By Jimitota Onoyume
PORT HARCOURT—THE Federal Government and companies operating in the country, have been urged to be committed to their financial obligations to the Industrial Training Fund, ITF.

Director General of the body, Prof Longman  Wapmuk, who made the appeal, said lack of funds was limiting the operations of the ITF.

The DG who spoke at an interactive session with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the only time the Federal Government released funds for the operations of the body was in 1971, when the body was established.

He said in spite of the financial challenges,  the body had gone ahead to train  about 10  million Nigerians through its direct training services, entrepreneurship programmes, technical skills acquisitions and the students industrial work experience.

Represented by Engr Mike Ajadi, Wapmuk said, with the failure on the part of the Federal Government to meet its financial obligations to the body, ITF have had to rely on the balance of 40 percent left from contributors funds with it.

He said usually, contributors get back  60 percent of their funds with the body regularly, so it was the 40 percent left that the ITF had been using for its operations.

He said the cash inflow from organisations had also been hampered by the economic meltdown, which he noted resulted in most firms closing shops.

The DG assured that in the face of the financial challenges the body would continue to play its statutory role to the nation.

He said the body had already secured approval from the federal government for the establishment of fifteen skills training centres, noting that when they come on stream it would further raise the number of those to benefit from its training scheme.