Each Technical Aid Corps Volunteer earns over $1,000 monthly – D-G Each volunteer of the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) sent to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries earns above 1,000 U.S. dollars (about N160,000) as allowance every month. Prof. Pius Osunyikanmi, the Director-General of TAC, said in Abuja that the monthly allowances of the volunteers were ``very huge” Osunyikanmi said each volunteer is paid in dollars and naira for the external and domestic components of their allowances respectively. ``The Federal Government is providing their (volunteers’) allowances, which is very huge in foreign currency. ``Of course, there is the external component of it and there is the domestic component of it. ``For the external component of it, the minimum is 1,000 U.S. dollars per month. If you convert that at the local exchange market, that translates to N160,000. ``That is much more than what a Level 12 or a Level 13 officer in our public service would earn. ``In addition to that, a total amount of N25,000 is to be paid into their accounts monthly to be able to maintain whoever they are leaving behind. ``If you put that together in naira term, you’ll be talking of something very close to about N180,000 to N200, 000 naira,” Osunyikanmi said. The director-general said that the Federal Government was totally committed to the welfare of the volunteers in whatever countries they were deployed to. He explained that everything that was needed to make the volunteers comfortable in their countries of service had been provided in advance by the government. ``In terms of financial commitment, I must emphasise that the Federal Government has done everything possible. ``The fund is there; it is not that we have to wait to meet their financial requirements, it’s been provided…,’’ he said. According to Osunyikanmi, the security of the volunteers is also of paramount importance to the Federal Government and they have been assured of maximum security wherever they are posted to. ``Let me also emphasise that should there be any serious incidence of insecurity, Nigeria will move in within 48 hours to evacuate all our volunteers,’ he said. According to him, the recipient countries are expected to provide the volunteers ``reasonable” accommodation and ``reasonable” working environment. ``The recipient countries are to guarantee first and foremost, the security of the volunteers. ``They must also ensure that where there is a distance between their place of residence and place of work, they undertake to provide the means of transportation,” he said
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:37:33 +0000
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