Day: August 1, 2024

The Federal Government says it acknowledges protest as fundamental right of citizens, but worried because the process might be hijacked by hoodlums and dissidents to unleash mayhem.

Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, stated this on Wednesday, shortly after participating in a Forum of Councillors in Nigeria, held at Shehu Yar’Adu Centre, Abuja.

Fielding questions from newsmen, the Minister stressed that hoodlums might seized the opportunity of the nationwide protest to destroy and loot critical public infrastructure built many years, thereby setting the country backward.

Olawande listed the giant strides of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the last one year and charged the councillors to spread the message of hope to people at the grassroots.

Minister of States for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande (M) in a group photograph with Councillors

‘We have more than 8, 809 councillors spread across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.

‘As critical stakeholders, if you
help to educate people at the grassroots, we will reduce the problem of misinformation,” he said.

The minister said with the recent financial autonomy granted the local government councils, the President had shown political will to right the wrongs of decades of maladministration that held the nation down.

Earlier, Mr Hyacinth Turnoe, National Coordinator, Grassroots Councillors Development said the group is for Nigerian councilors drawn from the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.

He said the group came together with the objectives of helping to disseminate messages of Renewed Hope to the people at the grassroots

Turnoe said that the present administration had done well in the past one year, adding that: ‘Tinubu’s government under the Renewed Hope Agenda has done a lot in the provision of road, rail and port infrastructure among other’.

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Dr Okwute Ochayi, a lecturer from the Department of Physiology, Baze University, Abuja, in
a keynote address, commended the efforts of the federal government in rebuilding the economy.

He also praised the government for its efforts in the areas of strengthening security and law enforcement, education, agriculture and food security, among others.

Ochayi, advised the youths to be patient with the government, noting that, embarking on nationwide protest might not be the ideal measure towards addressing the nation’s challenges at the moment.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has urged Nigerians, particularly youths to be patience with the present administration as it works earnestly, to ensure that things get better.

The first lady gave the advice in the State House on Wednesday during an interview with newsmen on the planned nationwide hunger protest by some youths.

‘I appeal to the youths to be patience, we did not come to the state house to play, we are here to work because I know we would leave this place one day.

‘The government has been working day and night to make sure that our country is put back on its feet.

‘The respect we have now as Nigerians, in the international community is higher than what we had in the past.

‘People now want to do business with Nigerians legitimately and that will create jobs. Therefore, our youths should try and engage themselves, be creative and do more,’ she said

The First Lady said Lagos state was yet to recover from the impact of #endsars protest, and it saddened the hearts.

‘When people beat drums
for protest, they may not know the backlash and what will happen after.

‘That is why we are appealing to the youths to restrain from the planned protest, give peace a chance and embrace dialogue,’ she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, on Wednesday led representatives of the banking sector to seek clarification from President Bola Tinubu on the Windfall Levy.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting with the President, Edun said the bankers sought insight into the tax regime, particularly the Windfall Levy, recently passed by the National Assembly.

He said Mr Zacch Adedeji, the Special Adviser to the President on Revenues, said the intention of the Federal Government was to simplify the tax regime, focussing on taxing profits, and leaving companies’ capital to grow.

He said the meeting was conducted in a friendly atmosphere and was knowledge-based, data-driven, and that the President Tinubu, being an accountant and financial expert, actively engaged in the discussion.

According to him, the representatives of the banking sector are expected to share their perspective on the outcome, including assurance of support for the President’s macroeconomic
reforms.

Representatives of the banking sector at the meeting included Mr Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Ladi Balogun, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

‘The Chairman of FIRS gave some insight, particularly into the fact that under President Bola Tinubu, the idea is to simplify the tax regime, as much as possible.

‘The government intends to make the tax regime more efficient and less costly for people to even file their taxes and critically to focus on the wealth that’s created.

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‘We will not to focus on the companies that are not doing so well, or focus on their capital. We will leave their capital to grow and make sure that the emphasis is on taxing and levying only the returns, only the profits,’ said Edun.

Elumelu said it was important to democratise prosperity for Nigerians, and ensure access to a good life for all.

He said that the banking sector would support the Windf
all Levy, which he said was aimed at alleviating poverty.

He stressed the importance of prosperity for majority of Nigerians, where businesses thrived, jobs created, and investors benefit leading to a happier society.

Elumelu was confident that the newly introduced levy would achieve the objective of creating a prosperity for all Nigerians.

‘We believe in prosperity. We believe in creating jobs and employment for our people.

‘We believe in making sure that we democratise prosperity and that Nigerians have access to good life. So, today we spoke about the Windfall Tax. We support the government.

‘We believe that where there is extraordinary income, it should go towards helping to alleviate poverty in the country, which is what the government intends to do,’ he said.

Similarly, Balogun expressed confidence that the current administration would continue to support all stakeholders in the economy, promoting growth and investment.

He emphasised the importance of the banking sector and investing public align
ing with the government’s reform agenda.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Windfall Tax, was introduced in July under Nigeria’s Finance Act.

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The Act promises many benefits, which include redistributing unexpected gains into important public services, infrastructure development, healthcare and education.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) Task Force has urged the Republic of Benin and Niger Republic to put aside their differences through dialogue and reopen their common frontier.

The Task Force Chairman, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, made the call in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday on the recent high-level dialogue between the two countries.

He commended the efforts made by two former presidents of Benin, Nicephore Soglo and Thomas Boni Yayi, to normalise free movement of persons and of goods between the two countries, which had been interrupted since July 2023.

Chambas said that free movement of persons and goods between the two countries would help to ease the suffering of people, border communities, cross-border transporters, traders, and travelers.

He recalled the recent mediation visit of the two former presidents to the Niger Head of State, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, in Niamey, during which the two countries united by historic, geographic and
social ties exchanged indepth on the way forward.

He also recalled how the President of the Republic of Benin, Patrice Talon, granted audience to a high-level delegation from Niger Republic on return visit, led by the Minister of the Interior, Gen. Mohamed Toumba.

Chambas applauded the constructive initiative of the two former presidents of Benin, the spirit of openness shown by the presidents of the two countries, and the positive discussions on ways to resolve the crisis.

He said that the ETLS took note of the fruitful consultations held in Niamey, acknowledge the reciprocal visit to Cotonou, and the warm reception granted to the Nigerien delegation by President Patrice Talon.

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‘The ETLS Task Force applauds the spirit of good neighborliness exhibited by both sides and encourages them to resolve any differences through dialogue and within the framework of African brotherhood.

‘We urge them to move swiftly to reopen th
eir common frontier to ease the suffering of people, border communities, cross-border transporters, traders, and travelers, in the spirit of Pan-African solidarity and integration,’ Chambas said.

ETLS is an ad hoc consultative body established by ECOWAS in Nov. 25, 2015 to ensure effective free movement of people and goods within the community through arbitration and the amicable settlement of disputes among member states.

It was also given the responsibility of advocacy and mediation with the high political authorities of member states.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN),on Wednesday called for the resuscitation of compulsory residency programmes for engineering graduates before going for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The COREN President, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, made this known at a news conference on the 32nd COREN Engineering Assembly scheduled to hold on Aug.5th to 7th in Abuja.

Abubakar said that the move for the compulsory residency was aimed at strengthening engineering practices in Nigeria as well as making graduates employable.

He said that the COREN was established as a statutory body with the mandate to regulate and control the engineering education, training and practice of engineering in all its aspects and ramifications.

According to him, COREN carries out its mandate by ensuring quality assurance of training institutions offering engineering through accreditation of engineering programmes in tertiary institutions.

‘The National Universities Commission (NUC) and COREN have agreed to co
mmence joint accreditation of engineering programmes in universities.

‘This is similar to the existing practice between National Board for Technical Education,(NBTE) and COREN for the Polytechnics and Mono-technics.

‘In line with the aspiration of COREN to meet the global standards of Sydney Accord (SA) and Dublin Accord (DA) under the IEA, NBTE and COREN have agreed to commence accreditation of technical colleges in Nigeria this coming academic session.

‘In response to the goals of the current administration, the Council approved the resuscitation of Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE) under a new name of Engineering Residency Programme (EREP).”

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Abubakar said that the plan is to engage the National Assembly to seek legislative backing for its funding by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in line with the existing law.

‘This is a one-year post-graduation training programme for all engineering graduates
of an accredited university or polytechnic.

‘It is designed to meet practical experience requirements for the purpose of registration with COREN as professional engineer or an engineering technologist similar to the practices of Medical and other professions.”

Abubakar said that relevant organisations like NUC, NBTE, Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), among others were contacted and all expressed their readiness to participate and support the laudable initiative.

He said that COREN equally ensured that all qualified engineering practitioners including technologists, technicians and craftsmen were certified through the registration process of the Council before they are licensed to practice in Nigeria.

He explained that this was necessary because only such registered engineering practitioners would be allowed to head engineering departments and units, and to supervise engineering projects.

He added that aligning with the current administration’s renewed hope
agenda; the Council approved the creation of a new register for the cadre of engineering artisans in line with its mandate.

The president said that the new National Skills Qualifications (NSQ) levels one to six under the NSQ framework included in the scheme of services of Nigeria has given the required recognition and backing to the holders of the NSQ levels to progress in their cadre without any hitch.

Abubakar said that in the same vein, COREN being a member of National Skill Council (NSC), was charged to drive the Sector Skill Council for Engineering (SSC4E).

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He said, ‘Arrangement has reached an advanced stage with NBTE and other relevant organisations for the inauguration of the SSC4E.

‘This heralded the commencement of the processes of training, certification and licensing of artisans in the engineering sector in Nigeria.

‘COREN is the awarding body, NBTE is the Regulatory body while Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE) wi
ll chair the Council (SSC4E) composed of nominees representing diverse interest groups in Engineering.

‘These includes: employers of labour, professional bodies, academia, private sector, etc in line with NSQF manual.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria