Federal government employees will begin receiving the new minimum wage payment starting Thursday, September 26th.

Confirming the development, the Spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, told journalists on Thursday that employees under the federal government payroll can expect to receive notifications regarding their updated minimum wage salary payments from today.

However, Mokwa did not clarify whether the minimum wage would be disbursed along with any outstanding arrears.

 “Federal Government civil servants will start getting the new minimum wage from today(Thursday) this September 2024. What I can tell you is that the minimum wage salary payment is today I am not sure of the arrears,” he told Daily Post.

Naija News reports that Mokwa’s update comes shortly after the confirmation by Ekpo Nta, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, on Tuesday regarding the government’s endorsement of an increase in the consolidated public service salary structure, known as CONPSS, in accordance with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act of 2024.

This development came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sanctioned a new minimum wage of N70,000 on July 18, 2024.

Following this, the Senate enacted the new minimum wage bill into law.

Ealier, the Federal Government, through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), announced that the payment of the revised minimum wage officially begin from July 2024.

This was disclosed by the NSIWC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, during a press briefing held on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nta explained that the July start date aligns with when President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law after its passage by the National Assembly.

This announcement contradicts an earlier statement made by the Minister of State forLabour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who had claimed that the new wage would take effect from May 1, 2024.

The new decision means that only two months of arrears will be paid if the government begins disbursement by the end of October.

The announcement also confirmed the approval of the revision of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure along with other salary frameworks for federal workers.

Last week, the Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants met to discuss the new minimum wage structure and agreed to backdate the implementation to July 29, 2024.

Additionally, the committee, led by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, recommended that the previously discontinued wage award should be paid up until July 28, 2024.

The government reportedly considered the current economic situation in the country before reaching its conclusions.

However, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the July backdate decision, with NLC’s Head of Information, Benson Upah, expressing discontent, calling it “unfair and unacceptable.”

Similarly, the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Timmy Etim, criticized the move, referencing Onyejeocha’s previous promise on May Day that the wage would take effect in May.

At the press briefing, Nta addressed these concerns, clarifying that the minimum wage will take effect from July 29, 2024, as this was the date when the President officially approved the bill.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, at the Aso Rock Villa, played host to a delegation led by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.

The purpose of the visit was to formally present Monday Okpebholo, the Governor-elect of Edo State, to the President.

The delegation also included the Deputy Governor-elect, Dennis Idahosa, the incumbent Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole and a host of other APC Governors and party stalwarts.

A mild drama, however, played out during the visit as some members of the delegation, including Okpebholo, Idahosa and Shaibu, were seen kneeling down as they greeted President Tinubu.

This also attracted reactions on social media.

See the video.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, denied sacking the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for alleging that $49.8 billion went missing from the country’s coffers.

Jonathan said Sanusi was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried CBN’s expenditure and his tenure elapsed.

He said an international audit firm was employed to scrutinize the CBN and it was discovered that no amount went missing, contrary to Sanusi’s claim.

Jonathan spoke at the launch of the book, ‘Public Policy and Agents Interests: Perspectives from the Emerging World’, co-authored by former Minister of Finance, Shamshudeen Usman, who served as Minister of Planning under his government.

According to Jonathan: “Let me mention that I did not agree with some issues raised by one of the contributors. But I don’t intend to join issues because he is our royal father. And he is here.

“The one he raised that he was sacked because he blew a whistle that the Federal Government lost $49.8 billion is not quite correct. He was not sacked, he was suspended because the Financial Reporting Council queried the expenditure of CBN. And there were serious infractions that needed to be looked at. That was the reason.

“But somehow, the time was short. So before we finished, his tenure elapsed. Probably, he would have been called back.

“On the issue of $ 49.8 billion, till today, I am not convinced that the Federal Government lost $49.8 billion.

“And that year, our budget was $31.6 billion. So for a country that had a budget of $31.6 billion to lose about $50 billion and salaries were paid, nobody felt anything. The researchers that wrote this book need to do further research.

“And more so, when our revered royal father came up with the figures. First $49.8 billion, later $20 billion and later $12 billion. I don’t even know the correct one.”

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded election in Edo State, Olumide Akpata has claimed that members of his party sold out their votes to other political parties.

DAILY POST recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Sunday announced Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the election conducted on Saturday.

The APC candidate polled 291, 667 votes to defeat his closest challenger and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asue Ighodalo, who also garnered 247,274 votes. 

Olumude Akpata, however, came a distant third with 22,763 votes.

Speaking on the election, Akpata who was featured in an interview on Channels TV blamed his failure on poverty, stating that his supporters and even LP members sold their votes.

Akpata, who described the situation as a tragedy, said the decision of the electorates to go for cash was a big lesson he learned.

He said, “Some of my supporters stayed at home but a large number of them sold their votes.

“What happened was a tragedy. Let us remove focus from Akpata and the Labour Party and interrogate our electoral process.

“Members of my party sold their votes. It is something that we must look into closely. They decided to go for cash. That was a big lesson to learn. I meant that if you think you know the people, you have to think again and look inward”.

The House of Representatives has told Aliko Dangote, the owner Dangote Refinery, to disclose the cost he is selling petroleum from his refinery to NNPC Limited and other major marketers.

The lawmakers also asked NNPC to disclose the amounts the refinery is paying for crude oil.

This resolution followed a motion moved by Oboku Oforji on Thursday during plenary.

There has been dispute between NNPC Limited and Dangote Refinery over the cost per litre of petrol from the refinery.

NNPC Limited has claimed to be buying petrol at N898/litre from Dangote, however, the refiner disputed the figure, stating that it is selling less than the amount.

To address challenges surrounding the distribution of its products, the lawmakers urged the management of Dangote Refinery to build, acquire or partner to get Tank Farms or depot across the geo-political zones in the country.

In the motion, Oforji commended the refinery for its impact on energy sovereignty of the country.

“Nigeria is driving towards energy self-sufficiency, cost and foreign exchange savings, meeting the increasing demand for fuels, attraction of foreign capital investment, generation of Forex through export of finished product,” he said.

To achieve sustainability, Oforji said Dangote Refinery should sell products directly to the independent marketers.

The motion was adopted unanimously by the lawmakers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that former Kogi State governor Yahaya Adoza Bello allegedly used state funds to purchase prime properties in both the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Abuja, Nigeria.

In a fresh 16-count charge filed against him, Yahaya Bello was said to have used over five million Dirhams to acquire a property in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.

In count two, Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu were alleged to have sometime in 2023, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

The EFCC slammed fresh 16-count charge against the former Kogi state governor at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja along with two others.

In the charge marked: CR/7781/2024, Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are accused of spending over N110 billion of public funds to acquire several properties in Abuja and in Dubai.

The charge dated September 24 but filed on September 25, by the anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Mr kemi Pinheiro, SAN, accused Bello and co- defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offence punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

Count one of the charge reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometimes in 2016 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourble Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum of N110, 446, 470, 089.00 (One Hundred and Ten Billion, Four Hundred and Forty six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty Nine Naira) entrusted to you”.

In count two they were alleged to have sometime in 2023, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

In count 11, the defendants were alleged to have used over Five million Dirhams to acquire a property in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.

Count 14 reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometime in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.”

Count 15 claimed that the defendants sometime in 2021, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $556,265.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty Five United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.

Meanwhile, the former governor in count 16 was alleged to have sometime between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, had under his control the total sum of N677, 848,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Naira) unlawfully obtained from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.

However, no date has been fixed for arraignment of the former governor in the fresh charges.

It will be recalled that the EFCC had in the last five months, attempted four times to put Bello in the dock to answer the N80.2bn alleged fraud charges against him but to no avail following his persistent refusal to appear before the federal high court in Abuja.

An 88-year-old Japanese man, Iwao Hakamada, has been found not guilty of multiple murders after spending almost five decades on death row.

The case that has sparked intense scrutiny of Japan’s death penalty practices sees Hakamada sentenced to death by hanging in 1968 for the murders of his boss, his boss’s wife, and their two teenage children, as well as for setting their home ablaze two years earlier.

His time on death row, lasting 46 years, is believed to be the longest for any prisoner worldwide, ending in 2014 when new evidence led to a retrial, The Guardian UK reports.

Hakamada has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that investigators coerced him into confessing, while his lawyers argued that evidence was fabricated by the police.

Following the verdict, there was no immediate announcement regarding a potential appeal by prosecutors, according to Kyodo news agency and other media outlets. Hakamada’s defence team has urged prosecutors not to challenge the ruling, citing his age.

Koshi Kunii, the presiding judge at Shizuoka district court, confirmed that three pieces of evidence were fabricated, including Hakamada’s “confession” and clothing that prosecutors claimed he wore during the murders.

His sister, 91-year-old Hideko Hakamada, who has tirelessly advocated for her brother, expressed hope before the ruling: “For so long we have fought a battle that has felt endless. But this time, I believe it will be settled.”

While prosecutors sought the death penalty once more, legal experts suggested that Hakamada was likely to be acquitted, referencing four other postwar retrials in Japan that resulted in overturned convictions for death row inmates.

Hakamada, who experienced significant physical and mental decline during his incarceration, was absent from the courtroom during the ruling and was represented by his sister.

The case’s outcome depended heavily on the credibility of bloodstained clothes that prosecutors claimed Hakamada wore at a miso factory where he worked as a live-in employee.

In March 2023, after prolonged legal battles, the Tokyo high court ordered a retrial, indicating the strong likelihood that the clothing had been planted by investigators. Defence lawyers contended that DNA tests on the clothing confirmed the blood did not belong to Hakamada.

Initially, the high court chose not to reopen Hakamada’s case, a focal point for opponents of the death penalty, but reversed this decision following a Supreme Court order to reconsider it in 2020.

On the day of the ruling, hundreds lined up outside the district court in hopes of securing a seat, with supporters holding banners demanding Hakamada's acquittal.

Initially denying involvement in the crimes, Hakamada later confessed after what he described as a brutal police interrogation involving physical abuse. His case has been highlighted as an example of the flaws within Japan’s criminal justice system and the cruelty inherent in capital punishment.

In Japan, one of only two G7 countries that retains the death penalty alongside the US, inmates are notified of their execution just hours in advance and are denied the opportunity to consult with their lawyers or families. Their final discussions typically occur with a Buddhist priest.

Boram Jang, an East Asia researcher at Amnesty International, expressed joy at the ruling: “We are overjoyed by the court’s decision to exonerate Iwao Hakamada.”

The Nigerian Senate has approved a bill to establish the South-West Development Commission.

The bill seeks to address environmental, ecological, and other development challenges in the southwest region of Nigeria

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the House of Representatives had passed a bill for an Act to establish the South-West Development Commission.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Southwest Caucus of the House of Representatives, noting that the bill was aimed at addressing critical infrastructural, ecological, and developmental challenges in the southwest region.

According to the statement issued by the House of Representatives at the time, the bill would be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

"The Southwest Caucus of the House of Representatives is pleased to announce the successful passage of the ‘Bill for an Act to Establish the South West Development Commission (HB.283)’ by the House of Representatives on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

"The bill, which aims to address critical infrastructural, ecological, and developmental challenges in the Southwest region, will now be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence,” the statement said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed and approved the sale of foreign exchange (FX) to qualified bureau de change (BDC) operators at a rate of ₦1,590 per dollar.

Naija News understands that the latest action is aimed at addressing the demand for invisible transactions.

In a circular issued yesterday, titled ‘Sales of Foreign Exchange to BDCs to Meet Retail Market Demand for Eligible Invisible Transactions,’ the CBN announced that it will provide $20,000 at the rate of ₦1,590 per dollar to each BDC.

The announcement was signed by the acting director of the trade and exchange department, W.J. Kanya.

The apex bank stated: “This is to inform the Bureau De Change (BDC) Operators and the general public that the CBN will be providing additional liquidity to this segment of the foreign exchange market.

“To this end, CBN has approved the sale of US$20,000.00 to each eligible BDC at the rate of N1,590/5. This is to meet the demand for invisible transactions.

“All BDCs are allowed to sell to eligible end-users at a margin of NOT MORE THAN one percent (1%) above the purchase rate from CBN

“Eligible BDCs interested in this transaction are directed to make the Naira payment to the CBN Deposit Account Numbers with them.”

Embattled Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky, has stated that he is nursing suicidal thoughts.

Naija News reports that the media personality is enmeshed in a bribery scandal involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Recall that social media activist and influencer, Martins Vincent Otse a.k.a VeryDarkMan, had accused Bobrisky of bribing some EFCC officials with the sum of ₦15,000,000 to drop the money laundering case against him and also keep him in a private apartment instead of a normal prison during his jail term for money laundering.

VeryDarkMan had made the allegations in a now-viral video trending on various social media platforms.

He released an audio to back his claim.

In the audio, Bobrisky told an unidentified person in a phone conversation that he paid some unnamed officials of the commission the sum of ₦15,000,000( Fifteen Million Naira only) for them to drop money laundering charges against him.

In reaction, the EFCC chairman, in a statement released on Tuesday through the spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, said a team of investigators have been put together to investigate the allegations.

Oyewale added that both Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan have been invited to appear before the commission for questioning at its Lagos office.

Taking to his Instagram page today, September 26, Bobrisky said the whole saga is making him think about suicide.

He lamented that people are trying to pull him down because of hatred.