President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the national minimum wage needs a review to reflect realities, assuring that improved livelihood for Nigerians remains a top priority of his administration, with more people-focused economic policies.
He, therefore, advised that the national and sub-national governments should work together on the issue, which, according to him, already requires “soul searching.’’
The President made these declarations on Friday when he received members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) led by the Chairman, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu stated: “We need to do some arithmetic and soul searching on the minimum wage,’’ adding, “We will have to take a look at that together, and the revenue. We must strengthen the source and application of our revenue.’’
He urged the governors to seize the opportunity of being chosen among millions of citizens in their states to make a difference in the lives of people, adding that he will work for the benefit of Nigerians.
“This meeting is not strange to me, and the content of the meeting is so valuable. The camaraderie is very stimulating. This is about the Nigerian project, not Bola Tinubu,’’ he said.
The President said that the multiple exchange rates will be streamlined, noting that governance was a continuum.
“I have inherited the assets and liabilities of my predecessor. This is the first time you entered the Council Chambers, and it is my first time too for a meeting.
“As progressives and thinkers under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC), you have a role to play in educating our people and making sure we manage ourselves,’’ the President told the governors.
Tinubu said it was a good and encouraging sign that the APC has a majority in the National Assembly and some Houses of Assembly, which will make it easier to develop policies that will directly impact the economy and the people.
“If we work together, the Nigeria of our dreams is not far away. Rest assured that we will not have multiple exchange rates anymore. You asked for this meeting, and I had to set aside time to be here.
“We have a political party that we will need to manage, whichever way, we have inherited assets and liabilities, and we cannot complain,’’ he stated.
Tinubu said he would maintain an open-door policy, willing to entertain issues, deliberate, and collectively find solutions to the challenges facing the country, including security.
“It is in our hands, and I am ready to work and listen at any time,’’ he added.
In his remarks, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, called on the governors to rally around the President as he tackles the challenges that stagnate the economy, like the oil subsidy and multiple exchange rates.
“Let us rally around the President and not buckle. There are vested interests that may want to resist the subsidy removal. Its removal will free resources for the development of your states,” he added.
Earlier, the Governor of Imo State pledged the support of the Progressive Governors to the President, noting that the initial decisions already foretell good intentions for the economy.
“We are here today as members of the APC to fraternize with you as our leader, and congratulate you on your election as President, and Commander-in-Chief.
“We are using this opportunity to express our support for you at this trying time in our history,’’ he said.
Uzodinma noted that the President had started well, by placing the economy and welfare of the people on a priority list, with honesty of purpose.
“We are aware of your capacity and excellent track record,’’ the PGF Chairman stated.
Speaking to correspondents later, Uzodinma, declared that Tinubu never prepared the 2023 Appropriation Act that did not provide for subsidy payment beyond June this year, and therefore, he was not the one that directed the cessation of subsidy payment.
Uzodinma, who noted that all the presidential candidates promised to remove subsidy if elected, also said that since every government must inherit assets and liabilities from preceding governments, subsidy removal was part of the liabilities taken over by the Tinubu administration.
The PGF boss recalled that even the National Economic Council (NEC) led by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also agreed that subsidy must go.
He said petroleum subsidy was no longer sustainable as he said it was pulling the country down.
Uzodinma noted that it has come to the point where it was either managed or it would kill the country.
He added: “If you’ll recall, government after government attempted to remove subsidy on petroleum products, right from 1999 till date and it has not been 100% successful. After all, the subsidy has been removed from AGO and today, 70% of the houses in various metropolis have generators installed as a source of energy.
“Now, during the presidential campaigns, the presidential candidates of all the political parties promised that when they assume office they’ll remove subsidy on petroleum products. No presidential candidate of any political party that did not make that promise as part of his campaign manifesto.
“Now what Mr. President did during the inauguration, he did not direct that subsidy should be removed, we already agreed as a government and in the National Economic Council that subsidizing petroleum products is no longer sustainable because for the past two years, we have been borrowing to subsidize and in various meetings.”
Importers have condemned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s over its denial that the Naira has been devalued.
In an interview with BusinessDay, an importer, who craved anonymity, asked the CBN to be truthful.
In its report titled, “Business leaders insist they get dollars at N630 despite CBN denial“, BusinessDay quoted manufacturers and importers as saying they had been buying dollars at N630.
“We bid every two weeks. Last week’s CBN bid rate was actually N634-N636 officially. Our government should always tell us the truth, the naira has been devalued officially; that’s the truth,” BusinessDay quoted one importer to have said.
“The real question is why the CBN is fraudulently maintaining the unrealistic N461 rate when the market is already executing trades at a much weaker rate. There’s a lot of deceit in the air.”
Daily Trust had reported how the apex bank devalued the Naira to N631 to the dollar from N461.6 it sold at the Importers and Exporters (I&E) window.
After the story went viral on social media, CBN via its Twitter handle, posted a stamp which read: “Fake News”.
The bank also issued a statement in which it cast aspersion on one of the most respected media outlets on the African continent.
“We wish to state categorically that this news report, which in the imagination of the newspaper is exclusive, is replete with outright FALSEHOODS and destabilizing innuendos, reflecting potentially willful ignorance of the said medium as to the workings of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market,” the statement read.
But responding in a statement, Daily Trust said it had evidence of those who bought the dollar at the reported rate, and challenged the CBN to provide any facts to the contrary.
CBN had not provided any proof at the time of filing this report.
‘Return petrol to old pump price or face nationwide Strike,’ - NLC gives Tinubu till Wednesday
Admin…directs affiliate unions, state councils to commence mobilisation
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Friday, asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to revert to the old pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol or face industrial action.
NLC gave the NNPCL till Wednesday to return to the old price of N194 per litre or it would direct its members to withdraw their services nationwide.
This is as the Labour centre has directed all its affiliates unions and state councils to commence mobilisation in case the government through the NNPCL refuses to revert to the old pump price of PMS.
Briefing journalists after its extensive National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero noted with regret that NNPCL on Wednesday jerked up the pump prices of PMS by over 200 per cent bringing the price of fuel to between N488 and N557 per litre.
Ajaero said after an unanimous decision of all NLC affiliates, unions were directed to commence mobilisation immediately ahead of the planned nationwide protest.
According to him, “The NLC decided that if by Wednesday next week the NNPCL, a private limited liability company, that illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector, refuses to announce revert itself for negotiation to continue, that the NLC and all its affiliates, will withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide until this is complied with.
“The NNPCL doesn’t have the monopoly to act illegally even as a private company. The NLC NEC therefore directed all state councils and all industrial unions to commence mobilisation from this moment to make sure that this action is enforced. The action has commenced at this moment.
He also called for a probe of the subsidy regime in the past eight years, the amount paid on subsidy and the beneficiaries of the payment.
The labour leader also urged the NNPCL to ensure a proper account of the amount of petroleum products Nigerians consume daily.
He accused the NNPCL of refusing to disclosed beneficiaries of subsidy and landing cost of petroleum products.
He said: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is calling for a thorough probe in the process of subsidy to know those involved and the amount involved. Investigate it properly before it is swept under the carpet.
“The current attempt to sweep the fraudulent practices in the subsidy regime should not be tolerated by all well-meaning Nigerians.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu after taking the oath of office as the 16th President in his inaugural speech on May 29, announced that fuel subsidy is gone.
The announcement has triggered hike in the fuel pump price less than 24 hours after the announcement and it has also caused more economic hardship to Nigerians.
The announcement has attracted the ire of the organised labour.
A meeting with the federal government team and organised labour on Wednesday ended in a deadlock.
Both parties are however expected to resume negotiations on Sunday.
A Benue State High Court has upheld the suspension of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu.
Ayu was in March suspended by his Nyorov council ward exco over failure to pay dues, abruptly ending his reign as the PDP National Chairman.
The ward exco had also accused Ayu of anti-party activities after which they passed a vote of no confidence on him.
While reading their resolution at the time, the secretary of the party in Igyorov ward, Vanger Dooyum, said Ayu’s anti-party activities – alongside his allies – contributed to PDP’s loss in his ward and local government in the governorship election.
They also alleged that the PDP chieftain did not vote during the governorship and state assembly elections held on the 18th of March, 2023.
According to them, most of Ayu’s closest allies worked for the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) which resulted in the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.
Twelve out of the seventeen exco members signed the documents endorsing his suspension.
Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana has described the decision of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to increase pump price of PMS as illegal.
He was speaking on the sideline of an emergency meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Executive Council in Abuja.
Mr Falana said NNPCL has a limited liability company does not have any legal power to jack up the price of petroleum.
He urged the federal government to go back to the drawing board with a view to finding alternative solution to the problem, one of which he says includes the need to address the dollarization of Nigeria’s economy.
President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of the former Benue State Governor, Senator George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.
The President also appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila as the Chief of Staff, and Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, a former Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, as the Deputy Chief of Staff.
The appointment was made public via a statement issued by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director, Information, State House. Abuja.
According to the statement, the President announced the appointment during the meeting he held with Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Akume was the immediate past Minister of Special Duties, under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Former Deputy National Chairman (South-West) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George says he is prepared to help and work with President Bola Tinubu if he consults him on the issues of governance.
George, who has opposed Tinubu’s presidential ambition many times and criticised the outcome of the presidential election that led to his inauguration, however, said his feud with him is not personal.
Yesterday, while fielding questions with journalists in his Ikoyi office, Lagos, George, a staunch critic of Tinubu said he was open to working with him for the interest of the country, according to Leadership.
The PDP chieftain had disclosed several times that he disagreed with Tinubu’s “methodologies of governance”, adding that he would leave the country if Tinubu emerged as President.
He, however, took another dimension on his disposition, yesterday, when he said, “If he comes and says look, what do you feel about this, what do you feel about that, let’s work together in the interest of this country, why would I refuse? This nation also trained me.”
“The military trained me. There is no part of the world that I have not been to, training and doing exercises. This country trained us. So, we must be able to put something back to the system that would also positively impact on the younger ones, to put a smile on their faces.’’
On the prolonged crisis in PDP, George said the disagreements on the principle of zoning during the campaign for the presidency “landed the party in a deck”.
“They divided Nigeria into six geo-political zones and sought out six top positions in Nigeria, to which each zone will go home with one position or the other.
“After eight years, all the positions in the north will come to the south so that the issue of the majority perpetually getting the goodies and the minority just being onlookers will be resolved.
“I have not seen any better system. Remember when APC first came, they said ‘we don’t believe in zoning, what nonsense, we are not going to do zoning,” he said.
“What did they do at the end? Where was Buhari from, where was Osinbajo from? Where was the speaker from? Where was the Senate president from?
“That was the major problem the PDP discountenanced and landed us in the deck because the national chairman emerged from the same north where the presidential candidate of the party also came from.
“When we tried to point out to them that the South-West had been left behind and not included in their calculation, they said we should come back after the elections. Then we said okay, we would also see after the elections. Now, we have seen the consequence.’’
The Nigeria Police Force has declared wanted Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, popularly called Axillary, former Oyo State Park Management Disciplinary Committee in Oyo state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Williams declared him him wanted while briefing newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters,Eleyele, Ibadan on Friday.
Williams said that the suspect was declared wanted in connection with cases of attempted murder, causing grevious harm, Arms Dealing , murder, armed robbery within Oyo state and Kidnapping at Oke-ogun and Ibarapa axis of the state.
He called on the general public and the good citizens of the state to take note and anybody with useful information about his whereabouts to contact the Command on any of these lines; 08033387701, 08023219552, 07055495413.
Recall that the police had on Tuesday raided Diamond Hotel at Alakia, owned by Lamidi and arrested 78 members of Park Management System loyal to him.
….as court adjourns further hearing till Monday
Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, who alleged that the 2023 presidential election was rigged, on Friday, tendered before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, 136 additional exhibits to support his claim.
The exhibits, which were admitted in evidence by the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel, comprised of results of the presidential election from six states of the federation.
The states the court admitted their presidential election results contained in Forms EC8A, were; Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos and Akwa Ibom.
Obi, who came third in the presidential election, told the court that the results he tendered in evidence, were certified true copies he obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He had on Thursday, tendered results of the election from 115 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in Rivers, Niger, Benue, Cross River, Osun, Ekiti.
At the resumed proceedings on Friday, the petitioners, obtained permission of the court to submit additional results from six LGAs in Rivers State, which were admitted and marked as Exhibits PB 16 to PB 21.
However, INEC, opposed the admissibility of the additional results from Rivers State, which it said were “strange” to it.
Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, who led INEC’s legal team, told the court that the Commission would advance reasons why it opposed the admissibility of the results, in its final written address.
Likewise, counsel that represented President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN, as well as that of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, challenged the admittance of the results in evidence.
The respondents said they would equally reserve their reasons for objecting to the admissibility of the election results, I their final written address.
Thereafter, Obi and the LP, tendered in evidence before the court, additional result from Bida LGA in Niger State, which was admitted as Exhibit PE 24.
Whereas the court admitted results from 21 LGAs in Adamawa state and marked them as Exhibits PH 1 to PH 21, it also admitted results of the presidential election from 8 LGAs in Bayelsa state and marked them as Exhibits PJ1 to PJ 8.
Also tendered, were results from 31 LGAs in Oyo, which the court admitted as Exhibits PK 1 – PK 31, while results from 18 LGAs in Edo state were marked as Exhibits PL1- PL 18.
The petitioners further tendered results of the presidential election from 20 LGAs in Lagos state which were admitted as Exhibits PM 1 – PM 20, with results from 31 LGAs in Akwa Ibom state, accepted in evidence as Exhibits PN 1 – PN 31.
It will be recalled that though Obi won the presidential election in Lagos state, he, however, alleged in his petition that there was massive suppression of votes in the state, adding that electorates that would have voted to him, were openly harassed or intimidated.
Meanwhile, by consensus of all the parties, the Justice Tsammani-led panel vacated its initial decision to continue the hearing on Saturday.
Even though lead counsel for the petitioners, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, said his team was ready to appear before the court on Saturday, however, counsel for all the respondents took turns to beg the court to shift further hearing of the case till next Monday, a request the panel acceded to.
Meantime, the panel will by 3pm, resume hearing on the petition that was filed before it by candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the presidential election.
Jamie Foxx is said to be partially paralysed and blind, along with other critical complications, as an effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A piece of shocking news has come out regarding the health of Hollywood star Jamie Foxx. As per the latest reports, Jamie is said to be partially paralysed and blind, along with other critical complications, as an effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Jamie Foxx had a blood clot in his brain after receiving the injection. He didn’t want the shot, but he was under pressure to obtain it for the movie he was in.
According to journalist A.P. Benza, the actor’s condition has gotten worse as a result of a “blood clot in his brain.” The journalist continued, saying that Jamie is “partially blind and paralysed.” According to the journalist, a reliable source has informed him that Foxx’s unexplained ailment was caused by the COVID vaccine.
Additionally, he says that the actor felt forced to get the shot. By saying that Jamie developed a blood clot in his brain following the injection. He didn’t want the shot, but the film he was working on put pressure on him to acquire it, according to Benza.
No official comment has been made by his family regarding the circumstances surrounding the medical emergency or his current state of health.
Since news of Foxx’s health difficulties initially broke, a lot of famous people and his friends have sent their well wishes to the actor.
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Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has tabled 13 demands before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he assumes office.
The group’s demand was disclosed by Ohanaeze’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
Speaking to Daily Post, Isiguzoro said Tinubu should allow Igbos to benefit from his economic policies, urging the president to ensure the railway line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri works.
He said: “The free market trade and postulations show that Igbos who are majorly traders will benefit from his economic policies.
“What Ndigbos expect at this moment is in the area of transport, he should look at the rail lines that go from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.
“He should look at the seaports and ensure no economic leakages.
“Tinubu should go for well-tested technocrats not corrupt politicians, and he must ensure that those who will form the next government are not those who put Nigeria into this mess.
“Tinubu should not recycle old politicians based on party affiliation.
“The government of national unity is an antidote to those challenging his electoral victory in court.
“He should go beyond APC and bring in technocrats from PDP, LP, and NNPP.
“Tinubu must ensure that there is no Islamization agenda in his government. Nigerians are afraid because of the possibility of having a president and vice who are Muslims and probably having a Senate President and Speaker who might be Muslims.
“This is why we are saying Akpabio might likely succeed as the Senate President. We know his track record of achievements as an uncommon governor. Irrespective of all the allegations, Akpabio stands as a better choice to balance the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“Ndigbo is interested in the economic aspect of his administration, and we will continue to support him like we did when he was governor of Lagos State.
“He should look into the things that have gone bad in Nigeria and ensure that all the political prisoners, including Nnamdi Kanu are released.
“Tinubu should ensure that all his appointments reflects federal character, and ensure merit is the watch word for all his appointments.
“Tinubu should know that with Ndigbo beside his government, the sky will be his starting limit.”
The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari has predicted when fuel queues arising from the crisis caused by the removal of subsidy would end.
According to him, the fuel queues being witnessed across the country would not exceed Saturday, Naija News learnt.
Kyari, while fielding questions on Channels TV during an interview yesterday said “I don’t see it staying beyond another day or two, maximum. It can actually be on Saturday. We have supplies. The key trouble with the PMS system is supply, but I have supplies.
“There are over 810 million litres of PMS in depots, tanks and fuel stations across the country, so you don’t have the problem of transferring those from marine to land, you already have them on the ground.”
Speaking further about the availability of the product, the NNPCL boss revealed that the company had over 800 million litres of petrol on land, stored in filling stations, tank farms and depots, while its total stock for both marine and land stood at about 1.8 billion litres.
He submitted that “Today I have 1.8 billion litres of PMS and that means that if we don’t do anything, I’ll have sufficient fuel for the next 30 days in my hands.
“But, of course, the way we supply is not this way, so we maintain this level of supply consistently. That means you will see the arrival of products every day so that you continue to maintain that level of safety.”
Kyari also validated the petrol pricing document for various states that circulated online on Wednesday saying “You have seen a document in the space out there. Every company does this. It is a marketing document. It was not a price announcing document, every company keeps this record and adjusts it appropriately on the basis of changing conditions in the market.
“So what you saw was just an internal company document that found its way into the internet. It is an NNPC document but it was not intended to be an announcement and is not an announcement, because it can change the next day.”
It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on Monday announced the end of the regime of fuel subsidy in the country. A development that has stirred a lot of controversies since his pronouncement.
The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, on Friday, deferred hearing on the petition the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, filed to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, till June 9.
The adjournment followed the inability of a new counsel that appeared for the petitioner, Mr. Yakubu Maikasua, SAN, to obtain a copy of the judgement of the Supreme Court that affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the presidential election that held on February 25.
President Tinubu had on the last adjourned date, May 30, when the petitioner was billed to open its case, drew attention of the court to the fact that the main issue the APM raised in its petition, was already decided by the apex court.
Tinubu’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, maintained that an appeal the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, filed against his client, which was dismissed by the Supreme Court, bordered on the legality or otherwise of his client’s nomination to contest the election by the All Progressives Congress, APC,.
He argued that the said judgement of the apex court touched on the substance of APM’s petition.
Chief Olanipekun, SAN, stressed that the only ground the APM canvassed in its petition, was the fact that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, had double nominations, prior to the presidential election.
Insisting that the issue had been settled by the Supreme Court, Tinubu’s lead counsel, said: “As officers of this court, it behoves us to assist the court in all circumstances and also bring to the attention of yours lordships, decisions of courts, even from other jurisdictions, which relate to any matter pending before yours lordships.
“Even if those decisions do not necessarily align with the interest of out clients. If becomes more imperative if we are aware or abreast of any decision of the Supreme Court which touches on matters within the proceedings before your lordships.
“In this wise my lords, this particular petition which has just been called in respect of which the sole issue that is being ventilated is the nomination of the 1st Respondent who we represent.
“We are aware that the Supreme Court gave a judgement on the issue on Friday, May 23, in respect of appeal No: SC/CV/501/2023, and the parties involved were PDP Vs INEC& 3 Ors, where the apex court considered all the issues and resolved them.
“We promise that within next two days, certified true copies of the judgement will be made available.
“We will also confirm from the petitioners, whether in the light of the Supreme Court decision, there will still be the need to continue with this petition,” he added.
Following an application by counsel that appeared for the petitioners, Mr. S.A.T. Abubakar, the Justice Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel adjourned the matter.
However, at the resumed proceedings on Friday, Mr. Maikasua, SAN, who took over the case from Mr. Abubakar, told the court that the petitioner had yet to obtain a copy of the Supreme Court judgement.
“My lords, I am not in a position to take a stand on the status of the petition. We are doing all we can to obtain the judgement.
“In the circumstance, may we humbly request for an adjournment to enable us to obtain a copy of the judgement so that we can be able to take a position in the status of the petition,” APM’s lawyer, Maikasua, SAN, added.
Both counsel that appeared for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN, and that of the APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said they were not opposed to the request for an adjournment.
Likewise, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, did not object to the request.
Consequently, the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led panel adjourned further proceedings on the petition till next Friday.
The APM had in its petition marked: CA/PEPC/04/2023, contended that the withdrawal of Mr. Masari who was initially nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The party argued that there was a gap of about three weeks between the period that Masari, who was listed as the 5th Respondent in the petition, expressed intention to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of his purported nomination, and the time Tinubu purportedly replaced him with Senator Kashim Shettima.
It further argued that Tinubu’s candidature had elapsed as at the time he nominated Shettima as Masari’s replacement.
According to the petitioner, as at the time Tinubu announced Shettima as the Vice Presidential candidate, “he was no longer in a position, constitutionally, to nominate a running mate since he had ceased to be a presidential candidate of the 2nd Respondent having regards to the provisions of section 142 of the 1999 Constitution”.
More so, APM, contended that Masari’s initial nomination activated the joint ticket principle enshrined in the Constitution, stressing that his subsequent withdrawal invalidated the said joint ticket.
It, therefore, prayed the court to declare that Shettima was not qualified to contest as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC as at February 25 when the election was conducted by INEC having violated the provisions the of Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“An order nullifying and voiding all the votes scored by Tinubu in the presidential election in view of his non-qualification as a candidate of the APC”.
Likewise, an order to set aside the Certificate of Return that was issued to the President by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Both President Tinubu and the APC had since filed processes to challenge the competence of the petition which they said was bereft of merit.
Canada has announced some category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates which will favour applicants with strong French language proficiency skills.
Canada’s Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser announced category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates, adding that the jobs in the STEM fields, carpenters, transport, agriculture, agri-food, and others will also be prioritised.
The arrangement noted that candidates applying for Express Entry who have strong French language proficiency skills or work experience in the following fields will be prioritised by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
In healthcare, there are science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors; transport has agriculture and agri-food.
The new category draws are expected to begin later this summer to fill open positions across Canada.
Fraser said that by allowing IRCC to invite more skilled workers in these targeted professions, it will support Canada’s commitment to welcoming in-demand professionals into communities across the country.
The Minister said immigration is regarded as a critical component in alleviating labour shortages and increasing the prominence of the French language in French minority communities outside of Quebec.
“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” says Fraser.
“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities”.
“Simply put, Canada’s immigration system has never been more responsive to the country’s social or economic needs.”
Following amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act made in June 2022, category-based draws were planned to start this year. The modifications give the minister the power to choose immigrants in support of Canada’s economic priorities based on key characteristics.
The categories were chosen by legislative mandates which the Minister engages in public consultation with provinces and territories, industry representatives, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners.
To address the shifting demands of Canada’s economy and labour market, Express Entry was established in 2015. The Express Entry is a system for managing applications for three types of economic immigration programs which are: the Federal Skilled Workers Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.
Candidates for these programs receive scores based on human capital factors like work experience, language proficiency, occupation, education, and more using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The candidates with the highest overall CRS score were the most likely to receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.