By Ifeanyi Nwoko

Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has cautioned Chinese companies operating in Nigeria to strictly obey the labour laws of the country as well as local customs.

Wang who is in Nigeria on a working visit gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja while responding to questions from newsmen shortly after a closed-door meeting with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffery Onyeama.

Wang who was responding to questions about alleged mistreatment of Nigerian workers by some Chinese companies said that the government of China would not tolerate such issues if they occur.

He noted that most of the Chinese companies in Nigeria were obeying the laws of the land, pointing out that if there were exceptions, there were established diplomatic channels to address such issues.

“We make this clear to each and every Chinese company doing business in Nigeria, Nigerian laws must be strictly abided by, local customs shall be respected.

“We believe most of the Chinese companies here are doing well in this regard but there can be a few exceptions because of this or that kind of reasons they might have some labour issues.

“This is not something the Chinese government wants to see and whenever such issues occur we have diplomatic channels to communicate to make sure that the situation is properly handled to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Nigerian workers,” he said.

On the visit, Wang said that Nigeria in the first on the list of five countries including Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Tanzania and Seychelles, which he would be visiting.

He said that the message which he is taking with him is that of strong commitment of China to work with African Countries to build a closer community with a shared future.

“China firmly supports Africa’s fight against COVID-19, when China was hit by the coronavirus, we received firm support from our African brothers and such support we always cherish.

“On our part, China has contributed supplies to 53 African countries and the African Union, for some of them, this has helped met their immediate needs.

“China remains a developing country, China’s cooperation with Nigeria is South South cooperation. What makes this different from North South Cooperation is that the former is all about mutual help and support between friends,” he said.

He assured that China’s relationship with Nigeria was neither political not a show of economic power but was based on the needs of Nigeria as dictated by the bilateral consultations between both countries.

“China sees to it that we do not interfere in Nigeria’s internal affairs.

“We have helped build a number of railways, highways and other projects, we believe this has contributed to Nigeria’s economic growth. Next step we will encourage more Chinese investment in Nigeria, with more investments, more jobs will be created,” he said. (NAN)

By David Adeoye

The Oyo State Government has commended the Federal Government initiative for the establishment of the Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme, aiming at addressing the unemployment issues in the country.

The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Rauf Olaniyan, gave the commendation at the state inauguration of the programme  in Akinyele Local Government Secretariat, Moniya in Ibadan on Tuesday.

Olaniyan declared that the ESPW programme was a direct attack on unemployment, noting that the programme would go a long way in bringing succor to the living standard of the 1000 beneficiaries from Oyo State.

He stated that the programme would complement efforts of the state government in addressing the problem of unemployment.

He disclosed that the state government would soon give letters of appointment to 5,000 teachers and over 2,000 non teaching staff as permanent workers in the service of the state.

He added that new medical personnel would soon be offered letters of appointment too, apart from some lawyers that have been recruited as state counsel.

“All these are aiming to reduce the unemployment rate.

“So, you will agree with me that this programme is actually complementing the efforts of the state government in bringing the unemployment in the state to minimum level,” he said.

The deputy governor further commended members of the state committee for the smooth starting of the programme.

He, however, stressed the need to fully carry the state government along in the selection process of the committee members in the next phase of the programme.

He implored the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to use performance indicator for the participants to be able to assess the progress of the programme.

He also urged the beneficiaries to see the programme as an opportunity to contribute their quota to the nation’s building and also improve their living standard.

Speaking, Mr Festus Keyamo, the Minister of State, Ministry of Labour and Employment, said that ESPW was aimed at shielding the most vulnerable from the ravaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, these include but not limited to, pervasive hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and joblessness.

Keyamo, represented by Mr Olufemi Ajao, said the programme engaged 774,000 selected unemployed Nigerians across the 774 local government areas in the country.

He added that the programme which would last for three months would provide the necessary economic palliatives to the 774,000 unemployed youths.

He further said that the Federal Government would closely monitor the implementation of the programme to ascertain the efficient utilisation of every resource, human/materials, committed to the programme.

On his part, the Director-General of NDE, Mallam Nuhu Fikpo, urged every beneficiary of the programme to reciprocate the gesture of the President Mohammadu Buhari-led government.

Fikpo represented by the NDE coordinator in Oyo state, Mrs Olayinka Olayemi, said that they could do this by diligently executing their assigned tasks throughout the duration of the programme.

The director-general also requested Nigerians living within all the benefiting communities to cooperate with the participants and officials as they go about their duties. (NAN)

Media
By Rabiu Sani-Ali
Kano, Jan. 5, 2021 (NAN) The Kano State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, has urged media organisations to synergise towards actualising enhanced salary structure for working journalists in the country.
Garba made the call on Tuesday in Kano at the annual congress and award presentation, organised by the Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU), Pyramid FM chapter.
He said that journalists, being the watchdog of the society, needed to be well taken care of, especially in terms of welfare, allowances and benefits.
The commissioner noted that the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) had presented a Journalists’ Enhancement Bill to the National Assembly few years ago, adding that there was the urgent need for media organisations to work in synergy towards its actualisation.
Garba, a former National President of NUJ, said that the Kano State government was working hand-in-hand with all the media outfits in the state to ensure harmonious relationship.
He commended Pyramid FM for effective coverage of the state, stressing that the station had demonstrated high sense of professionalism and ethical standards in its content.
In his remarks, the General Manager of the radio station, Ismaila Ahmad-Dabai, said that the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) was committed to enlightening the general populace on government’s policies and programmes.
Ahmad-Dabai, who said that the station was committed to sustainable production, urged the state government to support it to overcome its challenges.
He reiterated the station’s commitment to continuing its educative programmes to sensitise and enlighten the public on the activities of the state government.
Also speaking, the Chairman of RATTAWU, Mustapha Rabiu-Zango, said that the event was organised for the union to conduct its annual congress and recognise some personalities for their contributions to media development in the state.
Rabiu-Zango said that the congress would facilitate deliberations on topical issues with a view to addressing some of the challenges affecting its members.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlights of the event included paper presentation as well as presentation of awards to some personalities and members of staff for their outstanding performances. (NAN)
RSA/CHOM/WAS
Edited by Chioma Ugboma and ‘Wale Sadeeq