A former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central in the Senate, Shehu Sani, has blamed the ongoing economic hardship in the country on erstwhile president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani insisted that President Bola Tinubu never deceived Nigerians, adding that he had earlier informed the citizenry of his intention to remove subsidy when he comes into power.

He argued that if Buhari had implemented some of Tinubu’s economic policies, there would not be hardship in the country.

Sani insisted that the Buhari administration allowed the country to deteriorate to the present economic crisis plaguing the nation.

The former lawmaker shared his thoughts during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday.

He said, “We must be very factual and realistic with ourselves; the problem we find ourselves today, originated, was engineered, fabricated and sustained by the Buhari administration.

“The Buhari administration, institutionally, fundamentally destroyed the Nigerian economy.

“When Tinubu took over, he knows there is not going to be subsidy and to be realistic, he was very frank during his campaign. He said, ‘I am going to remove subsidy and whatever protest that will come out of it I will not back down’ and then people went ahead and voted for him, so he has not deceived Nigerians.

“Now he is in power, we are paying the price for the mistake of the past, for the failure of the past and for what we have refused to do in the past, so this is the reality.”

In a decisive move to address the alarming rise in kidnapping incidents within Abuja, the Senate on Wednesday summoned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe.

The summons is part of a broader inquiry into the murder of Chris Agidy, a Senior Legislative Aide to Senator Ned Nwoko, who fell victim to kidnappers in November 2023.

The Senate’s action follows a motion put forward by Senator Nwoko, spotlighting the tragic kidnap and subsequent killing of Agidy, alongside 19 others, in the Galadimawa area of Abuja.

The motion triggered an extensive debate among the senators, culminating in a resolution that demands a comprehensive briefing from the FCT Minister and the police commissioner on measures to curb the escalating kidnapping crisis in Nigeria’s capital.

In addition to the summons, the Senate has issued directives aimed at bolstering security within Abuja and nationwide.

Key among these is a resolution calling on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to significantly enhance security patrols and surveillance efforts.

The legislative body also advocated for the strategic installation of CCTV cameras across Abuja, particularly along highways, to aid in monitoring and deterring criminal activities.

Further, the Senate has instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure the operational readiness of dedicated emergency numbers.

These numbers are intended to facilitate prompt communication with the police, ambulance services, and fire departments, thereby improving the efficiency of emergency responses.

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, indicated that the FCT Minister and the Commissioner of Police are to engage with the Senate in a closed-door session.

The specifics of this meeting, including the date, will be communicated to Wike and Igwe through an official letter of summons, to be dispatched by the Clerk of the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze.

Akpabio said, “The FCT Minister and Police Commissioner would appear before us in closed session on a date to be sent to them by the Clerk of the Senate.

“Their expected appearance before the Senate is to hear from them, measures and strategies being put in place to stem the ugly tide of kidnappings in the FCT.

“Incidences like kidnapping and killing of SLA of Senator Nwoko and some residents of FC are worrisome and must be stopped not only in the FCT but also in Nigeria generally.”

[NaijaNews]

Countering the minister, organised labour expressed outrage over President Tinubu’s approval for implementation of the Oronsaye’s report on public sector reforms, saying it will lead to massive job losses, among others.

While the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, directed members in the public sector to furnish the national secretariat with impact analysis report focusing on the potential consequences, including job losses, changes in workload, pay/compensation and the overall impact on workers, work, and trade unions, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, set up a three-member committee to monitor the implementation of the report to ensure none of its members loses his or her job.

Already, the Non-Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has called on President Tinubu to review his stance on the report because of members’ job, querying: “Why did you think the former governments of President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari refused to implement the Oronsaye’s report? You think they are cowards?”

NLC, in a letter to the public sector unions, titled: “Request for impact analysis of Oronsaye’s report on public sector reforms,” its Acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, said: “As you are aware, His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, the President of the federation, recently announced the initiation of public sector reforms, with particular reference to the Oronsaye report.

“This comprehensive report outlines proposed measures aimed at restructuring and streamlining various governmental agencies and institutions with the stated goal of enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery.

“While these reforms hold the promise of improving governance and public service delivery, it is imperative that we, as representatives of the workforce, thoroughly analyze the implications of such changes on the lives and livelihoods of our members including its possible impact on trade unions. The potential consequences, including but not limited to job losses, changes in workload, pay/compensation and the overall impact on workers, work, and trade unions, need to be carefully assessed and addressed.

“In light of this, I kindly request that your esteemed union conducts a thorough impact analysis of the Oronsaye report on public sector reforms, focusing on the following key areas:

“Job losses- Evaluate the potential impact of the proposed reforms on employment within your sector, including projections of possible job losses and the sectors most affected.

“Efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery – Assess how the proposed reforms may affect the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery within your sector. Consider factors such as resource allocation, institutional capacity, and the ability to meet public demands and expectations.

“Workload of Staff: Examine the potential consequences of the reforms on the workload and working conditions of employees- Identify any risks of increased work pressure, burnout, or stress resulting from restructuring or downsizing measures.

“Pay/Compensation- Appraise its impact on Pay and Compensation structure to ensure that workers are not left with reduced Pay and Compensations during and after the transitions.

General Implications for Workers, Work, and Trade Unions – Analyze the broader implications of the reforms on workers’ and trade union rights, job security, collective bargaining power, and the role of trade unions in advocating for the interests of workers.”

National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) said the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has agreed to review all the issues raised by the association following the revised guidelines and requirements to be met by nurses and midwives seeking the verification of certificate(s) to foreign nursing boards/councils.

The national president of NANNM, Michael Ekuma Nnachi, disclosed this at the induction programme for newly elected state officers of NANNM, in Abuja.

He said, “The leadership of the association promptly engaged the NMCN through a series of meetings to address the critical issues and the council agreed to review all the issues raised by the association.

“Issue of letter of good standing to be handled by the Head of Nursing services of respective facilities.

“Issue of verification for six months was stepped down. Application fee remains status quo ante. Two years post qualification experience now to be post registration with the Council.

“All the agreed reviewed guidelines will be uploaded on the council portal from first week of March 2024.”

Meanwhile, the nurses have called on the federal government to implement the upward review of nurses salary, extend and include appointment of nurses into key positions as well as members of Federal Boards in order to address extreme marginalisation in the governance structure of the health facilities in the country.

Other demands made by the nurses include “Government to approve creation of a special separate salary package called Enhanced Nurses Salary Structure (ENSS) as a motivation to the nurses and midwives to reduce migration.

“Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to direct the payment of 25 percent CONHESS adjustment to nurses and midwives working at the three tiers of government, effective from June 2023 as approved by the government, which the financial implication would erode due to the prevailing inflation and implications of removal of fuel subsidy.

“CMDs/MDs to objectively implement government approved policy replacement circulars by replacement of appropriate cadre of nurses due to brain drain syndrome as directed by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

“The FMoH is requested to approve the elongation of the retirement age of nurses from 60 to 65 years to improve on available workforce in the clinical and educational institutions in the country.”

[Leadership]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said his administration is working to ensure that Nigeria is reformed for greater efficiency with a particular emphasis on systematically inculcating fairness and equity in all aspects of the national life.

Addressing Afenifere leaders at the residence of Pa Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, Ondo State, on Wednesday, the President emphasized his commitment to leading Nigeria towards economic and social prosperity.

”Nigeria will survive the current economic challenges. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I requested the job, and I am not complaining about it. I take full responsibility.

”We are meeting our obligations to the international community. To lenders, we have not defaulted, and we are not going to default. We are navigating the twists and bends on the road to Nigeria’s prosperity,” Tinubu affirmed.

On reforming Nigeria, the President said his task will be to ensure fiscal and true federalism, as well as the broad-based manifestation of the philosophy of “what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

He acknowledged the understanding and support of all Nigerians in the face of the tough but temporary economic conditions, assuring them that their patience and perseverance will not be fruitless.

He stated “The economic challenges we have endured since assuming office are not new to me. As the former governor of Lagos State, I faced similar calls for my resignation. But, through perseverance, Lagos emerged as the fifth largest economy in the entire continent of Africa. We must manage this moment with wisdom and grow Nigeria responsibly.

“I campaigned for this office to serve Nigeria’s interests, and I was elected. Some said I would not last in the tribunal and came up with all sorts of predictions, but even when in court, I remained focused.

“We cannot allow Nigeria’s economy to be exploited. We cannot abandon our economy to marauders. I am determined to re-engineer our finances and curb selfish interests permanently.”

Speaking on behalf of Afenifere, Pa Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who read the address of Pa Fasoranti, commended President Tinubu for his commitment to Nigeria’s progress and expressed support for his administration’s efforts.

“You have kept your word to return to this place where we all prayed for you, and this shows that you are a man of your word,” the elder statesman stated.

Pa Fasoranti asked President Tinubu to be fair and courageous, declaring that such traits were the hallmark of the Afenifere family.

“Today, you are carrying our flag. We are noted for integrity, competence, fairness, and courage. Your performance so far has shown that you understand the full gravity of your mandate, which is to show the Nigerian people that a good government is possible,” he said.

About 11.2 million active Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards yet to be linked to their owners’ National Identity Numbers (NINs) will be blocked today.

Telecom operators, who confirmed this to Daily Trust yesterday, said this was in compliance with the directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC,  Dr Aminu Maida, had earlier yesterday reiterated the commission’s directive to telecom operators to block phone lines not linked to NINs by February 28, 2024.

He spoke in Kaduna at the NCC’s Special Day during the ongoing 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair.

Maida, represented by NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, said as a matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their SIMs to their NINs.

This is despite an injunction by the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday banning telecom operators from deactivating or terminating any phone line or SIM card not linked to the user’s National NIN.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa inssued the injunction following an application by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, seeking to prohibit the respondents–the  Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation, MTN, NCC and Airtel from deactivating, barring or restricting SIM cards or phone lines on February 28, 2024, or any other scheduled date, pending a decision by the Appeal Court. The NCC and the telecom operators have yet to appeal the court decision.

The federal government had, on December 16, 2020, introduced the SIM-NIN synchronization with the assurance that it would enable security agencies to track criminals.

The synchronization involves validating the NIN with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and matching the subscriber’s NIN records with the SIM registration information (verification) to ensure proper subscriber’s identification.

Nigerians have raised posers on why the security agencies have not utilized the SIM-NIN linkage to track criminals, especially bandits and kidnappers, who often reach out, via mobile phone lines, to victims’ families who paid huge amounts of money as ransom.

At present, there are 224.7 million active mobile telephone lines in the country, according to the information released yesterday by the NCC on its website.

The spokesman of the NIMC, Kayode Adegoke, told our correspondent yesterday that a total of 104 million NINs had so far been registered as of last week.

The NCC had, last year, given February 28, 2024, as the new deadline for the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to block subscribers without their NINs and those whose NINs had not been verified.

The NCC boss, Maida, on Wednesday reaffirmed that the deadline stood.

“The Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024.

“As a regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country, the commission carries out its functions to ensure service availability, affordability, and sustainability for all categories of consumers, who are leveraging on ICT/Telecoms to drive personal and business activities,” he said.

A reliable source at the NCC told Daily Trust last night that 11.2 million SIM cards were yet to be linked to their owners’ NINs.

“These 11.2 million lines will all be barred from either calling or receiving calls and will also be denied from accessing service by the telecom operators”, the official stated.

Blockage begins today–Telecoms  operators

In a statement yesterday, the chairman of the Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr Gbenga Adebayo, said compliance to the NCC’s directive would begin today.

“We have directed all telecommunication companies, and also communicated to our members to implement full network barring on all MSISDNs for which the subscribers have not submitted their National Identity Numbers (NINs) and those without verified NINs.”

Adebayo emphasised that all the affected subscribers must be verified (biometrics and bio-data) before their lines would be unbarred.

“The importance of the NIN cannot be over-emphasised. It is crucial for Nigeria’s reliable and sustainable national identity management system. It enables economic inclusion and access to government services and helps address security concerns.

“Supporting the NIN initiative is necessary for a thriving digital economy and a safer society.

“Therefore, our members are committed to implementing the directive as law-abiding corporate citizens who highly support the government’s objective to build a digital economy.

“We, therefore, wish to appeal to esteemed subscribers to kindly enroll for NINs or submit their NINs through the appropriate channel advertised by members to avoid full suspension of services by the set deadlines.

“This is part of an industry-wide directive that requires phone lines for which the subscribers have not submitted their NINs to be barred on or before 28 February 2024.

“About NINs that have been submitted but not verified, such lines are to be barred on or before 29 March 2024, where five or more lines are linked to an unverified NIN.

“Similarly, where less than five lines are linked to an unverified NIN, such lines are to be barred on or before 15 April 2024. All affected subscribers must be verified (biometrics and bio-data) before their lines are unbarred.

“The current directive is a follow-up to the NCC’s directive of April 2022 requiring operators to restrict outgoing calls (one-way barring) for subscribers whose lines are not associated with NINs.

“We encourage affected subscribers to submit their NINs for verification,” the statement said.

Subscribers’ association president seeks more time

Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, the president of National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers of Nigeria,

Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the telecom operators should give subscribers more time to comply with the NCC’s directive.

Ogunbanjo, however, urged Nigerians to go and link their SIM cards to their NINs to avoid being barred

MTN explains network outage

Meanwhile, subscribers of MTN telecommunication service experienced network glitches for several hours yesterday.

The company said the network failure was caused by multiple fibre cuts affecting voice and data services.

[DailyTrust]

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga claims that Nigeria was in serious financial crisis when his principal, President Bola Tinubu assumed office as the country’s president.

Making this assertion while speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Onanuga claimed that the President Bola Tinubu led government had to remove fuel subsidy and unify the country’s exchange rate to save the country’s economy from am imminent collapse.

He lamented that the President Tinubu administration had spent most of country’s revenue servicing debts.

“The President did not just wake up and said i’m removing subsidy or i’m trying to harmonize the exchange rate, things were terribly bad when he took over, and he needed to take those measures to save this country; this country was in trouble financially we had serious problems very high budget deficit, we were going to spend 97 per cent of our revenue on debt service alone. We were borrowing money to pay workers, things were getting out of hand and there is no way we would have continued that way,” he said.

His comment comes amid increased demonstration against Nigeria’s worsening economy.

Naija News recalls that President Tinubu had on assumption of office as the country’s president immediately removed fuel subsidy on fuel.

A move that is believed to have caused an unprecedented hardship in the country.

Al-Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for one game after appearing to make an obscene gesture following their 3-2 win over Al Shabab.

This was confirmed by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation (SAFF) on Wednesday.

Ronaldo cupped his ear, before repeatedly pumping his hand forward in front of his pelvic area, in the direction of the Al Shabab fans after the final whistle.

This came as the supporters chanted Lionel Messi’s name.

The committee also said the Portugal captain has been fined 10,000 Saudi riyals ($2,666), which he will pay to the Saudi Football Federation and 20,000 riyals to Al Shabab to cover the costs of the complaint filing fees.

The committee said the decision is not subject to appeal.

[DailyPost]

The minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has advised Nigerian women not to shout back at their husbands to allow peace reign in their matrimonial homes.

The minister who stated during a Conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria, said avoiding trading words would prevent physical assault that may lead to injury or death.

She said: “I am equally begging my women not to look for trouble, not even at home. Maintain peace in your home because if a home is peaceful, the woman has 80 percent to contribute to that. If you need peace, you can equally achieve it.

“Keep your mouth shut. Talking back does not yield fruit, rather it leads to death and destruction, it leads to bringing up bad children for society.

“Keep your mouth shut, it does not make you a fool but a wise person. When the man is shouting and saying all sorts of things, act like a fool and keep your mouth shut.

“After a while, watch him. If he is a good man, he will come back to apologise. If he is not a good one, ignore him. Have what you want to do in your mind, but when we show who we are and we fight back, most times, it leads to hitting; you could be injured.

“The same man that injures you will come back to say I am sorry. What will you do? Will you kill him? Even if we come out to fight for you and you lose one eye, are we going to replace the eye? So prevention is better than cure.”

While advocating for the establishment a mobile court to try gender and sexual based offences, Mrs Ohaneye she would lead a protest to the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation to sign the law.

She added that the ministry would also launch an integrity group to monitor all funds donated to uplift women in the country.

A fresh crisis is brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the just concluded Edo State governorship primaries election following the insistence of Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, that he won the primaries and should be given a certificate of return. Shaibu, who emerged as winner of a parallel primary, stormed the National Secretariat of the PDP, yesterday, to demand the certificate of return.

His demand came barely 24 hours after the party’s Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum and the party leadership issued a certificate of return to Dr. Asue Ighodalo, who won the primaries recognized by the party. The deputy governor who was at the secretariat with a handful of his aides, did not meet any member of the National Working Committee, NWC.

He, however, insisted that the party must abide by its own rules or be prepared to face legal action. Speaking to reporters shortly after leaving the office of the PDP acting national chairman, Shaibu said: “Today is 28th of February, 2024. By the PDP guidelines approved by the NWC on the Edo 2024 governorship primary, today is the day set aside by the electoral guidelines that the certificate of returns will be issued. “I am here to receive my certificate of return because I won the primary in Edo where the authentic delegates voted. If you look at the board of the party office here, you will see the names of all the delegates that voted for me.

“Today is the presentation of Certificate of Return according to the party, so PDP must follow its rules and guidelines. This is what we are talking about.

“The process of producing a candidate has been compromised from the onset and we ask that those things be corrected. Even the committee that recommended the political solution is fully aware that there were abnormalities in the process that led to my emergence and whoever.

“But why I am here is to obey the guidelines to come and receive the certificate of return and I was told that somebody else came here yesterday and was given the certificate. “I think the court will tell us who between us is the real candidate, but I am here in fulfillment of the electoral guidelines of the PDP to receive my certificate… I told them that I was coming, but none of them had come to work, only the staff of the secretariat are here. I don’t know why they are not here. That is strange and that is in line with why they were in a hurry to give the certificate of return yesterday (Tuesday).”

Asked whether he was ready to give peace a chance following calls by both the party leadership and its recognized candidate, Ighodalo, for a truce, Shaibu expressed doubt over the sincerity of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his team. He said: “Maybe the acting chairman may be very honourable and mean what he is saying but the others talking about reconciliation don’t really mean what they are saying.

“They are intimidating us, and harassing us. As I speak, they are even threatening to impeach me and that is their way of dealing with people. They suspend, sack people, make phone calls intimidating people telling people, they will come after you.

“During the military, these were the kind of threats that we were getting and we cannot return to the era of intimidation and harassment, and that is the issue in Edo State.” Asked if he was considering seeking legal redress, Shaibu said: “When the party’s internal mechanism is followed and it is obvious that the party is not ready to listen, the next line of action obviously will be the judiciary, but I pray we don’t get there and that is why I came here today.

“I’m sure in the coming days, the acting National Chairman and others will adhere to what brought me here today and when they do so, there will not be a need to go to court.” I will surpass Obaseki’s performance, if elected – Ighodalo Meanwhile, Dr Ighodalo has said he was committed to transforming the state and surpassing the achievements of outgoing Governor Obaseki if elected on September 21, 2024. He gave the assurance while addressing party supporters who thronged the Benin Airport to welcome him back from Abuja. Recall that Asue Ighodalo who was recently nominated as PDP candidate in a primary election many judged to be transparent, free and fair was on Tuesday in Abuja given the certificate of return by the party’s national leadership.

He said: “If elected, I will commence work from where Governor Obaseki would stop and even do more for the people.” He maintained that having been given the PDP return certificate, the real work has commenced and appealed to the people to help support his ambition. He said: “I want to thank you all for this show of love and support because we wouldn’t be where we are now without your support. “This is the time for the real work to commence and by the grace of God, we are going to work hard in order to achieve our target. “Where the Governor will stop in terms of development, we are going to continue from there and even do more”, he assured.

[Vanguard]