Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has appealed to residents of Abuja not to partake in the planned nationwide protest against hardship.

Wike made the appeal while interacting with residents after he inspected the ongoing construction of a 5-kilometre access road to Saburi 1 and 2 in Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, in Abuja on Thursday.

Some unidentified Nigerians have planned to embark on a peaceful protest over hunger and insecurity in the country beginning on August 1.

However, the minister said that President Bola Tinubu is aware of the concerns of Nigerians and is working hard to address the challenges.

Describing the current hunger and suffering as a temporary situation, the minister said that the ongoing reforms and policies would soon yield the desired results.

He alleged protest is being organized by some politicians in a bid to destabilize Tinubu’s administration.

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has directed its 104 affiliated youth organizations to remain on standby consultation ahead of the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1.

Frustrated Nigerians, who are dissatisfied with the state of the economy and the hardship in the land, have vowed to hit the streets in protest.

The youth body stated it would, in the next four days, consult widely with various stakeholders, including government officials, security agencies, civil society organizations, and the media, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issues.

However, the federal government has warned that there would be dire consequences for the stability of the country if the nationwide protest being planned by some Nigerians goes ahead.

In a communiqué issued on Thursday following an emergency meeting of its National Executive, 36 State Chairmen, and other stakeholders held via Zoom from Wednesday into the early hours of Thursday, the NYCN expressed concern over the severe socio-economic challenges and widespread hardship faced by citizens, especially the youth.

The communiqué, signed by its President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, stated that the youth body would hold a world press conference on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, to address the nation on current issues and its stance on the upcoming protest.

The communiqué reads: “On July 24, 2024, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) convened a crucial meeting with its National Executive, 36 State Chairmen, and other key stakeholders to deliberate on the state of the nation and the looming nationwide protest scheduled for August 1, 2024.

“The meeting was held via Zoom and lasted for several hours, addressing the urgent concerns of Nigerian youths and the overall socio-economic and political climate of the country.

“NYCN leaders acknowledged that the current socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria, including rising inflation, insecurity, unemployment, and the general hardship experienced by citizens, particularly the youth, have reached alarming levels.

“After extensive deliberations, the following resolutions were adopted: The NYCN commits to, in the next four days, consult widely with various stakeholders, including government officials, security agencies, civil society organizations, and the media, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issues.”

NYCN reaffirmed its commitment to representing the interests of Nigerian youths and advocating for positive change in the nation.

The Super Falcons of Nigeria will begin their quest for a podium finish at the 2024 Olympic Games when they confront Brazil in their opening Group C fixture on Thursday (today).

The encounter is slated for the Matmut Atlantique Stadium, Bordeaux. It will kick-off at 6pm.

The Super Falcons are back to the Olympics after a 16-year absence.

Tonight’s encounter will be the third meeting between Nigeria and Brazil.

Brazil won their first meeting 4-3 at the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The South Americans also claimed a 3-1 victory the last time both countries met at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Brazil will be led by the legendary Marta, who has scored 118 goals in 183 appearances for the Samba Girls.

The Super Falcons will also face current world champions Spain and former world champions Japan in the same group.

Randy Waldrum’s side lost 1-0 to Canada in their only friendly before the Olympics.

The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, has warned residents to avoid violent protests similar to the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

She urged residents to avoid the destruction of public properties.

Salu-Hundeyin gave the warning while addressing newsmen after a routine security meeting with the secretaries to the local governments at the state secretariat in Alausa, Lagos.

Naija News reports that during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, several public properties, including a Bus Rapid Transit terminal, were set ablaze by hoodlums, and lives were reportedly lost.

Due to the rising cost of living and staple foods, some Nigerians are planning another protest expected to kick-start on August 1, 2024, and run till August 10.

Speaking on the planned protest, the SSG affirmed that every Nigerian has the right to express themselves through protest, but warned residents to avoid violent demonstrations that would disrupt the peace of the state.

She said, “This is the state that does not owe any pensioner a Kobo. If you retired today, you should be expecting your pension immediately. The Lagos State Government is doing so much.

“Is it the Ilera Eko, the New Insurance Medical Schemes, the university we are building, the blue line rail, and others?

“It is a legitimate right for citizens to protest; there’s nothing wrong with it. The only thing people should worry about is that we do not want violence because the nascent peace we enjoy in Nigeria now and the development we are seeing, particularly in Lagos State, should not be truncated.

“We do not want anything to tamper with all that the state is currently enjoying. During the last protest (EndSARS), we saw the destruction that happened. They have a right, but their rights should not be for destruction.”

The chairman of Scribe 57 and Ikeja SLG, Akeem Dauda, raised the same alarm and described the planned protest as “unnecessary,” noting that local people would be engaged to discourage participation.

“We have resolved that the protest is uncalled for and unnecessary based on what Lagos State, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has done in the last year. We feel strongly about educating them about why the protest in Lagos is unnecessary,” he said.

…Labour Ministry, NSIWS get power to exempt employers

As workers anxiously look forward to the commencement of the N70,000 new minimum wage any moment from now, unfortunately not every worker will be paid the new wage.

Who are those that fall below the minimum wage threshold, and why?

Vanguard’s investigation revealed that the Tripartite Committee on the New National Minimum Wage, before it ended its works on June 5, 2024, recommended the categories of workers who are not eligible to receive the minimum wage.

Vanguard’s investigation shows that the 10-man sub-committee of the Tripartite committee comprising the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Onyejeocha Nkiruka, Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State, labour leaders, private sector operators, four from National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission among others, in a report recommended employer with a minimum of 10 employees as against the 25 employees contained in the now repealed 2018 Minimum Wage Act, among other categories of workers exempted from the national minimum wage.

According to the investigation, “the committee after careful considerations, consultation and survey, including reports of the public hearings, as well as to provide the solution to issues and concerns raised, noted that to avoid unreasonable or unfair exclusion of many poor workers from the right to a decent earning, this sub-committee tried to take a different approach to determine who should be exempted.

“Rather than exemption based on capacity to employ, the exemption should be based on revenue or net income, either quarterly or annually. Enforcement mechanisms should be able to access accounts of employer organisations to determine compliance.

“Rather than focus mainly on monthly salary, which is only applicable to government and organised private sector employment, an hourly, daily and weekly minimum wage should be introduced to establishments or businesses that either pay after work or those that may opt to pay weekly, in addition to monthly payment that’s prevalent in organised private sector and the governments. This will take care of part time and piece-rate employees.”

It equally recommended the introduction of flexibility to exemption, by making it possible for organisations to be able to apply for exemption. To encourage startups and entrepreneurship, years of starting business could be factored.

Criteria for Exemption

In the opinion of the committee, to qualify for exemption from the mandatory payment of minimum wage, a business must fall under a Nano business(Business managed by 1-3 persons with capital below N50,000) and micro business enterprise, has 10 or a smaller number of employees, startup businesses, legal or statutory exemption and commission contract

Others include establishments that have less than N50-million revenue per quarter or N200 million revenue per annum, organisations with less than 10 staff, establishments of not more than three years in existence, industries which have their staff remuneration and compensation regulated by other Acts of the National Assembly or any other business which the Minister of Labour and Employment or the Executive Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission finds to be reasonably justified to be waived or exempted, provided that such waiver shall not be given unless the reason for its application is based on evidence of lower revenue, insolvency, debt crisis or other justification that threaten the existence of the establishment, which shall not apply to governments or their ministries, departments and agencies.

Before arriving at its recommendations, the committee took note of the exemption of workers on seasonal employment such as agricultural farmlands, exemption of any person working in a vessel or aircraft to which laws regulating merchant shipping or civil aviation applies.

The committee also noted that “The formal sector wage pattern: governments, corporate organisations and other organised private sector businesses. The wage pattern in this category is mainly every month. Workers and their employers in this category are usually the focus of the national minimum wage laws.

There is yet, a serious challenge when it comes to coverage of or compliance with, as the case may be, the national minimum wage even amongst this category of employers.

Therefore, it is difficult to have an accurate assessment of the pattern either because some establishment shortchanges by strategically avoiding the threshold or, in the case of state governments, refusing to comply with the law.”

It pointed out “the informal sector wage pattern, in which workers do not have any earning yardstick, wages in this sector are multi-dimensional. Compensation and remuneration in this category range from commission, to piece-rate. Some are paid daily after close of business which might be dependent upon daily sales. Some are employed on apprenticeship, to work and learn, while helping to build or grow the business with the agreement to get settlement by taking a share of the business, becoming partners or receiving settlements after some agreed years.

Justification for exemption

The sub-committee considered the rationale, justification and objective for excluding organisations from mandatory compliance with the national minimum wage laws based on the number of their employees.

The sub-committee considered that many organisations with supposedly slim workforces earn multi-billion naira in annual revenue, and yet do not on their own volition find it fair to commensurately compensate their junior staff with an amount above the minimum wage standard.

The sub-committee also found that this idea of exemption is even discouraged by the International Labour Organisation, describing it as unfair to the lowest earners of the society.

The sub-committee argues that even if this form of exemption becomes necessary, 25 employees as the baseline for such exemption is unfair and unrealistic.

In the wake of growing hardship in the country and calls for a nationwide protest against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Federal Government yesterday pleaded with Nigerians for more time, promising to handle the protest as a ‘’family matter.” 

It also pledged to resolve all issues in a manner that will ensure the peace and stability of the nation.

The government’s position came on a day South-East governors advised aggrieved Nigerians not to go ahead with the nationwide protests, saying the country was too tense for such protests.

This is even as the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, asked both the federal and state governments to listen to the cries of the people and warned against the use of brute force to suppress the protest.

Similarly, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government to dialogue with planned protesters to address their concerns, while human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, warned the government against threatening organisers of the planned protests.

‘Family matter’

Speaking after a meeting of members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, at the instance of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume, yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said in a brief interview: “We came together to discuss. You can see that this is not happening at the council chambers, it is happening in the office of the SGF and many of the ministers are here.

“We have discussed issues of national interest and all of us are working for Nigeria and we hope and believe Nigeria is going to be great again.

“No one is going to sleep. Those who are agitating and asking for protests are Nigerians, they are our brothers, they are our sisters, they are all Nigerians and those in positions of authority – the ministers, the President, everybody, we are all Nigerians too.

“So, this is a family matter. This is a Nigerian family issue and all of us are looking at this issue very well and we hope that peace will prevail at the end of the day.”

Asked if the government had been engaging with the stakeholders and organizers of the planned protest, Idris said engagement had always been an ongoing thing.

“This is not a peculiar situation, engagement has been ongoing. The President has met severally with all key stakeholders. I have also been meeting with stakeholders, other government functionaries have also been meeting with other key stakeholders.

“Engagement is going to continue and in the interest of Nigeria, we will continue to engage. We know this is the only country that all of us have and at the end of the day, Nigeria is going to be better for all of us for it,” he stated.

On alleged insistence by some top Nigerians, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, that the protests must go on, Idris said the senior lawyer is entitled to his opinion in a democracy.

“He (Falana) is an individual. This is a democracy, everyone is entitled to his opinion. The protesters are also Nigerians, this is a democratic situation. What I keep saying is that we are all Nigerians and we are all acting in the interest of Nigeria, but suffice to say that yesterday, (Tuesday) Mr President said there is no need for any protest, let us calm down.

“A lot is happening, Nigeria is going to move and march on and we believe that whatever government comes out with will be in the interest of Nigeria. We don’t think there is need for any protest, we are appealing for calm, we are appealing for a peaceful resolution or peaceful approach to any issue.

“If you have anything you want to put out there, you are free to put it out there but government is insisting that we are all Nigerians, we have to be calm, we have to be patient and suffice it to say let us give peace a chance.

“Mr President is working round the clock, his ministers are working, everyone is working, all hands are on deck.

“Like I said yesterday (Tuesday), everyone is listening; we are all listening, the President is listening and he has a message for all Nigerians. That message is that they should all calm down, they should please give the man more time. Everything they asked for, all their pleas will be answered,” he added.

Some of the ministers who attended the meeting include Nyesom Wike (FCT); Yusuf Tuggar (Foreign Affairs); Zephaniah Jisalo (Special Duties); Tahir Mamman (Education); and Abubakar Bagudu (Budget and Planning). 

Others are Wale Edun (Finance); Mohammed Idris (Information); Bello Matawalle (Defence); David Umahi (Works); and the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, among others.

Eni says it has received regulatory approval from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for the sale of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC Ltd) to Oando Plc.

In a statement on Wednesday, Eni said it has received formal consent to finalise the deal.

In September 2023, Oando announced plans to acquire the NAOC, but the deal was delayed due to regulatory approvals required.

On July 3, the NUPRC announced that Oando had completed the acquisition of 100 percent shares of Eni in its subsidiary, NAOC, adding that an announcement was imminent.

Confirming this in the statement, the Italian oil company said it has obtained all other relevant local and regulatory authorities’ authorisations.

“Having already obtained all other relevant local and regulatory authorities’ authorizations, this achievement will allow Eni to proceed to the completion of the transaction for the sale of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd (NAOC Ltd), Eni’s wholly owned subsidiary focusing on onshore oil & gas exploration and production as well as power generation in Nigeria, to Oando PLC, Nigeria’s leading national energy solutions provider, listed on both the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchange,” the statement reads.

“NAOC Ltd participating interest in SPDC JV (Shell Production Development Company Joint Venture – operator Shell 30%, TotalEnergies 10%, NAOC 5%, NNPC 55%) is not included in the perimeter of the transaction and will be retained in Eni’s portfolio.

“Eni remains committed to the country through investments in deepwater projects and Nigeria LNG.”

The company also said it is developing plans for economic diversification in the country.

This, according to Eni, includes assessing the potential production of agri-feedstock for Enilive biorefineries and various nature- and technology-based projects, such as clean cooking initiatives, to offset emissions.

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has reacted on social media in a shell-shocked manner after his country suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat against Morocco in their 2024 Paris Olympic opening clash yesterday.

Argentina were down 2-1 when a massive 15-minute injury time was added at the end of 90 minutes.

Cristian Medina looked to have scored a late equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw for La Albiceleste.

However, the game was interrupted as angry Moroccan fans entered the stadium.

The match was temporarily suspended and after almost two hours, a VAR check confirmed that the goal was ruled out because of offside.

The remaining three-plus minutes were played as players re-emerged in an empty stadium.

The match ended 2-1 win in favour of Morocco, sparking a reaction from Messi on social media.

The Inter Miami captain wrote on his Instagram story:

“Insolito (Spanish).” “Unbelievable (English).”

Messi is currently recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during Argentina’s Copa America triumph over Colombia.

The former Barcelona captain is not part of Argentina’s squad at Olympics.

The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA), Arewa Think Tank (ATT), and Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (ABMF) have backed out of the planned nationwide protest.

In a communiqué read by Muhammad Yakubu, convener of ATT, on Wednesday after a meeting in Kaduna, the groups denounced the protest as “counterproductive” and could lead to violence and the loss of lives.

“We, the youth of the Arewa Youth Assembly, remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, advocating for youth development, and promoting peace and progress in our nation,” the communiqué reads.

“We call on all stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and the private sector, to join hands with us in achieving these goals.

“We, the youth, firmly resolve to embrace entrepreneurship as a powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty and foster wealth creation in Nigeria.

“We recognise that by developing our entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, we can become self-sustainable and reduce dependence on the government for employment opportunities.”

The groups called on the government to implement measures aimed at developing the knowledge and skills of the youths.

They also said the government should prioritise youth development and empowerment as a matter of urgency, both at the national and sub-national levels.

“We urge the federal government to address the prevailing issues of banditry and insurgency effectively by ensuring security and stability,“ the groups added.

“The youth can actively engage in the agricultural sector, which has significant potential for business opportunities and economic growth.

“It is imperative for young people to equip themselves with the necessary tools and adapt to the rapidly evolving global landscape.”