Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari,
By YUSUFU IDEGU, Jos.
The Director General and Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Funds (ITF) Sir Joseph Ari has appealed to the National Assembly for the review of the laws establishing the agency to enable it actualise its mandate to the fullest.
Sir Ari made the appeal on Wednesday when the House of Representative Committee on Industry visited the fund to carry out oversight function.
While welcoming the committee to the fund, Sir Ari said, “Even with the modest milestone ITF has reached so far and some laudable skills training programs, we intend to implement in this 2nd phase, ITF need the support of the National Assembly in its planned activities”.
“It is in this regard that I wish to call the attention of the honourable members to the fact that ITF is in the process of amending her Act and we are therefore appealing to the honourable members to support and hasten the processes”.
“The successful amendment of ITF Act will go a long way in helping ITF to realise its mandate in full in empowering Nigerians will neccessary skills for industrialisation of the nation”
Sir Ari added that, “As you are aware the key mandate of ITF as enshrine in the Act is the provision of skilled manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the public and private sectors of Nigeria economy.
“It is our contention in ITF that untill most Nigerians are equipped with competitive technical skills, we will, as a nation, continued to fight a losing battle against the blights of poverty and unemployment and their attendant consequences.
“Despite the enormity of the mandate, I am please to note that ITF has discharged it’s mandate with successes having trained over 25 million Nigerians that are manning key sector of the National economy in its 49-year history”
In his remarks during an interview with newsmen, The Chairman of the committee, Dr. Dolapo said, “ITF and the National Assembly have been relating like a family and we are impressed with what ITF is doing”.
“As for the amendment of ITF Act, the proceses is on, we will give all the neccessary legal backing to ITF because even the weak legal framework, ITF has inovated an Android mobile phone, if we strenghthen their laws may be they will produce an aircraft for Nigeria.
“For that reason, we will give ITF the neccessary legal framework to pioneer the much needed industrialisation of Nigeria”
The house committee on Industry ended their tour of industries in Plateau state with the visit to Grand Cereals and Oils Limited Jos.