Labour

FG Will Ensure Equity in Social Investment Programs – Uwais

Published

6 years ago

September 2, 2019

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The National Social Investment Office (NSIO), will ensure a level playing field for all Nigerians in the execution of the Social intervention Programmes (SIPs) of the Federal Government, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Mrs Maryam Uwais has said.

Speaking in Kaduna while addressing Course 2 participants of the Kasshim Ibrahim Fellowship, a mentorship programme designed to groom future leaders in Nigeria, Mrs Uwais said structures have since been put in place to ensure that those who benefit from the various components of the social intervention programmes are captured based on merit.

She told the group of budding leaders drawn from various parts of the country that gone are the days when a privileged few in the society benefited from a government empowerment initiative designed to reach out to the poor.

“All applicants are encouraged to engage with the processes in place if they need a job. The programmes are open to everybody. You don’t need to know anybody to get enrolled into N-Power, for instance.
“Same procedure applies to the cash transfer program and other components. We have done similar programs in the past but such efforts were not as effective because the drivers at the time did not establish mechanisms and structures that aim at targeting the poorest of the poor”, she added.

In a statement by NSIO Communication Manager, Justice Bibiye in Abuja on Sunday, the presidential adviser revealed that the process of developing a reliable Social Register in each State of the federation (and the FCT) was ongoing, noting that well-trained people were being sent to the various communities to identify the socio-economic needs of the people based on their circumstances and peculiarities.
Recounting the huge impact the SIPs are making on the beneficiaries, Mrs Uwais noted that “for the first time in a long while, a government in Nigeria has consistently budgeted definite amounts of money for its poor and vulnerable citizens, irrespective of their party affiliations and ethno-religious differences”.
“Poverty doesn’t know culture, party affiliation; it doesn’t know ethnicity or religion. Majority of Nigerians who are poor don’t even have voters card or know what is happening in the political circles. But government has a responsibility to each and every one of them.
“You need to see how beneficiaries appreciate what we are doing. A woman came with a big bag to collect just ten thousand naira. When we asked why, she told us she hasn’t had such an amount of money before and needed to be sure she could carry her money home, after payment.
“The cash transfer programme goes beyond cash payments, as community facilitators, who are staff within the LGAs, are trained to visit them every week, to teach them how to form savings groups, life skills, sanitation, nutrition and hygiene.
“Indeed, due to the fact that the mentoring and support is embedded within the communities, we have confirmed that these beneficiaries have so far saved over N500 million, and are investing their energy and monies in productive activities such as farming, animal husbandry, poultry farming and rehabilitating community infrastructure”
Uwais, however, bemoaned reported cases of extortion of a few cash transfer beneficiaries by people who take undue advantage of their vulnerabilities, limited knowledge of banking procedures and use of gadgets to dupe them.
She also said that because cash payments come with several hazards, steps are being taken to address this challenge as the NSIO has started the process of mapping, to identify money agents and financial institutions that would facilitate the transfer of cash directly to the beneficiaries.
Mrs Uwais, a 1981 Graduate of Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria had earlier shared her life experiences with the participants, urging them to always strive for excellence in all their endeavors.
She admonished them to rise above ethnic and religious sentiments and at all times put country first as they prepare to take up leadership responsibilities.
Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El Rufai thanked Mrs Uwais for honouring the invitation to speak to the young ones, describing her as a woman of great conscience and one of the few accomplished women in Northern Nigeria, who has made outstanding contributions towards humanitarian efforts and social justice in the country.
The Kasshim Ibrahim Fellowship, a brainchild of Governor el – Rufai, is a nonpartisan initiative with a mission to raise the next generation of leaders and prepare them for leadership through mentorship and a long period of exposure to the work environment.

Related Topics:Equity Investments social

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Economy

Council Chairman Commends FG on Coastal Highway Project in Cross River.

Published

1 month ago

April 15, 2025

Editor_01

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The Executive Chairman of Akamkpa Local Government Area, Hon. Felix Akposi has commended the Federal Government for the commencement of the Cross River State axis of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, describing the project as a monumental infrastructural breakthrough with vast potential for economic transformation across the state.

In a statement released to the press, Hon.

Akposi noted that Akamkpa, being among the host local government areas of the coastal highway, will strategically leverage the project to advance its developmental frontiers.

He envisioned a rapid transformation in the area marked by the emergence of new towns, urban conurbations, and epicenters of agricultural and social tourism.

According to the Chairman, “The intersection of the coastal highway with the Calabar–Ikom Highway will be a commercial hub, hence we are proposing an organized layout within the area. Accordingly, the Works and Infrastructure Unit of the Local Government Council is to synergize with the State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works to plan the layout within the axis.”

He further added, “We know that the demand for land within this axis will be very high in the coming days, hence it’s best to have a neatly planned layout before people will deface the area.”

Hon. Akposi used the opportunity to express deep appreciation to the Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency Sen. (Apostle) Prince Bassey Edet Otu, for what he described as proactive and pragmatic leadership. He described the governor as a strategic leader under whose watch the state has witnessed remarkable developmental strides.

“Just recently, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Kashim Shettima, was here for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Special Agro Processing Zone in Adiabo. Today, we have yet another Federal presence in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cross River State axis of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway,” Akposi stated.

JUDICIARY

LG Autonomy: Supreme Court Judgment Meets Constitutional Order- Edeoga

Published

11 months ago

July 12, 2024

Editor_01

Former Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party(LP) for the 2023 elections in Enugu State, Hon Chijioke Edeoga has hailed the Thursday ruling of the Supreme Court, which granted financial autonomy to the nation’s 774 LGAs.

Edeoga, in reaction to the judgment said in a statement in Abuja that the judgment was in line with the existing constitutional order.

“While it is suspected that the judgment may not meet the approval of advocates of political restructuring in Nigeria, there is no doubt that it accords with the demands of the existing constitutional order.

“The violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by governors of Nigerian states has been going on with flagrant impunity for many years and under different administrations since 1999.

“Local Government Areas, recognized in the Nigerian Constitution as the third tier of government and the one closest to the people, have been deprived of the funds needed for grassroots development, thus existing at the mercy of state governors,” he remarked.

He regretted that over the years, state governors have made local government funds their cash cows, receiving and dispensing as they deemed fit, and without regard to the development imperatives of the councils, their employees, and their respective peculiar development challenges.

“This abuse has given rise to situations where local councils are forced to queue on a strange breadline, where governors favour some local governments while sidelining others.

“The offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies are stacked with files bursting with evidence of abuse of local council funds by state governors, whose prosecution has been hindered by red tape and other inexplicable reasons” he noted.

The former Governorship candidate recalled that during his campaign for the Governorship of Enugu State, he highlighted the deplorable management of local council funds in Enugu State and vowed that council funds would be sacrosanct if he won the election.

He said as a former local government Chairman, he knew the importance of those funds and the leverage they provide for rural development, employment generation, and economic empowerment.

“My belief is that rather than treat council funds as a source of free money as most state governors see them, I would ensure easy and direct access to it by council chairmen as a means of ensuring that local government councils become complementary to the state government’s development efforts,” he stressed.

He said his intention upon assumption of office was to empower Local councils and noted that the judgment will minimize the tendency of some governors and state officials to favour their local governments of origin while sidelining others.

“I am particularly relieved that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has taken this rare positive step towards restoring the glories of local administration in Nigeria. “Those of us in the Enugu State chapter of the Labour Party see this as a step in the right democratic direction and must single out President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for pursuing this judgement with a single-minded determination and patriotic purposefulness.

“While we commend the current administration for the rare courage and vision deployed in pursuit of this case, we must also advise against allowing the judgement to form another layer of entry in our Case Laws. Nigerians are excited by the judgement and are looking forward to the restoration it would bring to bear on rural development across the country, and would be displeased if deliberate political, judicial, and institutional efforts are not made to ensure that implementation.”

“This judgement, it must be emphasised, is a PUBLIC INTEREST MATTER and has reignited hope of a possible grassroots development renaissance among the progressive-minded people that are interested in the development of Nigeria and the wellbeing of everyone” he stated.

COVER

Minimum Wage: Labour Rules Out Strike, Awaits Tinubu’s Nod

Published

12 months ago

June 11, 2024

Editor_01

By David Torough, Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ruled out strike action earlier scheduled for Tuesday (today) to demand a new national minimum wage.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this known yesterday during the ongoing International Labour Conference taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ajaero said organised labour cannot embark on strike today because the figures presented by the tripartite committee on minimum wage were with President Bola Tinubu.

He clarified that the submission of N62,000 as proposed by the government and the organized employers’ body with labour proposing N250,000 does not translate to labour accepting N62,000 as the new minimum wage.

“The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour proposed N250,00o. We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out.

“We cannot declare a strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision.

“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf,” he said.

The NLC president also berated state governors under the umbrella body of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum for rejecting the N62,000 minimum wage proposal.

“How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.

“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.

“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.

“So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones,” he added.

Daily Asset Online

FG Will Ensure Equity in Social Investment Programs – Uwais

Labour