The Bola Tinubu-led federal government and the Organised Labour met on Monday to discuss the fallout over the removal of fuel subsidy and draw a workable agreement.
Naija News reports that the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his team arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:45 pm on Monday.
While the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, and the Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, arrived some minutes later for the six-hour meeting.
It is understood that the Monday meeting is the third in a series of engagements between the federal government and key labour stakeholders after the fuel subsidy removal announcement.
Previous attempts at dialogue with the organized labour sector ended without a resolution with the NLC asking the government to revert to the old pump petrol price or get ready for a planned nationwide strike.
The federal government’s team to the meeting was led by the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji; and Executive Vice President (Downstream) of the NNPCL, Yemi Adetunji.
Also at the meeting was the former Commissioner of Information in Lagos State, Deke Alake, House of Representatives member, Hon. James Faleke; former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, among others.
[NaijaNews]
FG, NLC meet again, silent on way forward
• Maritime, NASU, NUJ, 51 NLC affiliates to begin strike midnight
• Maritime workers ground port operations nationwide
• Courts to shutdown as judiciary workers join NLC
• Unveil intervention, palliatives now, CPPE tells Tinubu
More intrigues, yesterday, trailed the industrial action called by organised labour to protest against the removal of petrol subsidy.
While the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was meeting with Federal Government representatives to find a middle ground to halt tomorrow’s planned action, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja division, restrained NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on the strike.
The NLC, led by its President, Joe Ajaero, had arrived at the Presidential Villa around 5:45 p.m. for another round of negotiations after staying away from Sunday’s meeting with the organised labour. Last Friday, NLC issued a five-day ultimatum to the government to revert to the old price of petrol or face a nationwide protest.
But the meeting was still underway when the industrial court gave the order. Justice O.Y. Anuwe issued the order while ruling on an ex-parte motion in the suit marked: NCIN/ABJ/158/2023, filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), which was moved by Mrs. Maimuna Lami Shiru, Director of Civil Litigation, Federal Ministry of Justice.
Justice Anuwe said the order shall remain in force pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice dated June 5, which was filed by the Federal Government through the office of the AGF.
The judge said her action was informed by the argument by the Federal Government’s lawyer that the strike, if allowed, will occasion incalculable damage to the nation and fixed for hearing the motion on notice for June 19.
She said by Section 7(b) of the National Industrial Court (NIC) Act 2006, her court is empowered and indeed clothed with exclusive jurisdiction in matters relating to the grant of any order to restrain any person or body from taking part in any strike, lockout or any industrial action or conduct in contemplation or in furtherance of strike, lockout or any industrial action.
She said: “The urgency enumerated in the affidavit of urgency and in counsel’s submission reveals a scenario that may gravely affect the larger society and indeed the well-being of the nation at large.
“Counsel has pointed out that students of secondary schools nationwide, especially those writing WAEC exams will be affected; tertiary institutions that have only just resumed after a long ASUU strike will also be affected, not leaving the health sector, among other sectors; and above all, the economy of the nation. In my view, this is a situation of extreme urgency that will require the intervention of this court.” Earlier, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had asked its members to join NLC in its planned strike beginning tomorrow in compliance with other workers’ unions, including the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Giving the directive yesterday, JUSUN’s general secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, in a statement, directed all zonal vice-presidents to ensure total compliance with NLC’s directive, which would have meant a shutdown of all the courts across the country.
But in a phone interview with an NLC top official on condition of anonymity, he said the Congress was fully mobilised and nothing would stop it unless the government goes back to the status quo.
On the joint meeting with Federal Government and the sister union, TUC, slated for today (Tuesday), he said: “The meeting is because we are still holding on to our position. If they go back to the status quo then we will call off the strike and negotiate with them.”
Meanwhile, the TUC, in a statement signed by its president, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, yesterday, demanded immediate implementation that minimum wage should be increased from the current N30,000 to N200,000 before the end of June 2023 with consequential adjustment on Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), like feeding, transport, and housing, among others.
It demanded that the status quo ante of Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS) pump price should be maintained while the discussion continues.
Among the 14 items, it said a representative of state governors would be a party to the communiqué and all the governors must commit to implementing the new minimum wage.
It demanded tax holiday for employees both in the government and private sector that earn less than N200,000 or $500 monthly. It insisted that PMS allowance should be introduced for those earning between N200,000 to N500,000 or $500 to $1,200, whichever is higher.
It demanded that the Federal Government should provide mass transit vehicles for all categories of the populace. It also demanded that government should put in place an immediate review of the National Health Insurance Scheme to cover more Nigerians and prevent stock of drugs.
For the medium term, the labour centre demanded the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) across the country, in line with the earlier promise made by the government. It said the framework and timeline would be developed and agreed by both parties.
It added that labour and government would design a framework that will be geared towards the reduction of cost of governance by 15 per cent in 2024 and 30 per cent by 2025.
ALREADY, more than 50 of the NLC affiliates, including its 36 state councils and Abuja are expected to begin an indefinite strike at midnight today if there is no truce between the organised labour and the Federal Government.
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), National Union of Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) are among several labour unions that have directed their members to give effect to the decision of the NLC until otherwise stated.
But the Director-General of the Centre for the Promotion of Public Enterprise (CPPE), Muda Yusuf, said there is an urgent need for the Federal Government to put interventions in place that can assuage the suffering of the masses, especially the lower-level workers.
“Government needs to urgently put immediate and short-term measures in place to mitigate the pains of the sharp increases in transportation costs on the citizens. Food and transportation account for over 50 per cent of the household budget of the poor. Something urgent needs to be done,” he added.
He stressed that such measures should focus on reducing the cost of food, provision of cheaper public transportation options, improving power supply to reduce demand for fuel for electricity generators, incentives to promote the use of autogas, reduction in import tariffs for intermediate products for food processing companies, eliminating taxes and levies on all agricultural inputs to boost food production and reduction in import tariffs on mass transit buses.
Yusuf insisted that the NNPCL retail outlets should sell petrol 15 less than the amount it goes for in other filling stations, saying, “this is necessary to signal social sensitivity by government.”
Looking into the future, Yusuf said things will get really difficult before getting better.
“Admittedly, the increase was quite high. And the shocks on citizens were enormous as well. But these are some of the inevitable costs of reforms. We need reforms to prevent the collapse of the economy. Apparently, things have to get worse before it gets better. It would be painful initially but it would progressively get better. As the supply side response improves, the prices will moderate,” he said.
ALREADY, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) yesterday paralysed operations of shipping companies, terminals, as well as oil and gas platforms nationwide. The workers, who gathered at the ports as early as 7:00 a.m. yesterday to disrupt operational activities in the ports, protested over lingering unresolved issues with shipping companies in Nigeria.
This is just as the former President of Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS), Jonathan Nicol, has bemoaned the maritime workers’ union strike action, saying they are causing more harm to the shippers, importers and the entire maritime industry.
Nicol, who is also the Vice Chairman of Business Action Against Corruption (BAAC) Integrity Alliance, Lagos, said the union is denting the industry because of their large numbers, without considering the implications to other players in the industry who pay demurrage in billions of naira due to the shutdown of port operations.
The President-General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, at the protest lamented the nonchalant attitude of shipping firms’ management to discussing and negotiating the welfare and condition of service of members in the shipping sector.
Nicol, who is also the Vice Chairman of Business Action Against Corruption (BAAC) Integrity Alliance, Lagos, said the union is denting the industry because of their large numbers, without considering the implications to other players in the industry who pay demurrage in billions of naira due to the shutdown of port operations.
The President-General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, at the protest lamented the nonchalant attitude of shipping firms’ management to discussing and negotiating the welfare and condition of service of members in the shipping sector.
He alleged that the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), the parent body of shipping lines in Nigeria for disregarding the directives of the Federal Government and failing to increase workers’ welfare for the past six years.
The union said the strike would be indefinite, especially as it has the backing of its other branches.
The MWUN chief recalled that the former Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, in a bid to ensure a peaceful industrial climate in the shipping sector, had directed the management of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to superintend a collective bargaining meeting between the union and shipping companies in Nigeria.
Adeyanju lamented that despite several meetings called at the instance of the NSC, the shipping firms’ representatives deliberately forestalled the negotiation process, alleging a lack of mandate from their respective principals, and insisting on maintaining the status quo.
Alleged that the NSC has lost its control and regulatory powers over the shipping companies, who have refused to obey the federal government’s interventions on the matter.
According to him, “The matter has been dragging for the past six years, and the shipping companies have refused to implement a minimum standard for shipping companies’ workers.
“Several ultimatum has been issued to the shipping companies, the union is requesting a minimum standard for shipping workers.
“The former Minister of Transportation had directed the NSC to midwife the process between MWUN and SAN. There have been several meetings at the instance of the Executive Secretary of the NSC but nothing has been done.”
Nicol warned that if this continues the shippers and other industry players will take the union and whoever initiates strike action to court and demand the pay for demurrage incurred for their actions.
BUT following the intervention of NSC between MWUN and companies in the shipping sector, the union has suspended its ongoing industrial action. At an emergency meeting convened by the NSC, involving the union and stakeholders in the shipping sector, a resolution was reached.
In the communiqué, both parties agreed to establish an acceptable minimum standard on the condition of service in the shipping sector, specifically focusing on gratuity, among others.
[Guardian]
With just one week to inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is stuck in a point at which a crucial decision must be made to ensure that its preferred candidates emerge presiding officers of both chambers of the federal legislature.
The governing party, LEADERSHIP gathered, is grappling with the exigency of having to deal with aspirants for the Senate presidency under its platform, Senators Abdulaziz Yari, Orji Kalu and Osita Isunazo, who have refused to shift ground even though the party’s zoning arrangement did not favour them.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the APC had endorsed Akpabio as Senate President and Senator Barau Jubrin as his deputy.
Hon Tajudeen Abbass also received the blessing of Tinubu and APC as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, with Hon Benjamin Kalu as his deputy.
But some APC lawmakers under the aegis of G6 Coalition fiercely opposed the zoning arrangement, describing it as “an unconstitutional imposition of leadership of the 10th Assembly by forces outside the National Assembly.”
A crucial meeting scheduled by President Tinubu with federal lawmakers elected on the platform of opposition political parties for yesterday (Monday) at the presidential villa, Abuja, was postponed.
It was also gathered that another meeting between the president and APC lawmakers billed to hold last Sunday was also cancelled.
A source in the APC told our correspondent that the meetings were shifted following the refusal of the party’s aspirants vying for principal offices of the National Assembly to withdraw from the race to pave way for the party’s anointed candidates.
“There is no way a resolution would come out of any meeting with the lawmakers-elect who are divided among themselves. Until the APC aspirants agree to respect the zoning arrangement of the party, there cannot be any consensus ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly,” the source who did not want his name in print said.
Meanwhile, all appears not to be well in the camp of Senators Yari, Kalu and Izunaso over who to finally support for the office of the Senate president.
It was gathered that Kalu is threatening Yari’s supporters with a defection to the camp of the president.
Trouble started when the trio who are yet to decide on who to position for the office of Senate president met last night in a popular hotel (names withheld) outside the outskirts of Abuja to take a final position on who to support.
It was gathered that after heated arguments among the trio and their sponsors, including a serving presiding officer of the Senate, who has vowed never to toe the path of the president and National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, those who spoke in support of the former Governor of Zamfara State outnumbered those who spoke in support of Kalu and Izunaso.
An enraged Kalu was said to have threatened to dump the group for the president’s choices if the group refused to rescind its decision not to support him for the Senate presidency after the party had long zoned the office to the south.
The former Abia State governor and chief whip of the Senate was said to have told Yari’s sponsors that it would be the height of religious insensitivity on the path of the former Zamfara governor to want to occupy the office of the Senate president when the president and his vice are both Muslims.
It was also learnt that after very strong arguments for and against Yari’s ambition, which almost resulted in fisticuffs, Kalu threatened to walk out of the meeting.
Sensing the implications of the walkout he might stage and having threatened to dump the group, he was offered the position of the deputy Senate president and Izunaso, chairman, Senate committee on Appropriation.
It was not clear if Kalu and Izunazo accepted the offer but sources at the meeting told this paper that Kalu might eventually dump the anti-zoning group of lawmakers.
“With the way things are going on now in our camp, Kalu might dump the group because of their selfishness and insensitivity to national peace and unity,” the source told our correspondent in confidence.
Court Stops EFCC, Others From Detaining Ex-Zamfara Governor
Meanwhile, Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC) from arresting and detaining Senator Abdulaziz Yari pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The court gave the order in a ruling delivered on an ex-parte motion moved by Yari’s counsel and for Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN).
The court also stopped the Department of State Services (DSS) from detaining the former Zamfara governor.
Justice Okorowo ordered the respondents, EFCC, ICPC and DSS, to show cause why the prayers sought on the motion ex-parte should not be granted on the next adjourned date.
“The respondents are however restrained from detaining the applicant until the return date for the order to show cause,” he ruled.
The case has been fixed for June 8.
Yari had through his team of lawyers filed the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ANJ/CS/785/23.
In the motion dated and filed on June 2, 2023, Yari listed EFCC, ICPC and DSS as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
The former governor prayed the court for an order restraining the respondents, their officials, whosoever and howsoever described from arresting and/or threatening to arrest and detain him in order to prevent him from participating at the proclamation of the 10th Senate by President Tinubu on June 13.
Yari who gave 15 grounds on why the application should be granted averred that he was desirous of contesting the position of the president of the Senate of the 10th National Assembly in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and pursuant to the Senate Standing Orders 2022 (as amended).
He said his aspiration to contest the position of Senate president had received overwhelming support from the general public and among distinguished Senators-elect irrespective of party affiliations.
He said the support which the applicant has continued to garner across party lines has drawn consternation from some members of his political party, the APC, who have allegedly resorted to using the respondents and their agents to harass and threaten to arrest and detain him on trumped-up charges for the period leading to the first sitting of the Senate when nominations and election of presiding officers shall be constituted.
“The respondents and their agents have threatened to violate the applicant’s rights as enshrined in the constitution by unlawfully threatening to arrest and detain the applicant.
“The respondents and their agents are mandated to operate within the ambit of their establishment laws, and to respect the fundamental human rights of the Applicant as enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
Yari said if the order was not given, his rights would have been breached by the respondents.
North Central Insists On Speakership As APC Govs Back Abbas, Benjamin Kalu
Meanwhile, stakeholders of the governing APC from the North Central geopolitical zone have asked the party to review its zoning arrangement for principal officers of the 10th National Assembly to ensure the next Speaker of the House of Representatives comes from the zone.
The stakeholders under the aegis of Concerned North Central APC Stakeholders Forum warned that the governing party risks losing the speakership position to opposition parties if it sticks to its current zoning arrangement.
Speaking when members of the forum stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, convener of the forum, Rev Dominic Alancha, threatened that North Central will withdraw their support for the party in the 2027 general election if the party maintains the micro-zoning arrangement.
Alancha said, “For an election that was concluded since February 25, ordinarily, the decision to zone National Assembly leadership positions should not have taken this long if due process, respect for order and egalitarian principles have been followed.
“I say this because it is the inexplicable and bias decision of the APC to ignore this sound and time tested process by going to introduce strange and obtuse arrangements where a whole geopolitical zone was sidelined while another was given two key positions in the National Assembly hierarchy that has led to this quagmire.
“Zoning the position of Senate President in the 10th Assembly to the South-South geopolitical zone, and the position of Deputy Senate President to the North-West zone; while the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is also zoned to the North-West and the position of Deputy Speaker to the South East is unacceptable because it excluded the North Central from parliamentary leadership.
“We note the observation that the national chairman of our great party is from the North Central zone and with the appointment of George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), that the North Central has been compensated”.
Alancha described the exclusion of North Central as an aberration which is unacceptable, noting that if the people of North Central feel short-changed, there is no way they will support the party in 2027.
The stakeholders noted: “It is unfortunate that our governors are nowhere to speak, the region is looking up to them. We are telling them the feelings of our people.
“It will not be in the best interest of our party for the opposition to snatch the position because of our inability of the party to present an acceptable consensus candidate.”
But APC governors under the aegis of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have declared their support for the party’s endorsed candidates for the Speaker and deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu.
The PGF chairman and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma announced the resolution of the forum yesterday when he hosted the campaign team of the Abbas/Kalu joint ticket led by the Joint Task Force –10th Assembly Coalition at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge.
Uzodimma said APC has made the best choice of presiding officers for the House, and the least the governors should do is to ensure that the party’s preference and vision is actualised on June 13 when the 10th Assembly would be inaugurated.
He stated: “I congratulate you once more for the success you achieved in the last election and to commend you for coming together to form an alliance towards the speakership race. You have taken a good decision to support these two gentlemen.
“What we are practicing today is democracy and APC is the ruling party and you have a responsibility now to help the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed, and we all know that the most sensitive arm of government is the legislature and if we make a mistake with it the other two arms will be affected.
“If the parliament is right, the government will be right, and I want to urge you to reach out to those who are aggrieved to persuade them to see the reason to agree with us. When you have a situation such as this, you will tell others your party is the best and in this instance, APC is in the majority and we have to demonstrate maturity by forging a common front in unity”.
The PGF chairman urged aggrieved aspirants to close ranks with the party’s preferred candidates and work together to determine a purposeful legislature capable of promoting and projecting the overall interest of Nigerians, adding that Abbas’ choice by the party was not an imposition.
“There’s no such thing as imposition, it’s for the benefit of all of us, and the synergy will help us to achieve more for our people back home. If you say that it means you’re willing and ready to disagree with the majority including the government. We know you have the power of appropriation, but when you appropriate, what about cash-backing?
“You certainly don’t want to go home after four years and tell your people you couldn’t achieve anything because you were not cooperating with the executive for their benefit, but when you work in harmony, you will reap the benefits of the cooperation and your people back home will be the better for it,” Uzodimma said.
Earlier, the anointed speakership candidate, Abbas, expressed confidence in the ability of the APC governors to ensure that the team as endorsed by the party is delivered on June 13.
On his part, the deputy speakership candidate, Benjamin Kalu, thanked Governor Uzodinma for throwing his weight behind their joint ticket, saying he trusts the governor’s love for the parliament, being a product of the legislature himself.
[Leadership]
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)has suspended its 12-day-old strike after meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday
JOHESU commenced an indefinite strike on Thursday, 25 May, following the failure of the Federal Government to meet its demand.
Tribune had reported that JOHESU is demanding the immediate approval and implementation of the technical committee report on CONHESS adjustment by the government.
They also demand immediate payment of the omission and shortfall in the COVID-19 hazard/inducement allowances of affected health workers in federal health institutions.
Other demands are the immediate and unconditional implementation of the pharmacist consultant cadre, unconditional payment of all withheld salaries of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Jos University Teaching Hospital, and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and outstanding April and May 2018 salaries of members at FMC, Azare.”
The union also called for the speedy implementation of the increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants in the health professions.
In a phone interview with Tribune, the National Vice president of JOHESU, Comrade Obinna Ogbonna disclosed that the union was suspended due to the progress made during the engagement with the president on Monday.
The President appreciated the problem that we are having and he has come with the resolve in finding lasting solutions to them and we should take him at his word that he’s going to look into the problem in the health sector especially as it pertains to our demands
He said we should get back to our members that it is time to come together to build confidence and trust in one another.
He said the health workers “called a meeting shortly after meeting with the president and decided to call off the strike and gave a 21-day timeline to the government.
“We met with Mr President at the villa earlier today, and he pleaded with the striking health workers to give him the benefit of the doubt and that he will resolve the matters amicably to our own benefit and positive results.
“The congress considered his plea and also said we should give a 21-day timeline to assess progress and commitment of state actors in resolving the issues,” He said
When asked what will happen if the President failed to comply with demand after 21 days, Ogbonna who responded in the parable said “when we get to the river, we will cross it.
“For now we just have to work with what we have at hand. When that time comes, we know what next to do,” he said.
The controversy over the removal of fuel subsidy has again brought to the fore the challenges in the power sector.
DAILY POST reports that both power, petroleum and gas are intertwined in their functions. None can survive without the other’s support.
Nigerians for instance rely majorly on fuel to support the power generated nationally. This is mainly because generation and distribution remain an issue till date.
An average home connected to electricity has a power backup. Experts believe that approximately 70 percent of Nigerian electricity consumers have generators in their homes to support whatever they get from Discos. These generating sets rely on fuel to work.
Consequently, experts suggest that revamping the power sector and making it work optimally to the satisfaction of Nigerians will reduce the pressure on consumers who still need generators as an alternative source of power.
Fix power, end subsidy crisis
Charging the Bola Tinubu-led government, experts in the energy sector believe a quick fix of the power sector can help to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.
Mr James Ododo an oil marketer based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, hailed the removal of fuel subsidy, but insisted that the government must immediately swing into action by fixing the power sector. According to him, Nigerians cannot survive in the absence of power and fuel.
He said: “If we don’t fix power immediately, we will run into problems because most Nigerians, even those into small scale businesses, use generators to power their businesses.
“If we are going to be buying fuel at the rate that it is right now, then we must immediately fix the power sector.
“It will be dangerous to just remove subsidy and still sit back and watch the power sector remain the way it is. How will people do their businesses? The first major area to fix under the new regime of removal of subsidy is the power sector.”
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had assured Nigerians that the power sector will be improved tremendously under his leadership.
Tinubu, during his inaugural speech, said power must triple, assuring collaboration with states for better and proper distribution.
How he will do it remains unknown.
Expert proffers solution to power problem
A System Power Engineer in one of the Discos, Engineer Adesola Oyedotun said the power sector may be on its way to a total reform, expressing optimism that with the incoming government, effort will be put in place to ensure major reforms in the sector.
Speaking to DAILY POST in Abuja, the power expert said his experience in the power sector puts him in the right position to offer the sector his professional advice, stating that though the sector faces problems within the value chain of the business generation, transmission and distribution, they are not insurmountable.
According to Oyedotun, the power sector problem had lingered for long and no particular administration or company could be held responsible, hence the most important task before the Tinubu government was to find a lasting solution.
He said, “The solution to the current challenge in the power sector is not far-fetched if we have the genuine spirit, will and determination to tackle it headlong. This is not rocket science. Actually, the power sector issue has been lingering for so long, but we are hopeful that with the new government in power, resolving those issues confronting the sector is quite possible.
“I’m confident they can address these long term challenges being experienced by the power sector.
“Remember that the power sector was privatised on November 1st, 2013. Before the privatisation, it was then under the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. But there was some sort of reform in the sector which divided the Distribution segment of the business into eleven Discos in Nigeria.
“Consequently, we have Abuja Disco, Ikeja, Enugu, Benin, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Eko and others. That has helped the sector to get closer to the people, but this can be improved or be better.
“Hence, I believe that with the already established foundation, the new government of president Bola Tinubu can achieve a lot.
Coverage areas
Suggesting what can be done to ensure more areas are covered in terms of distribution, the electricity expert said:
“In the area of coverage, I believe this government can do more. For example, you can imagine 4 states being covered by only one Disco. It’s absolutely not going to give the maximum results.
“With millions of customers in demand for supply, it won’t be that effective. So four states in the hand of one Disco can be looked at again.
“For instance, how do you address the issue of transformers as a single Disco looks into the demands in Abuja, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger? It will be quite difficult meeting those demands in four states.”
Bill allowing states to generate power
He further stated: “But with the new bill signed by former president, Muhammadu Buhari before vacating office, which I consider a step in the right direction, states have jobs to do with regards to power.
“The bill has empowered each state to now begin to generate power and distribute. This will be a massive support towards power improvement.
“I believe each state can key into this and business will be opening and more jobs will be created. We should be out of the challenges in the sector if the states join in the struggle.”
How states, FG, private sector can collaborate
Clarifying the issue regarding the power sector being in the exclusive list and how the state can still come in, Engineer Oyedotun said, it is still possible as it is similar to what even obtains at the moment.
According to him, “Now, if you look at it, you will realise that currently, the government is having 40 percent stake in the sector. What that means is that the investors have 60 percent.
“So it’s still possible to further have a roundtable discussion on how the state can come in and you also let them know their stake.
“By the new law, states may decide to go alone. However, with the majority of the states having problems paying salaries, funding education etc, it is clear that only very few states currently have the financial muscle to go into a capital intensive and long-term investments like power.
“The States on their own or in collaboration with other states can encourage private sector-led investments in their states. Lagos state recently rolled out its own.
“So it is not so difficult for the sector to have 3 interested parties generating power. I think it is a huge solution.
“So as against having 60/40 percent for both the investors and the federal government, the state’s percentage could come in and ease off the current challenges.”
Power sector is long term investment
Talking about the long term investment of the power sector and how it could become very profitable not in the immediate, the power system engineer said: “Investors in this sector must understand that investment into distribution value chain of this business is a long time investment and must not be compared to investment in banking sector or other sectors of Nigeria economy.”
[DailyPost]
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A , Ikeja of the Nigeria Customs Service says it intercepted 30, 900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol and 6,861 bags of foreign parboiled rice equivalent to 12 trailer loads and others with a duty paid value of N1bn in May 2023.
The unit, in a statement on Monday, said the contrabands were intercepted at different times and locations within border corridors of the South-West Zone.
The Acting Customs Area Controller in charge of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, explained that some of the contrabands were intercepted for either violating the guidelines on the importation/exportation of goods, concealment, undervaluation or wrong classification and smuggling.
He said others were seized for contravening policy directives as in the case of foreign parboiled rice.
Ejibunu said, “Detentions and seizures recorded within the period under review amounted to 79 seizures, with a total duty paid value of N1bn. These were products of surveillance, intelligence gathering and regular patrols of our officers.
“These contrabands were intercepted at different times and locations within border corridors of the South-West Zone.
“Some of the seizures include, 6,861 bags of foreign parboiled rice by 50kg each equivalent to 12 trailer loads, 1,236 jerry cans of petroleum by 25 litres each equivalent to 30,900 litres, 9,857 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 5,338 kg, two X 20 containers of unprocessed wood, four units of tokunbo vehicles, 40 X five jerry cans of vegetable oil, 54 bales of second-hand clothing among others.”
He added that four suspects were arrested in connection with some of the intercepted goods.
“For ongoing prosecution of suspects, the Federal High Court at Abeokuta, Ogun State sentenced Musa Oloyede, Godwin David and Adeniyi Alaye, to two years imprisonment for assaulting our officers while carrying out their statutory duties,” he said.
He added, “On revenue, N38.4bn was generated through conscious and thorough documentary checks, followed by the issuance of demand notices on consignments that were found to have paid lesser amounts than the appropriate customs duty.
“It is very worrisome that a total of 9,857 parcels of cannabis sativa were seized in a single swoop. Crime experts have found a direct relationship between the intake of this controlled plant and violent crimes.
“We are conscious of this challenge and will continually cut the supply chain of illicit drugs and other prohibited substances.”
The Customs boss urged the public to promptly share useful information that will assist to checkmate smuggling with operatives.
“Since smuggling is a crime that deals in illegal trade, such as illicit drugs and prohibited weapons, Nigerians should see insecurity and other crimes as products of smuggling,” he said.
[Punch]
Microsoft will pay $20 million to settle government charges that it collected personal information from children without their parents’ consent, officials said Monday.
The Federal Trade Commission alleged that from 2015 to 2020 Microsoft collected personal data from children under age 13 who signed up to its Xbox gaming system without their parents’ permission and retained this information.
To open an account, users had to provide their first and last names, email addresses, and dates of birth.
The FTC said Microsoft violated a law called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA.
“Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children’s privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids,” said Samuel Levine, head of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“This action should also make it abundantly clear that kids’ avatars, biometric data, and health information are not exempt from COPPA,” Levine added.
The decision still needs the approval of a federal court before it can be implemented.
The FTC said Microsoft will be required to take several steps to bolster privacy protections for child users of its Xbox system.
Under the COPPA law, online services and websites aimed at kids under 13 must notify parents about the personal information they collect and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting and using any personal information collected from children.
Microsoft did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.
AFP
‘Stop Criminalising Civil Matters’ — IGP Warns Officers Against Interfering In Land, Marital Cases
AdminUsman Baba, the inspector-general of police (IGP), has warned police officers against interfering in land and matrimonial cases.
At a meeting with senior officers on Monday, Baba spoke about the menace of criminalising civil matters by police personnel.
The IGP added that his leadership would not tolerate the “continuous violation” of the force regulations, especially the social media policy.
“Another critical issue to deliberate upon at this meeting is the menace of criminalising civil matters by police officers,” he said.
“Since the commencement of my administration as the inspector-general of police, I have maintained a stand and rolled out several directives and correspondences to abreast you all on the need to streamline our investigations and caution officers and men against meddling with civil matters such as land cases, debt collection, matrimonial case and matters already pending in court.
“It is the same reason why I forbid transferring of cases from lower commands to higher ones indiscriminately,” he added.
The IGP said 3,619 suspects were arrested for various crimes across the country between January and May.
“Three hundred and sixteen victims of kidnapping were rescued during the same period, while 486 assorted firearms consisting of AK-47 rifles and locally fabricated automatic weapons were recovered,” he said.
“Equally, 4,072 assorted calibres of live ammunition and other incriminating items linked to various major crimes were also recovered within the same period.”
Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has constituted a committee to review workers’ wages in the state.
The committee, which was constituted during a meeting with labour leaders in the state at the Executive Chambers, has eight weeks to turn in its report.
This is contained in a statement Governor Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Suleiman Olanrewaju, stating that following the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), it became imperative for the government to take another look at the salary structure to cushion its effects on workers.
He said, “For us, with all sincerity, I think it is time to engage and ensure that we are proactive, irrespective of what is coming from the federal level. We are already prepared for it here and we can run our own programmes.
“Yes, the fuel subsidy removal is going to affect all of us but we do have control over certain things in Oyo State, and one of these is to be proactive and engage ourselves. They may call for strike or certain actions at the federal level but the labour leaders in Oyo State must be aware of our own situation.
“So, we must appreciate the fact that our economy is fragile. We must be proactive and set the tone without prejudice to whatever negotiation that is happening at the federal level.”
At the meeting attended by Oyo State chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kayode Martins and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Olatunbosun Olabiyi, the governor also said, “I can say it to the whole world that in Oyo State there is no trust deficit between the government and labour leaders. It actually goes both ways. If we agree on what to do, I don’t look back, and if you have my commitment on anything, you should not look back. Whatever that is happening at the national level should not create any trust deficit between us. So, I welcome you all to Omituntun 2.0.”
The Governor also seized the opportunity to express his appreciation to the Labour leaders for their support during his first term in office.
In his reaction, the NLC chairman said minimum wage review was overdue. He then called on the state government to work towards its quick realization.
The meeting had in attendance Labour unions leaders, the Deputy Governor, Barrister Bayo Lawal; Head of Service, Bunmi Oni; former Deputy Governor, Ambasador Taofeek Arapaja; former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; former Special Adviser on Labour, Bayo Titilola-Sodo; wife of former governor, Alhaja Mutiat Ladoja; and traditional leaders, among others.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arraigned two bankers, Freeman Austin Jacob and Umar Abdullahi and two others – Ahmed Bashir and Abdulhakim Musa (aka Gandu) before Justice Simon Akpah Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Kano on a three count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to produce an ATM card in the name of one Sani Muntari and used same to steal the sum of N20 million from his bank.
The defendants perpetrated the fraud by using the SIM card of the account holder which was stolen by Mr Bashir, the third defendant, to produce an ATM card with the help of the first and second defendants.
Investigation traced some of the proceeds of the theft to the bank account of the fourth defendant, Abdulkarim Musa, a friend to the third defendant, Ahmed Bashir.
One of the charges reads, “That You, Freeman Austin Jacob, Umar Abdullahi, sometime in February 2020, at Kano within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, connived with Ahmed Bashir and Abdulhakim Musa (aka Gandu) to prime and issue ATM card from UBA account no 2062903187 belonging to one Alhaji Sani Mutari without the knowledge or consent of the said customer and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (7) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc,) Act, 2015.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty after listening to the charge.
Counsel for the prosecution, Aisha Tahar Habib requested that the defendants be remanded and urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
Counsel representing the 1st and 2nd defendants made an oral bail application on behalf of his clients which was opposed by the prosecution counsel on the grounds that the application ought to formal.
L.A Umar who represented the 4th defendant informed that she intends to file a formal bail application and subsequently prayed the court for a date to do same and serve the prosecution.
After listening to the submissions of the parties, Justice Amobeda agreed with the prosecution that bail applications should be made formally as the court is a court of record.
He subsequently remanded the defendant and adjourned the matter till June 26, 2023 for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial.
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Amid claims that Nana Shettima, wife of Vice President, rejected a female Aide-De-Camp (ADC) assigned to her, a former aspirant for the post of the national youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ameen Amshi, explained why.
Recall that a news report making rounds on social media alleged that the vice president’s wife had rejected the orderly, stating that she is very beautiful and single at the time same.
However, Our correspondent could not ascertain when the lady was assigned to the vice president’s wife.
But reacting to the claims in a statement shared via Twitter handle on Sunday, Amshi claimed Nana only turned down the orderly because she preferred her former ADC who served her during her husband’s reign as Borno State governor.
“It is important to correct the news of the alleged rejection of a female police ADC by HE Nana Shettima, Vice President’s wife, during her inauguration. The news has been circulating on social media, but it is not accurate,” Amshi tweeted.
He continued: “Assigning security details or aides to VIPs follows specific procedures that vary across security agencies. It is a process that involves selecting at least three competent personnel and scrutinizing their service records. The most suitable candidate is then presented to the VVIP/VIP for approval, and upon acceptance, the personnel is officially assigned to the individual.
“It’s worth noting that HE Nana Shettima is not new to the corridors of power and has previously worked with an ADC when she served as the governor’s wife for eight years in Borno. Therefore, the same ADC who worked with her in Borno as the governor’s wife was present at her inauguration.
“The Shettima family is known for maintaining long-term relationships with their staff and workers, like retaining the security details that served the Vice President when he was Governor. Given this track record, it’s unlikely that his wife would act differently, and she has always prioritized following due process in her official dealings, including assigning security personnel to VIPs and VVIPs.”
Peter Obi: Presidential Tribunal Admits More Polling Unit Results From Eight States As INEC, Tinubu Raise Objection
AdminThe Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, admitted as exhibits, more certified true copies of polling unit results (INEC Form EC8As) tendered by the presidential candidate of the Labour party, Peter Obi, in eight states.
Again, the admissibility of the documents were objected to by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and All Progressives Congress, APC.
Obi is disputing the presidential election results declared in favor of President Tinubu in over 17 states and over 18,000 polling units with his petition also alleging overvoting in parts of the South West.
Before today’s proceedings, Obi’s legal team has tendered INEC Forms EC8As for 12 states, including Rivers, Niger, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River and Ekiti states.
This is apart from five documents earlier tendered as evidence, including a United States District Court judgement on Tinubu’s forfeiture of 460,000 US dollars allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
Objections were raised against all the documents by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress.
At the resumption of sitting on Monday, Chief Ben Anichebe SAN told the five-man panel of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, that he would be continuing with the tendering of INEC certified Forms EC8As and some EC8C and EC8D (as they are available) for 8 states.
He went on to tender the INEC Form EC8As(polling unit results) for Ebonyi state with 13 LGAs (Exhibit PP1- PP13), Nasarawa (13 LGAs), Delta (25 LGAs), Kaduna State(23 LGAs), Imo (26 LGAs).
When Dr Mrs Valerie Azinge SAN took over from Anichebe, she tendered CTC of polling unit results for Ondo (18 LGAs), Sokoto (7 LGAs) and Kogi states(21 LGAs).
Lawyers representing the INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and APC, opposed admission of the documents sought to be tendered, saying the reasons for their opposition will be advanced before their final address.
Justice Tsammani subsequently admitted the polling unit results as evidence while marking them as Obi’s exhibits against the respondents.
Earlier in the proceedings, a member of Obi’s legal team, P.I. Ekweto SAN brought to the attention of the court to an interrogatory application which they filed seeking certain answers from INEC regarding accessing electoral materials.
He argued that for the petitioners’ case, the issues and answers the team seek to extract from INEC are germane for the trial.
“I am aware that before your pre-hearing report on May 23 , before that date, the petitioners’ filed an application on May 22 seeking leave to serve or deliver interrogatories on the first respondent.
“There are indeed about 12 questions which we indeed put down for them in that application.
“On the June 2, we filed an application for my lord’s leave, to enable us hear the application outside the pre-hearing session,” he said, praying the court to grant it urgently in view of the time bound nature of the PEPC.
But counsels for INEC and Tinubu opposed the application saying they are still within time to file their responses.
INEC counsel, A.B. Mahmoud described the application as a waste of time.
The panel held it would rule on it after the respondents have responded to the application.
The case was subsequently adjourned to Tuesday for continuation of hearing.
Last week, Mr Obi tendered electoral documents comprising result sheets from 12 states of the federation.
Despite winning the presidential election in Lagos, Nasarawa, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo and other states, Mr Obi argued that votes accruing to him were significantly suppressed in favour of Mr Tinubu.
Also, in aid of his case, the Labour Party candidate has called one witness.
He had indicated his intention to call 50 witnesses and tender tons of electoral documents to substantiate his claims of rampant fraud during the presidential election on 25 February.
Mr Obi has three weeks to prove his case against INEC, Mr Tinubu and the APC respondents in the suit.
A Senegalese Koran teacher suspected of raping 27 of his female students was arrested on Monday after several weeks on the run, a police source told AFP.
The man is accused of assaulting the students at his school in the holy city of Touba in central Senegal, a local police official said.
The suspect went missing after the accusations emerged earlier this year following a complaint from alleged victims who produced medical certificates, the source added.
He was arrested on Monday “after handing himself over to the police. After questioning, he was handed over to the gendarmerie,” the official said.
The source said the teacher is accused of “raping 27 students” but did not provide precise details on the dates of the alleged crimes or the age of the complainants.
Local media reported that the alleged victims were “minors”, implying they were under 15, and that the Koranic school has been closed.
The newspaper “Le Jour” wrote last week that the affair came to light when one of the girls refused to return to the school, where students learn about Islamic teachings, because the teacher “had sexual relations with her and all the other girls”.
Touba is considered a holy city by the Mourides, a major Islamic brotherhood in the Muslim-majority West African country.
The arrest comes after opposition figurehead Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in jail for inciting a young woman to “debauchery”, although he was cleared of a rape charge.
Sonko’s legal battles over the rape allegations had captured media attention for two years, but the issue of sexual violence faded into the background as the affair became increasingly politicised.
Senegal criminalised rape in 2020.
In the wake of grievances over the removal of fuel subsidy, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has demanded an increase in the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000.
The demands which has already been forwarded to the Federal Government, is part of conditions being put forward by the labour union to shelve it proposed strike, in the wake of the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by government.
A list of other demands is contained in a joint statement signed by Comrade Festus Osifo, President TUC and Comrade Nuhu Abba Toro, Secretary General, respectively, which was also made available to our reporter on Monday.
TUC also wants government to revert back to the old fuel pump prices of N195 while negotiation continues.
“Minimum wage should be increased from the current N30,000 to N200,000 before the end of June 2023 with consequential adjustment on Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), like feeding, transport, housing,” TUC stated.
The Union said a representative of state governors will be party to this new minimum wage and all the governors must commit to implement the new wage.
It also wants tax holiday for employees both in government and private sector that earn less than N200,000 or 500USD monthly whichever is higher.
” We want PMS Allowance to be introduced for those earning between N200,000 to N500,000 or 500USD to 1,200USD whichever is higher.
“The Exchange rate for retailing PMS in the country must be kept within a limit of +- 2% for the next ten (10) years where the fluctuation is more that 2%, the minimum wage will automatically increase at the same rate.
“Setting up of intervention fund where government will be paying N10 per liter on all locally consumed PMS. The primary purpose of this fund is to solve perennial and protracted national issues in education, health and housing. A governance structure that will include labour, civil society and government will be put in place to manage the implementation.
“Federal government should provide mass transit vehicles for all categories of the populace.
“State Governments should immediately set up a subsidized transportation system to reduce the pressure on workers and students. The framework around this will be worked out.
“Immediate review of the National Health Insurance Scheme to cover more Nigerians and prevent out of stock of drugs.
“Visitation of the refineries that are currently undergoing rehabilitation to ascertain state of work and Setting up timeline for its completion.
“The president should direct who ever will be labour minister to immediately constitute the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC). This platform will be used by government, Labour and employer to discuss issues and policies of government that may affect workers and all other mandate as specified in the law.
“Provision of subsidy directly for food items, the 800million dollars could be a first step.
“The existing National Housing Fund (NHF) should be made accessible to genuine workers; the framework on this must be discussed and agreed.
“Medium Term, Deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) across the country in line with the earlier promise made by government. The framework and timeline will be developed and agreed by both parties.
“Labour and government to design a framework that will be geared towards the reduction of cost of governance by 15% in 2024 and 30% by 2025.
“A framework should be immediately put in place to maintain the road and expand the rail networks across the country. Government must design a framework for social housing policy for workers through Rent to Own System.
“The state of electricity in the country must be appraised and an action plan should be defined with time lines on how to get this fixed. A strong monitoring team comprising of all parties will be constituted,” the statement added.