FG approves N2.11b for voters’ cards

Federal Government on Wednesday approved N2.117 billion to facilitate the second phase production of additional 33.5 million permanent voters’ cards for the 2015 general elections.

A breakdown shows that each card would be produced at the cost of N65.

Contract for the job had already been awarded to Messrs ACT Technologies Limited with a delivery period of six months.

It was observed that the approval at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting came shortly before the June delivery of the first batch of 40 million of the voters’ cards requested by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last year.

Information Minister, Labaran Maku, who briefed journalists after the meeting explained that the order was also ahead of a proposed scheme that would integrate the national identification card as voter’s card in 2019 and other subsequent elections.

The minister noted that the cards would be embedded with personal data of the electorate, including bio-data, photographs and other biometric details.

The FEC was said to have also approved a move to institutionalise six national vocational qualifications framework and the placement of national vocational qualifications in the public service.

These were contained in a memo submitted by Education Minister, Rukayat Rufai, which emphasised the need to promote and encourage those with these vocational skills to contribute to nation building and also close the gap created in the civil service structure.

She noted that the number of the unemployed had also increased because of the non-recognition of this class of people in the country, and that the recognition of the skill system by certification will create more room for development.

She said: “As Nigeria aspires to become a major player in the world economy, the place of skilled and competent workforce cannot be under played.

“A competent workforce necessary for higher productivity and effective implementation of development projects are building blocks for the economy.

“The phenomenon of vocational skills framework as being embraced by many countries as a vital scheme to enhance development of competent workforce and ensure hat qualifications to occupations are flexible, transparent and accountable.

“As Nigeria transforms to one of the world’s major economies, the greatest asset needed is a competent workforce, which the council believes could be best realised Nader National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF),” she said.

Women Affairs Minister, Zainab Maina, on the performance of her ministry in 2012, told journalists that as part of the achievements, 31 per cent of positions for judges were given to women, 26 per cent of all permanent secretaries in Nigeria are women and 32 per cent of ambassadorial positions were given to women.

She referred to the women in the Executive Cabinet as “Jonathan’s Queens” while she is the mother of all ministers.

“We are going to use our numerical strength to ensure that women gets more seats into the National Assembly,” Maina added.

( Daily Independent )

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