Minimum Wage: Labour May demand N500,000 instead of #1m Earlier Proposed
With the public hearing on the new minimum wage, which will be held simultaneously in all six geopolitical zones of the country, it is expected to receive inputs from organised Labour, state governors, ministers, civil society groups, and the organised private sector on a new minimum wage reflective of the current economic realities and the workers’ aspirations. However, a top official of the NLC, who confided in newsmen on Thursday said based on proposals submitted by state chapters to the congress’ headquarters, the organised Labour might push for N500,000 at today’s meeting. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, had recently stated that if the ongoing inflation continued, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1m for Nigerian workers. President Bola Tinubu through his deputy, Kashim Shettima, on January 30, 2024, inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja, with its membership cutting across the federal and state governments, the private sector, and labour. The panel, as learnt, is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country on or before April 1 following the expiration of the current N30,000 minimum wage as provided by the law. However, the President of the NLC, Ajaero, stated recently during an interview on Arise TV that if the ongoing inflation continued unabated, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1m for Nigerian workers. According to Ajaero, the demand from organised labour would be influenced by the cost of living which has been increasing since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, notably due to the removal of the fuel subsidy and other policies. He said, “This N1m may be relevant if the value of the naira continues to depreciate; if the inflation continues unchecked because the demand of labour is equally dependent on what is happening in the society. “You will remember that by the time we were contemplating N200,000 (as minimum wage), the exchange rate was about N800/N900 (to a dollar). As we talk today, the exchange rate is about N1,400 or even more. “Those are the issues that determine the demand and it is equally affecting the cost of living. And we have always said that our demand will be based on the cost of living index. You will agree with me today that even a bag of rice is going for about N60,000/N70,000 or more. “A bag of locally produced corn is about N56,000 or more. Foodstuff is getting out of reach, now are we going to get a minimum wage that will not be enough for transportation even for one week?” Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday, a top official of the NLC said organised labour would insist on any amount slightly above N500,000 as minimum wage based on the analysis of proposals got from state chapters. The official, who spoke in confidence because he was not authorised to speak to the media on the negotiation, explained that the cost-of-living analysis carried out in states was N900,000. “In reality, what they gave us from the states when we deflate inconsistencies is over N500,000, as the cost of living of an average family of six to meet their basic needs, for an average family to survive. “But we know that when NLC deflates it taking into consideration some of the things we think are padded, it will come to around slightly over N500,000,” he said.
Resident doctors in UCH Begin strike over alleged assault
Following an alleged assault on a resident doctor by relatives of a patient, resident doctors under the auspices of Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan in Oyo State have commenced a three-day strike. ARD President, Dr. John Oladapo told newsmen on Thursday that the doctors are demanding a public apology from the people who assaulted their member, inflicting injuries on him on Sunday. He called on the hospital to improve its security architecture to avoid future occurrences in the hospital. “On Sunday, one of our members was the target of a deliberate, premeditated, planned rage and furious assault by a patient’s relation. “The doctor was seeing a known Sickle Cell patient in a painful crisis at the Emergency Department when the two men accosted him in the consulting room and started beating him up. “The mother of the patient being seen who tried to intervene was also beaten up in this assault. In the doctor’s attempt to escape, the men chased him down and beat him up. “The security officers of the hospital intervened and rescued our member, but not before he sustained injuries as well as mental health and esteem”.
How Relocating to America humbled me – Femi Brainard
Nollywood Actor Femi Brainard shared his insights on the realities of living abroad as a Nigerian celebrity. He narrated his experience during an interview with Teju Oyelakin, also known as Teju Babyface, on his podcast Brainard explained the advantages and disadvantages of relocating, emphasising that it’s preferable to be esteemed and respected in Nigeria rather than becoming anonymous abroad. He also said that his wife did not like the idea of living abroad. While speaking with the comedian, Brainard noted that anytime he is driving, his Nigerian passengers in particular can’t help but stare at him in disbelief and wonder if he is the star they know. The actor added that the curious ones would approach him to be sure he was the famous actor they knew in Nigeria. Brainard said the bills are a lot and he has things like rent to think about while explaining that he was so broke to an extent that he went to the parking lot and burst into tears. He said: “At times it would be so hard, I no go get Money for hand. That day I went to the parking lot of our apartment, I cried, na me bring this woman here. Yankee no know star o… I had to feed my family. I know these couple from the airport, the husband was like, ‘ask him if he is Femi Brainard and I said yes. The husband didn’t know when he reached at me and asked ‘bros what are you doing here”. “As difficult as Nigeria seems to be, I would rather be a prince and a celebrity in a system that is not working than come to this place and be a nobody. I am still bothered about rent.”
Another attack, Boko Haram, sets IDP Camp, Many Houses On Fire
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have razed down at least 25 newly constructed buildings meant for returnees in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State. Amid the heat of insurgency, Dikwa residents fled their homes and took cover as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). However, days after abducting IDPs who went into the forest to fetch firewood, insurgents stormed a remote village in Gajibo, shooting sporadically and burning more than 25 newly built houses. According to Daily Trust, Modu Kundiri who was on his to Maiduguri from Gomboru, they were asked by the troops to wait for about 3 hours at Logomani village. “The soldiers informed us that we had to wait for about 3 hours from 11:am -2 pm before we were allowed to leave Logomani. “I saw and counted more than 25 newly constructed houses at Gajibo village in Dkiwa LGA was on fire,” Modu said. A resident of Dikwa town, Sheriff Lawan, confirmed the news to our correspondent via phone. He added that they equally planted many improvise explosive devices (IEDs) in the ongoing construction site to truncate the rebuilding and resettlement processes of the state government. “The soldiers told us that the insurgents planted many IEDs at the construction site and they discovered some bombs already.”Sherrif said. Gajibo town is a some of 110 kilometers away from Maiduguri, the state capital.
UAE Has Not Lifted Visa Ban On Nigeria – Presidency
The presidency has refuted claims of the United Arab Emirates lifting the visa restriction on Nigerian travellers. The ban was imposed in October 2022 along with restrictions on citizens from about 20 African nations. Among the affected countries are Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and others. Reports surfaced on Tuesday that discussions between President Bola Tinubu and his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, regarding diplomatic issues like flight allocations and travel restrictions, prompted the suspension of the ban. However, Bayo Onanuga, senior Special Adviser to President Tinubu on information, clarified that the ban remains in place, stating that the circulating document is unauthorized by both Nigerian and UAE governments. “UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorized either by the Nigerian government or the UAE”, he said.
Binance Ceases Operations in Nigeria
Binance, a global cryptocurrency exchange, has decided to exit the Nigerian market. Effective March 8, 8:00 a.m. UTC, Binance will automatically convert naira balances to USDT (Tether), a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. The decision follows the cessation of support for naira deposits after 14:00 UTC today, with withdrawals set to terminate after March 8, 6:00 a.m. UTC. The conversion rate stands at 1 USDT per 1,515.13 naira. Binance will delist all spot trading pairs involving the naira on March 7 at 3:00 a.m. UTC, automatically closing open spot orders for these pairs. Additionally, services like Binance Convert, Binance P2P, Auto Invest, and Binance Pay will no longer support naira transactions. This move by Binance coincides with regulatory conflicts in Nigeria, as two executives were recently detained by the National Security Adviser’s office. The company faces accusations of contributing to the depreciation of the naira, prompting its decision to withdraw from the Nigerian market.
FG Gives Update On New Minimum Wage
The Nigerian government is planning to organize a nationwide public hearing as a step in the process of introducing a new minimum wage for workers in Nigeria. A statement from the Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed that the public hearing would be done in the six geo-political regions of the country to gather diverse perspectives and recommendations on the new minimum wage. The statement added that the six public hearings will hold in North-East, Yola; North-West, Kano; North-Central, Abuja; South-South, Uyo; South-East, Enugu, and South-West, Lagos on March 7, 2024. The South-West zonal public hearing will hold in Lagos at the LTV Blue Roof Arena to be chaired by the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun. A diverse panel will lead the discussions including: Government representatives: Edun and Osun Governor Adeleke Ademola (representing State Governments); Employers’ representatives: Omo-Lamai Grace (Manufacturers Association) and Muhammed Nura (Nigeria Association of SMEs); Labour representatives Adeyanju Adewale (NLC) and Shuaibu Afusatu (TUC) as well as Labour and Employment Minister of State Onyejeocha Nkeiruka. The Ministry stated that the public hearings offer a crucial opportunity for stakeholders to actively participate in shaping the national minimum wage policy by contributing their perspectives.
Alex Iwobi returns to social media after AFCON drama
After the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, Nigerian footballer Alex Iwobi has resumed his presence on social media, particularly Instagram. The Fulham star had deleted all his Instagram posts in response to criticism he faced over his performance during the AFCON final, where Nigeria lost 2-1 to Cote d’Ivoire. Iwobi became a target of cyberbullying from some Nigerian fans, prompting him to remove all content from his Instagram account. However, he received support from teammates, the Nigeria Football Federation, and the Sports Ministry. Several weeks later, the Super Eagles midfielder returned to the platform with the post “Lately.” The post featured a snippet of what seemed to be an unreleased rap song. Iwobi’s return drew comments from fans, with teammates such as William Troost-Ekong, Frank Onyeka, and Kenneth Omeruo expressing their support in the comment section.
FCT police Denies reports of looted truck
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has debunked reports claiming a truck carrying food items in the Dei-Dei area of the FCT was attacked and looted on Monday morning. In a statement released by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the police said they were unaware of such attacks. However, Adeh asked that anyone or any persons with evidence of any such activities to come forward and report to the police. “The FCT Police Command is not aware of any looting of food trucks in Dei-Dei Abuja this morning, being the 4/3/2024, but if you have any information pls, come to us with details,” the statement read.
NBA-NEC removes SPIDEL’S leadership
The leadership of the Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) has been removed by a unanimous vote of the Nigerian Bar Association’s National Executive Council (NBA-NEC). All the court cases that the outgoing SPIDEL executives filed are to be withdrawn, according to a caretaker committee that has been constituted. This was the outcome of the most recent NEC quarterly meeting, which took place in Jos. The caretaker committee is comprised of Ben Oji of the Warri Branch, Funke Aderemi of the Ilorin Branch, Yakubu Philemon, SAN of the Abuja Branch, and Eva Amadi of the Port Harcourt Branch. The committee was also mandated to withdraw all court cases filed by the removed SPIDEL leaders. The NBA NEC further proscribed the Forum of Body of vice chairmen and any other forum or body unknown to the NBA constitution. Additionally, the NEC passed a vote of confidence on the NBA executive committee led by President Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN. Maikyau had accused SPIDEL chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins of taking unauthorized actions beyond the section’s mandate. He consequently ordered officials to halt activities pending a meeting on February 1st. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has scheduled its 2024 national officers elections to take place on July 20th.