the recruitment exercise. We sent bulk Short Message Service (SMS) to all of them saying, ‘look gentlemen this is the day we have to work with.’

    “All of them kept calling me to ask how they were going to get money to do this exercise? I told them if any money is given to me, I will make it available to you. No money was made available to the NIS and the exercise was supposed to be conducted.

    “If you notice too, there was no advertisement giving clear guidelines on how to go about it until March 14 that people were asked to go to the various centres for the tests.”

    Asked why the NIS could not stop the fatal exercise, the NIS boss stated, “We were not the drivers of this process at all. So the decision to stop it would never have come from us.”

    On why he did not see the tragedy coming, Parradang said, “Of all the capacities that God has given human beings, nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow.”

    On his part, Tapgun said that the consultant released N45million out of N212million requested by the board for the conduct of the exercise, a situation he argued, caused “serious logistics problems on the day of the exercise.”

    However, Moro insisted that adequate arrangements were made by the Ministry, the CDFIPB and the NIS to conduct a credible electronic recruitment into the Immigration Service. He said all efforts were geared to save the NIS from the negative image of job racketeering which had plagued it over the years.

    Said Moro: “We sincerely made appropriate and adequate preparations for a hitch-free exercise, but as most things in administrative and human conditions, the yield curve of expected outcome is mostly undefined.

    “My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their dear loved ones. I sincerely sympathise with those injured. I share in their grief. I share in their pains. May I, at this juncture, assure you, distinguished senators and Nigerians, of my respect for the sanctity of human life.

    “The loss of these young Nigerians, who are needed as a critical human resource factor for nation building is most regrettable. As the Minister of Interior, under whose purview this unfortunate exercise took place, I cannot abdicate my responsibility. The buck stops here.”

    ONE YEAR AFTER

    The number of Nigerians who benefitted from the President’s largesse even though far less than those that were directly or indirectly affected, obviously would thank their stars for a supposedly happy ending to a tragic incident. To them, it took the blood and sweat of their loved ones to secure a means of livelihood in the ever-ballooning job market in the country.

    Parradang had in a tribute to mark the one year anniversary of the fatal recruitment exercise in Abuja, titled: In memory of the 15 NIS job seekers “described the tragedy that emasculated the exercise as both “humbling” and “agonising.” Parradang was however grateful to the President for fulfilling his promise of automatic job slots to relatives of the dead and injured.

    He listed those who paid the “supreme sacrifice” in their attempt to secure the NIS jobs as follows: Dorathy Edidiog ????Dorcas Danladi, Lucy Akpan Eno, Muhammed Musa,

    Taiwo Dorcas, Sunday Okezue Kalu, Ama Grace and ??Brown Darlington???. Others were Ibrahim Mohammed, ?Maryam Kekere, Sandra Amu, ??Patience Agada, Mudashiru M. Ahmed, ??Auta D. Adams and Oyiza Yusuf.

    The statement read in part: “It is a year today, 15th March 2015 when 15 young Nigerians died under painful circumstances when they presented themselves for the recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

    “On behalf of all officers and men, I wish to use this medium once again to extend my sincere and deep condolences to the families of the deceased…”

    It will be recalled that shortly after the incident, the President Goodluck Jonathan, ordered the cancellation of the entire recruitment exercise and constituted the Presidential Committee on NIS Recruitment to assist the Civil Defense, Fire, Immigration, and Prison Services Board (CDFIPB) in a fresh recruitment exercise which is currently in progress.  In constituting the said Committee, the President promised automatic recruitment into the NIS for three members of the family of the deceased (one of whom must be a female).

    “It is gratifying to note that this Presidential promise has been kept in its entirety when he met with families of the deceased on the 13th of March, 2015 at the Presidential villa, where in addition to the three automatic slots, the Federal Government also offered N5million only to each member of the deceased families, to cushion the effects of the loss of their bread winners and loved ones, pick the pieces of their lives and move on.

    “It is pertinent to state that the process of identifying genuine and authentic relatives/family members of the deceased has been daunting, laborious and time-consuming, as cases of multiple representations had to be thoroughly sorted out to ensure that only real family members are beneficiaries of the Presidential promise of automatic job placement.

    “The CGI, President of Immigration Officers Wives Association (IMMOWA), and State Command Comptrollers on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Interior/Chairman CDFIPB had been in touch with family members of the deceased all to reassure them that their loved ones did not die in vain. To us in the NIS, the memories of these 15 persons who paid the supreme sacrifice in their quest to serve the fatherland will remain evergreen in our minds.”

    Whither: Senate Investigative report?

    Following the belated gesture of the President last week, the question on the lips of most Nigerians today, is where is the report of the Senate Committee on Interior that probed the calamity? The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bagudu had in May 2014 submitted a verbatim report of the Committee which did not include the executive summary containing findings and recommendations of the committee to the Senate. Although the committee had two weeks to conclude its report, Bagudu said they could not submit the report as scheduled because the supporting documents requested from stakeholders who made presentations during the public hearing were not yet available.

    Bagudu, according to reports, also dismissed insinuations that members of his committee neither saw nor signed the report. “As far as I am concerned, every member of the committee made inputs into the report at compilation stage as regards findings  made about the recruitment tragedy and even very much contributed to the recommendations arrived at, at the end of the day.”

    A source close to the committee insisted that the delay in considering the report by the Senate should not be blamed on the committee. He argued that since the committee had carried out its assignment and submitted its report, it now behooves on the Senate’s leadership to list the report for consideration.

    The source said: “There are so many other reports submitted that have not been considered. However, on our part, we have done our job. The committee has laid its report before the Senate. ”

    Analysts are quick to point out that the report of the Senate on the incident may have died on arrival since the Minister of Interior, Moro, who is at the epicentre of the recruitment storm is one of the political protégés of the Senate President, David Mark.

    Although, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enag, had in one of his media briefings insisted that all outstanding reports before the Senate would be considered before expiration of the 7th Senate, a Senator who spoke about the report in confidence said that the report may not be considered by the Senate in view of the close bond between the Minister and Mark, who many believed influenced the appointment of Moro as a minister in 2011. The source said: “Nothing can come out of the report because the minister involved is widely known to be like a political son to the Senate President, apart from both of them belonging to the same ethnic stock in Benue State.”

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media, and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, when asked about the status of the report and the cause of the delay in considering it, directed one of our correspondents to the Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, saying all enquiries should be directed to him.

    Responding to a question on why the report of the committee is yet to see the light of day in the Senate, Ndoma-Egba, dismissed insinuations that the report was deliberately being kept under wraps due to vested interests. He said the report was undergoing normal legislative procedure and would be considered at the appropriate time.

    Ndoma-Egba in a text message to one of our correspondents in Abuja simply said: “Reports are scheduled by the Committee on Rules and Business and the report will certainly be  scheduled before the end of this Senate. Why would the Senate want to cover up? What is the Senate’s ‘personal’ interest in the report other than the public good?”

    CONCLUSION

    Even though President Jonathan had fulfilled part of his promise to the victims of the exercise, it is yet to be seen when applicants who paid N1000 each to buy scratch cards will get their refund as directed by the President. Moreover, the report of the Senate investigative panel which Nigerians expected to unravel the incident and spell out appropriate dire sanctions against those culpable appears to have been placed under ‘arrest’ inside the hallowed chambers of the people’s assembly. Even though the Senate Leader has assured that the report would be considered before the 7th Senate winds up in June, such assurance can only be taken with a pinch of salt until the peoples’ representatives walk their talk.

    Would this unpardonable delay in the consideration of the report be another case of justice denied on the part of the victims? We wait to see.

  • World Bank’s support for fisheries creates jobs

    World Bank’s support for fisheries creates jobs

    The World Bank is supporting the fisheries industry in an  effort to improve food production and boost key areas for job creation. Its lead Agricultural Economist and Regional West Africa Agriculture Productivity Programme for Nigeria (WAAP) Task Team Leader GFADR Dr Abdoulaye Toure said during  the  sixth joint World Bank/Government Implementation Support Mission (ISM) in Lagos  that supporting  the  industry will increase economic opportunities, boost growth, reduce poverty and improve people’s lives.

    Toure, who was accompanied  by  Deputy Director, IDA, IER Department, Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Aisha Omar and the National Coordinator, WAAPP Nigeria ,Prof Damian Chikwendu, said  the bank  is  determined to improve  fisheries management and increase the economic benefits  for families.

    According  to him, fisheries are a key contributor to food security, nutrition and job creation for rural coastal populations, and  that  promoting sustainable use of fisheries and linking smaller operators to new value chains  will   boost prosperity of  Nigerians.

    He  said  the   mission include clarifying the role of WAAPP, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Zones (ARCNZ); review the progress of the implementation of action plans developed during supervision/support mission of last year and review the progress of implementation of annual work programme, budget and provide inputs/recommendations as needed.

    Other missions, he said, involve reviewing activities of collaborating institutions, including project technology dissemination platforms; assess the status of project component implementation and update the result frame work; review project compliance with fiduciary guidelines and safeguard managements under the project. It will equally review project management monitoring and evaluation arrangement.

    During  the  trip, the team  visited Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Lagos,  one of the institutes that constitute the National Centre of Specialisation in Aquaculture, to ascertain the level of WAAPP project implementation. The team also visited visited Aquaculture Department of University of Ibadan in order to initiate collaboration between the University and WAAPP in the area of capacity building.

    It also adopted after visiting Institute for Agricultural Research and Training, in Apete-Onidoko, to commission cassava processing plants provided by WAAPP-Nigeria.

    The National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), also hosted the team where WAAPP’s efforts at revitalising the Centre by provision of laboratory and other equipment were commended.

    The project supported the National Varietal Release Committee and the formation of a new sub-committee on fisheries, as a result of which 25 new crop varieties were released within two years.

    The team also visited Ondo State and toured three  adopted villages of Eleyewo, Owode and Ibulesoro by Federal College of Agriculture, Akure where cassava processing plants, poultry and aquaculture projects were established by WAAPP for the communities.

    In Jigawa State, the  World Bank  officials  inspected  the plot  where   System of Rice Intensification and the community-based seed multiplication project   were being conducted.

    Another team on aquaculture, which included representatives of CORAF/WECARD, WAAPP- Cote d’ Ivoire and WAAPP-Nigeria Project Coordination Office (PCO), visited private fish farms in Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta and fish farms of Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta; University of Ibadan; National Centre of Specialisation (NCOS) Aquaculture; National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR),National Centre of Specialisation (NCOS ) and Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute,(NSPRI).

    Five other teams, comprising staff of the PCO visited various other project sites in Enugu State, Niger State, Kogi State, Kwara State, Kaduna State and Ebonyi State to assess the progress of implementation of WAAPP activities.

    The mission expressed its appreciation for the assistance provided by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Finance, Jigawa State and all stakeholders.

    Other members of the mission are Sheu Saiau (Agricultural Economist and Co-Task Team Leader); El Hadj Adama Toure, (Lead Agriculture Specialist); Adetunji Oredipe (Senior Agriculture Economist); Joseph Ese Akpokodje (Senior Environmental Institutions Specialist); Mary Asanato-Adiwu (Senior Procurement Specialist); Akinrinmola Oyenuga Akinyele (Senior Financial Management Specialist); Michael Gboyega Ilesanmi (Social Development Specialist); Obadiah Tohomdet (Senior Communications Specialist); Nieyidouba Lamien (West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF); Emmanuel Ajani, National Agriculture Research Systems (NARS) and Abiodun Elufioye (Programme Assistant).

    The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is a sub-regional programme, which involves 13 ECOWAS countries. The development objective of the first phase of the programme  is to generate and accelerate the adoption of improved technologies in the participating countries’ top agricultural commodity priority areas align with the sub-region’s top agricultural commodity priorities, as outlined in the ECOWAP.

    The target commodity for WAAPP Nigeria under component 11 is aquaculture. The key outcomes expected at the end of the first phase include: (i) at least three technologies released by the NCoS; (ii) all of the released technologies by NCoS show an improvement in yield of at least 15% compared to the baseline; and (iii) an adoption of improved technologies by at least, one third of the beneficiaries of the project.

  • Flight simulator centre, others to create thousands of jobs

    Flight simulator centre, others to create thousands of jobs

    Nigeria will soon have a flight simulation centre where pilots will be trained and aircraft maintained. The centre will create jobs for professionals as obtained in other African countries, including Ethiopia, where aviation is a major revenue earner, reports KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR.

    More jobs are coming in aviation  following the Federal Government’s plan to set up a flight simulation centre for Boeing aircraft in Lagos. The centre is proposed for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. It will train pilots who are to be rated on different types of Boeing aircraft.

    To complement the centre, the government will acquire a full Jet-Flight Simulator (5000 Series B737) with complete accessories for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

    According to the Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, the contract has been awarded to Messrs CAE of Canada at $21.459 million. He said the project is expected to be completed in 24 months.

    He said: “The project will serve a dual purpose of a training facility for the college and a source of revenue generation for the country. In addition, it will be used for the initial training of students as it will enjoy the patronage of commercial airliners in Nigeria and West African countries in training of their jet-airliner pilots in compliance with the ICAO and NCAA regulations. The rule is that pilots must have refresher training every six months.”

    Chidoka said the simulator will assist domestic operators to reduce costs incurred on simulator training overseas.

    “Flight simulation has made a major contribution to improve aviation safety. It also offers considerable financial saving to airlines and reduces the environmental impact of civil aviation. This facility will be useful for most of the commercial airline pilots in Lagos. It will save huge foreign exchange spent by operators who used to send their pilots overseas for simulation training. This is one of the many projects being embarked upon by the government to change the face of aviation.

    “Government under the youth development programme for the Niger Delta has trained 66 pilots. Some of the pilots have undergone Advanced Commercial Pilot Training on instrumental flying and are already employed while others are at various stages of advanced training. Most of the engineers rated on engines and frames have equally been gainfully employed.

    “In some countries including Ethiopia, flight simulators are located close to aircraft repair centres also referred to as Maintenance Repair Organisations (MRO). They are facilities the world over, where major repairs on aircraft are carried out by a galaxy of professionals.”

    In the industry aircraft maintenance hangars are potential creator of jobs for  engineers, avionics specialists and other category of technicians who carry out major repairs on aircraft.

    The world over, where aircraft maintenance hangars are established, thousands of jobs are created. This explains the attraction to the United States, Turkey, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya and Ethiopia. These countries have aircraft maintenance hangars.

    In fact, aircraft maintenance hangar is a major foreign exchange earner for Ethiopia, where the Boeing maintenance hangar continues to generate thousands of jobs. It is against this background that the establishment of aircraft maintenance hangars in Nigeria, by airlines and other technical partners, becomes imperative.

    In 2001, efforts were made by an American firm to establish a national aircraft hangar at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, but due to a myriad of issues, the project didn’t see the light of day.

    For some years now, the clamour to establish aircraft maintenance hangar has been on the front burner among foreign airlines, domestic carriers and some industry players. For instance, there was a plan by the German carrier – Lufthansa – to set up an aircraft hangar in Abuja, which it expected would be a major hub for aircraft repairs in West, Central and other parts of Africa. The plan is still in the works and it is believed that it has the potential to create thousands of jobs.

    Apart from creating job, such an aircraft maintenance hangar is expected to reduce significantly the huge cost of repairs by domestic carriers, which have to travel as far as Turkey, Germany, and the United States to fix their aircrafts. Such repairs could also be carried out in Royal Air Maroc facility in Morocco, South Africa or Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa.

    A major domestic carrier – Arik Air, a few years ago spoke of plans to rebuild its aircraft maintenance hangar at its headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The expansion of this multi- billion Naira aircraft maintenance hangar is expected to create thousands of jobs for Nigerians as it is being packaged under partnership with major aircraft manufacturers including: Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Boeing and Airbus.

    Speaking on this development, the chairman of Arik Air, Sir Ikhide Arumemi, while receiving the President of Bombardier Mr. Pierre Baeudoin, said agreement on the project has been signed with Lufthansa Technik as major partner. Arumemi explained that this month, Arik Air will sign an agreement with Lufthansa Technik in Germany for the details of how the aircraft maintenance hangar will be rebuilt.

    He stated that when completed the hangar will not only carry out major repairs of Arik Air aircrafts but other new generation aircrafts in the fleet of other domestic airlines in the country. He also spoke of plans to consolidate the business relationship between the airline and Bombardier to involve other areas of airline operations, not limited to aircraft acquisition.

    Arumemi said very soon, as the number of aircraft types manufactured by Bombardier increases in the fleet of the airlines, discussions on maintenance facility could be explored. “We are on the last lap of the agreement,” he added.

    “We are in discussion with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany, this is to enable us rebuild our maintenance hangar, that will take care of the repairs of our Bombardier aircraft, the company is buying into it, even, Boeing is buying into it. The hangar will be rebuilt, and it will take care of major repairs of aircrafts manned by Lufthansa personnel for the repairs of new generation aircraft of all airlines. This will be affordable for everybody,” he stated.

    Apart from Arik, Embraer plans to establish an aircraft service maintenance centre at a SkyJet Airlines facility in Kaduna State to take care of executive jets in the Nigerian airspace. The Regional Sales Director, Mr. Lynton Van Aswegen, Embraer Executives Jets for Africa, made this known in Lagos.

    The facility according to Aswegen, is predicated on the operational capability of SkyJet Airlines, which will take over the burden of aircraft repairs, insurance and crew matters from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, which has more of its executive jets flying in the Nigerian airspace.

    He said that when the facility comes on stream, it will be the first in Africa, which will save operators of private jets in Nigeria the huge costs of flying their aircraft to Europe, America and other far destinations to maintain their airplanes. The service centre is expected to generate hundreds of jobs for teeming Nigerian aviation professionals.

    He said: “We are planning to set up a service centre in Nigeria, Kaduna precisely, at the premises of SkyJet Airlines facility. It will help operators run their aircraft more efficiently. This will be important to owners of private jets in Nigeria, because most aircraft manufacturers do not have such facility in the country. This will assist them to run the aircraft more efficiently and save them the huge costs of maintenance if they have to ferry the aircraft abroad.

    “This is how the SkyJet Airlines facility will be of tremendous help. It will save cost, as the operators will not need to take their planes outside Nigeria to be fixed. When Embraer appointed SkyJet Airlines, we considered its capacity to manage our aircraft type. This will take the burden of issues involving crew management, insurance and aircraft maintenance off our neck.

    “The executive jet business is booming in Nigeria, and it is still growing. This is why Nigeria has the highest number of private jets flying in Africa. And most of the executive jets are new airplanes with the latest technology.”

    Meanwhile, President of Aviation Roundtable, Captain Dele Ore and former Secretary-General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Mr. Nick Fadugba, have canvassed the establishment of a strong maintenance repair organisation (MRO) for airlines in Nigeria as one of the ways of generating thousands of jobs for Nigerians.

    Ore called on the Federal Government to set up a committee to look into ways of collaborating with the Akwa Ibom maintenance repair and overhaul facility in Uyo to enhance capacity and create jobs.

    Fadugba explained that the necessity to set up a maintenance hangar in Nigeria is long overdue, saying that the establishment of such a facility will generate jobs for industry professionals. According to the former AFRAA scribe, there is need for airlines to pool their resources together, establish the maintenance hangar and run it at a profit.

    Fadugba said: “Nigeria is ripe to have an aircraft maintenance hangar. It is long overdue. We can acquire the expertise. The point is do we have enough aircraft fleet? No we don’t. All the commercial aircrafts are just about 50. Seriously speaking, Nigeria needs a modern international MRO (Maintenance Repair Overhaul), in Lagos.

    “MRO must be where the business is, which is Lagos. Abuja is great, but MRO must be where the business is, and that is Lagos, because not only will you do line maintenance (daily servicing of the aircraft), you can also do checks- light and heavy repairs on the aircraft. One airline may not be able to build a hangar, or none of them has the fleet size to justify the investment.”

    The Chief Executive Officer Belujane Konzults Mr. Chris Aligbe, also canvassed the setting up of a maintenance facility for aircraft repairs in the country, which could generate thousands of jobs for industry professionals.

    Aligbe said such a facility would reduce operating costs for domestic carriers that fly their planes overseas for major repairs. If the facility is established here, it would create jobs for the industry’s professionals, he said.

    Aligbe, a former spokesman of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited, said to make the project viable, the facilitators must adopt measures to sustain patronage for the project. “A maintenance facility in Nigeria is long overdue. The government should facilitate the establishment of such a project, and ensure that the airlines have enough aircraft in their fleet to ensure that it is profitable.

    “If there are not enough aircrafts to sustain the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, it could be a failure. Above all, there must be competence in fleet and aircraft type to make it work. “One sure way of achieving this is the entrenchment of standardisation of fleet and line management to boost the competence of such a facility.”

    He stated that without standardisation of aircraft type, the industry could have issues with growth and development as major aircraft repair facilities are driven by the development of competences in aircraft types. “Most of the airlines in Nigeria do not have commonality of aircraft type to drive maintenance and repair overhaul facilities,” he added.

     

  • US economy adds 295,000 jobs in February

    US economy adds 295,000 jobs in February

    The United States economy added 295,000 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.5 per cent from 5.7per cent, according to Labour Department figures.

    It was the 12th month running that the economy added more than 200,000 jobs, the longest such run since 1994.

    The stronger-than-expected jobs figure led to a jump in the value of the dollar.

    Markets are speculating that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates in June this year.

    The Labour Department figure showed there were job gains in a number of sectors including construction, health care, and transportation.

    There were also job gains in food and drinks outlets, professional and business services, and warehousing. However, employment in mining was down over the month.

    The figure for the number of jobs created in January was revised down from 257,000 to 239,000.

    In February, average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls rose by three cents to $24.78, with earnings up by two per cent over the year.

    The labour force participation rate fell to 62.8 per cent from 62.9 per cent, as more people made themselves available for work.

    So the American labour market is off to the races, leaving behind the legacy of the financial crisis? Or is it?

    There is certainly some good news in these figures, such as the 12th consecutive month in which employers have added at least 200,000 jobs. It’s also worth noting just how much some of the bad numbers have come down since the worst of the great recession. Unemployment peaked at 10 per cent and is now 5.5per cent.

    A wider measure which includes a number of other groups who are working less than they want to is down from 17 per cent to 11 per cent. But before the crisis it was as low as eight per cent. Another important comparison is the percentage of the adult population who do have jobs. That is still significantly lower than it was throughout the 20 years before 2008.

    So, the situation is improving but it is still work in progress.

    The strong jobs data is likely to raise expectations that the Federal Reserve will be looking at raising interest rates sooner rather than later.

    Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, said: “Any sign of undue strength will raise the spectre of rates climbing sooner than expected, and we were already expecting rates to rise this year.”

    Meanwhile, Tom Porcelli, chief US economist at RBS Capital Markets in New York, said: “It’s been looking extremely constructive over the past few months, at the very least it probably gives some people pause for cutting down their GDP expectations this year.

    “We had already generated a million jobs in the previous three months, the economy is generating more job growth than we think it has the ability to do. While the summers have been very robust, at some point we’ll have to see the slowdown to some extent.”

  • Jonathan gives I64 NYSC award winners jobs, scholarship

    Jonathan gives I64 NYSC award winners jobs, scholarship

    President Goodluck Jonathan has given automatic employment to the 164 award winners of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 batches of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    Jonathan, who spoke at the President’s NYSC Honours Award at the State House Abuja, said those still unemployed would be absorbed into the Federal Civil Service.

    The corps members were said to have been selected from the three batches, “based on their outstanding performances during their service years”.

    The President also announced automatic scholarship for any of the 164 awardees who wants to advance their education.

    Nine corps members, who became physically-challenged during their service year, were given N23.5 million cash under the NYSC Hope Alive programme. They had varying degrees of permanent disabilities ranging from amputated arms to amputated legs and disfigured burns from accidents.

    Ibeto Group donated N5 million to one of the nine injured corps members, who could not attend the event because of the injury.

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio donated N5 million to the nine corps members and Heritage Bank donated N1.5 million to each of them.

    Three best overall female corps members, one from each of the three batches, also received plaques and cash reward from the National Council of Women Society.

    Jonathan said: “Once again, I congratulate all awardees on your well merited recognition and honour. The entire nation salutes the determination, courage, discipline, commitment and hard work, which you exhibited during the service year.

    “In line with our policy of encouraging our youths  to always strive for excellence, including serving and prospective corps members, I hereby announce immediate employment of the award winners in the Federal Civil Service, as well as automatic scholarship up to doctorate level in any university of their choice across the globe.

    “I urge you to always be good ambassadors of this great country, and we shall continue to look up to you for greater vision and accomplishments.”

    He added: “On our part, we will continue to accord priority to youth development through policies and programmes that will empower them not only for economic survival, but also for future leadership roles in our nation.

    “The Federal Government will continue to initiate policies and programmes that are focussed on our youths. So far, we have put in place the National Schools Agriculture Programme, the YouWin! Programme, the youth empowerment component of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) and in no distant time, we will establish a National Youth Development Fund to ensure that our vision for empowered youth is firmly irreversible.

    “As part of our Transformation Agenda, government gave approval for the NYSC to establish a Department of Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development. It is encouraging, from all indications, that the corps members have eagerly embraced this programme.

    “The NYSC Hope Alive Programme (NYSC-HAP), which seeks to identify and recognise Corps members, who had the misfortune of becoming physically-challenged as a result of injuries they sustained in the course of their National Service to our fatherland, is one programme that is very dear to me.

    “The concern demonstrated by the NYSC in identifying and recommending some of them for appointment into the Federal Civil Service, while also assisting others financially to enable them cater for their needs, is highly commendable. We must take care of the needy without hesitation.”

    He also said that the prompt response and pragmatism with which the scheme addressed issues of national emergencies had also been demonstrated in the way it  successfully keyed into the global campaign against the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease.

    But he said the ceremony would be the last combined function for more than one batch that he would entertain as the scholarship being offered now might be belated to many of the awardees, who must have furthered their studies since they completed their NYSC two years ago.

    He directed that awards for any particular batch should be given not too long after the end of the batch’s service.

    Minister of Youth Boni Haruna hoped that the gesture would spur the awardees to continue to give greater service to the country.

    “This is a challenge for you to strive towards excellence in all endeavours,” he said.

    The Director General of the NYSC, Brig. Gen. Johnson Olawumi said the 164 winners included 55 corps members from the 2012 batch, 52 from 2013 batch and 57 from the 2014 batch.

    He said they were selected by a committee made up of people of proven integrity and that the NYSC Hope Alive programme was aimed at sustaining corps members who sustained injuries during service.

    Elections in Nigeria, he said, had become more credible since corps members started participating in their conduct.

    Jonathan presented medals to the 164 corps members and took group photographs with each of the batches and the injured winners.

    He also cut a cake baked for the awardees.

  • Zambia to safeguard jobs at Lumwana mine

    Zambia eased regulations preventing tax refunds to exporters as President Edgar Lungu said the government “won’t allow a single mining job” to be lost in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer.

    The new rules, effective on Monday, allow exporters to provide import documents from transit countries instead of requiring paperwork from the final destination, a Government Gazette signed by Zambia Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Berlin Msiska shows. The document was sent to Bloomberg News.

    The edict only applies to future payments and not money already owed, with the revenue authority planning to start talks over a backlog of disputed claims “on a company-by-company basis,” said Jackson Sikamo, president of the Lusaka-based Zambia Chamber of Mines.

    Lungu said the government was also in talks with mining companies over a new higher-royalty tax system that became effective in January and which operators say may result in 12,000 job cuts this year. Barrick Gold Corp. said it would start the process of idling its open-cast Lumwana mine in the northwest of the country because of low copper prices and the new royalty system that replaces a tax on profits with levies on sales of as much as 20 per cent.

    The government “won’t allow a single mining job to be lost and has accordingly directed the Ministry of Mines to ensure that operations at Lumwana mine are not idled,” Lungu said in a statement posted to the presidency’s Facebook account.

    Zambia is “rapidly addressing” concerns over the higher mineral royalties, he said.