₦airaland Forum

Basoenewokoma:
...as it seems the Executive may not be able to provide the needed leadership on this issue.

JustJesse:
I'm actually studying a pretty useless course (in my opinion at least), dad wants me to get an international fellowship after my first degree, the man doesn't know that I don't even plan to make it to 200L, I'm already deep into FOREX and crypto trading, currently perfecting my affiliate marketing skills, the day I can guarantee myself of constantly hitting $2k per week, UI will not see my legs again.
What I'm doing in school isn't even that important to me anymore, it's just the gender ratio that's kinda funny that's all

What

expressglory:
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/02/fg-has-frozen-my-bank-accounts-sunday-igboho-raises-the-alarm/amp/

pragmatistm:
Good day family people. Please what can you do in this case?

My neighbour's second child, 5 year old girl that used to fall sick often was just recently confirmed sickle celler much to the surprise of the parents and all of us. But that is not even the issue.

The real issue is that the parents tested to know their genotype before marriage and the father was known to be AS and the mother AA. The woman went to 5 different hospitals and laboratories, government and private, to confim her genotype before committing to marriage with the man. After their marriage and during her two antenatal in the hospital, she tested her blood each time again and her genotype was still confirmed AA. Now suddenly when her daughter was fallen sick often she requested for genotype test for the daughter and it was confirmed she was SS. That made the doctor to ask the mother to go for genotype test again and it turned out as AS.

Please how do you explain this family people and doctors in the house? What do you do to those that conducted the 7 previous tests both in government and private hospitals?

Ishilove:
Hello sonofjos, thank you for sharing.

People like us who were born and raised here notice a marked difference in the tempo of activities in other areas of the country. I was in Ondo for a year and I almost ran mad there because life in that state is so... sleepy. Everyone was just moving like geriatric patients, unlike Lagos here where if you are too slow, you will be shoved aside. Last last when it was time to leave, I packed my travelling bags and two mighty Ghana-must-go bags and fled the place by 6am.

Lagos is a melting pot of different ethnic groups with different characters, both saintly and shady, so overtime it developed a character unique to it. We talk angrily a lot of the times because there is someone somewhere always trying to provoke you, cheat you, or steal from you so we are always on guard and on the defensive. Someone tried to pick my bag last year but the kind of eye I gave him must have turned his ancestors in their graves.

Add the congested roads and the traffic and you cannot be calm even if you try to. You will be angry for no reason. Yoruba people call it 'kan ra'. Pepper body. That is why danfo drivers behave like animals because one cannot sit inside hold up day in day out, inhaling noxious exhaust fumes, avoiding police, LASTMA, NURTW agbero, taskforce, police, VIO, those new ones wearing green uniform (I don't know these ones. There are so many uniforms in Lagos) and still be completely sane.

Conductors and passengers fighting is a normal thing. One day I was returning from work and saw two fighting in the middle of the road, and what amazed me was they were sparring like professional boxers, complete with the boxer's stance and leg work. iKid you not. Conductor and passenger. It was the agberos, funny enough, who came to chase them from the road because they were constituting nuisance to other road users. The kid you described did not have any super powers. He was just acting like the typical Lagosian who has been conditioned to act out in the face of provocation. Eat or be eaten. Some of these conductors are very rude and nasty (I suspect it is their own defence mechanism) while some passengers on the other hand are idiots.

The trader in Computer Village was not 'threatening' you. They are simply aggressive marketers. If you don't aggressively market your products you won't make any sales because there a 1001 traders selling the same thing as you. The secret to walking successfully through the Village is rearranging your face to look like granite, avoiding eye contact with anyone and stubbornly ignoring 'threatening'' calls. They cannot hijack you from the road into their shop, abi? Develop military mind!

The same military mind my friend Sanchez01 took to Enugu when he went on a visit. He wanted to board a bus and used ishon (muscle) to run pell mell to where the bus was parked waiting for him. When he jumped in with the skill of a James Bond stuntsman, he met the driver and passengers staring at him strangely.

The driver asked him: "Oga, are you from Lagos?", to which he replied in the affirmative. The driver then remarked "No wonder. It is only Lagos people that behave like they are fighting with everyone."

Wow... just wow.
You absolutely nailed it.
You have a good sense of humor. I love your write-up

sonofjos:
Dear lagosians,

Please pardon the grammatic errors.

Being born and bred in the north, I am conditioned to a certain societal behaviour that the first time I went to Lagos, interacting and seeing the people was a bit of a cultural shock to me. I've travelled to many states in the North and few in the south and almost all seemed just about the same as home.

But the first time I visited Lagos a few years ago I had many experiences that made it seem as if was in another country entirely. I'll share a few notable ones.

Please note that I'm not looking for trouble, I'm just giving a honest opinion

It was as if everyone seemd to converse harshly over very simple transactions. One would think they know each other from somewhere.
Many people in the public seemed angry as a default mode. I wondered why.

I boarded a bus to computer village and a primary school kid later joined and was later exchanging very hot words with the conductor who was a very muscular guy over some trivial amount. I watched with interest and it got to a point where I feared for the little guy because If that conductor decided to as much as slap the small boy, there won't be much left. But somehow the conductor calmed down as if he had met a worthy opponent. That boy seemed to me as if he had super powers.

I joined another bus and a fight broke out between the conductor and a passenger. Both of whom were muscular. None would hear sorry. The fight got so bad that the both ended with broken faces and the passenger got a rock and shattered off both side mirrors of the bus. Since I intended to join night bus home, I kukuma dropped and joined okada (it was legal then) which was much more expensive but worth it. I don't know how they ended.

I noticed many young people are muscular body builders. I wonder why.

I was walking on a street at computer village and a guy started threatening and commanding me to come over. At first, I thought he was speaking to someone else when I realised there was no one around me, and he made it clear he was referring to me. Till today, I don't know what confidence made me to keep walking. That was how I escaped O.

Everyone seems to be in hell of a rush.
I even said that if rapture takes place, Lagos would not know anything had happened for two weeks.

But Behind all these seemingly negative atmosphere, I discovered that lagosians are very kind people. Always willing to help.
As a stranger, I found it difficult to find places and routes. But almost anyone you ask is very willing to show you directions. I've had instances where people left their comfort to walk me to places where they gave me directions. Very welcoming set of people to strangers I tell you.

All these mixed experiences made me say that Lagosians are Indeed a very strange people.

Many other things I've experienced at Lagos over my other subsequent visits, but Lagos has remained strange to me.

I mean no disrespect to anyone, I'm just a fellow countryman who wants to better know my country.

My question to you guys is, why is Lagos the way it is?

Is there anything I missed or misunderstood about Lagos?

Thanks

Lovely write-up. I smiled all through while reading.
I've been to Lagos a couple of times though

SW1st:
https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2021/01/24/herdsmen-high-court-bans-open-grazing-akeredolu-rules-effective-tomorrow/

TheRareGem1:
There's nothing contradicting about this. You need to understand English.

Definition of Victim:
a person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action.


VP categorically stated Lekki victims then men and women of the police lost their lives.

He is not stupid. If he thought people died in Lekki, he would have said those who lost their lives in Lekki but he used victims.

Ever since the reported bloodbath of peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate on the 20th of October, 2020, officials of the Federal Government of Nigeria have continued to release various contradictory statements.


The latest is the recent statement of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who described the Lekki shooting of peaceful EndSARS Protesters as a "bodyless and bloodless massacre" and a "hoax massacre".

This is in stark contradiction to the statement by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who in a tweet on the 21st October, 2020 said thus, "My heart goes out to all the victims of the Lekki shootings, and also the policemen and all other men and women who lost their lives in the past few days in different parts of Lagos & other states".

This is really unfortunate.

StagethemTVee:
Here is a list of Celebrities charged to court for disturbance of peace and criminal complaint against them as shared by Pamilerin Adegoke. The celebrities are being charged to court by Kenechukwu Okeke.



https://mobile.twitter.com/HumanRightsNG/status/1325769743790432256


BETWEEN 1 I KENECHUKWU OKEKE COMPLAINANT

AND

1 A1SHA YESUFU
2 , OSEYI ETOMI
3.) SAM ADEYEMI
4., YEMI EBERECHI ALA.
5., FAKHRRYAH HASHIM
6 TEIMTOPE MAJEKODUNMI OANU-DAVIS
7. OLORUNRiNu ODUALA,
8 PETER OKOYE,
9 PAUL OKOYE
10. JOLA AYEYE
11 LAILA JOHNSON-SALAMI
12 ANITA NATACHA AKIDE
13., OGHENEKARO IBADA OMU
14 KANU NWANKWO
15. IKUFORIJI ABDULRAHMAN OLAITAN
16.) OJABODU ADEMOLA
17.) DEJI ADEYANJU
18 DR. JOE ABAH
19 BANKOLE WELLINGTON
20.) UCHE JOMBO RODRIGUES
21 MODUPE ODELE
22 KIKI MORDI
23.) DAMINI EBUNOLUWA OGULU
24.) TIWA SAVAGE
25.) AYODEJI RICHARD MAKUN
26.) CHIBUZOR NELSON AZUBUIKE
27.) APAOKAGI ADEDOYIN MARYAM
28) FOLARIN FALANA
29) AVO SOGuNRO
30.) DAVID ADELEKE
31.) PAJAILERIN ADEGOKE
32 JAPHET OMOJUWA
33.) CHINEDU OKOLI
34 MICHAEL COW. AJEREH
35.) YUL EDOCHIE
36 INNOCENT IDIBIA
37.) DEBO ADEBAYO
38.) FEYIKEMI ABUDU

VERIFYING AFFIDAVIT
I, KENECHUKWU OKEKE, Male, human rights activist, resident at Plot 224, Gana Street, Malta., Abuja, a responsible citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, doth hereby make oath de bane esse, a. asseverate as follows-

November 4, 2020
By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja
The Federal Government has declared it does not have enough money to meet the financial demands of striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).



ASUU is asking the Federal Government to release N110 billion for revitalisation.


But the government, two weeks ago, offered to release N20 billion for revitalisation.

Also, ASUU is insisting the N30 billion Earned Academic Allowance promised by the Federal Government should be for its members alone.


In total, the government has offered to release N50 billion to the striking lecturers, which is a far cry from what ASUU is asking the government to release.

These are some of the issued discussed at the resumed meeting between the government team and ASUU delegation on Wednesday in Abuja.



After hours of deliberation, the meeting again failed to reach an agreement on three key issues: revitalisation of the university system, Earned Academic Allowance and the controversial payroll system – the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS).

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who briefed reporters at the end of the meeting, said the government side will meet separately on Friday to consider the counter – offer tabled by ASUU.

He said: “There are three issues: revitalisation fund where government offered ASUU N20 billion as a sign of good faith based on the MoU they entered into in 2013 as a result of the renegotiation they had with government in 2009.

“This present government is still committed to it. While we are giving them offers of some fund. This government is not against revitalisation but this government says that because of dire economic situation, because of Covid-19, we cannot really pay in the N110 billion which they are demanding for revitalisation. We offered N20 billion as revitalisation fund.

“On Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), the government offered N30 billion to all the unions in the universities, making it N50 billion all together, if you add the N20bn for revitalisation.

“ASUU is saying that the N30 billion should be for lecturers alone, irrespective of the fact that there are three other unions. So there is a little problem there. We don’t have any money to offer apart from this N30 billion.

“Again, the cardinal issue is the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) versus IPPIS. Today ASUU submitted their documents on UTAS for onward submission to National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). As you know last week, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy had approved that NITDA gets their system (UTAS) and subject it to integrity test. This test should be conducted without fear or favour and as early as possible. So today they have submitted the documents for onward transmission to NITDA.

“One other issue that has arisen is the issue of the transition period. How do you get the Earned Academic Allowances that is due to you any other entitlement that government wants to pay you?

“They want an exemption from IPPIS and the government side headed by the Accountant – General of the Federation said that IPPIS is the only government approved payment platform.


“So that is where we are for now. So we are all going back to our principals and they will receive via me the irreducible minimum of what federal government has to offer.

“The government side will meet on Friday and after that they will communicate ASUU and in communicating them, if there is a need for a meeting, a date will be fixed for it.”

Tajbol4splend:
Did you read and understand the post at all

The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, said some lecturers got excess salaries and had to refund it back to the government.

He disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today amid the controversy trailing the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), a policy that has been faulted by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

“I think it is a lie to say the government has not paid them in eight months. It will be unfair to the government and wouldn’t be necessary to bring that kind of argument because some people may have different levels,” he said.

“Some people even got salaries that were not adequate. Some people over got and had to refund. There were so many issues with it.”

When asked when the university lecturers would call off their strike and return back to their classrooms, the minister never gave a specific date.

He rather said there is no circumstance preventing the lecturers from returning back to their duty posts.

“The lecturers can be back in the classroom tomorrow if they say they want to go back. There is nothing withholding the lecturers from into the classroom tomorrow.

“Everything that the government needs to do is done. If you want your salaries, get on the platform and collect your salaries,” he added.

ASUU had on March 23 declared an indefinite strike over some unresolved issues with the Federal Government, notably the non-compliance of the 2009 agreement.

ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi who made the announcement said that the action became necessary following the Federal Government’s refusal to address issues raised in its 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as well as its objection to joining the Integrated Pay Roll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Also, during his interview with Channels Television on October 29, Ogunyemi insisted that there is no going back on the union’s position on the IPPIS, stressing that it was wrong to use the payment platform for university lecturers.

He blamed this for the alleged irregularities in the payment of salaries and allowances of lecturers, stressing that some academics received very poor remuneration in some cases

…2020 personnel cost exhausted, unable to pay salaries
…Workers of Federal Fire Service, ECN, others plead hardship, threaten to stay off work
…CEOs of MDAs must explain what happened — Finance Ministry official

By Our Reporter

At least 428 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, in the federal civil service have reportedly exhausted their 2020 personnel costs and are, therefore, unable to pay salaries.

Funds meant for personnel costs are domiciled in accounts overseen by the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, department in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, OAGF.

But an official of the Ministry of Finance who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard yesterday that it was strange for MDAs to claim to have exhausted their personnel budgets before end of a fiscal year.

He said each MDA has a budget for personnel costs and wondered how anyone would claim there was no money to pay salaries.

According to him, chief executive officers of such MDAs have to explain what is happening.

However, the situation is such that the morale of officers and men of the Federal Fire Service, FFS, for instance, is now at an all-time low, following inability of the Ibrahim Alhaji Liman-led management of the service to pay salaries of the operatives for the past two months.

Consequently, there are grumblings within the service, with plans by some personnel to stay away from work, saying they could no longer continue to borrow money to come to work.

While the operatives used to receive their salaries between 26th and 29th of every month, the situation took a dramatic turn in September as they were not paid.

Hopes that they would be paid in days became dashed when weeks after, they were still not paid. A similar situation recurred in the month of October.

Hard times

Many of the operatives, who spoke with Vanguard, said life had become increasingly difficult for them as they are unable to meet financial obligations while they have exhausted their goodwill with their neighbours and can no longer continue to borrow money to feed and go to work.

It was learned that the situation is not different in many other MDAs.

“Schools were only recently reopened after the COVID-19 induced lock-down. This is the time to pay fees. Some of us have more than one child in school. Where do we get the money to pay the fees?” a staff in one of the MDAs lamented.

Another personnel who also declined to give his name for fear of possible sanctions, said he was tired of borrowing from neighbours.

He said: “I am deployed in one of the states where state workers are not even paid on time. Now, the Federal Government has not paid me for the past two months. Who do I borrow from? Is it from my neighbours who are state civil servants and who have also not been paid or who are paid in percentages?

“My wife sells foodstuffs. As I speak, we have exhausted all she had in the shop. My situation is even better. There are some couples who are both staff of the service. Only God knows how those ones have been surviving.

“We are not even talking about allowances or beverages that should be given to operations staff. We are asking for our salaries. They blame us for speaking in the social media but the truth is that most of us did not even say anything on the social media.

“When our creditors come to ask for debt repayments and we keep telling them that we have not been paid, definitely the news will get out to the public because those ones will start spreading tales about how we owe them and have refused to pay back.”

Not only FFS, but other MDAs

The Federal Fire Service had issued two circulars within one month regarding the situation. In the first circular dated October 14, 2020, and signed by the Director, Finance and Accounts of the Service, Agholor Michael, the paramilitary agency sought to downplay the development, saying it was not the only one affected.

“This is to inform the personnel of the service that delay in the payment of September 2020 salary was due to insufficient funds in the Federal Fire Service personnel cost head, just like other MDAs.

“Consequent upon the above, relevant agencies have been contacted and efforts are in top gear to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” the circular stated.

Vanguard checks, however, revealed that other services in the Ministry of Interior are not caught in the same web of non-payment of salaries.

Aside from the Federal Fire Service, other agencies in the ministry are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, the Nigeria Correctional Service, NcoS, and the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS.

428 MDAs can’t pay

However, in another circular dated October 30, 2020, the service was specific in stating that 428 “Ministries and Extra Ministerial Departments of the Federal Government” are affected.

The circular, signed by the Deputy Controller-General (Admin & Supplies), Mr Quintus G. Azogu, on behalf of the Controller General read: “I am directed to inform all personnel of the Service that the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, department of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, OAGF, was unable to pay salaries since September 2020 due to insufficient fund in the Services 2020 Personnel budgetary allocation.

“Similarly, about four hundred and twenty-eight (428) Ministries and Extra Ministerial Departments of the Federal Government were affected.

“However, the Service is in touch with the relevant authorities of Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure that this delay is resolved as soon as possible to enable the payment of outstanding salaries for the year 2020.

“To this effect, I am further directed to seek the understanding, patience and cooperation of all personnel, pending the resolution of the matter.”

Same problem at ECN

Vanguard recalls that the Energy Commission of Nigeria ECN had in a similar circular dated October 5, 2020, advanced the same reason for its inability to pay the staff.

Director, Finance & Accounts of the ECN, Cletus D. Nnah, who signed the circular on behalf of the commission’s Director-General/CEO, had said the development affected 422 agencies.

The circular read: “I am directed to inform all staff of the commission that the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, department of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation was unable to pay our September, 2020 salary due to insufficient fund in the commission’s 2020 personnel budgetary allocation.

“However, the commission in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) and OAGF IPPIS department is liaising with the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) to obtain authority to incur expenditure for payment of our outstanding salary for the year 2020. This delay is affecting about 422 agencies of the government and will be resolved quickly.

“Consequently, I am also directed to solicit the cooperation of all staff to be patient with the government, pending the resolution of this matter. You are also kindly advised to be prudent with whatever salary you receive within this fiscal 2020. Please be assured of the Director-General/CEO’s warm regards, and best wishes.”

Some staff of this agency also said life had been tough for them and their families, wondering how government expected to cope with the present inflationary trend in the country.

A staff who pleaded anonymity lamented: “It’s been tough surviving. Another month (October) has ended now and there is no sign that he will be paid. How does one survive?”

While it was not clear how the personnel costs were exhausted, checks revealed that it was either the funds were deployed for other purposes or that the affected agencies overshot their recruitment allocation, in which case they recruited new personnel above what was approved for them.