Labour insists N250,000 as minimum wage
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has unequivocally maintained its stance on the proposed ₦250,000 minimum wage, resisting the Federal Government’s offer of ₦62,000. The declaration was made by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, at an award ceremony in Kano, highlighting the union’s commitment to advocating for the interests of Nigerian workers. Despite several meetings aimed at resolving the wage dispute, no agreement has been reached, with both the government and the NLC holding their grounds. The impasse continues even after the expiration of the existing minimum wage in April 2024, which has heightened tensions between the parties involved. During his speech, delivered by NLC General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, Ajaero voiced concerns over the current economic challenges and escalating inflation rates, which he argued have severely impacted the living standards of workers. “The economic reality and worsening inflation could no longer sustain Nigerian workers,” Ajaero stated, emphasizing the urgent need for a wage that ensures a dignified life for all labourers.
Nigeria records 106, 604 human rights abuses in June alone – NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Monday, revealed that Nigeria recorded a total of 106, 604 reported human rights abuses in the month of June alone. The rights abuses comprised 1,667 children abandonment and killing of 19 security personnel during the period. NHRC, through its Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN) said that the figure of the human rights abuses in June was the highest in the past six months. This was made known at the 6th edition of the monthly human rights dashboard of the Commission in Abuja. Ojukwu said that he increase was disturbing but not unexpected in view of the circumstances of the situation in the country. He called on the state governors to rise to the protection of the fundamental rights of the citizens in their States adding that, the Commission itself would collaborate more with traditional rulers and Civil Society Organisations to raise the campaigns against human rights abuses. Ojukwu noted with regret the increase in the extra-judicial killings in the country where he said Ebonyi and the Federal Capital Territory topped the list during the period. Giving the breakdown of the reported 106, 604 human rights abuses, the Senior Human Rights Adviser to the NHRC Executive Secretary, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna explained that things are not going well in the country and that the increase in rights abuses called for more action. Ogbonna said that the North Central still topped the table on the human rights abuses with a record of 29, 462, closely followed by South South with 21, 603. Ogbonna explained that the South West recorded 18, 458, North West recorded 15, 101, North East, 12, 907, while South East recorded the lowest of 9, 164 reporter cases of human rights violation. On the extra judicial killings, Ogbonna regretted that killing for blasphemy was recorded in Bauchi, another killed in Ondo state for infidelity and the stabbing of a wife’s lover to death in Ogun state, while the recorded ones in Edo are related to cultism. He said that three different attacks were carried out on Police stations with FCT having one, while Ebonyi recorded two and appealed to Nigerians to stop attack on security operatives. He also reminded me that mob actions and jungle justice are against Nigeria laws and should therefore be stopped. On bomb related matters, he said Borno topped the list with two twin bomb explosions at wedding ceremonies where some people were killed, while Kaduna, Benue, Katsina and Plateau also have their own share in the terrorism related killings in the month of June. The human rights expert the Commission is concerned with the high level of violation of the fundamental rights of women and children in the country. Responding to a question on the 1, 667 abandoned children, the NHRC boss blamed the trend on the economic situation but however explained that, the economic situation should not be a good be a reason for innocent children to be abandoned. Ojukwu said the Commission is partnering with stakeholders to provide shelter for the abandoned children while efforts are made to discover the parents of the children.
More woes for Yahaya Bello as EFCC placed him on interpol watchlist
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has placed former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello on INTERPOL’s watch list in three North African countries of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria. Recall that the ex-Governor had earlier been put on the watch list of Egypt, Libya and Sudan. The anti-graft commission said the recent action followed an intelligence that the Bello may try to run to any of these countries. The watch-list was also activated ahead of the July 17 expected appearance of the former governor before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Bello is facing a 19-count charge for alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N80.2billion. The ex-governor has denied the allegation and has consistently failed to appear before the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite on June 13 and June 27. At the last hearing, Bello filed an application for the transfer of his trial to the Federal High Court, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. Speaking on the situation, the EFCC source said, “Ahead of the next hearing of the case, EFCC has activated many options, including taking a concrete action to watch-list Bello in North Africa. “We are aware of a botched exit to Morocco via Cameroon. We are determined to stop him from going on exile. “From Singapore, the EFCC executive chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede was in Tunisia where he delivered a paper at a session on illicit financial flows. Thereafter, he had a meeting with all the heads of INTERPOL in North Africa on the intelligence on the ex-governor. “He formally asked INTERPOL to place Bello on Red Alert in all North African countries and it was accepted. “The watch-list has taken immediate effect. He will be arrested in any part of North Africa. We took this step because we are suspecting that he had been bidding time not to be available for arraignment. “We expect Bello to be in court to prove his innocence. EFCC has to do its work to avoid bad precedent.”
Senate Intensifies Probe into N30 Trillion Ways and Means; Extends Committee’s Assignment by Two Months
The Senate has ramped up its investigation into the N30 trillion Ways and Means facilities granted to the Federal Government by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between 2014 and 2023. Last Thursday, the Senate extended the assignment of the Ad-hoc committee handling the probe by an additional two months. Senator Isah Jibrin (APC Kogi East), who chairs the Ad-hoc committee established in March, requested more time, citing delays in receiving crucial information from several relevant agencies involved in the utilization of these funds. During a telephone conversation with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Senator Jibrin, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise Duties, explained that the extension would enable the committee to intensify its efforts. “Most of the relevant agencies have been contacted, and their documents are being meticulously scrutinized regarding the spending of the disbursements obtained through the Ways and Means facilities,” Senator Jibrin stated. “As this is a highly sensitive national task, the committee is committed to conducting a thorough investigation without rushing to conclusions.” Jibrin emphasized that increased pressure would be applied to the few agencies that have not adequately responded to information requests. He warned that heads of non-compliant agencies might be summoned if they fail to provide the necessary information. “The extended timeframe will ensure that the committee produces a comprehensive investigative report by September this year, detailing how the N30 trillion Ways and Means were disbursed, for what purposes, and how the funds were expended,” he added. The Ways and Means facility is a loan mechanism through which the CBN finances the federal government’s budget shortfalls. This method often leads to macroeconomic instability, causing inflation and high exchange rates due to the excess liquidity injected into the economy. Although CBN law limits advances under Ways and Means to 5 percent of the previous year’s revenue, this limit has frequently been exceeded. In February this year, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso announced that the bank would cease granting Ways and Means advances to the government until all outstanding debts are repaid.
76 Countries Including Nigeria Sign Controversial Samoa Agreement (Full List)
The Samoa agreement focuses on economic development, security, environment, migration, mobility, and climate change other areas include investment opportunities, sustainable development, and mutually beneficial cooperation, among others. The Samoa agreement has been signed by 79 countries across the world to address various aspects of the economy. The objective of the Samoa agreement is to serve as the legal framework for EU relations with these 79 countries. These include 48 African, 16 Caribbean, and 15 Pacific countries. The agreement covers 2 billion people and aims to strengthen the capacity of the EU and the ACP (African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries) to address global challenges together. Here are the full list of countries to benefit from the Samoa Agreement: African Countries: 1. Algeria 2. Angola 3. Benin 4. Botswana 5. Burkina Faso 6. Burundi 7. Cameroon 8. Cape Verde 9. Central African Republic 10. Chad 11. Comoros 12. Congo 13. Côte d’Ivoire 14.Democratic Republic of the Congo 15. Djibouti 16. Egypt 17. Equatorial Guinea 18. Eritrea 19. Eswatini 20. Ethiopia 21. Gabon 22. Gambia 23. Ghana 24. Guinea 25. Guinea-Bissau 26. Kenya 27. Lesotho 28. Liberia 29. Libya 30. Madagascar 31. Malawi 32. Mali 33. Mauritania 34. Mauritius 35. Morocco 36. Mozambique 37. Namibia 38. Niger 39. Nigeria 40. Republic of the Congo 41. Rwanda 42.São Tomé and Principe 43. Senegal 44. Seychelles 45. Sierra Leone 46. Somalia 47. South Africa 48. South Sudan 49. Sudan 50. Tanzania 51.Togo 52. Tunisia 53. Uganda 54. Zambia 55. Zimbabwe Caribbean Countries: 1. Antigua and Barbuda 2. The Bahamas 3. Barbados 4. Belize 5. Dominica 6. Dominican Republic 7. Grenada 8. Guyana 9. Haiti 10. Jamaica 11. Saint Kitts and Nevis 12. Saint Lucia 13. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14. Suriname 15. Trinidad and Tobago Pacific Countries: 1. Cook Islands 2. Fiji 3. Kiribati 4. Marshall Islands 5. Micronesia 6. Nauru 7. Niue 8. Palau 9. Papua New Guinea 10. Samoa 11. Solomon Islands 12. Tonga 13. Tuvalu 14. Vanuatu
FG Lists 36 State Universities That Can Apply For Students’ Loan
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) on Sunday announced that approval has been given to students from state-owned tertiary institutions to access the federal government loan. NELFUND, in a statement on Sunday via its official X account, listed 36 state-owned tertiary institutions that can now apply for student loans. The statement disclosed that the management of these institutions have successfully submitted their student data to the NELFUND Student Verification System (SVS). It also urged all other state-owned tertiary institutions to submit their complete student data to the NELFUND Student Verification System timely to enable their students benefit from the scheme. Below are the institutions that can now apply. 1. Adamawa State University, Mubi 2. Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri 3. Borno State University 4. Mohammet Lawan college of Agriculture, Borno State 5. Edo State University, Uzairue 6. Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti 7. Gombe State University 8. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Imo State 9. Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo 10. Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria 11. Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano 12. Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina 13. Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management 14. Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero 15. Confluence University of Science and Technology, Kogi state 16. Lagos state university of education 17. Lagos State University 18. Nasarawa State University, Keffi 19. Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun state 20. University of Medical Sciences, Ondo 21. Osun State University 22. UNIVERSITY OF ILESA, OSUN STATE 23. GTC, ARA Osun State 24. GTC, GBONGAN Osun State 25. GTC, IJEBU-JESA Osun State 26. GTC, ILE-IFE Osun State 27. GTC, INISA Osun State 28. GTC, IWO Osun State 29. GTC,OSU Osun State 30. GTC, OTAN AYEGBAJU Osun State 31. OSUN STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ILA-ORANGUN 32. GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE ILE-IFE 33. OSUN STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY 34. Taraba State University, Jalingo 35. Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua, Yobe State 36. Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara. It would be recalled that NELFUND had previously announced that students of state-owned institutions would not be able to access loans on the platform yet.
CJN to swear-in 12 new Judges for FCT High Court, July 10
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola will on Wednesday July 10, swear-in the newly appointed 12 Judges for the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. The inauguration of the jurists has been slated to hold at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court of Nigeria at 10am. A statement by the Director of Information and Press of the Supreme Court, Dr Akande Festus indicated that the new Judges are Buetnaan Mandy Bassi from Plateau State; Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo from Kwara State; Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi from Lagos State; Iheabunike Anumaenwe Godwin from Imo State and Odo Celestine Obinna from Enugu State and Hauwa Lawal Gummi from Zamfara State respectively. The rest are Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh from Bayelsa State; Maryam Iye Yusuf from Kogi State; Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria from Oyo State; Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike from Rivers State; Ibrahim Tanko Munirat from Bauchi State and Abdulrahman Usman from Taraba State.
Tinubu Inherited Nigeria’s Worst Government – Edwin Clark
Elder statesman and leader of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), Pa Edwin Clark, has asserted that President Bola Tinubu inherited the worst government in Nigeria’s history. In an interview with the Daily Sun newspaper, Clark shared his views on Tinubu’s performance, stating that one year in office is too early for a proper assessment. He emphasized that Tinubu took over from a government that left significant challenges. Clark remarked, “I think one year is too early. He met the worst government in Nigeria; that is what he inherited. I told him during the June 12 commemoration that there’s nothing to celebrate. What did Buhari’s government ever produce? Continuing with his programs and policies will be difficult.” He expressed confidence that Tinubu could address some of the previous administration’s numerous mistakes and mismanagement issues. “For me, I won’t assess him. He has a lot he is doing now,” Clark added. The 97-year-old Ijaw leader also urged the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, questioning the fairness of his continued detention. “Kanu should be released unless you are holding him because he belongs to the Igbo tribe. The war has been over for about 50 years now; why detain Kanu? It’s unfair. He should be free,” he stated.
Abuja Fuel Queues Caused by Logistic Challenge -IPMAN
The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Migandi Garima, has explained that current fuel queues are only in Abuja and not in other parts of the country. He also attributed the sprawling queues at fuel stations to logistics challenges in moving the product from Lagos to Abuja. He urged Nigerians not to panic, adding that fuel products are available. He stated this in an interview with Arise News on Saturday, July 6. He said: “In fact, there is availability of the product, but as of last week, we had a small challenge, but now the challenge is over. “And that is why you have been seeing that in Lagos there is no queue, it’s only in Abuja. That is because of the logistic challenges in terms of transport from Lagos to Abuja. “But I assure the masses that they should not panic because we got an assurance from the executive vice- president downstream, that the product is available, and we independent petroleum marketers will go and launch these products to their various depots. So, the masses should not panic in buying.”
Islamic New Year: Sultan of Sokoto declares July 7 as first day of Muharram 1446 AH
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has officially declared Sunday, July 7, 2024, as the first day of Muharram, marking the beginning of the Islamic New Year 1446 After Hijrah. The announcement was made in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto, Professor Sambo Wali Junaidu. The statement clarified that the national and various moon sighting committees across the country did not receive any reports of the sighting of the new moon of Muharram on Friday, July 5, 2024, which corresponded to the 29th of Dhul’Hijja 1445 AH. Consequently, Saturday, July 6, 2024, will be the 30th of Dhul’Hijja. The Sultan extended his felicitations to Nigerian Muslims on the occasion of the Islamic New Year and urged them to continue praying for the peace, progress, and development of the country.