PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2013
“Productivity vital to nation’s survival” From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
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irector General of the National Productivity Centre, Mr. Paul M. Bdliya has stressed that productivity if the vital to the survival of any nation that desires significant economic growth and development, saying, the level of productivity makes the difference between relative poverty of the developing countries and the national affluence of the developed and industrialized nations. Bdliya who spoke yesterday at the 13th Kaduna state Productivity Day said productivity was a concept that must be encouraged and promoted as a national movement and a way of life. According to him, the National Productivity day is one of the Centre’s strategies to institutionalize the culture of productivity and excellence in Nigeria. In his own remarks, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero said government had concluded arrangement to train 6,500 youth to in various vocational skills and trades under the Youth and Women Empowerment Programme of 2012 SURE-P Scheme.
Kebbi to upgrade state media
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he Kebbi State Government said on Thursday that it would upgrade and modernise the state-owned media organisations this year. The government pledged to provide additional funds to the state owned television and radio stations to serve as a communication bridge between the government and citizens. Alhaji Sani Kanya, the state Commissioner for Information, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi. Kanya said workers at the stations would be trained on information technology, especially considering plans to provide digital equipment. He said modern reforms on information dissemination would be adopted alongside the deployment of staff members to rural areas. ``Rural coverage would be accorded priority to ensure good and participatory governance by leaders and the people,” he said. While assuring that staff welfare and working environment would be improved, the commissioner urged the staff at the stations to adapt modern trends on dissemination of information. Kanya, however, commended the management of the stations for prudent and professional conduct in promoting government policies, especially on security, politics, access to expression of individuals and group opinions. (NAN)
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News
House of Reps to beam its searchlight on MDGs Office By Umar Muhammad Puma
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peaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has said that the National Assembly would monitor and track budgetary allocation to the office of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He said this had become nenecessary in order to ensure that Nigeria meets the MDG goals.
Speaking at the fifth Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments in Midrand, South Africa, Tambuwal said it was because of the importance attached to the MDGs, the House established a standing committee on it to ensure that the strategy is translated into reality. A statement by Tambuwal’s spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, quoted the Speaker as saying that the millennium development
goals have the potential to tackle many development challenges confronting developing countries. “We believe by adequate budgetary allocation to the programme and effective scrutiny and oversight to ensure full implementation of the budget, the MDG’s will be achieved even if not 100 per cent. “It is in that spirit that the Nigerian parliament, the House of Representatives in particular,
found it necessary to establish a standing committee on MDGs,” he said. The Speaker noted with concern how African continent continues to remain backward in the provision of basic needs of its citizens, such as health, education, water and infrastructural provision in spite of its economic potentials. He therefore urged African parliaments to be proactive so as to reverse the negative trend.
Delta state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (front row, 5th left), President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Femi Adesina (front row, 5th right); other executive members of the Guild and Delta commissioners in a group photograph, during the Guild’s visit to the governor, yesterday in Asaba. PHOTO: NAN
Unemployment Nigeria’s biggest problem, says Lema Jibril From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna
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ormer Presidential aspirant of defunct NRC, Dr. Lema Jibril has raised an alarm that the biggest problem facing Nigeria as a nation is unemployment among its citizens, saying unless the problem is solve Nigeria cannot move forward. According to him, the unemployment issue has reached an alarming stage that call for concern because statistics has showed that unemployment has reached 50 percent in the country. Addressing newsmen at his Unguwar Rimi, GRA residence in Kaduna, Jibril noted that
unemployment causes all the social vises such as crimes in the society. “The biggest challenge in Nigeria today is unemployment and under employment this is a serious issue facing the country. Official statistic will tell you that unemployment is about 25 percent but we all know that at least unemployment and under employment can be put at least 50 per cent. “This is very sad, that is why we have crime, that is why we have so many social problems because people who are qualified to do
certain jobs cannot do it. “We have to orientate ourselves towards jobs creation. This is the biggest challenge as I see it apart from the political differences which is here to stay until dooms day. “Unemployment to me is the biggest problem facing this country as you know statistically the manufacturing companies in Nigeria has nothing to be desired. Statistically almost 80 percent of what we consumed apart from basic stables like yam, maize, are all imported “All the necessity of lives
these led to a lot of challenges for Nigerian entrepreneurship and manufacturers to feel the gap. The opportunities are there to manufacture what this country needs. “This will bring reduction to unemployment because people will have jobs to do and we are going to be exporting 80 percent of our goods,” he said He added that Nigerian entrepreneurs if giving the chance they can reduce unemployment by 40 percent in the country. Responding to a question of his plans come 2015.
Nigerian Army adopts new strategy in Plateau
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he Nigerian Army says it is set to fight crime using community development and social services to instate peace and unity in Plateau state, Northern Nigeria. The commander, sector 5 of the Nigerian Army special Task Force in the state, Col. Alade Adedigba disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the three-day capacity building workshop for media groups on conflict sensitive reporting and good governance in Jos, the state
capital. Col. Adedigba stated that the command had renovated some schools, installed 30 boreholes in them, instituted youth empowerment programmes as well as sports competition programme among the youths in the various communities in the state. Job Opportunities He said that the sporting activity was aimed at diverting the youth’s attention from criminal activities while the projects would create job
opportunities for them and give the people a sense of belonging. The commander noted that it was discovered that part of the problems of the people was lack of some social amenities which needed to address their social needs and reposition their minds positively. The STF leader who emphatically explained that peace-keeping had gone beyond military force of using guns stated that meaningful progress had been made
through appealing to the minds of the people by tackling their immediate needs and drastically reducing the rate of crime in the state. Adedigba said that presently, the people have started understanding each other as well as accommodating visitors irrespective of religious affiliation. He said that the Army would continue to introduce programmes that would impact positively on the people.