House of Reps resolves to investigate skills acquisition programme funds

Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee that will investigate the multi-billion naira provided annually for the skills acquisition programmes of the Federal Government across the country.

The resolution pursuant to a motion sponsored by Hon. Emmanuel Oghene, who stressed the need to ascertain the utilization of the financial budgetary provisions, approvals and multilateral donations accrued to the government’s coffer over the years.

Sponsor of the motion, Hon. Oghene observed that Social Investment Programme and Skills Acquisition Programme are parts of the sustainable tools for the eradication of unemployment amongst the youths and for the enhancement of human capital development and productivity in Nigeria.

He noted that unemployment and its principal attendant effect which is poverty have caused terrible damage on all facets of the nation and cannot be disconnected from the insecurity, violence and other social vices being perpetrated by some Nigerians in their desperation to survive and be self-sufficient.

The lawmaker said the Federal Government and multilateral donors in its efforts to get Nigerians engaged in meaningful economic ventures had committed so many funds for the approval and implementation of skill acquisition programmes, seIf-reliance programmes and social investment safety nets in all the states of the federation through many of its agencies.

He, however, noted that: “adequate provisions have not been put in place to ensure the effective monitoring and implementation of these programmes as a greater proportion of our youths remain unemployed or unemployable and hence the increasing rate of the poverty level, insecurity, domestic violence and other criminal acts perpetrated daily in the country and lack of financial transparency and prudence have hampered the continuous support from multilateral donors.

“There have been several claims in the past by majority of the beneficiaries of these lofty programmes, that aside from the crested vests and face caps given, there have been unjustifiably denied facilities expected to be freely given to them after their training which is contrary to the terms and conditions for the approval of these programmes under the various agencies of the federal government.

“The rationale for the approval and implementation of these skills acquisition and related programmes by the Federal Government would remain a far cry or less achievable without a collaborative effort to query into the financial budgetary provisions and value additions by these affected agencies.

“The affected beneficiaries of these skills acquisition programmes (formal and informal) would not be able to effectively contribute to the growth of our economy or be self-sufficient and seIf-reliant where basic facilities are not procured or distributed by these Federal Government agencies and parastatals.

“The prevalent insecurity and unemployment in the country, apart from occasioning unnecessary loss of lives and properties, have also created a worrisome situation for our nation to tap maximally its full potentials from all the sectors of her economy and that the trend has negatively impacted significantly on our Gross Domestic Product.

“The obvious skill gap in many of the sectors of our economy has further led to the influx of foreigners with special skills into the corridor of our economy with attendant capital flight and indiscriminate observance of our immigration protocol.”

Consequently, the House resolved to mandated the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the concerned agencies and parastatals in the implementation of these skills acquisition and related programmes and report back in 16 weeks.