- As Tinubu directs design of social security unemployment programmes
- Appeals to labour to shelve protests
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council presided over by President Bola Tinubu has announced that the management of public higher institutions will be held accountable for the prudent administration of its financial resources and strict compliance with establishing laws and regulations setting up the institutions.
The Minister of Education, Mamman Tahir made the disclosure while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting, atthe Presidential Villa Abuja.
The Minister stated that the council had approved a note presented in December 2023 as regards the pulling out of the Public higher institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPS), and approvals of recruitment waivers to the public institutions thereby providing opportunities for the institutions to manage their affairs.
Mamman said that the Council stressed the need for the the public tertiary institutions to be reminded of their obligations under various laws setting up the schools.
He added that the Council agreed to hold account managers of the institutions over any glitch of regulations.
“The Minister of Education had a note to the council and the Council approved to him as it relates to Higher education as it was taken in December if you recall but the council thought it is important for the university to be reminded of their obligation under the various laws that sets up the universities.
“This time around council will hold to account their management for any glitch of regulation which will be communicated to them and the effective date for this was the middle of December last year so henceforth these regulations will be conveyed to them so that they can be free to manage the university line with the various laws setting them up.
According to him, the tertiary institutions will now employ staff when there is budgetary provision for the need thereby taking into consideration the ratio between academic and non-academic staff, he said this must not be bridged.
“These all pertain to ensure that public tertiary Institutions employ staff only when there is budgetary provision for it and there is also a ratio between academic and non-academic staff which must not be bridged it is 1 to 5 as prescribed by the universities commission and there is a limit to per time staff that can be recruited that is restricted to senior lectures and above for particular period which should not exceed one year.
The Minister of Education also disclosed that the Council also made observations on research output from research institutes across Nigeria saying concerns were raised over the low quality and non relevance to the developmental needs of Nigeria.
“The council made some observations on research output from research institutes across the country and expressed concern about the institutes not living up to relevant and valid proper research that meets the requirement of Nigeria or that takes the country to the level of development and that is the major role of research institutes in developing countries.
“The council wants to see our Tertiary institutions play those roles while ensuring there is sufficient funding for those activities”.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has directed the design of Social Security Unemployment Programme.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, said that the President said the programme would ensure payment of unemployed Nigerian youths and provide immediate reinstatement of transfer of n25,000 to 12 million households for 3 months.
Edun also disclosed that the government is also considering another programme that will boost the purchasing power of the Nigerian youth thereby considering another programme to boost the purchasing power of the Nigerian youth.
He said: “At this period of heightened food prices, Mr President has committed to doing all that can be done to assist in giving purchasing power to the poorest and in that line, he has committed and instructed that the Social Security unemployment program be devised, particularly to cater for the youth, for the unemployed graduates, as well as the society as a whole.
“So, we have coming, in the nearest future, an unemployment benefit for the young unemployed, in particular.”
“Finally, all in the same line, to emphasize that there is empathy. And there is feeling for those who are less well off, or feeling particularly the pains of this adjustment, there is a social consumer credit programme.
“So, by making consumer credit available, of course, goods become more affordable, the economy even gets a chance to revive faster, because people have purchasing power that allows them to order goods, products,” he stated.
Edun also spoke on the review carried out by the Special Presidential Panel on the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which has submitted a preliminary report to the president.
Edun said President Tinubu gave the highlights to the Council meeting, noting that what was carried out was “a review of the existing mechanisms, a review of the existing programmes, and where there have been successes, such as the 400,000 beneficiaries of the Geep programme.
“Those that have been identified and recognized are school feeding programmes which is another example of relative success. And whilst there is still some further work to be done, particularly, as regards the availability of the financial data, which is still being looked at, the interim report has been submitted and a key recommendation of the panel was that, especially given the heightened, limited household purchasing power at this time, rising prices, particularly elevated food prices, it’s important to restart the programme.
“So, the direct payments to 12 million households comprising 60 million Nigerians are to resume immediately with the important proviso that every beneficiary will be identified by their national identity number and the bank verification number.
“Therefore, payments will be made into bank accounts or mobile money wallets. So, whether it is before or after, there is verification of the identity of beneficiaries.
“Each person that receives 25,000 Naira for a total of three months will be identifiable, even after they have received the money, it will be clear who it went to and when it went to them. And that is the big change that has allowed Mr. President to approve the restart of that direct payment to beneficiaries programme.” The Minister added.
Meanwhile, the federal government has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to show understanding over efforts to address their demands.
Minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, who made the call after the FEC meeting, said most of the demands by labour have already been met, noting that there is therefore no need for them to go on protest.
He said government is baffled by the action as he affirmed that nothing has been done to truncate agreement with labour.
He said the issue of the CNG buses is not what can be satisfied immediately as “the CNG is not just what you get off the shelf.”
“Government has done nothing to truncate the agreement. We appeal to labor to see reason”, the minister pleaded.