A Catholic priest in the Abuja Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Chinenye Oluoma has disclosed that the popular gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo now charges N10 million to perform in churches.
He made this known while decrying how religious worship has become costly.
Speaking in a now trending video on social media, Father Oluoma berated gospel musicians who demand huge payments to perform in a place of worship.
Citing Mercy Chinwo as an example, the cleric, in a viral video, reiterated that the singer charges N10m as performance fee in churches.
“We have made religious worship expensive. If I have to bring Mercy Chinwo to come here and sing, how much will I pay her? How much does a gospel artiste of Mercy Chinwo’s status charge to come to an event or in a Church, it has reached N10m now.
“This is the tragedy that we have turned Christianity into, that an artiste will come to a church and lead in ten minutes praise and worship for N10m, N5m. So if that particular artiste doesn’t sing Jesus you love me too much, that means God didn’t love you too much?
“And some people were asking should they be paid? Why didn’t you pay them? If you must bring them you must pay them because what you are bringing them for is entertainment. We have turned worship into entertainment.
“We have copied the world. In those days, those who composed songs we are still using for worshipping nobody even knows them,” he said.
Yemi Mobolade, a Nigerian immigrant and businessman in the United States, became the first Black mayor in Colorado.
On Tuesday, Mr Mobolade was sworn in at Pioneers Museum to become the mayor of the second-largest city in the western US state of Colorado.
During the inauguration ceremony, the governor of Colorado, Jered Polis, said Mr Mobolade’s story inspired him.
“Somebody who has dedicated his life to making Colorado Springs and America a better place, whose story we can all identify with, who came here, who started businesses,” Mr Polis stated.
Mr Mobolade is a Nigerian immigrant who moved to the country 27 years ago as a student and became a US citizen in 2017.
The father of three owns two restaurants and runs a church in his community.
“I wake up every morning and I think it’s a dream, and then I realise, no, this really happened,” the VOA quoted Mr Mobolade to have said.
He added, “I am a Black leader. I am a Black mayor. I am an immigrant mayor. Why that matters is because there are a lot of young black kids and minority kids that find inspiration and hope in my story.”
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have suspended their planned industrial strike scheduled to take off on Wednesday.
This happened after a dialogue with the federal government on Monday night.
The meeting resulted in the signing of a documented agreement between the two labour unions and the federal government.
The document, obtained by FIJ, showed that the labour unions agreed to shelve their intended action following an agreement that the government would constitute some committees to look into the contentious issues.
FULL TEXT
Resolution of engagement between the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Federal Government to resolve the issues associated with the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (petrol) on June 5, 2023.
Following the engagements between the federal government, TUC and the NLC, with the intervention of the Speaker, House of Representatives, to resolve the disputes that arose from the withdrawal of subsidy on PMS, the following resolutions were reached.
1 The federal government, the TUC and the NLC to establish a joint committee to review the proposal for any wage increase or award and establish a framework and timeline for implementation.
2. The federal government, the TUC and the NLC to review World Bank-financed cash transfer scheme and propose inclusion of low-income earners in the program.
3. The federal government, the TUC and the NLC to revive the CNG conversion program earlier agreed with the labour centres in 2021 and work out detailed implementation and timing.
4. The labour centres and the federal government to review issues hindering effective delivery in the education sector and propose solutions for implementation.
5. The labour centres and the federal government to review and establish the framework for completion of the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries.
6. The federal government to provide a framework for the maintenance of roads and expansion of rail networks across the country.
7. All other demands submitted by the TUC to the federal government will be assessed by the joint committee.
Consequently, the parties agreed as follows:
A. The NLC to suspend the notice of strike forthwith to enable further consultations.
B. The TUC and the NLC to continue the ongoing engagements with the federal government and secure closure on the resolutions above.
C. The labour centres and the federal government to meet on June 19, 2023, to agree on an implementation framework.
Festus Osifo, the TUC president; and Joseph Ajaero, the NLC president; were parts of the unions’ representatives who signed the agreement, while Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, endorsed the communique on behalf of the federal government.
The unions’ grouse with the government emanated from the removal of petrol subsidies, which has sparked fears in the nation.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has released a new ex-depot price of N479.50 per litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol to the marketers, The Nation learnt on Monday.
It was also gathered the marketers are not against the removal of subsidy but are worried that the NNPCL is giving them the product paid for at the old rate since eight months ago for the new rates.
They are said to be concerned about recovering money to pay for the loans with which they purchased the tickets.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), National Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi told The Nation these on the phone.
NNPCL Chief Communication Officer, Malam Garba Deen Muhammad, who was asked to respond to the allegation, did not respond to calls by The Nation.
He also failed to reply the text message that The Nation sent to him.
Asked about the new ex-depot price, Maigandi said: “The price has started coming out. Some depots have started releasing the price. “They are selling at the rate of N479.50. That is the ex-depot price.”
Lamenting over NNPC’s application of new prices for old tickets, he said, “You know the banks are charging you based on the money they lent to you.
“Again, we, the Independent petroleum marketers have already purchased the product from NNPC since getting to eight months. Now they are saying they will give us the product for this new rate and not the old rate we paid at.
“And it is with our money they (NNPCL) bought this product. These are part of the challenges we are encountering now.”
NLC Divided as North, South-west Chapters May Shun Planned Strike
*APC accuses union of working for Labour Party
*Atiku knocks Tinubu, says PDP would have provided palliatives first
The planned industrial action scheduled for Wednesday by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has experienced a setback as the union appears divided with the South-west and northern states’ chapters pulling out of the proposed action, THISDAY has learnt.
This is as one of the spokespersons of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayo Onanuga, has accused the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, of working for the Labour Party (LP) and attempting to destabilise the newly inaugurated government with the planned strike.
THISDAY gathered last night that following the alleged politicisation of the planned action that was scheduled in protest against the removal of petrol subsidy, the South-west and northern states’ chapters have resolved to back out of the plan.
However, to make the strike effective, NLC has written all its 43 affiliate unions to mobilise for the scheduled industrial action.
However, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has weighed in on the controversy over the removal of subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, saying his party had initiated the removal but would have provided palliatives.
Atiku, who referred to Tinubu’s administration as a “temporary government,” expressed confidence that he would reclaim his “stolen mandate” at the court.
The planned strike by the NLC is in reaction to the removal of the petrol subsidy, which led to a hike in the pump price of petrol. Some of the affiliates of the NLC include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), among others.
In a letter written to the affiliates, which was signed by the NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the Congress said: “We bring you greetings from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress. You will recall that arising from the National Executive Council meeting held on June 2, 2023, it was decided that Congress will embark on a nationwide action and withdrawal of services, against the fraudulent increase in the prices of fuel across the thirty-six states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the FCT.
“Please be informed that the nationwide action will commence on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. To this effect, all national leaders are expected to mobilise their members for the action and ensure full compliance with the directives as services in both the public and private sectors are expected to be fully withdrawn by Wednesday, June 7, 2023. All Presidents and General Secretaries are expected to help ensure the implementation of the decisions of the National Executive Council,” the NLC explained.
During his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the President, Bola Tinubu declared that the era of subsidy payment on fuel has ended.
Tinubu had also disclosed that the 2023 budget did not make provision for fuel subsidy as such, further payment is no longer justifiable.
“The fuel subsidy is gone,” Tinubu had declared, adding that his government would instead channel funds into infrastructure and other areas to strengthen the economy.
The presidential pronouncement led to an instant return of fuel queues across the country, with Nigerians lamenting the sharp increase in the price of petrol at the various filling stations.
This development led to the resistance of the organised labour to what the workers described as Tinubu’s unilateral action. To cushion the attendant hardship, President Tinubu later promised to review the minimum wage to align with the current economic realities of the country.
According to him, the federal and state governments need to take a look at the minimum wage together and also strengthen the source and application of the country’s revenue.
He made this known on Friday while meeting with the members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), who declared support for him on the removal of subsidy.
APC Accuses Union of Working for Labour Party
In his reaction to the threat by the labour unions, one of the spokespersons the APC, Onanuga, has accused the President of NLC, Ajaero, of attempting to destabilise the newly inaugurated government with the planned strike.
Onanuga, who posted a statement on Twitter yesterday, said Ajaero was privy to the fact that the government was going to remove the subsidy and accused him of playing politics with the decision. He asked Nigerians to ignore Ajaero’s call for a strike.
“The politically-tainted NLC, TUC, and NLC President, Joe Ajaero have asked workers to go on strike next Wednesday over the removal of petrol subsidy, despite being privy to the distressing financial figures, which justified why subsidy ought to have been scrapped a long time ago.
“My advice to the perceptive workers and the Nigerian populace is simply to ignore Ajaero and his ilk. He is playing politics and is actually acting the script of the opposition Labour Party, out to destabilise the young Tinubu’s administration.
“Besides, one wonders whose interest Ajaero is championing, when he did not oppose the position of his Labour Party and presidential candidate, who campaigned with the promise to scrap subsidy from Day One if elected. NLC and TUC leaders knew since last November that the subsidy will be scrapped from July 1 as no provision has been made in the budget for it, beyond this date.
“The federal government, which already commits 96 per cent of its revenue in servicing debt, is not in any position to continue selling subsidised fuel, most of which is smuggled across our borders for criminal and obscenely unpatriotic profit.
“Subsidy of fuel is no longer unsustainable as the federal government is virtually broke. Apart from its N77 trillion debt, it also owes NNPC Limited about N2.4 trillion for past subsidies. The Nigerian people and workers should support the government as it works out new wages and rolls out other interventions, as promised by President Tinubu, to mitigate the effects of the new fuel price.
“Let’s not make ourselves pawns in the hands of the politically biased and tainted NLC and TUC. Ajaero is no longer a labour leader. He is a politician and leader of the Labour Party. He is no more representing all the Nigerian workers,” Onanuga said in a statement posted on Twitter.
PDP Would Have Provided Palliatives First, Atiku Declares
But speaking in Bauchi State yesterday when he addressed the PDP officials elected in the 2023 general election, Atiku faulted the approach adopted by the Tinubu-led government in the subsidy removal.
“Between 1999 and 2007, the PDP government initiated the petroleum subsidy removal and I chaired the committee. We achieved subsidy removal in two phases but only after providing palliatives to those most affected by the subsidy removal,” he said.
“We have the experience as a party in government. That is what we would have done and not just announced subsidy removal without discussion with the affected sectors of the economy. I think Nigerians should appreciate what they have temporarily lost.”
Atiku, who referred to Tinubu’s administration as a “temporary government,” expressed confidence that he will reclaim his “stolen mandate” at the court. He charged the members of the National Assembly elected on the PDP’s platform not to be “rubber stamp members of the National Assembly,” adding that “you are there to serve as a formidable opposition to this temporary administration.”
He said that: “So, for the time being, they have to prepare to work as an effective, constructive opposition while also preparing for possible roles of the majority party when the cases are resolved. A government is waiting, so to speak.
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has directed workers to shut down all operations of shipping companies and begin an indefinite nationwide strike from Monday over a lingering dispute with shipping companies concerning the poor pay package and welfare of employees.
At a briefing, Thursday, the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, lamented that since 2018 Organised Labour had been battling with the shipping companies on the minimum standard for shipping companies on the welfare of workers to no avail.
According to him, despite several ultimatums and interventions of the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, the Shipping companies, mostly multinationals, had refused to yield, expressing sadness that the working conditions of the workers in the nation’s shipping industry were nothing short of modern-day slavery.
Officials believe two people are possibly still alive in the rubble of a building in Davenport, Iowa, nearly 48 hours after it partially collapsed.
Three other residents remain unaccounted for, the city's mayor said, with no deaths confirmed so far.
On Monday, 52-year-old Lisa Brooks was rescued from the six-storey building after hiding under a sofa, her family told NBC News.
Nine people have been rescued since Sunday's incident, according to NBC.
Before Ms Brooks was rescued, city authorities had sent out a press release stating that the demolition of the building was expected to start on Tuesday.
The announcement prompted some protesters to gather outside the building - a century-old former hotel which housed 84 apartments and businesses.
Demolition plans were paused after Ms Brooks was found Monday evening. She was able to call for help after the phone in the apartment she was stuck in started working again, relatives said.
Davenport Mayor Mike Matson admitted that authorities did not know why she had not been found sooner.
"This is an active incident that is very fluid and ever-evolving," he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
April Hitchcock, whose brother Ryan is among those possibly still inside, said he had "probably not survived" and that her family wanted an orderly dismantling of the building to go ahead.
"I don't discount that he could be trapped under there miraculously," Ms Hitchcock told reporters. "But we don't want to see any other families lose their lives or anybody else be injured."
Officials believe the building is at risk of collapsing entirely and are looking at ways to bring the rest of it down safely to prevent injuries to emergency workers.
"You can't run up to a pile of rocks and start pulling things off," Davenport Fire Marshal Jim Morris said at the news conference. "There are a lot of things we have to factor".
Mr Morris said Tuesday that state experts are on site to determine the best course of action. He added that the building could come down "20 minutes after we leave here".
Seven people were rescued from multiple floors immediately after its collapse on Sunday, while twelve were able to walk out of the building on their own, the city's fire chief Michael Carlsten said earlier.
An eighth person was rescued earlier on Monday and was taken to hospital, Mr Carlsten added.
The city said on Monday evening that after "extensive rescue operations, no confirmed viable signs of life" have been found, adding that the police had also been working to contact all the individuals known to have been residents in the building.
During Monday's news conference, officials did not explain why they thought only two of the five people unaccounted for were still in the building.
The cause of the building's collapse remains unclear, but a gas leak and substantial water damage have been discovered.
New NNPC Pump Price per state, regions - 31st May 2023
Lagos: ₦488 per litre FCT Abuja: ₦537 per litre Abia: ₦515 per litre Adamawa: ₦550 per litre Akwa Ibom: ₦515 per litre Anambra: ₦520 per litre Bauchi: ₦550 per litre Bayelsa: ₦515 per litre Benue: ₦537 per litre Borno: ₦557 per litre Cross River: ₦511 per litre Delta: ₦511 per litre Edo: ₦511 per litre Ekiti: ₦500 per litre Enugu: ₦520 per litre Ebonyi: ₦520 per litre Gombe: ₦550 per litre Imo: ₦515 per litre Jigawa: ₦540 per litre Kaduna: ₦540 per litre Kano: ₦540 per litre Katsina: ₦540 per litre Kebbi: ₦545 per litre Kogi: ₦537 per litre Kwara: ₦515 per litre Nasarawa: ₦537 per litre Niger: ₦537 per litre Ogun: ₦500 per litre Ondo: ₦500 per litre Osun: ₦500 per litre Oyo: ₦500 per litre Plateau: ₦537 per litre Rivers: ₦511 per litre Sokoto: ₦540 per litre Taraba: ₦550 per litre Yobe: ₦557 per litre Zamfara: ₦540 per litre
Drivers are complaining of “unfair working arrangements” by Uber and Moove, and some are getting kicked off the platform. A landscape photo of cars in a big parking lot in Lagos, Nigeria.
*Uber partnered with Nigerian vehicle-financing firm Moove to offer cars to drivers without a down payment. Drivers pay back the loans in daily installments.
*Some drivers say they don’t earn enough from the ride-hailing app to be able to pay the installments. Moove has impounded their cars for nonpayment of loans.
Uber driver Adams Ikemu Adakole diligently paid the daily installments on his car loan from Nigerian vehicle-financing firm Moove for three months. But in February 2023, his work came to a standstill due to fuel scarcity in Lagos. Adakole failed to pay his loan installments, and Moove issued him a warning over the phone in March. Shortly after, the company remotely locked and seized his vehicle, Adakole told Rest of World.
Though he immediately borrowed 30,000 naira ($65) from a lending app and made a partial payment to Moove, he hasn’t gotten his car back. “Fairmoney — the lending app — has been calling me nonstop to repay,” Adakole said, adding that he cannot repay the loan because he doesn’t have a car to drive for Uber anymore.
Moove is Uber’s official vehicle-financing partner in sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership aims to provide cars to drivers without any down payment — they are expected to pay off the vehicles in daily installments, out of their income from Uber. Drivers told Rest of World they did not earn enough from Uber to repay the loans. Some called it an “unfair arrangement,” because they said they had almost no money left after paying Moove and Uber. Some said Moove had confiscated their vehicles due to nonpayment of loan installments.
“You can get the car, but you will work through your nose and most likely will not be able to see the end of the payment before you are frustrated,” Adakole said.
In an email to Rest of World, Moove said it understood that Nigeria had faced a series of “unprecedented economic challenges” in recent months, and that it did not take decisions to impound vehicles lightly. “It is also important to recognize that we operate as a business, and sometimes this means we need to make tough decisions,” a company spokesperson told Rest of World. “Any vehicles that have been impounded were done so as a result of customers not hitting the new KPIs [key performance indicators] as part of the Moove Cares program.”
Under the Moove Cares program, launched to address the recent economic issues, the daily installments for some of the drivers have been reduced, the spokesperson said. Founded in 2020, Moove is backed by investors like British International Investment (BII) and the International Financial Corporation’s venture capital arm. Starting in September 2022, Moove purchased roughly 5,000 Suzuki vehicles — including models like Alto, Swift, Dzire, and S-Presso — to give out through a drive-to-own scheme for gig drivers in Nigeria and Ghana, who were willing to work exclusively with Uber.
The scheme hasn’t had a smooth run. The Suzuki S-Presso model reportedly fared poorly in at least one crash safety test. In addition, drivers claimed the offered cars were overpriced, and came with a difficult payment structure. Typically, a Suzuki S-Presso sells for 9.9 million naira ($21,500) in Nigeria. But drivers told Rest of World Moove sold them each car for up to 12 million naira ($26,042). In response, Moove said customers pay a total of 10.2 million naira ($22,101). “Customers pay 7.2 million naira in weekly installments over a 48-month period, and an additional 3 million naira to cover insurance costs, repairs, maintenance, and wear and tear,” the spokesperson said.
According to drivers, vehicles purchased through this partnership came with the condition that the driver would complete 12 trips daily, and spend about 12 hours a day, six days a week, on the Uber app. Despite the long hours, drivers said they find it hard to make money because the cars are hatchbacks, which places them in the cheaper Uber Go category. This means these drivers typically earn less than those who don’t use Moove’s cars. In February, Uber drivers who got their cars through Moove went on strike for days, protesting an increase in the daily repayment amount, among other issues.
“Paying 9,400 naira [$20] was already hard after Uber had taken off its 25% commission. There’s no way we could have survived that,” Sunday Oluwafemi, a Lagos driver whose car has been seized by Moove, told Rest of World. Some drivers have started working with multiple apps to afford the loan installments, but are still struggling to make enough money. Others have no way of making payments.
“They vowed not to return the cars until we pay our pending payment, but how do we do that if there’s no car to work with?” Oluwafemi said. He had owed Moove over 250,000 naira ($524) before the company seized his car. “I paid close to a million naira before I started defaulting,” said Oluwafemi, who now makes a living by selling kegs of palm oil in the Ayobo suburb.
In an emailed statement to Rest of World, Tope Akinwumi, Uber’s country manager in Nigeria, acknowledged that the company was aware of the dispute between Moove and the drivers. “In March this year, we were made aware of concerns raised by a small group of drivers operating on the Uber platform that [use] rent-to-own vehicles from Moove,” Akinwumi said. “Moove issued a public statement regarding the steps they were taking to address the concerns raised by drivers.”
Moove’s spokesperson said the company had reduced its daily loan installment amount to 6,400 naira.
Drivers told Rest of World that though Moove had made some changes — such as decreasing the installment amount, cutting the minimum required trips to 10, and allowing them to work 10 hours a day instead of 12 — it had failed to deliver on its promises to provide them with auto, health, and life insurance. The company had also not provided service maintenance and repairs for their vehicles, they said. “I asked them for a new battery when the one in my car couldn’t ignite it, but they refused,” Geshinde Kayode Abdul, a 47-year-old Uber driver from Lagos, told Rest of World. “I couldn’t work for days until I gathered money to get a new battery.”
Another driver, Afolabi Kareem, said he had spent 50,000 naira ($108) on a new compressor and condenser for his now-impounded car’s air-conditioning system. “Customers won’t enter the car because the AC was bad, and Moove refused to repair it, yet [were] charging me daily per usual,” Kareem said.
When Rest of World contacted Moove about its insurance and repair package, the company said third parties manage these services.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to immediately vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikoyi, Lagos.
DSS officials stormed the EFCC Ikoyi office on Tuesday, stopping officials from accessing their workplace. Gunshots were also held in the area.
But in Tinubu in a statement by his media aide Tunde Rahman, the President called on the DSS to quit the premises.
“The President said if there were issues between the two important agencies of government, they would be resolved amicably,” the short statement read.
Below is the full statement:
President Tinubu directs DSS to immediately vacate EFCC office
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Department of State Security Service to immediately vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The President gave the directive when reports that DSS officials stormed the EFCC office located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on Tuesday, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from accessing their work place, was brought to his attention.
The President said if there were issues between the two important agencies of government, they would be resolved amicably.
State House Presidential Villa, Abuja. Tunde Rahman May 30, 2023.
Patricia identifies one culprit of security breach in which customer funds were stolen
Digital asset marketplace Patricia has reported losing bitcoin and naira assets in a breach. Patricia says that in the ongoing investigations, it has found one of the culprits and is still trying to recover the lost funds.
Cryptocurrency marketplace Patricia recently announced that its retail trading application, Patricia Personal, had been breached. The company stated that only its bitcoin and naira assets had been compromised, while other crypto assets remain unaffected. The startup also assured its customers and merchants that their assets were secure and measures were being taken to recover the compromised assets. The company announced that it has identified one of the culprits and temporarily suspended withdrawals on its mobile and web apps to get a handle on the situation.
In the email to its users, Patricia hinted that it may have become a target for hackers due to its increased popularity as a bitcoin exchange platform. The company, which was founded five years ago after Hans Fejiro lost his gift card to fraudsters, initially started as a gift card exchange platform. Currently, the company reportedly handles 30,000 daily transactions and serves 850,000 users. Acknowledging the risks associated with public recognition, the company stated in the email, “We have quickly become a household name, receiving prestigious awards worldwide. And that comes with a fair share of risks.”
The startup clarified that out of its three arms—Patricia Personal, Patricia OTC Desk, and Patricia Business—only Patricia Personal, the retail trading application, was affected by the breach. However, the company decided to temporarily suspend withdrawals on the app itself due to ongoing internal restructuring.
While not disclosing specific details about the breach suffered by the platform, the company mentioned in the email that it has identified an individual within the syndicated group responsible for the breach. It expressed its commitment to pursuing this lead and collaborating with security agencies and other partners to conduct a thorough audit of the situation and recover the assets.
As of now, TechCabal has not been able to confirm the exact value of the lost assets, which culprit Patricia has identified or how much the company has been able to recover.
US Embassy of Nigeria – A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in another state to represent the sending state/organization officially in the receiving state.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.
Applications are invited from interested and qualified candidates to apply to fill the role of Administrative Assistant at the US Embassy of Nigeria.
Administrative Assistant
Job Specifications:
Full Time Required Qualifications: BA/BSC/HND
Job Description:
The Management Section is responsible for all administrative services to Embassy Abuja and Consulate General Lagos, a mission composed of 220 USDH and 900 LE Staff with 12 other agencies. This position serves as Management Staff Aide to the Management Counselor (MC) and Management Officer (MO) and also performs the full range of logistical, administrative, and oversight duties needed to support the work and responsibilities of the supervisors and performs project work as needed. The incumbent must obtain a Top Secret security clearance.
Qualifications and Requirements:
Minimum of five (5) years experience working in an administrative, managerial, or policy-related position for the U.S. Government or a large established multinational organization is required.
JOB KNOWLEDGE:
Strong knowledge of English grammar and business writing. Excellent understanding of visits or large event support requirements. Strong understanding of the Department’s core hierarchy and its top officials. Detailed knowledge of Management and Department policies and practices (i.e., gifts, vehicle use, expediter use, procurements, overtime, allowances, ethics, etc.). Excellent knowledge of U.S. Government and Mission policies and Embassy procedures.
Education Requirements:
Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, Business Administration, or Public Administration is required.
Evaluations:
This may be tested. Applicant MUST address the Language proficiency requirement to be considered.
LANGUAGE:
Fluency in speaking/reading/writing of English is required.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Must be an excellent writer, both as an editor and drafter. Excellent command of grammar, punctuation, and spelling is required. Excellent interpersonal skills is required. Must be a proficient user of Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and internet. Good numerical skills required for reviewing Representational, ORE, and Consulate vouchers.
Outgoing First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has called for the application of certain privileges akin to the provision of vehicles, sponsored medical treatments and provision of some stipends, among others that are due to former Presidents, to wives of Presidents as against the existing position.
Mrs Buhari said first ladies deserved these privileges just like their husbands or Presidents in office and out of office because when the pressure comes, nobody wants to know whether you are out of the villa or not.
Aisha Buhari spoke at the launching of a book in Abuja authored by the President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Anwuli Irabor, titled, “The Journey of a Military Wife”.
Explaining why the privileges should be extended to first ladies, Mrs Buhari said, “I married my husband as the wife of a former president. I am going in a few days as a wife of a former president a second time.
“They should consider us as former first ladies. They should incorporate the first ladies, give us some privileges that we deserve as first ladies, not just the former presidents”.
Commending Mrs Vickie Irabor for the book, Mrs Buhari said, “It is a factual, emotional book that will help officers’ wives navigate their lives noting, “It underscores women as agents of stability for the nation as the nation battled insurgency and other security challenges.
“It’s a guide and reference for military wives, and need for better support for military widows” pointing out that “insights from the book will help readers appreciate the challenges of of the military family”.
Mallam Adamu Adamu, has confessed that he was novice in education sector when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him Minister of Education in 2015.
Adamu, who is the longest serving minister, stated this at a valedictory session with officials and heads of parastatals of the Ministry on Thursday.
He said he was forced to apply wisdom by appointing some professors of education and other good hands, with the help of the officials of the Federal Ministry of Education to enable him kick off and make progress.
“I didn’t know anything about education sector when I was appointed Minister except superficially. But when Buhari decided to make me Minister of education, I called some people to assist me work on policy document on education because I was novice in the sector. I shared my idea with them and they assisted me greatly, and I remain grateful to them for these years,” he said.
The minister appreciated the President who found him worthy and trusted him with such a responsibility, “even when I was apparently not ready and unprepared for such task”.
He said: “I was busy making recommendations and suggestions to the President on who to appoint into his cabinet in 2015. All of a sudden, he announced my name to my surprise and that was it. We worked together till 2019.
“In 2019, I approached the President, and suggested that he reshuffle his cabinet because, in the eyes of many, it was unusual in our society for a President to work with same Ministers for four years. Buhari had graciously allowed his Ministers to stay in office for four years. Ordinarily, Ministers stay in office for two years before they are reshuffled.
“But I know him very well and I knew it will be difficult for him to do that. But I decided to make it easy for him by promising to bring people that would do the job better for me and others who served as Ministers in the first tenure,” he said.
“I promised him that I will give him names of competent people from at least, 19 northern states. So, I suggested to him to drop all the Ministers that worked with him in the first tenure including me, but I knew it would be difficult for him. But to confirm that I can do the job, I gave him a name from Bauchi state whom I had expected him to replace me with in the cabinet. That was how Maryam Katagun became Minister of the Federal Republic.”
He said he brought her to replace him and somehow but surprisingly, the President kept her and also kept him.
“Up till now, he never explained to me why he did that. However, I remain eternally grateful to the President for trusting me with such responsibilities. He has shown me love and trust over the years. In 1994, when he picked up assignment in Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), he gave me an offer to work with him as Personal Assistant. That was how I found myself in Abuja,” the outgoing Minister said.
Adamu appreciated other people that worked with him particularly the Ministers of State that worked with him.
He said particularly Goodluck Opiah, who served briefly as Minister of State for Education and described him as a brother whom he worked closely with to achieve the desired results in education sector.
The general public is invited to participate in the sales of landed assets.
Find below details of the auction process. You can refer to pages 26 and 30 of Daily Trust and Vanguard Newspapers of Thursday, May 25, 2023, for more details, or visit the 'Auction' menu on the Commission's website: http://efcc.gov.ng.
Divorce rates are not even high enough in Nigeria. Women are going through shege. A lot of Nigerian men are unhinged. My best friend’s case is still shocking me. She was the life of the party in med school and an amazing entrepreneur.
Got married and he stopped her from seeing her friends. He will reprimand her for even going to see her parents in the same Lagos . On the same Lagos island!she respected all that for the marriage to ‘work’.
He told her no night shifts. Medical doctors earn more money, working nights . It took her a while to get a job because most hospitals wanted doctors that could work nights. That affected her career.
She eventually got into post grad medical college after passing her exams. Literally chose a field that will allow her work just days and go back home to cater to her family. It was not enough for this useless man
The last straw was locking her out because she attended a discussion class with her colleagues prior to her part 1 exams. He told her not to go for the discussion class. Something she needed to pass her exams. She came back and he had locked her out. That’s how the marriage ended
Contrary to what y’all like to think, women are not divorcing men in Nigeria, enough!!! A lot of women are still putting up with so much rubbish. Believe it or not, a lot of women are suffering because of the shame of a marriage not working out.
If you see a divorced woman in Nigeria, biko applaud her. It must have taken a lot for her to decide to leave that marriage. A lot are still suffering. I will always be in awe of women that leave ugly marriages in Nigeria.
This other girl I know, a lab scientist, kept getting STDs and she was not sleeping around. How are you married to a microbiologist and you are bringing STDs home? Her parents had to get her out of that marriage before she caught something. Men are fucking wild in Nigeria.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Tuesday, flagged off the oil drilling campaign in Wadi-B prospect, Chad Basin, Tuba Community, Jere Local Government Area, Borno State.
He said the flag-off had signaled the formal resumption of physical activities for the exploration of crude oil and gas in the Chad Basin area.
Buhari, who flagged off the drilling campaign virtually, said he was aware that crude oil and gas exploration activities had been ongoing in the Chad Basin since 1976, as well as the discovery of some commercial gas at Wadi-1 well in 1985.
“I am also aware that active drilling activities were suspended in 1995 to enable re-evaluation of exploration activities in the entire frontier basins.
“I am happy that the NNPC has since then conducted extensive analysis and the evaluation of all frontier basins leading to the successful drilling and discovery of crude oil and gas in commercial quantities in Kolmani River-2.
“It has also provided insight into the ongoing crude oil and gas drilling campaign in Nasarawa State, as well as the current re-entry activities into the Chad Basin,” Buhari stated.
The President noted that the consequential effect of the likely positive outcome of the Chad Basin exploration campaign was in increasing the national crude oil and gas reserves and production, enhancing national energy security and ensuring greater prosperity for Nigerians.
Buhari said he was looking forward to a successful drilling campaign in the Chad Basin through the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, host communities, state and other partners.
On his part, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, said the flag-off campaign entailed the re-mobilisation of a drilling rig to the Chad Basin for the first time since the 1980s efforts underscored
“Wadi-B well is considered an appraisal/exploration well as it has been designed to appraise seven hydrocarbon reservoir depth levels encountered by the Wadi-1 well that was drilled in 1985, and to explore deeper hydrocarbon reservoir targets up to a total depth of 4km.
“NNPC Limited is committed to carrying out detailed exploration of the frontier sedimentary basins using the best industry standards and technologies, with the aim of attaining commercial discoveries of crude oil and gas.
NNPC to resume oil search in Chad Basin “As a commercial enterprise, NNPC sees this project as an opportunity to monetise our abundant hydrocarbon resources, by expanding access to energy to support economic growth, industrialisation, and job creation across the country,” he stated.
Kyari said the renewed drilling campaign had a higher geological chance of making commercial discoveries of hydrocarbons, adding that the oil company was equipped with state of the art integrated geophysical datasets.
“Therefore, this is a spud-in event that will reinforce the government’s commitment for exploration in the nation’s frontier basins, primarily aimed at increasing the nation’s hydrocarbon reserves,” the oil firm’s helmsman stated.
Data from the company stated that crude oil exploration at the basin commenced in 1976 and continued until 1996, as 33,000km of 2D Seismic data were acquired, processed and interpreted.
It said three prospective sub-basins including Gubio, Maiduguri and Baga/Lake Area were identified, while two wells, Wadi-1 and Kinasar-1, recorded presence of noncommercial gas between 2008 – 2018.
It further stated that a 1,962.20 km2 3D Seismic data was acquired, processed and interpreted, adding that the 2014 seismic acquisition operations were suspended due to insurgency.
The oil firm stated that prospect/leads were identified from interpreted seismic data and nonseismic and that the de-risking of identified leads/prospects were done via surface geochemistry.
It carried out a petroleum system re-evaluation, aimed at de-risking source and maturity, stressing that security risk evaluation was done to recommend the best way of re-entry between 2019 – 2022.
The NNPCL stated that it completed the security risk assessment for Chad Basin re-entry, and carried out a security awareness workshop for the re-entry.
“Wadi-B firmed up to appraise/explore the identified prospect,” the oil company stated.
9 TCN Towers located in Obafemi Owode have been vandalized by our people. That is Papalanto / Abeokuta 132kv . Abeokuta is out of electricity. @TCN_NIGERIA you have to work out security architecture to protect your equipment. Communities should also co-operate with police to fish out these criminals.
NINE TCN TOWERS COLLAPSE DUE TO THE ACTIVITIES OF VANDALS
TCN hereby states that nine towers, from Tower 56 to Tower 65 along the Papalanto/Abeokuta 132kV Transmission line has collapsed due to the activities of vandals. The towers located in the Obafemi Owode area of Ogun State were all massively vandalized, leading to their collapse.
According to General Manager (T) Lagos Region, Engr. Mojeed Akintola, the towers collapse, was discovered yesterday after a tripping was recorded, and a team was dispatched to trace the fault, leading to the discovery of the collapsed towers.
As a result, Abeokuta and its environs are presently out of power supply even as efforts are ongoing to supply bulk electricity through an alternate line, to enable Ibadan DisCo to distribute electricity to its customers whose supply is affected by the incident.
The GM condemned the activities of vandals, stating that their nefarious acts negatively impact the gird expansion efforts of the company. Also, resources that would have been used to further improve the grid infrastructure in Ogun State would now be used to replace the vandalized towers. TCN again appealing to host communities to work with her to protect our common national assets.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, yesterday warned against reprisal attacks over the continued killings in Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
According to CAN, about 130 persons have been killed in the past week, 1,000 buildings burnt and 22 villages affected.
The President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who gave the warning in a statement in Abuja, said: “It is with deep concern that I address the nation on the recent resurgence of mindless killings of innocent citizens in Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Nigeria.
“The killings, which started in Mangu villages on Monday, May 15, 2023, by so-called unknown gunmen have claimed many lives and property with many persons still missing.
“The villages affected include Fungzai, Hale, Kubwat, Bwoi and many other communities of the Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area and some communities in the Riyom Local Government Area.
“According to reports, about 130 people were killed, about 1,000 buildings burnt and about 22 villages affected. We condemn these barbaric acts in the strongest terms possible. It is disheartening to see innocent citizens being killed and their properties destroyed in such a gruesome manner.
“While we appreciate the efforts of the security forces to maintain peace, we call on the government and law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice and to ensure the protection of lives and property of all citizens.
“As a religious leader, I implore all parties involved to embrace peace and dialogue as a means of resolving their differences.
Violence only begets more violence and we must break this cycle if we are to build a peaceful and prosperous society.”
4 killed in Sunday night attack
Meanwhile, four men were on Sunday night shot and killed at the Daika town, Panyam district of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Although no security agency confirmed the development as the Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, did not pick his call at press time, a resident, Manasseh Bamshak, said the incident happened at 11p.m.
It will be recalled that following repeated attacks in many communities in the council, residents have been making efforts to protect their homes as they keep vigil to prevent further killings.
He said: “Four young men were shot and killed in front of their homes about 11p.m., on Sunday, at Daika town. Some Fulani militias were passing on a motorbike on the Mangu-Panyam Road and they opened fire and killed them. Among those killed were Musa Dapada and three others.”
Natives chide MACBAN for distorting facts
Meanwhile, Director of Public Affairs, Mwaghavul Development Association, MDA, Da Lawrence Kyarshik has chided the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, over its position on the ongoing attacks in Mwaghavul land.
MDA is the umbrella body for the indigenous tribe of Mangu council.
Kyarshik, while reacting to MACBAN’s letter to governments and security agencies, alleging a “genocidal mission against Fulani communities in Plateau State,” said the said letter was “the clear intention of the leadership of MACBAN to mischievously delude the general public in order to cover up their sustained genocidal atrocities against the peace-loving ethnic nationalities on the Plateau.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have responded to MACBAN’s letter because it is an unintelligent mumbling, and more importantly, because we are still mourning the loss of our loved ones in the most planned and coordinated genocidal attacks on the Mwaghavul nation by Fulani terrorist herdsmen, obviously led by MACBAN.
“However, due to the deliberate false allegations raised in the letter against the Mwaghavul nation and the clear intention of the leadership of MACBAN to mischievously delude the general public in order to cover up their sustained genocidal atrocities against the peace-loving ethnic nationalities on the Plateau, especially the one they are currently executing against the Mwaghavul nation, it is crucially important to respond to it, in order to correctly contextualize the issues.
“We find it laughable that MACBAN falsely claimed that the Mwaghavul nation plans a genocidal mission against the Fulani in Mwaghavul land. For the avoidance of doubt, the Mwaghavul people are one of the most peaceful people throughout the country and are known to have accepted and peacefully hosted other ethnic groups, including the Fulani.
“They should be burying their heads in shame, for the deep pains they have inflicted on a peaceful nation, rather than deliberately distorting facts, in a desperate effort to cover up their atrocities.”
He noted that the majority of crimes, including kidnapping and armed robbery being perpetrated in Mangu council were done by criminally-minded herders and urged MACBAN to “stop playing the victim when it is in the public domain that they are the aggressors.”
President Muhammadu Buhari says he closed the country’s land borders to encourage Nigerians to produce food for their consumption.
He said although the move was initially criticised, Nigerians eventually appreciated it.
Buhari spoke on Tuesday while inaugurating the new customs headquarters that reportedly cost N19.6 billion to construct.
The edifice is located in the Maitama district of the federal capital territory (FCT).
“Please note that from Lake Chad to Benin Republic is more than 1,600 kilometres, only God can effectively guard the borders. So you need a person who has the energy and the competence to supervise. I deliberately closed the borders because knowing Nigerians, they order rice, give some to Niger and the rest, and then they bring the rice here,” he said.
“With our potential, we have people, we have land, and weather – how many nations are as lucky as Nigeria in the world, very few nations.
“So closing that border, 1,600 kilometres, Nigerians insist they eat boiled rice – you eat what you grow or you die. I tried to make my point and later Nigerians appreciated it.”
Buhari said he nominated Hameed Ali as comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) because of his experience and competence.
The president said the late Sani Abacha, a former military head of state, gave Ali “problematic” tasks to accomplish.
“As for Hameed Ali, I asked him to be in charge of customs. No matter what people say about the late Sani Abacha, may his soul rest in peace,” he said.
“I knew him very well, when somehow he became president of this country, head of state, the biggest problematic area was around Kaduna. He picked Colonel Hameed Ali and dumped the problems on him. My decision for Hameed Ali to come to customs was a deliberate one.
“[I brought] Colonel Hameed Ali to ensure that I have peace of mind.”
On his part, Ali said the increase in the salaries of customs personnel has made them less susceptible to corruption.
“We must mention the game-changing intervention of Mr President to rid the NCS of corruption and put it on a path of integrity,” the comptroller-general said.
“The 100 percent increase in the remuneration for officers and men of the service decisively made them less susceptible to corruption.”
Following consultations, the Governors of the South-East have agreed that the Second Niger Bridge shall be named the MUHAMMADU BUHARI SECOND NIGER BRIDGE.
Christianity Etc › Mercy Chinwo Now Charges N10m To Perform In Churches – Rev. Fr. Oluoma by nlfpmod(mod): 12:45pm On Jun 08, 2023
? Her parents had to get her out of that marriage before she caught something. Men are fucking wild in Nigeria.