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Politics / Re: Petrol Prices To Fall With PH Refinery Restart In January – Stakeholders by ijustdey: 8:03am On Dec 14, 2023
Politics / How To Shore Up Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange, By Finance Minister Edun by ijustdey: 9:26am On Dec 13, 2023
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun has said that President Bola Tinubu has directed the implementation of an executive order that will ensure that all foreign exchange held in private hands across the care paid into the banks.

He also disclosed that the president directed the implementation of an executive order that allows the issuance of foreign currency financial instruments in the domestic economy so that as people bring that cash into the banking system, they can have investments.

The minister was responding to questions from members of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance when he appeared to defend the Ministry’s 2024 budget estimate.

He also said that the government was working on the possibility of replacing the waiver which has cost the country huge revenue losses with a rebate.

He said: “Essentially, there is the need to increase our foreign reserve given the import dependency and given the fact that we want to produce more locally which requires importing machines and, in many cases, raw materials so that value can be added, jobs can be created and we can give people incomes and reduce poverty.

There is a need for foreign exchange. The primary source is oil revenue and if we look at what has gone on at the concluding COP28 in Dubai, UAE, the conversation there is that there is no clear agreement that you should suddenly phase out fossil fuels.

“We are a fossil fuel nation and we still have oil revenues to rely on and they are a veritable source, not just of government revenue, but foreign exchange.

“We need to emphasise that we better maximise the revenues and foreign exchange revenues from oil production and sales. That is the primary source for Nigeria as of this time.

“But in addition, we need to encourage and we have committed ourselves as a government and as the key priority of Mr President to attract investments, domestic investments and foreign direction investments. That too is a source of liquidity in foreign exchange.

“I must say that included in the sources of foreign exchange available, is foreign exchange held by Nigerians in cash outside the banking system which is in the billions.

“Mr President has authorized an executive order to facilitate the payment of that cash into the banking system, so it can form part of the money supply which can be of use to the Nigerian economy.

“Similarly, there is also an executive order that allows the issuance of foreign currency financial instruments in the domestic economy, so that as people bring in that cash into the banking system, they can have investments.

“Also by the time we have foreign currency dominated investments in Nigeria, then Nigerians with huge financial savings in banks abroad can bring it back home and save it in their own economy and not feel that they are going to suffer foreign exchange losses.

“These are some of the measures, some of the initiatives aimed at shoring up foreign exchange. They are being implemented imminently even though I think it is unwise and in fact even unnecessary to quote specific figures or timetables, but we can be optimistic that the foreign exchange liquidity would improve in the short term”.

The minister also said that the government was looking at the possibility of replacing the annual waivers with a more manageable rebate system

He said: “In terms of tax waivers, exemptions are basically incentives. There is a set of incentives which effectively is government expenditure. What that means is that the government is spending on encouraging, manufacturing, encouraging exports and others.

“It is worth approximately as you rightly said about one percent of GDP and I know the Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee is looking very closely at this and the Ministry of Finance will do so as well.

“But the arrowhead for a comprehensive analysis and cost-benefit analysis of those incentives and the spending on incentives, tax exemptions, duty waivers, and so forth, is being done right now and we expect tremendous savings from there.

“In particular, we feel that a policy of rebate is probably better than upfront allocation of incentives. When the transaction is carried out, it is entirely feasible and practical and possible to immediately give somebody a rebate on funding that they have spent.

“It can be done seamlessly and with the technology these days, what could have been cumbersome in the past and taken too long and be self-defeating can now be done simultaneously, so that if you pay your duty and you claim the rebate, immediately the transaction is consummated and we see that you have actually imported the machinery you said you would import, you get your funds back. So that is the direction in which that is moving.”

Responding to a question on the possibility of merging the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service to form one revenue-generating agency, the Minister said revenue collection should be the focal point for the government.

He said: “In terms of the merger, what you are really indicating and speaking to is the fact that revenue collection should be through a focal point.

“There is no reason why, just because you are a revenue generating agency, you give out assessments which people pay. It does not mean they should pay to that agency.

“They can pay to a centralized point. The Federal Inland Revenue Service can collect on behalf of all the agencies. So, these are the types of innovations, these are types of efficiencies and improvements that we must look at.

“I am just agreeing wholeheartedly with you that given this day and age, given the technological advancement, given the digital tools available, we really should be doing better in terms of revenue generation, collection, and monitoring.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/how-to-shore-up-nigerias-foreign-exchange-by-finance-minister-edun/

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Politics / Nigeria Crawls Like Garden Snails, Can’t Be Called Giant Of Africa, Say Jonathan by ijustdey: 10:16pm On Dec 12, 2023
Former President Goodluck Jonathan says Nigeria lacks proof to be called the “Giant of Africa”.

Nigeria, predicted to become the world’s third most populous country by 2050, has been nicknamed “Giant of Africa” primarily due to its vast population.


NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT PACE TOO SLOW’

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, at the launch of a book titled “Development as attitude” authored by Osita Ogbu, former minister of national planning, Jonathan said the attitude of leaders must change to reflect the country’s national interests.

The former president who authored the foreword of the book, added that leaders must also be guided by a clear vision that is required to restore the respect Nigeria commanded.

“I actually believe that for us as a nation to develop, it’s not just about being elected president. Even if you bring angels from heaven as the president and the attitude of Nigerians doesn’t change, we may not move very fast,” Jonathan said.

Every leader must be guided by a personal philosophy. I agree that holding a political office does not automatically make somebody a leader.

“I had the privilege of holding a political office but leadership requires some attributes and those attributes mean that you must have a clear vision and you must have something that guides you.


While recounting efforts he made while in office to advance Nigeria’s science programmes, the former president said the over-domestication of politics in the country has also stunted national progress.

I remember when I was in office, we had a nuclear and satellite programme but somehow the rate we are moving is too slow and even when I was an acting president, I was invited by the president of the US when they had the first nuclear summit and why I was invited was because Nigeria has a nuclear programme,” he said.

“In society now, in any country, you are respected because of what you can offer to the world, especially in terms of development. In Nigeria, we have the best brains but until we encourage these best brains, our satellite programmes will become vegetative and our nuclear programmes will just be rotating without any movement.

“We came up with a programme that we called the presidential special scholarship for innovation and development, it was my own idea. I called the NUC chairman then, Professor Julius Okojie, the minister of education, and other key stakeholders.”

However, Jonathan said the house of representatives faulted the programme because “certain states were left out”.

“We must see how we must tap our best brains in the STEM areas and see how we can send them to the best universities in the world,” he continued.

“If we run this programme for another 10 years, believe me, Nigerians will also be thinking about going to space.

“We cannot continue to say we’re giants of Africa and we crawl like garden snails. People say we’re giants but giants are crawling. Our respect is almost going down because technologically we’re not going anywhere.”

Jonathan hailed Ogbu for writing the book, saying it would be useful to navigate the nation’s challenges.

In response, Ogbu said many bad decisions by citizens are fuelled by the widening gap between the rich and the poor and tasked stakeholders to draw up innovative ways to tackle poverty.

https://www.thecable.ng/extra-nigeria-crawls-like-garden-snails-cant-be-called-giant-of-africa-says-jonathan/amp

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Politics / Akeredolu: Why Monarch Revoked Approval For Sowore’s “resume Or Resign” Protest by ijustdey: 11:21am On Dec 12, 2023
Omoyele Sowore was said to have paid N100,000 for the use of the Akure Town Hall for a meeting to precede a street protest.


by Josiah Oluwole


The palace of the Deji of Akure has explained why it revoked the approval for the use of a community facility for a planned protest to demand the resignation of ailing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The protest by the Take-It-Back Movement is being promoted by political activist, Omoyele Sowore, and is planned to be held at the Akure Town Hall on Saturday.

Mr Sowore was said to have paid N100,000 for the use of the facility for a meeting to precede a street protest.

However, the approval was later withdrawn by the palace.

Mr Sowore had accused the State Security Services of putting pressure on the palace to withdraw the approval granted to the organisers.

But the palace denied the claims by Mr Sowore.
In a statement on Monday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deji, Michael Adeyeye, said the approval was withdrawn because the organisers concealed the intentions behind the use of the venue.

The statement reads thus:

“The attention of the Palace of the Deji & Paramount Ruler of Akure Kingdom have been drawn to a recent publication on the verified Twitter handle of Mr Omoyele Sowore which had gone viral on some social media alleging that men of the Department of State Security Services came to threaten His Majesty, the Deji of Akure to reverse the initial approval granted for the usage of Akure Town Hall.

“We wish to state unequivocally that, there was never any time that the DSS threatened the Deji’s of Akure or anyone on the premise of seeking the reversal of the temporary approval granted for the usage of Akure Town Hall by the Deji’s Palace Property Committee

“For the avoidance of doubt and save for the unsuspecting Public, the withdrawal of the approval earlier granted by the Deji’s Palace Property Committee which is saddled with the responsibility of managing the facility was sequel to the fact that the request for the usage of the facility was done under a pretentious manner which conceals the real motive of the usage of the Hall.

“It is an established standard that, anyone or organizations requesting the usage of the hall or any community facilities for any activities must make full disclosure of the purpose of the usage.

“Without mincing words, the hall is made available for all activities including social events, religious activities, and political gatherings and rallies amongst others. However, concealing the real motive for a gathering for which approval for the usage of the hall is sought negates the standing rules for getting the facility approval.

“However, the initial approval granted which necessitated the payment of a deposit of one hundred thousand naira was for a roundtable meeting of a coalition of civil societies and not for a meeting point for any procession.

“While the palace strongly acknowledges the right of individual organizations and societies to lawful assembly, procession and protest as the case may be in a democratic society, But, seeking the approval for the usage of palace facility or any other should not be done in a deceitful manner as such action will leave the Palace Property Committee with no option than reversing any approval granted under such manner.

“We wish to inform the General Public that the approval for the usage of the facility was not in anyway as a result of any form of threat or harassment from DSS or any quarter but rather on the fact that the approval was sought in a fraudulent manner which negates the rules for seeking the usage of the hall.”

A political crisis is raging in Ondo State over the incapacitation of Governor Akeredoku who has been out of the state since April due to ill health.

Some people are demanding the governor’s resignation so that his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, can complete his term which expires early in 2025.

But supporters of Mr Akeredolu have accused Mr Aiyedatiwa of disloyalty to his boss and had orchestrated a foiled move to remove him from office through the state legislature.

President Bola Tinubu last month met with the warring factions in Abuja where they agreed to keep the governor and deputy in their offices.

Shortly after the agreement, an allegation emerged that those close to the ailing governor were forging his signature to carry out government activities in his name.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/650877-akeredolu-why-monarch-revoked-approval-for-sowores-resume-or-resign-protest.html

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Politics / FG May Unbundle Discos Swap Stakes With States - Adelabu by ijustdey: 9:15am On Dec 12, 2023
The federal government may soon begin the unbundling of electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) to limit their franchise areas to states, instead of the current regional arrangement. This was disclosed by Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, at the weekend, during a meeting with the governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, in Abuja.

It was widely perceived that many of the Discos did not have the required capacity to effectively manage the unwieldy franchises they were allocated during the privatisation programme in 2013, thereby contributing to Nigeria’s deplorable power supply situation.

On his social media handle, Adelabu, who said he shared the federal government’s short, medium, and long-term strategies with the governor, reiterated his commitment to collaborating closely with state ministries of power/energy to tackle challenges in the distribution segment, considering its retail nature.

The minister stressed the crucial role of state governments in transforming the power sector, describing it as essential.
He stated, “States’ involvement is essential for improving infrastructure, reducing metering gaps, enforcing bill collection, rural electrification, tackling power theft, and securing right-of-way for transmission lines.

“To enhance states’ involvement, we’re exploring the idea of unbundling regional Discos into different states for more localised oversight. We’re also looking into financial collaboration between federal and state governments.

“This will potentially be involving a swap of stakes in Discos with states’ stakes in the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).”
Adelabu explained that his vision included active collaboration in rural electrification. He encouraged states to establish rural electrification boards in coordination with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).


States’ support in providing distribution transformers and replacing weak power lines is crucial for maintaining reliable power supplies,” he added.

Adelabu further disclosed that the ministry was hosting the inaugural ministerial retreat for the power sector from December 12 to 14. He said the gathering would be a platform to extensively discuss strategies for revamping the sector.

He invited Otti to the event, recognising the sector’s importance to the economic growth at both national and state levels.

In response, Otti and other dignitaries expressed support for the transformative efforts coming up in the sector. He noted that Abia State’s commitment aligned with the federal ministry’s vision for a robust and efficient power sector. The governor stressed that he looked forward to a productive collaboration to drive positive change in the Nigerian power landscape.

Nigeria, a country of over 200 million people, currently supplies an average of 4,000mw of electricity to its citizens, with majority of the people depending on generating sets to power their homes and offices.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/12/11/electricity-supply-fg-may-unbundle-discos-swap-stakes-with-states-says-adelabu?amp=1

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Crime / ATBU Student Agbaidu Joseph Killed Trying To Recover Girlfriend Bag From Robbers by ijustdey: 5:47pm On Dec 06, 2023
Bauchi State Police Command has disclosed that the slain 500-level student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) was stabbed while trying to retrieve his girlfriend’s handbag from some assailants.

Daily Trust had reported that hundreds of students on Monday held a peaceful demonstration to protest the killing of a 500-level student, who was stabbed to death by suspected robbers.

Subsequently, the protest degenerated into breakdown of law and order, a situation that compelled the management of ATBU to close down the institution for a period of one week.

The police in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer SP Ahmed Wakil, said, “On 02/12/2023 some unknown persons, numbers not ascertained, snatched a handbag containing a mobile phone belonging to a lady, one Philomena Ahobee, 28 years, a student at Abubakar Tatari Polytechnic (ATAP), Bauchi.

As a result of which her boyfriend Agbaidu Joseph, 28 years, of Anguwan Ngas who is a student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, tried to help her to retrieve the handbag containing the phone. The assailant stabbed him on the left-side of his chest with a sharp knife. The victim was rushed to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi for treatment but he was certified dead while on admission by a medical doctor.”


Wakil said that the Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Command, CP Auwal Musa Mohammed, received in audience the leadership of two students bodies (NUBAS and SUG) in his office at the state command headquarters.

While addressing the CP, the leadership of the students union kicked against the violent protest by some students and applauded the CP for his swift response that nipped it in the bud.

The students leaders presented a letter of request to the Commissioner of Police soliciting more security presence around their communities.

While accepting the letter, the CP assured them of the deployment of the intelligence and operational asset of the command to the affected areas. He also ordered the posting of more personnel and patrol vans for constant visibility patrol in the area.

The CP lamented that it was wrong for the students to have taken laws into their own hands in a matter that only the higher institutions and other relevant stakeholders can adjudicate, thereby creating a vacuum for unscrupulous persons to highjack the protest and turn it into a violent one leading to a confrontation with the school authority.

He further encouraged residents of the state to remain law-abiding, be vigilant, and promptly report suspected criminals and their activities to the police.

He said efforts were being intensified to apprehend the culprits that perpetrated the dastardly act, adding that justice would be served.

https://dailytrust.com/atbu-student-killed-while-trying-to-recover-girlfriends-bag-from-robbers-police/

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Politics / President Budgets N10billion To Renovate Gbajabiamila’s Official Residence by ijustdey: 2:59pm On Dec 06, 2023
President Tinubu Budgets N10billion To Renovate Gbajabiamila’s Official Residence, Another N570million For Travels

President Bola Tinubu has set aside N10 billion for the reconstruction and repair of the official residence of his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

This is contained in the President Bola Tinubu’s total allocation of N21billion for Femi Gbajabiamila, in next year’s budget estimates presented to the National Assembly by the President last month.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the 2024 Nigerian budget proposal also showed that Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima would spend N10.13billion on meals and travels.

The N27.5trillion budget proposal is still being examined by the National Assembly.

According to the budget proposal, Tinubu will spend N638.5m on local trips and N6.9 billion on foreign trips, totaling N7.6 billion.

Shettima’s travels will gulp N1.8 billion out of which N618.4 million is for local journeys and N1.2 billion for international trips.

According to the breakdown the proposed figure, Gbajabiamila proposed N104million for the purchase of computers and printers. For “local travel and transport for international training,” the CoS office plans to spend N579million, while “miscellaneous” is expected to gulp N103 million.

The budget presentation, made to a joint session, requested a legislative approval of a total spending plan that included 1.78 million barrels per day of crude oil, a borrowing plan of N7.8 trillion, and an exchange rate of N700 to the US dollar.

https://saharareporters.com/2023/12/06/president-tinubu-budgets-n10billion-renovate-gbajabiamilas-official-residence-another

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Politics / Yusuf Bichi Lobbying To Be Nigerian Ambassador To Saudi Arabia After Retirement by ijustdey: 2:17pm On Dec 06, 2023
EXCLUSIVE: Director-General Of Secret Police, DSS, Yusuf Bichi Lobbying To Be Nigerian Ambassador To Saudi Arabia After Leaving Service – Presidency Source


Following the palliatives scandal rocking Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services, the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi, is currently lobbying to get an ambassadorial appointment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a presidency source has informed SaharaReporters.

The source noted that Bichi would soon leave the service, but he “is pleading to get an ambassadorial position for Saudi Arabia" to escape any probe.

The DG of DSS, Bichi is pleading to be made an ambassador of Saudi Arabia following the recent palliatives scandal. The man has been asked to go but he is demanding for a juicy ambassadorial position for Saudi Arabia,” the source revealed.

The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration since the regime of former president, Muhammadu Buhari, has been notorious for “rewarding” loyalists and cronies with ambassadorial positions.

Buhari had gifted ambassadorial positions to some military chiefs under his government after they were asked to tender their resignation.

One of them was former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, who was appointed as Nigeria's Ambassador to the Benin Republic, despite reports of embezzlement of funds for arms procurement.

SaharaReporters exclusively had reported several how Buratai used a military property firm to build a Bakery for his relations, and sponsor his wives on pilgrimages.

SaharaReporters reported on June 23, 2022, how the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered N1.85 billion from a house and office said to belong to Buratai in Abuja.

Bichi, like Buratai, is currently being considered for the ambassadorial position he requested by the presidency and the powers that be whom he had meritoriously served their interest while he holds away as DG DSS not minding the scandal on the palliative.

It should be recalled that Bichi was lately in the news, on the allegation of appropriating subsidy grants meant for staff and paying himself a purported “goodbye allowance” as he was believed to be on his way out of the DSS.

The DSS Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Peter Afunanya had denied both charges.

“The Service hereby states that the allegations are entirely false. It wishes to clarify that neither the DG nor anyone acting on his directive has looted staff subsidy grant. No such grant has been made available to the Service and once that is allocated, staff will, as usual, receive what is due them. Mr Bichi has, in all ramifications, evidently catered for the welfare of active and retired personnel.

“This is common knowledge and can be verified by Ude. Similarly, the so called "goodbye allowance" which Ude accused the DG of granting himself is non-existent. It is only an imagination of the writer and his sponsors.

“But assuming the DG is paid any severance package at the end of his tenure, how is that unethical and outside established public service rule? While Ude is at his mischief once again and has continued to smear the image of Mr Bichi as well as present him as corrupt, facts at the DSS show otherwise. Recalled from retirement in 2018 and appointed the DGSS, Bichi is seen as spartan, accountable, transparent and indeed, incorruptible.

“He has remained resolute in running the Service and shown uncommon commitment in the management of its affairs. His top priorities are staff welfare and judicious application of human and material resources. Any misleading narratives to the contrary are therefore unacceptable. Notably, the Service is aware of the desperation and antics of Ude and his other hirelings to associate it with unnecessary controversies either during the 2023 Presidential election or the subsequent litigations following it,” he had said.

https://saharareporters.com/2023/12/06/exclusive-director-general-secret-police-dss-yusuf-bichi-lobbying-be-nigerian-ambassador

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Career / November Salaries Of FG Civil Servants Delayed Over ‘technical Glitch’ by ijustdey: 8:04am On Dec 06, 2023
Several workers at federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are yet to receive their November salaries, TheCable can report.

One of the affected civil servants who spoke with TheCable said some workers at the federal ministry of labour and employment have not been paid since October.

The staff, who asked not to be named, said they were told that the government is broke.

Only a few members of staff have been paid half of their November salary while the previous two months are still outstanding,” the labour ministry worker said.

Some of the workers said they have received no explanation from the authorities regarding the reason for the delay.


TECHNICAL GLITCH’

Bawa Mokwa, director of press at the office of the accountant-general of the federation, said the delay in the payment of November salaries was due to a “glitch”.

Mokwa, who spoke on Tuesday via a phone call with TheCable, said the integrated personnel and payroll information system (IPPIS) unit, which is responsible for the payment, had technical issues.

The director of press said the issue had been sorted, assuring that all the workers would be paid.

“I just left the IPPIS office. It has been confirmed, the director in charge of the payment said they have done what they are supposed to do,” he told TheCable.

It was a glitch and it has been settled today. All errors have also been corrected. You can quote me. All federal workers will receive their November salary tonight.”

TheCable had recently reported that the December salaries of over 5,000 federal civil servants may be delayed due to discrepancies in dates of first appointment and birth.

Tommy Okon, national president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), had said the union was working with the head of civil service of the federation to resolve the issues.

https://www.thecable.ng/november-salaries-of-fg-civil-servants-delayed-over-technical-glitch/amp

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Politics / Outrage As Two FG Agencies Sign Mou At COP28 by ijustdey: 12:20pm On Dec 05, 2023
Anger As FG Agencies Sign MoU In Dubai


Some social media users are currently tackling the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

This was after both agencies announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sunday.

In pictures shared on Social Media by REA, Ahmad Salihjo, REA CEO and Khalil Halilu, NASENI CEO, can be seen signing the MoU and posing with the documents.

This signing was done in the UAE during the ongoing Conference of Parties (COP28).

The agencies, among other things, announced the MoU’s objectives are to collaborate towards electrification of rural and underserved areas in Nigeria, share knowledge, data and information related to rural electrification and promote the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass in rural electrification.

Following the post, some Nigerians began to knock both agencies for not signing the agreement in Abuja, where their headquarters are.

https://dailytrust.com/anger-as-fg-agencies-sign-mou-in-dubai/#google_vignette

Politics / NLC: Next Minimum Wage Will Be Based On Cost Of Living by ijustdey: 12:04pm On Dec 05, 2023
•Says life now unbearable for workers

Amidst rising cost of goods and services in the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it would ensure that the next national minimum wage to be negotiated in 2024 reflects the prevailing cost of living.

It lamented that following the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government, life has become extremely unbearable for workers.

Addressing participants at the opening of the 19th edition of the NLC’s Harmattan School holding in Abuja, President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, said it had become necessary for governments at all levels to recognise that life and living conditions were exceedingly difficult, especially for working people in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

He said removal of subsidy on petroleum products further exacerbated challenges faced by working people, unleashing severe pain and contributing to galloping inflation and increasing inequality and poverty.

“We must reckon that a well-motivated and well-remunerated workforce has a positive impact on productivity and national development.

“As we anticipate the commencement of negotiations for the national minimum wage in 2024, we seek the understanding of all stakeholders to ensure that we use this opportunity to arrive at a minimum wage commensurate with the prevailing cost of living,” he said.

Ajaero, who was represented by Deputy President of the NLC, Benjamin Anthony, said the ultimate goal of negotiating a new minimum wage was to establish a living wage that covers the cost of living and make allowance for some savings by the workers.

He noted that since the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in the mid-1980s and subsequent wholesale adoption of neoliberal economy framework, there had been a sustained disruption of the social pillars of society and cut on public spending on the provision of social services.

According to him, the series of austerity measures adopted by government have, “significantly impacted on the quality of life of workers, peasants and the poor, thus creating an urgent need for collaboration with broad segment of the society to form a formidable force for sustained policy engagement with the governments at all levels.”

The NLC president also spoke on the face-off between organised labour and the Imo state government.

According to him, as far as the Congress was concerned: “the thing that can assuage its pains is for the Imo State Government to address all labour issues and return the so called ‘ghost workers’ to their jobs, pay all outstanding salaries and pensions and call back all victimised workers to their jobs”

On his part, NLC General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, said the situation was becoming highly unbearable for the workers and indeed most Nigerians.

Ugboaja added: “Up till now the federal workers are yet to receive their November salaries and that means December salary might be paid in January. “This is not what it used be and if we don’t combat this now, then it becomes absolutely difficult for the average worker to appreciate what is called policy engagement.”

He said payment of salary which was a primary function of government was now becoming difficult to fulfill. “It is unimaginable that payment of salaries will now become collective bargaining issues,” he said.

The theme this year’s Harmattan School was “Building Workers Skills for Policy Engagement.”

Speaking on the goal of the Harmattan School, Ugboaja said the NLC had made it a compulsory for any worker who would contest for any office in the unions to show evidence of having attended training courses organised by the NLC.

Ugboaja, also said this year’s Harmattan School had been scaled down to exclude participants from other African countries due to paucity of funds resulting from the removal fuel subsidy.

Chairman of the Federal Capital Teritory chapter of the NLC, Stephen Adalo Knabayi, said the theme was apt and timely considering so many happenings in the labour sector that calls for serious evaluation.

The Country Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Vanessa Phala, urged the NLC and other trade unions in the country to take active part in the implementation of the Abidjan Declaration trade unions in partnership with other tripartite partners.

She said the unions were expected to participate in policy dialogue to achieve the priorities identified in the areas such as productivity growth; skills development, formalisation, extension of social protection coverage; addressing gender inequality and discrimination; just transition; decent work and the reduction of inequalities.

Phala, said the NLC had demonstrated commitment and capacity to engage on issues on trade, investments, and decent work in general.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/12/05/nlc-next-minimum-wage-will-be-based-on-cost-of-living

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Politics / Governor Oborevwori To Unveil Africa’s Tallest Christmas Tree In Delta (Photo) by ijustdey: 8:52pm On Dec 04, 2023
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, will commission the tallest Christmas tree in Africa on Monday, December in Asaba. The tree stands 123 feet tall.

The commissioning is one of the events put together by the organisers of Christmas In Delta, a 45-day Christmas extravaganza that kicked off on Friday, December 1.

In a statement released to LEADERSHIP, the yuletide fiesta is aimed at giving Deltans and visitors alike a Christmas like no other. The Executive Assistant (EA) to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Dr (Mrs.) Josephine Odunze who embarked on an inspection tour of projects, noted that the initiative aligns with the vision of the state governor, Oborevwori to create a festive atmosphere that captures the spirit of the ‘’Big Heart’’ state.

Odunze said that the commissioning of the giant Christmas tree is part of the 45 days of unforgettable Christmas experiences in the state, even as she commended the governor and the organisers for the event.

‘’People have asked me why the Christmas tree is positioned where it is. I tell them that we cannot be selling Delta to Deltans by positioning the tree in town. We should be marketing Delta to outsiders. It is happening here in Delta State; 45 days of endless fun’’ she said.

In his remark, a member of the organising committee, Fred Onojeta, said that the initiative was to explore the state’s tourism potential, even as he commended the Oborevwori administration for an enabling environment for such enterprises to thrive.

‘’When the team put this event together tagged ‘’Christmas in Delta: 45 Days of Fond Memories served daily’’ it was audacious to put the tallest Christmas tree in Africa here in Asaba. We thought it was impossible’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the EA also visited other sites that will add flavour to the Christmas experience. Sitters visited include the Floating Bar and Water Park at Grand Hotel Asaba and several other facilities located at the Maryam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village, Asaba.

https://leadership.ng/delta-governor-oborevwori-to-unveil-africas-tallest-christmas-tree-in-delta/

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Politics / Climate Change: Gov Signs Executive Order For Transition To Green Economy by ijustdey: 11:24am On Dec 01, 2023
The executive order directed all the ministries, departments and agencies of the state to adhere strictly to the initiative as any violator would be appropriately sanctioned.


By Bakare Majeed


Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has signed an executive order for the transition of Niger State into a green economy.

The executive order, titled, “Niger State Green Economy Initiative Order (No.3),” was signed on Wednesday at the commencement of the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at the Council Chambers, Government House, Minna, the state capital.

This was contained in a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Bologi Ibrahim.

According to the statement, the executive order provides the guidelines for the transition of the state’s economy into a green economy.

“Green economy initiative shall be driven by the state blueprint that details the strategic pillars and outlines the strategic key performance indicators, targets and timelines of the transition into a green economy,” it reads in part.

The order also provides that the “Niger State government shall produce a state-wide land use and economic development plan to guide investment decisions and ensure investments that would stabilise the green transition is properly coordinated and planned.”

The Order further directed all the ministries, departments and agencies of the state to adhere strictly to the initiative as appropriate sanction would be carried out on any violator.

After signing the order, the governor explained that it will ensure effective implementation of the green economy policy.

Mr Bago, a former member of the House of Representatives, has been very keen on the green economy since he emerged as governor.

In October, he held a green economy summit in Niger State to encourage investors to invest in the state.

The governor also recently declared the planting of 10 million trees in six months in the state to stop the impact of climate change and also earn carbon credit.

This latest move by the governor is coming at a time the Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is in progress in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

President Bola Tinubu and other world leaders are gathered in Dubai to take decisive action on climate commitments to prevent further impacts.

Mr Tinubu, in his budget presentation speech on Wednesday, also highlighted the green economy as one of the major opportunities Nigeria must tap into.

“I have directed relevant government agencies to diligently work towards securing substantial funding commitments that will bolster Nigeria’s energy transition.

“It is imperative that we seize this opportunity to attract international partnerships and investments that align with our national goals,” the president said.

Energy transition and climate financing are the core components of the year’s COP conversations.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/648033-climate-change-nigerian-governor-signs-executive-order-for-transition-to-green-economy.html

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Politics / Nigerians Bothered About Rising Food Prices, Not Budget — Rewane by ijustdey: 1:29pm On Nov 30, 2023
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, has said that Nigerians are more concerned about the rising food prices and less bothered about the 2024 budget.

According to Rewane, many Nigerians are less interested in the details of the 2024 budget recently presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu but more worried that the rising food prices are making life difficult for them.

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Business Morning’ show, on Thursday, the respected economist said, “In the end, budgetary arithmetics, budgetary mathematics in economics is of no use to anybody except when by this time, six months, if we are buying rice at N40,000 a bag rather than N60,000 a bag, if we are buying bread N900 a big loaf instead of N1,300 which we are doing today. If we are buying garri at lower prices.

“The people are not interested in whether the budget is balanced and what the debt is. How does it (the budget) affect their day-to-day livelihood? That is the key thing.


Tinubu, on Wednesday, said his administration is targeting a 3.76 per cent economic growth in the 2024 fiscal year, as he presented the 2024 budget proposal to a joint session of the 10th National Assembly in Abuja — his first since assuming office exactly six months ago.

This was as the president spotlighted national security, local job creation, and poverty reduction as the top priorities of the 2024 Appropriation Bill which he called the ‘Budget of Renewed Hope.’

On the economy, Tinubu argued that a stable macroeconomic environment is crucial in his administration’s quest to catalyse private investment and accelerate economic growth.

According to The PUNCH analysis, funding to the education sector (N2.18 trillion) is 101.85 per cent more than the N1.08 trillion that was budgeted for the sector in the 2023 appropriation, while the health sector was earmarked N1.33 trillion, and N534 billion has been budgeted for social investments and poverty reduction, amongst many others.

However, Rewane said that many people have become more frustrated in the face of the hard economic realities facing the country.

The economist said the high level of poverty is already causing mental health challenges for many people.

He said, “You will notice that on the streets of Lagos in particular, the number of lunatics has increased and part of it is driven by poverty.

We are having “many mental health issues. People are pushed to the wall. Some of them walk across the road even in moving traffic.”

Rewane added, “People need to feel the impact of the budget. the impact is not going to be felt because of 10 or 12 per cent of GDP, that is N27 trillion; it has to be more. Where is the more going to come from?

“It’s going to come from investors and investors are going to come here when they are sure that their money is safe and the environment is clean, and they can look forward to a brighter future.”

He said the government must be honest with Nigerians on the economic realities, noting that people cannot start pretending to be happy.

“You can fake news but you can’t fake prosperity,” Rewane noted.

https://punchng.com/nigerians-bothered-about-rising-food-prices-not-budget-rewane/

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Foreign Affairs / Sweden Enters Recession As Inflation Hits Consumers by ijustdey: 10:06am On Nov 30, 2023
Sweden fell into a recession in the third quarter as its economy contracted by 0.3 percent and consumers tightened their belts for a fifth straight quarter, Statistics Sweden said Wednesday.

The Scandinavian country is one of the worst economic performers in the European Union, with the European Commission forecasting average growth of 0.6 percent in the EU in 2023.

Sweden’s economy shrank by 0.8 percent in the second quarter. A recession is usually defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction.

“The downturn is mainly explained by a decrease in inventories and reduced household consumption,” the statistics agency said in a statement.

Household consumption shrank by 0.6 percent in the third quarter from the second, while decreased industrial inventories contributed a negative 1.4 percentage points to the economy’s performance.

The country has been struggling with stubbornly high inflation for more than a year as well as a depreciating krona — prompting the central bank to successively raise its key rate to four percent, its highest level in 15 years.

Consumers have been hard hit by the higher prices and interest rates, with many households having mortgages with variable interest rates.

“Household consumption was much weaker than expected and posted a negative contribution to GDP for the fifth consecutive quarter, which is in line with the previous longest decline from 1992-93,” Swedish bank Swedbank said in an analyst note.

Exports were however up by a solid 1.4 percent from the previous quarter, with net exports contributing positively to GDP by 1.5 percentage points.

Compared with the third quarter of 2022, the economy shrank by 1.4 percent, Statistics Sweden said.

“Overall … the outcome confirms a weak development in the Swedish economy,” Swedbank said.

The government recently expressed concern over the country’s “prolonged economic winter”, as unemployment rose to 7.7 percent in the third quarter.

The government forecasts a contraction of 0.8 percent for 2023 as a whole.

https://guardian.ng/news/sweden-enters-recession-as-inflation-hits-consumers/

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Travel / Gov Otu Adds New Aircraft To Callyair Fleet, Plans Additional 3 by ijustdey: 6:53am On Nov 30, 2023
Cross River State governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has inaugurated a new aircraft in the fleet of the state-owned Cally Air, with a promise to add three additional aircraft as the airline resumed flight services at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar.

Inaugurating the Boeing 737 with Registration No. 5N BYR, Tuesday, at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, the governor said: We have about three aircrafts that would be joining the fleet in no distant time. Calabar has been an international airport and we want to raise it to that standard,” a statement by his chief press secretary, Emmanuel Ogbeche, stated.

According to the statement, Governor Otu commended his predecessor, Senator Ben Ayade, for initiating Cally Air and putting Cross River on the aviation map, saying with the 32-day non-stop fun to begin on November 30, 2023, the two planes would be flying the Lagos-Abuja-Calabar route twice a day.

The governor used the event to commend aviation authorities for installing night landing systems, expressing the hope that the airport would soon be operating optimally.

“Permit me to thank the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for making it possible that flights, very soon, would be landing here till 9pm. The lighting is being restored and the airport is returning to total functionality to exist as an international airport,” he said.

The governor used the opportunity to also welcome tourists to the state for the 2023 Carnival Calabar International Festival and called on them to explore the option of Cally Air as they visit for business and other recreational activities.

“I want to thank Aero Contractors, our partners, in this business. We have agreed to build even stronger and to make sure that this partnership becomes a very viable business for the state,” Otu said.

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, commended the governor for midwifing the return of services of the two aircraft to Calabar, while describing the Governor Otu-led administration as one “poised to repositioning Cross River into an economically viable state.”

He called on air travellers to embrace Aero Cally as the state-owned aircraft operate the most pocket-friendly fares in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Aviation, Captain Eno Inah, expressed delight at the return of Cally Air services to Calabar, adding that the development has brought the needed relief to a lot of those looking forward to Africa’s biggest street party – Carnival Calabar International Festival.

He said with three additional aircraft to be added to the Cally Air fleet, Cross River State was primed for robust aviation business.

https://leadership.ng/gov-otu-adds-new-aircraft-to-callyair-fleet-plans-additional-3/

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Politics / Mandate Your Ministers Not To Travel During Budget Defence, Akpabio Tells Tinubu by ijustdey: 9:20pm On Nov 29, 2023
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has told President Bola Tinubu not to allow his cabinet members travel when they are expected to defend the 2024 budget at the National Assembly.

He said this when the president presented N27.5trn budget proposal before a joint session of the National Assembly, on Wednesday.

Tinubu had appealed to the lawmakers to pass the budget within 30 days.

Responding, the senate president said the lawmakers will, on Thursday and Friday, consider the 2024 budget for first and second readings and then adjourn plenary till December 12 for budget defence with MDAs.

He assured President Tinubu that the budget proposals will be diligently considered accordingly.

He therefore urged ministers and the heads of government agencies to shun travelling engagements during the budget scrutiny.

Akpabio said, “We assure you that the proposals you have come to present will be diligently considered accordingly.

We approach this moment with a sense of duty, unity, and purpose. To ensure maximum attention to the review of the Year 2023 Budget performance and the consideration of the Year 2024 Budget Proposal, we request that Mr President would mandate Honorable Ministers and Heads of Agencies to avoid any travelling engagements that would prevent them from honoring our invitation to promptly appear before our committees to defend their budget estimates.

“As we embark on the journey of reviewing the 2024 budget, let us remember that our actions today will shape the future of our nation. Together, let us work towards a budget that reflects the aspirations and dreams of every Nigerian citizen for a greater country.”

https://dailytrust.com/mandate-your-ministers-not-to-travel-during-budget-defence-akpabio-tells-tinubu/

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Politics / Senate Invites Dangote Refinery, NIPCO Gas, 13 Other Over N120B CBN Fund by ijustdey: 5:30pm On Nov 29, 2023
Senate Invites Dangote Refinery, NIPCO Gas, 13 Other Companies To Explain How N120billion Central Bank Fund Was Spent


The Nigerian Senate has invited 15 companies including Dangote Oil Refinery, NIPCO Gas Limited and NIPCO Plc to explain how they spent over N120billion intervention fund disbursed to them by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Senate in a memo to the companies, signed by Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, and obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, said the companies are beneficiaries of the disbursement from the Nigeria Gas Expansion Program (NGEP) Intervention Fund by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The invitation said they must appear on Thursday, November 30, at a meeting room in the National Assembly complex.

The memo read, “The following Companies who are Beneficiaries of the Disbursement from the Nigeria Gas Expansion Program (NGEP) Intervention Fund by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are Invited to an Investigative Hearing with the Senate Committee on Gas;
COMPANY

1. NIPCO GAS LTD – N25billion
2 NIPCO PLC – N5billion
3. HYDE ENERGY LTD – N2billion
4. LEE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY – N15billion
5 PINNACLE OIL AND GAS FZE – N10billion
6. TRANSIT GAS LIMITED – N8billion
7. ALMALGAMATED OIL COMPANY NIG, LTD (AMOCON) – N5billion
8 GAS NEXUS LTD – N10billion
9. FIRST MODULAR GAS SYSTEMS LIMITED – N4.3billion
10 NOVAGAS LIMITED – N1billion
11. GREENVILLE LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS COMPANY – N10billion
12. AP LPG LIMITED – N8billion
13 DANGOTE OIL REFINERY – N5billion
14. DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT – N20billion
15. MOB INTEGRATED SERVICES LIMITED – N2.5billion


The invited Companies are required to appear with their Progress Reports stating Location of Projects and the Current Status of the Projects. The meeting is scheduled as follows; Date: Thursday, 30th November, 2023; Time: 2:00pm; Meeting Room 107, New Senate Building, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.


“Venue: Accept the assurances of my highest regards.”

In a recent related development, SaharaReporters had on November 23 reported that the Senate committee probing the rehabilitation of the country’s four refineries threatened to demand for dismissal and trial of senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, (NNPCL) and other relevant agencies for shunning its invitation.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Isa Jibrin, had issued a threat following the failure of the senior executives of the NNPCL and other agencies to appear before it.

The agencies, he said, were those involved in the Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of refineries.

Some of the agencies whose chief executive officers failed to turn up at the session but sent representatives included NNPCL; Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and others, Daily Trust reports.

The senator noted that from 2010 till date, over N12 trillion had been spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries, yet none of them was functional.
He said, “We will ask for a refund and dismissal of all the chief executives involved in the Turn Around Maintenance.”

Jibrin said that for weeks, they had been asking for documents, which had not been given by the oil companies, a development that created suspicion.

“We sent them an invitation more than two weeks ago requesting for documents and the documents have not been released after two weeks. So, we want the chief executives to be present.

“More worrisome is that between 2010 and 2020, the sum of N4.8 trillion was said to have been spent as operational expenses.

“How do you incur operational expenses that have to do with purchase of raw materials and similar expenses on factories that are moribund? How do we come about operational expenses? We need to know.

“These are issues that Nigerians want to know; they want solutions to all these leakages. We know they are leakages. Whether you accept it or not they are leakages and they are all forms of compromise within your various establishments.

“We know and we will not hesitate to escalate it to the highest possible level, including the possibility of refund and outright dismissal of some of the heads of some of these agencies and possibly go to jail,” he had said.

https://saharareporters.com/2023/11/28/exclusive-nigerian-senate-invites-dangote-refinery-nipco-gas-13-other-companies-explain

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Education / Withheld Salaries: Uncertainty As ASUU Rejects Fg’s Offer by ijustdey: 1:04pm On Nov 29, 2023
There is no respite in sight for university workers under the umbrella of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, who are agitating for the release of their withheld salaries resulting from last year’s industrial action.

DAILY POST reports that the union last week lost its suit against the federal government over the salaries withheld for the period they were on strike in 2022.

The development came after the National Industrial Court, NIC, dismissed the case filed by ASUU against the Minister of Labour and Employment and the Accountant General of the Federation.

ASUU was on strike which lasted for eight months in 2022 over issues revolving around revitalisation of public universities and a review of lecturers’ salaries and allowances, among other matters.

After several meetings and efforts to resolve the strike ended inconclusively, the federal government headed to the National Industrial Court to challenge the union’s action.

In its ruling, the industrial court granted the federal government’s application for an interlocutory injunction to restrain ASUU from continuing with the strike pending the determination of the substantive suit.

However, early in November last year, when they returned to work, the members of the union were bewildered following the payment of half salaries for only 18 working days in October to its members by the federal government.

The development followed the federal government’s insistence on implementing the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy when the university workers were away from their duty posts.

The then Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had said that the lecturers were paid in pro rata for the number of days they worked, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action.

The National Industrial Court further upheld the no work, no pay rule when it ruled in the suit filed by the federal government against the ASUU.

The union had demanded salaries of members from February 14 to October 7, 2022, when the strike was called off.

But according to the court, it was within the right of the federal government to withhold salaries of workers who embark on industrial action.

In June this year, ASUU filed a separate lawsuit against the federal government over what it described as discriminatory, unfair and illegal treatment of its members.

The suit was filed by Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, on behalf of ASUU.

The union asked the court to determine whether having paid the salaries of members of the Joint Staff Union, National Association of Resident Doctors and lecturers in the Medical Facilities/Medical and Dental Academic of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State during the period of industrial actions, the decision of the defendants to withhold the salaries of the members of the claimant from February to October 2022 was not discriminatory and illegal.

The union also wanted the court to determine “whether the members of ASUU were not entitled to payment of their salaries for the months of February to October 2022, of which their members were on strike.

While ruling on the matter last week, the President of the NIC, Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip, dismissed the case on the basis that it was an abuse of court process, frivolous and vexatious.

Justice Kanyip also awarded the sum of five hundred thousand Naira (N500,000) payable by ASUU to the Attorney-General of the Federation within 30 days.

“This stance is further reinforced when the supporting affidavit of the instant suit is considered. In paragraphs 6 to 12 and 15 of the affidavit in support of the instant suit, the Claimant recounted what constitutes the work of a lecturer, how the strike it embarked upon does not abrogate the responsibilities of its members as lecturers, how, despite that the defendants refused to pay its members their salaries for the period of the strike, how the strike continued thereby, how the teaching job component of their job was only restored upon the orders of this Court and the Court of Appeal, etc. These were matters ASUU ought to have canvassed in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/270/2022 if they had filed their defence processes. But ASUU ‘strategically’ chose not to.

“ASUU accordingly has itself to blame for all these ‘strategic’ blunders. It cannot, by the instant suit, re-litigate a suit it deliberately refused to file a defence to. To do so would be re-litigation through the backdoor. I so hold,” the court ruled.

Recall that before the court judgement, President Bola Tinubu had last month approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order against ASUU members.

According to the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu approved the grant of the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding establishing that the exceptional waiver granted by the President would be the last one to be granted to ASUU and all other education sector unions.

Ajuri said the waiver would allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.

He said Tinubu invoked the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, seeking to “mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria”.

Findings by DAILY POST indicated that the union was not amenable to the condition attached to its members receiving the four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary.

A top official of the union told DAILY POST that signing the agreement would amount to ‘slavery.’

He said the union would never relinquish its rights because of the withheld salaries.

Speaking to DAILY POST about the matter, the ASUU UNN branch chairman, Comrade Nobert Oyibo Eze said the government was yet to reach out to the union concerning the eight months’ backlog of salaries – a fallout from last year’s strike.

He also said that the national body of ASUU has not come out with any statement on the recent court pronouncement on the matter.

Eze said that the leaders must consider the interest of the people for things to work well in the country.

He further warned that ‘‘it is going to be worse for this country if the courts are no longer doing what is proper’’.

He said, ‘‘As far as the idea of four months salary and signing documents are concerned, ASUU has not received any official communication from the government. And the truth of the matter is that we have done the work. And you cannot deny us our salaries after we have done the work.

‘‘You see, the problem with the Nigerian system is that we have a political class that is hypocritical, that is self-centred and extremely wicked.

“Why would they want to answer a doctor and a professor and claim they have attended university, which they did not? They claim all sorts of titles from the educational sector, they want to be doctor, professor; they want to claim they have the degrees. So, education is good to them but they cannot fund it in this country. What exactly is the government of this country doing?

“Recently, it was reported all over the place about the N160 million they appropriated to each one of the members of the National Assembly to buy bulletproof vehicles. So, they are the only ones to be secured.

‘‘The major salary they are paying the workers, they cannot pay it. Whenever it comes to their own, there would be money.

“I read somewhere two days ago about how N104 billion was sandwiched, smuggled into the budget as an end of the year parting gift, where a senator will take N300 million and a member of the House will take N200 million.

“Whenever it comes to their own needs, there would be money. But when it comes to taking care of the workers who generate this money, they will be talking about empty treasury. Are they talking to kids?

‘‘President Tinubu said during his campaign that if he becomes the president of this country, he will make sure that he stops strikes in the university by ensuring that whatever the universities need to be functional that he provides them.

“Since he took over as the President, has he called the members of the union to dialogue? Why do we have this type of system where the people, the masses who are working are being crushed?

“Today, we are buying a litre of fuel at N700, how much is our salary? A professor’s salary cannot feed him summarily for two weeks.

‘‘I want to tell them that if they want things to work in this country, they must consider the people. If all of us die, who are they going to govern?

“Why is it that our political class is self-centred? Other governments are pumping money into the system to have a state-of-art-university. Here in Nigeria, they are busy proliferating universities, which they don’t fund. The health sector is sick.

“I’m saying, unless they pay those salaries, things will not work well in the universities. And they are even using the eight months salaries, which we have worked for as a cover because the major issues why we went on strike, nobody talks about it anymore.

“We went on strike because our take-home-package can no longer take us home. This salary we are receiving today, they were negotiated and effected in 2009. What is the exchange rate now compared to 2009?

“What is a professor in Nigeria earning when you convert the dollars to naira? It is a shame that our people go to places where things work, they send their children overseas to study because things are working well there.

‘‘Why is it that the people who are now in government, those who went to the university, who enjoyed bursary award, free education, federal scholarship cannot even give scholarships, cannot even pay salaries?

“All over the place, the primary and secondary schools are crying. Then come to the universities, colleges of education and polytechnics.

‘‘Nobody is enjoying the strike. If they uplift the system, strike will stop. As long as they continue to play politics, we will continue to go on strike.”

When asked to comment on the court judgement, he said, ‘‘The courts are no longer the hope of common persons. I cannot address that issue because the national body has not come out with any statement.

“You see, they are using courts to do whatever things they want to do. The court is not helping the situation. Nigerian people don’t believe in court any more.

“It is going to be worse for this country when the courts are no longer doing what is proper; nobody will be interested in going to court.

‘‘We did our work. There is no question…Are they saying we did not work?

“After the strike, we went back and made sure that every lacuna was closed up. JAMB has continued to admit people because we are teaching.

https://dailypost.ng/2023/11/29/withheld-salaries-uncertainty-as-ASUU-rejects-fgs-offer/

Foreign Affairs / Hamas Fighters Free More Hostages After Hours-long Delay by ijustdey: 10:52am On Nov 26, 2023
Hamas fighters on Saturday released a second group of 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, freeing for the first time one of the people snatched during their bloody assault on a music festival.

The hostage-for-prisoner exchange had been delayed for hours in a heart-stopping development when Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the agreement, struck as part of a four-day ceasefire which is already past its mid-point.

But after the intervention of Qatari and Egyptian mediators and reassurances from Israel, Hamas agreed to proceed, releasing 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages in a late-night operation.

Israel in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners, officials said.

Red Cross minibuses could be seen ferrying the hostages late at night through Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt ahead of their transfer to Israel, AFP photo and video images showed.

Among the freed Israelis was 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas in their deadly October 7 assault on the Supernova desert rave, according to a forum of the hostages’ families.

Maya Regev and her 18-year-old brother Itay, who was also snatched by Hamas during the festival, were later shown tied up in the back of a pick-up truck in a video posted on social media.

“I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza,” her mother Mirit said in a statement released by the hostage families’ forum.

The family of freed nine-year-old hostage Emily Hand said they were “overjoyed” to embrace her again.

“We can’t find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days,” they said in a statement via the forum.

Prison authorities in Israel said they in turn released 39 Palestinian detainees including 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

The handover of Hamas hostages came hours later than expected after the militant group said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and was not allowing aid to reach civilians in northern Gaza.


– Nine-year-old boy hugs father –

Hamas later said it had “responded positively” to Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after they relayed a promise by Israel to “uphold all the conditions of the accord”.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the terms of the pause.

Saturday’s exchange followed an initial swap on Friday when Hamas released 13 Israelis, all of them women and children.

Ten Thais and one Filipino were also unexpectedly freed by Hamas.

Israel in turn released 39 Palestinian women and children from its prisons under an agreement that mandates exchanges at a ratio of three to one.

Israeli hostages who were let go in the initial swap reunited with their families in touching scenes.

Nine-year-old boy Otah, wearing glasses and carrying a stuffed toy, rounded the corner of a hospital near Tel Aviv and broke into a run, hurling himself into the arms of his father, video images showed.

The boy, his mother and grandmother were among those released in the first exchange Friday.

On the same day in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of Palestinian prisoners.

“I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this,” said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.


– Aid trucks enter Gaza –

Its fighters snatched around 240 people when they broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

Following the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

The pause in fighting in Gaza opened the way for more aid to Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and humanitarian aid via a “humanitarian passageway” to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies had been sent separately to aid organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, it said.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said that in “several reported incidents” on Friday, “Israeli forces opened fire and threw teargas canisters at people heading northwards; at least one person was reportedly killed, and dozens injured.”

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said seven people had been wounded in similar incidents on Saturday.

Egypt said that it had received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

“It’s only a start, but so far it’s gone well,” US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday, adding “the chances are real” for extending the truce.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for “a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression”.

But Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi insisted Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would resume as soon as the pause in fighting ends.

“We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza,” Halevi said.


– ‘They destroyed our houses’ –

“We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them,” he added.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

Since the truce, thousands have been returning to what is left of their homes.

“We are civilians,” said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. “Why have they destroyed our houses?”

A woman sat on top of a mound of debris with her head in her hands, crying.

In southern Gaza, AFPTV drone images showed people walking or riding in donkey carts along paths cleared through piles of rubble.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/11/hamas-fighters-free-more-hostages-after-hours-long-delay/

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Politics / Bandits Kidnap 100 Zamfara Residents For Failing To Pay ₦110M Protection Levy by ijustdey: 8:42pm On Nov 25, 2023
The terrorists asked residents of the communities to pay N110 million as a protection levy.


Terrorists operating in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Friday abducted more than 100 residents in separate but coordinated attacks in several villages over the failure of the villagers to pay a N110 million protection levy.

The terrorists that carried out the attack are believed to be loyal to a terror kingpin, Damina, who operates around the Dansadau axis of the state.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that those abducted were from Mutunji, Unguwar Kawo, Kwantar Dutsi and Sabon Garin Mahuta.

A local source told BBC Hausa that Mr Damina led a gang of terrorists on motorcycles and surrounded the community a few minutes after the dusk prayer at 8:00 p.m.

“We were sitting in a place called Yar Kasuwa after the Isha’i prayers when the terrorists stormed the community. They surrounded the community while others drove into the community centre. We began running but it was already too late. They matched people into the forest,” he said.

Men, women and children were abducted, he said.

Unknown to the residents of Mutunji, other neighbouring communities were being raided at the time.

“They also attacked other communities including Unguwar Kawo, Kwanar Dutsi and Sabon Garin Mahuta and took away several people. We’ve at least 100 people taken. We’re still counting to ascertain the true number of those taken,” another source said.


Compensation levy

The source said Mr Damina attacked Mutunji because the village failed to give him N50 million he asked them to pay as compensation for “informing soldiers” of the terrorists’ movements.

Mr Damina gave the residents a week to gather the money but the source said they couldn’t gather it.

“We were trying to gather the money reaching out to people when he (Mr Damina) decided to strike.

He had also imposed such levy on the other communities. Kwana residents were asked to pay N30 million, people of Sabon Garin Mahuta were asked to gather N20 million while residents of Unguwar Kawo were asked to pay N10 million,” he said.

The police spokesperson in the state, Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attack.

The North-west subregion has been battling terrorists, also called bandits, for over a decade.

The terrorists have killed and abducted thousands of people and tens of thousands of others have been displaced in the region.

The terrorists primarily target schools, religious houses, travellers and rural communities.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/646336-terrorists-abduct-over-100-zamfara-residents-for-failing-to-pay-protection-levy.html

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Politics / Senate Vows To Sack, Jail NNPCL Kyari Over Alleged N12tr TAM Fraud by ijustdey: 10:00am On Nov 24, 2023
Senate Vows To Ensure Dismissal Of NNPCL Boss, Others After Shunning Invitation On How They Spent N12trillion On Refineries Without Result



The senator noted that from 2010 till date, over N12 trillion had been spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries, yet none of them was functional.

The Senate committee probing the rehabilitation of the country’s four refineries has threatened to demand for dismissal and trial of senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, (NNPCL) and other relevant agencies for shunning its invitation.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Isa Jibrin on Wednesday issued a threat following the failure of the senior executives of the NNPCL and other agencies to appear before it.

The agencies, he said, were those involved in the Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM) projects of refineries.

Some of the agencies whose chief executive officers failed to turn up at the session but sent representatives included NNPCL; Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and others, Daily Trust reports.

The senator noted that from 2010 till date, over N12 trillion had been spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries, yet none of them was functional.

He said, “We will ask for a refund and dismissal of all the chief executives involved in the Turn Around Maintenance.”

Jibrin said that for weeks, they had been asking for documents, which had not been given by the oil companies, a development that created suspicion.

“We sent them an invitation more than two weeks ago requesting for documents and the documents have not been released after two weeks. So, we want the chief executives to be present.

“More worrisome is that between 2010 and 2020, the sum of N4.8 trillion was said to have been spent as operational expenses.

“How do you incur operational expenses that have to do with purchase of raw materials and similar expenses on factories that are moribund? How do we come about operational expenses? We need to know.

“These are issues that Nigerians want to know; they want solutions to all these leakages. We know they are leakages. Whether you accept it or not they are leakages and they are all forms of compromise within your various establishments.

“We know and we will not hesitate to escalate it to the highest possible level, including the possibility of refund and outright dismissal of some of the heads of some of these agencies and possibly go to jail,” he said.


https://saharareporters.com/2023/11/23/senate-vows-ensure-dismissal-nnpcl-boss-others-after-shunning-invitation-how-they-spent

Nlfpmod
Business / Naira Drops To N956/$ As Dollar Supply Falls By 46% by ijustdey: 9:46am On Nov 24, 2023
The naira fell, on Thursday, to N956/$ on the official Investor and Exporter forex window as dollar supply declined by 46.77 per cent.

This is a 13.78 per cent decline from the N840.53/$ the naira closed trading on Wednesday according to data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange. Also, the turnover of dollars traded in the market fell to $105.50m from $198.21m on Wednesday.

The naira began trading at N800.90/$ for the day before hitting a high of N1136/$ and N615/$ within the day. It eventually closed trading at N956.33/$.


The instability of the naira has persisted despite recent moves by the Central Bank to clear the backlog of foreign exchange forward contracts. The naira is one of the worst-performing currencies in the world, losing about 40 per cent of its value since June, the World Bank recently disclosed.

Recently, the Economic Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, disclosed that the CBN does not have the required firepower to clear the backlog of foreign exchange orders. This is expected to continue to put pressure on the naira.

It stated, “In Nigeria, an unsupportive monetary policy implies that the naira will remain under pressure, while the central bank lacks the firepower to adequately supply the market or clear a backlog of foreign exchange orders, which will keep foreign investors unnerved. High inflation and a continued spread with the parallel market will leave the exchange rate regime unstable and result in periodic devaluations.

https://punchng.com/naira-drops-to-n956-as-dollar-supply-falls-by-46/?amp

Politics / Kano Guber: Appeal Court Has Lost Jurisdiction To Correct Errors - Olanipekun by ijustdey: 9:37am On Nov 24, 2023
Kano guber: You’ve lost jurisdiction to correct errors, Olanipekun replies appeal court





Wole Olanipekun, counsel to Abba Yusuf, Kano governor, says the court of appeal does not have the jurisdiction to correct the errors made in the recently delivered judgment on the Kano governorship election dispute.

The appellate court in Abuja had on Friday affirmed the verdict of the Kano state governorship election petition tribunal which sacked Abba Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

However, the certified true copy of the judgment contained contradictory resolutions, with the judge ruling in favour of and against the governor in the document.

Addressing the situation, Umar Bangari, chief registrar of the court of appeal, said the discrepancy was a clerical error that did not affect the court’s decision.


Bangari said Order 23, Rule 4 of the court of appeal handbook “empowers the court to correct any clerical error once detected by the court or any of the parties in the matter”.

Responding in a letter addressed to the court on Thursday, Olanipekun said the 60-day timeline allowed to hear and dispose of an appeal expired on November 18.

“Assuming without conceding that the judgment has some errors, whether typographical or otherwise, we humbly and dutifully draw your attention to the fact that the court of appeal became functus officio in the matter on Saturday, November 18, 2023,” the letter reads.

“Any application for correction of errors can only be entertained by the supreme court. Section 285(7) of the Constitution earlier referred to becomes very handy and imperative to the effect that the court of appeal cannot take any further step in the appeal or subject after the expiration of sixty (60) days.”

Reacting to Bangari’s statement that parties should file a formal application for correction, the senior advocate said: “We are not aware that any of the parties has filed any application to correct any error.

“Even at that, judicial precedents are countless as to the procedure to follow, and which court has jurisdiction to take such an application, after the expiration of the sixty (60) days mandatorily benchmarked by the constitution.”

“Today is the seventh day, effective from Friday, November 17, 2023, since the delivery of the judgment of the court of appeal.

“We repeat that, out of the fourteen days mandatorily prescribed for our client to file his notice and grounds of appeal to the supreme court, he is left with just seven (7) days; and it is only fair that he should be allowed to exercise his constitutional right of appeal without any inhibition, within the fraction of days left for him.

“We reiterate that this response has been borne out of a compelling duty and responsibility to the administration of justice, and, as counsel, it is our responsibility to draw attention to these salient statutory imperatives.”


https://www.thecable.ng/kano-guber-youve-lost-jurisdiction-to-correct-errors-olanipekun-replies-appeal-court/amp

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Politics / OSOPADEC Commissioner, Kehinde Akinrotoye, Beaten By Hoodlums In Ondo by ijustdey: 2:09pm On Nov 23, 2023
The bursary and scholarship award ceremony organized by the Ondo State Oil Development Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), has been disrupted by suspected hoodlums who beat up the agency’s commissioner, Kehinde Akinrotoye.

Vanguard learnt that the hoodlums invaded the venue of the ceremony and started shooting sporadically, disrupting the event for hours.

Both staff and students who came for the event scampered for safety as a result of gunshots from the suspected hoodlums.

Sources told newsmen that the “hoodlums came in hired vehicles and started to shoot into the premises, thereby preventing the event from being held at a scheduled time.

“The beneficiaries of the bursary and scholarship award were already seated when the hoodlums came and started shooting sporadically into the venue and this led to pandemonium in the area.

”Security officers attached to the office, could not curtail the activities of the hoodlums as they forced their way into the premises.

Vanguard gathered that one of the agency’s commissioners, Kehinde Akinrotoye, was beaten to a pulp by the beneficiaries who alleged him of sponsoring the hoodlums to disrupt the event.

Akinrotoye’s vehicle and another vehicle parked on the premises of the agency were vandalized.

Timely intervention of police detectives from the State Police Command saved the situation from degenerating.

They were able to bring the riotous situation under control.

Police detectives were still keeping vigil at the agency at the time of filling in the report.

Meanwhile, the attacked commissioner has been rushed to the state hospital for medical attention.

He declined to comment when contacted for comments.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/11/hoodlums-beat-up-ondo-commissioner-disrupt-bursary-award-ceremony/

Politics / IGP Begs For Vehicles In Abuja But They Are Wasting Away In Lagos (pics) by ijustdey: 8:11pm On Nov 22, 2023
Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), revealed to federal lawmakers yesterday that some police stations in the country do not have a single operational vehicle.

He made the speech while addressing National Assembly members during a debate organised by the House of Representatives to receive briefings on challenges confronting security agencies and other organs of the federal government.

Egbetokun lamented the poor welfare of police operatives and operational challenges impeding their efficiency.

Mini trucks Wasting Away at Police College, Lagos Photo Credit: Sodeeq Atanda/FIJ

We have 1,137 police divisional headquarters across 774 LGAs in Nigeria, but getting operational vehicles for the divisions is difficult. Each of these divisions at least require four functional vehicles, but we have divisions that don’t have any functional operational vehicle as of today,” the IGP said.

“The welfare of personnel is nothing to write home about. Funding is critcal to achieving the mandate of the Nigeria police. Unfortunately, the citizens are not interested in our excuses for underperformance. What the citizens want is performance.

“They want us to serve them. We are willing to serve them, but we need your cooperation, funding, more manpower and logistics to train our men adequately. We need to improve the welfare of our officers. We want a well-motivated workforce in the police.”


The brown pick-ups. Photo Credit: Sodeeq Atanda/FIJ


VEHICLES BEGGING TO BE USED

While it is correct that police personnel face numerous challenges, there are indications that the resources available to the Nigeria Police Force are not evenly distributed.

As Egbetokun pointed out, some divisions lack operational vehicles. However, some police facilities have so much that vehicles are wasting away.

For example, the police college located opposite the Lagos State’s Standing Tribunal of Inquiry Into Chieftaincy Matters, Ikeja, is home to some unused vehicles.

During a visit to the facility on Wednesday, our reporter observed no fewer than 19 new mini trucks close to the college’s main gate.

There were also four unused pickups on the college’s premises: two white pickups and two brown pickups. The brown ones appeared to be in poor physical condition from abandonment.


The white pick-ups. Photo Credit: Sodeeq Atanda/FIJ


What is not hidden from plain sight is that all the vehicles have been on the same spot for long. A source told FIJ that the vehicles had been parked on the same spot for some months.

“I am not sure of when they brought them. But I am sure the vehicles have been here for some time now. I was here in April, and I saw these vehicles,” said the source, who does not want to be named.

SOURCE

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Politics / FG To Expel Prison Controllers ‘taking Bribe To Lock Up Poor People’ by ijustdey: 7:53pm On Nov 22, 2023
The Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said the Federal Government is ready to expel officers abusing their powers by locking up people without a detention warrant.

The Minister disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during his presentation at the International Donor Round Table on Correctional Service Reform organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC.

While speaking on the abuse of power by correctional facility controllers, which has in recent years become a commonplace practice, the Minister who frowned at such development noted that the Renewed Hope agenda of the President was set to crack down and expel anyone caught in the act.

Any controller caught taking money from a big man to lock up a poor man without a detention warrant will be expelled from the service.

“We are here to fill in the gap for the weakest in the society. We are here, as a government, to be the voice of the voiceless, and the strength of the weakest. Never again should the freedom of anybody be taken away on the basis of his weakness,” Tunji-Ojo was quoted as saying in a statement by his media aide Alao Babatunde on Wednesday.

The Minister assured the United Nations team that the current administration is key to doing things differently in order to earn the trust of its citizens and the international communities.

“Trust is something you don’t ask for – you earn it. This government wants to work to earn your trust and loyalty. We are doing things differently, and ready to deliver on the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu where Nigerians can have a better life, and brighter future,” the Minister said.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Matthias Schmale, commended the Minister for his proactive measures since taking over the helm of affairs of the Ministry.

“I want to commend you for the good job you are doing. I am aware of the great things you have done.”

Held in the UN House in Abuja, the round table saw the participation of top officials from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, UNODC, UNFPA, concerned NGOs, diplomats, and international communities including the Italian Ambassador, and representatives of the governments of Germany, Qatar and the USA.

https://dailytrust.com/fg-to-expel-prison-controllers-taking-bribe-to-lock-up-poor-people/#google_vignette

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Politics / Warders Help Boko Haram Plan Operations, Move Money From Prison – Defence Chief by ijustdey: 8:24am On Nov 22, 2023

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa has disclosed that prison warders help Boko Haram members move money around.

Musa said the prison warders also help Boko Haram members carry out some of their criminal activities.

He disclosed this during the sectoral debate with Service Chiefs organized by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday.

Musa said during debriefing, some Boko Haram members in the North-East, confessed to how from the prisons they could plan operations and pass funds to the field through the help of some prison warders.

He said: “They passed funds across and we asked how. They told us they use some of the warders.

“We are not saying all of them are bad, but they use some of the warders’ accounts to transfer money and the deal is anybody whose account it is transferred, shared it 50-50. Those are the challenges.”

The Army Chief also lamented that the high dollar rate had hampered the purchase of relevant equipment needed to fight insecurity.

According to Musa, all the items procured are bought with foreign currency.

He added: “We don’t produce what we need in Nigeria and if you do not produce what you need, that means you are at the beck and call of the people that produce these items.

“For example, during the last regime, about $1 billion was set aside for defence procurement. Out of that amount, over $600 million was for the procurement of aircraft. So, the whole money had gone.

So many times when people see that funds are being released to the armed forces, they think it is so much but by the time you convert them to dollars you do not get much.

“One precision missile for our drone costs $5,000. So imagine how many we would be able to use and how many we can procure. So, those are the challenges.”

https://dailypost.ng/2023/11/22/warders-help-boko-haram-plan-operations-move-money-from-prison-defence-chief-musa/

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Politics / Cabal Must Have Hijacked My Government – Buhari by ijustdey: 6:42am On Nov 22, 2023
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has said his eight-year administration might have been hijacked by a cabal.

Buhari said this while speaking in a recent interview with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

A cabal is a powerful political clique that runs the affairs of the country for their advantage at the expense of the people.

Speaking on the possibility of losing the grip of power to a cabal, the ex-president said the insinuations were possible.

Recall that the former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, first raised the allegation in 2016, but her husband played it down.

But when the question was asked again during the NTA interview, Buhari said, “it must have been.”

He, however, added that he was not sure anyone who breached the law was allowed to “walk away.”

About ruling the country, he said, “God gave me the opportunity to serve my country, but I did my best. But whether my best was good enough, I leave for people to judge.”

The former president also said he was too pre-occupied with local matters to be bothered with foreign issues as president. He said his biggest challenge was securing the country.

Buhari said he did not try to compete with Nigeria’s wealthy class by acquiring land, houses and cars during his time as Nigeria’s leader, explaining that it was the reason he was “living in peace” after exiting government.

He argued that some Nigerians attempted to set a trap for him by trying to ambush him with certain opportunities, but that he avoided the trap because he knew that once they knew he had been compromised, they would take advantage of the situation to milk the country.

https://dailytrust.com/cabal-must-have-hijacked-my-government-buhari/

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Politics / Buhari’s Aides, Ex-govs, APC Bigwigs Intensify Lobby For Ambassadorial Appointme by ijustdey: 12:06pm On Nov 18, 2023
Buhari’s aides, ex-govs, APC bigwigs intensify lobby for ambassadorial appointments

• Govs, lawmakers, retired military officers submit loyalists’ names to Gbajabiamila, Tuggar

• Don’t appoint envoys as reward system for cronies, expert advises Tinubu

State governors as well as former ministers and other officials, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the political associates of President Bola Tinubu have launched an intense lobbying for appointment as Nigerian ambassadors to foreign countries.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress, National Assembly members and retired military officers were among those jostling for ambassadorial nominations.

Nigeria has a total of 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates abroad.

The desperate lobby for ambassadorial appointments commenced after the Federal Government recalled all the envoys from their posts on September 2, 2023.

The envoys were directed to return to the country on or before October 31.

On October 20, 2016, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the nomination of 46 non-career ambassadors-designate in addition to the previous nomination of 47 career ambassadors-designate.

Earlier, there was controversy over the recall of ambassadors by Buhari’s government but his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, debunked the reports in a statement, saying only 25 career ambassadors, who had attained the retirement age and had been in public service for 35 years, were recalled.

He explained in a statement, “There was nothing like mass recall of ambassadors. What happened lately is that 25 career ambassadors, who attained the retirement age, or 35 years of public service in December 2018, were recalled.

“They were allowed to remain at their duty posts and given an extension, if that is the word, in view of the upcoming elections, which are now behind us.”

In January 2021, Buhari approved the posting of 95 envoys, comprising 43 career and 52 non-career ambassadors, to man the nation’s diplomatic missions.

Before the approval, the Senate had ratified their nomination in 2020.

The diplomats were deployed after they were confirmed by the Senate in accordance with Section 171(2) (1c) and subsection 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

But the envoys were recalled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on September 2, 2023.

The minister confirmed the development following reports that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Isola, had been recalled.

But while clarifying the directive, Tuggar said the action was not a witch-hunt and that it applied to all career and non-career envoys.

The minister, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Al-Kashim Abdul-Kadir, had said, “Sequel to the enquiries on the letter recalling the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has reaffirmed that all career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors have been recalled on the instructions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The Presidency later clarified that all the country’s United Nations permanent representatives in New York and Geneva were exempted from the recall.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the exemption was a result of the UN General Assembly, which was held between September 18 and 22.

Our correspondents could not confirm whether the recall order had been extended to Nigeria’s UN permanent representatives in New York and Geneva after the UNGA.

Foreign affairs ministry officials had yet to provide information on the status of the diplomats as of the time of filing this report on Friday.

Saturday PUNCH had reported that the Presidency had begun compiling the list of new ambassadors.

Pressure on Gbajabiamila, minister

Following the development, it was gathered that the jostle for the vacant diplomatic posts escalated with politicians and other interested individuals bombarding the President and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with requests for nomination.

Our correspondents further learnt that the foreign affairs minister and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye, had come under immense pressure from prominent Nigerians seeking appointments.

Sources disclosed that those who failed to get ministerial nominations were at the forefront of the rush for the ambassadorial positions.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official said, The President’s associates and state governors are intensifying their lobbies for career and non-career ambassadorial nomination.

“They are pushing the profiles of their candidates. They are jettisoning those with a year or less to retire and picking those with longer career years ahead.”


The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, are under intense pressure from the lobbyists, including National Assembly members, APC support groups and party chieftains to be listed as ambassadors.

“Some of these lobbyists include past administrators, politicians, retired military men, unsuccessful governorship aspirants, and those who served as heads of agencies under Buhari, among others.”


When asked about the ratio of career and non-career diplomats that may be appointed, the source said, “Fifty-five per cent to 45 per cent.”

One of our correspondents gathered that the majority of the recalled ambassadors had returned to the country, while those who had yet to do so had formally handed over to the most senior officers at their diplomatic posts, while perfecting travel plans to return home as directed.

Confirming this, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Most of the ambassadors are rounding off their tours of duty and heading back to Abuja. A good number of them have already returned.”

Similarly, a source in the Presidency said while some of the bigwigs in the APC and former governors had started submitting their curriculum vitae, some former ambassadors were also jostling to be reappointed.

While noting that the names of persons to be shortlisted remained confidential, the source added, “The Presidency didn’t extend it (ambassadorial appointment) for them (former envoys). Some of them are returning (to Nigeria) already.

“I don’t know anyone lobbying. I know that they’re working on it but I don’t know the specifics. People are submitting CVs.

“Different party leaders and stakeholders are pushing their interests. Even some of them (former ambassadors) are lobbying to be reinstated, so until the list is made official and published, anything can change.”


No political cronies

However, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, urged President Tinubu to desist from appointing ambassadors as a reward system for his cronies.

He said the President should consider appointing academic ambassadors who specialised in handling international affairs of the countries they would serve in, saying most political ambassadors usually pursue personal interests over national interests.

Akinterinwa said, “Political ambassadors are not interested in any national interest to protect abroad. The moment they are appointed, they look out for how to survive even after the tenure of the President who appoints them.

“Nigerian politicians do not place priority on the protection of national interests. If President Tinubu is not careful with the appointments and decides to reward his political cronies and friends, Nigeria will certainly be in trouble very shortly.

“If we are suggesting academic diplomats, I agree with that; there are many academic diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There can be a focus on the specialisation of those who have served in some countries if they meet the level of Grade Level 16 or 17; those are the people they should be looking out for.”

Speaking further, the former NIIA DG explained that anyone appointed as an ambassador without prior training as a diplomatic agent, or career ambassador was referred to as a “political ambassador.”

“Political ambassadors need diplomatic training to be able to perform diplomatic functions enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention. Most unfortunately, it is the political ambassadors that have always behaved in a manner considered not compatible with the status of diplomats,” he added.

https://punchng.com/buharis-aides-ex-govs-apc-bigwigs-intensify-lobby-for-ambassadorial-appointments/?amp

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Politics / Akpata: Good Judge Emerging In Nigeria Is By Luck, Says Ex-NBA President by ijustdey: 7:42am On Nov 18, 2023
Drawing on his experience as president of the NBA, Mr Akpata recalled how flawed the recruitment process of judges is in the country.

By Ameh Ejekwonyilo


Olumide Akpata, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says it is only by sheer luck that the Nigerian judiciary can produce a good judge.

Mr Akpata spoke recently at the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Paris, France.

Addressing the gathering, the former NBA president noted that Nigeria remains the largest black nation on earth, adding that the country is confronted with a major problem he termed, “judiciary capture.”

Chidi Odinkalu, a law professor and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), shared Mr Akpata’s perspectives on his X handle on Friday.

In two short videos posted on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Akpata who is vying for the Edo State governorship election next year, was seen lamenting how Nigeria’s political class had emasculated the judicial system.

He was the NBA president between 2021 and 2022, before being succeeded by Yakubu Maikyau in August 2022.

Drawing on his experience as president of the NBA, Mr Akpata recalled how flawed the recruitment process of judges is in the country.

“For a good judge to emerge out of that process is by fluke only; sheer luck with judicial appointment in Nigeria. It is ridiculous.”


Being president of the NBA conferred Mr Akpata with the statutory membership of the National Judicial Council (NJC), a body saddled with the responsibilities of recruiting and disciplining erring judges in Nigeria.

“While I was president of the NBA, what I found out was that there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the political class in Nigeria to capture the judiciary. And that has very insidious consequences for rule of law in Nigeria. It is deliberate and it is intentional. And it is achieving results for them.”

Without giving further details of his observations while being on the recruitment panel for judges, Mr Akpata described his findings as “bizarre.”

“Because the kind of people who show up as judges have no business being there.”

The recruitment process of judges in Nigeria has been controversial with many lawyers calling for reforms.

Recently, Mr Odinkalu, a vocal critic of the process of appointment of judges, wondered why heads of courts like the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola and the Presidents of the Court of Appeal and National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Monica Dongban-Mensem and Benedict Kanyip, respectively, would appoint their children or spouses as judges.

He also described the situation as “judicial capture.”

There are several retired and serving justices including politicians whose children and spouses currently serve as judicial officers across various courts in the court.


Public confidence in judiciary eroded

Referencing the burning of the High Court complex in Lagos State during the EndSARS protests in October 2020, Mr Akpata said the picture of a man holding a machete and clad in a judge’s robes – wig and gown – was a clear message to the Nigerian judiciary that justice was not being served from the courts.

“So, what we have is a total erosion of confidence in the judiciary.”

He said politicians, especially governors, pauperise judges by denying them their basic entitlements like official cars and accommodation.

Mr Akpata disclosed that “some chief judges kneel before the governors” to beg for funds.

Judicial unions in Nigeria have been demanding financial independence but to no avail.

Judges’ salaries are abysmally poor, a situation Mr Akpata said breeds corruption.

“When you know a man (judge) that knows the law but his judgement flies against the face of what the law should be, you know that there is something else motivating him or her.”

He said some judges were living above their legitimate income by sending their children to Ivy Leagues like Cambridge, Yale and Harvard.


Urges IBA to intervene

Mr Akpata asserted that the “IBA being the global body of the legal profession has a role to play in dealing with what I call ‘the judiciary capture.'”

He said what happens in Nigeria has wider implications for the world.

Responding, an official of the IBA whose name could not be ascertained from the video promised to consider Mr Akpata’s concerns.

“What I am going to commit to you is that the IBA will put our minds together on whether a statement on the situation should come from the IBA,” the IBA official said.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/644218-good-judge-emerging-in-nigeria-is-by-luck-says-ex-nba-president.html

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