Labour Rejects N45,000 Minimum Wage

The organized labour has rejected the Federal Government’s offer of N45,000 as the national minimum wage. They stormed out of the minimum wage committee meeting on Wednesday. Recall that the organized labour had made a demand of N615,000 as the new minimum wage and had given the government up till May 31 to conclude negotiations on new living wage. The Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage resumed negotiations on Wednesday. Representatives of the organized labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, were enraged over the government offer. Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, who is one of the representatives of the NLC, said, “we asked whether the N45,000 is for transport, food, clothing, housing or for what. “So we just told them that since they are not serious, we better just leave, so we stormed out of the place.” He said that the government offer was presented to them by the Permanent Secretary, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Office.

Wike rejects repeated variations of Ushafa–Bwari Road project cost

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has rejected the repeated variations of the Ushafa – Bwari Road project contract amount. Wike declared his rejection while briefing journalists after a visit to the project sites along with the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud and other government officials in Abuja on Thursday. He described the consistent variation of the contract cost of the project as “very embarrassing”, saying “this is not what we are going to take. “The job was awarded in 2017 at N20 billion. In 2020, the contract was revised to N50 billion. As I speak to you, they have paid about N50 billion and what is outstanding is about N900 million. “Now they are telling us that the N900 million is not enough to complete a job they said had reached 90 per cent completion. “Therefore, asking for another variation, we are not going to accept. Even the engineering services, we are going to overhaul the system,” he said. The minister complained of so many variations in contract amount being handled by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), which he described as “worrisome”. “I have never seen a thing like this in my life. What we see in FCDA contract variations from N10 billion to N119 billion and from N50 billion to N200 billion is alarming, and I am not going to accept this,” he said. Wike, who equally visited the rehabilitation of Lower Usuma Dam Water Works, Gurara Road in Bwari, also expressed displeasure on the delivery of the water project. The minister said he was told that the project was awarded as an emergency contract, but realised on getting to the project site that it has not been awarded fully. He said that he just found out that what was given to the contractor was just a letter of intent in Aug. 2022. “I knew the importance of this project in supplying water to our people within the city and its environs. Water is very important and so I have directed that the project is no longer an emergency,” he said. Wike said that the project would be re-awarded, adding that his office would supervise the procurement process and invite other companies to bid for the project. On abandoned projects, the minister said that more than 10 contracts have been selected and approved for completion, adding that agreements have been concluded with the contractors. He said that the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Mr Shehu Hadi, had been directed to make sure that all the files approved since last week goes to the Director of Treasury. He added that he has directed all payments to contractors be made latest by Friday. He explained that based on the tagging of each project to Internally Generated Revenue, each contractor would be paid a certain amount of money every month based on the agreed project completion period. “We agreed with some companies to deliver the projects in six months, and some 15 months. “In fact, like the millennium tower, they (contractors) have agreed to finish it in two years’ time, and we are paying them N3 billion every month. “On Monday we are flagging off the resurfacing of most of the roads in Garki, Maitama and Wuse because the roads are terribly bad,” the minister said.

Lagos Assembly rejects 17 commissioner-nominees, confirms 22

The Lagos State House of Assembly has rejected 17 commissioner nominees of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, including former Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi and former Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho. The lawmakers, however, confirmed 22 other commissioner-nominees of the governor. The exercise, which was done through a voice vote, was sequel to the screening of the nominees at the assembly’s Committee of the Whole at plenary. The Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over it, said the exercise followed a rigorous and detailed screening of the nominees by an ad-hoc committee led by the Chief Whip, Mr Fatai Mojeed. Obasa said the exercise was in line with Section 182 Sub-Section I and II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The speaker said the other 15 nominees rejected were as follows: Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, Mr Yomi Oluyomi, Mrs Folashade Ambrose, Ms Barakat Bakare, Olalere Odusote, Dr Rotimi Fashola, Mrs Bolaji Dada. According to him, others rejected include: Mr Sam Egube, Mr Olalekan Fatodu, Mrs Solape Hammond, Mr Mosopefolu George, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, Mr Seun Osiyemi, Mr Rotimi Ogunwuyi and Dr Olumide Oluyinka Obasa listed the 22 confirmed nominees as: Mr Layode Ibrahim, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, Ms Bola Olumegbon, Mr Idris Aregbe, Ms Abisola Olusanya, and Mr Moruf Fatai. “Other nominees confirmed are Mr Kayode Bolaji-Roberts, Mr Abiola Olowu, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih- Awokoya, Mr Yakub Alebiosu, Mr Lawal Pedro, Mr Tunbosun Alake. “Also confirmed are Mr Gbenga Oyerinde, Dr Adekunle Olayinka, Dr Jide Babatunde, Mr Afolabi Ayantayo, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun and Mr Abdulkabir Ogungbo. The speaker commended the committee for its effectiveness and urged the confirmed nominees to always remember that they were in office to serve the people of the state and not individuals. He also promised that the assembly would continue to do its best in the interest of the state. The Speaker, therefore, directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Lekan Onafeko, to communicate the notice of the confirmation and rejection of the nominees to the governor. The speaker did not give any reason why the assembly rejected the nominees.