Unilever Nigeria Plc. appoints Bolaji Balogun as independent non-executive director and chairman of the board
Admin
Unilever Nigeria Plc. has announced the appointments of Mr. Bolaji Balogun as Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board, and Ms. Ngozi Edozien as Independent Non-Executive Director.
The appointments took effect from May 16, 2024.
Mr. Balogun is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chapel Hill Denham. He has over thirty-five years of experience in investment banking, investing, and mobile telecommunications. Chapel Hill Denham, which he founded in April 2005, is Nigeria’s leading investment bank.
Ms. Edozien is a business professional with over 35 years of global leadership experience spanning Management Consulting, General Management, Private Equity/Venture Capital, Finance, Sustainability, and Strategic Planning/Business Development in multi-national companies in Europe, the USA, and Africa.
Speaking on the appointments, the Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria, Tim Kleinebenne said,
“As a centenary old business and the longest-serving manufacturing company in Nigeria, we are pleased to strengthen our board with these seasoned professionals.
We are confident they will add immense value to accelerate our growth following our outstanding results in 2023. I am also happy to report that our Board represents a diverse group of Independent Non-Executive Directors, in line with our unique values at Unilever.”
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Balogun said, “Unilever is part of the fabric of Nigeria’s history and has contributed to Nigeria’s development, over the years. I am honoured to join the Board and look forward to working with my Board colleagues, Management and Staff of Unilever to continue to build its heritage and delivering greater value to all of our stakeholders.”
The Board of Directors and Management Team congratulate Mr Balogun and Ms Edozien on their appointments and wish them success as they assume their new positions.
[Nairametrics]
Palpable fear has gripped communities in Plateau State after unmen suspected to be bandits attacked Zurak and Bankalala villages in Bashar District of Wase local government area of Plateau State, killing more than 50 residents, including vigilantes, and injuring others in the process.
A LEADERSHIP investigation revealed that several houses were razed by the rampaging gunmen.
The residents of the community said the incident occurred at about 7pm on Monday when people in the community were going about their normal activities, but that they could not report the incident due to the poor communication network in the area.
Earlier, the death toll was put at 40, but last night, it increased to 50.
A traditional ruler in Wase, Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, said the death toll had risen to 50 persons, adding that the victims had since been buried in the area according to Muslim rites.
Sahpi’i Sambo, a youth leader in the area, who also confirmed the incident to our correspondent, said the bandits arrived at the community on motorcycles – two to a bike – armed with sophisticated weapons and started shooting sporadically at everyone on sight.
He said, “More than 40 people were killed while many others were injured. Residents of the village have fled to neighbouring communities. As of yesterday, security personnel had not yet arrived at the community. It was a deadly attack,” Sambo said.
Similarly confirming the killing to LEADERSHIP, the information officer of Wase local government area, Daniel Manwan, said from the information made available to im, over 30 people were killed in Bankalala village while operatives of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) pursued and killed three of the bandits at Zurak village.
“As I speak to you the entire villages are deserted for fear of the unknown,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, was yet to respond to the inquiry by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report. Also, the state government had yet speak on the incident as of the time of filing the report.
Deadly attacks on Plateau communities have been frequent in the last decade. One such attack in January left nearly 300 residents dead in more than 20 communities, showing the attack was well-coordinated.
[Leadership]
Governor Similanayi Fubara of Rivers State has said he started taking decision as a governor in February, 2024.
Fubara, who spoke on Tuesday at Egbeda Community Secondary School field, venue of the inauguration of some internal roads project in Emohua Local Government Area, inaugurated by Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, reiterated that the projects people were seeing were accomplishments of four months.
He said good governance, service and projects were being delivered at a cost-effective rate.
He said, “We are just starting but I assure you of more attention. If in four months, we can do this, and we are getting this level of applause, you can imagine what will happen when we do one year of our record time, two years of our own record time, Rivers State would have experienced something different from the regular governance.
“I know why I said four months. We started full governance in February, 2024. That was when we started taking decisions, when we started confronting governance. And I am proud to say that our people are happy with what we have done.
“What we want to do is to bring governance to our people, service delivery at record time, and in a cost effective way.
“Everything that we are doing is in my white paper. I carry it along, so, there is no issue of any manipulation. Call me any day, anytime, it is there. Even the ones I did before this time, I still have all the records.
“If you call me any day, I will bring the records of all my activities in government, because I know that as a civil servant, what is most important is record keeping; so that if you are not there, and something happens, it is just for somebody to pick up the file and he will see the history.
“That is how I am trained, and I have that in my mind before I do anything. So, I am not scared of anything. Anybody who calls me any day, anytime, I have my records to show. I have all the approvals to show that I acted based on approval and not personal decision.”
The governor assured that his administration would continue to deliver projects that impact positively on the people directly while also empowering them to live better lives.
He stated that the Egbeda Internal Roads Project had been accomplished to both satisfy the needs of the people by making them happy and solving the perennial flooding problems experienced in the area.
The Governor acknowledged the support of the people before, during and after the elections, saying what his administration owes them is the dividends of democracy that included projects and social service delivery.
Performing the inauguration of the project,Oborevwori said he drove with Fubara on the road while accessing the venue of the event, and can testify of the commitment of his brother governor to sustain infrastructure development in the State.
He said, “This road project at Egbeda bears true testimony of the commitment of the Rivers State Government towards fulfilling its promise of sustainable infrastructure development of the State.
“It is reassuring that these all-season roads will economically empower, not only the people of Egbeda, but the entire Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.”
[https://newsdirect.ng]
A former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has said the only condition that can make the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, consider returning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is if he will be given the presidential ticket.
The PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had recently said that if in 2027, the party decided that it is the South-East’s turn and picked Obi as its candidate, he would readily offer his support.
“I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party.
“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him,” Atiku declared in a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.
He also said that a merger between the PDP and Labour Party is possible.
Responding to the development, Osuntokun said that with Obi’s large support base in the last general elections, the only chance of him accepting to join the PDP is if he would be offered the party’s presidential ticket.
He said, “Peter Obi going back to the PDP would have to depend on the circumstances and the assurances from the political godfathers of the PDP. The thing is that it’s unrealistic to expect someone who has run for the president to now accept to be a running mate for whoever assumes the superior position.
“That’s because Obi has a unique political appeal among Nigerians. If it’s possible to do it like the way they do in the United States by analyzing the demographic groups that support each candidate, we would find a situation in which Obi carried about 90 per cent of the youth population. And if he chooses to be a running mate, those people are going to be disappointed and offended.
“The only way that Peter Obi could consider returning to the PDP is if he would be given the party’s presidential ticket. Otherwise, he would not embark on a futile exercise. Because if he becomes a running mate in PDP, he will lose a lot of his support. He would be demonized as a sellout.
“So I can’t see the point of his going back to the PDP other than being its presidential candidate.”
[DailyTrust]
The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections in Enugu State, Barr Chijioke Edeoga has described as scary and unconstitutional, the gale of demolitions recently carried out by the Enugu State Government in some parts of the state.
Edeoga, who accused the state government under the administration of Governor Peter Mbah of disobeying court orders and usurping the constitutional powers of local government areas, said demolishing people’s places of business without plans for alternative places will increase the suffering of the people.
Recall that the Enugu State Government recently demolished many parts of Enugu.
The demolitions, which have affected the Holy Ghost transport hub in the state capital and the Ogige Market in Nsukka, among other places, are being embarked upon to build standard motor parks in the affected areas.
But in a statement he issued on Thursday morning, the Labour Party governorship candidate also lamented the destruction of a private polytechnic belonging to a charismatic preacher and founder of Madonna University, Rev. F. Emmanuel Ede, expressing dismay that the government went to demolish the institution of higher learning in defiance of an order of the court.
“If there have been suspicions that the administration in Enugu State is insensitive to public sentiment and disdainful of the rule of law, the demolition of OSISATECH tended to validate it.
“It is scary that a government that swore to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is routinely disobeying court orders,” Edeoga said in the statement
He also lamented the demolition of a foremost hotel in Nsukka belonging to a nationalist and pre-independent politician, the late Chief Charles Abangwu, saying such actions were indicative of the insensitivity of the government to the plights of the people.
“The demolition of shops, a section of the Ogige Market, and Premier Hotel are also quite troubling.
“This is because of the dislocation of hundreds of businesses on which the livelihoods of ordinary people and their families are dependent.
“Interestingly, these businesses were forced, only a few months ago, to pay huge taxes and levies on those shops. It is curious that the Enugu State Government waited until it had collected these levies and taxes before destroying the sources of those funds,” the statement continued.
Continuing the LP governorship candidate said: “While it is understood that some of those areas demolished have constituted challenges of congestion and are due for some form of urban renewal, it must be recognized that no urban renewal activity has ever happened in one fell swoop.
“Development, especially as it affects urban renewal is an incremental activity that takes cognizance of impacts on persons and businesses.
“A government that is genuinely focused on renewal approaches such changes with the well-being of the people as its priority.
“This is why it raises serious concerns that the government of Enugu State began these activities without any form of consultation with the people and communities affected.
“More serious is the fact that there was no plan for relocation of those businesses to other locations before the demolition.”
While admitting that many parts of the state needed renewal, he wondered why the government failed to make a relocation and compensation plan before demolishing the properties.
“The essence of government everywhere in the world is the aggregation of the needs of the people into a pool where common solutions are incubated; it is the building of consensus on what constitutes the common good bearing in mind the social, economic, and even personal sensitivities.
“Democratic legitimacy ultimately belongs to the people, and that is why everything governments do must factor in the sensitivity of all concerned.
“But it appears that in Enugu State, under the current administration, the government considered its needs to be higher and more important than those of the people.
“There is no clearer sign that the needs of the people were not considered unimportant by the government than the lack of consultation that preceded these actions.
“The disobedience by the government, of a court order against the demolition, is also viewed by every right-thinking member of society as inherently tyrannical,” Edeoga continued.
He called on the government to take urgent steps to compensate all the people affected by the demolitions, build new markets and accommodate them without cost, and demonstrate respect for the laws and orders of the courts.
“The Enugu State Government must take immediate steps to respect court orders as is the practice in every civilized democratic country.
“A culture of disrespect to the judiciary is tantamount to disloyalty to the Constitution which provides for three independent arms of government that act as checks on one another,” Edeoga concluded.
[DailyPost]
- ‘Ex-Anambra governor got it wrong’
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in last year’s general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government for allocating N1 billion for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions.
He described the government’s action as financial recklessness and misplacement of priorities in the allocation of funds.
In a statement by the spokesman of Peter Obi Media Reach, Yunusa Tanko, the LP stalwart described as unacceptable the continued deployment of public resources to nonessential areas of development.
He highlighted what he called the poor and embarrassing position of Nigeria in the global average in school enrollment.
Obi alleged that despite the poor standing, the government was “budgeting a paltry N1 billion for the construction of hostels in 12 tertiary institutions in Nigeria while N10 billion is going for the building of car parks and recreational facilities”.
In a post on his X (formerly twitter) handle, the former Anambra State governor said: “As the giant of Africa, which we are, I remain concerned about our fiscal indiscipline as a nation.
“Imagine the situation in our Education sector where the global average of secondary school enrollment is above 80 per cent, while Nigeria is 28 per cent.
“The global Average of Tertiary School enrollment is above 55 per cent, while Nigeria is less than 15 per cent.
“Yet, our budget for the National Assembly Car Parks is N6 billion. The budget for the National Assembly Recreational Facilities is N4 billion.
“Approved for the Construction of Hostels in 12 tertiary institutions is just N1 billion. It is time for us to stop this financial indiscipline and embrace financial discipline by prioritising the allocation of resources to the critical areas of human and national development.”
But an aide to the President on Information, who craved anonymity, said the former Anambra State governor got his facts wrong.
He said the government planned to spend N12 billion (N1 billion each) as special intervention for the provision of hostels in the selected higher institutions.
The aide said: “Playing an opposition goes beyond dancing to the gallery. How can someone who aspired to be president be amplifying and elevating falsehoods. It is not compulsory that he must comment on every policy, especially on the one he has little or no knowledge about.”
[TheNation]
The faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday, screened and confirmed eight commissioners-designate as members of the State Executive Council.
The Assembly, led by the Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, screened the nominees during their sitting at the temporary legislative chambers at the Administrative Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Two former commissioners, Dr Peter Medee and Eloka Tasie-Amadi, who served under the immediate-past administration of Nyesom Wike, as Energy and Works Commissioners, respectively were asked by the House to take a bow and leave.
The other six nominees were asked few questions by the pro-Fubara lawmakers and were consequently given a clean bill of health as commissioners-designate.
The exit of five pro-Wike commissioners last week had created vacancies in the cabinet.
The commissioners resigned their position amid the feud between Wike and Fubara, citing a toxic working environmental for their decision to leave.
The Speaker, on Tuesday, charged the screened commissioners-designate to join hands with Fubara towards delivering the dividends of democracy to Rivers people.
He also advised the governor not to be distracted but to continue the good work he was doing.
Victor Oko-Jumbo said, “As a legislature what we can do is to ensure that we create an atmosphere where His Excellency will do more.
“While we commend His Excellency for his numerous achievements in office we also use this opportunity to call on His Excellency not to be distracted. We call on him to remain focused on the mandate that the people of Rivers State have given to him.
“We also call on him not to be biased. He should continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.”
Speaking to newsmen after the screening, the Leader of the House, Sokari Goodboy, commended the governor for the calibre of people sent to the House for screening.
“Today we held our sitting and in the order paper we had the screening of eight commissioners and we know too well that the executive arm of the State needs to be filled and we are happy and proud of the nominees.
“The names the Governor forwarded to us are all men of great repute. They have good Curriculum Vitae. Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie as the Speaker of the third Assembly during that period the seat of 25 members was declared vacant,” Goodboy said.
[Punch]
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives in Gombe have arrested a woman, Janty Emmanuel, for abusing the naira at a social event.
In a statement on Tuesday, Dele Oyewale, spokesperson of the EFCC, said Emmanuel was arrested on Monday after she was spotted spraying naira notes at an event.
Oyewale said Emmanuel admitted to committing the crime after being shown a piece of video evidence, adding that the suspect will be charged in court after all investigations have been concluded on the matter.
“Upon arrest, the suspect was shown the video where she was dancing at G-Connect, Tumfure, Gombe State and spraying Naira notes of N1000 denomination,” the statement reads.
“She admitted committing the crime. She will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”
On Monday, the agency announced that it had secured the conviction of 31 individuals involved in illegal currency trading and abuse of the naira in Kano.
Last month, Bobrisky, the social media celebrity, was sentenced to six months in prison for abusing the naira notes.
[TheCable]
Citing the need to rein in inflation and achieve price stability, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday raised its benchmark interest rate, the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, by 150 basis points to 26.25 percent from 24.75 percent, the third raise less than three months, with the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, saying there’s no magic wand.
Cardoso disclosed this while briefing journalists at the end of the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting in Abuja.
However, the apex bank retained the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, for deposit money banks at 45 percent and the Liquidity Ratio at 30 percent.
Cardoso expressed optimism that the various tools deployed by the bank to tame inflation and create a stable foreign exchange market would yield the needed results in the coming months.
Inflation had sustained upswing for over 13 months hitting 33.69 percent Year-on- Year, YoY, fueled by food inflation.
Also, Cardoso noted that despite pressure from food inflation, the general inflation rate was “moderating”, pointing out that “the tools the Central Bank is using are working”.
He stated: “I have several times and I will say again, there is no magic wand. These are things that need to take their time.
“I am pleased and confident that we are beginning to get some relief and in another couple of months we will see the more positive outcomes from the Central Bank have been doing”.
He added, “The committee thus reiterated several challenges confronting the effective moderation of food inflation to include rising costs of transportation of farm produce, infrastructure- related constraints along the line of distribution network, security challenges in some food producing areas, and exchange rate pass-through to domestic prices for imported food items.
“The MPC urged that more be done to address the security of farming communities to guarantee improved food production in these areas.
“Members further observed the recent volatility in the foreign exchange market, attributing this to seasonal demand, a reflection of the interplay between demand and supply in a freely functioning market system.”
Investors’ confidence
Cardoso said investors’ confidence in the country was growing, adding, “we have attempted to make the market more transparent in our dealings which foreign portfolio investors want to see and which gives them the added confidence.
“We have seen that they have responded very positively to the transparency initiatives and that have given a considerable amount of confidence to them.
“The removal of the distortions that we all know about which over time have resulted in a multiplicity of different circulars to address certain things have also helped in no small measure to boost confidence in the sector”.
Fintechs regulation
The CBN Governor explained that the move to tighten regulations around the operation of Fintech companies was not aimed at putting them out of business but to ensure that the Nigerian public obtains the maximum benefit from the sector.
“The Fintechs have definitely not been singled out for any exceptional kind of treatment, on the contrary we are very proud of what the Fintechs over the years have been able to do for the country and the positive impact it has been having not just in the country but worldwide. It is for us to support them and help them to strengthen what they have been able to accomplish”, he stated.
He said the CBN was concerned about illicit flows and money laundering through the sector which created the need for heightened surveillance of the sector.
He stated that despite the increase in regulatory guidelines for the sector, no Fintech organization has had its licence revoked by the CBN, stressing that “we have had conversations with a number of them and we have explained the need for them take another look at what they are doing and the need to strengthen them”.
MPR poses more challenges for businesses — NACCIMA
Reacting to the further hike in the MPR, the Director General, Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Sola Obadimu, said MPR hike poses more challenges for managers of businesses in the country.
He stated: “Basic economics defines capital as one of the factors of production. Therefore, if the cost of money by way of interest rates goes up, the cost of doing business further rises.
“MPR rates aside, conventional banking philosophy will encourage banks to charge higher than prevailing inflation rates when lending money.
“Thereby, in the face of rising energy costs, unstable forex rates and associated costs, managing businesses becomes more challenging. Additionally, the issues of revision of minimum wages are there to accommodate.
“Again, it’s quite a challenging time for business managers. As it is loans are currently available above 30% per annum from banks. “It’s surely neither development nor investment- friendly.”
Additional cross for investors to bear – CPPE In his comment, the founder of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, said the move will impose additional cross for investors to bear.
His words: “Most economic operators with credit exposures to the banks have not recovered from previous hikes. Interest rates were already around 30% threshold.
“Secondly, extant CRR of 45% has profound liquidity effects on the financial system. Both measures have dampening effects on financial intermediation, which is the primary role of banks in an economy.
“Thirdly, the monetary policy transmission channels are still very weak, given the level of financial inclusion in the economy. This limits the prospects of monetary policy effectiveness.
“Meanwhile, the new rate hike is an additional cross to be borne by investors who have exposures to bank credit facilities. Naturally, a rigid monetarist disposition by the Central Bank is expected. But we need to reckon with the costs to the economy.
“Hopefully, with the positive outlook for domestic refining of petroleum products, we may begin to see a moderation in energy cost and a pass through effect on general price level.
“This is one silver lining that is on the horizon at the moment.
“Necessary fiscal policy supports are urgently needed to compensate for the adverse impact of extreme monetarism on the economy.”
…FG’s N54,000 offer is a wage reduction
…No governor in attendance
…Meeting to reconvene today
…CDWR calls for mass action
The tripartite minimum wage negotiation meeting involving Organised Labour, the federal and state governments, and the Organized Private Sector, OPS, yesterday ended in deadlock, following Labour’s dismissal of the government’s N54,000 offer as expected.
Labour leaders also lamented the absence of state governors in the meeting to present their offers, as their representatives said they had no mandate.
However, Vanguard gathered that the meeting will reconvene today by 4 pm.
According to sources, labour leaders insisted that the Federal Government has not made an offer and that it appears the government is not serious.
According to Labour, the N54,000 offer falls below the N77,000 salary its workers are earning.
Before the meeting adjourned for today, it was agreed that governors must attend to make presentations.
Confirming the development, a member of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, lamented the absence of six governors who represent the six geopolitical zones, stressing that it would not augur well if any agreement was reached without the governors.
Professor Ndubuaku reiterated the May 31 deadline labour had given to the government to conclude negotiations.
He said: “It took them (the government team) some time and they were passing the buck on who would present the offer. It was then the Minister of Labour who now said they had shifted ground to N54,000.
‘N54,000 is wage reduction’
“We still told them that the ground they shifted means nothing. They have not started the negotiation because as of now, the take-home of the lowest-paid federal worker is over N77,000. By their standard, we have not started negotiating minimum wage.
“What we are negotiating now is wage reduction because what they are now telling us is that if we walk out of there if we agree on N54,000, that means we will come out and tell people who are already earning N77,000 that their wage has been reduced.
“We told them that a worker can’t start earning less than what he or she was earning. Is it that there is a reduction in inflation that the cost of living has improved, or is it that the cost of food items has come down?
“Why will they now be negotiating wage reduction? It is unthinkable. We cannot be involved in this kind of process where labour will sit down and negotiate wage reduction. On what will it be based? Will it be based on the fact that the revenue government is realising now since the petroleum subsidy was removed has been reduced?
“Or why will the government be talking about wage reduction when even the inflation is going higher and the cost of living is going higher? So, we told them it is not acceptable, but then we had to adjourn because we could not continue to negotiate without the presence of governors. It will not augur well for the tripartite committee.
Governors not at minimum wage talks
“The Federal Government’s team said it did not know why the governors were not around because six of them were sworn in as members of the committee. We told them this is a serious matter. If they refused to come, even if in the end we agreed on anything, they would say it was not binding on them because they were not there.
“There was a permanent secretary that represented one governor and the person had no input. So, nobody will decide on their (governors) behalf when they are not at the meeting. So we said let us adjourn and invite the governors formally. So, we had to adjourn to tomorrow (today) by 4 pm.”
On the reaction of organised labour when the N54,000 was offered, he said: “When they offered N54,000, we told them they have not started. We did not see that as any shifting of grounds which they promised.
“Shifting grounds must start from the point of negotiation for minimum wage. Anything below N77,000 is a wage reduction, anything below the take-home of the lowest-paid worker is a wage reduction. We cannot start negotiating wage reduction.
“Already the clock is ticking. We gave them a May 31 deadline to conclude negotiations, today (Tuesday) is May 21. We have 10 days to go and it will not augur well for this country if negotiations are not concluded on time.
“This one is no more the case if we did not agree. It is the case of the government not negotiating the minimum wage. I do not think we need any other notice (for a strike). They also said that as far as they are concerned, they are working towards the deadline so that we will conclude before we go to Geneva for the ILO.”
Recall that labour walked out of last week’s meeting after rejecting the government and the Organized Private Sector, OPS, new minimum wage proposals of N48,000 and N54, 000 respectively.
Under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, Labour described the government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000 as not only insulting the sensibilities of Nigerian workers but also falling significantly short of meeting their needs and aspirations.
According to organised labour, what the government offered is a reduction in income for federal-level workers who are already receiving N30,000 as mandated by law, augmented by former President Muhammad Buhari’s 40 per cent peculiar allowance of N12,000 and the N35,000 wage award by the present government, totalling N77,000.
CDWR calls for mass action
Reacting to the development yesterday, the Campaign for Workers Democratic Right, called on labour leaders to mobilise workers for sustained mass action to actualise living wage and end all anti-people capitalists policies.
The group in a statement signed by national chairperson, Comrade Rufus Olusesan, and national publicity secretary, Comrade Chinedu Bosah, said: ‘’The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, CDWR, calls on labour leadership not to turn this ultimatum to another empty threat like the previous one which has expired since March 13 without the NLC saying a single word, let alone a declaration of mass actions.
‘’Despite the ongoing negotiations, it is only a struggle anchored on mass mobilisation of Nigerian workers and the masses on a sustainable basis, demanding living wage and reversal of all anti-poor policies that can win reasonable concessions from an anti-people government. ‘’Therefore, after the expiration of the ultimatum, we propose a 48-hour general strike and mass protest as the first step. The struggle is going to be protracted, and so labour leaders should be prepared to sustain the mass actions through a programme of actions that allows workers to actively participate and be democratically involved.
‘’This will entail producing and circulating mass leaflets and posters, media campaigns, community mobilisation, mass meetings at workplaces and communities, and setting up community/workplace action committees to make clear that labour will wage a determined struggle to defend and improve the living standards of the vast majority of Nigerians.’’
More...
Independent petroleum marketers have expressed concern over the rising price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol, in private depots to N710 per litre.
With the increase, petrol pump prices at outlets operated by independent marketers also rose to between N730 and N750 per litre which has led to queues at some stations operated by major marketers and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, where pump prices are cheaper at N610 and N568 per liter respectively.
A visit to the private depots in the Satellite and Apapa areas of Lagos showed that prices varied as the product were sold at between N701 and N735 per litre. The depots with the highest price include Bovas depot which sold petrol to independent marketers at N762 per litre followed by MRS depot with N735 per liter.
The lowest prices were at Rainoil depot at N705 per litre, Emadeb depot with N705 per litre, while depot owned by Eterna Oil and Sahara also known as Asharami depot sold at N701 per litre respectively.
One of the independent marketers who spoke on condition of anonymity stated “most major marketers own tank farms in Lagos and they buy directly from NNPC. Scarcity has eased out a bit because NNPC supply mainly to major marketers but we the independent marketers are struggling as we depend on these major marketers for products.
“The major marketers buy at NNPCL rate of N548 to N550 per litre and they sell to us at N705, the cheapest is N701 per litre. These major marketers have filling stations in Lagos and other states but in Lagos they sell in their various stations at N610 to N620 per liter.
“IPMAN stations in Lagos are struggling as we are unable to sell due to the price difference making the market highly competitive. Our people outside Lagos are the ones selling as they benefit from the high price that it’s being sold over there.
He noted “when we buy from these major marketers at N705 per liter, NUPENG will charge us per the number of liters we purchase and then we add transportation cost of N15 to our filling stations, the price at the pump will be sold at N740 to N750 per liter”
Meanwhile, in a telephone interview with Vanguard, the National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Alhaji Abubakar Migandi Garima, stated that the supply hitches witnessed in the past few weeks have eased, adding that the situation in the country has gradually improved as marketers have started lifting the products from NNPC depots.
“Some of our members have started direct purchase through NNPCL, but the allocation from them is very low and cannot sustain all our members, therefore we have to go through private deports and buy from them to augment our various stations. For our members that buy from the private deports, automatically the price will change at their stations as they sell at a higher rate compared to major marketers”.
Findings by Vanguard indicated that some independent marketers partner with some major marketers to get petroleum products at NNPC price in order to stay afloat.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, had reiterated that it would declare a nationwide strike anytime soon following the federal government’s refusal to meet its demands despite consistent appeals.
While addressing journalists on Tuesday during a news conference at the University of Lagos, the coordinator of the Lagos zone of the union, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, said the union was fast losing patience over government’s insensitivity to the plight of its members and that of the public universities.
Odukoya said the only saving grace that could stop them from embarking on the proposed industrial action is for the federal government to do the needful fast.
He spoke against the backdrop of the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held at the Obafemi Awołowo University, Ile-Ife, on May 11 and 12, 2024.
“Our union assessed the outcomes of its engagements with the state and federal governments over the last few months on matters pertaining to the status of developments around the renegotiated 2009 Agreement, payment of owed salaries and earned academic allowances (EAA), unremitted deductions made by the disruptive and discredited IPPIS, proliferation of universities, and a number of other matters.
“NEC also had a critical review of government policies and actions that had led to the present deteriorated living and working conditions across the country and in our universities, particularly,” he said.
According to him, most of the issues mentioned had been lingering and unaddressed by the government for many years.
He also debunked the threat of a ‘no work, no pay’ rule by the government, adding that the policy is unknown in global labour laws of which Nigeria is a signatory.
On the newly-constituted governing councils for federal universities, Odukoya described them as ‘illegal.’
He said ASUU had urged the federal government to recall them about a year ago to complete their tenures in line with the University Act upon which they were constituted.
“So, we are not talking about the personalities and composition of the list but the illegality of constituting new councils,” he added.
Odukoya called for proper funding of public universities rather than creating new ones, noting that it is far better to enhance the capacity and access of these universities and make them globally competitive.
He said ASUU would not relent in its struggles for better public university education and the country.
Constituents of Kaura Namoda-Birnin Magaji federal constituency of Zamfara State have notified the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, of their resolve to recall Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji from the House of Representatives.
The constituents said their decision is on account of poor representation pursuant to Section 69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The recall letter, submitted by the constituents to the office of the chairman at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja, was duly acknowledged and stamped.
Constituents have also commenced the collection of signatures of the voters as contained in the voters’ register, which will be forwarded to the commission for verification of the voters’ signatures and subsequently to conduct a referendum for Jaji’s recall.
The statement, signed by Hon. Bello Mahmud Birnin Magaji, chairman of the Coalition for Sustainable Democracy and its secretary, Comrade Mustapha Ibrahim, said: “We urge eligible voters in the constituency to turn up en masse for this crucial civic exercise. The urgent need to recall Hon. Jaji cannot be overemphasised, as he failed woefully to represent his constituency at a time when his service is most needed.”
Activist and political analyst Atiku Abubakar has said that President Bola Tinubu inherited a nation in disarray, economically, politically and security-wise.
He said this during an interview on Arise Television’s News Day, insisting the president is on track and requires time to address the issues inherited from the previous administration.
According to him: “The President, in my opinion, has done well. This is because he met a country in disarray, economically, politically and security-wise. But he has been able to put things in proper perspective, even though we expect him to do some more.
“But in my opinion, the President is on track because he has shown so far that he is a listening President with so many actions he has taken so far.
“His policies are well conceived but in the implementation, there are some things that should have been done differently.
“But the good thing is that the President is listening and anything that needs to be corrected will be corrected because he has shown capacity in leadership so far.”