News

FG Opens Portal To Documents Unemployed Nigerians

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2022

Editor

Amidst criticism of the employment deficit in Nigeria, the Federal Government has instructed that a portal be opened to document unemployed citizens.

The resolution was reached on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, shortly before he proceeded to Rwanda to attend the 2022 CHOGM.

The job portal would also take Nigerians living in the Diaspora into cognizance.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige also noted that Council approved the digitization of the operations of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.

According to him, “The ministry presented two memos to Council today. The first memo was presented on behalf of our parastatal, the Nigeria social insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

“As you’re aware, a lot has happened in the NSITF in terms of revenue losses and pillage of funds that have been given to that organization.

“The NSITF implements the Employee Compensation Act ECA 2010 and by that Act, Employers in both public and private sectors are supposed to pay one percent of the emoluments of their staff into a social fund in NSITF.

“And this one is to be used as a premium or insurance fund to cater for workers or staff members who have accidents, injuries, disabilities and even deaths that occur in the cause of their work. So it’s like an accident or injury insurance.

“The Pension Act makes reference to it that it must be done for workers in addition to the group life. So, the monies that have gone in there have not been properly utilized, and the payments have not been tracked.

“So today we brought to council a memo for an e-NSITF by which their operations will now be digitalized. Both the payments that are put in from any of their stations, they have 56 branches and 11 regional offices. So in the comfort of your office, you can pay and register on that platform and that money is now tracked into the Central pool.

“From the central pool if claims are made and payments are also made to the insurance on those who are beneficiaries, you also track them.

“So this is one of the things the government has done in the spirit of digitalization of the economy and ease of doing business for everybody.

“So this will make for efficiency and help the organization to grow in leaps and bounds. already the organization is revitalized following the present restructuring agreement for them.

“Today. NSITF can pay all their salaries, they can boast of even doing capital projects. And this digitization of funds operation is part of the capital project that they are doing and like I said earlier, the accountability that is there will make for non-leakages of funds.

“We also know that previously, they have been complaints of claims not being paid but with e-NSITF will track claims and allow people to know who and who benefits from those claims. So this is one of the memos presented today.

“A consultant is going to handle it and the council approved that the digitalization should be completed in eight weeks.”

The Minister said the e-NSITF will cost N1.2 billion.”

He disclosed that Council approved a portal called Nigerian Labour Exchange, NILEX which will be domiciled in his ministry for employment and job creation.

According to him, “The second approval has to do with employment and job creation. It is a portal called Nigerian Labour Exchange (NILEX), housed in my ministry.”

He explained that the platform had not been developed over time and could not take the stress of the number of people wanting to go into it, stressing that the digital platform was supposed to be used by employers on the one hand and job seekers on the other.

His words, “The employers will come in and load the vacancy they have, the type of skill they want, the qualifications of people that can fit in there.

“Then the job seekers those who are looking for a job, graduates, non-graduates will register, put in the qualification, put in their skill and what you can do and then the two groups are matched. The employer can speak with a job seeker, via that platform.

“So over the years, we have not been able to expand it. But on a bilateral, multilateral agreement now the funds are provided. So we are redesigning it, remodelling it, and then upgrading the infrastructure.

“Council approved that consultant also does that with a completion period of 12 weeks and with that, we have passed the first stage of digitalizing that particular platform.

“One of the good things about our platform now when it becomes operational, all those phone platforms that ask people to register for work, pay in N10,000 or N20,000, will become a thing of the past because this will be a government platform. And when you go there, you know is a genuine platform.

“Apart from that, people in diaspora can also upload their expertise and tell Nigerians, what they have that qualifies them for special jobs and if they are employers in Nigeria that need them, again there will be a handshake through that same portal.”

DAILY POST.

News

Activists To Protest Reporter’s Detention In Abuja Thursday

Published

3 mins ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

Protesters have vowed to storm the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Thursday, over the prolonged detention of a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu.

On Wednesday, flyers circulating on social media shared by activists, journalists and other Nigerians called people to “join us for a peaceful protest at the police headquarters Abuja on Thursday by 9am”.

Former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, also shared the flyer on X which had the reporter’s image, captioning it “An end to #CybercrimeAct2015Now. Let’s all be there at 9 am tomorrow (Thursday).”

Human rights group, the Take It Back Movement, also posted on X, “We will be here tomorrow at 9 am, prompt! Join us. #FreeDanielOjukwu.”

The group’s coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, further confirmed to our correspondent in an interview, “We are rallying all our members to participate in the protest. This is democracy and the police are not bigger than the law.”

A lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, also wrote on X, “The protest at the Force Headquarters will also be an opportunity to protest against cybercrime levy.”

Ojukwu was picked up Wednesday, May 1, 2024, by the police on the streets of Lagos and was transferred to the Nigeria Police Force-National Cyber Crime Centre in Abuja on Sunday.

Widespread condemnations have trailed the journalist’s abduction even as the police maintain that a petition was filed against the journalist but have not given details.

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, condemned the reporter’s abduction.

“The police cannot detain somebody for seven days under any law in Nigeria as we speak,” he had told The PUNCH on Tuesday.

FIJ on Monday reported that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was behind the petition that led to the abduction of Ojukwu by the police.

According to the media house, the petition is in relation to FIJ’s coverage of alleged financial mismanagement in the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.

In one of its investigative pieces on the office, FIJ had reported how a sum of N147.1m reportedly meant for the building of classrooms and a skill acquisition centre was allegedly sent to the account of a restaurant.

But in a statement on its X handle on Monday, the OSSAP-SDGs denied the allegation, describing it as “false from the onset.”

The statement said the office “has been transparent in its operations and project implementation processes” and noted that “therefore, the assertion that our project was sponsored by a restaurant is false and baseless.”

The Director of the Cyber Crime Centre, Uche Ifeanyi, on Tuesday, told The PUNCH the bail conditions for the detained journalist who has spent seven days in custody had not been met.

“We’ve served them papers for bail conditions. I think the problem is they’ve not been able to meet up with the bail conditions. The person they brought on Monday could not even produce an ID card. They brought someone on Tuesday who is not a civil servant. You know how sensitive the case is. So, once they bring the civil servant of measure, we will know,” he said.

FIJ’s founder, Fisayo Soyombo said on Tuesday it was “insane” to keep the journalist for that long. “I can’t believe this is happening in a democracy. The law is clear. If you feel that something false has been published against you, the process is laid down, you go to court and institute a case. You can’t just pick someone in Gestapo style and claim the person has a case to answer.”

News

Bill On Unemployment Benefit Scales Second Reading

Published

17 mins ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading, a bill seeking the establishment of a National Internship and Unemployment Benefit Scheme.

The passage of the bill followed a lead debate by the sponsor, Afolabi Salisu (APC, Ogun Central) and contributions made by other Senators.

According to Salisu, the bill aims to offer unemployed graduates in Nigeria some part-time jobs where they can gain experience and earn stipends, preparatory for big offers.

The proposed law, he said intends to create a database of unemployed Nigerian youths, particularly graduates, with their respective disciplines and also establish a framework that will guide the provision of part-time jobs for youths while they search for full-time jobs.

According to him, the scheme, when established, would provide hope for graduates and allow them to acquire experience before they secure full-time employment.

The lawmaker also noted that the scheme would help address insecurity and criminal activities, arising from unemployment.

He also acknowledged existing agencies such as the National Directorate of Employment and the Industrial Trust Fund, stressing however that they have not been targeted adequately at the beneficiaries.

He believes that the scheme, which will have a database, will be more effective in streamlining interventions to the beneficiaries.

Though many lawmakers who made contributions supported the proposed legislation, Ahmed Wadada ( SDP Nasarawa West), argued that the bill may not be the solution needed to tackle unemployment in the country.

He added that the focus should be on creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and consequently create jobs and not thinking of benefits for the unemployed.

“If the environment is enabling enough to up to 10 Dangotes, the rate of unemployment will be reduced to the barest minimum. The emphasis at all times should be to create the needed enabling environment,” he said.

After passage for second reading, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the plenary session, mandated the Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity to look at the issues raised and report back to the House in four weeks for further legislative action.

News

N2.7bn Fraud: EFCC Arraigns Ex-aviation Minister Daughter Thursday

Published

22 mins ago

May 8, 2024

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to arraign former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his daughter, Fatimah, and two other suspects in court on Thursday.

The suspects are facing charges over alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud uncovered in the Aviation Ministry under Sirika.

The embattled former Minister would be arraigned for trial for the first time, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

Sirika is billed to appear in court with his three co-defendants, his daughter, Fatima; one Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, on charges of abusing their positions to launder over N2.7 billion.

Details later….