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January 31, 2024 Most Governors in the Wage Review Committee are Not Paying the Current Wage – Joe Ajaero

Most Governors in the Wage Review Committee are Not Paying the Current Wage – Joe Ajaero

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero said in a television interview that most Governors of the 37-Member Tripartite Committee On Minimum Wage are not complying with the proposed base pay structure.

Recall that Vice President Kashim Shettima had inaugurated the committee in Abuja earlier on Tuesday, saying the decision was aimed at ensuring a decent living wage and in compliance with the existing National Minimum Wage Act of 2019 which will expire in a few months from now.

He said said, ”Most of the governors in the minimum wage committee are those who are not paying minimum wage or paying them in breaches.”

”The governors who are in full compliance with the minimum wage are not adequately represented, so whatever made the Federal Government bring in those who are not compliant or compliant in breaches to form the bulk of the membership of the minimum wage committee from the state government that will unfold with time,” he added.

The House of Representatives’ move to amend the National Minimum Wage Act in 2017 for a compulsory review of workers’ remuneration every five years led to the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

When sked to name certain states that have failed to implement the minimum wage, Ajaero said, “A state like Zamfara, I don’t know how much Borno and Bauchi are paying, there is a minimum wage law which criminalises the non-compliance of the minimum wage.”

”And the Nigerian state has not tried to enforce these laws, others are just enforcing them in breaches. Take Anambra State for instance, Anambra State pays N30,000 for the least paid. I challenge anybody from Anambra to prove that even a permanent secretary is earning up to N170,000 or N180,000,” he said.

January 29, 2024 Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali Quit ECOWAS

Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali Quit ECOWAS

Three countries have abruptly pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States; ECOWAS citing influence of foreign powers and refusal to reverse sanctions meted out to them since democratic governments were toppled in their domains.

Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawal  from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ‘with immediate effect’.

The countries did so on the grounds that after 49 years, the bloc no longer pursues the interests of its people but is influenced by foreign powers. They also criticised ECOWAS over the sanctions imposed on them as part of efforts to reverse the coups in their countries.

The joint statement reads: “After 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their organisation has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism.   
 
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure.
  
“Indeed, the organisation has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts; all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence imposed by instrumentalised and remote-controlled terrorist hordes.
  
“Faced with this continuing situation, Their Excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goïta and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, respectively Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, taking all their responsibilities in the face of history and responding to the expectations, concerns and aspirations of their populations, decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States.”

Mauritania was the first Country to pull out of the West African bloc in December 2020, after giving the required one year notice according to the treaty.

January 25, 2024 “Perish The Thought” PDP Tackles Akpabio Over 2027 Takeover Claims

“Perish The Thought” PDP Tackles Akpabio Over 2027 Takeover Claims

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tackled the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, asking him to “perish the thought” of taking over control of Akwa Ibom State in 2027.

This is in response to a statement credited to Senator Akpabio while receiving the Governoship Candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP; Senator Bassey Albert, who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC .

The PDP stated that the ploy to use false claims and inciting comments to destabilise the state has failed.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party advised the Senate President to come to terms with the fact that the people of Akwa Ibom are firmly rooted in the PDP as a peaceful and united people blessed by God, especially under the immediate past and current administration.

The statement said: “They cannot be swayed by any agent of disunity, incitement, hatred and retrogression whose intention is to use propaganda and hate speeches to derail, as well as appropriate the state for selfish interest.

“The boast by Akpabio to take over Akwa Ibom in 2027 is pathetically empty.

“Our party advises Akpabio to leave Akwa Ibom alone and focus on the challenges of his office as Senate President.”

The PDP urged the people of Akwa Ibom to disregard Akpabio’s antics and remain united in their determination to build their state under the banner of the PDP.

January 25, 2024 Presidency Responds to Queries Over Relocation of FAAN and CBN to Lagos

Presidency Responds to Queries Over Relocation of FAAN and CBN to Lagos

President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, said the Bola Tinubu administration was not planning to relocate the Federal Capital of Nigeria back to Lagos, its previous location.

It described the insinuations from certain quarters as a creation of those he tagged “mischief-makers” bent on “fueling needless ethnic mistrust” to “pit the North against the South.”

This followed the Federal Government’s recent decision to relocate the Department of Banking Supervision of the Central Bank of Nigeria to Lagos and the directive of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to relocate the head office of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria to Lagos.

Nigerians, especially some Northern senators and youths have expressed displeasure over the move, which they contended was a calculated move to short-change the North.

The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial, Ali Ndume, further stated in an interview that President Tinubu was being misinformed by “political cartels” to make wrong decisions. He said the President was being ill-advised by “Lagos boys” in the corridors of power, stressing the planned relocation would have “political consequences.”

Bayo Onanuga responding responded to the concerns on Wednesday, in a statement dismissed claims that the FCT would be relocated from Abuja to Lagos as being claimed by the mischief makers.

The status of Abuja as the Federal Capital has come to stay. It is backed by law,” Onanuga, said,

It argued that the “rumours” were a creation of the administration’s political opponents who failed to prevent Tinubu’s ascent to the Presidency.

Onanuga said, “We consider it necessary to inform Nigerians that there is no iota of truth in the interpretations given to the directives in some quarters and the unfounded claims and rumours that President Bola Tinubu is planning to relocate the Federal Capital back to Lagos.

“These rumours, which first surfaced during the electioneering last year, were sponsored by political opponents looking for all manners of weapons to prevent Asiwaju Tinubu from being elected as president by a section of the country.

“Those behind this renewed sordid narrative, using the recent decision of the CBN and FAAN as a pretext to start another round of toxic opposition, are dishonest ethnic and regional champions, trying to draw attention to themselves.”

Onanuga noted that FAAN, an agency of the Ministry of Aviation, was initially headquartered in Lagos before former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, moved its base to Abuja during the immediate-past administration.

He noted that this “does not amount to moving the Federal Capital to Lagos.”

“FAAN will still maintain some presence in Abuja. It is not a wholesale movement,” he noted, adding that the administrative move should have ordinarily attracted scant attention, as Lagos is the commercial capital and the hub of aviation business in Nigeria.

Similarly, the Presidency said the movement of the Department of Banking Supervision of the CBN to Lagos “should not trigger any discord within the polity,” as the department concerned deals with commercial banks, almost all of which are headquartered in Lagos.

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