Over 25% Of Tested Men In Nigeria Aren’t Biological Fathers – DNA Report

Smart DNA, a leading DNA testing center based in Lagos, Nigeria, has released a comprehensive data analysis of all relationship DNA tests conducted at its…

Smart DNA, a leading DNA testing center based in Lagos, Nigeria, has released a comprehensive data analysis of all relationship DNA tests conducted at its facility between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid; it is the material that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.

A DNA test (genetic testing) is a medical test that can identify mutations in one’s genes, chromosomes or proteins.

These tests provide information about an individual’s ancestral roots.

A DNA relationship test is the use of genetic profiles to determine whether an individual is the biological parent of another individual.

The Smart DNA report, based on thousands of users, provides an unprecedented insight into the DNA testing trends across Nigeria.
Released on Tuesday, it showed startling findings about the reasons people seek testing, the demographics of those tested, and the outcomes of the tests.
Nevertheless, it showed positive results which indicated that the men who came out positive as the biological fathers of the children who they queried their paternity, accounted for 73.88 per cent of tests.

Negative results were 26.12 per cent of those who were tested.
On geographical spread, the report showed that Lagos accounted for the highest percentage of tests, with 82.89 per cent of the total.
This is followed by Oyo (3.29 per cent), Ogun (3.07 per cent) and FCT (2.63 per cent and Rivers (2.41 per cent).

“This heavy concentration in Lagos, particularly the Mainland (68.14 percent) compared to the Island (31.86 per cent), is likely due to the location of Smart DNA’s office in Lagos.
“Also likely due to the purchasing power of the state’s residents, and the high population density of the state,’’ it said.
The report showed that the majority of tests (89.10 per cent) were conducted for ‘Peace of Mind’, followed by ‘Immigration’ (8.97 per cent), and ‘Legal’ (0.64 per cent).

“This suggests that individuals primarily seek DNA testing to confirm biological relationships for personal reasons rather than legal or immigration purposes.’’
It showed that men were the predominant initiators of contact, making up 86.44 per cent of the first contacts, compared to 13.56 per cent made by women.
“This indicates that men are more likely to have doubts about paternity or other relationships and take the initiative to seek testing,’’ it said.

“Positive results indicating that the man tested is the biological father of the child, accounted for 73.88 per cent of tests, while negative results made up 26.12 per cent.
“This suggests that in the majority of cases, the men seeking testing are indeed the biological fathers, but in more than 1 in 4 cases, the tested father is not the biological father of the child’’.

On Ethnic Group, the Yoruba ethnic group had the highest percentage of tests (61.23 per cent), followed by Igbo (19.07 per cent).
“Others (12.08 per cent), and Edo (6.78 per cent). This may be reflective of the ethnic distribution in Lagos and the surrounding areas’’.
On the sex of the child, more tests were conducted on male children (56.62 per cent) compared to female children (43.38 per cent).

It said that this may suggest a cultural preference for confirming paternity of male offspring, although further research would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Analysing the age range of those tested, it said that most tests were conducted on children aged 0-5 years (58.02 per cent), followed by the 6-12 age group (25.95 per cent).

“This indicates that paternity tests are mostly done on children when they are younger rather than when they get older’.
The Smart DNA findings said that the men who opted for these DNA tests were mostly between the ages of 31-40 years (40 per cent) and 41-50 years (23 per cent).
“ This age group is likely to have young children and may be in a financial position to afford the testing’’.
Officials of Smart DNA said the centre is committed to providing fully accredited DNA testing services to clients in accordance with the highest international standards.

According to them, the report aims to shed light on the current trends in relationship DNA testing in Nigeria, contributing to a better understanding of this important aspect of our society. (NAN).

Egypt on Monday issued a ban prohibiting students from wearing a face covering or niqab at schools, sparking a debate on social media, with many users labeling the ban oppressive while others expressed their support.

According to the education ministry’s statement published in the state-run newspaper Akhbar al-Youm, “any form of hair covering that contravenes the condition of the face being visible is not acceptable.”

Students will be allowed to wear a hijab or a headscarf if they choose so, but it must be in the color chosen by the ministry and local education directorate, the statement said.

The code will be enforced from the start of the academic year on September 30 until June 2024. The decision will apply to both public and private schools.

Critics of the new dress code took to social media accusing the government of meddling into the rights of women.

“Let women wear whatever they deem fit. We want a free & equal world for women to decide on what to wear without the state interfering with it,” a user going by the name Zainab Dabo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Those opposed to the ban said that Niqab is a “religious obligation” and must not be politicized.

“Niqab is not a problem, the problem is the ignorance and intolerance of those who want to impose their views on others. Niqab is not a political statement, it is a religious obligation,” a user who identified as Rizwan kayani posted on X.

Supporters of the niqab ban hailed the decision as a “step in the right direction” for women’s freedom.

“A step in the right direction for Egypt! women life freedom all the way!!,” a user named Yasser Arafat wrote on X.

Nigerians Now Allowed To Use The Cotonou Port Following A New Agreement.

The CMA-CGM vessel carried 411 TEUs of transshipment cargo destined for Cotonou [Nigerian Ports].

The CMA-CGM vessel carried 411 TEUs of transshipment cargo destined for Cotonou [Nigerian Ports]

1.Nigeria and the Benin Republic agreed to allow Nigerian importers to clear goods at Cotonou port.

2. The joint agreement is aimed at reducing smuggling and strengthening commercial ties.

3. The agreement is expected to enhance trade facilitation and customs cooperation in West Africa.

According to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), an agreement has been reached with its neighboring country, Benin Republic to permit importers to clear their goods from the port in Cotonou.

At the conclusion of a two-day working visit by the director-general and senior officials of the customs service of the Benin Republic, Adewale Adeniyi, acting comptroller-general of the NCS, addressed the audience in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to Adeniyi, the meeting's objectives were to reduce smuggling and improve commercial ties between Nigeria and the Benin Republic. In response to inquiries on the port's opening, Adeniyi stated that customs would make sure that proper procedure was followed.

“We are building confidence in the system offered by the Republic of Benin, our importers are using their ports and vice-versa. If there are people in the Benin Republic who want to use our ports, we try to build trust in our systems,” the director general stated.

“And by virtue of this agreement, what it means is that Nigerian importers willing to use the ports in Cotonou can have their goods cleared in those ports because there would be an opportunity for them to pay duties on goods that are liable for payment of duties. We can account for the duties on those goods in the ports of arrival. So they will now be free to enter Nigeria” he added.

The acting comptroller-general spoke on the subject of smuggling, saying that other items are also smuggled in addition to automobiles. “It goes beyond vehicles. Any goods arriving in Cotonou ports, duty can be accessed and payment can be made and from there, it comes into the Nigerian territory,” the director general continued.

“It is just like what happens when goods come in through Lagos or Port Harcourt; it is pretty much the same. But we have not got there. We have agreed in principle that we can operationalize this. So the steps that we are going to take to get us to that particular destination is what we are going to be working on. It was mentioned in the communique that we are going to establish timelines when we hope to achieve that particular milestone,” he added.

Adewale expressed certainty that the alliance between the two nations will enhance trade facilitation, customs administration, and interregional cooperation in West Africa.

Nigeria Immigration Clears 60,000 Passports’ Backlog In Four Days – Interior Minister.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, 60,000 passport backlogs have been cleared within four working days.

Media Adviser to the Minister, Babatunde Alao, in a statement on Tuesday, said Tunji-Ojo made the disclosure earlier in the day while receiving the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Beta Edu.

The minister assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is working round the clock to address the country’s challenges.

“As of this morning, I can tell you that about 60,000 passport backlogs have been cleared, especially 59,906.

“On Wednesday, September 6, when I gave the two-week ultimatum, we had over 200,000 backlogs. We have recorded progress, and I keep my word that those backlogs must be cleared”, he said.

DAILY POST recalls that the minister last Thursday directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to clear all pending passport applications.

LikeAking:
Which prophecy Dr Olukoya come give about the out come of the election?

Dr. D. K. Olukoya did not give any prophecy about 2023 presidential election

LETTER TO OUR WIVES FROM 'THE COMMITTEE OF HUSBANDS'
RESOLUTIONS AT THE END OF THE NEC MEETING


30 Things We Want And Expect From Our Wives

1. Go and slim down. Do not let people take you for our mother when indeed you are our wife. We love to see you exercise and eat less.
2. Mind and control your tongue.

3. Keep the house clean.

4. Be hospitable, how you receive our friends and families matter to us. Make them feel welcome by coming out to greet them, serve them water if there is no drink.

5. Dress neatly and smart always, look good for us.


6. Do not disrespect us, we want to feel respected even with our imperfections, correct us with respect.

7. Treat us like a king, make us feel important and we shall treat you back as our queens.

8. Do not always claim right.
9. Be polite always.
10. Be quick to say "I am sorry".

11. Do not delay us when we have to go out together. Start getting ready well ahead of time and don't keep us waiting because we can be very impatient.

12. We don't like tension, make us smile and laugh around you and we will want to hang around.

13. We love good food, if you have to go to a catering school to make us eat well, please do.

14. We do not like nagging. When you make your request, believe in us to do it in our own time. No amount of nagging can change us.

15. Do not belittle or gossip us to anyone.

16. If there are issues that need be addressed, find a quiet time when we can talk, just the two of us not necessarily in the middle of the night when you're most likely going to disturb our sleep.

17. Do not prioritize others ahead of us, Make us your number one; Not the children, your friends, your family, your career, business, religion or anything around.

18. We love s#x, do not withhold it. Never use it as a bargaining chip.

19. Be disciplined and wise in spending.

20. Be our friend and stop acting like our mom.

21. We can be jealous, do not get too close with the opposite sex on Social media. Seek our consent before accepting a male as Friend.

22. Do not paint us bad to the children, help them love and appreciate us.

23. Do not leave the home and children unattended.

24. Accept and relate well with our family members.

25. Assist us in paying the bills, if you earn well.

26. Do not try to pry too much by reading our mails and responding to messages meant for us without our consent.
Stop snooping and stalking us on Social media. You are not snoop dog. Stop being suspicious of our female colleagues.

27. Stop answering our calls without our permission.

28. Smile always, even when you are exhausted from tending the kids.
Constantly frowning will scare us.

29. If you need our help, ASK. We cannot read your minds*.

30. Stop asking to know how we spend every dime.

Just trust us and all will be well.

Lots of love.

-Association of Nigerian husbands.

NB: Our wives are also prohibited from raising any similar committee to review or respond to the above.
Signed;

National president

Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministry is a church that believes in spiritual warfare, battle-ready against
principalities and powers, and the rulers of darkness in this world.
They don't joke with praying and fasting.
Among all the Pentecostal churches, Mountain of Fire church top the list of spiritual soldiers fighting on the front line against Power of Darkness.

MFM General Overseer, Dr. Olukoya Condemns Prophets Over Failed 2023 Election Prophecies.

The General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, on Sunday, condemned some prophets over their prophecy about the 2023 general election that failed.

The cleric warned some prophets fond of predicting elections in the country to desist from the despicable act.

According to Olukoya, the pulpits in the House of God are for saying truth to the children of God, and should not be used for political reasons.

Olukoya stated this during the sermon on Sunday, at the headquarters of the church.

He said the so-called prophets brought shame to the religion of Christianity by declaring unfounded predictions on their preferred politicians in the build-up to the electrons.

He said, “You see what happened in Nigeria during these last elections, disgraced the religion of Christianity very well. This prophet said this person would win, and this would not win.

“If this one wins, I will become a herbalist, if this one wins, let them cut off my hand, if this one wins this, this one will die before his wish.

“All did not come to pass, and they call themselves prophets. Prophets of where? It is madness when you begin to say what God does not ask you to say. The pulpit in the house of God is the pillar and ground of truth. It is not for political campaigns.

Christistruth03:


African leaders are far Worse than France

Read the write-up to know why France needs to leave Africa

France is the devil, and all the unrest taking place is because of France.

Ask me why?

African Countries Still Pay Over $500 Billion as Colonial Tax to France Each Year

When Sekou Toure of Guinea Conakry triggered the abandonment of France (Independence), the French government ordered home three thousand Frenchmen from the country.

They were asked to take with them, all their possessions and everything that was under French control in the country and destroying all that could not be moved.

Among the things that were destroyed across the country were schools, nurseries, buildings of public administrations, important national records and plans, cars, books, and medicines

The gigantic destruction covered also, instruments of research institutes, tractors for agriculture, roads; horses, cows on farms were killed, and stored foods were burned or poisoned.

In solidarity, and as a concern for this this horrible act against the people of Guinea, the President of Ghana at the time, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah had to offer £10 million of Ghana’s economic reserve to support Guinea in order that the country can survive this turmoil!

The aim of this scandalous act was to send a clear message to all the other colonies about the consequences of France’s rejection.

The fact is that little by little, the fear seized the African elites, and after these events no other country ever found the courage to follow the example of Sékou Touré, whose slogan was “We prefer freedom in poverty to opulence in slavery.”

For any newly independent country thereafter, it was necessary to find compromises with France.

Sylvanus Olympio, the first president of the Republic of Togo, a small country in West Africa, found a solution likely to calm the French:

Not wanting to continue to undergo French domination, he refused to sign the colonial pact proposed by De Gaule, but agreed in return to pay an annual debt to France for the so-called benefits obtained during the French colonization.

This was the only condition for France not to destroy the country before leaving. However, the amount estimated by France was so large that the reimbursement of the so-called “colonial debt” was close to 40% of the country’s budget in 1963.

Consequently, the financial situation of just independent Togo was very unstable, and in order to get out of this situation, Olympio decided to leave the monetary system set up by colonial France the FCFA (franc of the French colonies of Africa), and created the currency of the country.

On January 13, 1963, three days after he began printing the new bills, a squad of soldiers (supported by France) seized and killed the first elected president of independent Africa: Olympio was executed by an ex French legionnaire, the sergeant of the army Etienne Gnassingbe who, at the same time,
received a bonus of 612 dollars from the local French embassy for the success of his mission.

Olympio’s dream was to build an independent and autonomous country. But the idea did not correspond to the French wishes.

On June 30, 1962, Modibo Keita, the first president of the Republic of Mali, also decided to withdraw from the CFAF monetary system (imposed on 12 newly independent African countries). Indeed, for the Malian president, who leaned more towards a socialist economy, it was clear that the colonization that was lasting with this pact with France, became a trap, a burden for the development of the
country.

On November 19, 1968, like Olympio, Keita will be the victim of a coup led by another former French legionary of foreign affairs, Lieutenant Moussa Traoré.

In fact, during this turbulent period when Africa was struggling to free itself from the yoke of European colonization, France will repeatedly use mercenaries formerly affiliated with the foreign legion to carry out fist operations against the newly elected presidents:

On 1 January 1966, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, a former French legionnaire, waged a coup against David Dacko, the first president of the Central African Republic.

On January 3, 1966, Maurice Yaméogo, the first president of the Republic of Upper Volta, today called Burkina Faso, was the victim of a blow by Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, a former French legionnaire who fought with French troops in Indonesia and Algeria against these countries independence.

On 26 October 1972 Mathieu Kérékou, who was a security guard to President Hubert Maga, the first president of the Republic of Benin, carried out a coup against the president, after having attended the French military schools from 1968 to 1970.

In fact, over the last 50 years, a total of 67 coups have occurred in 26 countries in Africa, 16 of which are former French colonies, which means that 61% of coups d’etat in Africa were initiated in former French colonies.

In March 2008, former French President Jacques Chirac said:

“Without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of twenty-third power [of the world]”

The predecessor of Jacques Chirac François Mitterrand had already prophesized in 1957 that: “Without Africa, France will have no history in the 21st century.”

At the very moment when I am writing this article, 14 African countries are obliged by France, through the colonial pact, to put 85% of their reserves in the central bank of France under the control of the French Ministry of Finance. So far, in 2014, Togo and about 13 other African countries still have to pay the colonial debt to France. African leaders who refuse are killed or victims of coup d’etat. Those who obey are supported and rewarded by France with a sumptuous lifestyle, while their populations endure misery and
despair.

Such an evil system is denounced by the European Union, but France is not ready to do without this colonial system which offers it a cash of about 500 billion dollars from Africa each and every year. We often accuse African leaders of corruption and serving the interests of Western nations, but there is a clear explanation for this behavior. They behave this way because they are afraid of being killed or being the victim of a coup. They want to ally themselves with a powerful nation to save themselves in case of aggression or difficulties.

However, unlike friendly protection, the protection of the West is often offered in exchange for giving up serving their own people or the interests of nations.

African leaders would work in the interest of their people if they were not constantly harassed and intimidated by the colonial countries.

In 1958, scared of the consequences of his choice of independence from France, Léopold Sédar Senghor said: “The choice of the Senegalese people is independence, they want it to take place only in friendship with France. France, not in dispute.”

France has therefore accepted an “independence on paper” for its colonies, but has signed in parallel “cooperation agreements”, specifying the nature of their relations with France, especially the ties to the currency (the Franc), the French education system, military agreements and trade preferences.

Here are the 11 main components of the continuation of the colonization pact since the 1950s:

1. The colonial debt for the benefits of French colonization The newly “independent” countries have to pay for the infrastructure built by France in the country during colonization.

I still have to find the details on the amounts, the assessment of colonial benefits and the payment terms imposed on African countries, but we are working on it (helping us with information).

2. Automatic confiscation of national reserves

African countries must deposit their national currency reserves in France at the central bank. France has held national reserves of fourteen African countries since 1961: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea Equatorial Republic and Gabon.

The monetary policy governing such a diversified grouping of countries is simple because it is managed by the French Treasury, without referring to central tax authorities such as UEMOA or CEMAC. Under the terms of the agreement put in place by the central bank of the CFA, each Central Bank of each African country is obliged to keep at least 65% of its foreign exchange reserves in an “account of operations” held in the country. French Treasury, and another 20% to cover financial liabilities.

CFA central banks also impose a ceiling on credit granted to each member country at the equivalent of 20% of the country’s public revenue over the previous year. Even if the BEAC and the BCEAO have an overdraft facility with the French Treasury, overdraft facilities are subject to the consent of the French Treasury.

The last word is that of the French Treasury which has invested foreign reserves of African countries in its own name on the Paris Stock Exchange. In short, more than 80% of the foreign exchange reserves of these African countries are deposited in the “accounts of operations” controlled by the French Treasury. The two CFA banks are African by name, but do not have their own monetary policy.

The countries themselves do not know, are not informed, up to how much the foreign exchange reserve held by the French Treasury belongs to them as a group or individually.

The gains from the investment of these French Treasury funds are supposed to be added to the foreign exchange reserve, but there is no accounting transmitted to banks or countries, nor the details of these changes. “Only a small group of senior French Treasury officials know the amounts in the” trading accounts “where these funds are invested; if there is a profit on these investments, they are prohibited from disclosing this information to the CFA banks or the central banks of the African states. “Writes Dr. Gary K. Busch. It is estimated that France manages nearly 500 billion African silver in its cash, and does nothing to shed some light on this dark side of the old empire.

The purpose remains: African countries do not have access to this money. France allows them access to only 15% of their money a year. If they need more, African countries must borrow, at commercial rates, the 65% of their money held in the French Treasury.

To make things more tragic, France imposes a ceiling on the amount of money that countries can borrow from the reserve. The ceiling is set at 20% of their public revenue from the previous year. If countries need to borrow more than 20% of their own money, France has a veto. Former French President Jacques Chirac recently spoke about African countries’ money in banks in France. Here is a video that talks about the French operating system.

3. Right of priority over any natural or raw resource discovered in the country France has priority in the purchase of all the natural resources of the land of its former colonies. It is only in case of refusal that African countries are allowed to seek other partners.

4. Priority to French interests and companies in public contracts and public buildings in awarding public contracts, French companies must be considered in the first place, and only after the foreign markets are considered. The fact that African countries could obtain a better financial offer elsewhere is not taken into account.

As a result, in most ex-French colonies, all the largest companies and economic players are in the hands of French expatriates. In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, French companies own and control all the major public services – water, electricity, telephone, transport, ports and the big banks. Ditto in trade, construction and agriculture. In the end, as I wrote in a previous article, Africans now live on a continent owned by Europeans!

5. Exclusive right to provide military equipment and train military officers of the countries, thanks to a sophisticated system of scholarships, grants, and the “defense agreements” attached to the colonial pact, Africans must send their senior training officers to France or to French military infrastructures.

The situation on the continent is such that France has trained and fed hundreds, even thousands of traitors. They are dormant as long as they are not needed, and activated when needed for a coup d’etat or for other purposes!

6. Right for France to pre-deploy troops and intervene militarily in the country to defend its interests Under the name “Defense Agreements” attached to the colonial pact. France has the right to intervene militarily in African countries, and also to station troops permanently in military bases and installations, entirely managed by the French. French military bases in Africa when President Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire attempted to end the French exploitation of the country, France organized a coup d’etat. During the long process of driving Gbagbo out of power, French tanks, combat helicopters and special forces directly intervened in the conflict, shot civilians and killed many of them. To add insult to insult, France estimates that the French business community lost several million dollars during the rush to leave Abidjan in 2006 (where the French army massacred 65 unarmed civilians and wounded 1200 others.)

After the success of the coup by France, and the transfer of power to Alassane Ouattara, France asked the Ouattara government to pay compensation to the French business community for losses during the civil war.

In fact, the Ouattara government paid them twice what they said they lost when they left.

7. Obligation to make French the official language of the country and the language for education Yes sir. You must speak French, the language of Molière! The French language and an organization of the diffusion of the culture was created. Called “Francophonie” which gathers with several branches and affiliated organizations all controlled by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. As demonstrated in this article, if French is the only language you speak, you would have access to less than 4% of the knowledge of humanity and ideas. It’s very limiting.

8. Obligation to use the money of colonial France the FCFA. This is the real cash cow for France, such an evil system, is denounced by the European Union, but France is not ready to do without this colonial system that offers him a cash of about 500 billion dollars from Africa, by year.

During the introduction of the euro currency in Europe, other European countries have discovered the French operating system. Many, especially the Nordic countries, were appalled and suggested France to get rid of the system, but without success.

9. Obligation to send the annual balance and reserve report to France Without the report, no money. Be that as it may, the secretariat of the ex-colonies’ central banks, and the secretariat of the bi-annual meeting of finance ministers of the ex-colonies are insured by France’s central bank / Treasury.

10. Renunciation to enter a military alliance with any other country, unless authorized by France African countries in general are those with the fewest inter-state military alliances. Most countries only have military alliances with their ex-colonizers! (funny, but you can not do better!). In cases where they wish another alliance, France keeps them well to do so.

11. Obligation to ally with France in a situation of war or global crisis more than a million African soldiers fought for the defeat of Nazism and fascism during the Second World War.

Their contribution is often ignored or understated, but when you think that it took only 6 weeks for Germany to defeat France in 1940, France knows that
Africans could be useful to keep the “Greatness of France” at home. ‘to come up.

There is something almost psychopathic about France’s relationship with Africa. First of all, France is seriously addicted to the looting and exploitation of Africa since the time of slavery. Then there is the complete lack of creativity and imagination of the French elite to think beyond the past and the tradition.

Finally, France has two institutions that are completely frozen in the past, inhabited by paranoid and psychopathic “senior officials” who spread the fear of the apocalypse if France was to be changed, and whose ideological reference comes still romanticism of the 19th century. They are: the Minister of Finance and the Budget of France and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France.

These two institutions are not only a threat to Africa, but to the French themselves. It is up to us to liberate Africa, without asking permission, because I still cannot understand for example how 450 French soldiers in Côte d’Ivoire could control a population of 20 million people? The first reaction of people when they learn about the existence of French colonial tax is often a question: “Until when?”

As a historical comparison, France charged Haiti the modern equivalent of $ 21 billion from 1804 to 1947 (nearly a century and a half) for the losses caused to French slave traders following the abolition slavery and the liberation of Haitian slaves. African countries have been paying the colonial tax for the last 50 years!

How long do Africans have to wait to put an end to this great organized theft and slavery organized for several centuries?

Sincerely, nothing can be done by the African politician to change the situation until we the masses stop blaming our leaders and join in to fight the bigger monster who is our common enemy.

France is the devil… by Dignity. France is simply following the repugnant Charter of
Imperialism, but there is always an end to everything!

Breaking: Military Deposes Gabon President, Takes Over Government.

The Gabonese President, Ali Bongo, has been deposed by the military, days after winning the presidential election.

According to the BBC, soldiers were said to have appeared on Gabonese national television in Gabon to announce that they had taken power.

The coupists also announced the annulment of Saturday’s election and the dissolution of the democratic government in the country.

Bongo, who came to power after the death of his father in 2009, won a third term in an election which opposition argued was heavily disputed.

The development comes amid the move to resolve the removal of a democratically elected president in Niger Republic.

Both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU), which have rejected the coup in Niger, are yet to react to the coup in Gabon as of the time of filing this report.

Directors in ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Civil Service are reported to be defying the directive issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria which mandates their compulsory retirement.

Reportedly, these directors, who have held their positions for eight years, were given this directive on July 27, 2023. it’s noted that more than 500 directors, affected by this new rule, have yet to adhere to it.

The new requirement, calling for the affected directors to step down, follows the updated Public Service Rule (PSR) and a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan. This circular was sent to the heads of MDAs, instructing them to ensure compliance with the revised PSR and the new rule.

The revised PSR was introduced last month at a public service lecture hosted at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The Head of Service revealed that its implementation commenced immediately after the launch.

“Following the approval of the revised Public Service Rules by the Federal Executive Council on the 27th of September 2021 and its subsequent unveiling during the public service lecture commemorating the 2023 Civil Service Week, the PSR has become operational starting from 27th July 2023.

Therefore, you are required to ensure complete adherence to all provisions of the Public Service Rules, 2021. Kindly guarantee strict compliance with the contents of this circular,” stated the Head of Service.

The circular highlighted that this new rule aims to provide opportunities for deputy directors within the Federal Civil Service, some of whom have remained at Grade Level 16 for approximately a decade, to ascend to the director cadre. This alteration is expected to lead to the compulsory retirement of over 500 directors across the civil service, all at Grade Level 17, who have spent more than eight years in their current roles.

Niger Coup: Algeria, Egypt Oppose Military Action In Niger, Insist On Dialogue.

The plan by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to invade the Niger Republic if the coup leaders fail to hand over to the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, has been rejected by Algeria and Egypt.

Algeria and Egypt insisted that dialogue remains the best option out of the current political crisis in the country.

The move to invade Niger has also been opposed by prominent individuals and groups in Nigeria, including the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and Northern Elders Forum (NEF), among others.

The president of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune in a move to end the political crisis in Niger dispatched the foreign minister, Ahmed Attaf, to visit Nigeria, Benin Republic and Ghana.

Attaf, who was dispatched on Wednesday, is to hold consultations with his counterparts in ECOWAS countries, with a mandate to make a case for diplomacy, rather than military intervention.

Algeria, which shares a 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) long land border with Niger, had previously warned against a military solution, which Tebboune said would be “a direct threat” to his North African country.

He said: “There will be no solution without us (Algeria). We are the first people affected.”

The Egyptian government on its part stressed the need for dialogue, contending that military approach to the issue in Niger would do the ECOWAS and the continent no good.

The government said, in as much as it is important to restore democratic governance to Niger Republic within the shortest possible time, it is also expedient not to plunge the country into a war that could affect its neighbours.

The foreign ministry, in a statement released on Wednesday, said, “Egypt boosts all efforts exerted to defuse tensions in a way that promotes the democratic order and the sovereignty and stability of Niger and prevents escalations that could shake regional security.”

The ministry said the region (ECOWAS) could ill-afford a military operation at present and cautioned against it.

Niger: Thousands of people lined up outside the main stadium in Niamey on Saturday (Aug. 19) responding to the call for civilian auxiliaries in support of the armed forces.

The event organiser said the junta was not involved in this initiative, although it was aware of it.

Regional countries have threatened the Nigerien junta of a possible military intervention.

"I want to be a soldier for the love of my country. What's more, Niger is our country. I want to commit myself to Niger. Long live Niger!" Mamadou exclaimed.

"I've heard there that they need 5,000 or 10,000 volunteer soldiers. That's why I came here," Abdoulaye who is a footballer said.

Some parents brought their children to sign up, others said they'd been waiting since 3 a.m to answer a call from several organisations

Young people chanted in favour of the junta and against ECOWAS and the country's former colonial ruler France.

The initiative, spearheaded by a group of locals in Niamey, aims to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country to register for the Volunteers for the Defense of Niger.

The group would fight, assist with medical care, and provide technical and engineering logistics among other functions, in case the junta needs help according to Amsarou Bako, one of the founders, who spoke with The Associated Press Tuesday (Aug. .

"I'm a military mother, we're waiting for you, young volunteers. From now until tomorrow, that's what I had to say, wa-Allah. We're waiting for you, I hope you'll get us out of all these difficulties," an activist who was not named told cheerign crowds.

Ecowas envoys landed in Niger Saturday (Aug. 19) to try to pursue further dialogue with the junta.

The delegation includes former Nigerian military head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar according the Nigerien ruling CNSP's communication office.

Abubakar had already visited Niamey as a representative of ECOWAS on August 3rd but he couldn't meet the nation's new strongman Abdourahamane Tchiani nor deposed president Mohamed Bazoum.

ECOWAS' commissioner for political affairs and security insisted Friday (Aug. 18) they were ready to send a standby force should negotiations fail.

Obi To Youths: Our Nation’s Situation Shouldn’t Discourage You, A New Nigeria Is Coming

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, has called on Nigerian youths not to be discouraged by the current situation of the nation.

Obi via a Twitter thread on Saturday to mark World Youth Day, urged youths “to remain steadfast, positive and hopeful for the coming of a New Nigeria that will be anchored on youth development and productivity”.

“The current political confusion and economic challenges in our nation should not discourage our youths, but instead, motivate them to remain committed and resolute in the struggle for a new and better Nigeria,” Obi said.

“Unless we remain committed to the struggle for a better nation, we will not be able to achieve the New Nigeria of our dreams. We must remain resilient and persevere against every hardship and obstacle on our journey to a new nation.”

The former governor of Anambra further said many of the challenges facing the country can be tackled if leaders pay attention to youth development.

He said the “high level of insecurity and the social vices associated with youths, like drug and other substance abuse” will be whittled down if we build a better economy, where the youths are productively engaged.

“According to reports, Nigeria tops in the ranking of countries with the highest rate of unemployment in the world, with a 33.3% unemployment rate.

“And further findings show that Nigeria’s unemployment rate would further rise to 40.6%, showing that more than half of the population in their productive age are not working.

“As a result, the nation will continue to stagger under the weight of many economic and social challenges.

“By providing a conducive economic environment and supporting the growth of small businesses in the country, the nation will rise above many of its challenges.

“I remain committed to building a new Nigeria anchored on youth development because their energy, skills, and potentials are critical ingredients needed to move our nation from consumption to production.

Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has described as ‘worse’ the first few weeks of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

NEF stated that the administration has erred in embarking on major decisions before it even took its first faltering steps.

Its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement yesterday, added that attempts by the new administration to correct mistakes has not been successful, and has and made worse by the barrage of plans and policies which would make life even more intolerable for Nigerians.

He said: “Most Nigerians do not need convincing that the country had been reduced to a very sorry state by the last administration, and sacrifices and informed policies and decisions will need to be made to make a transition to a more productive economy, more secure communities and a more united country.

“We believe that the administration has erred in embarking on major decisions before it even took its first faltering steps.

“Attempts to correct mistakes have not been very successful, and these have been made worse by the barrage of plans and policies being hinted at, which will make life even more intolerable for the Nigerian.

“Where efforts have been made to correct mistakes, they appeared too hastily decided and will, in the long term, do little to relieve the desperate challenges of daily living of Nigerians.

“On the whole, the first few weeks of President Tinubu will be recorded by history as the act of a leadership that made bad situations considerably worse, and fails to explain why.

“The Forum prefers to believe this is not the intention of the administration, but it shares the agony of the citizen whose life has taken a major turn for the worse in the last few weeks.”

Baba-Ahmed, advised Tinubu to
consider taking some basic steps to improve the context in which it seeks to achieve short and long term goals.

According to him, the Tinubu administration to cultivate the culture of
respect for citizens, humility of the leader and a willingness to build flexibility into policies as great virtues that should serve it and the country well.

“The administration must, at all cost, avoid considering its vision and plans of our future as a country as a done deal. A population convinced that its fate has been designed and sealed by an all-knowing leadership is very difficult to govern.

“We advise this administration to cultivate the values of respect for the citizen, humility of the leader and a willingness to build flexibility into policies as great virtues that should serve it and the country well.

“The Forum wishes to advise the administration to consider taking some basic steps to improve the context in which it seeks to achieve short and long term goals.

“The most important at this stage is to communicate with Nigerians in a manner that lets us understand why it has become necessary that we should go through major pains, including whether they are inevitable or avoidable.

“The citizen is entitled to know why it is now impossible for millions of families to feed; why his child may soon be out of school, and why his life has no timeline for recovery.

“Nigerians want to know how we got here, who and what was responsible for the prices we are paying for their actions, and what the administration plans to do to bring the past to book,” he said.

He, however, appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the new administration, with the believe that the formation of Tinubu’s cabinet would usher in good tidings.

He concluded: “We advise fellow citizens to be patient with the administration, and, at all cost, avoid illegal actions that will merely make our lives poorer and more insecure.”

Coup: It’ll be war – Burkina Faso, Mali join forces with Niger.

Burkina Faso and Mali, on Monday, warned against military intervention in their coup-hit neighbour, Niger, saying it would be tantamount to war in the West African region.

DAILY POST reports that the warning which was conveyed in a joint statement by the two countries which are both ruled by military-backed governments, followed a threat by West African Leaders.

Recall that the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, had during its emergency meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, threatened military action against Niger’s junta after the successful coup last week.

In the meeting, which was chaired by its Chairman, President Bola Tinubu, ECOWAS gave the junta seven days ultimatum to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held captive or face sanctions.

Angered by the threat, Burkina Faso and Mali in the statement read on their national broadcasts on Monday night, urged the West African leaders to leave Niger alone, stressing that any funny move would result in “disastrous consequences”.

Part of the statement reads, “The transitional governments of Burkina Faso and Mali express their fraternal solidarity… to the people of Niger, who have decided with full responsibility to take their destiny in hand and assume the fullness of their sovereignty before history.

“Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.”

DAILY POST reports that the coup in Niger which occured on July 26 has sent shockwaves across West Africa as fear gripped other neighbouring countries, including Nigeria.

Niger’s coup leaders named General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the former presidential guard chief, as Head of State.

According to the military, President Bazoum was overthrown over poor governance and discontent with the way he handled security threats from groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EqqElKXURI

The Flying Eagles Of Nigeria

The miracle of Dammam.

If you did not watch this match in 1989... you have no idea what real tension is... !!!!!!!

What God cannot do does not exist! So is our everyday life….stay strong.

Video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EqqElKXURI

Nigerian Teen Mmesoma Okonkwo From Anambra State Receives Award For Emerging IGCSE World Best In English


This is the kind of News every parent wants to hear!

Mmesoma Okonkwo, a 17-year-old pupil, received the British Council Outstanding Cambridge Learner’s Award (Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education Top in the World 2022) for outstanding performance in English as a Second Language......
She Is from Anambra State, attends Chrisland High School in Lagos State, and is currently in her finals...

Congratulations to her!

Kingnelson9:
People will not value what they have until they lose it , let me stop here

Igbos are the black Jews, they blessed.

CONTROVERSIAL JUDGEMENTS: US SLAMS VISA BAN ON CJN ARIWOOLA NWEZE, MUSA DATTIJO, 3 OTHERS.

The United States government has placed a visa ban on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Olukayode Ariwoola, and six other members of the Supreme Court of Nigeria over their delivery of controversial and inciting judgments.
Besides Ariwoola, the other apex court justices whose identities were revealed by a highly placed source, are Musa Dattijo Mohammed, Centus Nweze and Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun.
It was learnt their ban was connected to questionable judgements they gave, including the controversial judgment that made Senator Hope Uzodinma governor of Imo State in 2020, as well as the judgements that recognised Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his predecessor Senator Ahmed Lawan as winners of their senatorial elections.

Recall that Uzodimma who came fourth in the 2019 governorship election was controversially declared winner of election by the Supreme Court.

In the case of Lawan and Akpabio, the Supreme Court ruled, in separate judgements, that both senators, who didn’t participate in their party’s (All Progressives Congress) primary election are the party’s senatorial candidates.

Lawan and Akpabio were presidential aspirants at the time the party held primaries for their senatorial districts which legally ruled them out of the senatorial contest.

While they both stepped down for Bola Tinubu who later won the presidential ticket, senatorial candidates had emerged from their senatorial zones to represent the party in the election.

Bashir Machina and Udom Ekpoudom won the primaries and emerged senatorial candidates for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West respectively
and their mandates were recognised by High and Appeal courts. But the
Apex court overturned the judgements of the two lower courts.

However, Pointblanknews learnt that the embattled Supreme Court justices got wind of their ban to enter the US after they were denied entry to the country to attend a seminar.

The source, a ranking Supreme Court official who pleaded anonymity, confided in Pointblanknews that Justice Ekun was the first to be informed of her visa ban.

The source added the ban has become a burden on Justices of the Supreme Court.

The source said, “And that signals the Justices have received indicate that the U.K and the European Union have been asked to consider actions too by the U.S authority.”

The source added the judgements on cases involving Uzodimma, Akpabio and Lawan, which raised some much upset within the polity and “some other cases were considered to be against democracy and rule of law.”

Recall that the Supreme Court in January, 2020, nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor of Imo State.

The apex court declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 9 governorship election in the state.

In the unanimous judgment of the seven-member panel, read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the apex court agreed that results in 388 polling units were unlawfully excluded during the collation of the final governorship election result in Imo State.

Justice Kekere-Ekun said with the results from the 388 polling units added, Mr Uzodinma polled a majority of the lawful votes and ought to have been declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The judge did not provide the details of the new votes scored by each of the candidates after the addition of the results from the 388 polling units.
Consequently, she voided and set aside the declaration of Mr lhedioha as the winner of the 2019 governorship election in the South-East state.

The court ordered that the certificate of return wrongly or unlawfully issued to Mr lhedioha be immediately withdrawn by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a fresh one issued to Mr Uzodinma as the elected governor of the state.

Also, the Supreme Court in February 2023, declared Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the authentic candidate of the APC for Yobe North Senatorial District for the 25 February general election.

The court made the declaration in a three-against-two split judgement of its five-member panel. The panel was led by Centus Nweze.

The majority judgement held that the decisions of the Federal High Court in Yobe and the Court of Appeal in Abuja “were perverse and must be set aside.”

The APC had challenged the judgements of the lower courts which affirmed Bashir Machina as the candidate of Yobe North Senatorial District for the election.

It urged the Supreme Court to nullify the two previous verdicts and legitimise APC’s National Working Committee’s forwarding of Mr Lawan’s name to INEC as flagbearer for the poll.

In a related development, the Supreme Court in February declared Godswill Akpabio as the validly nominated candidate for Akwa-Ibom North-West senatorial seat election holding on 25 February.

APC had challenged the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which sacked Mr Akpabio as its candidate.

Mr Akpabio is a former governor of Akwa-Ibom State and ex-minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

In Mr Akpabio’s place, the appellate court had on 14 November 2022 ordered INEC to recognise Udom Ekpoudom, a retired deputy inspector general of police, as the authentic candidate of the party.

Delivering the unanimous judgement of its five-member panel led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on Friday, the Supreme Court held that the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal were wrong to have assumed jurisdiction in the suit because the issue of candidate nomination lies squarely with political parties.

Tinubu To Tribunal: ‘Don’t accept my Chicago varsity, NYSC certificates, forfeiture judgment in evidence’

The tendering of some documents by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in proof of his petition against the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election was on Friday opposed by the president

The concerned documents are Tinubu’s Chicago University Certificate, a discharge Certificate from the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC), a copy of the transcript from South West College, and a membership card of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others are a notarization judgment of the USA court for criminal forfeiture of assets said to belong to Tinubu, a certificate of Service from Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, in addition to a printout of his alleged Guinean passport.

Aside from President Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and his party, who are all respondents in Atiku and PDP’s petition against the outcome of the recent presidential election, also objected to the admissibility of the documents.

All the documents were tendered on Friday by one Mike Enahoro-Ebah, who testified as the 27th witness of the petitioners.

President Tinubu appoints Hakeem Odumosu as new EFCC Chairman.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of AIG (rtd) Hakeem Odumosu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC)
Odumosu, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, takes over from Abdulrasheed Bawa, who was relieved of his duties as the EFCC chairman and subsequently arrested by the Department of State Service(SSS).

The appointment of Odumosu is however subject to confirmation by the Senate
Mr Odumosu retired from the Police Force in January 2022 following his attainment of the rank of AIG, after which the statutory retirement age set in.

He was enlisted in the police on March 3, 1990, and served for 32 years

74 Witnesses Pending As Tribunal Resumes Hearing Of Atiku, PDP’s Petition.

Out of the 100 witnesses expected to be called by the opposition party to prove its case, 26 witnesses have so far been examined.

Lawyers troop in for the pre-hearing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, still have 74 more witnesses to call to testify at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Out of the 100 witnesses expected to be called by the opposition party to prove its case, 26 witnesses have so far been examined.

Following the emergence of the then-candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as Nigeria’s president, the PDP challenged the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

Runner-up Abubakar, a former Vice President, is one of the aggrieved parties before the tribunal, asking the court to nullify Tinubu’s victory.

Others include the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who came third in the keenly contested election.

On May 20, the PDP candidate had indicated his plan to call “no more than 100 witnesses” to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

Counsel to the petitioners, Chris Uche told the court that all the parties had met, considered, and agreed on the number of witnesses, duration, and examination of witnesses.

Uche added that though the new time given them to call the witnesses is seven weeks, they would need three weeks since the issues were getting narrower.

However, a month after, the main opposition party has so far called 26 witnesses to prove its case.

In the coming days, the party is scheduled to call 74 more witnesses in its legal quest to sack Tinubu as Nigeria’s President.

On Tuesday, the court resumed the hearing of the PDP’s Petition.

Lol...it was fake news b4....
Now they want to justify it....

We have started another eight years of justifying nonsensè.... the only thing APC is good at.... lies and justifying nonsensè with more nonsesnè...

Thats how that other one left for kastina lying that he has fulfilled all the promises he made to nigerians.. [/quote]

RMAFC: Why We Approved 114% Salary Increase For President, VP, Govs, Others.


The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has explained why it approved a 114 per cent increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders.

RMAFC is saddled with the responsibility of determining the remuneration appropriate for political officeholders including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices as mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of this Constitution.

The commission urged the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts on amendment of relevant laws to give room for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and public officers.

The proposal, which was developed during ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, needs the approval of 2/3 of states assemblies before it is presented to the president for assent.

It’s not yet clear if president Tinubu will sign the bill into law when it gets to him.

According to NAN, the RMAFC Chairman, Muhammadu Shehu, represented by a federal commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, made the call at the presentation of reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State governor, Dr Nasir Idris, on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages was effective from January 1, 2023, adding that the move was in accordance with the provision of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the federal government (as amended).

He said the last remuneration review was conducted in 2007, noting that it culminated in the “certain political, public and judicial office holders (salaries and allowances, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2008”.

Shehu said, “It empowers the revenue mobilisation, allocation and fiscal commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of the constitution of the federal government.

“Sixteen years after the last review, it is imperative that the remuneration packages for the categories of the office holders mentioned in relevant sections of the 1999 constitution (as amended) should be reviewed.

“Pursuant to the above, your excellency may please recall that on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023, the commission held a one-day zonal public hearing on the review of the remuneration package simultaneously in all the six (6) geo-political zones of the country. The aim of the exercise was to harvest inputs/ideas from a broad spectrum of stakeholders.”

He said the commission had objectively and subjectively reviewed the salary packages in the reports, adding that it adheres to the rules of equity and fairness, risk and responsibilities, national order of precedence among others.

“The subjective criteria reflected the various expression by stakeholders through memoranda received, opinion expressed during the zonal public hearings and responses to questionnaires administered.

“The objectives of the criteria were obtained from analysis of macro-economic variables particularly the Consumer Price Index (CPI),” he noted.

The chairman added that the commission was also guided by some principles, including equity and fairness; risk and responsibilities; national order of precedence; motivation and tenure of office.

Shehu said that having considered the impact of the review on the economy, the remuneration of the political, public and judicial office holders in the country was adjusted “upward by 114%.”

The chairman explained that with respect to the judicial office holders, the commission considered the introduction of three new allowances.

He listed the allowances to include, “Professional Development Assistant: This is to allow for the provision of two law clerks to all judicial officers in the country.

“Long Service Allowance: This is to guarantee seniority/hierarchy between officers who have been on the bench for a minimum of five years and those that are appointed newly.

“Restricted or Forced Lifestyle: This is to take care of the nature of the lifestyle of judicial officers while in active service.”

FG Approves 114% Salary Increase For Tinubu, Shettima, Govs, Others

The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has approved a 114 per cent increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice…

The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has approved a 114 per cent increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders.

RMAFC is saddled with the responsibility of determining the remuneration appropriate for political officeholders including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices as mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of this Constitution.

The commission urged the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts on amendment of relevant laws to give room for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and public officers.

According to NAN, the RMAFC Chairman, Muhammadu Shehu, represented by a federal commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, made the call at the presentation of reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State governor, Dr Nasir Idris, on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages was effective from January 1, 2023, adding that the move was in accordance with the provision of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the federal government (as amended).

He said the last remuneration review was conducted in 2007, noting that it culminated in the “certain political, public and judicial office holders (salaries and allowances, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2008”.

Shehu said, “It empowers the revenue mobilisation, allocation and fiscal commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of the constitution of the federal government.

“Sixteen years after the last review, it is imperative that the remuneration packages for the categories of the office holders mentioned in relevant sections of the 1999 constitution (as amended) should be reviewed.

“Pursuant to the above, your excellency may please recall that on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023, the commission held a one-day zonal public hearing on the review of the remuneration package simultaneously in all the six (6) geo-political zones of the country. The aim of the exercise was to harvest inputs/ideas from a broad spectrum of stakeholders.”

He said the commission had objectively and subjectively reviewed the salary packages in the reports, adding that it adheres to the rules of equity and fairness, risk and responsibilities, national order of precedence among others.

“The subjective criteria reflected the various expression by stakeholders through memoranda received, opinion expressed during the zonal public hearings and responses to questionnaires administered.

“The objectives of the criteria were obtained from analysis of macro-economic variables particularly the Consumer Price Index (CPI),” he noted.

The chairman added that the commission was also guided by some principles, including equity and fairness; risk and responsibilities; national order of precedence; motivation and tenure of office.

Shehu said that having considered the impact of the review on the economy, the remuneration of the political, public and judicial office holders in the country was adjusted “upward by 114%.”

The chairman explained that with respect to the judicial office holders, the commission considered the introduction of three new allowances.

He listed the allowances to include, “Professional Development Assistant: This is to allow for the provision of two law clerks to all judicial officers in the country.

“Long Service Allowance: This is to guarantee seniority/hierarchy between officers who have been on the bench for a minimum of five years and those that are appointed newly.

“Restricted or Forced Lifestyle: This is to take care of the nature of the lifestyle of judicial officers while in active service.”