NEWS

More competent hands are replacing sacked workers, El-Rufai’s aide

Published

7 years ago

January 12, 2018

The Kaduna State Government has dismissed claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it disengaged more than 36,000 workers without commensurate employment for others.

Alhaji Saidu Adamu, Counsellor on Information and Communication to Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai dismissed the claim in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna.

According to him, the claims of the PDP was baseless as the state government has embarked on “massive employment ever seen in the history of the state since independence.’’

NAN reports that the PDP on Wednesday in a statement accused the state government of insensitivity over the sack of about 22,000 teachers, 4, 000 local government employees, 3000 state workers and traditional rulers.

The government spokesman stressed that the administration was sanitising the civil service and injecting new blood as part of the reform process to make the service responsive, efficient and sustainable.

Adamu said: “Right from Nigeria’s independence, I want to believe that this is the first time Kaduna state government is making massive employment in our history.

“In one agency, KASTELA, the state government had employed over 2,600 personnel and we have already secured permission to employ additional 1,700 soon.

“We are currently doing same is various agencies, including KADIPA and KADGIS among other agencies in the state.’’

On the 22,000 teachers sacked by the government, Adamu said the administration would replace them with 25, 000 qualified ones.

“The teachers sacked have no business in the classroom,’’ he stressed, adding that the government was focused on laying solid foundation at the primary level for children of the poor to acquire sound education.

“By sanitizing our primary schools, children of the poor would acquire the right education that would add value to their lives and the society and become something worthwhile in the future.

“No any sensible government will allow the way things are going in the education sector to continue.

“A situation where a primary school teacher and graduate of geography can’t even spell geography correctly, and you expect the government to allow such person to continue teaching, is not possible.

“It is high time to change the situation and we have screened those who applied for teaching job to get suitable replacement.

“We are also going to conduct physical and oral test to confirm that we have the right persons, we want to have functional and qualified teachers in our schools.

“I want to also assure that what Kaduna state governor is doing is the best that any right thinking leaders should do.

“We have been left behind and we contributed to what is happening to us right now, because the previous administrations did not care about the future of poor people.“

On those calling for the retraining of the affected teachers, the government spokesman said those who failed the competency test were beyond redemption.

He recalled that government had spent over N600 million in the last two years in training and retraining them yet have failed to meet up.

“The governor wants to make sure that we have functional future for our children.

“By the time we stop thinking about tomorrow there is a problem; to be able to know where you are going you must be able to know where you are coming from.“

Adamu explained that other civil servants being eased out at the state and local government level were those who have attained or were close to retirement.

According to him, the exercise is to also block wastage in the system.

He particularly noted that the local government system has been choked up with ghost and redundant staffs being paid salaries monthly for doing nothing.

“It is such that at the end of every month the state government had to make provisional money from its allocation to add up to that of the LGAs’ to be able to pay their staff salaries.

“This means that the local councils cannot perform their primary functions of providing infrastructure, healthcare services and others responsibilities at the grassroots.

“For instance the Admin Department of Zaria Local Government Council has over 300 staff and by time we try to find out who they were we discovered that 99 per cent of them are ghost workers, yet they still collect salaries.

“Some of the local council workers were also discovered to be collecting salaries elsewhere, either as state or federal civil servants. It is very wrong, and government would not allow it to continue.

“So, our target is that by early 2019, more than 40 per cent of our civil servants will be youth, well educated, computer literate; we are going to have one of the most vibrant civil service in Nigeria.’’

Adamu explained that all those retired would be paid their dues promptly.

Guardian

Related Topics:Governor El-Rufai Kaduna State Saidu Adamu

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EVENTS

Nigeria Selects “Mai Martaba” As International Feature Film (IFF) Contender For 2025 Oscars

Published

3 days ago

October 30, 2024

Reporter

Mai Martaba as international feature film contender | fab.ng

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee has selected the epic Hausa film, Mai Martaba as its contender for the International Feature Film (IFF) category at the 97th Academy Awards. The Committee announced in an official statement that they selected the film to contend for the Oscars because of its theme and visual appeal.

“The Nigerian Official Section Committee (NOSC) selected the film for its relevant theme of diverse voices in decision-making and inclusive leadership and its visual and technical appeal,” the post said.

Acclaimed director Prince Daniel produced and directed the epic Hausa film “Mai Martaba.”

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) has selected as its contender for the International Feature Film (IFF) category at the 97th Academy Awards. The NOSC announced this decision in an official statement, praising the film’s powerful themes and visually captivating qualities.

“Mai Martaba” explores the complexities of power, love, greed, and betrayal within the context of an ancient African kingdom. The film presents a transformative tale that challenges conventions and celebrates female leadership. Notably, it offers a fresh perspective on the region’s rich cultural heritage.

The NOSC’s voting members are an impressive roster of industry luminaries. They include award-winning filmmaker and NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus. Victor Okhai, the President of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), is also a member. Veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is on the committee. Former DGN President Andy Amenechi is a member. Yibo Koko, a theatre practitioner, is on the committee. Writer/director Izu Ojukwu and prolific film producer Emem Isong are also members.

Additional members include Ali Nuhu, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC). Kene Okwuosa, the Co-Founder and Group CEO of Filmhouse Cinemas, is a member. Director Dimeji Ajibola is on the committee. Writer/director Jude Idada is a member. Director John Njamah is on the committee. Actress/polyglot Meg Otanwa is a member. Producer/director Blessing Effiom Egbe is on the committee. Actress Ijeoma Grace Agu is a member. Journalist/film critic Victor Akande is on the committee.

“Mai Martaba” was filmed in Daura, Katsina State, Nigeria.

The film tells the story of an ancient kingdom that experienced a trade boom through the Trans-Saharan trade exchange, but then faced a fierce internal power struggle among the powerful Agadashawa ruling clan, leading to its downfall.

The film was released theatrically in Nigeria and also selected for the prestigious Septimius Awards in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The NOSC’s 15-member committee unanimously voted “Mai Martaba” as their top choice to represent Nigeria in the IFF category at the 97th Oscars.

The IFF Executive Committee will now determine the next stage for the film’s journey to the prestigious awards ceremony, which will be held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles, and broadcast live to over 200 territories worldwide.

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Get more updates here.

MUSIC

Don Jazzy Announces Tega Oghenejobo As The New President Of Mavin Records

Published

3 days ago

October 30, 2024

Reporter

Tega Oghenejobo As The New President Of Mavin Records | fab.ng

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, Michael Collins Ajereh, the visionary founder of Mavin (Records) Global, better known by his stage name Don Jazzy, announced a significant expansion within the company. He announced Tega Oghenejobo as the new president of Mavin Records.

Tega has been an integral part of Mavin’s journey. Now, his position as President has elevated his status in the company. In addition, he has been in the existing role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Don Jazzy expressed his admiration for Tega’s passion and resilience. He acknowledged his ability to spot these qualities in Tega from the early stages of their professional relationship.

He said,

“I’m proud to announce @TEGAMAVIN expanded role as President and COO of Mavin. I am often praised for being able to spot and raise superstars, but I can proudly say the most genius thing I have done in my life was being able to spot the passion and resilience in Tega.”

I’m proud to announce @TEGAMAVIN expanded role as President and COO of Mavin. I am often praised for being able to spot and raise superstars, but I can proudly say the most genius thing I have done in my life was being able to spot the passion and resilience in Tega. From the… pic.twitter.com/q55TSODQMP

— SUPREMOS 🤍🐘 (@DONJAZZY) October 29, 2024

“From the early days, I’ve watched him be curious about the business, build teams, develop executives, and ensure our talents have sustainable careers from the start. His commitment to growing Mavin and shaping the future of African music has been relentless, and I’m confident that with him in this role, we’ll continue to break new ground and achieve even bigger milestones for our artists and company,” he added.

Accepting the appointment gracefully, Tega Oghenejobo said,

“I’m honored to step into this new role as President & COO of Mavin Records. It means embracing new challenges, setting new goals, and reaching new heights. Thank you, Supreme Leader @donjazzy, for your unwavering belief and trust in me to lead the Mavin team.”

Check here for more updates.

BUSINESS

Moniepoint Reaches African Unicorn Status With $110 Million Funding Boost

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Reporter

Moniepoint reaches African unicorn status | fab.ng

Moniepoint Inc., a leading fintech company in Africa, has successfully raised $110 million in equity financing. This is to power the dreams of millions of businesses and their customers across the continent and the diaspora.

The Series C investment was led by Development Partners International’s African Development Partners (ADP) III fund. It is a premier fund focused on Africa.

Additionally, new investors joined the funding round. This includes a leading African private equity firm, Google’s Africa Investment Fund and Verod Capital. Existing investor, Lightrock, a global impact firm, also participated.

Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike founded Moniepoint (formerly known as TeamApt) in 2015. Initially, it focused on providing infrastructure and payment solutions for banks and financial institutions. It has since grown into Nigeria’s leading business banking provider, trusted by millions of businesses.

The capital raised will be used to accelerate growth for Moniepoint across Africa.

Further, that entails building an all-in-one, seamlessly integrated platform for African businesses of all sizes. This platform will include services such as digital payments, banking, foreign exchange (FX), credit, and business management tools, making it a one-stop shop for business solutions.

Moniepoint’s exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s financial services sector have been widely acknowledged, along with its enviable track record of serving customers across Africa.

Each month, Moniepoint processes over 800 million transactions, with a monthly total value exceeding $17 billion, all while operating profitably.

Tosin Eniolorunda, Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint Inc., expressed his excitement about the successful funding round and the company’s plans to expand its offerings and reach across the African continent.

“Our mission is to help our customers solve their challenges by making our platform more innovative, transparent, and secure. The proceeds from this raise will speed up our efforts to drive financial inclusion and support Africa’s entrepreneurial potential. I want to sincerely thank the entire Moniepoint team for making this achievement possible. We’ve been encouraged by the diversity and huge swathe of those who have found value in our platform and the services we provide in helping to create financial happiness. But, we’re just getting started, as it is just day one from here.”

DPI, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, and Verod have participated in Moniepoint’s latest fundraising round, joining the ranks of established investors such as QED Investors, Novastar Ventures, Lightrock, British International Investment, Global Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, and New Voices Fund.

Get more business updates here.