The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ministry

  • God’s grace sustains our ministry, says Edgal

    God’s grace sustains our ministry, says Edgal

    The Senior Pastor of ‘Hour of Glory and Liberation Ministry,’ which holds its programmes in Aboru area of Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State, Godwin Edgal has said that God has been merciful to the ministry since it began 10 years ago.

    Edgal said in an interview with journalists during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the ministry that the inter-denominational Christian congregation has enjoyed the blessings of God through deliverance from oppression, healings, blessings, salvation, answered prayers amongst others.

    According to the man of God, it takes the grace of God for a ministry to keep waxing stronger for 10 years, saying that the best was yet to come as God has promised to do more for the people.

    Read Also: Ministry unveils scorecard for sustainable growth

    “We appreciate what the Almighty God has been doing in our ministry through our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the ability of God to deliver the oppressed and make life better for the people and we look forward to more exploit in the coming years.

    “I want to thank my wife, our numerous members for their labour of love and I thank all the men of God that have been coming to minister to people during our programmes.

    “We know that our best is yet to come and that God will make the glory of the latter to be greater than that of the former,” he said, adding that salvation is free for whoever is interested.

  • Old miseries and a new ministry

    Old miseries and a new ministry

    • By Ike Willie-Nwobu

    Sir: The creation of a ministry to oversee affairs, which used to be supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture seems a departure from the past and an attempt to address one of the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria. It appears an attempt to ensure lasting peace and harmony between farmers and herdsmen who should ordinarily work side by side as different players in Nigeria’s food economy. Yet, as with every solution that has successfully and historically addressed a key destabilizing factor anywhere, without  justice, this latest attempt will end up as one more thread in the tapestry of bloated and bureaucratized government ministries constituting little more than a drainpipe on Nigeria’s resources.

    To be clear, while there may be some quiet in rural areas since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, wisdom demands that it be interpreted and treated as a peace of the graveyard if it is to give way to sustainable peace. This is important so that a country which is not exactly known to follow successful blueprints does not return to its bloody past after only a handful of years.

    Addressing long-running farmer-herder crisis may is undoubtedly a question of justice. There can be no justice unless conscious efforts embrace those who have suffered most from this crisis: rural dwellers, most of whom are farmers.

    The losses have been incalculable. Countless have lost lives, limbs, and livelihoods since the crisis became a major investment for those who aim to destabilize the country. In squalid refugee camps around the country and even from graves, chilling tales are reprised about the displaced, dismembered and defeated in a conflict that has defined most of the last two decades in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Tinubu appoints Walson-Jack as new Head of the Civil Service

    The ministry’s focus on livestock development suggests prominence and priority will be given to livestock. Is it a sop to Nigeria’s powerful cattle herders who boast top-level connections within the government, or is it a genuine attempt to address a festering problem? Is the government bowing to pressure from powerful pressure  groups or does it feel that it is the right thing to do upon a comprehensive review of the situation?

    In a country that continues to experiment with democracy in a frantic bid to meld its diverse and disparate parts into a solid unit that is greater than the sum of its parts, there would always be questions about politics and justice with every major decision.

    But for farmers and herders in Nigeria to stop fumbling around in old wounds, there must be hard truths as a pathway to justice. Truth as far as the crisis is concerned must entail exposing and punishing all those who hide behind cattle to wreak havoc on lives  and property in Nigeria. Dragging them and their sponsors into public glare will be a major step in addressing old wounds. Furthermore, there must be compensation for all those who have suffered immeasurably from this crisis. While nothing may be enough to bring back the dead, recreate fractured memories, or restore time, a lot can be done to bind the wounds of all those who have lost their livelihoods to herdsmen, and restore hope to orphaned children, and dignity to women who have been raped.

    Beyond creating ministries, the government should be able to do this and prove conclusively that it means to tackle a difficult problem, and not just appease political blocs or pander to ethnic and economic interests.

    •Ike Willie-Nwobu,

    Ikewilly9@gmail.com

  • Why we bought desktop computers in ministry, by FG

    Why we bought desktop computers in ministry, by FG

    The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole has explained why the ministry purchased desktop computers instead of laptop computers for staff.

    He said the ministry noticed that laptops assigned to staff go missing whenever a staff in the ministry is posted out.

    He said the practice reduces the productivity in the civil service as new staff lack the tools to perform their duties.

    To curb the practice and boost productivity, he said the ministry decided to switch to desktop computers.

    He stated this in Abuja on Thursday, July 4, at the aviation workers and stakeholders’ sensitization conference with the theme: “Mobilizing workers towards achieving the aviation roadmap.”

    The conference was organized by the Joint Consultative Negotiating Council (JCNC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

     He said: “We no longer buy laptops but we buy desktops. Part of the reason is to improve the productivity of workers. We want to ensure that they embrace technology and that technology means they have to be competent in the use of their computers.

    “Initially, we were buying laptops but we discovered that when officers are posted out, we start looking for the laptops. So, the best we could do is to ensure that the desktops are there for the workers so that when a worker comes, he has the necessary tools to work.”

    The Permanent Secretary also stated that aviation workers were critical to achieving the aviation roadmap.

    Read Also: Reps urge Aviation Ministry to probe alleged intimidation, extortion by security personnel at airport

    He said: “The Aviation Roadmap we have outlined is ambitious, aiming to elevate Nigeria to a hub of excellence in air transport services. The roadmap encompasses modernizing our airports, enhancing safety and security measures, improving passenger experiences, improving the competence of Aviation workers, and fostering a robust competitive aviation market.

    “However, none of these goals can be realized without the active participation and dedication of our workers. Workers are the heartbeat of the aviation industry, and their skills, expertise, and passion are the driving forces behind our progress.

     To achieve the roadmap, Dr. Meribole said: “The aviation roadmap for Nigeria is a bold and transformative vision. Achieving it requires the collective effort and unwavering commitment of our workforce. By investing in training and development, fostering innovation and collaboration, recognizing excellence, maintaining transparent communication, and prioritizing the well-being of our workers, we can mobilize our workforce towards realizing this ambitious goal.

    “Together, we can build an aviation industry that is not only a source of national pride but also a catalyst for economic growth and development.”

    The chairman of JCNC, Comrade Hector Nnadi assured of ministry of its collaboration to attain the roadmap of the ministry.

    He said: “We will work tirelessly to ensure the success of the roadmap by working with the ministry’s management to improve safety standards, enhance our skills and knowledge, attract investments and create jobs and strengthen international partnerships.”

  • Ministry denies relief funds, general recruitment

    Ministry denies relief funds, general recruitment

    The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has denied giving out N15,000 as an Instant Relief Fund to the public as reported by an online media outlet.

    Its Director of Information, Patricia Deworitshe in a terse statement on Saturday, warned the public not to be deceived by the publication as the Ministry has no plan for the disbursement of such funds.

    The Ministry also denied the commencement of general recruitment into its hospitals, warning the public not to be deceived by online scammers.n

    It reads:  The attention of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has been drawn to an online publication in the media that the Ministry is giving out Fifteen thousand Naira (N15,000) INSTANT RELIEF FUNDS, to the public.

    “The general public is to be informed that the Ministry is not in the process of giving such money.

    “The public is to note and beware as the information is not from the Federal  Ministry of Health and Social Welfare”.

    The Ministry also denied to have commenced recruitment into its hospitals nationwide.

    According to another statement from the Information Director,  Deworitshe, the Ministry placed public announcements in two national dailies and was specific about the job placements. 

    The statement reads: “The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare wishes to inform the general public that the Ministry is not currently in the process of recruiting general staff for the hospitals.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Ministry placed an advertisement in the Daily Trust and Punch Newspapers of 18th April 2024, for the recruitment of  Chief Medical Directors and Directors of Administration in some of the Federal Tertiary Hospitals only. 

    “The public is to note that the recruitment exercise is not for the Federal Ministry of Health as this falls under the purview of the Federal Civil Service Commission.” 

  • Ministry, NDDC to produce regional plan for Niger Delta — Minister

    Ministry, NDDC to produce regional plan for Niger Delta — Minister

    The Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, has disclosed that his ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will work out a single regional development plan for the Niger Delta region.

    The minister said the move was following the decision of the Federal Government to harmonise all the development plans in the Niger Delta region for a more efficient and effective delivery of the programmes and projects of the commission and the ministry.

    He urged the NDDC to intensify its engagement with stakeholders in its efforts to develop the region.

    In a keynote address at the Two-Day Board and Management Retreat of the Niger Delta Development Commission in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Momoh said the collaboration and partnership were paramount for the success of the NDDC and the ministry.

    A statement signed by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, said the retreat attracted members of the National Assembly, past chairmen and managing directors of the NDDC, directors from both the Ministry of Niger Delta Development and the NDDC.

    Momoh said:  “The harmonization of the existing development plans in the Niger Delta Region was one of the ten deliverables the president gave to the ministry for implementation in between 2024 and 2027.”

    The Minister urged the NDDC Board and Management to constantly monitor and supervise the projects of the commission to ensure that quality was maintained.

     “NDDC must insist on the delivery of quality jobs so that the Niger Delta region will get value for money expended on development projects,” he said.

    Read Also; Welcome to Gomorrah: Gombe’s sin city where women, beer are valued more than food

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, said that the gathering was a reflection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strong desire to have the Niger Delta Region transformed into a zone of peace and development.

    He said: “Since our inauguration just over two months ago, as a highly accountable and proactive board, we have achieved progress. Together, we have worked to dispel the negative narratives that once plagued the Commission, aiming to make that a thing of the past.

    “Similarly, we have adopted a leadership style that aims to instill confidence in our people, prioritising their well-being through constructive collaboration and mutual respect. The objective of this retreat is to further align the board and management of the Commission with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

    Ebie said that the retreat would probe the purportedly settled answers about the development of the Niger Delta while attempting to proffer answers to unsettled questions.

    He said: “The retreat will afford us the opportunity to propose strategies for the re-introduction and reestablishment of coordinated development to its proper place in the Niger Delta discourse, design implementation of ideas and ideals that will remind members of the board and management that we are confronted with a larger responsibility of nation building.”

    He thanked the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, for hosting the retreat and remarked; “as one of the home states of NDDC, we feel at home with the serenity and hospitality of Akwa Ibom.”

    In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, commended the Commission for organizing the retreat, noting that it was an opportunity to lay a solid foundation for the development of the Niger Delta region.

    He urged the NDDC to deploy technology in the delivery of its programmes and projects in the region.

  • Ministry gets new Perm Sec

    Ministry gets new Perm Sec

    The Federal Ministry of Finance now has a new Permanent Secretary, following the retirement of Mr. Aliyu Ahmed. He is Okokon Udo.

    Before making his exit from the ministry, Aliyu Ahmed attributed the successes he achieved in the Ministry to the co-operation and support he enjoyed from the management staff of the Ministry. He handed over the affairs of the Ministry to the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Udo who now serves as the Permanent Secretary, Finance. 

    Aliyu Ahmed said he enjoyed a cordial relationship with his successor noting that “for quite a long time we worked together and had a very friendly relationship”.

    Ahmed described his successor as “very competent, widely experienced in the job and therefore he would deliver positively and move the Ministry to greater heights”.

    Read Also: OAuGF, Ministry of Finance Sign LoU on SFTAS

    To the management staff of the ministry, Aliyu Ahmed said he “enjoyed great support and friendship from all that I have worked with without which I would not have achieved such success.”

    He added that “I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve and also exiting peacefully from the Nigerian Civil Service”.

    Ahmed was a former lecturer at Usman Dan Fodio University in Sokoto State. He joined the Nigerian Civil Service in 1993 and made a steady progress to the position of a Permanent Secretary. He left the service on the day he clocked sixty years old.

    Udo, who has taken over as the new Permanent Secretary Finance in his opening remarks said that Ahmed had contributed immensely to the growth and development of the ministry and the public service at large, as such, the system needed to tap from his wealth of experience.

    He described Ahmed as an objectivity, dogged, fearless and de-tribalized person whose characters and attributes are worthy of emulation.

  • Amachree hails creation of Tourism ministry

    Amachree hails creation of Tourism ministry

    The recent creation of a Tourism ministry by President Bola Tinubu has continued to receive accolades from tourism operators and stakeholders in the sector.

     The latest being that from father of Tourism in Nigeria, Chief Mike Amachree who commended the creation of a Ministry of Tourism by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Describing it as a right step in the right direction, he praised President Tinubu for the ‘bold and progressive’ decision.

    Amachree, a former President of Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), and the proprietor of Brooklyn Group of Hotels, said he was happy that the government heeded to his and other tourism industry stakeholders’ call for a stand-alone ministry. He said: “Before the former President Olusegun Obasanjo created the tourism ministry in 1999, I, as the then President of ATPN, and other industry practitioners were at the forefront of the clamour for the creation of the ministry. President Obasanjo headed to our call and created the ministry. However, for over eight years when the tourism ministry was scrapped by the last Buhari administration, Nigeria lost a lot of grounds in the area of tourism development.   We continued to clamour for the reversal of that decision. We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for listening to us.  

    “You see, tourism is the biggest provider of jobs in the country. All airlines, transportation, and movements of all kinds are under tourism. You can see the number of agents these people are employing. Talking about foreign exchange earnings, maybe apart from petroleum, no sector can attract more foreign exchange than tourism. If we plan our tourism well, people will be coming to Nigeria to visit our tourist attractions.  

    Read Also: Tinubu assumed office amidst economic crisis, says monarch in Obi’s town

    “With this new development, it is time for us to put more efforts to develop our tourist sites like museum and other attractions to bring in tourists. This is where the tourism ministry becomes key.”

    The business mogul and tourism technocrat also congratulated the new tourism minister Ms. Lola Ade-John on her appointment. He urged her to hit the ground running so that the industry can catch up with the rest of the world in the area of tourism development.

    He called on the new minister to carry the private sector tourism practitioners along in policy formulation and implementation. This, he said, was the only way she could succeed. His words: “All over the world, tourism is private sector driven because tourism is business. While the government makes the law and policies, it is the private sector that does the business of tourism. If the minister carries the private sector along in her policy formulation and implementation, it will be implemented seamlessly with no hiccup. Past failures of government policies had been as a result of the inability to carry the private sector along. I wish the new minister success.”

    Amachree called on tourism practitioners to support the new minister for the success of the industry in Nigeria.

  • Ministry urges PENGASSAN not to forget Johnson’s family

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, William Alo, has urged Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), not to forget the family of its late president, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.

    Speaking when he led a delegation of the management staff of the Ministry on a condolence visit to the office of PENGASSAN in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary pledged that government would sustain the industrial peace and harmony he fought for.

    He enjoined those he left behind to bear the death of the Comrade with fortitude and be consoled by the numerous testimonies about the good life he lived.

    Commending the late Johnson on his achievements in the Petroleum and Natural Gas sector, Alo said: “The late PENGASSAN President employed his wealth of experience and administrative ingenuity in bringing about good industrial relation that has stabilised the sector.”

    He expressed shock, deep sorrow and pain over the death of the President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.

    He paid tribute to the departed comrade, describing him as a dependable ally of the Ministry, whose support and contribution assisted the Ministry in achieving its mandate of maintaining industrial peace and harmony in the country.

    In a response, the Acting President of PENGASSAN, Frank Esanubi, described the late Johnson as a great and humble man, who was versed in the ability to maintain relationships.

    He disclosed that PENGASSAN, in collaboration with social partners, would set up a Trust Fund for the education of the children of its late President, adding that details of that would be made known to the social partners in due course.

    In a related event, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, condoled with PENGASSAN over the sad death of its National President, Francis Olabode Johnson.

    Dr. Esan said in a statement that the Johnson-led PENGASSAN and the Ministry enjoyed a very cordial relationship with the entire rank and file of PENGASSAN for the growth of the Oil and Gas Sector in particular and the advancement of the nation in general.

    “The Ministry will greatly miss his cool head, calm disposition and great grasp of the trends and understanding of policy directions of government. Our sympathies also go to the wife and children of Mr. Johnson and prayed to God to grant him and the rest of the Johnson’s Family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss, Amen,” the statement said.

     

  • Ministry, AfDB partner on job creation

    The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment will deepen its partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) on job creation,  the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr William Alo, has said.

    He made this known in Abuja during the review of country strategy papers (2013 – 2019) and launch of the preparations for the new country strategy paper (2020 – 2024) between AfDB and the ministry.

    According to him, there is the need for more funding for the two projects which the ministry is in partnership with the AfDB. He proposed the inclusion of some intervention projects in the 2020-2024 Strategy Paper.

    He noted that since last year the ministry had been working with the AfDB on the two projects, one of which is the Public-Private Partnership for Youth Employment and Skills Development aimed at implementing eight priority projects, across relevant sectors.

    Alo said the aim was also to boost massive job creation and skills development among the teeming unemployed youths.

    Read also: Fed Govt seeks partnership with AfDB on youth employment

    He said the other project was aimed at implementing the labour content of an Inclusive Basic Services Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) for livelihood enhancement and support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast.

    “The aim of the IBSDLEIP is to document the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the productive age and provide technical support to the participating states,’’ he said.

    Alo said this was to build capacities on alternative means of livelihood as tools for self-reliance, rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs.

    The permanent secretary reiterated the government’s efforts in generating youth employment through the skills acquisition centres scattered across the country, saying that the government had not been resting on its oars.

    He, however, said the government would include skills acquisition in the nation’s secondary schools curricula, as well as in the curriculum of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

  • How Special Economic Zones Company operates, by ministry

    The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment yesterday clarified the status of Nigeria SEZ Investment Company Limited (NSEZCO), also called, Nigeria Special Economic Zones Company Limited.

    The ministry, in a statement, said that NZESCO was incorporated as a special purpose vehicle to deliver Project MINE (Made in Nigeria for Exports), which is a Presidential initiative.

    It said the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP) identified the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as a major strategic tool to accelerate the implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

    And Project MINE was envisioned by the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (MITI) to develop SEZs to world-class standards and position Nigeria as the pre-eminent manufacturing hub in sub-Saharan Africa and a major exporter of made in Nigeria goods and services regionally and globally.

    It said that Project MINE was necessitated by the lack of operating competitiveness that limits the growth of the zones despite the presence of generous fiscal and regulatory incentives.

    It explained that for government-owned SEZs, there were limited Federal budget allocations to make the required investments in infrastructure, operations and management services.

    In June, 2018, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved NSEZCO, with the endorsement of the Economic Management Team, as the holding entity for FGN investments and proprietary interests in existing and future SEZs.  The FEC approval also provides that all current and future capital appropriations for Project MINE should be transferred to NSEZCO’s account, as soon as opening formalities are completed.

    With the formalities completed, NSEZCO became the platform through which Federal Government’s capital budget appropriations for SEZs are converted into long term value-creating investments.

    NSEZCO is a public-private partnership (PPP) company to operate world-class standards of governance and management, to facilitate mobilization of capital and other resources from PPP partners, in order to overcome budgetary constraints to the provision of critical infrastructure for SEZs.