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.
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