WORKERS in Anambra State government will begin to receive the new minimum wage from July this year, Anambra state government has assured.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr C-Don Adinuba, who made the disclosure yesterday in a post Exco press briefing at the Government House, Awka, said the move was in keeping with Governor Willie Obiano’s campaign promise to energize the state workforce for greater productivity.
He explained that the extension of the salary review, earlier billed to take off in April, was to allow the Federal Government come up with the national minimum wage.
Adinuba further revealed that the executive council has approved comprehensive training and capacity development programmes for workers in the state, targeted at further enlightening them to the vision of the present administration.
In another development, the Commissioner for Basic Education Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha said the state government was desirous and passionate about technical and vocational education in the state.
Addressing participants at the Government Technical College Onitsha yesterday, Prof. Omenugha, announced that plans have been concluded to launch a 50-year development plan for a sustainable development of the state, adding that the committee to handle the take-off and running of the plan would be inaugurated within the next two weeks.
According to the commissioner, “The state would witness faster growth, the commissioner solicited for the cooperation of all and sundry to enable the governor to realise his development goal in the state.
“A total of 200 teachers in Anambra state are currently undergoing a 5-day training by the Anambra State Education Programme Investment PROJECT (SEPIP) in collaboration with Kiara College.
“The teachers, drawn from technical and vocational colleges across the state, are being trained in various trades including: plumbing and pipe fitting, bricklaying and block concreting, electrical machines repairs, solar energy production, furniture design and construction, fabrication and welding, event and catering management, mechanical engineering, painting and paint production.
She said the training was aimed at providing adequate manpower that would drive the pillars of the present administration to create wealth and minimize unemployment.
“Since 2015, technical colleges were revamped with free tuition pronounced for all students and mandatory training to expose teachers to the modern use of technology with equipment provided by the state government,” she said.
The commissioner further disclosed that aggressive marketing of skills to make a vocational trade attractive to youths were ongoing with transformation plans to provide more classrooms and hostels in technical colleges with fencing of 41selected schools to curb security challenges.
“Vocational trade is not a menial job but a trade to be learnt and admired by all,” she added.
The consultant, Mr Endi Ezengwa said the objective of the training was anchored on the human capacity building, induction of teachers into the operation and use of tools and equipment supplied recently by the state government to activate production Service Units in the colleges to make them independent.
Earlier, Chairman of Post Primary School Service Commission, Lady Joy Ulasi, stressed on quality assurance, regular attendance and diligence throughout the duration of the training.
The Project Coordinator of Anambra State Education Program Investment Project, Kene Enukora highlighted various interventions the World Bank assisted project had made to ensure access to quality education in Anambra State.
The training, with the theme “Facilitation of trade specific competency training for technical and vocational teachers” was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic Education, Barr. Ifeoma Ezeaku, support staff and facilitators.