Tag: Shettima

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu on Wednesday, December 6, said Vice President Kashim Shettima, has pledged to support the new peace initiative in the southeast.

The new peace deal which is a brainchild of the deputy speaker is being handled by Peace in the South East Project ( PISE-P) and has gained the endorsement of national assembly leadership and many other notable Nigerians across the country.

The project is essentially craving for a non-kinetic means of resolving the security and other sociological challenges in the southeast, improving infrastructure, and achieving political inclusion in the zone.

The deputy speaker who led a delegation of the members of the organization on a visit to the Shettima said that PISE-P has gotten the buy-in of the vice president.

The chief press secretary to the deputy speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, quoted Kalu as saying that the vice president gave his nod for non-kinetic measures to ensure that the challenges will be well tackled.

Kalu said security and national cohesion were well factored into the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, stressing that the southeast would benefit immensely from the initiative.

Kalu therefore urged all hands to be on deck to achieve the set objectives, saying, “We want to change the narrative. We want to have a paradigm shift from what it used to be to what it ought to be.

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“We did the same when it was South-south, we are doing the same in the Northeast at the moment. And South-south, as you know, has remained a business heaven now. What is happening in the South-east now needs an intervention beyond what the government can do.

“And that is why we came up with an organisation called Peace in South-east Project to be able to drive this organisation which is based on using non-kinetic means towards resolving the problem of the South-east.

“This will enable us to do a sociological analysis of the causative factors that had given birth to these challenges that we are faced with.”

– VP hosts Kalu, others at Villa

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday backed the adoption of a non-kinetic approach to tackle insecurity in the Southeast.

A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said the use of non-kinetic approach should be in addition to other initiatives already being explored.

Shettima indicated his support when he received a delegation led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, at the Presidential Villa.

The delegation, under the auspices of Peace in South East Project (PISE-P), visited the vice president to present the initiative and invite him for the launch of the project that proposes a non-kinetic solution to the crisis in their region.

Speaking after a brief introduction of the new initiative, Shettima endorsed the concept, noting that the “approach is the most beautiful I have seen so far.

“We need to build bridges, there is a need for a handshake, that way, those that have not been radicalised can be captured.”

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Shettima further explained the wisdom in adopting a non-kinetic approach in addressing the security situation in the Southeast, saying it would save the region from endless war.

He said: “Unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, a non-kinetic solution to the crisis in the South East must be explored and deployed. The most atrocious of wars are at the end of the day sorted out on the negotiation table.

“It is how you build bridges that will determine how far you go as a people and society. We have to reach out to the youths; we have to empower them. Once we empower them, the crisis, the agitation and insecurity will vanish.”

Reiterating the call for a non-kinetic approach to addressing the security challenges facing the Southeast, he said: “We understand that many zones in the country face similar security challenges.

“However, PISE-P proposes a non-kinetic approach to address these issues that have impacted the economy of the Southeast and Nigeria.”

He stressed the urgency of finding solutions, just as he said: “We cannot ignore these challenges; we must face them head-on. The current situation has severely affected our lives and our sense of unity.”

Kalu expressed optimism that the PISE-P could bring hope to the region, similar to how other parts of the country have seen improvement.

He emphasised the need for new solutions, acknowledging that past approaches have not yielded the desired results.

Kalu highlighted the importance of addressing the sociological factors contributing to the unrest, expressing belief that a non-kinetic approach, focusing on changing the narrative and reorienting the minds of the people, can be more effective.

He said: “We want to start a conversation that helps change the perception and mindset in the Southeast. This cannot be achieved through guns and violence.”

The deputy speaker emphasised the need for initiatives that foster a sense of belonging and inclusion, even as he acknowledged the government’s limitations and stressed the importance of collaborating with development partners under the PISE-P.

Other members of the delegation are: Leko Gambo, (Dass/Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi); Jonathan Ajirioghene Ukodhiko (Isoko North/South, Delta); Ibori-Suenu Erhiatake (Ethiope East/Ethiope West, Delta); Bukar Talba (Monguno/Nganzai/Marte, Borno); former Minister of Labour & Productivity Emeka Wogu; Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker Toby Okechukwu and Mr Elton Onwu.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is consistent in taking bold and courageous decisions to change the country’seconomic fortune in the long run.

Shettima said this when he hosted the management of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), led by its Commandant, Alhaji Ayodele Adeleke, at the State House yesterday in Abuja.

The Vice President assured the team that the Tinubu administration was determined to bequeath a country that would stand firmly on the path of prosperity.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said Shettima stressed that the administration was taking such guided steps because it was determined to ensure youth empowerment and human capital development for the country.

The NISS delegation was at the Presidential Villa to present to the Vice President the report of a study conducted by 86 participants in the institute’s Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 16 with the theme: Globalisation and Regional Economic Integration: Implications for Sustainable Development in Africa.

Speaking during the presentation of the report, Shettima hailed the faculty and members of the EIMC 16 for their efforts.

The Vice President noted that the recommendations of the study aligned with the perspectives of the Tinubu administration, especially the “advocacy for investing in ICT and infrastructure development”.

He said the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Tinubu, had taken bold and courageous decisions that would, in the long run, impact positively on the economy.

On the theme of the EIMC 16 research study, Shettima said: “It is very apt, especially given the circumstances we have found ourselves in on the African continent. We are challenged from all angles – cyber-terrorism, human and drug trafficking, money laundering, transnational extremism and banditry, and the challenges of climate change.”

On the need to diversify the economy from oil, the Vice President envisaged that in the next 20 to 30 years, oil may not be as valuable as it is today.

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Shettima stressed that with the right leadership at all levels of governance, Nigeria’s growing population could be harnessed and positively deployed to transform the economy.

He said: “Let us create jobs, engage the youths; let us invest in their education. All these challenges of terrorism and banditry will be contained, but the fundamental question is the quality of leadership.”

EIMC was designed to provide strategic-level security/intelligence officers, as well as top-level management, with the requisite skills to handle their positions and contribute positively to the implementation of national security policies and national development.

The commandant of the institute, Alhaji Ayodele S. Adeleke, thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to excellence and a sense of responsibility since he assumed office.

He said: “The EIMC is a flagship programme of the institute, among other courses, aimed at impacting the requisite knowledge to participants to equip them with leadership skills to be able to address the dynamics of national and global security challenges in their respective countries as well as to foster inter-agency synergy and international cooperation.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged members of the National Council on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to utilize technology and their expertise to enhance the sector’s growth.

According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Vice President Shettima gave the charge on Friday, during the inauguration of the Council at the State House, Abuja.

Emphasizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to improving job security, VP Shettima highlighted the critical role of MSMEs and younger Nigerians in driving job creation and economic stimulation.

“This Council has a pivotal role to play in rekindling hope in the Nigerian project as President Tinubu is irrevocably committed to addressing the job security situation, especially within the MSMEs and the younger population,” VP Shettima stated.

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Recognizing the potential of technology, the Vice President urged members to leverage its power to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.

The Council’s mandate includes formulating policies to drive MSME development, fostering public-private partnerships, and promoting inter-agency collaboration.

Members of the newly inaugurated Council include the Vice President (Chairman); Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Vice Chairman); two governors from each of the 6 geo-political zones; Ministers of Agriculture, Innovation, Science and Technology, and Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs; a representative of the Private Sector; and the Director General of SMEDAN (Secretary).

Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Anambra on Thursday, November 30, where he commissioned an electric energy meter manufacturing factory in Oraifite, Ekwusigo local government area of the state.

He also commissioned Ijele 93.1FM, housing units donated for widows, Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) Touch-A-Life Housing Unit and Phase 3 of the Housing Scheme as well as the SEOF Social Investment Programme.

Inaugurating the factory, Shettima, said the firm, co-named Advanced Energy Management Solutions, would assist the federal government in its efforts at addressing power challenges in the country.

He acknowledged the electric meter shortage in the country, expressing optimism that the factory would help reduce the meter shortage gap.

He said: “We commend this initiative as we commission the factory to the glory of God and the use of humanity. This will help reduce the shortage gap of prepaid meters in the country.

“We believe that the establishment of the factory will help resolve the power supply challenges facing the country by addressing the critical issue of the very high metering gap among consumers.

“It is also a direct response to the call by the Federal Government for local and foreign investors to invest in Nigeria, create jobs and stimulate economic activities all around the country.”

Earlier, the chief executive officer of Advanced Energy Management Solutions Limited (AEMSL) Okechukwu Onyejiuwa said the factory could produce 1.4 million meters annually and, at the same time produce Single Phase and Three Phase as well as Maximum Demand (MD) Meters.

He also revealed that the factory would create about 500 direct jobs, comprising mainly of Engineers, Technicians as well and Finance and Administration professionals.

He stated: “In addition to the direct jobs, we estimate that there will also be over 4000 indirect jobs created by activities of this company.

“The operations of this factory will stimulate economic activities in the country, especially given the high-tech nature of the skills required for the manufacturing process.

“It will also conserve scarce foreign exchange through a reduction in the cost of imported raw materials, developing local raw materials sources and the potential for export to other countries within Africa and other parts of the world shortly.”

According to Onyejiuwa, the factory was established to support government efforts to resolve the nation’s power supply challenges by addressing the critical issue of a very high metering gap amongst consumers.

“It is also a direct response to the call by the Federal Government for local and foreign investors to invest in Nigeria, create jobs and stimulate economic activities all around the country.

“The manufacturing facility is equipped with advanced, cutting-edge equipment and machinery to manufacture a wide range of MD and non-MD smart energy meters, as well as feeder meters of accuracy class ranging from 0.2S to 1S in compliance with national and international standards.

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“The factory is installed with ultrasonic welding machines and high-resolution laser printers, and equipped with a state-of-the-art QA/QC laboratory with environmental conditioning chamber, 35KV testing, glow wire testing, destructive testing, EHV testing, ageing testing, and power quality analyzer facilities, among others.

“Getting this factory completed from scratch has taken a toll on the various professionals and artisans who toiled every day to accomplish their tasks.”

The AEMSL boss appealed to the government to encourage AEMS, local Meter Manufacturing companies as well as future investors in Metering by making it possible for them to participate fully in the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

He added: “Notwithstanding the challenges, we are determined to contribute our quota in the development of our sector and contribute to the power improvement objectives of the government.”