Nigeria Job Controversies: Minister, lawmakers clash over planned 774,000 new jobs

What started like a peaceful committee meeting between the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, and the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Employment and Labour on Tuesday ended in chaos as both parties began exchanging words.

The meeting was aimed at discussing the progress of the planned employment of 774,000 Nigerians by the federal government.

The National Assembly had in the 2020 budget appropriated N52 billion for the Special Public Works Programme aimed at employing 774,000 citizens, a thousand from each of the 774 Local Government Areas in the country.

The controversy

The argument started when members of the committee, headed by Godiya Akwashiki, asked the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Nasiru Ladan, to explain the composition of a 20-member committee inaugurated on Monday by the ministry for the implementation of the programme.

In his response, Mr Ladan noted that he was aware of only eight members of the committee and asked the lawmakers to seek further clarification from Mr Keyamo.

Unsatisfied with Mr Ladan’s response, members of the panel implied that he was not in control of the programmme.

When Mr Keyamo was asked for further clarification, he snapped, furiously hitting the table. He wondered if he was being accused of hijacking the programme from the NDE and whether the lawmakers were alleging the committee composition was lopsided.

The chaos intensified and lawmakers asked that journalists leave for an executive session with the minister.

But Mr Keyamo firmly rejected the demand, insisting that having been openly accused and disgraced, the cameras should remain in the room.

“How can you expose corruption without the cameras? How can, how can you expose it? I must respond to what he said. You cannot say something and I won’t respond. It is wrong,” he said.

The minister’s outburst angered the lawmakers who asked that he apologise for his behaviour.

Mr Keyamo refused to apologise and insisted that he had done nothing wrong. He said he had been denied the opportunity to respond to their allegations and threatened to walk out of the meeting.

The lawmakers responded in anger, shouting back at the minister to leave if he wanted.

“Go go, get out. Where is the sergeant-at-arms to walk him,” members of the panel yelled.

The lawmakers thereafter reached a resolution asking Mr Keyamo to leave – which he obliged.

Speaking with Journalists, Mr Keyamo accused the lawmakers of trying to take control of the recruitment exercise under his ministry.

He said while he was not aversed to them investigating the programme, they cannot direct him on what to do. He said doing so “will mean sharing in the powers of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

He also admitted that lawmakers were given slots by the ministry.

He said despite granting the lawmakers 15 per cent of the job placement, “they still want to hijack the entire the programme, taking over the power of the president in the process.”

 Source: Premium Times

How Nigeria Poise To Lift 100 Million Nigerians Out Of Poverty In Ten Years -Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the United Nations outlined the Federal Government’s plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years.

The president spoke in a video message to a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on poverty eradication.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the virtual meeting featured the launch of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication (APE).

At least, 94 million Nigerians live below the poverty line, according to Oxfam.

APE is designed to serve as a forum to galvanise UN member states, the international community and other stakeholders to support actions geared toward poverty eradication.

Mr Buhari welcomed the launch of the initiative and expressed Nigeria’s endorsement of all multilateral actions aimed at actualising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He said: “Nigeria attaches great importance to poverty eradication.

“It is for this reason that in May, 2019, on my inauguration for a second term in office, our government committed itself to starting a new programme of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a 10-year period.

“It is my conviction that devoting our efforts towards human capital development, efficient management of our resources, greater financial inclusion, and transformation of the agricultural sector to ensure food security are crucial to poverty eradication.

“In this regard, Nigeria continues to strengthen its existing social safety net initiative by increasing access to enrollees who fit the various programmes in the scheme.

“Nigeria will also continue to provide easier and increased access to financial services for micro and small-scale businesses through the government’s Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.”

The president expressed his administration’s determination to do more, including massive investment in education, especially of the girl-child.

“Nigeria holds the view that education is a critical driver of sustainable development and has immense capacity to eradicate poverty.

“Educating our children, especially the girl child, contributes significantly to the fight against poverty, environmental sustainability and improved health as well as building peace and resilient societies,” he said.

Mr Buhari said the Federal Government had also integrated the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the SDGs into its economic plans.

He decried the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which he said was threatening to reverse decades of progress made in poverty eradication.

The president said that in Nigeria, as was the case in many other countries, the “domestic supply chains and trading corridors had come under enormous strain.”

According to him, the situation is dire for Sub-Saharan countries with large informal economies and a significant number of daily wage earners.

Mr Buhari noted that the potential economic devastation of the pandemic had made it a national development priority.

In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, he said the government recently developed an economic sustainability plan.

The plan, he said, would stimulate the economy and extend protection to the very poor and other vulnerable groups through pro-poor spending.

The president lauded the over 30 UN member states anchoring the Alliance for Poverty Eradication.

“In these difficult times, it takes considerable boldness and courage to consider that which is in the interest of the greater good.

“The anchor members have done just that,” he said.

(NAN)

Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases exceed 25,000

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 566 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 25,133

Eight deaths were recorded from the virus on Monday bringing the total number of confirmed deaths from the virus to 573.

There was an increase in the number of confirmed cases reported on Monday (566) compared to what was reported on Sunday (490).

The health agency in a tweet Monday night said the new cases were reported in 20 states.

These are Lagos, Oyo, Delta, Delta, Ebonyi, Plateau, Ondo, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ogun, , Edo, Imo, Bayelsa, Benue, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna, Osun, Nasarawa, Borno, Katsina, and Anambra states.

All the reporting states already had at least a case of the virus.

As of the time of reporting, 35 states and the FCT have recorded at least a case of the disease. Only one state, Cross River, is yet to officially report any case of the virus although there are controversies about it.

“Till date, 25, 133 cases have been confirmed, 9, 402 cases have been discharged and 573 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” the NCDC stated.

The 456 new cases were reported from 20 states: Lagos – 166, Oyo – 66, Delta – 53, Ebonyi – 43, Plateau – 34, Ondo – 32, FCT – 26, Ogun – 25, Edo – 25, Imo – 15, Bayelsa – 13, Benue – 12, Gombe – 11, Kano – 11, Kaduna – 11, Osun – 8, Nasarawa – 7, Borno – 5, Katsina – 2 and Anambra – 2.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria in February, NCDC said, 132,304 samples have been tested.

As of the time of reporting, there are 15, 255 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, while 9,402 have recovered and have been discharged.

A breakdown of the 25, 231 confirmed cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 10, 310 cases, followed by FCT – 1,818, Oyo – 1, 372, Kano – 1, 211, Rivers – 1, 056, Edo – 986, Delta – 965, Ogun –807, Kaduna – 703, Katsina – 549, Bauchi – 500, Gombe – 503, Borno – 491, Ebonyi – 481, Plateau – 405, Jigawa – 317, Imo – 318, Abia – 302, Enugu – 261, Ondo – 308, Kwara – 217, Nasarawa – 213, Bayelsa – 211, Sokoto – 151, Osun – 124, Akwa Ibom – 86, Adamawa – 84, Niger – 84, Kebbi – 76, Zamfara – 76, Anambra – 73, Yobe – 59, Benue – 59, Ekiti – 43, Taraba!- 19 and Kogi – 4.

Although the COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Nigeria on Monday further reopened its economy as it lifted the ban on interstate travels and opened its airports for domestic flights.

BUHARI EXTENDS PHASE TWO OF EASED LOCKDOWN BY FOUR WEEKS: FG OPENS SELECTED CLASSES FOR SCHOOLS, INTER-STATE MOVEMENT OUTSIDE CURFEWS

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended phase two of eased lockdown by another four weeks with effect from tomorrow Tuesday, June 30 through midnight of Monday, July 27, 2020.

Chairman of Presidential Task Force  and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha in his statement received by KBJOJO.com announced  on Monday resumption of inter-state movement, reopening of schools for students in graduating classes.
Details are as follows:
“You will recall that the PTF had in previous briefing stated that the aim of Phase Two was to sustain the gains from earlier steps taken for pandemic control and to enable additional sectors of the economy restart activities. Given the challenges and the visible danger ahead occasioned by skepticism, poor public perception both leading to lack of compliance, it has come to the inevitable conclusion that the extension of phase two of the eased lockdown will be needed to:
consolidate the gains in the areas of the economy that have restarted,
ensure better compliance with the health-based response;
support the states in enforcing guidelines and protocols as well as strengthening the LGAs build community level structures for ownership and effective risk communication; and
help to better achieve the balance between saving lives and ensuring that wellbeing and livelihood of citizens are protected.
“I am pleased to inform you that Mr. President has carefully considered the 5th Interim Report of the PTF and has accordingly approved that, with the exception of some modifications to be expatiated upon later,
–the Phase Two of the eased lockdown be extended by another four weeks with effect from Tuesday, June 30, 2020 through Midnight of Monday, 27 July, 2020.
-“Specifically, however, the following measures shall either remain in place or come into effect:
Maintaining the current phase of the national response, for another four weeks in line with modifications to be expatiated by the National Coordinator;
– Permission of movement across State borders only outside curfew hours with effect from 1st July, 2020;
-Enforcement of laws around non-pharmaceutical interventions by States, in particular,
– the use of face masks in public places;
-Safe re-opening of schools to allow students in graduating classes resume in-person in preparation for examinations;
-Safe reopening of domestic aviation services as soon as practicable;
-Publication of revised guidelines around the three thematic areas of general movement, industry and labour; and community activities;
-Provision of technical support for states to mobilise additional resources for the response;
-Strengthening partnerships with States, Local Governments, traditional rulers, community/religious leaders and civil society to ensure increased public awareness and compliance with preventive guidelines;
-Encouraging State governments to empower Local Government Authorities to intensify contact tracing efforts and ensure stronger grassroots mobilisation to support the response;
-Encourage States and Hospital authorities to ensure continuity of other health services to prevent fatalities from other life-threatening conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic;
and
-Deepening of collaboration with other mandate groups at States/Federal levels to harmonise the country’s COVID-19 response in the short, medium and long terms.
“The National Coordinator will in due course announce and publish the details of the revised guidelines while relevant MDAs including Education, Transportation and Aviation will respectively consult further with stakeholders and issue guidelines for their sectors.”
Within the Month under review, the PTF continued to monitor developments and consistently admonished Nigerians to change their behavior in view of the fact that the spread of the virus had entered the community phase. It is the considered opinion of the PTF that Nigerians, though aware of the existence of the virus, have generally misunderstood the objectives behind the reasoning of government in gradually relaxing the restrictions.
“As we are all aware, the PTF in conjunction with sub-national entities, the organized private sector, put in places a number of measures. The PTF also escalated its activities around risk communication to Nigerians but we have observed with growing concern the non-compliances with these measures designed to prevent transmission and protect vulnerable segments of the population. We hold the strong view that if such actions do not abate, experiences of resurgence of the virus from other jurisdictions including China, the United States of America, Brazil and across Europe may emerge in igeria and we run the risk of erasing the gains made in the last three months.
“By way of a reminder, there is presently no known vaccine for the virus and that all over the world non-pharmaceutical measures still remain the most effective fighting opportunity we have for overcoming this pandemic.
“To further strengthen our National Response, the PTF in the intervening period vigorously built partnerships locally and internationally. Similarly, we fully have decentralised the National Response with State Governments and communities taking ownership and more responsibility. These efforts have greatly improved our ability to maximally detect, trace, isolate and treat nationwide successfully.

“The PTF has also continued to pursue the strategic thrust of “telling (communicate), tracing (identify) and treating (manage)” cases, with a stronger focus on precision interventions in high burdened LGAs within identified states of the Federation. This precision intervention will be signposted by:
Aggressive scaling up of efforts to ensure effective community protection and sensitisation; and
Increased provision of support and guidance to states in their response to the outbreak.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the focus on the important roles to be played by the States is underscored by the following considerations:
The spread has entered the community phase which only States and LGAs should drive;
The inaction of a particular State could endanger its neighbours and compromise the entirety of the response;
States will be encouraged to make considerable efforts to ensure a push for compliance within the guidelines issued by the PTF;
States must also take greater care in leading on public health measures in the LGAs under their jurisdiction, by working on surveillance, case finding, testing, isolation, tracing and quarantining contacts; and
FG will predicate its resource deployment to States on the level of compliance and the extent of collaboration received on this public health emergency.
“Notwithstanding the challenges faced in the last one month and the fact that Nigeria’s statistics have been on the rise, substantial progress has been made in the following areas:
Harnessing of data, which shows that 60% of the confirmed cases are in a handful of local governments in the country (18 out of 774 LGAs nationwide), and putting in place targeted interventions;
Increased capacity to detect, test and trace those infected with the virus,
through the activation of 38 molecular testing laboratories, resulting in raising the test count nationwide in excess of 130,000;
A shift in focus to a targeted community-based approach, enhanced risk communication;
Increased collaboration with the legislature, State Governments and the organised private sector;
Activation of a new, cost-effective policy on the evacuation of returning Nigerians;
Increased awareness of COVID-19 among the population;
Cushioning the socio-economic impact of the restrictions through the provision of palliatives to vulnerable members of various communities nationwide; and
Successful re-opening sectors of the economy despite initial challenges in areas such as the banking sector, industry and agriculture.
“Today, the PTF submitted its 5th Interim Report to Mr. President for his consideration. In the Report the PTF specifically reviewed the issues around the general level of compliance with prescribed measures, while taking note of the following:
Implications of the lack of general compliance with measures;
the global and domestic developments especially in the area of rising statistics; and
the continued restrictions in the education and transportation sectors as well as for activities that attract mass gatherings such as operations of markets, worship centres and entertainment.
“In doing the foregoing, the PTF considered the need for the continuation of the policy of striking the delicate balance between lives and livelihood as well as inputs received from different stakeholder groups.
“The PTF similarly identified the underlisted areas of concern that would require attention under the on-going restrictions:
International travel;
Entertainment activities;
Educational services/sector; and
Public and Private Sector offices.

Meet Miss Imafidon, a 27 year-old Nigerian lady receiving national honour from Queen Elizabeth II on Friday, by Ahaoma Kanu

The eldest daughter of Prof. Chris and Mrs Ann Imafidon from Edo State, Nigeria whose family has been dubbed the Brainiest Family in Europe, Anne-Marie holds the record of being the youngest girl to ever pass two GCSE examinations — for Mathematics and Information Technology  and A-level computing at the age of 11 in Britain. The 27 year old Nigerian lady is being listed to receive national honour from Queen Elizabeth II on Friday, 19th May 2017.Ahaoma KANU, the CNN African Journalist Award winner, writes:


Nigeria’s Miss Anne-Marie Osawemwemze Imafidon, 27, will on Friday be decorated by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, with the prestigious honour of Member of the Most Excellent British Empire (MBE) for her services to young women with specialty in Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
An MBE is an award given by the Queen to an individual for outstanding service to the community or local hands on service.
Due to her high exceptional brilliance, she received a British Scholarship to study Mathematics at the John Hopkins University at the age of 13 in 2003. Two years later, she commenced a degree at Oxford University after which she enrolled for her Masters degree setting another record of the youngest Masters degree holder from the Ivy league university.
Imafidon, who is a multi-linguist, speak six languages and has worked with Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard, Deutsche Bank, and Lehman Brothers. In 2013, she founded Stemettes, a social enterprise which inspires the next generation of women into pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with an objective to break barriers women who pursue a career in the field face.
Stemettes, which grants awards to young women, have programs workshops and events designed to introduce young women to STEM careers, concepts, and role models, have attracted over 7000 young women from across the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Imafidon’s rather unique achievements at a young age has stood her out as a person to watch out for by the British press; she was named on Evening Standard’s recent list of ’25 under 25s’ and a Guardian ‘Top 10 women in tech you need to know’ as well as being the UK IT Industry & British Computer Society’s Young IT Professional of the Year in 2013.
Her father, Professor Chris Imafidon, a renowned government adviser to presidents, the royals and the Queen who is  known also as the patriarch of Britain's brainiest family, said he received the news last year of her inclusion in the 2017 honours list with shock.
“Like every parent would feel, we are still in shock. This is simply God-orchestrated. I, personally never believed that her young career would accelerate to this historic height. This is beyond belief,” he said in a chat.
The Imafidon family definitely have the achievers blood running in their DNA as not only Anne-Marie dominates their achievements wall of fame. Her sister, Christina, 24,  is the youngest student to ever get accepted and study at an undergraduate institution at any British university at 11; another sister, Samantha, 17, passed two rigorous high school-level mathematics and statistics exams at the age of six, while the twins, Peter and Paul, made British history as the youngest students to ever enter high school when they became the youngest to ever pass the University of Cambridge’s advanced mathematics exam,  setting world records by passing the A/AS-level math papers at eight years.
With the Imafidon family has been setting across the world, he advised parents to change their methods of education in an obvious changing world in order to explore every child’s gifts and talents.
“The same God has given every child gifts and talents. We parents must join the ExcellenceinEducatio­n.org.uk in developing such massive potential. As stated in my forthcoming book entitled "The Genius in You", we can't use the old methodology of learning. Schools and society must wake to the re-engineered system of education that understands that there is a genius in every child and greatness in every adult. This genius is irrespective of ethnicity, gender, nationality, postcode, class or creed. So every family can equal or exceed our achievements.”
Prof Chris Imafidon who invented this accelerated academic and career development path, has tested it on people of diverse race and it produced the same or improved result and achievement as attain by his children. He stated that some of this exceptional educative methods are including in his book, "The Genuis in you. How To Win The Oscar".
He revealed  that he will be visiting Nigeria very soon to launch the learning methodology to enable Nigerian parents learning of their winning ways while  Anne-Marie will be expand  Stemettes to also offer Nigeria young girls interested in pursuing a career in STEM an opportunity to realize their dreams.

“Our grandparents taught us that charity begins at home. We are very enthusiastic about Africa and must contribute our quota to the training and education of young minds.  We want to launch a bigger program in Africa, particularly Nigeria and work with the corporate community, industry leaders so that we can deploy the re-engineered learning methodology of www.ExcellenceinEduc­ation.org.uk program. We know that with these programs young Nigerians can equal or exceed our record-breaking achievement. The next generation of Africans have no choice but excel because there is a genius in everyone.”
Others Nigerians who will also be honoured this year include Prof. Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu, a Professor of Nursing, who gets an OBE for her services to nursing and the Mary Seacole statue appeal, Chris Ofili, an artist who gets a CBE for his services to arts and Jeremiah Oluwatosin Ayotunde, a Cadet Colour Sergeant who gets an OBE for his services to young people and the community of London. Top ranking tennis star, Andy Murray, is among the hundreds of achievers to be honoured.
By Ahaoma Kanu, the Chief Executive of Stage 4 Media and winner of CNN African Journalist Award.
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