News
National Assembly Postpones Minimum Wage Bill Transmission
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Assembly has delayed the transmission of the minimum wage bill, which may now be sent to President Bola Tinubu by Monday.
The bill, which underwent second and third readings in both legislative chambers within minutes of being transmitted by the President, was approved separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Initially, the National Assembly had planned to transmit the bill on Thursday. However, it has yet to reach the presidency for assent.
Speaking to Punch on Saturday, the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Abdullahi Gumel, confirmed the delay in transmission.
Senator Gumel said, “Yes, we delayed the transmission of the Minimum Wage bill because the money bills, the N6.2tn 2024 Appropriation bill (Amended), and the Finance bill were not ready.
“The Appropriation committees still had one or two things to tidy up on the money bills, so there were no point transmitting the Minimum Wage bill without sending the bills that will cater to the money required to pay the minimum wage.”
Senator Gumel further noted that the leadership of the National Assembly also wanted to personally deliver the bills to the President.
Also, the leadership wants to take the bills to the president themselves, so they’d take it to him either this weekend or by Monday,” he added.
The President had earlier sent the Minimum Wage Bill through an executive communication to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
He also wrote separately to the Senate and the House of Representatives, requesting a prompt consideration of the bill to amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2019, raising the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
Additionally, the President requested that the lawmakers reduce the period for the periodic review of the national minimum wage from five years to three years.
This followed the agreement reached by President Tinubu and labour leaders on ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers after a meeting at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s 2023 Vice Presidential candidate, has urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider seeking re-election in 2027, claiming it would be politically unwise.
Speaking on News program, Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu should “throw in the towel” if he is truly the savvy politician many believe him to be. He argued that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost credibility, predicting their defeat in the next election.
Mocking Tinubu’s political maneuvers, Baba-Ahmed recounted how he backed various presidential candidates since 2007—culminating, in his words, in an “electoral heist” in 2023.
“If he’s that smart, it’s clear he’s going to lose in 2027,” he said, while suggesting that at least two candidates could defeat the president in the next poll.
He added that Tinubu, like former President Buhari, would fail to deliver on campaign promises. “Buhari didn’t develop Nigeria, didn’t provide security, didn’t fight corruption. Neither will Tinubu,” he asserted.
Baba-Ahmed expressed confidence that Nigerians will rise to reject bad leadership in 2027, uniting to bring genuine democracy to the country.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has appointed the National Chairman of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle, Tricycle, Repairer, and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Adebayo Apelogun and thirteen others as welfare board ad-hoc committee members, to facilitate this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, Adebayo Apelogun is the Amirul Hajj, while Ishaq Olorungbebe will serve as the chairman.
Members of the committee are Lawal Iskeel, Shile Rufai, Sabeeq Aladi-Ibrahim, Wasiu Raheem, Abdul-Lateef Afolabi, Ogunfowora Kamoru, Hassan Tijani, Hussein Mustapha and Uthman Akewukanwo
Others are; Alatise Fausat, Egunjobi Kafilat and Jinadu Zainab.
The board urged them to discharge their duties diligently with high level of commitment, so as to ensure comfort and safety of pilgrims from Ogun State.
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