Leadership (Abuja)
Ebahi Efidon-Ekuerhare
7 October 2008
President Umar Musa Yar' adua has called on the Northern states to harness the economic and mineral potential available to them toward the economic growth and development of the region.
The President, who was represented by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Engr. Charles Ugwuh, made this charge at the ongoing Northern Nigeria Economic and Investment Summit (NEIS) 2008 under the theme, "Transforming Potentials to Wealth", an initiative of the Conference of the Northern States' Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture(CONSCCIMA), which is taking place at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Abuja.
Speaking at the occasion, the President noted that the summit was a right step in the direction. He, however, extolled the economic potentialities and the available mineral resources in the area such as tin, phosphate, limestone, columbite alongside agricultural commodities like sorghum, sesame seed, cotton, millet and gum Arabic which, he stated, are abundant in the north but have remained untapped.
He called for redoubled efforts in the area of investment drive, especially in the agro processing sector, solid minerals, textile and bio-fuel sectors , which he noted are doing well in the north.
For his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III, made reference to the challenges and difficulties faced by the north and, in the same vein, charged the governments to use the opportunity of the summit to set benchmarks and feedback systems between the tiers of government and even the organised private sector (OPS).
In his words: "A summit of this nature should provide us with a unique opportunity for introspection and reflection, to examine our successes and failures, to re-evaluate old and new challenges, and how to meet them and to resolve to ourselves with all the seriousness , sincerity and determination we could muster, to chart the course that would lead us to the promised land".
He emphasised that planning, requisite infrastructure and a conducive and stable policy and macro-economic environment were ways in which business could thrive, and at the end of the day yield developmental benefits for the North.
According to him: "The North was largely responsible for creating the West African regional economy in pre-colonial times and for bringing wealth and prosperity to millions of the citizenry. Our past leaders achieved this great feat owing to the effective mobilisation of their people."
The Chairman of CONSCCIMA, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, who gave the welcome address, stressed the objective of the summit, which he stated is to turn around the economy of Northern Nigeria, an area faced with looming danger at the moment.
"Our youths are unemployed and our workers are underemployed. To reverse this trend, we must change our attitudes from selfishness to selflessness, from suspicion to cooperation, from wealth accumulation to wealth creation, from poverty to prosperity and from .leadership to legacy."
He called on North to begin to tap the appropriate initiative and focus on regenerating the redundant resources, most of which are plentiful in the North.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said Nigeria's ambitious agenda of becoming one of the top 20 economic powers in the world in 2020 would be a pathetic illusion if the Federal Government continues to ignore teachers' welfare or neglect education.
President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Ibrahim Omar, in his speech at the 2008 World Teachers Day, said Nigeria was headed for doom if the only sector on which the country relies on for the building of human resources was treated with disdain.
According to Omar: "Nigeria 's development is not all about seven-point agenda, "but is about only one major point, that is, education."
"In today's globalising world, knowledge is the number one facilitator of development. In today's world, oil and gas, solid minerals and other brick and mortar elements are no longer the decisive factors in development. The most consequential asset and prerequisite for development today is human capital".
He regretted that instead of improving the status of education, which is one of the lowest globally, the Federal Government has not demonstrated commitment to the sector and that of the teachers' welfare beyond rhetoric.
Instead, he said, the government sees the teacher as an "opposition that must be crushed and dribbled for asking questions. He said the agenda of improving teachers' welfare is not just a trade union concern or a bread and butter issue alone saying, "it is a fundamentally developmental challenge."
Taking stock of Nigeria's progress after 48 years of political independence he observed that the stark reality is that the nation has remained backward, recording failures in virtually all aspects of the development, particularly in the education sector.
Omar called on the state governors who are yet to commence the implementation of the Teachers' Salary Structure (TSS) to step up action in that regard.
In his remarks, Minister of Education, Chief Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu said the United Nations fixed the 5th of every October for teachers not only in recognition of their numerical strength worldwide, but also in recognition of the indispensable roles they play as moulders of the society.
The theme of the celebration, he said, is "Teachers Matter", is very apt as it captures the very existence and their stand in promoting and inculcating values, skills and cultural experiences in young minds.
The 2008 World Teachers' Day, he noted, was a double celebration as it was jointly celebrated with the Presidential Teachers' and Schools Excellence Award, which was instituted in 2007, to recognise certain persons for their various contributions in the upliftment of education in exceptional ways.
The National Deputy President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Onem Nelson Onem, said teachers' role is central in a child's life-long learning process as well as the overall development of education.
Three teachers: Mr. Oyewole Adewale from Ekiti State, Alli Adesina from Ogun State , and Mrs. Fubara Augusta from Rivers, won the jumbo prize of Peugeot 206 each for coming tops in the School Administrators, Junior Secondary Schools and Senior Secondary Schools categories respectively. There were other categories like the best teachers (primary school), best teacher (junior secondary school) among others. Electric generators, refrigerators, computers and printers were distributed to the winners in these categories.
Teachers from the 36 states of the federation also participated in the march past. Nasarawa NUT contingent emerged the winner, followed by Lagos and Enugu states in second and third positions respectively.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
