Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, has said what Nigeria need is skills and not certificate for economic development.
Ogah who stated this when he visited Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha, said government would continue to pay attention to job creation through skills training and acquisition.
The minister, who was led round facilities and departments at the Institute by the Acting Director/Chief Executive Mrs. Biakolo-Alisigwe Franca expressed happiness over the equipment on ground which he said needed to be upgraded to international standard.
He warned staff to be up and doing or be thrown out of the place, saying the era of indolence was over.
Ogah also stated that the ministry had gone 60 percent in getting the legal framework that would establish the institute, saying that Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the draft which was sent to the National Assembly.
The minister also paid a courtesy call on Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and traditional ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidube Iweka.
The Institute Director Biakolo-Alisigwe said the institute needed more workshops, classrooms for instruments and control engineering, steel fabrication and welding engineering.