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Minister urges employers not to reject NYSC members

Minister urges employers not to reject NYSC members
By Yashim Katurak
NYSC
Abuja, April 16, 2019 (NAN) The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has implored employers to as a show of patriotism for Nigeria not to reject corps members posted to their establishments for the mandatory one-year primary assignment.
The minister, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Mohammed Mai-Bornu, made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday at the closing ceremony of three weeks Orientation Course organised for the 2019 Batch ‘A’ set of corps members at the Permanent Orientation Camp, Kubwa.
The orientation course, which was organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), took place simultaneously at all orientation camps nationwide.
The minister made the plea on the backdrop of the increasing rate of corps rejection by employers every year putting a strain on the scheme and the ability of corps members to fully contribute to national development.
Despite a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to desist from rejecting corps members posted to their establishments, the trend has continued, he noted.
“I wish to appeal to all government agencies and other employers to accept corps members posted to their organisations and create enabling environment for them to contribute meaningfully during their primary assignment,” the minister said.
He also urged corps members who were issued their letters of posting during the closing ceremony to accept their postings in good faith and be committed to their work.
Bello further enjoined the corps members to be worthy ambassadors of the scheme by contributing positively to their host communities.
While declaring the orientation course closed, the minister commended the NYSC Director-General, Maj.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, and the NYSC management, for a successful exercise.
The NYSC FCT Coordinator, Mr Bello Ballama, also implored corps employers not to molest corps members posted to their establishments.
Ballama urged all corps employers to treat corps members posted to them with respect and dignity.
He also urged them to make judicious use of corps members posted to them as they were ready to serve the country.
“I want to implore employers to please not reject or molest our corps members. Please treat them very well and make judicious use of them as they are ready to serve the country.
“My dear corps members, your service year proper starts right away. Be pungent and avert every ignominy associated with everyday life wherever you are posted.
“The Federal Government is expectant of your unalloyed cooperation and involvement in the fight against corruption, fake news and hate speech.
“I urge you to be a dependable vanguard to bring about the needed change in the system,” Ballama said.
A total of 3,120 corps members participated in the orientation course in the FCT.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise is held every year in order to prepare corps members for the task of nation-building.
After this, corps members are posted to organisations in the public and private sector where they are expected to work on a day-to-day basis for a period of one year. (NAN)
KRY/HS/MST
Edited by Halima Sheji/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Libya returnees reject Edo Govt N1000 transport fares

Libya returnees reject Edo Govt N1000 transport fares
NAN-HG-4
Returnees
By Igbaugba Ehigimetor
Benin, Jan. 10, 2018 (NAN) Some Libya returnees on Wednesday in Benin rejected the N1,000 transport fares given them by the Edo Government to take them to their hometowns.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the returnees had on Tuesday protested the non-payment of stipend as transport fare to their homes within the state.
The returnees said that they had expected something reasonable without stating the amount.
One of the returnees, Gabriel Edokpaigbe, said it would be a shame for him to go back to his father’s house after he sold all his belongings to travel to Europe.
He said the N1,000 would not take him to his destination.
Christian Otoide, who claimed to be based in Lagos State, said he was still wearing the prison uniforms given to him in Libya because he had no other clothes.
Otoide said that returnees were promised many things in Libya hence he agreed to return home, adding that he is disappointed.
“How will N1,000 take me to Lagos? We were working in Libya but Libya police said our government said our country is now good. That was why I returned,” he said.
The returnees claimed that announcement by the Federal Government that Nigerians should return home made Libya policemen to arrest those living comfortably in the country.
Many said they lost their money to the forceful arrest and deportation.
Efosa Clifford, 43, said he spent over N1.3 million on his failed trip to Europe.
He said: “If there was good liberty in Libya, life is good there, it is just that blacks have no free movement in Libya.”
Meanwhile, relatives of some of the returnees have stormed the premises of the Benin Motel Plaza where the returnees are lodged to find their lost ones.
Those looking for their relatives peeped through the fence to look for their loved ones.
A woman who gave her name as Boss said she was looking for her brother named Aminu, adding that she last heard from him in September 2016.
Another man said he had visited the hotel each time he heard Nigerians had returned from Libya to search for his daughter but to no avail. (NAN)
ESI/JI/MST
Editing by Joseph Idika/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Aviation unions reject appointment of unqualified directors in NCAA

Aviation unions reject appointment of unqualified directors in NCAA

NAN-H-89 Rejection By Adekunle Williams Lagos, March 7, 2017 (NAN) Unions in the aviation industry and hundreds of workers from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest against the recently appointed directors for the agency.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unions were made up of the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and National Association of Airline Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).

NAN recalls that the Federal Government on Feb. 27 approved the appointment of five new Directors and one General Manager for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr Sam Adurogboye, said in a statement that those appointed were Capt. Edem Oyo-Ita as Director of Air Transport Regulations; Mr Abbas Sanusi, Director, Human Resources and Administration; and Adamu Sani; Director of Finance and Accounts.

“Others are: Odunowo Tayyib Adetunji, Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Mr Ita Awak, Director of Airworthiness Standards, Lawrence Kwajok, General Manager, Air Navigational Standards,” he said.

Addressing the unionists and NCAA workers, the General Secretary of NUATE, Mr Olayinka Abioye, alleged that two out of the five directors appointed by the federal government do not possess the prerequisite qualifications to hold the offices they were assigned.

Abioye threatened that the unions would shut down the airports for one week over alleged imposition of untested and unqualified personnel as directors in NCAA unless government rescinded those appointments.

The NUATE general secretary alleged that the new Director of Finance and Accounts, Ms Bilikisu Adamu-Sani, was an educationist by training, while the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Mr Ita Awak, was a politician.

“We, the unions in the industry are not in support of a situation in which the federal government would recruit outsiders who will be shown the ropes to fill all technical positions in the agency.

“We have done a critical assessment of the newly appointed directors in NCAA and found that out of the five only three are qualified to hold the positions.

“I am aware that the newly appointed director of airworthiness standards has been a politician through and through.

“Airworthiness directorate should not be joked with for because it is a sensitive position except you want aircraft to be falling from the sky.

“The director of airworthiness standards is not suitably qualified; for 25 years he has never handled a spanner. He is not qualified and if you bring someone who is unqualified, aircraft will start falling out of the skies.

“Also, the director of finance and accounts has a degree in education. She is not an accountant; she is not a financial guru. Anyone occupying the position should be grounded in accounting.

“If you are making appointments to replace those you have sacked, it is very important to bring on board people who are better than the ones you have laid off,” he said.

Also speaking, the National President of ATSSSAN, Mr Ilitrus Ahmadu, said the recent appointments in the agency and transfers of personnel from one agency to NCAA had generated concerns among the stakeholders in the aviation.

“Certain interests are trying to hijack the process. If there are people who have been serving in acting capacity and you need to appoint substantive ones, why not give the people who are already in the system the opportunity to compete for the positions?

“I am not concerned about the person who handles what position in NCAA so long as that person is qualified.

“The system is being unfair to qualified personnel who can do this job. We have people who are qualified already in the system,” he said. (NAN)

WAC/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola