Rep.(Dr)Nnanna Uzor Kalu sponsors a Bill on Poverty Alleviation. The Bill which passed first reading seeks to establish a National Poverty Alleviation Commission.This Bill when signed into law would institutionalize the fight against poverty in Nigeria. The bill POVERTY ALLEVIATION COMMISSION (ESTABLISHMENT)BILL 2010.(HB 408) would go along way in ensuring that the welfare of majority of Nigerians are improved significantly.
2009 CONSTITUENCY REACHOUT AND TOUCH PROGRAMME
The annual Constituency outreach programme of Hon.(Dr)Nnanna Uzor Kalu took place from June 25th and 26 ,2009 .Venue for the two day event are Boys' Technical College,FaulksRoad,Aba(25th June,2009) and Aba Town Hall(26th June) .
The programme which was initiated as an outreach to impact positively and empower members of his Constitency.Since its inception in 2004,a lot of beneficiaries would attestate that their lives have been transformed positively.
It is usually an occassion in which Hon.Dr.Nnanna Uzor literally reached out and touched his constituent bringing the democracy dividends to the reach of the downthroddened.
FG okays 16-wk maternity leave for workers
National News Jun 16, 2009
By Funmilayo Kolafe
GENEVA — WOMEN in the federal public service are now entitled to 16 weeks maternity leave with full pay.
Before now, women in government or private sector employment were entitled to 12 weeks maternity leave with full pay irrespective of their status and the number of babies delivered.
The International Labour Organisation, yesterday, advised Governments of all member countries, including Nigeria, to consult with private employers and workers’ organisations in order to respond positively to the global job crisis.
On the maternity leave for women in the federal public service, a member of the government delegation to the 98th International Labour Conference holding in Geneva, Mrs. Theresa Braimah, confirmed this while speaking during a session on Gender Equality.
It is however yet to apply in the private sector because the National Assembly is yet to pass the Labour Standards Bill which includes the 16-week maternity leave for women.
The draft bill which contained consensus reached on a number of work place issues recommended 16 weeks maternity leave for women with multiple births who are engaged in the private sector.
But the Federal Government’s 16 weeks maternity leave is for all female federal employees irrespective of their marital status and the number of babies delivered.
However, Nigeria is yet to ratify Convention 183 (Maternity Protection Convention, 2000) which recommends a minimum of 16 weeks maternity leave for women.
Mrs. Braimah who represented the Federal Government at the meeting said although the ILO “had offered considerable support on policies and programmes promoting gender equality, more could be done to strengthen the research agenda and knowledge base relating to new trends and changing patterns in the world of work especially in the context of the economic crisis”.
Wondering why only a few countries have ratified, Convention 183 (Maternity Protection Convention, 2000), Mrs. Braimah called for more women representation at the International Labour Conference even as she congratulated the ILO on its Action Plan for Gender Equality and gender focal point network”.
How to tackle global job crisis, by ILO
Also at the same conference, the ILO suggested that solutions to be proferred on global job crisis must focus on “rapid recovery of employment and accompanying social protection needs” which must be “central to public policy and business decisions.
At the same time, we need to build an efficient social market economy that will prevent relapsing into the excesses and inequalities of the past.”
The President of Finland, Tarjan Halonen in his contribution, called for a modernisation of the international financial system “so that it meets the necessary criteria for safety and transparency”. He said, “the lack of trust in the financial system is a serious problem”.
ILO’s Director-General, Mr. Juan Somavia, who spoke at the commencement of a 3-day summit on the Global Jobs Crisis said, “At these times, what brings social partners together with government is far greater than their differences.
The green shoots of renewed social dialogue sprouting here and there must multiply”.
Mr. Somavia said the ILO is aware that “one of the biggest challenges we face is to make social dialogue work at home.
We know it’s not easy, we justify its absence.
We find excuses for its underperformance, we blame the other but the end is that we all lose”.
On a note of caution he said, “If social dialogue does not take root at home in times of crisis, we would be weakening the full potential of a Global Jobs Pact”.
Mr. Somavia said the “UN Chief Executives Board is working on nine joint initiatives to confront the crisis-including on employment and social protection with the ILO as lead legacy”.
He emphasised that “legitimacy is not just the power to decide, it is the capacity to deliver solutions that work and respond to people’s needs, the accountability for what we are doing”.
President Tarjan Halone, one of the nine heads of state and government attending the 3-day Global Jobs Crisis said, “The weakness of the global financial structures have long been known. They were pointed out by the ILO World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation in 2004”.
On the effect of the current crisis on developing countries, he said “the devastating effects of the economic and financial crisis are particularly felt in the developing countries.
We must show our solidarity for the most vulnerable and remain strong in our commitment to reach the United Nations Millennium Development Goals”.
The ILO Director-General, Mr. Somavia said the objective of the Global Jobs Pact is “a world economy that works for all; delivers on decent work for women and men; social justice at home and a fair globalisation in the world.
This is our task. That’s the mandate of the 2008 Declaration, it cannot be delayed”.
Communique of 2009 Retreat
The House of Representatives yesterday in Kano stressed the need for a credible electoral system for the country.
A communiqué issued by the House Leader Tunde Akogun at the end of a three-day retreat held for its members at Uyo and Kano simultaneously, stated that such a system was necessary to bring about a lasting legacy for democracy.
It noted that the authority of the National Assembly to alter the constitution was clear and unambiguous as enshrined in section 9 of the 1999 constitution, saying that there was need to lay down the procedure for constitutional amendment.
“Conceptually, the legislature is the most powerful institution in a democratic setting because legislatures are the only institutions with the power to create other powers,” it said.
The communiqué noted that “we have the monopoly of the powers to make laws through establishment of new commissions and agencies, the enactment of policy and the control of expenditure through the process of appropriation laws’’.
It noted that legislators spoke for constituents and created a connection between elections and government actions.
The communique added that in the country people had spoken repeatedly that they supported the constitutional reform to entrench federalism and deepen the country’s democracy.
It highlighted the importance of constitutional review because the present constitution was bequeathed by the military.
The National Assembly, it said, should transform itself and support the deep desire of the people for real democracy, noting that by so doing the members could enter the annals of history as ``heroes of democracy.”
The communique restated the need to implant the authority of the legislature through the integration of the House into a unified whole and strengthened to carry out its constitutional duties.
It stressed the need for members to uphold the dignity of their office in theory and practice at all times, adding that there was need for a Pension and Retirement Benefit Scheme for members as obtained in many democratic countries.
It called for equality and mutual respect in the relationship between the Senate and the House, adding that the National Assembly had the power and responsibility for budget appropriation and oversight functions as enshrined in section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
“There is need to adopt an efficacious budget process premised on an articulated philosophy of budget preparation and implementation,” it stated, noting that at present there was no proper consultation of stakeholders in the preparation and implementation of the budget.
The communiqué called for urgent need to establish a National Assembly Budget Office, which, it said, would collate figures on all economic indices and carry out sustained research on budget matters as done in many countries.
Poverty reduction: World Bank approves $25m for Nigeria
The poverty reduction scheme in Nigeria has
received a big boost following World Bank’s
approval of US$25 million to support the project.
In a news release signed by Mr. Foluso Okunmadewa,
the World Bank Task Team Leader of the project,
made available to Daily Champion, the World
Bank has approved US$25 million International
Development Association (IDA) credit to provide
additional funding for the Community Based
Poverty Reduction Project (CPRP) in Nigeria.
Okunmadewa explained further that the project
aims to improve access for the poor to social
and economic services and increase the availability
and management of development resources at the
community level.He said, the project will be
implemented in eight states including Aba in Abia,
Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Kogi, Kebbi, Yobe, Kwara
and Ebonyi.
"The additional financing will ensure that about
600 community-based poverty reduction micro-projects
that are currently underway are completed.
The funding will also help maintain the momentum
of the community – driven development approach
in the country until a nationwide community
development project, currently under preparation
by the Federal Government, begins," he said.
He noted further that the additional funding
will continue to support government efforts to
empower communities to become agents and
beneficiaries of change to improve the lives
of their citizens.
According to him, the additional financing will
address unmet demands and requests from community
groups for micro-projects in virtually all the
states currently implementing the CPRP.
He recalled that the first community based poverty
reduction project, using the community driven
development approach was approved in 2000 for
US$60 million.
He added that the supplemented credit is for
two years and will close on August 31, 2008.
The IDA credit has a maturity of 40 years with
a grace period of ten years, while the credit
is interest free with a service charge of 0.75
per cent
