Tag Archives: Abdulfatah Ahmed

Citizens need greater involvement in Economy building – Abdulfatah Ahmed

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The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has called for a collective sense of urgency to diversify the nation’s economy and tackle the current challenges facing the country.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the on-going symposium for Northern Nigeria Governors organized by the United States Institute for Peace in Washington DC, Governor Ahmed said current efforts at diversifying the economy away from dependence on oil and ending the hardship in the country stand a greater chance of success if all Nigerians approach the required  adjustments, sacrifices and drive with the collective sense of urgency.

Citing examples such as the defunct War Against Indiscipline(WAI) and Operation Feed The Nation, Governor Ahmed, who is among ten state governors attending the event, said the current efforts will succeed if all Nigerians buy into the government’s program on economic diversification and approach it with the required dedication and ownership to ensure rapdi economic recovery.

Alhaji Ahmed also emphasized the need for a broad-economic platform among the 19 Northern States to encourage partnership and ensure each leverage on identified strengths in agriculture and other key areas for the region’s collective benefit.

While acknowledging the enormous security and economic challenges facing the region and the resources required to conquer them, Governor solicited the US government’s assistance towards overcoming insecurity and hardship in the region.

Governor Ahmed also called for more reliable empirical data in confronting the twin problems of insecurity and poverty confronting the region, stressing such statistics will ensure that strategies are defined with clear goals, timelines and resource requirements to ensure they succeed in bring peace and prosperity to the region.

Meanwhile, Governor Ahmed and his colleagues are scheduled to meet with the US Secretary of State John Kerry and the US National Security Adviser, Susan Rice today in separate meetings at the State Departments and the White House to discuss areas of economic and security cooperation as well as assistance for the 19 Northern States.

Kwara Won’t Reduce Minimum Wage — Gov. Ahmed

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Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara says his administration will continue to pay the N18,000 minimum wage inspite of the drop in revenue earnings.

 

Ahmed gave the assurance at the inauguration of an auditorium at the Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, Ilorin.

 

“The state government is committed to the security and welfare of its workforce despite the current controversy about the proposed downward review of the minimum wage to workers in Nigeria.

 

“I am happy to announce that the state government is still committed to the continued payment of the minimum wage as it is notwithstanding the dwindling monthly allocations from the Federation Account,’’ Ahmed said.

 

The state government, he said, was also set to introduce the Contributory Pension Scheme in order to check post retirement pension challenges.

 

He said it was becoming increasingly impossible to sustain the present pension model where the state government was solely responsible for workers’ pension.

 

The governor described the Contributory Pension Scheme as result-oriented and affordable, saying it would be easy for beneficiaries to invest and get interest on their deposits.

 

“It is therefore necessary and in fact beneficial to adopt the more sustainable model of contributory pension in Kwara State,’’ he said.

 

The governor, who urged workers in the state to embrace the contributory pension model, said it would be beneficial to them and assist government in the judicious management of scarce resources.

 

The Director-General of the institute, Dr John Olarewaju, said the institution had been playing critical role in capacity development of the country’s labour force through various educational programmes.

 

 

 

(NAN)