Senate Never Proposed New Aircraft For Tinubu, Shettima – Akpabio

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has dismissed the report that the 10th Senate is proposing that the Federal Government should procure new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Senator Kashim Shettima. Speaking to newsmen in Maiduguri shortly after leading a delegation to pay a condolence visit to Senator Tahir Monguno over the death of his father, Akpabio noted that the report is not true. Last week, reports filtered in the media that the Senate President made a comment that the Senate would approve the purchase of new aircraft for the President and Vice President irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry. The Senate President said the report was from propagandists and fifth columnists, stressing that the Senate was focused on delivering legislation that would support the actualisation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Akpabio, who expressed satisfaction with the present security situation of Borno State, urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the present administration. The Chairman of the National Assembly stated that, “I want to dispell the rumour that you are hearing that the Senate President said he will buy a new plane for the President and his Vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever. “I never said that. I was actually in Zanzibar, Tanzania, It is the handiwork of propagandists and fifth columnists, who never see anything good in what we are doing. Be rest assured, pray for the government, have patience and be assured that the combination of Tinubu and Shettima will bring wealth and prosperity to all. “I am happy to see that peace has returned to Borno, as a result of the hardwork of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want to tell the good of people of Borno to continue to support the administration.”

Minimum Wage: Presidency Sends Message To Organised Labour, Nigerians

The Presidency has pleaded with Nigerians not to mount unnecessary pressure on President Bola Tinubu over the new minimum wage demand. The government assured that Tinubu would transmit the proposed bill to the National Assembly once it is ready. Speaking to Punch, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga wondered what the rush for the transmission of the bill was all about. Onanuga’s position is coming barely 24 hours after the Organised Labour asked the President to consult with them before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly. The Union had complained that the National Executive Committee which will accommodate about 300 Labour leaders, is being stalled by Tinubu’s delay to transmit the wage bill. The President, during his Democracy Day broadcast, disclosed that a consensus had been reached between the Federal Government and Labour on the new wage, a development which the Organised Labour debunked. However, Onanuga, while admitting that he had no idea when the bill would be submitted, called for patience. “People should be patient,” he stated. His appeal comes one week after he reiterated that the ₦250,000 wage being demanded by the workers’ union is unsustainable, warning that the Federal Government cannot channel all its resources to meet such demand.

US Supreme Court stops citizens’ right to sue over foreign spouses’ visa denials

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled against the constitutional rights of the U.S. citizens to sue over visa denial for their foreign spouses. According to Reuters, the judgment means that the constitutional rights of US citizens are not violated when the government bars their non-citizen spouses from entering the country without explanation. The court disclosed this in a 6-3 verdict in the case between the Department of State v. Sandra Munoz, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 23-334. Munoz, a U.S. citizen and civil rights lawyer can not challenge the U.S. Department of State’s denial of her El Salvadoran husband’s visa application after the agency waited three years to explain that it suspected him of being a gang member. Munoz and her husband, whom she married in 2010 and with whom she has a child, have been separated since 2015, according to court filings. Historically, in the US, visa denials are not reviewable in court unless the government violates an applicant’s constitutional rights in the process. The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Munoz’s claim that the delay in explaining the denial violated her due process rights by interfering with her fundamental right to marry. Her claim “involves more than marriage and more than spousal cohabitation — it includes the right to have her noncitizen husband enter (and remain in) the United States,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court. The ruling reverses a 2022 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived Munoz’s lawsuit against the State Department. The Immigration Reform Law Institute, a conservative group that filed a brief backing the State Department, praised the ruling. “To hold for this couple would let those Americans who choose to marry dangerous aliens force their choice on the rest of us,” Dale Wilcox, the group’s executive director and general counsel, said in a statement. Meanwhile, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, gave a dissent verdict on the matter. “There is no question that excluding a citizen’s spouse burdens her right to marriage, and that burden requires the Government to provide at least a factual basis for its decision”, Sotomayor wrote.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rises to 33.95%

Nigeria’s annual inflation rate climbed to 33.95 per cent in May 2024, up from 33.69 per cent recorded in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This increase marks a rise of 0.26 percentage points month-on-month. Compared to May 2023, when the inflation rate stood at 22.41 per cent, the current figure reflects a significant year-on-year increase of 11.54 percentage points, illustrating a sharp uptick in inflationary pressures over the past year. On a month-on-month basis, the NBS reported that inflation for May 2024 was 2.14 per cent, slightly lower than the 2.29 per cent recorded in April 2024. This indicates a moderated pace of increase in the average price level compared to the previous month. In terms of food prices, the inflation rate accelerated to 40.66 per cent year-on-year in May 2024, marking an increase of 15.84 percentage points from May 2023, when it was 24.82 per cent. The sharp rise in food inflation highlights continued challenges in food affordability and accessibility across Nigeria.

Minimum Wage : Senate Deny Plan To Seize States, LGs Funds

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, has categorically denied recent speculations suggesting that the National Assembly’s Upper Chamber is considering a clause to seize funds from states and local councils in the forthcoming New Minimum Wage Bill proposed by the Executive. The controversy began after a report by a national daily, claimed that federal lawmakers were contemplating the inclusion of a controversial clause that would allow for the seizure of funds when the bill is introduced in the Senate. This report has since sparked widespread discussions and concerns among stakeholders. In response to these claims, Yemi Adaramodu issued a formal statement from Abuja on Saturday, dismissing the allegations as entirely unfounded. Adaramodu said, “Mr. President in his national broadcast on Democracy Day only informed Nigerians that he would soon send the New Minimum Wage Bill to us. “No one among us, not even the Senate President, knows the content of the Bill. How can we take a position on a document that we haven’t even sighted? “During my interface with some journalists, who approached me for an interview as part of activities to mark the one year anniversary of the 10th National Assembly, I did not at any point, state that the allocations belonging to States and Local Governments will be seized. “Nigeria is a federation, with sub-national governments that are autonomous. The misleading headline by The Punch Newspaper that allocations belonging to States and local councils will be seized is false and should be disregarded. “We are still awaiting the Executive Bill and once we have it, it will go through all Legislative stages and once this is done and it receives Presidential assent, it becomes law. And it is law that can specify sanction, not the National Assembly. “My interview was well reported today in the national dailies. It was not exclusive to The Punch. Other newspapers reflected adequately what I said. Why did Punch choose to misrepresent me?”

Senate Urges NLNG to Allocate $43 Million for Human Capital Development

The Senate has directed the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited to allocate $43 million from the $4.3 billion Train-7 project towards human capital development initiatives. This directive came during an interactive session held at the National Assembly on Tuesday, involving representatives from NLNG, NCDMB, Saipem Contracting Limited, and Daewoo Engineering & Construction. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the chairman of the committee, emphasized the importance of compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. According to a statement released by her chief press secretary, Arogbonlo Israel, in Abuja, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stressed the significance of transparent and effective utilization of the allocated funds to benefit Nigerians and enhance the country’s human capital development and institutional strengthening. Of the $43 million designated for human capital development, $25.8 million, constituting 60 percent of the total, is earmarked for learning institutions from public primary to tertiary levels nationwide. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted the infrastructure deficits in Nigeria’s primary and secondary schools, citing a report by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), which identified approximately 40,000 classrooms in deplorable conditions. She suggested that NLNG’s human capital development initiatives should support UBEC’s efforts to provide adequate educational facilities. Moreover, the senator pointed out discrepancies in reported figures for the NLNG Train-7 project. Depending on the project’s valuation, she outlined different allocations for institutional strengthening and various training programs. For projects in the oil and gas sector valued over $500 million, 1 percent of the project value is allocated to human capacity development and institutional strengthening. The Senate committee, in collaboration with NLNG and NCDMB, aims to establish a framework and select public institutions across the country to benefit from the strategic program. This initiative is geared towards enhancing the capacity of learning institutions, addressing the issue of out-of-school children, and improving learning structures in public institutions. The effective utilization of these funds is expected to have a positive impact on the country’s human capacity development and institutional strengthening.

“I hope all is well with him” – Atiku sympathizes with Tinubu over slip 

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sympathised with President Bola Tinubu after the President slipped at the Eagle Square during the 2024 Democracy Day celebration. Recall on Wednesday, Tinubu slipped at the Eagle Square while boarding the parade vehicle. The President, however, quickly regained his balance and continued with the proceedings without further issues. Reacting, Atiku expressed his empathy over the incident, hoping that all is well with the President. He wrote on X, “I sincerely sympathise with President Bola Tinubu, @officialABAT, over this unfortunate incident as he was set to review the parade on Democracy Day. I do hope that all is well with him. -AA.”

First year of the 10th Senate: Mixed Bag of Achievements and Challenges – Sen. Imasuen

Neda Imasuen, Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, has offered an assessment of the performance of the 10th Senate, one year after inuguaration, highlighting a blend of accomplishments and obstacles. Making his views known to journalists in Abuja, Senator Imasuen acknowledged some landmark achievements within the first year while underscoring the necessity for introspection regarding missed opportunities. He noted some distractions faced by the Senate, primarily stemming from electoral litigations that engulfed numerous members, including the President. These legal battles, he lamented, diverted attention from legislative responsibilities and impeded the swift implementation of the proposed lefislative agenda for the senate. Nevertheless, Senator Imasuen expressed unwavering optimism about the Senate’s capacity to positively impact Nigerian society. He stressed the Senate’s dedication to effective lawmaking, rigorous oversight functions, and responsive representation of the populace. While highlighting the rigorous nature of the budget process, Senator Imasuen shed light on the Senate’s tireless efforts, including late-night sessions and even working on Sundays to ensure the budget’s scrutiny and approval. Despite the arduous journey, he expressed pride in the Senate’s resilience and determination to deliver on its mandate. Moreover, Senator Imasuen also said that in his constituency, he brought initiatives aimed at empowering youths, demonstrating his commitment to fostering socio-economic development at the grassroots level. As the 10th Senate progresses, Senator Imasuen conveyed confidence in its ability to overcome obstacles and fulfil its obligations to the Nigerian people. With each passing day, he noted, the Senate is settling into its role more effectively, paving the way for greater accomplishments in the years ahead.

Dangote Refinery postpones supply of petrol to July

The Dangote refinery has said its plan to release premium motor spirit into the market this month will no longer be possible. The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, told newsmen on Monday that the petrol from the 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery will be out in July. Dangote said this was due to some minor challenges, stating that the product would be out by July 10 to 15. “We had a bit of delay, but PMS will start coming out by 10 to 15 of July. But then we want to keep it in the tank to make sure that it settles. So by the third week of July, we’ll be able to come out to take it into the market,” Dangote had said. Speaking at the recent Africa CEO Forum Annual Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, Dangote expressed optimism about transforming Africa’s energy landscape. “Right now, Nigeria has no cause to import anything apart from gasoline and by sometime in June, within the next four or five weeks, Nigeria shouldn’t import anything like gasoline; not one drop of a litre,” he declared. “We have enough gasoline to give to at least the entire West Africa, diesel to give to West Africa and Central Africa. We have enough aviation fuel to give to the entire continent and also export some to Brazil and Mexico. “We have started producing jet fuel, we are producing diesel, and by next month, we’ll be producing gasoline. What that will do, it will be able to take most African crude,” Dangote told the panel. The words of Dangote appeared to have come as a soothing balm to marketers and Nigerians who are hopeful that the Dangote would crash the price of petrol from around N700 to N500 or below.

Senate passes N98.5bn FCT supplementary budget

The Senate on Tuesday, June 11, passed the sum of N98.5billion as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024. The passage of the Bill was a sequel to the consideration of the report of the Senate committee on FCT during plenary. The Senate had last week stepped down the Bill, saying the details of the budget needed to accompany it. The vice chairman of the committee, Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP-Enugu West) presented the report on behalf of the chairman of the Committee Senator Bomai Mohammed (APC-Yobe South) who was absent during the plenary. Details shortly…