Nation
FG Taps Steel Industry To Create 40,000 Jobs
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has stated that the steel industry in the country is capable of creating about 40,000 jobs if fully developed.
The minister, while at a facility tour of Premium Steel and Mines Limited, Warri Delta State, yesterday, explained that the mandate of the ministry is to expand the sector, use it to diversify the economy and create more jobs to reduce poverty the rate in the country.
Adegbite encouraged the management of Premium Steel and Mines Limited to get the company running at full capacity, noting that the ministry had the mandate to diversify the economy and create jobs through the sector.
“The mandate of the ministry is to expand the sector, use it to diversify the economy and create jobs and also to generate revenue for the government. I will encourage you to speed up the process. You are going to employ a lot of people which is a welcome development”, he said.
Adegbite also said that it was important for the nation’s steel sector to produce flat steel sheet. He noted that such was vital for the development of the sector.
“For the nation to industrialise, we need to produce a flat sheet, which is the ultimate goal of the sector. With flat sheet we can produce many things like engine blocks, vehicle bodies, etc”, he said.
Adegbite also rallied the steel producer to support the metallurgical Industry bill.
The minister noted that the bill when enacted into law would assist in establishing programmes that would aid the private sector to operate optimally, producing competitive high-quality products for both the local and international market.
“Government is willing to do everything to support the industry. That’s why we have proposed a metallurgical industrial Bill, which is at the council for approval. When it is approved it will support the industry. It will make it a lot easier for you to operate. We would have been empowered by the law to support you. The support we give will have the backing of the law.”
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Premium Steel and Mines Limited, Anand Badjatya, said that the management of the company was working towards fully reviving the company.
He said that the company would save the nation more than a million tons of steel in import and conserve about 600 million dollars in foreign exchange when working at full capacity.
According to him, “We aim to save the nation about 600 million dollars from import substitution.”
It would be recalled that Premium Steel was formerly called Delta Steel Company before it was privatised was designed to produce 1.2 million tonnes of liquid steel per annum to be cast into 960,000 metric tonnes of billets and rolled 330,000 metric tonnes in its Rolling Mill.
The remaining 630,000 metric tonnes were to feed the three inland Rolling Mills at Jos, Oshogbo and Katsina, who have 210,000 metric tonnes capacity Rolling Mills each.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
A pan-Nigeria organisation committed to the promotion and preservation of indigenous languages, Indigenous Language and Culture Promoters (ILCP), has called for the deliberate development and compulsory teaching of indigenous languages in both primary and secondary schools across the country.
The group made the call during its maiden Congress held in Bori, Rivers State, which was convened to examine challenges hindering the official adoption and effective teaching of Ogoni languages in schools.
Speaking at the Congress, the Executive Director of the organisation, HRC Mene Magnus Edooh, Amb.P, emphasised the critical role of indigenous languages in preserving a people’s culture, values and history. He warned against the gradual extinction of native languages, noting that language loss equates to identity loss.
“Years ago, Latin was a language of global relevance, but today it is largely extinct. We do not want Ogoni languages to suffer a similar fate. As a people, we cannot afford to lose our identity through the death of our languages,” Edooh said.
He explained that the Indigenous Language and Culture Promoters was established to collaborate with language stakeholders to ensure that children and younger generations remain connected to their mother tongues. The organisation also appealed to governments at all levels, as well as relevant institutions and individuals, to take strategic actions aimed at promoting and sustaining Nigeria’s indigenous languages.
Also speaking, the newly appointed Director of Media and Information, Prince David N. Gbarato, questioned the rationale behind government reluctance to accord indigenous languages their rightful place in national development policies.
According to him, “People with well-developed languages are people with well-developed indigenous systems and affairs,” stressing that language development is fundamental to cultural and societal advancement.
The Congress further served as a platform for the ratification of key officers of the organisation and featured the participation of representatives from various indigenous language groups and other language stakeholders, all of whom echoed the call for renewed commitment towards safeguarding Nigeria’s linguistic heritage.
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