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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • FG to improve remuneration for teachers, other workers

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said that a comprehensive policy for improved remuneration for teachers and all public servants is being developed.

    Buhari, represented by Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said this at the 2018 Nigeria’s Annual Education Conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The president said that the remuneration policy would include genuine pension scheme.

    The conference has the theme, “Education for Self-Reliance: A System’s Approach to Education for the achievement of Education 2030 Agenda.”

    He said that the choice and timing of the theme was apt for the fact that Nigeria had dedicated itself to the implementation of the education 2030 agenda.

    “With the depression in the labour market, education should now be tailored towards the acquisition of skills and abilities that can make the individual a productive and self-reliant member of the society.”

    He said that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, had promoted Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

    Buhari added that government had also developed science and technology education policy for the realisation of TVET objectives and dreams.

    The president further stated that government had commenced the development of a policy on product innovation, exhibition and commercialisation.

    He noted that the development would create a window for advancing the outcomes of the national annual students’ skills competition towards practical utilisation and economic benefits.

    Buhari said that to reduce unemployment, poverty, hunger and violence, Nigerians must pay less attention to education for white collar jobs and embrace education for self-reliance, job and wealth creation.

    He said that the present administration had disbursed N42.2 billion Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grant to 26 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and N851.5 million special education grants to 23 states.

    The president, while reiterating the importance of teacher education, said government had allocated funds for the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme to ensure that teachers were exposed to current education policies.

    He added that the Safe Schools Initiative, launched by the last administration, had also received a boost from the present administration in addressing security challenges in the North East and in other flashpoints nationwide. (NAN)

  • Buhari promises improved remuneration for teachers

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said that a comprehensive policy of improved remuneration for the workers in the education sector and a genuine pension scheme are already being worked out for teachers and all public servants in the country.
    He made the remark at the 2018 Nigeria’s Annual Education Conference with the Theme: “Education for Self-Reliance: A System’s approach to Education for the achievement of Education 2030 Agenda” held on Tuesday at the Sheraton hotel, Abuja.
    The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said that the choice and timing of the theme is apt for the simple fact that Nigeria has dedicated itself to the implementation of the Education 2030 Agenda.
    He said “With the depression in the labour market, education should now be tailored towards the acquisition of skills and abilities that can make the individual a productive and self-reliant member of the society.”
    Through the Federal Ministry of Education, he said, that the Federal Government has promoted Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as well as developing the Science and Technology Education Policy for realization of TVET objectives and dreams.
    He said that government has commenced the development of a policy on product innovation, exhibition and commercialization that will create a window for advancing the outcomes of the national Annual student’s Skills Competition towards practical utilization and economic benefits.

    Read Also: Buhari, Ngige, Wabba meet in Aso Rock over minimum wage

    To reduce unemployment, poverty, hunger as well as violence, he said that people must pay less attention to education for white collar jobs and, instead, embrace education for self-reliance, job and wealth creation, which is the cardinal focus of his administration.
    Buhari also said that in 2017 the Federal Ministry of Education embarked on National Enrolment Drive Campaign to boost enrollment, improve retention and completion rates, and the exercise was flag-off in Bauchi state in January this year with the aim of addressing the issue of out-of-school children in the country.
    He used the occasion to inform Nigerians that the present administration has supported the implementations of various initiations aimed at improving the quality of basic education delivery such as the disbursement of N42.2 billion universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grant to 26 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), N851.5 million special Education grant disbursed to 23 states and private providers of special education and #2.2billion teachers’ professional development fund to 33 states and the FCT.
    The President while reiterating the importance of teacher education to his administration said the Federal Ministry of Education through the Universal Basic Education has allocated funds towards the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme to ensure that teachers and education managers are expose to current education policies, management systems and teaching methodologies; adding that “states are met irrespective of its peculiar nature, while paying attention to the judicious utilization of resources.”
    He said the Safe Schools Initiative, launched by the last administration has also received a boost from the present administration in addressing security challenges across the North East and in other flashpoints nationwide.
    In his welcome address, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu expressed his appreciation to President Mohammadu Buhari and all other participants.

  • Buhari, Ngige, Wabba meet in Aso Rock over minimum wage

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with the Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee over the proposed for new minimum wage.
    Also at the Council Chamber venue of the meeting are the Chairperson of the Tripartite Committee and former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Ama Pepple, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, Director General of NECA among others.
    It was gathered that the Federal Government may likely ask for a slight change in the agreed N30,000.
    Recall that the Federal Government had proposed N24, 000, while State Governors proposed N22,500 as new minimum wage but the two proposals infuriated the organised labour which culminated in the threat to embark on indefinite strike before government accepted to pay N30, 000.

    Read Also: Buhari, COCIN Executives meet in Aso Rock

    However, despite the agreement reached during the Monday night meeting held at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, the organized labour said not withstanding the success recorded in making the Federal Government to accept N30,000 as the agreed minimum wage for Nigerian workers, there are still hurdles to cross.
    Presidents and Secretaries of affiliate unions were also directed to mobilize members and be on standby in case any further directives on the implementations of the agreed amount.
    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Buhari nominates Dabiri-Erewa, Sokefun, others to head boards

    President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa for the position of Executive Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Diaspora Commisison.

    The nomination was contained in a letter by the President to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, dated October 24, 2018. Saraki read the letter at plenary on Tuesday.

    The President’s letter read, In compliance with Section 2(1) of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (Establishment) Act 2017, I write to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa as the Executive Chairman/CEO of Nigerian Diaspora Commission. Her curriculum vitae is attached herewith.

    President Buhari, in another letter, dated October 23, 2018 and addressed to the President of the Senate, sought to replace Chief Olabode Akeem Mustapha with Mrs Ronke Sokefun as chairman of Governing Board of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

    The President’s letter, which sought to withdraw an earlier one dated March 27, 2018 however, did not state reasons for the substitution.

    It stated, “The distinguished Senate is kindly invited to recall my earlier request for confirmation of the appointment of Chief Olabode Akeem Mustapha as the chairman of Governing Board of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) vide a letter dated 27th of March 2018. You may also recall that the nominee is yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

    “I now write to inform you of my decision to substitute Chief Olabode Akeem Mustapha with Mrs. Ronke Sokefun as the chairman of the Governing Board”.

    In yet another correspondence, dated October 19, 2018, the President sought the Senate’s confirmation of Mr. Chidi K. C. Izuwah as Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.

    In a related development, the President also forwarded the name of Dr. Kabiru Nakaura for confirmation as chairman of the Governing Board of the National Bureau of Statistics.

    Read Also: Why Buhari should have second term

    Five other names were submitted alongside Nakaura’s as member-nominees of the board. Nakaura was nominated to represent the Northwest geopolitical zone.

    Also nominated for membership of the board are Akinola Bashir (Southwest); Prof Moses Momoh (South-South); Wallijoh Danladi Ahijoh (North central); Adam Modu (Northeast); and Nwafor Paul Chukwudi (Southeast).

    President Buhari urged the Senate to expedite action on the confirmation of all the nominees.

  • Labour, FG strike new minimum wage deal, to be revealed Tuesday

    Labour leaders, who have called off a planned nationwide strike, have agreed a new national minimum wage at the end of negotiations with a Tripartite Committee, set up by the Federal government.

    The agreed figure will be kept under wraps until 4.15 pm on Tuesday, when it will be revealed in a report to be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, spoke to newsmen at the end of the Tripartite Committee meeting on the new National Minimum wage meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said the National Minimum Wage Negotiating committee has concluded its assignment and agreement has been reached and also documents have been signed.

    “The report will be submitted to Mr President by today and therefore, having reached this position, the Organised Labour also decided that the proposed strike is hereby suspended.

    ” Therefore, we thought this should be communicated appropriately without also divulging this information as mutual agreement has been reached,” he said.

    Ms Amma People, Chairman of the Tripartite Committee also noted that the assignment of the committee has been concluded.

    “We are going to present our report to Mr President today at 4:15 ,pm and he will reveal the figure that we have recommended, ” she said.

    Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary of the Government of the Federation commended members of the committee for their time and commitment on the processes of recommending the new minimum wage.

    “I am confident that government will give expeditious consideration of the report when submitted tomorrow to Mr President. And very soon the processes will be put in place to truly actualise your recommendations so that the status of our working populace will be enhanced and they would receive appropriate and commensurate payments for the services they offer to our nation and to the different sectors of our economy, ” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the organised Labour had threatened to commence nationwide strike on Nov. 6 over government rejection of a N30,000 minimum wage. Government offered N24,000, which labour also rejected.

  • Nigeria safer under Buhari than past govts, says minister

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has kept Nigeria “safer than it was before the advent of his administration in 2015”, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said yesterday.

    He spoke yesterday in Abuja at a ceremony to bid farewell to foreign bikers, who had undergone a tour of the nation’s monuments, museums and other cultural heritage and tourist sites.

    The bikers, under the aegis of Latin America Motorcycle Association (LAMA), had undertaken the tour with the theme: “Rediscover Heritage Bikers Tour Project”.

    The tour, inaugurated by the minister in Abuja on October 23, had taken the bikers to eight states – Niger, Kogi, Enugu, Cross River, Rivers, Edo, Oyo and Lagos – and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during which they visited many sites.

    Speaking at the event, the minister said the tour had been a success from the accounts of the bikers and it was an attestation that Nigeria is safer than when Buhari took over in 2015.

    Mohammed said: “From the report that I have received, this tour is a great success. It is also an attestation to the fact that Nigeria is indeed a safe destination for tourists and business people alike.

    “Yes, there are security challenges here and there, and this is not peculiar to Nigeria. But our country is safer today than it was before the advent of this Administration in 2015, thanks to the political will shown by the administration and the commitment of our security agencies,” he said.

    The minister added that unlike armchair analysts, who had labelled Nigeria unsafe, the bikers had crisscrossed the country by road and returned safe and sound.

    “I congratulate you all for this great adventure. I thank you for ignoring the naysayers and for having the courage and the confidence and the open mind to see things for yourselves.

    “As you go, I urge you all to become great ambassadors of our great country, Nigeria. And I hope you will come back here in the not-too-distant future,” he said.

    The minister thanked the LAMA President Mr. Marip Nieves; the President of LAMA Nigeria, Mr. Ernest Akhikpemelo; the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the NTA and the sponsors of the event.

    He wished the foreign bikers a safe journey back to their various countries.

    On his part, Nieves said the tour had been “a trip of my life”, coming from the Caribbean to discover his root.

    He said Nigeria is safe contrary to the reports in international media and the government should endeavour to promote its tourism potentials to attract more tourists.

    Nieves added that from their experiences and what they learn from the museums, monuments and heritage sites they visited, Nigeria like other African countries has a rich history and heritage.

    Akhikpemelo said the vision behind the tour was to promote Nigerian tourism and show to the world that the country is safe for investments and tourism.

    The bikers had travelled to Gurara Falls in Niger; The coal city of Enugu, the Millennium Park, Slave History Museum, Tinapa Lake Resort all in Cross River; the national museum in Port Harcourt and Rivers State.

  • Expanding revenue base

    With so much dependence on oil over the years, the Nigerian economy last Wednesday got another boost towards diversification.

    Before the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration came on board in 2015, Nigeria had operated an almost absolute mono-economy.

    Oil was the main base of the Nigeria economy with the sector mostly contributing over over 90% of Nigeria’s revenue.

    Then, there was near total neglect of other sectors of the economy as there were huge incomes from sale of oil at the international market.

    But with the crashing of the oil price to around $30 per barrel at the inception of Buhari’s administration in 2015, more Nigerians began to really see oil discovery in Nigeria as source of ‘doom’ and not ‘boom’.

    They specifically blamed the past administrations in the country for not channeling the huge incomes from oil to develop infrastructures and support the growth of other sectors in the country in order to become foreign exchange earners and for Nigeria to have a multi-revenue based economy.

    No wonder when Buhari came on board, he had to restructure the economy towards diversification.

    With very little coming from oil, Buhari, with the right policies and more access to funds and fertilizers, encouraged Nigerians to go back to agriculture.

    He wanted to make the sector what it used to be during the pre-independence and independence era when it was a major foreign exchange earner.

    While so much is said to have been achieved in the agriculture sector in the past three and half years with the savings of billions of dollars from stoppage of rice importation into Nigeria and correspondent increase in consumption of locally produced rice, the Nigerian masses on the street are still yearning for the price of bag of rice to crash in the market.

    They are also awaiting the commencement of rice exportation from Nigeria to other countries to earn foreign exchange.

    So much is also said to have been achieved in the mines and steel development sector.

    While the environment is being created to fully turn around the mines and steel sector, it was claimed that so far in 2018 alone about N3 billion has been remitted to the Federation Account.

    Other sectors of the economy, as a departure from the past, have also been claimed to be doing well in the past three and half years under Buhari.

    To ensure that the Nigeria economy is expanded further, the Buhari’s administration last Wednesday introduced another diversification policy.

    The new effort towards diversification of the economy approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting was a National leather policy.

    The policy, among other objectives, aims to encourage export of finished leather products from Nigeria to boost foreign exchange earnings.

    On the new policy, the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, said “The Federal Executive Council has approved the National leather and leather products policy that will enable government attract more investment into the sector.

    “We would now harness our leather resources in a manner that will allow us make more gains instead of exporting raw leather or semi-finished products.

    “We want to prepare our nation so that we can process our leather and use the leather in production of finished leather products.

    “This has application in almost every sector of our economic life, including footwear, apparels and automobile industry.

    “There is hardly any machine that you will open without finding leather component.

    “This is the only way we can create more jobs and a lot of wealths. And we would be in a position to fight poverty.

    “In any country, they always start with textiles and then leather. Here we have comparative advantage because our Labour cost is low,” he added.

    The Minister went on “As far as light leather is concerned, we are number two in Africa and number 8 in terms of exporting leather in the world.

    “If we harness the leather we have in Nigeria and that we processed our hides and skins, we will be creating a lot of jobs and wealth because of the small scale enterprises that will spring up.

    “You will now be having new businesses springing up. President Buhari is very much interested … that those who want to work can work.

    “In terms of contributions, leather contributes almost $921 million to our economy, as at 2013. There was a time leather was number three in terms of contributions from the non- oil sector. We believe that leather will help us achieve much to the economy.”

    Explaining that possible problems from the policy are being taken care of, he said “On health hazards associated with processing, this is exactly why you have the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and we have the Leather Research Institute in Zaria.

    “This institute is conducting research in the various segments. This is the only organization permitted to offer higher training in the leather industry.

    “When you use certain chemicals, you have to find a way to treat before you can discharge them into any water source. A percentage will be in what is environmentally acceptable. They are working on that at the moment.

    “We are very much aware of that because we have ternaries at the moment. We want to make sure that our people are safe,” he said.

    With the on-going efforts, it is hoped that the abundant resources in Nigeria will be properly harnessed to change the story of the nation.

    That Nigeria will truly become the ‘Giant of Africa’ and a force to reckon with in the international community based on its massive human and natural resources.

  • Buhari revives abandoned projects

    Minister for Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola has said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has brought back hope to Nigerians by reviving abandoned projects.

    According to the minister, a number of projects were left uncompleted before the inception of the current administration in 2015.

    “Buhari’s government has revived the contracts that were stopped,” he said in Sokoto while speaking to reporters during a two-day retreat organised for top officials of the three Ministries under his watch.

    “If a contractor does not get paid, there is no magic to get the work completed. He will have no alternative than to stop.”

    The Minister also said the current government has no alternative but to resort to the best option of borrowing to complete such projects of economic importance to the wellbeing and development of the country.

    Fashola said Nigerians should not blame the government on the slow pace of work rather should direct their dissatisfaction to their representatives who were elected to serve them.

    “They are guilty of the slow pace of work. They shut the National Assembly and delayed the passage of budget for close to nine months.

    “You don’t expect the work that would have been done in decades to be completed within three and a half years,” he pointed out.

    He added, saying, “We have to borrow through the Ministry of Finance and invest it on roads to enhance productivity, reduce journey cost and time for business in order to generate income and wealth creation to pay back the loans.

    He noted that a growing economy was a rewarding economy, pointing out that “Those who complain we borrow too much should tell us where else to find funds. We are not raising tax and if we do, they will still complain.”

    The minister further defended the government on allegations that certain sections of the country were suffering deficit of federal government projects especially in the Northwest, saying, “No part of the country is not considered in the provision of infrastructure. We have considered and work on the Jega-Sokoto, Sokoto-Illela, UDUS roads as well Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano and Jigawa roads respectively in the Northwest.”

    He noted that road accident and other risks would have been a thing of the past when such projects were completed.

    Fashola said, “The FRSC must also ensure the enforcement of traffic regulations especially speed monitoring and reckless driving by motorists particularly commercial vehicles.

    “Records have shown that a number of accidents, injuries and fatality are fast reducing monthly due to gradual change in our driving behaviours and our commitment to addressing the conditions of the roads.”

  • PDP tasks Buhari on N378bn NLNG fund

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to speak out on revelations of how N378 billion proceed from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas dividends was allegedly siphoned by Presidency cabal, under sleazy oil subsidy deals.

    The party said Nigerians were startled by the revelations of how the funds from the NLNG, an agency under President Buhari’s direct supervision as Minister of Petroleum, was secretly lifted and spent without the appropriation of the National Assembly.

    A statement on Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said intelligence showed that the Presidency cabal cornered the money under the guise of subsidy payments but allegedly diverted a huge part of it to members of the cabal and some key APC leaders, which they used to finance their wasteful lifestyle, including acquiring posh property within and outside the country.

    The statement said, “If there was no ulterior agenda; if the money was actually meant for payment of subsidy, why was it drawn and purportedly spent without recourse to the constitutionally required approval of the National Assembly and other due process procedures under our laws?

    Read Also: ‘PDP not ready for issue-based campaign’

    “The PDP notes that such humongous corruption and stealing of trillions of naira in the oil and gas sector, which is under President Buhari’s purview, as Minister of Petroleum, is directly responsible for the biting economic recession and its attendant high cost of living, acute hunger and starvation, poor living standard, dilapidated infrastructure, escalated violence and high mortality rate in the country in the last three and half years.

    “If the Buhari-led APC administration had curtailed its greed and allowed for a little transparency in governance, our nation would not be in the dire strait in which we have found ourselves today. In any case, what else does one expect from a government replete with avaricious individuals, certificate forgers and liars.

    “The PDP challenges President Buhari, as Mr. Integrity, to speak out on the monstrous corruption in his Presidency, which has also failed to offer explanations for the alleged siphoning of over N10 trillion from various sleazes, particularly in the oil and gas sector.

    “Finally, the PDP urges the National Assembly to immediately open an inquest into the N378 billion NLNG scandal and unravel who actually authorized the withdrawal, the beneficiaries, as well as what each APC leader got from this huge scam, with a view to exposing them and recovering the fund in the national interest”.

  • Nwosu counters Oshiomole, says I remain APC candidate

    The winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary for Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has described the decision by the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole to substitute his name with that of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate as a violation of subsisting Court Order and unacceptable.

    Nwosu insisted that he remains the authentic candidate of the party, irrespective of Oshiomole’s announcement that he has forwarded Uzodinma’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate.

    According to Nwosu, his candidacy is secured and cannot be truncated by the National Chairman or any other person, vowing that he will never abandon the mandate given to him by the party members to be their governorship candidate for the 2019 election.

    He expressed disappointment over Oshiomole’s action, adding that his statements and antics did not give hope to young people who hitherto had always looked up to him.

    In his words, “My mandate is still intact, I still remain the candidate of the APC, I am very much shocked with the National Chairman who is speaking from the both sides of his mouth as a man of that age I thought he would have been upright.

    “I am shocked that a man who has attained that age and who we should look up to as our role model has become somebody who many of us can no longer see as a role model again. I am shocked at the attitude of  the National Chairman which does not give hope to young people that mostly look up to him for years”.

    Nwosu however dismissed insinuations that he is defecting from the APC to pursue his ambition in another party, noting that he cannot abandon his mandate for any other party.

    He said, “I will not leave APC, I still remain the authentic candidate of that party, I still have a valid Court Oder restraining the party from submitting any other name and also restraining INEC from accepting any other name other than my name and the matter is in Court, so if they go anywhere and got another Court Order without knowing that there is a subsisting Court Order  that must have been done that in error, so the fact remains that I am the candidate of APC, it is just for a while and I will take up my mandate, I don’t have in mind to leave the mandate I  already have for another party”.

    Nwosu clarified further that, “the insinuation by the National Chairman that my ambition suffered setback because of the ambition of the Governor Rochas Okorocha is not true, my name is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and not Rochas Okorocha, I am from Nkwerre Local Government Area, while he is from Ideato South LGA, there are two different things, if he has ambition to run for Senate and I have ambition to run for governor, so it doesn’t tally at all.

    “After all Oshiomole’s son is a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, who he nominated and he is the Chairman of the party and he is saying that Okorocha’s Senatorial ambition scuttled my governorship, he is a man that is supposed to  speak rightly and not deceive the people on air. I saw him on the Television when he was talking from both sides of his mouth, it is a pity that APC could have such a man as its National Chairman, I condemn his action and it is not acceptable”.

    Read Also: Anti-Oshiomole protest rocks Imo

    He submitted further that, “the same Ibrahim Agbabiaka Committee that conducted the governorship primary that Oshiomole is referring to as purported, is still the same Committee that conducted the National and State Assembly primaries, so how can you jettison the report of that same Committee”.

    He  urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the National Chairman of the party to order, stressing that his actions, especially as it bothers on the party’s primaries, may affect the victory of the party in 2019.

    Meanwhile Nwosu urged his supporters to remain steadfast, adding that, “we are not deterred, I am still in the race, if  Oshiomole thinks that he is a tin god at the secretariat that he can truncate people’s ambition, then my answer to him is that he is not God, he cannot stop my ambition, he cannot stop a divine mandate, he cannot stop the mandate of the people. I want to assure my teeming supporters that we are on the right course, not even Oshiomole can stop us, we are the right candidate and we will emerge victorious at the end of the day. I am very confident that I will be the next governor of the state in 2019”.