Senator Shehu Sani has insinuated that the poor are the worst hit by the current economic hardship, while the rich are insulated from economic woes.

Sani, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former lawmaker, made the assertion via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday.

Sani wrote: “In our country, the rich are in the Noah’s Ark and the poor are in the Titanic.”

DAILY POST recalls that the cost of living in the country soared after the pump price of fuel skyrocketed to N612 per litre last week.

The United States dollar also gained massively against the Nigerian naira in the exchange market recently.

[DailyPost]

Members of rganised labour have reportedly applauded a plethora of “Palliatives” rolled out on July 20 by the National Economic Council (NEC) – statutorily chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

They include: Immediate release of grains and fertilisers by the Federal Government to states, for distribution or sale at subsidised prices; conditional cash transfers to the poorest of the poor; a cash award policy to aid civil servants for six months; and a new minimum wage for workers.

Others are: Payment of (arrears) of salaries, allowances, pensions, gratuities; support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); and start of energy transition from petrol to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles, and eventual use of e-Vehicles in the long run.

State governments will generate comprehensive registers “for the vulnerable people only,” and drive the new “awards” that replace the panned President Bola Tinubu’s “N8,000 monthly palliative to 12m poor and vulnerable households.”

Tinubu had instituted the N8,000 palliative without recourse to a Presidential Technical Committee set up to work out modalities for alleviating subsidy removal from essential products and services.

Nigerians – including Tinubu’s supporters aliased ‘BATists’ and ‘Progressives’ – who’d questioned the rationale for the “N8,000 monthly “tokenism” and called for its reversal, would rather go with the President than do something to rock the boat of the nation.

But not so with organised labour, which read in the N8,000 relief package a design by Tinubu to relegate their demands, headlined by a review of the minimum wage by 100% to 200%.

It’s an opportunity for the unions to flex muscles, threatening to resume their strike – suspended in June due to criticisms, and a court restraining order.

President Tinubu’s claim of “fuel subsidy is gone” in his inaugural speech on May 29 – and floating of the Naira – had caused hoarding and scarcity of petrol, and a 300% jump in pump price.

The effect is the prevailing rise in the prices of goods and services, and even acute shortage of common commodities, such as tomatoes, in southern Nigeria.

With the carte put before the horse, the Tinubu government had mooted a variety of palliatives, and constituted a Technical Committee to work out the modalities.

Yet, with mounting pressure, the government moved a pace – without the committee’s report – and announced an N8,000 monthly stipend – for six months – for 12m poor and vulnerable households.

The allowance and other remedial measures would be financed with N500bn from the supplementary budget prepared by President Buhari’s government; and $800m (N600bn) World Bank loan to mitigate effects of fuel subsidy removal.

The President’s letter in that regard to the National Assembly states in part: “Please note that the federal executive council, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, approved an additional loan facility to the tune of $800 million to be secured from the World Bank for the National Social Safety Net programme, Copy of FEC’s extract attached.

“You may also wish to note that the purpose of the facility is to expand coverage of shock responsive safety net support among the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

This will assist them in coping with basic needs.

“You may further wish to note that under the conditional cash transfer window of the programme, the Federal Government of Nigeria will transfer the sum of N8,000 per month to 12 million poor and low income households for a period of six months, with a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.”

“In order to guarantee the credibility of the process, digital transfers will be made directly to beneficiaries’ accounts and mobile wallets.

“It is expected that the programme will stimulate economic activities in the informal sector, and improve nutrition, health, education, and human capital development of beneficiaries’ households.”

Rather than applause for moves to redeem its pledge to relieve the hardship borne by mostly the less-privileged in the society, the Tinubu government came under hammer for the miserly N8,000 award that can’t take the estimated five per household (60m) through a week.

There’s a torrent of questions from concerned Nigerians, with the organised labour leading the charge. A sampler:

• How did the government arrive at N8,000 monthly stipend for six months. * What’s the credibility of the data relied on to compile the beneficiaries. * Where and when was the data collected, and by who * What’s 12m households in over 133m Nigerians below the poverty line. * Who provides for the millions outside the scheme?
• Will government scale-up or reduce the beneficiaries, or abandon the process after six months.
• Will suffering in the land vanish after six months, to stop the social safety net. * What happens to the policy if there’s a change of government within the timeframe of implementation?

Summing up, labour leaders –  irked by Tinubu’s alleged “bad faith,” and loss of credibility in the technical committee that he’d empanelled to work out modalities to alleviate the subsidy removal – gave their damning verdict, as captured below:

As reported by Vanguard on July 14, an official of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who spoke on the issue, says: “The action of the President has actually undermined the credibility of his own Committee.

“We believe it is not only undemocratic but shows that the President is merely setting up the committee as a window dressing for whatever purposes he has set out for himself.”

The President, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, holds that,

“Any palliative payment must be in line with the agreement reached with labour (and) in line with the technical committee meeting.”

To Dr Tommy Okon, president, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and deputy president of TUC, “What form of poverty alleviation policy implementation strategy is this?”

“Is it not proper to allow the Presidential Committee to conclude its assignment and arrive at a collective agreement with organized labour before embarking on any palliative care distributions?

“It’s an economic waste. What is N8,000 monthly to 12 million Nigerian households with this hyperinflation and socio-economic challenges?” Okon queries.

“What the government is doing could amount to exactly what the previous (Buhari) administration did that yielded no positive impact on the economy and the citizens.”

“The President has been ill-advised, as that amount (N8,000) cannot feed a child in one month, talk less a family… It’s an insult on Nigerians,” says Ms Jean Anishere Chiazor, vice president, Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN).

And the General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Prince Peters Adeyemi, warns:

“We need to know the criteria to be used in determining those that will benefit from the programme. We hope this will not be another avenue for a few individuals to divert such money to their private pockets.”
Tinubu’s reversal of the N8,000 award barely a week later is allegedly traced to rumbles in the unions worried that he’d ditched their demands, chiefly a hike of at least 100% in minimum wage.
To pre-empt the unions’ moves to resume their suspended strike, Tinubu came out as a “listening President,” to rollback the N8,000 palliative, and promise release of thousands of farming inputs, and a speedy review of the minimum wage.
Labour’s still “lukewarm” to the President’s latter pledges, but the National Economic Council’s resolutions have “warm the unions’ hearts,” as payment of “cash award, outstanding salaries, allowances, pensions and gratuities, and a minimum wage” top the items to be implemented.
As a labour leader remarked at the weekend, “If the three tiers of government implement these palliatives, the average and poor Nigerians will at least breathe under the crushing effects of subsidy removal from petrol.

“We commend the Federal and State governments, through the National Economic Council, for these bold moves, and hope they will not disappoint Nigerians.”

Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Chukwuma Soludo (Anambra) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) – who spoke with reporters after the NEC meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja – said the government would implement the resolutions, and timeously, too. Nigerians hope so!

Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria .

Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has prayed a Federal High Court, Abuja, to compel the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police to eject the embattled LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, from the party’s national secretariat.

Apapa, in a fresh suit filed before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Abure and three other suspended national officers from further representing or parading themselves as national chairman and officers of the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Apapa; Alhaji Lawal Saleh, acting National Secretary; Comrade Anslem Eragbe, National Youth Leader and LP are the 1st to 4th plaintiffs in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/777/23 and filed by their lawyer, Anderson Asamota.

The plaintiffs had sued Mr Abure as suspended National Chairman; Farouk Umaru, suspended National Secretary; Ojukwu Clement, suspended Organising Secretary; Oluci Opara, suspended National Treasurer and I-G as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

In the latest case dated June 1, the plaintiffs sought nine reliefs which include “an order setting aside or nullifying all steps or proceedings conducted by the 1st to 4th defendants, actions or decisions taken, documents or correspondences prepared, authored, signed and issued by them, after they were restrained by the FCT High Court on April 5th and suspended by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party on 3rd day of May, 2023.

“An order of mandatory injunction directing or compelling the 1st to 4th defendants whether acting by themselves or through their officers, privies, representatives, attorneys and/or agents to render account of all monies or funds received by them through gift, donations, contributions for and on behalf of the party and return or refund all the monies or gift received by them for and on behalf of the party.”

The plaintiff, who prayed the court to eject Abure and the three co-defendants from the party’s national secretariat located at No. 2, IBM Haruna Street, Utako, Abuja, described them as “illegal occupants.”

They sought a declaration that by virtue of Articles 13 (2)(B)(xvii), 17(ii) and 19(2) (C) & (3)C of the Constitution of the Labour Party, 2019 (as amended), the NEC of the LP is empowered and/or inundated with powers to take disciplinary action or discipline the erring members and national officers of the party for misconduct.

They said that by the constitution of the party, Abure, having been suspended by the NEC cannot continue to hold himself out as the national chairman of the party, “which is privilege only enjoyed by members of the party,” among other reliefs.
In the affidavit deposed to by Eragbe, he said an FCT High Court on April 5 restrained the 1st to 4th defendants parading themselves as national chairman and national officers of the party.

He averred that despite the said restraining order “hanging over their necks like the sword of Damocles,” they continued to parade themselves as national officers of the party in various fora and meetings in flagrant disobedience of the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

Based on this, Eragbe said the NEC, in its meeting held on May 3, reached a resolution suspending the four of them.

He said the decision was based on their “numerous acts of contempt of the FCT High Court restraining order, convening, holding and participating in illegal NEC meeting on April 18 in Asaba, Delta.

He also said it was for their involvement in fraudulent activities and anti-party activities especially as it appertains to the conduct of pseudo gubernatorial primaries in Imo State, Bayelsa State and Kogi State on 15th April, 2023.

“That the 1st to 4th defendants conducted, presided and superintended the said pseudo or illegal primaries in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi State on 15th April 2023 in contempt of the restraining order of the FCT High Court referenced above.”

When the matter was called on Monday, Asamota, who appeared for the plaintiffs, told the court that the matter was slated for mention and all the defendants had been duly served.

He then prayed the court to adjourn the matter for hearing.

But Kehinde Edun, a lawyer who represented the suspended National Secretary, Umaru, said Abure, Clement and Opara had not been served with the court papers which necessitated their not being represented in court.

Justice Mohammed, therefore, directed the court registrar to crosscheck from the record if all the defendants were served, but the registrar confirmed that only Abure (1st defendant) was served with a hearing notice.

The judge, who adjourned the matter until Nov. 28 for further mention, ordered that the originating summons and hearing notices be served on all the necessary parties.

Again, the President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list failed to surface at the Senate on Tuesday.

This has aggravated the anxiety over the complexion and composition of the list.

The presidency has also declined to comment on the status of the list even as the chief spokesman to the President, Dele Alake, had told THE WHISTLER that “there’s a new 60 day law” guiding the formation of the cabinet without further clarification.

On Tuesday at press time, there was no correspondence from the president even as no confirmation came from the Senate that the list had been received.

Sources however said the list had not been sent “at least not by 10:30am, this morning as we speak.”

The office of the clerk to the Senate has also kept mum on the issue.

On the lips of almost everyone is what could be holding the list with 4 days to go.

By law the president has 60 days to present his ministerial list to the Senate. That expires on Saturday when the office mandated by law to receive and screen the list would be shut down.

The president has between the rest of the working day of Tuesday (today), Wednesday and Thursday, which are legislative days to send in the list.

It was gathered that the president had retrieved the list to make an amendment but a reliable source denied it saying “ministerial list was never sent to the Senate. The information from the clerk to the Senate was false.”

The Senate had broken into a closed-door on Thursday in the past week with expectation that it was to smoothen rough edges in order to allow a smooth consideration of the ministerial nominees.

What transpired during the closed-door was never revealed even as the ministerial list was not unveiled afterwards.

If the president indeed made adjustments to his list, the mood in the Senate is that the president would send in the ministerial list for consideration before the end of the week’s legislative sitting.

Some aggrieved youths have taken to the streets of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to demonstrate their grievances against the controversial video clip famous singer, Davido shared recently on his Twitter account.

Recall that Davido came under severe criticisms after sharing a clip of the music video of his signee, Logos Olori’s new single ‘Jaye Lo’ which captures people praying and dancing in front of a mosque.

Some prominent Nigerian Muslims including former aide to ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, Senator Shehu Sani, actor, Ali Nuhi, asked Davido to take down the video and apologise to Muslims for “disrespecting” their religion.

The singer eventually bowed to the demands after 48 hours and deleted the video.

However, in a video making the rounds on social media, some youths in Maiduguri were seen setting on fire a poster of the singer as they demanded that the OBO crooner should apologise to the Muslim community.

The National Industrial Court (NIC) has affirmed the status of the Congress Of University Academics (CONUA) and the Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) as trade unions in Nigeria, thus dismissing the suit filed by ASUU.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the president of the NIC, Justice Benedict Kanyip, dismissed ASUU’s lawsuit which challenged the Federal Government’s registration of CONUA and NAMDA as trade unions.

Kanyip ruled that Section 27 of the Trade Union Act does not depict trade monopoly and makes allowance for more than one trade union in employment.

He added that both the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, and the registrar of the union, were within their rights to register both unions to co-exist with ASUU.

The Justice held that ASUU did not provide any evidence to show the complete registration of CONUA and NAMDA when the suit was filed, adding that any evidence that was provided by ASUU was hearsay because the suit was filed on October 26, 2022, meanwhile, CONUA and NAMDA’s registration had yet to be, gazetted in line with Section 523 of the Trade Union Act.

THE WHISTLER reported last year, when ASUU’s legal representative, Femi Falana SAN, stated that the union would sue the FG for registering CONUA and NAMDA while it was still on strike.

Falana said the registration of the unions is illegal seeing as only one union is allowed to operate in every sector, according to the Trade Union Act.

“You can’t have two trade unions in the same sector. Only a union is allowed to be registered for all academics in Nigeria.

“That is the essence of the classification of trade unions because we used to have mushrooms in the First Republic, so the government restructured the unions and grouped all academics together and all non-academics together. You can’t have two or three in one field,” he said.

Falana added that there is a Supreme Court judgment on the proliferation of trade unions, the Erasmus Osawe V Registrar of Trade Unions.

Suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been granted a N20 million bail by a Federal High Court setting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

As part of condition to perfect the bail, the embattled CBN Governor must produce a surety with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

Emefiele who earlier pleaded not guilty is facing two count charges bordering on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

His lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, who had applied for his bail contended that the offence for which he was changed is bailable, which the presiding judge, Nicholas Oweibo, agreed with.

THE WHISTLER on July 13 reported that Justice H. Muazu of Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja had given the Department of State Services (DSS), seven days to charge Emefiele, to court or release him from detention.

The embattled CBN Governor had sued the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the DSS for arresting and detaining him in a commando style, alleging the agencies were carrying out a political witch-hunt against him due to his “people-oriented financial policies which several political actors are not comfortable with and are now looking for any means to scandalize and smear his image and reputation.”

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on June 9, suspended Emefiele as the apex bank’s Governor and had directed that the bank’s Deputy Governor of Operations, Folashodun Shonubi, resume office in an acting capacity.

The Senate requested the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to halt their proposed pricing increases and “allow Nigerians to breathe.”

Additionally, the Senate encouraged DisCos to no longer charge Nigerian communities’ electrical transformer purchase costs before requesting payment.

By immediately distributing affordable prepaid metres to all power consumers nationwide, it also put an end to projected billing.

The Red Chambers then considered several resolutions, including one titled “Need to halt proposed increase in Electricity Tariff by 11 successor Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).”

The motion was moved by Senator Yunus Abiodun Akintunde (APC – Oyo Central) at plenary.

After due debate on the motion, the Senate resolved to: “Call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to intervene and halt the proposed increase in electricity tariff by the Distribution Companies (Discos);

“Urge Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to decentralize proposed engagement with Stakeholders scheduled for Abuja to the Six Geopolitical Zones of the Federation for effective participation by all;

“Also urge NERC to thoroughly look into the rate review applications filed by the Discos, taking into consideration the interests of citizens, affordability, and the need for improved service delivery;

“Further urge NERC to explore alternative measures to address the financial challenges faced by the Discos, such as improving operational efficiency, reducing technical and commercial losses, and enhancing revenue collection mechanisms;

“Equally urge Discos to henceforth discontinue estimated billing and make available to all electricity consumers prepaid meters at affordable prices; and

“Mandate the Committee on Power (when constituted) to engage with the Federal Ministry of Power, NERC, and other stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the Nigerian electricity sector, including the need for comprehensive sector reforms.

“Call on DisCos to allow communities recover cost of purchasing transformers before asking them to pay bills.

“Call on DisCos and NERC to allow Nigerians to breathe.”

Senators Ekpenyong Asuquo, Jimikuta David, Ipalibo Harry Banigo and Abba Moro in their contributions supported the motion.

Details Shortly…

On Tuesday (today), former Governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, tendered a verbal apology to his colleagues at the 10th National Assembly after alleging on live television that Senators in the 9th Senate looted their offices, carting away office furniture and equipment.

Naija News recalls that Oshiomhole had, on Sunday, while appearing live on Channels Television Politics Today programme, alleged that some lawmakers from the previous assembly looted items such as carpets and TVs from their offices.

According to him, a development that led to most of the federal lawmakers in the 10th national assembly using their money to put their offices in shape.

“In spite of the presence of security men and women, television sets, carpets, and chairs were looted by the immediate past senators and House of Representatives members.

“The former lawmakers left their offices in shambles with holes in the walls, which had to be fixed by serving lawmakers from their pockets,” Oshiomhole had said.

Oshiomhole’s submissions, however, caused uproar in the Senate on Tuesday morning during the plenary session as a Federal Lawmaker, Solomon Adeola, slammed the former governor, demanding that he apologize to the Senate.

Senator Adeola said Oshiomhole breached the privilege of his office and demanded that he tenders a public apology to the 10th Senate.

Adeola explained that the procedure is clear at the end of every Assembly; lawmakers are to sign for every item in their offices before they are taken out, maintaining that no Senator looted their offices in the 9th Assembly.

He asked Oshiomhole to explain why he made these allegations on live television without confirmation.

Wading into the arguments, the Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, requested that the matter be discussed behind closed doors, but a majority of the lawmakers refused that the matter be discussed in an executive session.

To douse the tension in the chamber, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, also intervened, explaining that all items in the offices of Senators depreciate to the tune of 25 per cent and the tradition every four years is to give lawmakers the right to offer to purchase those items and if accepted, the lawmaker will either pay outright for the items or the funds are removed from their severance gratuity.

Oshiomhole Apologizes

According to Channels Television, after a series of arguments, Oshiomhole was thereafter given the floor and expressed his utmost respect for the National Assembly.

The former Governor of Edo State explained that he indeed appeared on a respected national television station but said he defended the collective integrity of the Senate.

He emphasised that at no time did he say Senators looted their offices but rather that the offices were vandalised, prompting Senators to provide the basic needs of their offices by purchasing some furniture.

He, however, tendered an apology to his colleagues, who he says felt offended by his comments.

The Academy Staff Union of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, protested on Tuesday over the suspension of the institution’s Rector, Dr Tajudeen Odetayo.

Academic activities were grounded, as staff members claimed the suspension of the Rector was an aberration of its constitution.

Recall that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, suspended the institution’s rector following an allegation of corruption leveled against him.

According to a July 11, 2023 memo by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Muritala Jimoh, addressed to the Acting Registrar of the polytechnic, Odetayo is facing an investigation over “allegations of financial recklessness, corruption and misappropriation of funds and abuse of office.”

The governor also approved the appointment of Mr. Alabi Kehinde Adeyemi as the acting Rector with immediate effect, “pending the time the allegations against him are properly investigated by relevant bodies.”

However, displeased with the governor’s move, academic staff have come out to express their displeasure, saying it is an aberration against the institution’s constitution and has suspended the school’s educational activities over the suspension.

Naija News gathered that protesters, who were chanting solidarity songs, blocked the main campus entrance in Iree, which left the students writing examination stranded.

Speaking to a crowd of protesters, the President of the union, Dr. Fatai Afolabi, declared an indefinite suspension on academic activities, noting that the association frowns at what the governor has done.

Also, checks by Tribune reveal that classrooms were empty as students were seen standing in groups and discussing the issues.

One of the students who simply identified as Abimbola revealed that she knows less about the ongoing issues and, therefore, can not blame anyone for now.

Abimbola, however, appealed for the matter to be resolved amicably so that academic activities could continue.