News
NYSC Members Happy, Task FG On Security
Some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Lagos yesterday expressed joy over the increase in the monthly allowance paid those serving in the scheme.
In separate interviews with newsmen, the corps members, however, pleaded with the Federal Government to put them under an insurance policy.
Apart from corps members frequently dying in road accidents or natural causes away from home, 10 of them were murdered in the North during the post election violence in April.
They described the increment as a good development, especially now that the least paid worker in the country is expected to take home a minimum of N18,000 a month.
Our correspondent reports that the monthly remuneration of the Corp members was increased from N9,700 to N19,800 by the Federal Government.
Most of the corps members were, however, of the view that more was still needed to be done in the area of their security and welfare.
Mr Tafida Mundi, 23, said that most corps members were overwhelmed by the increment, but would want government to put them under an insurance policy and find other ways of making the one-year compulsory national service more interesting.
“Everybody is happy over the new allowance— both members in orientation camp and serving members. We have been dancing since the announcement yesterday.
“We want government to introduce real insurance policy for members; we need a lasting solution to the issue of security among corps members,’’ he said.
He added: “Last night, we got news that a corps member was hit by a stray bullet somewhere in Ewekoro, Ogun state during an armed robbery attack and he died on the spot.
“We want a lasting solution; we don’t want to go to NYSC service and come back dead, we want to be alive for our parents,“ he said.
Mundi noted that some members were now afraid to wear the NYSC uniform, which used to be a thing of pride in the past.
Miss Omolara Jokodola, 24 , said that corps members were serving their fatherland and should be given more encouragement.
She pointed out that many of them were now afraid due to the crisis which claimed the lives of 10 members in April.
“We thanked Mr President for increasing our monthly allowance but we want him to insure our lives.
“Am happy for the new pay, it is a change from the usual way of doing things. I thought government will drag their feet with the corps members the way they are dragging the minimum wage with workers.
“But it is not enough, Nigeria is not a fair country, I don’t see why corps members should be receiving the same allowance like the cleaners and gardeners,’’ she said.
Jokodola said that for the fact that corps members were serving the government and any risk they were exposed to during the service year should be the responsibilities of the government and not theirs.
Miss Goldie Osuaewu, 24 , said that it was a good thing that their allowance had been increased because corps members were facing a lot of risks.
“The increment is okay but, not enough compared to the level of insecurity around us. We want government, the NYSC and the states we are serving to assure us that we are save for our parents.
“A lot of corps members died during the last post-election crisis in the country. So, I think government should do more for us, he said.
Meanwhile, Youth corps members are now to receive 19,800.00 as allowance with effect from March 2011, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga, has announced
Tsiga made this known in Abuja on Monday during a visit by a team from Barry University, Miami, Florida and Africans in Diaspora Partnership.
Our correspondent recalls that the NYSC members were receiving 9,775.00 before now, while President Goodluck Jonathan had in his 2010 campaign tour, promised the increase.
According to Tsiga, the allowance of the NYSC members will be paid in arrears, to include the 2010 Batch ‘B’ members, who finished their service year on July 7.
Tsiga expressed his happiness with President Goodluck Jonathan, for considering the plight of the corps members, stating that the scheme would work hard to realise its objective.
He also expressed satisfaction with the visit of the team, stating that it was timely, as seven youth corps members were successful in the Entrepreneurs competition organised by the Africans in Diaspora Partnership.
“I can assure you that the resources expended in the training and empowerment of the seven entrepreneurs have not been wasted since all of them are doing very well.
“Indeed, we see in them great potentials for wealth and job creation in the near future, that is why we are looking forward to greater and expanded opportunities for more corps members as talents abound in the scheme,’’ Tsiga said.
He said that the contribution of NYSC members underscored national relevance of the scheme, adding that the scheme would ensure that the gains were not lost to the threat of post-service unemployment.
According to Tsiga, the agencies which partnered with the scheme on skills acquisition are the Central Bank of Nigeria, National Directorate of Employment and the MDGs Office.
Earlier, Mr Adewale Alonge, leader of the delegation, had praised the scheme for its foresight and readiness to ensure that NYSC members were well equipped to stand on their feet, without looking for government employment after the scheme.
“Nigeria is a great country but we always hear the bad news and there are people in this country that are doing great things and that is why we still believe in the country.
“We believe with every single cell in our body in the future of this great country, and the whole world and Africans in Diaspora look up to Nigeria as a leader and we cannot afford to fail them,’’ Alonge said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.