The Nation Newspaper

Tag: unemployed graduates

  • Fair for unemployed graduates

    To combat youth unemployment, the Lagos State Government has organised a job fair for unemployed graduates in the state.

    The fair was organised by the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment in conjunction with Ist CRT Group on Saturday at Adeyemi Bero Hall at Alausa, Ikeja.

    About 1,500 graduates participated in the fair, which was also attended by 11 companies.

    The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ganiat Raji, said the fair was organised as a meeting point for job seekers and employers.

    ”The present administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has spent so much on this programme and other initiatives to tackle unemployment in the state.

    ”The opportunity given by today’s job fair is to fast track meeting between you (employees) and employers is also immeasurable. The employers are here to exchange to also exchange ideas on future job opportunities.”

    She urged the participants to acquire technical or vocational skills that can stand them out either as employees or employers.

    Managing Director of Ist CRT Group Ms Folayemi Olaitan said the fair was informed by the need to create opportunities for young graduates to excel.

  • Unemployed graduates back prosecution of payroll fraudsters in Bayelsa

    Unemployed graduates back prosecution of payroll fraudsters in Bayelsa

    Thousands of unemployed graduates in Bayelsa State converged on Yenagoa, the state capital, Friday, and threw their weight behind the decision of Governor Seriake Dickson to prosecute about 6000 workers indicted for payroll fraud in the state.

    The jobless graduates, who came together under the aegis of the Bayelsa State Graduate Forum (BSGF), insisted that sanitizing the civil service system was to their advantage.

    The group led by Eddy Soko, said the efforts of the government would remove fraudsters, who had denied fresh graduates employment opportunities in the state.

    Soko said that all the jobless graduates decided to rally round the government because the state had suffered unduly from perpetrator of payroll fraud and other misdemeanor in the civil service‎.

    He said: “How can people who are working in some federal institutions receiving salaries there and also drawing salaries every month from the State Civil Service. Or how do we continue to keep quiet when people who have officially attained the retirement age but have refused to leave, rather they swear in affidavit and change their date of births.

    “This is clearly unfair to us as unemployed graduates and to the state in general .So also it has become imperative for us to lend our support to the government‎, because if the civil service is sanitized, there will be space for the teeming unemployed Bayelsa youths, particularly graduates like us to get employed.

    “We are pained that some persons are kicking against the noble move by the government especially the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).Let us inform them that we will resist any attempt by them to shut down the state through needless protests. They should be ready to face us because we are talking about our future here.”

    The concerned undergraduates also declared that the records available to them showed that over N2billion had been saved by the government in the ongoing reforms.

    Soko said: “Therefore we are today declaring anyone or group who stands against the sincere intention of the State Government as an enemy‎ of the state and we shall treat such persons. We will name and shame them. We will go through all legitimate means to fish out those people.

    “We are saying NO to payroll fraud. NO to Ghost Workers, No to Birth Certificate Forgery. No to keeping of jobs for unborn children, concubines and certificate fraud just to remain in the civil service, thereby hindering qualified graduate in the state not to be employed”.

  • N5,000 stipend for poor Nigerians still stands, says Presidency 

    The Presidency on Monday night insisted that the N5,000 stipend promised for the vulnerable and poor Nigerians still stands.

    President Muhammadu Buhari was claimed to have gone back on the promise while speaking to the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia last week.

    But the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, while speaking to State House correspondents said that the 2016 Budget which has been submitted to the National Assembly has made an allocation of half a trillion naira for such social investment.

    He also pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari never promised to pay unemployed graduates N5,000.

    He said: “The budget for 2016 which has been submitted to the National Assembly has made an allocation of half a trillion naira, the first time in the history of this country’s budget where you have that huge chunk of money allocated for social investment.

    “In that 500 billion naira which is half a trillion naira, close to about 20 per cent of the entire budget, there are six social safety net programmes. And one of them is the conditional cash transfer where government is going to pay N5,000 monthly to the vulnerable and extremely poor Nigerians. That promise stands.

    “The President never promised to pay unemployed graduates N5,000; the President never made that promise and the government never made that claim that it will pay N5,000 to unemployed graduates.

    “The programme for unemployed graduates is the direct creation of half a million teaching jobs so that they will be trained; 500,000 unemployed graduates will be trained to teach and they will be deployed to teach, while they are looking for their career paths or jobs. That still stands.

    “In addition to that, there is also a scheme to train 370,000 non-graduate youth for skill acquisition and vocational training. During the time of that training, they will also be paid. So the President did not say that he would be giving unemployed graduates N5,000.” He said.

    Continuing, Laolu said: “The N5,000 monthly which is already in the budget is for the vulnerable Nigerians and the extremely poor, and this year by the grace of God, once the budget is okay , one million extremely poor Nigerians will receive N5,000 monthly.”

  • Creating jobs for unemployed graduates our top priority, says Osinbajo

    Creating jobs for unemployed graduates our top priority, says Osinbajo

    •Vice President lauds Amosun’s success in Ogun

    THE priority of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is to create jobs for the nation’s unemployed graduates, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.

    He added that as soon as the 2016 Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly is passed, the implementations of programmes aimed at addressing unemployment would start.

    The vice president, who spoke at the inauguration of some legacy projects at Aiyetoro in Yewa North Local Government Council, Ogun State, assured residents that the Buhari’s government has the interest of Nigerians at heart.

    Osinbajo, an indigene of Ogun State, arrived in the state yesterday and joined the state government in marking the 40th anniversary of the state creation in 1976.

    He also inaugurated some of the projects executed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    Buhari was also in the state on a two-day official visit, where he met with former President Olusegun Obsanjo, traditional rulers and also inaugurated some projects before leaving for abroad.

    According to the vice president, the campaign promises of the President’s administration would be fulfilled.

    He noted that the Federal Government has specific programmes for the women, traders and the down-trodden.

    He lauded Amosun for his achievements in the state within the last four years  and eight months, describing the governor as the best the state has so far witnessed.

    “All of us that witness 40 years of our state today will witness 60 years by God grace. I’m happy to be with my people and glad with all what I have seen so far.

    “Let me say this, all what we promised to do at the Federal Government level will be fulfilled. Our administration priority is job employment for our teeming youths, especially the graduates.

    “What we promised as little incentive for our youths will be done but not as a free gift. We will recruit 500,000 youths and train them as volunteer teachers.

    “Also, we have programmes for the women and our market people, even, the down trodden. All what we promised, by God’s  grace, we will fulfill them,” Osinbajo said.

    Amosun, who addressed residents in Ota and its environs, hailed them for their support for his administration.

    He appealed to the people to remain peaceful and resilient, promising that on – going projects would be completed while more would start soon.

     

     

  • SURE-P votes N15b as unemployed graduates’ allowances

    SURE-P votes N15b as unemployed graduates’ allowances

    The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) has earmarked N15 billion to pay the allowances of unemployed graduates participating in its Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).

    The Head of the programme’s GIS, Mr Akubo Adegbe, addressed reporters yesterday in Minna, the Niger State capital.

    He said each of the 50,000 participants to be recruited for the internship programme would earn N25,000 monthly.

    The agency chief said the scheme was aimed at providing participants with requisite experience in various disciplines preparatory to getting jobs.

    Adegbe said the graduates would be placed in firms and organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and selected government agencies on a one-year internship.

    He said: “The interns are expected to acquire professional skills, training and work experience to improve their job-placement opportunities.

    “The Federal Government will be responsible for paying monthly stipends to them, while participating institutions will be expected to provide adequate opportunities for training and mentoring.”

    Adegbe said the scheme would enhance the chances of the 50,000 unemployed graduates by improving their skills during the internship programmes.

    He urged the graduates to ensure that they registered for the scheme.