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February 28, 2024 NLC Calls Suspends Nationwide Protests, Presents 17 Demands to Tinubu

NLC Calls Suspends Nationwide Protests, Presents 17 Demands to Tinubu

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has made a 17-point demand to President Bola Tinubu to mitigate what it described as poverty, hunger and mass suffering inflicted on the citizens by the policies of the federal government.

Recall the NLC held a nationwide protest yesterday in Nigerian states of Lagos, Adamawa, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Kano, Niger , Akwa Ibom, Zamfara and among others, complaining of massive impoverishment in the nation.

Leaders of the NLC later suspended the protest late Tuesday evening after the first day, saying its suspension was based on the fact that the street action achieved overwhelming success.

In a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting yesterday in Abuja, President of NLC and Acting General Secretary, Joe Ajaero and Ismail Bello, said: “The NEC-in-session, therefore, reviewed the execution of the first day of the nationwide protest to assess its effectiveness and take decision on further necessary action to guide congress in its effort at engaging government to protect the people and Nigerian workers from the increasing scourge of hardship.”

The NLC however issued a 17-point demand to the presidency saying if adequately implemented; the demands would assist the nation to overcome the present crisis of survival in the short-run.

“However, your Excellency, NLC believes that the following demands as proposed below, if immediately implemented will assist our nation overcome the present crisis of survival in the short-run.

‘’They are adoption of measures to mitigate the increasing hardship in the country via mechanisms that will allow for immediate food availability locally.

  1. We suggest a reopening of land borders to allow food, cement and other essentials to come in.
  2. Emergency measures to ensure food security around the country, including ensuring that farmlands are secured so that farmers can return to the land.
  3. We propose an immediate removal of the collection of levies, fees, dues and tolls from petty traders across the nation by local and state governments.
  4. Immediate implementation of the October 2, 2023, agreement reached with your government.
  5. An immediate purchase and deployment of CNG/ electric buses across all states of the federation to be managed by stakeholders.
  6. An immediate deployment of large numbers of CNG conversion kits to all states of the federation to grant the citizenry easier access to conversion of their vehicles from PMS to CNG.
  7. Composition of a team of relevant stakeholders to monitor and supervise all Federal Government’s intervention funds in the interest of Nigerian people.
  8. The same arrangement is advocated at all levels to ensure that government interventions reach the poor and the vulnerable.
  9. Reversal and suspension of further increases in school fees across the nation;
  10. A drastic reduction and removal of import duties paid on essential drugs and medical consumables to relieve the current hardship being witnessed by the sick.
  11. Direct all state governments to immediately pay all owed wages, wage awards, allowances, gratuities and pensions.
  12. Cash Transfers to the vulnerable with verifiable and inclusive social register to begin immediately.
  13. An immediate tax holiday to all workers earning from N100,000 per month and below including a reduction in PAYE for all workers earning below N500,000/Month.
  14. A removal of VAT on basic consumer items. Direct the purchase and use of Made in Nigeria goods and services to stimulate local production and save jobs.
  15. Immediate reduction in the cost of governance in Nigeria at all levels to reflect the nation’s tight fiscal position.
  16. Halt immediately the implementation of all IMF and World Bank policies in Nigeria. They have not only worked anywhere but have brought extreme hardship which imperils our nation’s security and undermines our sovereignty.
  17. Speedy conclusion of the National Minimum Wage negotiation, ensuring that it approximates a living wage.

Some of the foregoing proposals and recommendations are actually part of previously agreed Collective Bargaining Agreements, CBA, between organised labour and government at various times. “We believe that diligent implementation of these proposals; in consultation with social partners via the various processes of social dialogue will go a long way in recovering our economy from the precipice and repositioning Nigeria as a productive economy with capabilities for decent job creation, inclusive growth and the rule of law.

Mr. President, the current economic hardship facing our nation requires bold and decisive action. As the leader of our great country, we urge you to heed the cries of the Nigerian people and take immediate steps to alleviate their suffering.

“The resilience and ingenuity of our workforce are invaluable assets that, if harnessed effectively, can propel Nigeria towards a future of prosperity and progress.

“While we look forward to your consideration of our proposals, please accept the renewed assurances of our highest esteem.’’

But reacting to the protest yesterday, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, described it as needless.

Speaking in an interview , the president’s spokesman said the Federal Government is doing everything possible to ameliorate hardship in the land.

He said: “Any labour union that is speaking to the concerns of Nigerian families, the pains that are being felt by our people, is absolutely free to do so. It is right that Nigerians speak up in difficult situations.

“The government has been doing everything possible to alleviate those concerns. But we also want to separate the legitimate concerns being expressed by some of the labour unions from people trying to leverage some of the situations in the country to achieve a political agenda.

“We have seen the Trade Union Congress, TUC, pull out of the purported nationwide protest. We have seen the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, pull out of the protest. There is no unanimity behind what NLC is trying to do.

“I believe all legitimate concerns being raised by the unions are being tackled by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.”

 

February 26, 2024 CSO’s On Collision Course With Governor Hope Uzodinma in Imo

CSO’s On Collision Course With Governor Hope Uzodinma in Imo

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Imo state, South-East Nigeria, have urged the state’s House of Assembly to pass a resolution compelling the State Governor, Hope Uzodimma to conduct local government elections before May 2024.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Owerri on Sunday, the groups noted that the last time Imo held LG election was in August 2018, and that even then, the set of LGA officials elected were sacked in May 2019 when Governor Hope Uzodimma came to power.

The CSOs which included the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Christian Aid, and the Tax Justice and Governance Platform therefore noted that the people of the state are no longer progressing as they should due to the absence of leadership at the LG level.

They gave Gov. Hope Uzodimma a three-month ultimatum within which to conduct local government elections in the state.

In the statement they read at the press conference entitled “Imo State Economic Challenges and Debt Management amid Economic Uncertainties in Nigeria,” the state Coordinator of Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Mr Chibundu Uchegbu, said the need for the LG elections was long due.

Uchegbu said: “The people of the state are no longer progressing as they should due to the absence of leadership at the LG level.

“The last time Imo held LG election was in August 2018 with the set of elected LGA officials disbanded in less than one year in office – specifically in May 2019 – by a successive government.

Since that time to date, the affairs of LG system in the state are being run by unelected officials, therefore, denying the people their democratic rights, aspirations and privileges.

This is a clear violation of Section 7 (1) of 1999 Constitution as amended, which says “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the government of every state shall subject to Section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a Law, which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance functions of such councils.”

He said that in spite of the huge sums of money injected into their treasury from the Federation Account Allocation Committee on monthly basis, LGs are not living up to their responsibilities to the people in grassroots.

This is because the State Government prefers to use appointees to run the affairs of the LGAs,” he said.

They urged the State Government not to interfere in the activities of the LG Chairmen when they were elected to enable them to function optimally.

February 26, 2024 Over 5000 Petitions, N60bn Has Been Received Within First 100 Days – EFCC Boss

Over 5000 Petitions, N60bn Has Been Received Within First 100 Days – EFCC Boss

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, says the anti-graft agency received over 5,000 fraud petitions and recovered N60bn loot within its first 100 days of his assumption of office of which 3,000 has been approved for investigation.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Olukoyede EFCC chairman on October 12, 2023.

He replaced Abdurasheed Bawa, an appointee of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who was suspended, detained, and booted out of office by Tinubu.

Olukoyede, speaking on Saturday in Lagos as the guest lecturer at the 20th-anniversary lecture of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resources Centre, said the EFCC had recovered over N60bn and $10m, in less than four months since he assumed office.

He said, “When we set out to investigate, people see it as a fight between EFCC and the rest of us. It should not be so. How much will the EFCC do?

How much will the ICPC do with its staff strength? I have less than 4,800 staff. I am talking of an agency that is serving people who are over 150 million.

“All we have to do is investigate and present the facts before the court. I will not be the one to give judgment. That is where we have collective responsibility. When you see something, you say something

The issue is we are working as if we are not working. Upon my assumption of office between then and now, I have received over 5,000 petitions. I am not talking of just the one we received, but the one that we have checked and we discovered that there was substance in it. That is just for one agency, the EFCC.

 “As I am talking to you I have approved the investigation of over 3,000 cases in less than four months, but what is our capacity? How many staff do we have? What resources do I have access to?

In less than four months, we secured convictions of 700 and recovered over N60bn and over $10m.

If I am able to recover over N60bn in less than 100 days, you can imagine how much has been stolen.

I can tell you that for the billion that has been recovered, a trillion has been stolen.”

On his part, the Chairman of HEDA, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, noted that the anti-corruption fight had been challenging and urged all Nigerians to join the fight.

 

We need an effective policing system with integrity, then the court must not continue to discharge persons with corruption cases still hanging on their necks,” Suraju said.

February 25, 2024 ECOWAS Gives Reasons for Lifting Ban on B/Faso, Mali & Niger

ECOWAS Gives Reasons for Lifting Ban on B/Faso, Mali & Niger

The Economic Community of West African State​s (ECOWAS) says the decision to lift sanctions on Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso was based on the need to maintain regional unity and security.

D​r Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission said this at the end of the extraordinary session of the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that the authority took note of the period of Lent and the approaching month of Ramadan and the impact on citizens, adding that pleas were also received from prominent leaders including retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

The authority takes note that the withdrawal will have political, social, socio economic, financial and institutional implications for the three countries as well as for ECOWAS as a region.

The authority recalls that within the framework of regional cooperation against terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime, the three countries benefited from about 100 million US dollars mobilised by UMR within the context of ECOWAS plan of action against terrorism.

Moreover, some funds allocation, about 7.5 million U.S. dollars is being made towards supporting the three countries in acquiring the equipment to help their fight against terrorism.

”The withdrawal will affect security cooperation in terms of sharing intelligence and participation in regional counterterrorism initiatives.

”Such as the Accra initiative, and the Multinational Joint Task Force,’‘ he said.

Touray added that the withdrawal of the countries from the sub-regional bloc would lead to diplomatic and political isolation at the international scene where the countries have obtained support for their candidates in the contest for international positions.

The authority recognises that the withdrawal will automatically affect the immigration status of the citizens, as they may be required to obtain visas to travel around the region.

Citizens may no longer be able to reside or set up businesses under ECOWAS arrangement and may be subject to diverse national laws.

Even though they represent 10% of the region’s GDP, their departure will constitute a reduction of the market size of ECOWAS.

He said that the sanctions were lifted to promote trade and benefits derived from​several regional projects and programmes including the Regional Food Security Reserve.

The regional support programme for powerful pastoralism in the Sahel, which is being funded by the World Bank to the tune of 215 million US dollars is also a project that benefits the three countries.

The three countries also benefit from the Sahel regional irrigation support programme, which is being funded by the World Bank to the tune of 103 million US dollars.

The three regional food systems resilient support programme in the amount of 230 million, funded by the World Bank is also benefiting the three countries.

West African single identity and regional integration and inclusion project is another programme that the three countries benefit from.”

He said that other projects the countries benefits from are the ECOWAS regional electricity market, West African Power Pool project, which links member states to a regional electricity grid for improved access to electricity.

He said not lifting the sanction would result in the halt or the suspension of all ECOWAS projects and programmes worth more than 500 million US dollars.

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