News
Civil Society Organisation to FG: Implement the Expatriate Employment Levy in the national interest
National Convener of Labour & Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), Comrade Tony Erha, has stressed the importance of retaining the expatriate employment levy [EEL] despite mounting pressure for its cancellation by some interest groups.
The EEL, together with the handbook, was launched on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Erha, in a statement issued in Abuja against the backdrop of Federal Government’s decision to temporarily suspend implementation of the EEL to allow for more stakeholders’ engagement, earnestly pleaded for the retention of the levy.
He underscored the manifold benefits of the levy, emphasizing its pivotal role in income generation, employment provision for the nation’s youth, and the promotion of local content development.
The expatriate employment levy, a fee imposed on companies for hiring foreign workers, has recently been a subject of contention, with National Employers’ Consultative Assembly [NECA] and a couple of other interest groups opposing its implementation.
Throwing its weight behind the levy, Erha advised the Federal Governent not to capitulate to demand for its cancellation.
He cited the “significant advantages the EEL brings to Nigeria’s economic landscape,” pointing out that “those criticising it are doing so only for selfish reasons.”
According to him: “Income generation is vital for the sustenance of any economy. The expatriate employment levy serves as a crucial source of revenue for the government, contributing to national development initiatives and infrastructure projects.”
Erha underscored the role of the levy in addressing the issue of unemployment among Nigerian youth.
“By incentivizing companies to prioritize local talent over foreign hires, the levy creates job opportunities for young Nigerians, thereby fostering youth empowerment and economic inclusion.
“Unemployment remains a pressing concern in our country, particularly among the youth.
“The retention of the expatriate employment levy is instrumental in promoting job creation and reducing dependency on foreign expertise,” he stated.
Erha emphasized the importance of nurturing local content development across various industries.
According to him: “By levying a fee on the employment of expatriates, the government encourages companies to invest in local talent and skills development, ultimately fostering indigenous capacity-building and technological advancement.
“We must prioritize the development of our local workforce and industries. The expatriate employment levy incentivises companies to transfer knowledge and expertise to Nigerian workers, thus enhancing our capacity for innovation and economic self-reliance.”
He adverted attention to the global context, pointing out that “many other countries impose similar levies on expatriate employment.
“Nigeria is not alone in implementing such measures. Numerous countries around the world recognize the importance of regulating expatriate employment to safeguard their economies and promote indigenous workforce development.”
He urged the Federal Government to stand firm in its decision to implement the expatriate employment levy, after hearing out NECA and co, emphasizing its critical role in revenue generation, youth empowerment, and local content development.
According to him: “Now more than ever, we need to prioritize policies that advance the interests of our nation and its people. The expatriate employment levy is a cornerstone of such policies and should be upheld for the greater good of Nigeria.”
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has given accreditation to more foreign schools to write the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Azeez Sani, disclosed this in a statement.
The newly accredited schools are in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea.
“NECO Accreditation Team visited the Schools to assess their readiness to write the SSCE and BECE.
“The Accreditation Team inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer laboratories, workshops, examination halls and sport facilities to determine their adequacy and suitability for NECO Examinations.
“After a thorough evaluation and comprehensive assessment, the schools were granted full SSCE and full BECE accreditation status,” the statement said.
The statement added that the accreditation of additional foreign schools is a testament to NECO’s commitment to providing quality education and assessment beyond the shores of Nigeria.
“With its expanding global presence, NECO is poised to become a leading examination body in Africa, offering opportunities for students worldwide to benefits from its expertise, thus contributing to the advancement of education in Africa and beyond.”
In another development, the statement disclosed that candidates are participating in the on-going NECO SSCE External in Diffa, Niger Republic.
“The UNHCR School, Diffa, Niger Republic is the first NECO SSCE External Centre outside Nigeria.”
NECO examinations are now written by candidates in Benin Republic, Togo, Cote’ d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, suffered the worst defeat of his managerial career as they lost 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night.
The Premier League champions were already on a run of four consecutive defeats ahead of the visit of the North London side.
James Maddison scored twice in the first half to set Spurs on their way to a sensational win.
Pedro Porro drilled in a third, before Brennan Johnson got on the scoresheet late in the game.
The result leaves City in second place with 23 points. They could go eight points behind Liverpool by the end of this Game Week.
Guardiola takes his men to Anfield next weekend.
News
FUOYE Re-Marks Exam Papers of Student Failed By Lecturer Over Sex-for-Grade Scandal, Secures Justice
The Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, has cleared a female student, Ramota Olahanloye, to graduate following the re-marking of her final-year examination scripts.
Olahanloye had alleged that a lecturer, Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia, demanded sexual favours from her, and when she declined, he deliberately failed her in two final-year courses.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Wole Balogun, the university confirmed that Olahanloye’s allegations were investigated, and her scripts were re-marked.
“The young lady’s scripts were re-marked, and she performed fairly better than the scores initially awarded by Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia,” the statement read.
According to Balogun, the university management approved Olahanloye’s revised results, which qualified her for graduation.
“The university management has given executive approval for her results to be processed. She has since commenced her final clearance from relevant units of the university,” the statement added.
Balogun also disclosed that Agbegbedia had been sanctioned by the institution for his misconduct.
Olahanloye expressed her joy over the resolution of the case, saying, “I am happy that I have gotten justice, and I really appreciate the university Vice-Chancellor for setting up the committee that investigated the matter.
“I was shown my entire results, including the graduation list with my name on it. I have started my clearance as a graduating student of the university, and I am truly happy.”
Her father, Rasaki Olahanloye, also lauded the university for its commitment to justice.
“I can confirm to the world that FUOYE has served justice to my daughter. I was shown her upgraded results after her scripts were re-marked, and it is clear that she passed.
“The university fulfilled its promise to ensure fairness, and I appreciate the VC, Prof. Sunday Fasina, and the committee members for ensuring my daughter gets justice,” he said.
School principal suspended in Akwa Ibom over poor feeding of students
NECO accredits more foreign schools for SSCE, BECE
Guardiola suffers worst defeat of career as Tottenham hammer Man City 4-0
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