PDP in Plateau flagged off campaign in Mangu, list Security as top on its agenda

SPEECH BY THE GUBERNATORIAL FLAG BEARER OF THE PEOPLES
DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), PLATEAU STATE, DISTINGUISHED SENATOR
(GENERAL) JEREMIAH TIMBUT USENI, DSS, FWC, MNI, CFR, SARDAUNA,
PLATEAU AND NASARAWA STATES, AT THE FLAG OFF OF THE STATE
CAMPAIGNS AT MANGU, TUESDAY JANUARY 8, 2019.
Protocol.
Today’s event marks the beginning of our collective quest as a party, and I dare say, as people of Plateau state, towards re-discovering ourselves and what we stand for in the Nigerian state. It is particularly significant to us as a political party because it is our deliberate and conscious effort in taking back power from a non-performing administration, the APC government.
Mr. Chairman, great party men and women, drawing from the philosophy,
principles and values of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, we are pursuing a RESTORATION agenda.

This seeks to entrench programmes and policies that would ensure the common good of our people, anchored on a six point agenda, and within a Four-year period (a single term).

This is in line with the zoning arrangement specially adopted for the purposes of the 2019 general elections.
My fellow Plateau people, let no one be left in doubt, we are setting out on this mission, prepared, with a vision as we have appraised the Plateau challenge.
We are driven by a conscious and patriotic zeal to address the ills that have
bedevilled the state in the last three and half years.

The Six Point Restoration agenda hinges on:

Sustainable peace and security;

Socio-economic development and tourism ;

Women and youth development;

Agro-allied, solid minerals and rural development;

Education and human capacity development; and

Health care services.

The Restoration Agenda seeks to provide answers to the following questions:
Who are we?
What is our heritage?
What are our cherished and shared values?
What have we lost?
What has gone wrong?
How do we restore that which is lost?

Plateau state, a once peaceful haven, as is the case with most states in the
Middle Belt, has over the years seen a spate of negative developments. This
includes violence perpetrated by groups and gangs of men to fully armed
militias, leading to the loss of lives and property.

Today we find ourselves in a climate of intimidation and fear. Our people are daily becoming vulnerable. We are concerned!
If given the mandate by the good people of Plateau State, our government shall: Promote, enhance and protect human life and property,
Stand with and protect all law abiding and peace loving peoples resident in the state, irrespective of race or creed, Constructively engage all groups and individuals (both within and outside the state) that are crucial in restoring the lost peace of the state called Plateau,

Examine some of the historical, ethnic, cultural, religious and general life factors that have the tendencies of making us volatile and explosive,
Pursue those things that would help us find common ground for peaceful co-
existence based upon justice, equality and freedom for all, Address the monopolized tendencies that are usually brought to bear when explaining and interpreting happenings in this great state of ours, and Aggressively pursue and claim what is rightfully ours from the Federal Government or any agency or body Great party men and women, and the good people of Plateau State gathered here today, we are aware of the socio-economic imbalance in the state.

It is not possible for us to solve contemporary social and economic problems
without correcting the inherent gaps and redressing the injustices that are
prevalent today.

On this regard, we shall:

Use the principle of justice, equality, freedom and equity in our socio-economic and political relationships, and in the distribution of resources for the benefit of all.

Seek to re-invent the middle class and the local business group to address
some legacies that are fast becoming obstacles to our growth and development,

Create the enabling environment to attract the inflow of investments,
particularly in the energy, minerals and tourism sectors. This will help addressnunemployment among our teeming youths.

With business activities thriving our revenue profile would receive a boost and drastically reduce our dependence of federal allocations to deliver the needed services.
Run an inclusive, transparent and accountable government, involving, all strata of the society, the youth, women, people with disabilities, the voiceless, the deprived, among so many other groups. We are mindful of our diverse and plural nature.

In today’s 21st Century world, women and youths occupy a strategic position, but they are yet to be empowered to play their roles as they should. We shall, in collaboration with relevant groups, address the inequalities, rivalries and some patterns of dominance-subordination relationships, including gender insensitivity, which undermine the full manifestation of their potentials.
We are aware our youths cannot lead us tomorrow if they are not properly
mentored and adequately empowered, especially in the areas of skills
acquisition and sports. I assure our youths that your energy, dynamism and
potentials would be brought to bear in our administration as partners. We shall collaborate with critical stakeholders to eradicate negative habits associated with drug abuse.
To implement the six point agenda, we recognize the fact that we shall be
required to take some urgent measures. We shall pursue the development of a responsible society, a just, participatory and sustainable society in relating with one another.
I am deeply convinced that once we recognize the fact that every person is
created for a life of dignity and fellowship, and that persons are created
‘members of one another’ as the Holy Bible says, we would have begun the
journey to restoring this state to its once enviable status.
My beloved people of Plateau State, as I conclude, I am painfully reminded of
the fact that many of our people, particularly women and children, are still out there in Internally Displaced People’s Camps. My heart goes out to them. If given the mandate, we shall not only pursue a programme of reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation, but take adequate measures to address the incessant attacks on our communities.
I believe that we have the will, depth of passion, faith, intellectual and strategic capacity that will ensure the execution of the agenda.
I invite you all, including our friends from other political parties, to keep faith with us as we seek to restore Plateau to its once enviable status as a leader in the Middle Belt, home of peace and tourism and a highly cosmopolitan people.
Before I take my seat, let me remind us that as we set out on this
electioneering, our mission is to deliver on all our candidates from our
presidential flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to my humble self for governor as well as our national and state assembly candidates.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, party faithful, by the grace of the Almighty
God, Plateau State will be restored.
PDP!!!
Thank you and God bless.

Media Village and ECWA Youth Ministry sets for an International Conference

Media Village Nigeria A MINISTRY OF YOUTH WITH A MISSION
&
ECWA youth ministries int’l
Invites you to Missions weekend tagged

‘#WeAreSent2019’ Matthew 28:19-20,Mark 16:15
(A campaign to mobilise youths to take part in fulfilling the Great Commission)

Date: 18th and 19th January, 2019
Venue: ECWA headquarters church, Jos.

Friday:2pm, Saturday:9am

Guest speakers
Sven Sturhmann USA
Pastor Chris Micah Jos Nigeria

Music Minister: Mr Razphil

Drama by;Italities

Featuring break out sessions on;

Fund Raising

Holliness

Becoming more like Jesus

Strong foundation in prayer

Discipling Nations through the 7 spheres of influence

Ending bible poverty.

President Buhari Inaugurates Technical Advisory Committee On Minimum Wage

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT,
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE INAUGURATION OF A TECHNICAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL
MINIMUM WAGE ON WEDNESDAY, 9TH JANUARY 2019 AT THE
PRESIDENTIAL VILLA, ABUJA
Protocols:
The last time Nigeria’s national minimum wage was reviewed was in 2011.
It is therefore evident that a review is necessary, despite the prevailing
fiscal challenges. This is why I constituted the Tripartite Committee of
Government, Organized Private Sector and Labour to consider the National
Minimum Wage and make recommendations to Government for its upward
review.
That Committee has since submitted its report with some
recommendations. We are currently working on the final steps that will lead
to the submission of a National Minimum Wage Amendment Bill to the
National Assembly.
I want to make it clear that there is no question about whether the
National Minimum Wage will be reviewed upwards. I am committed to a
review of the Minimum Wage.
Also, it is important to explain that even though the subject of a National
Minimum Wage is in the Exclusive Legislative List, we have been meeting
with the State Governors because it is imperative that the Federal
Government carries the State Governments along in determining any upward
review of the minimum wage for workers.
This is especially necessary considering the prevailing public sector
revenue challenges, which have made it extremely difficult for some of the
governments to pay workers as and when due.
As you know we, at the Federal level, have made adequate provision for
the increase in the Minimum Wage in our 2019 Budget proposals which we
submitted to the National Assembly. Therefore, we will be able to meet the
additional costs that will be incurred in moving up all personnel who are
currently earning below the new minimum wage.
However, we anticipate that after the new minimum wage has been
passed into law we will be going into negotiations for salary review for all
the workers who are already earning above the new minimum wage. It is
therefore important that we are properly prepared to meet these demands.
We must therefore look at ways of implementing these consequential
wage adjustments in a manner that does not have adverse effects on our
national development plans, as laid out in the Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan (ERGP). The ERGP sets appropriate targets for levels of Capital
Expenditure, Public Debt, Inflation, Employment, etc. It is absolutely
important that the implementation of a new minimum wage does not
adversely affect these targets, and thereby erode the envisaged gains for
the workers.
It is against this background that I have set up a Technical Committee
to advise Government on how best to fund, in a sustained manner, the
additional costs that will arise from the implementation of the consequential
increases in salaries and allowances for workers currently earning above the
new minimum wage.
The Technical Committee being inaugurated today will be chaired by an
Economist and Financial Expert, Mr. Bismarck Rewane. Other members of
the Committee are experienced economists and administrators from the
private sector working together with all the relevant officials in the
Government.
The Terms of Reference of the Committee are:
a. To develop, and advise government on how to successfully bring about a
smooth implementation of impending wage increases;
b. Identify new revenue sources, as well as areas of existing expenditure
from where some savings could be made in order to fund the wage
increases without adversely impacting the nation’s development goals as
set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan;
c. Propose a work plan and modalities for the implementation of the salary
increases;
d. Any other suggestions that will assist in the implementation of this, and
future wage increases.
Given the urgency of this exercise, the Committee is expected to
complete its deliberations and submit its report and recommendations
within one month today.
It is now my pleasure to formally inaugurate the Technical Advisory
Committee on the Implementation of an Increase in the National Minimum
Wage.
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.