ITF enriching its mandate through Act amendment – Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun – DG, ITF

The Director General of Industrial Training Fund, ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun said, the agency was out to enrich its mandate by proposing amendment to Act establishing it, while dispelling rumours that mandates of other agencies of government are being taken.

He spoke with newsmen in Abuja, penultimate week when the ITF officials appeared before the Senate Panel on public hearing to amend the law establishing ITF.

He said: “We are not making new laws. We are enriching our mandate in ITF. The mandate are there, go to the mandate and read the mandate. Most people that talked here today have not read the mandate. Please go back as pressmen and read the mandate. I have read their mandate but I want them to read our mandate. You the media, go and read my mandate – ITF mandate.

“The law that sets up ITF, our goal is to make Nigeria work and work again. Our goal is to pursue the renewed hope agenda and we are doing that. And the president has told us, go out, up skill this artisan. It is getting embarrassing to say there is no job in Nigeria. For the avoidance of doubt, there is job in Nigeria.

“If there is no work in Nigeria, Ghanaians will come here, Lebanese will come here, Togolese will come here, they take up the job and abandoned become millionaire and go back to their country to enjoy there millions, yet we say there is no job. It is time for us to take up the jobs. The problem we have, we have substandard, sub-quality jobs and we are scaling that up, come what may.

“When we started, the artisans, they are happy with us because we are carrying them along. They told me at the beginning, people will fight you. There will be stumbling block on the way, I told them, I am ready to be baked and when I come out of the baking fire, I will be done and I will be ready for the agenda of Mr. President. I am ready to push it to success.”

Speaking with the National Union of Professional Artisans of Nigeria – NUPAN President, is like there is a cabal that is trying to frustrate this effort, how prepared are you?

“No cabal, we do not recognize any cabal, we don’t want to think of any cabal. Those things are distractions. We want to pursue the agenda of Mr. President, the renewed hope agenda.”