28032019 - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP:All clear for Lawan; fresh crisis brews over Gbaja

32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019
TRAINING: From left—Head, Planning, Research and Strategic, BPP, Mr. Adebowale Adedokun;
Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Civil Service Commission, Mr. Onuh Yunusa; Director,
Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Caiafas, and Director, Energy
Infrastructure, BPP, Engr. Babatunde Kuye, at the first batch of procurement conversion training for
procurement officers in ministries, departments, agencies and commissions, at the Digital Bridge Institute,
Ikeja, Lagos State. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.
Adamawa APC makes U-turn,
to participate in gov re-run
THE ruling All
Progressives
Congress, APC, in
Adamawa State, has called
on its supporters in the
state to prepare for and
participate in the
governorship
supplementary election
slated for today.
Alhaji Ahmed Lawal,
state Organising Secretary
of the party, gave the
directive in Yola, yesterday.
Lawal said the party
reviewed its earlier decision
to boycott the poll and had
By Michael Eboh,
with agency report
A BUJA—NIGERIAN
National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC,
yesterday, said the first
phase of its ongoing
recruitment exercise had
been concluded with the
shutting down of the
application portal, while the
By Ike Uchechukwu
C ALABAR—
INDUSTRIAL
Training Fund, ITF, has
revealed that owing to lack
of requisite technical and
soft skills, about 925 trades
were difficult to fill in the
country’s labour market.
Director General/Chief
Executive Officer of the
Fund, Sir. Joseph Ari,
made this known while
briefing newsmen,
yesterday, during the
interface with Cross River
State Council of Nigeria
Union of Journalists, NUJ,
in Calabar.
Ari said: “Despite our
resolved to fully participate.
He, however, said in spite
of the Independent
Electoral Commission,
INEC’s refusal to heed
their call to re-schedule,
APC would still win the
election.
He appealed to the APC
family and supporters not
to be deterred by INEC’s
action, but to go out en
mass to vote for the
candidate of the party.
According to him,
“having consulted all the
party stakeholders, we
efforts and those of the
Federal Government, the
National Bureau of
Statistics, NBS, report of the
third quarter of 2018
revealed that just as the
number of the
economically-active
working age (15 to 64
years) grew from 110.3
million to 111 million, the
number of unemployed
equally appreciated from
11.9 in the first quarter to
15.99 in the third quarter.
“Despite the fact that a
skills gap assessment in six
priority sectors of the
Nigerian economy, which
was conducted by ITF in
conjunction with United
have resolved to participate
in the supplementary
election fixed for
tomorrow(today).
“Our earlier boycott threat
was not out of fear, but to
encourage participation by
other political parties who
had been taken unawares
by the date.
“To us, we will participate
and win the re-run even as
INEC has refused to
rescind its decision to hold
the re-run tomorrow
(today).
“We appeal to APC
No tech skill to fill 1,000 vacancies—ITF
Nations Industrial
Development
Organisation, UNIDO, that
was presented to
stakeholders in Abuja,
2018, showed that
although vacancies existed
in all sectors surveyed, they
are being filled by persons
other than Nigerians,
because of lack of requisite
skills.
“The report noted that
15.7 percent of all hard to
fill vacancies were due to
lack of technical skills; 11.8,
lack of basic IT skills; 9.2,
lack of advanced IT skills,
between 9.2 and 7.5percent
of the vacancies were due
to lack of soft skills.”
supporters to come out and
vote for APC massively so
as to ensure victory in the
election. Adamawa is an
APC state and with the
development strides
recorded by Governor
Mohammed Bindow, it is
a sure qualification for
winning an election."
The re-reun was fixed for
today sequel to the vacation
of a court order restraining
INEC from conducting a
governorship
supplementary election in
the state.
NNPC closes recruitment portal, as
lawyer threatens court action over criteria
second phase commenced
immediately.
This came as an Abujabased
lawyer, Mr. Pelumi
Olajengbesi, has
threatened to drag NNPC
management to court
following what he
described
as
“discriminatory”
recruitment process.
Olajengbesi, in a letter
addressed to the Group
Managing Director, NNPC,
Dr. Maikanti Baru, on
March 26, vowed to
approach the court to
ensure protection of the
fundamental rights of
Nigerians who were
qualified to apply, but
were barred from
participating because of
age criteria.
Olajengbesi, however,
pointed out that the
criteria and process
violated Section 3(e)(iv) of
the Fundamental Rights
(Enforcement Procedure),
2009 which protected the
public interest of
Nigerians.
On the closure, a
statement in Abuja by
NNPC's Group General
Manager, Group Public
Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu
Ughamadu, disclosed
that the second phase of
the exercise involved
short listing of qualified
candidates.
He explained that the
qualified candidates
among the applicants
would be invited to
participate in computerbased
aptitude tests.
According to
Ughamadu, the tests
would be administered in
about 50 centres across the
country, while noting that
those who emerged
successful in the tests would
subsequently be invited for
oral interviews for final
selection.
Ajobena faulted over
outburst on Kachikwu
By Perez Brisibe
UGHELLI— THE
4+4 Niger Delta
Believer’s Council, a
pressure group within
All Progressives
Congress, APC, has
taken a swipe at a
chieftain of the party in
Delta State, AVM Frank
Ajobene, for accusing the
Minister of State for
Petroleum, Dr. Ibe
Kachikwu, of being a
“mole” in the party.
National Coordinator
of the group, Sir Fred
Magada, described his
comments as
“unguarded outburst,”
stating that Ajobena, like
an elder statesman that
he is, should not portray
himself as a political
stooge.
Magada, in a
Freight forwarders suspend
strike, engage CRFFN
FREIGHT forwarders,
yesterday, agreed to
suspend their planned
shutdown of ports across
the country.
Speaking on behalf of
the freight forwarders,
Mr. Ndubisi Uzoegbu,
outlined their grievances
to include multiple
customs checkpoints,
bad road network leading
to high cost of
transportation, high cost
of demurrage making
the 24 hours cargo
clearance a mirage.
He also lamented that
the recent deployment of
a special team from
Abuja to inspect third
party cargo at the ports
was worrisome.
However, in a
statement in Abuja,
Council for Regulation
of Freight Forwarding in
Nigeria, CRFFN,
P
R O J E C T
management
and consultancy firm,
Best Charter Limited,
will hold a summit for
leaders and executives
this year.
Managing Director of
the firm, Mr. Felix
Ugbechie, said in a
statement that the
summit will be a
gathering of 500 select
leaders and executives
in the public space and
top establishment as well
as up and coming
organisations, to discuss
Nigeria’s economy,
opportunities and risks.
Ugbechie added that
the CEO summit will
also be an opportunity
statement yesterday,
pointed out that it was Dr.
Kachikwu, as the
arrowhead of the party,
that acted as the uniting
factor with the series of
meetings he conveyed at
his country home that
resulted in the prevailing
peace currently being
experienced in the party.
He said: “Rather than
consolidate on the gains of
the past election as a
statesman, Ajobena is
calling leaders of the party
names.
"He should note that
while the crisis within the
party lingered, Kachikwu
was practically in Delta
every weekend to unite
warring factions.
“If not for the efforts of
Kachikwu, APC in Delta
State would have been like
a fatherless baby.”
disclosed that the group
suspended the planned
strike after meeting with
the Registrar of CRFFN,
Mr. Samuel Nwakohu,
and gave CRFFN 14 days
to resolve the impasse.
Nwakohu expressed
appreciation to the group
for honouring the
invitation and resolved to
make the appropriate
representation on the
issue to appropriate
quarters with a view of
finding a lasting solution.
He further enjoined all
aggrieved freight
forwarders not to
contemplate acts that
could affect the economy
adversely without
recourse to the Council,
and called for their support
and co-operation to reposition
the sub-sector.
Nwakohu reiterated the
resolve of his regime to
Firm plans summit for
leaders, executives
for engagement between
the executives, legislature,
CEOs, investors,
entrepreneurs and top
executives of businesses.
A major feature of the
summit will be the public
presentation of a
compendium on 250 of
Nigeria’s best performing
companies and their
CEOs.
He added that the
summit will be rounded off
with a gala night which
will feature the
Distinguished Persons
and Good Governance
Award, to celebrate some
outstanding individuals of
African descent who had
impacted on humanity in
the course of their career.