Home Blog Page 69

Why we must defeat youth unemployment – Femi Gbajabiamila

By
News View
-

The Speaker of House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that all efforts must be geared towards defeating youth unemployment in the country as they constitute over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population.

Gbajabiamila said it was imperative for all well-meaning Nigerians to contribute their quota in making sure that most of the Nigerian youths are gainfully employed.

Declaring open a 3-day workshop on entrepreneurial development, leadership and reorientation for corps members serving in the National Assembly, the speaker said the issue is part of the Legislative Agenda of the 9th House of Representatives.

The workshop was organized by the Gbaja Professionals Volunteer Network, a body set up by the aides to the speaker.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, the speaker noted that the House would continue to come up with youth-friendly legislation.

“We strongly recognise that all hands must be on deck to actualise the quantum of positive impact we all desire in our country.

“Over the last two and a half years, we have successfully carried out direct interventions on education, healthcare and welfare, impacting tens of thousands of pupils, children, women and families, across the country.

“In the next two days, we will be advancing entrepreneurial development through capacity building, encouragement, enlightenment of the youth population, through your good selves here.

“This remains a vital ingredient toward defeating the rising scourge of unemployment, poverty and lack of productivity in the country, especially among youths.

“In the same token, it is worthy of note, the veritable platform the NYSC scheme has provided for our youths to be pooled to contribute to national unity,” he said.

Gbajabiamila urged the participants to utilize the opportunity provided by the workshop so as to learn new ideas and skills.

Also speaking, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Arc. Ojo Olatunde Amos, lauded the speaker’s aides for coming up with such initiative.

He advised Nigerian youths to shun all forms of violence and resist any temptation to engage in thuggery in the coming 2023 elections.

On his part, the president of the Gbaja Professionals, Alhaji Lukman Lawal, said the foundation was interested in helping to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people.

He said the areas of focus included human capital development, education, health and social development.

“Unfortunately, across the country, today, a lot of young persons are daily in the news for the wrong reasons.

“This is ranging from yahoo-yahoo, kidnapping, banditry, lotto addiction, alcohol addiction and drug abuse, which is believed to be taking a negative toll on 4 out of 10 young persons; a very disturbing trend.

“The good news here right now is that if you are here listening, you can start from this moment to make the right choices, you can turn a new leaf and you can successfully rewrite your story, with God on your side,” he said.

DTSG Presents Palliative Payments To Victims Of Police Brutality, Extra-Judicial Killings

By
News View
-

The state government has presented palliative payments to some victims of police brutality and extra-judicial killings in the state

The presentation was made on behalf of the government by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, in his office in Asaba today.
Chief Ukah stated that the palliative was as a result of the reports from the Judicial Panel of Inquiry constituted by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to receive and inquire into police brutality and extra-judicial killings in the state
He said the Judicial Panel submitted its report to the government on the 9th of July 2021, and in all, 87 petitions were received and decided upon.
The SSG said the state government was not unmindful of the fact that no monetary payment would assuage the losses suffered, but the gesture would afford the government the opportunity to elicit from them commitment to forgive and allow healing to take place.
Chief Ukah said though they might not have gotten the outcome of the full extent of their prayers before the judicial panel but they should be rest assured that their voices have been heard and such incident would not happen again under the watch of the government.
He stated that the state government had constituted a Human Rights Committee headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to receive complaints of excesses and human rights violations by the Nigeria Police and other uniformed services when they arise.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Barr. Martins Mukoro commended the state government for the gesture and stated that police brutality was on the increase again and appealed that the issue should be taken seriously to avoid future occurrence.
Some of the beneficiaries thanked the state government for the palliative.

Edevbie assures on development of Ijaw land

By
News View
-

Olorogun David Edevbie has assured the Ijaw nation of massive development of their communities as part of his agenda for the modernisation of Delta State.

Speaking to a section of Burutu PDP stakeholders in Warri on Tuesday, the frontline Gubernatorial aspirant said he is committed to effective connection of the riverine communities of the three senatorial zones of Delta State with the upland areas to boost exchange in commerce and industry towards achieving massive scale employment generation and wealth creation to better the lot of Deltans.

The immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and former Principal Secretary to President Umaru Yar’adua said his plans include the reactivation of the Burutu Port and the establishment of an institution of higher learning in Ijaw land.

“The riverine communities constitute over 50 per cent of Delta State, but in 1999, they were essentially disconnected from the mainland. As Commissioner of Finance, I moved to address this problem by working hard to increase the revenue that accrues to the state. In 1999, the state’s budget was N6bn which increased to N60bn in four years. This provided the platform for constructing the Omadina Bridge, the Bomadi Bridge and Aboh Bridge, all of which I funded after fighting for the implementation of 13% derivation, which is now being enjoyed all over the Niger Delta.

“Since then, a lot has been achieved in opening up the riverine areas with roads and rural electrification, but more needs to be done.

“It is true that because of the terrain, construction is expensive, but the riverine communities provide a large part of the state revenue, so we must invest in the area.

“Some of the initiatives I have in mind include the reactivation of the Burutu Port to generate industrial and commercial activities as well as boost water transportation, employment and enterprise in the area.

“I know that the Ijaw are yearning for an institution of higher learning in their land. We shall look at the possibility of establishing a university, but, as a short term measure, we can upgrade the existing School of Marine Technology in Burutu to a higher standard.”

Edevbie said with access now created into Ijaw land and various other riverine communities, he will ensure a network of interconnecting roads is implemented across the communities while also boosting water transportation to activate haulage and cargo services in the area.

“Some of the most beautiful cities in the world are in the riverine areas, and I see no reason why we cannot make our own the same.

“I have the knowledge and expertise to do so and, more importantly, raise the funding required,” he assured.

DC-23 Urges For Support Of Edevbie, Gbagi, Oborevwori Campaign Structures

By
News View
-

By Sunday Apah

The Delta Central 2023 (DC-23) lobby group has urged the political classes and stakeholders in Delta state to key into the three aspirants, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi and Olorogun David Edevbie who were successful at the final screening/pruning down of governorship aspirants of Delta Central Senatorial District by the group.

The National Chairman of DC-23 who made this known on behalf of the group while speaking with Journalists at Asaba, the Delta state capital, said now that the three aspirants had been screened and adopted, the group was ready to market them to the people of Delta state to enable them choose from any of the three.

According to him, “any of them can become the governor of Delta state. As from today, they are the names we will push forward. We have also advised our people in Delta Central, Delta South and Delta North Senatorial District to support these three persons for the governorship of Delta state.

“You may have been with A or B, but now that we have reduced the number to three, join their campaign trains and support any of them. We have chosen, examine, put all parameters into consideration and they met our minimum requirements to become the governor of Delta state,” he added.

He reiterated that all those who had been supporting A, B, C or D before now should key into and collapse all their initial support into the structure of A, B & C.

“That is, the structures of Olorogun David Edevbie, Chief Kenneth Gbagi and Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori,” he said.

Amori averred that everybody could not be governor at same time, appealing strongly to those who were not lucky enough to be chosen as one of the three to accept it in good faith.

“I know that there is a place in history for them; it is not that they were not chosen because they were not qualified, they were not rejected by anyone, but somehow in any examination, somebody must come first, second and third. 4th, 5th, 6th are not within our plan; hence, we did the screening to chose 1, 2, 3 and that is what we have done. Those were not lucky to be among the three doesn’t mean that they were not qualified or meet certain criteria. Even if two people have first class, there must be a first class within the class,” he said.

Mothers in this generation have failed God – Okowa

By
News View
-

Wife of the Delta State Governor, Dame Edith Okowa has decried the continuous decline of moral virtues in the nation, calling on Mothers to arise in prayers to secure the future of their children.

Dame Edith Okowa at the alter
Dame Okowa who stated this at the 15th edition of the ‘Mothers Arise’ prayer conference held at the Government House Chapel, Asaba, noted that Mothers in this generation have failed God, and the way forward is for parents particularly mothers to turn a new leaf and genuinely seek the will of God for their children.

The prayer meeting put together by Dame Okowa’s O5 Initiative, witnessed intercessory prayers of repentance, mercy and restoration on behalf of Nigeria youths, fathers, the clergy and traditional rulers by over 300 women.

According to the First Lady, “The evil going on in our nation today is an open secret, we see things that we are too ashamed to talk about.
“As mothers, our hearts bleed at the level of evil our eyes and ears are witnesses to.

“Things have so declined that we are gradually getting to a point where we are not sure of a tomorrow anymore.

“We desire a tomorrow and we desire to see the generations after us take over from us and that is why we have gathered to pray as mothers”.

She expressed hope that the situation was not entirely hopeless adding that, “There is nothing too difficult for God to do”.

In a sermon by Barr. Kesiena Samson, she emphasized that the future of the Nigerian youth was at serious stake. She said to raise godly children, every Mother must recognize the responsibility God had placed on her shoulder as a help mate to the man, and be firm to ensure the family succeed.

Dwelling on the theme of the prayer conference, ‘Breaking the Cycle of Destruction’, she traced the beginning of moral decadence in the society to the failure of the family, adding that the family had abandoned it’s responsibilities and God’s primary purpose of initiating the marriage institution there by creating a foothold for the devil to attack the children.

“This is an age marked and loaded with destruction. The children of this generation are addicted to drugs, they are lazy students who prefer to cheat in examinations, they use faked satanic anointing to deceive people.

“The teenagers have become ritualists who use their mothers as sacrificial lambs to make money”.

She drew attention to the need for parents to return to the ancient land marks to produce godly seeds by modelling righteousness to the children.

The event which attracted dignitaries from different denominations, including wives of clergymen, political office holders and traditional rulers, had the wives of the immediate past Governor of the state, Deaconess Roli Uduaghan, former Deputy Governor, Mrs Esther Elue and Olu of Warri, Olori Ivie Emiko in attendance.

2023 Governorship: Why Deltans need David

By
News View
-

By Reginald Dibia

One of the most important watersheds in Nigeria’s history is the external debt relief it secured from the Paris Club in 2006.

The debt burden in excess of $34 billion, piled up from the mid 80s into the late 90s, was so excruciating that the Federal Government was defaulting in loan servicing and worse still, unable to fund capital development resulting in failing and inadequate infrastructure.

The introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), regular devaluation of the Naira and increase in petroleum pump price did not provide any respite.

As a direct consequence, the nation experienced unending ASUU, NMA, NLC, NUT strikes over non payment of teachers’ and workers’ salaries and entitlements which disrupted education and families while mortality worsened as a result of collapse of health service delivery.

Public institutions like the refineries, power service, railways, telecommunications, shipping, aviation and various other sectors experienced the same collapse.

Indigenous industries folded up while foreign investors divested from multinational companies, thus throwing the nation into an import dependent economy for basic manufactures.

The attendant rise in unemployment, inflation and decline in quality of life were not only predictable but became the everyday reality of the nation.

With successive leaders struggling without success to address these matters, the country remained helpless until President Olusegun Obasanjo brought in Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

She had studied Economics and Development Finance Management at Harvard University and had worked at the World Bank for 25 years, ascending to the position of Managing Director.

With her knowledge, expertise and contacts in the global finance arena, she engineered the cancellation of $18 billion and paid off the balance of $12 billion to free Nigeria from the overhang of $30 billion owed the Paris Club. Nigeria became literally debt free.

She also introduced various measures like the Excess Crude Account, Sovereign Wealth Fund, and efficient financial management systems that have saved the country billions in losses and leakages and moderated the wide fluctuations in national annual spending plans.

Despite growing challenges, the Umaru Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan presidency maintained her initiatives to control both domestic and external debts sustainably.

Unfortunately, the situation has been completely reversed. Nigeria presently has re-accumulated a debt overhang of about $38 billion as at mid 2021 and is still shuttling the debt market.

The consequences have been dire with almost 97% of its real revenue and above 35% of its current budget appropriated for debt servicing, even when about same percentage is borrowed to cover the budget deficit. The projection is that Nigeria might hit N50 trillion in debt by 2023.

The prime reason for this reversal is because we discounted knowledge, experience and expertise in the cut-throat politics of electing leadership.

Frightening is that there are more challenges ahead. Oil which accounts for over 80% of national revenue in our undiversified economy is becoming less in demand internationally as the developed and developing nations are veering increasingly towards green energy in reaction to climate change disasters.

The effect of this transition will be shrinking national revenue and dwindling allocations to states.

It is already here with us. Statistics indicate that 97% of all Federal Government’s salary payments, overheads, capital expenditures etc were all financed through ways and means from CBN which effectively means, the printing of Naira.

This situation isn’t looking to ease and Delta State and virtually all the Niger Delta States whose significant revenues come from proceeds of oil, by allocation and derivation, will definitely, if not mostly be impacted.

With such dim outlook, things might come to the point of “to your tents, O Israel” for the states.

This is why Deltans must think ahead to ensure that our 2023 politics should be to produce a Governor who not only understands the prognosis but is knowledgeable, experienced and competent enough to drive us through the future.

None other fits this bill more than David Edevbie. Not only will his sound education in Economics, professional knowledge from Cardiff and same Havard Business School where our Okonjo-Iweala was groomed, and his experience and national and international contacts working with the world-renowned Barclays Bank, Hill Samuel Banks and the Commonwealth Development Corporation as Development Finance Executive come into play, his understanding of issues and challenges of development through his service as several times Commissioner of Finance in Delta State, as Principal Secretary to President Umaru Yar’adua at the Presidency and later Chief of Staff to His Excellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, will be most helpful in steering the ship of our state.

The final pruning of Delta Central PDP aspirants to three sets us further into motion for the election of a Governor that should sustain the sterling achievements of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and advance the economic and infrastructural development of the state.

No doubt, Chief Kenneth Gbagi and Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori who have been listed along with Edevbie, and even those eliminated through the screening process, sure have their value but, the times and challenges ahead call only for the best.

The Nigerian situation shows there are giants ahead to confront and we need a David. Luckily, we already have him.

Let’s settle for the best to secure the future of our state for the benefit of all Deltans and coming generations.
…….

Dibia is a management consultant based in Asaba

1...676869Page 69 of 69

TRENDING

LATEST

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© 2022 - News View Nigeria