Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that unless government invests significantly in getting people out of poverty and address other critical issues affecting children and other vulnerable groups, the inalienable right to life provided for in the Nigerian Constitution is meaningless.
“It is a victory for a point of view namely that the inalienable right to life confirmed in the Nigerian Constitution is meaningless in a society where large numbers are poor, if government does not invest significantly in getting people out of poverty and address the health and education issues of children and other vulnerable groups.”
Professor Osinbajo who spoke on Thursday at the launching of the strategic implementation plan of the first of its kind National Home-grown School Feeding Programme, one of the 5 social investment schemes of the presidency, emphasised that the constitutional and philosophical underpinnings for the N500 Billion Social Investment Programmes of the Buhari presidency is a mandate without which the inalienable right to life guaranteed Nigerians by the Constitution becomes meaningless.
The launching was attended by Governors, State Commissioners, representatives of international donors and partners, top Federal Government officials and civil society groups at the State House’s Banquet Hall.
The Vice President said that the Strategic Plan sets out the partnership arrangement on how federal, state, and local governments are to synergize towards achieving the primary objectives of the School Feeding Programme.
He said that the plan will only work with the cooperation of Federal, State and Local tiers of governments, while also emphasizing need for the buy-in of the people.
“it is called ‘Home Grown School Feeding’ for the reason that it must be owned by the people for whom it has been designed.”
Speaking on the theme: “Stimulating Socio-Economic Growth Through The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme” at the occasion, Vice President Osinbajo said that the Federal Government’s variant of the programme is not just a social welfare scheme which gives handouts to the poor, but “a direct economic benefit to the target groups and the economy as a whole.”
The Vice President said that the scheme would bring real change to the lives of over 20 million children nationwide, adding it would equally create the multiplier effect on the local economies in communities where these schools are located by boosting agriculture, entrepreneurship and employment.
He listed four major benefits of the programme, which include improved school enrolment and completion and cut current dropout rate estimated at 30 percent while reducing child labour, improved child nutrition and health, increased local agricultural production and creating jobs which would invariably lift families over the poverty line into a bright future
Vice President Osinbajo spoke about the Federal Government’s responsibility to part-fund the scheme, saying that it had secured technical support for the scheme.
He praised the development partners, financial institutions educational institutions and civil society groups for their support and assistance.
He commended, in particular, Partnership For Child Development (PCD), a programme of the UK’s Imperial College, London, describing the Director of the PCD, Professor Leslie Drake, “a great friend of Nigeria.”
The Vice President also presented the book: “Global School Feeding Sourcebook, Lessons from 14 Countries,” produced by the PCD. He said that the book and the PCD has launched the nation into an international school feeding ecosystem.
He also formally inaugurated the National Coordinating Team of the National Home-grown School Feeding Programme at the event.
The Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Kaduna State counterpart, Mallam Nasir El ‘Rufai made presentations on their states’ on-going school feeding programmes.
That was even as Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and his counterpart from Borno, Kashim Shettima joined the Vice President, the other governors, Professor Drake and the Presidential Special Adviser on Social Investments, Mrs. Maryam Uwais presented the book and the plan during the event. [myad]

President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded 47 names of Nigerians to be screened and confirmed as Ambassador and career diplomats.

The names were contained in a letter sent to the senate, and read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by Senate President Bukola Saraki on Thursday.

In the letter, the president sought the consent of the senate‎ for the confirmation of the nominees.

Some of the names of “the career diplomats” who will head Nigeria’s missions abroad when confirmed by the senate ‎ are Obinna Chukwuemeka, Okeke Vivian, Ngozi Okeje, Bello Kazaure, Garba Baba, Umar Salisu, Kadiri Ayinla Audu, Ibrahim Isa, Bankole Adeoye, Ibrahim Hamza, KC Nwachukwu, Olufemi Abekoye, Adekunbi Abibat, Salisu Umoru, Liman Munir, Mohammed Hassan Hassan, Olatunde Adesesan, Usman Bakure, Balogun Akeem and Kabiru Bala. [myad]

Publisher, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, has ordered the termination of the appointments of the 13 staff of the company who dare to ask him, through an ultimatum, to pay their outstanding salaries, running into 12 months.
It was learnt that Obaigbena, in a text message to a management staff in the Administration Department, Israel Iwuegbu, on Wednesday, ordered all the staff sacked.
Those who signed the memo and are facing the sack, are Tobi Soniyi, Olawale Ajimotokan, Patrick Ugeh, Senator Iroegbu, James Emejo, Omololu Ogunmade, Paul Obi, Ndubusi Francis, Dele Ogbodo, Damilola Oyedele, Chineme Okafor, Godwin Omoigui and Onyebuchi Ezigbo. They are all in the Abuja office of the company.
It was learnt that junior staff in the Abuja office are being owed seven months, while the senior staff are waiting to be paid for 12 months.
On June 7, the affected staffers, had, in a memo, gave Obaigbena uptol June 10 to pay the outstanding salaries of between seven and 12 months or face industrial action.
They threatened to embark on an initial strike from June 12 to 19 before declaring a total strike.
The affected staffers all belong to the Editorial Department.
In the memo by the Editorial Staff of the Abuja station, they said a warning strike of one week between June 12 and 19 will precede a total strike action if the management fails to pay them.
The memo, obtained by The Eagle Online, reads in full:
From: Editorial Staff, Abuja Office
Through: Editor, Nation’s Capital
To: The Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, THISDAY Newspapers
Subject: Notice of Warning Strike
Date: June 7, 2016
Dear Chairman,
Having borne the brunt of Management’s non-payment of our salaries —- running into several months, we, the undersigned Editorial Staff of THISDAY Abuja, have come to the painful decision to declare a warning strike.
Should the management fails to pay us by Friday, June 10, 2016, we will have no option than to embark on a one-week warning strike from Sunday June 12, 2016 until June 19, 2016.
Please, note that an indefinite strike will ensue at the expiration of the warning strike.
By this letter, we are putting the management on notice that effective Sunday June 12, 2016, we will cease to send stories to all THISDAY titles until our salary arrears are defrayed. In this case, we will supply stories to all the titles from now until Saturday June 11, 2016.
For several years, we have sacrificed everything- emotionally, physically and materially to ensure the continued survival of THISDAY but regrettably, the organisation has demonstrated an abysmal disregard for these gestures.
We need not state the obvious that virtually all of us here can no longer meet our obligations both to our families and other responsibilities.
Thanking you for your urgent response.
Signed:
1. Tobi Soniyi
2. Olawale Ajimotokan
3. Patrick Ugeh
4. Senator Iroegbu
5. James Emejo
6. Omololu Ogunmade
7. Paul Obi
8. Ndubusi Francis
9. Dele Ogbodo
10. Damilola Oyedele
11. Chineme Okafor
12. Godwin Omoigui
13. Onyebuchi Ezigbo
Cc: MD, DMD, GED (Finance), GED (Admin), GED (Abuja), Editor/GED, Editor (Sunday), Editor (Saturday), Editor, Nation’s Capital and Deputy Editors. [myad]