- Ambassador says Chinese people are always with their Nigerian brothers and sisters
- As Ngige says there’s no funds to pay workers
The Chinese Government is committing at least, $5m towards feeding Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the northeastern part of Nigeria, in line with humanitarian support of World Food Programme (WFP).
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian indicated this on Monday during the presentation of 4.3 metric tons of rice to WFP in Maiduguri, saying the support was designed to cater to the emergency food needs of the victims of Boko Haram insurgency, particularly the IDPs.
He said that the Chinese Government had also committed additional 7.23 million dollars worth of emergency food assistance for IDPs, which would last till June this year.
“When emergency needs arise; then, help should come from all corners. This is a universal thing; Nigeria and China are very good friends, partners and brothers.
“’So it is only natural when China helps its Nigerian brothers especially when they are in severe situations. Today, we are here to collaborate with the World Food Programme (WFP) in its laudable efforts.
“By doing this, we want to send a strong message that the Chinese people and its government are always with their Nigerian brothers and sisters.
“This year, we have a lot of cooperation with Nigeria, especially in the area of infrastructure and agriculture. We are currently working on the China-Nigeria Agricultural Cooperative.
“By doing this, the Nigerian agricultural sector and other sectors will grow.
“We working with Nigeria to revolutionize the agricultural sector, whereby we eat what we grow and grow what we eat.
“We have also invited many Chinese investors to come and invest in Nigeria. The investment of China in Nigeria is increasing very fast and this means that the Nigerian economy will grow,’’ he said.
Speaking, Mr Ronald Sibanda, the Country Representative of WFP, described the contribution of the Chinese Government as very timely because of the funding shortfalls of his agency.
Sibanda said that the five million dollars was used to procure about 4.3 metric tons of rice, which would meet the food needs of about 400,000 IDPs.
“Last month (April), more than 1.1 million beneficiaries, mostly IDPs from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in IDPs camps and host communities, benefitted from the WFP food assistance,” he said.
He said that funding shortfalls had been a major challenge facing the WFP project before the support from the Chinese government.
“Funding shortfalls had been our major challenge and this had forced WFP to deliver below-optimal rations and this is causing food-pipeline breaks that continue to constrain the scale up of WFP response as the lean season approaches.
“Also, the security situation remains fragile and unpredictable and access to some of the worst affected people remains a major concern.
“With the rainy season, which is expected to begin in May/June, many access roads may be impassable due to flooding.
“In May this year, WFP will be targeting 1.3 million persons,’’ he added.
In the meantime, new minimum wage talks may have been shifted until salary and promotion arrears owed civil servants are cleared, it was learnt yesterday.
Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige, Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Budget Office Director-General Ben Akabueze and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba met yesterday with the leadership of the National Assembly to find ways of clearing salary and promotion arrears of civil servants.
Also for discussion at the closed door meeting chaired by Senate President Bukola Saraki was the issue of payment of transfer allowances of workers and death benefits.
Ngige told reporters that they were at the National Assembly on the invitation of ledership.
He added that though some progress was made at the meeting, all sides were to go back and come back tomorrow with possible solution to the identified issues which is that “government does not have enough fund for now to tackle the issues”.
Ngige said: “We are here on the invitation of the National Assembly, the joint committee on labour and employment and the meeting is chaired by the Senate President.
“We are here to discuss issues relating to things that are meant for industrial harmony in the public sector.
“As you are aware, the labour federations have said the governors have not been treating them well.
“One of the cardinal issues of International Labour Organisation (ILO) is to give our workers decent jobs and we decided to discuss with them.
“We looked at the issues of salary arrears, promotion arrears, death benefits, location expenses and transfer allowances, hotel allowance, which overtime have accumulated and had run into billions and this is what is owed to federal public servants and we started the meeting today to find a solution.”
Asked why a new minimum wage was not top on the agenda, Wabba, who was almost walking away, described the process as “holistic”.
On labour’s demand, he said: “Labour has spoken with one voice. We have made a formal demand, which you are aware. It is N56,000, there is no need repeating it.”
Additional report from Nation
