The Ebonyi State Chapter of the Labour Party has expressed confidence that only its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has the solutions and competence to salvage the Nigerian economy.

The party urged Nigerians to identify with its quest to take power and move the nation to greater heights.

Labour Party made this assertion in an expanded stakeholders meeting in Abakaliki.

A communiqué, issued at the end of the meeting, was signed by Linus Okorie (Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone), Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh (Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone) and Emmanuel Nwobo (Central Senatorial Zone).

“The members of the National Transition Committee, NTC, of the Labour Party, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, Rt. Hon. Linus Okorie and Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, convened the stakeholders briefing with a view to informing members of the Labour Party, Ebonyi State Chapter, about the future political activities of the emerging Labour Party, which include mobilisation of new members and registration.

"The members of the NTC also shared details of the 2023 post-election reviews conducted by the national and state working committees of the party and consequently resolved as follows:

"That His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, remains the National Leader of the Party and he, Mr Obi, is bestowed with the appropriate competences to salvage the Nigerian economy from its declining fortunes.

“Stakeholders observed the need to support the National Transition Committee in her bid to conduct an all-inclusive state congress and national convention of the Labour Party, respectively.

“Furthermore, stakeholders urged feuding stakeholders of the party to sheath their divisive swords in the overall interest of Labour Party and our target to better the lots of Nigerians.

“That a united Labour Party, Ebonyi State Chapter, shall pursue vigorously the conversion and registration of new members into the party at the right and designated time and also set a target of 400,000 members,” the communiqué stated.

According to the communiqué, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo was unanimously adopted as the leader of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State.

Mrchippychappy:


Na your papa, your mama and all you terrorist synpathizers go die miserably. Thunder fire all you bastards. U turn a blind eye to Fulani madness in Nigeria your own backyard but na Gaza concern you. God punish all you terrorist bastards wey dey use kettle wash prick. If e pain u buy ticket fly go Gaza, see if dem no go blow your head comot.

obedience4:


https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ng04kpv2do

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said he is still wary of sexual immorality despite his ‘anointing’ and years in the ministry.

Adeboye said despite his age, he runs faster than before to avoid any form of sexual temptation, noting that no amount of anointing can fight such temptation.

The cleric also warned ministers of the gospel to be wary of sexual immorality and the erroneous belief that their ‘anointing’ could help them withstand any temptation.

He stated these during a sermon at the just concluded Ministers & Workers Conference of RCCG Americas 1, which consists of North, Central & Caribbean with the theme: “The Glory Ahead”.

During the sermon shared on his YouTube page on Friday, Adeboye noted that Samson, who was a judge in Israel, fell into sexual immorality despite the anointing over him.

He said, “Somebody says, at your age, why are you still running? I run faster than before because the closer you get to the finishing point, the more careful you must be.

“Some of you can say, ‘Daddy, what are you saying, are you still running?’ I run fast.

"With all your anointing?’ Does anointing turn your body to stone? Samson was anointed. Single-handedly, he killed a thousand soldiers. A woman finished him. I hope the boys are listening.

"You can say, ‘Is anybody still interested in an 82-year-old man?’ She is not interested in you but interested in putting an end to all the great works God has done through you.

“You see that woman smiling at you everywhere you go, she is there smiling, and she is not your wife, run.”

Adeboye also counselled youths to be careful of lust, urging them to run away from anything that looks like sin.

He added, “And you girls, when you see a boy smiling at you saying, ‘Where have you been all my life? It looks as if the sun has just come out.’

"He is calling you sunshine. By the time he finishes with you, you won’t even know the difference between sunshine and sunset. You may laugh but mark my words.

“I do warn my children, particularly the boys. I said if the devil comes against you, tell the devil to get lost, but when you see a girl smiling at you in a funny way, run because you can’t win the battle.

"Didn’t you read a report that a man committed an offence about 42 years ago, and now his ministry is finished? Anybody who tells you that whatever you do is hidden, it’s hidden until the wind begins to blow.

“The Bible says, flee youthful lust. It did not ask you to say grace would be sufficient. There is no grace for what God says you should run from. Maybe grace to run.”

President Bola Tinubu has decried Nigeria’s power generation capacity, saying that the capacity of 4.5 gigawatts is shameful.

Tinubu called for the collaboration of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) members to increase Nigeria’s on-grid electricity capacity.

This was disclosed in a statement by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngeglale, who said the President spoke on Thursday during the PECC inauguration at the State House in Abuja.

"We are determined to do that with your cooperation, collaboration, and recommendations. As a nation, it is so shameful that we are still generating 4.5GW of electricity,” the President was quoted as saying.

"We have the challenge of energy security in Nigeria. We need to work together to improve our oil and gas sector, and we must also increase electricity generation and distribution throughout the country.

“We must increase our oil production to two (2) million barrels per day within the next few months and we are determined to remove all entry barriers to investments in the energy sector while enhancing competitiveness.”

The Nigerian leader also highlighted the need for innovative solutions to the country’s economic challenges, stressing the importance of public-private partnerships in driving economic reforms.

He announced measures under the economic stabilisation programme, aimed at stabilising the economy, enhancing job creation, and fostering economic security.

Dwelling on energy security, the President said the initiative — which includes power, oil and gas — aims to increase on-grid electricity to be delivered to homes and businesses from about 4.5 gigawatts to 6 gigawatts in six months.

According to Tinubu, the scheme also aims to increase oil production to 2 million barrels per day within the next 12 months.

Earlier, Tinubu announced a N2 trillion economic stabilisation plan to revive Nigeria’s struggling economy.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday inaugurated the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) tasked with strategising a way out of the current economic situation in the country.

The Council has a mix of government officials, top private sector players, and consultants including President of the Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Aliko Dangote; Chairman of the United Bank of Africa, Mr Tony Elumelu; and Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the Inauguration of the Council, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun said the Council is to meet and report to the President monthly.

According to Edun, President Tinubu presented the PECC with the outcomes of his accelerated, stability, stabilization and advancement plan which is an emergency plan to cover the next six months.

In addition, the Council is to galvanise the current administration’s target of getting crude oil production up to two million barrels per day.

Mr Edun also said the plan involves an N2trn package aimed at stabilising the economy and it includes:

* 350 billion Naira for Health and Social Welfare

* 500 billion Naira for Agriculture and Food Security

* 500 billion Naira for the Energy and Power sector

650 billion Naira for general business support

He further explained that the Federal Government is focusing attention on boosting agricultural production in the country to ensure food security.

Also speaking, billionaire business tycoon and Africa’s richest man Dangote assured Nigerians that the PECC would come up with measures that will help the economy bounce back in the shortest possible time.

Also, Elumelu commended the President for constituting the Council as he pledged the commitment of the private sector.

Other members of the 31-member Council include Senate President Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; 12 ministers, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso.

Members from the Organised Private sector include Dangote; Elumelu; Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu; Ms. Amina Maina, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir; Dr Funke Opeke; Dr. Doyin Salami; Mr. Patrick Okigbo; Mr. Kola Adesina; Mr. Segun Agbaje; Mr. Chidi Ajaere; Mr. Abdulkadir Aliu; and Mr. Rasheed Sarumi.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has dismissed insinuations about President Bola Tinubu’s health, saying his principal is a man full of ideas.

President Tinubu had during the Democracy Day celebration last month missed his steps, an incident that elicited conversations about the former Lagos State governor’s health status to lead the country.

But at a town hall meeting by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) held at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja on Friday, Shettima faulted comments about Tinubu’s health status.

“We are not asking you not to question the eligibility of your president’s condition. But there is this mischievous vexation about the president’s health status,” Shettima said at the event, calling on Nigerians to support Tinubu’s administration.

"We are not preparing for the Olympics, but an institution that builds on the superiority of ideas. But I dare to put it to you. The hallmark of true leadership is not the ability to lift a bag of cement, but the capacity to come up with robust ideas to solve a nation’s problems. So, this is a man that we need to all rally around, we need to support.”

Nigeria’s inflation has reached new highs, clocking 33.69 per cent in May 2024. But Shettima who acknowledged the difficult economic conditions, says it is not peculiar to the country. He, however, believes in the ability of the Tinubu government to reverse the trend.

He said, “Yes, our economy is going through turbulence but is it confined to Nigeria alone? Let’s take a broadband picture. Is any economy immune from the challenges of the times? So, I urge you to be fair to this poor man.”

“We have never had it so good in terms of leadership. The President means well for the nation and most importantly, imbued with the skill set to drive change and progress in this country,” Shettima said.

"I can tell you with all sense of confidence that the President we have now is a man of ideas who is robustly imbued with the capacity. Leadership is about competence.”

The 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi has said he, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and other relevant stakeholders can resolve the leadership crisis of the party.

Obi said the party’s National Executive Council, NEC, he and Otti will meet in line with LP’s constitution to decide on the party’s leadership crisis.

He also stated that the decision to have LP’s National Chairman, Julius Abure retained is one that stakeholders will have to decide on.

Obi said this while fielding questions from reporters after he addressed the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Transition Committee, headed by former President of the NLC, Abdulawaheed Omar.

The NLC Transition Committee was at the Labour Party to take over the party secretariat but was denied access, as Peter Obi and other stakeholders were already holding a peace meeting there.

According to him, the leadership challenge in the Labour Party can be resolved by the stakeholders.

He said: “When we come together as a family, we will make decisions as a family. The party has a constitution and a National Executive Council, and everyone, including myself and Governor Otti, will be there to decide.

“We cannot say someone is at the gate and tell your wife to leave; everyone must be present before dissolving a marriage.

The protest is good because it shows that everyone wants us to organize ourselves better. They are part of the family, and in a family, people agitate and misunderstandings are part of the living process.”

The Presidency on Monday appealed to Nigerians not to pile unnecessary pressure on President Bola Tinubu, assuring that he would transmit the proposed bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly once it is ready.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the plea in a phone chat with The PUNCH.

The assurance comes barely 24 hours after the Organised Labour urged the President to consider consulting and reaching an agreement with its leadership before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly.

The workers’ union admitted that their much anticipated meeting of the National Executive Committee, which will accommodate about 300 Labour leaders, is being stalled by Tinubu’s delay to transmit the wage bill.

The last time the NLC and the TUC held a joint extraordinary National Executive Council was on June 4.

It was an emergency meeting to determine whether to continue its strike or shelve it following the agreement they reached with the government.

The President had announced in his Democracy Day broadcast that a consensus had been reached between the Federal Government and Labour on the new wage, a claim both the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress debunked.

A month after his speech, Tinubu left the camp of Labour and Nigerians waited in anxiety on what the FG was up to.

Reacting, Onanuga wondered what the rush for the transmission of the bill was all about.

While admitting that he had no knowledge of the date for submission, the presidential aide pleaded for more time.

“People should be patient,” he stated.

His appeal comes one week after he reiterated that the N250,000 wage being demanded by the workers’ union is unsustainable, warning that the Federal Government cannot channeled all its resources to meet such demand.

President Bola Tinubu will depart Lagos on Tuesday (tomorrow) for Pretoria, South Africa, to attend the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa for second term in office.

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, announced this in a statement issued on Monday evening titled "President Tinubu To Attend The Inauguration Of President Cyril Ramaphosa Of South Africa".

He said that the inauguration of President Ramaphosa followed his re-election as President for a second term.

President Tinubu will return to Nigeria after the ceremony.

The Presidency, on Sunday, insisted that the N250,000 minimum wage clamour by Organised Labour is unsustainable, warning that the Federal Government cannot channeled all its resources to meet such a demand.

The warning come days after the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria raised concerns over the N62,000 being proposed by the FG.

The ALGON said if approved, the wage may put a strain on the councils’ financial burden.

On Tuesday, May 28, talks between the Federal Government and Organised Labour broke down after the government and the Organised Private Sector raised their offers to N62,000.

But the labour unions described the proposal as an insult to the intelligence of the average Nigerian worker, which deserves far better than what the government offered.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that unless the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress were selfish, they should consider that the resources meant for the entire Nigerians could not be channeled to only the benefit of their members who are not more than 10 per cent of the entire population.

He said, “That is why we keep telling labour to be realistic because the government cannot use all its resources to pay workers. They have other things to do. The workers we are even talking about are not up to 10 per cent of the population. Many people are self-employed or engaged in the private sector, who are not members of Labour, and are not affected by this demand.

"This is even more reason why labour has to reconsider their decision critically instead of always striving to shut down the system. What the FG did was in consultation with the private sector and others. Only Labour, which appears to be in the minority, kept saying they won’t accept N62,000. They are not even employers but employees.

"Let us wait and hear what they are going to say after their return from the ILO conference. But they have to be realistic.”

Tinubu had disclosed during his Democracy Day that an executive bill on the new national minimum wage for workers would be sent to the National Assembly.

When quizzed on when he plans to transmit the bill, Onanuga said though he could not give a particular date, he sees it happening after the Sallah break.

The presidential media aide also said the Federal Government might not meet the Labour leaders again unless something cogent turned up.

“I am not certain when he plans to do it (Bill). May be after Sallah. But I am not sure whether the FG is meeting with them or whether its position on the minimum wage has changed. Don’t forget the current amount on the table was arrived at by the committee that also has the private sector where the NECA and NACIMMA were also represented.

That was the figure the FG delegation, sub-nationals, employers, NECA and other sectors agreed on. So, the FG cannot just decide on any other amount of money on its own without carrying these people along. And the government cannot just decide anything without ensuring that the state and local governments are able to pay,” he said.

Efforts made to reach labour leaders on Sunday were unsuccessful as close sources told our correspondents they were on their way back to the country from their recent trip to Geneva for the International Labour Organisation conference.

Meanwhile, the tripartite committee established by the Federal Government to review the minimum wage has urged labour unions to reassess their wage demands.

Speaking with NAN on Sunday, the committee’s chairman, Bukar Aji, asked labour to reconsider their position based on economic factors and the non-monetary incentives provided by the government.

Aji highlighted several incentives of the government, including the N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid federal workers, N100bn for gas-fuelled buses and gas kit conversions, a N125bn conditional grant, financial inclusion for small and medium enterprises, and a N25,000 monthly stipend for 15 million households over three months.

He also listed the N185bn in palliative loans to states to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal, N200bn to boost agricultural production, N75bn to strengthen the manufacturing sector, and N1tn for student loans, among other interventions.

Aji called on the labour unions to consider accepting the N62,000 minimum wage offered by the Federal Government.

He said the committee was trying to avert a situation where the minimum wage would lead to further job losses, especially as many businesses are already struggling.

By Leadership News and Khalid Idris Doya

The Labour Party (LP) in Bauchi State has commended the leadership disposition of its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Dr. Peter Obi, especially his continued moral and financial support to party members in the state.

The State Secretary of the party, Suleiman Garba Kobi, made the commendation Sunday on Eid-el-Kabir day while receiving a cow donated by Obi to celebrate the festival.

He thanked the former presidential candidate for his generosity, exemplary leadership and pledged their unalloyed loyalty to Dr. Peter Obi and the Labour Party, expressing optimism that LP would win the presidential election come 2027.

“I also want to use this opportunity to thank Dr. Tanko Yunusa for being an emissary to the 2023 presidential flag-bearer who whenever the need raises conveys whatever message from him to members of the party in Bauchi State.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reacted to the Democracy Day Speech by the President, Bola Tinubu, where he gave assurance of a new minimum wage for the workforce, saying he failed to give them the much expected gift on June 12.

Ag. President of NLC, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju who reacted on behalf of the union said the President may have accurately recounted parts of our democratic journey’s history, but that it is evident that he has been misinformed regarding the outcome of the wage negotiation process.

He said they expected the President to harmonize the two figures submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee in favour of workers and masses, stating that it would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift.

Quoting Mr. President; “As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you.

In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with organized labour on a new national minimum wage. We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less.

In the face of labour’s call for a national strike, we did not seek to oppress or crack down on the workers as a dictatorial government would have done. We chose the path of cooperation over conflict.

No one was arrested or threatened. Instead, the labour leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution”

Adeyanju said the organised Labour appreciate the President’s commitment to those fine democratic ideals which allowed the work of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to proceed unhindered despite some hiccups.

He said Labour had expected Mr. President to have used this understanding as one of those who was in the vanguard of the struggle with us around the nation to rescue Nigeria from the hands of the military to harmonize the two figures submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee in favour of workers and masses. It would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift.

According to the Acting NLC President, the NLC would have expected that the advisers of the President would have told him that we neither reached any agreement with the federal government and the employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage nor on its other components. Our demand still remains N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Naira) only and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which we consider a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.

"We are therefore surprised at the submission of Mr. President over a supposed agreement. We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC.

“There was none and it is important that we let the President, Nigerians and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage. We have also not seen a copy of the document submitted to him and will not accept any doctored document.

"However, we want to reaffirm our belief that the President on whose table the Tripartite Committee’s report presently resides would prepare an Executive Bill which content will reflect the true demand of Nigerian workers. We think that this is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his love for Nigerian workers and masses by shunning the pieces of advise that may be coming from those whose intentions are continuously focused on hurting the poor and struggling workers of Nigeria. Mr. President should not allow these individuals and groups to sabotage his promise of lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty.

"President’s advisers obviously did not tell him the truth that the leaders of the trade unions were intimidated and harassed. It is therefore important that Mr. President understands that we were threatened severally by his operatives perhaps without his consent.

"Series of media Propaganda calculated to intimidate and harass us were, and, are still being waged against the trade unions by senior officials of this government. Fully armed soldiers surrounded us while we were in a negotiation with the Government and despite denials, recent statements by senior officials of the Government reaffirmed our fears contrary to the assurances by the Government. However, we remain assured that the President’s democratic credentials will come to the fore in favour of Nigerian workers and masses.

"It is also important that Mr. President should know that most of his officers are working round the clock to set up the leadership of congress and the trade unions. We never agreed on a 5-year duration of the minimum wage Act though we acknowledge that the President mentioned 5 years or less. We also agreed that inflation should be pegged at a level for certain amount to be agreed as minimum wage. This is to bring clarity to what the report should contain.

"Once again, we reiterate that it will be extremely difficult for Nigerian workers to accept any national minimum wage figure that approximates to a starvation Wage. We cannot be working and yet remain in abject poverty. We seek justice, equity and fairness for all Nigerians and this we hope would also drive the actions of Mr. President who promised a Living Wage to Nigerian workers. This is an opportunity to show that he listens to Nigerians as he promised!

"Together, we can build a stronger democratic nation based on equity which guarantees prosperity to the majority of the citizenry and not one where few individuals monopolize our collective resources. That is the only way to build a sustainable democracy. It is the true democracy that we all yearn for as a people!

The Senate on Tuesday adjourned plenary session to July 2, 2024.

The development is to enable the lawmakers to participate in the activities marking the 2024 Democracy Day as well as its end of session break.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during Tuesday’s plenary session.

The 10th National Assembly will be one year in office on Thursday, June 13.

Prior to the announcement, the Senate passed a total sum of N1.911 trillion as the 2024 statutory budget for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The Senate approved the budget after considering the report of its committee on NDDC during plenary.

Civil servants across the country have asked the state governors to slash their salaries and allowances and those of their appointees to enable them to pay the new minimum wage of N62,000 proposed by the federal government.

The civil servants, who spoke to our correspondents on condition of anonymity, yesterday, slammed the governors for saying they could not afford the proposed wage.

The workers said they would sue the governors should they refuse to implement the new minimum wage when approved by the federal government.

This is as the organised labour also yesterday described the stance of the state governors on the issue as insensitive, wicked and selfish.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) had, on Friday, stated that state governments could not afford to pay N60,000 as new minimum wage and that some states would end up borrowing to pay workers.

Civil servants speak

In separate interviews with our correspondents yesterday, civil servants across the country expressed surprise at the governors’ position on the new minimum wage.

Kwara

A teacher in Kwara State, who simply identified herself as ‘Madam Dame’, said: “No worker can survive with the present situation. Before the removal of fuel subsidy, we know what Kwara State used to get, which has now risen to over N9 billion monthly in addition to the increased IGR. They (governors) should be able to pay the minimum wage conveniently.”

A staff of the state’s revenue service said, “Just N60,000; the states should be able to pay. This is wickedness in this economic hardship. The labour should continue the strike if the other parties refuse. I spend N30,000 monthly on transportation, it doesn’t make sense.

"Nigerian governors have money and they can pay it. If they insist they can’t, then they should revert the fuel price. The governors should have mercy on Nigerian workers.”

For Mr Nosahare, who works in a ministry in Kwara State, “Governors are just playing with our feelings; they are not ready to do anything for us. They should look at what the citizens are going through in the present circumstance. They should try to tame or control the escalating prices of food and other amenities which are the major problem.”

Enugu

A civil servant in Enugu State, Mrs Nwaka Ogbonne, said state governments should join the federal government and pay the proposed N60,000 minimum wage.

"These days, we even hear that they (the governors) receive times three, what their predecessors were receiving as monthly allocations. So, why shouldn’t they pay the proposed N60,000 minimum wage? They don’t have any genuine reason not to pay, except that a lot of them have decided to be anti-people in their policies,” she said.

Another civil servant in the state, Mr James Nwokporor, said governors should show the political will to complement the federal government’s efforts in ameliorating the suffering of workers.

"No governor in the present day Nigeria has any reason not to pay the proposed N60,000 minimum wage. But the truth remains that they (the governors) have constituted themselves as a major problem facing the country.

"They should look inwards and diversify the economies of their states; that is assuming, without conceding the fact that the monthly allocations are not enough to carry their wage bills,” he said.

Kaduna

A civil servant in Kaduna said: “We are not happy to hear from the governors that N60,000 as the minimum wage is not sustainable for them, especially considering the increase in federal allocations,” he said.

Abdul reminded the governors that “the next elections are approaching, and workers are aware of what actions to take to effect change in government.

Usmanu, a worker in the Kaduna State judiciary, accused state governors of insincerity, asking “why can’t they reduce the number of their appointees to save more money to pay the workers who do most of the work.”

He emphasized the need for governors to increase their states’ internally generated revenue (IGR) to adequately pay workers’ salaries.

Bayelsa

A staff member of the Bayelsa State Physical Planning Agency, alleged that governors in Nigeria “are real enemies of the masses for rejecting the proposed N60,000 national minimum wage even when the labour union is proposing something higher based on economic realities.”

He said: “This is man’s inhumanity to man, if the removal of fuel subsidy and other subsidies were meant to bring more money to the government, they should use that money to better the lives of the working class by paying them the salary commensurate with the situation in the country.”

Former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, shares his thoughts with CHUKWUDI AKASIKE on the nation’s democracy and economic situation, among other issues

Things appear to be tough in the country and most people can hardly feed well again. Why is it so?

When there’s no commitment from the leaders to care for their followers, things are expected to be difficult. Nowadays, leaders are there for the sake of themselves, and they don’t even think of anybody. The only time they think about anybody is the time of an election. So, when there’s no justice, there’s no peace and when there’s no peace there’s a problem. The leaders of today are always thinking of themselves. There’s no commitment to their country’s development or anybody else. This is why things are difficult.

Some people may say you’re saying so because the political party in power isn’t the political party you belong to. How will you react to this?

I’m Nigerian and I can be in any political party where I think things will be better. So, it’s not a question of being in the opposition. However, if there’s no opposition, there’s no democracy. That’s why Nigerian democracy is dying because there’s no strong opposition as the political parties, ruling parties, and opposition parties are all from the same father and mother. These opposition and ruling parties are not doing what they’re supposed to do. It’s for the opposition parties to check the excesses of the ruling parties.

At the end of the day, most politicians are businessmen; so, they join politics for the sake of business. It’s just a rotational thing. If you look at the All Progressives Congress, 80 per cent of its members are from the Peoples Democratic Party. So, what’s different is just the name, but they are the same people with the same beliefs. It’s not a question of party now; it’s a question of the country. The people are suffering because there’s no umpire in the game.

The political parties are the umpires for running democracy. The political parties in the opposition must ensure the ruling party sits up and does the right thing for the people. Today, if you’re the president, you’ll become the national chairman of the party, and the governor will be the chairman of his party at the state level. That’s not the way things should be because whoever joins a political party is an agent of that party.

This is because each political party has its manifesto. There’s nothing new and the essence is that when they see that the president, who is seen as the leader of the party isn’t doing well, they go back to their manifesto and remind him that he should not forget the content of the party’s manifesto. I say this because the manifesto is the guide for the ruling party to achieve its aim for the people. The Independent National Electoral Commission is not looking at all these. If what INEC is doing is selection, then the election is selection.

Why did you say the election is selection?

If the leadership of INEC says this is what we’re doing today and there’s no going back. Then tomorrow, the same thing it said would be done was not being done. Isn’t that going away from the promise made? When that is the case, everything will become a total mess. INEC must supervise political parties, most especially the ruling party, because they have submitted their constitution and manifesto, which is what they’re going to do for the people. So, INEC must supervise the activities of the political parties and the political parties must supervise their electoral officers.

You once said that President Bola Tinubu should probe former President Muhammadu Buhari if he wanted to succeed. Do you still stand by this statement?

I still want the Buhari administration to be probed because the mess we are in is caused by Buhari. The probe of the immediate past administration is long overdue, and I think President Tinubu should begin to think along that line, otherwise, if he fails to do so, God will hold him responsible for not doing his job.

How can probing the Buhari administration change the economy and current situation for Nigerians who are facing tough times?

At least, we heard that Buhari borrowed billions and trillions of naira. So, the current administration must find out what these funds were used for. Have they used it for the right things or not? These are the things the current administration should find out. Nigerians need to know all these.

But what quick measures can be taken to ameliorate the pain the people are going through as a result of the economic downturn since palliative failed to solve the problem?

President Tinubu just announced the removal of fuel subsidy; it was the Buhari government that removed the fuel subsidy. Therefore, if it was Tinubu who prepared the removal of fuel subsidy, he would’ve used his common sense to find a solution. But he fell into a trap set by the Buhari administration. That’s why he is now hooked. If he’s the one who had the knowledge and vision of removing the subsidy, he would’ve come out with some options to do it. During Abacha’s era, when he had fuel money, he created the Petroleum Trust Fund and Buhari was head of the fund.

So, Buhari knows the benefits of surplus oil money and when Abacha was getting the surplus, he was putting the money in the PTF. At least, Buhari should’ve copied from what a military leader had done. Being a military leader and politician, he should have done something better than everybody. What (Chief Olusegun) Obasanjo did as a President remains the best so far. I still believe that he (Obasanjo) is the best leader from 1999 to date. I’m not talking about the era of Awolowo and Co. Obasanjo’s administration tried its best for Nigerians.

State governments are now receiving about triple what they used to get as monthly revenue in the past following the removal of fuel subsidy. But most of them haven’t been able to perform to the people’s expectations. What’s your advice for them?

It’s just one year that they’re in office. When we talk about the amount they have been receiving, what’s the market saying now? You should consider that the money is just huge, and it’s quantity, not quality as the money has no strong value. We shouldn’t judge them on what they (state governments) are receiving because of the situation they found themselves in because of the situation created by Buhari.

If the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, comes back to the PDP, who between him and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should be the flag bearer of the party in 2027

The people, Nigerians will decide who the flag bearer will be.

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Femi Fani-Kayode, has urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in their prayers and have faith in God, saying things are currently tough.

The former Aviation Minister, who gave the advice in a post on his official social media handle on Thursday, also urged citizens to keep believing in the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

He expressed optimism that the policies of the Federal Government that landed Nigerians in hardship would yield positive results.

"Things are tough but I urge Nigerians to hang in there and continue to have faith in God and in our Government who in my view are trying their best in the circumstances.

“We have chosen a difficult, challenging yet necessary path to economic recovery and despite the undoubted pain that we are ALL experiencing we must stay the course, swallow the bitter pill, make the necessary sacrifices and see our journey to the expected end in order to establish a better tomorrow for our children and loved ones,” he said.

The APC chieftain called on Nigerians to jettison their political differences and assist the government in succeeding in its economic recovery moves.

"This is not the time to play party politics or to blame one another but rather to encourage each other, join hands, assist the government, have faith in God and move the country forward together.

“The Lord never told us that it would be easy but be rest assured of one thing: He didn’t bring us this far to leave us,” he added.