News

Crisis Looms in NASS over tenure elongation plot

Published

9 months ago

February 16, 2024

The National Assembly, administrative staff members are reportedly devising strategies to oppose legislative backing for extending the retirement age of its outgoing Clerk and over 200 senior staff by an additional 5 years beyond the existing service scheme’s provisions.

The genesis of the conflict stemmed from recent revelations that the Senate is considering a bill to extend the retirement age of civil servants in the nation’s Parliament and State Houses of Assembly.

This move has sparked discontent among staff anticipating senior positions soon to become vacant.

The proposed bill seeks to extend the retirement age of National Assembly Staff from 60 to 65 years and from 35 to 40 years of service, whichever comes first. Notably, if the bill is passed, the current Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal Magaji, could remain in office until the age of 65.

However, this initiative has faced staunch opposition from parliamentary staff and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), chaired by Bature Musa. The union contends that such an extension would contradict established rules and regulations governing the Public Service, where retirement is set at 60 years of age or 35 years of service.

The union also argues that passing the bill would hinder career progression for its members, primarily serving the interests of management staff. Moreover, they assert that it would contravene the Federal Government’s policies on youth development and empowerment, potentially depriving unemployed youths of job opportunities.

In response to the proposed bill, the PASAN has vehemently rejected it, urging the National Assembly management to focus on implementing existing welfare packages for staff. The union has also threatened industrial action if the legislators proceed with the bill.

While some members of the Assembly management deny the Clark’s involvement in the proposed legislation, others argue that it aims to preserve institutional memory and provide experienced staff an opportunity to continue serving.

Several attempts had been made by the two Chambers of the National Assembly to extend the retirement age of parliamentary staff of the National Assembly since 2017.

The Union argued that the controversial Bill if passed, will bring stagnation on the career progression of her members, thus would serve only the interest of the management staff, especially those who are due for retirement from service.

It averred that the passage of the Bill will contravene the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and would run contrary to the Federal Government‘s policy on youth development and empowerment.

The Union advanced its argument by illustrating that perpetuating persons who have served the nation for 35 years or attained 60 years of age will not make room for employment of Nigerian youths some of whom graduated for more that 10 years without gainful employment.

Consequently, the Union in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate and the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives denounced the Bill and threatened industrial action should the legislators go ahead to pass the Bill.

It said the Union’s position led the two Chambers to discontinue action on the Bill which was respectively sponsored by Sunday Akon in the House and Senator Stella Odua in the Senate during 9th Assembly.

Presently, the Management led by the current Clerk to the National Assembly, Magaji Sani Tambawal is pushing for it again.

The Bill has passed in the House of Representatives and presently before the Senate for concurrence. The Senate after taking the first reading of the Bill some weeks ago reversed itself and listed it for concurrence on Wednesday 14, February, 2024.

Despite the controversy, the fate of the bill remains uncertain as it awaits the Senate’s concurrence. Staff members opposing the bill have called on the Senate to reject it, emphasizing the pressing need to address youth unemployment and implement workers’ welfare measures.

News

NNPC’s failure to fix refineries might encourage Dangote to be monopolistic

Published

49 minutes ago

November 25, 2024

Naijablitznews

Despite bickering between the Dangote Petrochemical Industry and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), a group of Nigerians in Diaspora has entertained fears that the leading regulatory agency might be secretly encouraging Dangote Refinery to be monopolistic in oil distribution in the country.

Dr. Donald Illiya, Global President of Nigerians in Diaspora Movement
(NDM), in a statement signed Monday morning from London, United Kingdom, said the public faceoffs between the NNPCL and Dangote refinery is confusing, and might be to distract Nigerians, while the regulatory body encourages Dangote to be the sole oil distributor in Nigeria, by suppressing the state owned local refineries and hold them continually in comatose.

“The Nigerians in Diaspora Movement have watched with perplexity the choreographed performance between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote Petrochemicals Refinery, which is meant to keep exploiting Nigerians by making them pay more than reasonable pump prices for refined petroleum products.

“For us, taking in the state of the nation’s economy and the ongoing cost of living crisis, we are of the view that Nigeria’s fate is tied to the state of government-owned refineries, which must be made functional to cause a consequential drop in the prices of fuel and a positive knock-off effect on the cost of living.

“From our review of the murky situations around the refining, importation, supply and pricing of petroleum products, we are constrained to conclude that NNPCL and its officials are aiding Dangote Refinery to emerge as a monopoly by failing to revive domestic refineries while obscuring this fact by being publicly hostile to each other”, the statement said.

The group, while asserting high level of corruption in the energy sector, said, despite spending over N17 trillion to rehabilitate the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries from 2002 to 2022, and still spending more, even under the present regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the local refineries have remained comatose.

“We are concerned that the unfolding drama is part of a larger plot to conceal the fact that NNPCL has kept its track record as a cesspit of corruption, which is most prominent in the phantom turnaround maintenance of the government-owned refineries. From when NNPCL Group CEO, Mele Kyari assumed office in July 2019, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari approved $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri refineries. Another N54.66 billion was spent on refinery rehabilitation from January to June 2022.

“More funds have disappeared into the private coffers of those managing NNPCL such that additional monies have been spent even under the current government, bringing the total expenditure on refinery repairs to approximately N17 trillion on turnaround maintenance of the nation’s three refineries between 2002 and 2022.

“The only output Nigerians have had from this huge expenditure are the ever-changing delivery dates for the refineries to resume operation. In November 2023 a December 2023 target date was announced for Port Harcourt Refinery, and by December of that year, March 2024 was announced as a new date only for this to be altered at least three other times.

“The completion of repairs on Kaduna Refinery was set for the first quarter of 2024, but the refinery has only produced stories on why it is being delayed. Warri Refinery has not fared any better, as a similar first quarter of 2024 target date for commencement of operations, as announced by Mele Kyari, turned out to be folklore”, the group added.

They are of the opinion that, “It is consequently plausible that the failure to make these refineries functional is beyond incompetence and the theft of the funds meant for repairing them. It is now glaring that the refineries are being kept moribund to create a favourable condition for the emergence of a monopoly. This is a tragic turn of events at a time when jurisdictions worldwide are taking bold steps to prevent predatory and monopolistic tendencies to protect citizens and businesses”.

Nigerians in Diaspora Movement, therefore, urged “President Bola Tinubu to take decisive steps to purge the rot in NNPCL so that domestic refineries can resume production and ward off the dangers of succumbing to a monopoly, which also presents a single point of failure for the nation’s fuel supply”.

News

16 Days of Activism: Speaker Abbas Decries Increasing Violence Against Women

Published

53 minutes ago

November 25, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…vows to end gender-based violence through legislation

By Gloria Ikibah

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas has reaffirmed the commitment of the 10th House to eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls in Nigeria.

The Speaker stated this at a historic march to commemorate the commencement of the 2024, 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence organized by the House of Representatives to raise awareness and galvanize action against gender-based violence.

Naijablitznews.com reports that the march which had members of Civil Society Organisations, media, women and youth groups, lawmakers among others, was led by Speaker Abbas, symbolising the lawmakers dedication to fostering a safer and more inclusive society, free from violence and discrimination.

In his remarks, Speaker Abbas, decried the increasing rate of violence against women worldwide, and described it as an unacceptable and unforgivable trend.

According to him, a recent report by the United Nations revealed that a woman dies from violence every ten minutes; he noted that the global outcry and frustration from women necessitates urgent action to address the crisis.

He said, “This year’s programme comes at a time when women across the world are crying, angry, and frustrated,” Abbas said. “According to the United Nations, a woman is killed every ten minutes due to violence. This is an unacceptable and unforgivable trend.”

The Speaker who stressed the critical role of the legislature in tackling the issue, called for collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities to reverse the dire situation.

“We in the parliament must unite more than ever with relevant authorities, particularly law enforcement, to curb this dangerous trend to the barest minimum,” Abbas stated.

“I want to categorically assure Nigerians that the National Assembly will do everything humanly possible to drastically reduce, if not completely eliminate, all forms of violence against women and girls in the very near future”, he said.

He therefore pledged that the National Assembly, in particularly the House will actively engage in the forthcoming National Action Plan Against Violence on Women, set to be unveiled soon.

“We will send our representatives and actively participate in ensuring the enactment of robust policies aimed at significantly reducing all forms of violence against women, children, and girls,” Abbas added.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Rep. Kafilat Ogbara said one in three women globally are victims of gender-based violence.

She called on security agencies to make efforts to see that victims of gender-based violence get justice whenever they report their cases.

She said, “We want to get justice. We want to get justice. We are saying no to lecturers violating students that they will fail them if they do not yielding in. We say no to bosses at work for violating their secretaries, their staff that if they do not yield in they are sacked. We say no all forms of violence against our children, our girls. Fathers raping daughters. Uncles raping children. Boys raping girls.”

Rep. Ogbara led the march to the office of the Inspector General of Police, where she presented a petition urging swift justice for victims of gender-based violence.

“We are here this morning to submit a petition calling for immediate intervention, thorough investigation, and prompt prosecution of cases related to gender-based violence. We urge the Inspector General of Police to take decisive action, especially as we mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.”

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who received the petition pledged to thoroughly examine and implement the recommendations contained in a petition he personally received.

The IGP emphasized the need for collective action in tackling gender-based violence.

“This occasion serves as a powerful reminder that eradicating gender-based violence across the globe requires a unified effort. It cannot be achieved by law enforcement agents or actions alone. It is a shared responsibility that calls for the active involvement of every one of us,” he stated.

Recognizing the urgent need for collective action, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, stressed the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration to significantly reduce gender-based violence in Nigeria.

Olawande reiterated the government’s commitment to tackling this pervasive issue.

“Through coordinated efforts and partnerships among ministries and agencies, we can achieve a drastic reduction in cases of gender-based violence and create a safer environment for women and girls,” he stated.

The global campaign of the 2024 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is titled: “Towards Beijing +30: UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls”, the Minister stressed the need to accelerate progress toward gender equality as the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

This year’s activism seeks to galvanize stakeholders, governments, civil society organizations, and individuals, to take decisive steps to eradicate violence and ensure justice for survivors.

Gender-based violence remains a devastating reality for women and girls, impacting countless lives and communities across the globe.

News

Trump set to sign Executive Order to flush out transgender personnel from US military

Published

3 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Naijablitznews

President-elect, Donald Trump, is set to sign an executive order that would remove all transgender members from the United States military.

It was learnt that the development has intensified concerns within the LGBTQ+ community.

The report claimed that the state officials had stated that transgender personnel would be discharged on medical grounds, deeming them “unfit” to serve.

Recall that during Trump’s first term as president, he introduced a similar policy that prohibited transgender individuals from joining the armed forces while allowing those already enlisted to remain in their roles.

After Trump left office, President Joe Biden had overturned the military ban in his first week as president in 2021, issuing an executive order to restore transgender individuals’ right to serve openly. However, with Trump’s potential return to the White House, transgender rights in the US may face renewed challenges.

However, the current proposal, as reported, would extend to removing all transgender service members, regardless of their current status. It is anticipated that the executive order will be issued on Trump’s first day in office, January 20 next year.

If signed, Trump’s new directive could be broader and more contentious than the policy he implemented during his first term. What would be its impact on transgender personnel serving in US military.

Reports indicated that approximately 15,000 transgender individuals are actively serving in the US military.

This is coming amid moves by US congress to stop irst transgender lawmaker from using female restrooms and bathrooms in her new workplace.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson had expressed his support for the policy that tends to disregard transgender ideologies in the legislative arm.

“All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” the speaker said in a statement last Wednesday.

“It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women’s only spaces,” he added.

The move to prevent McBride from using the women’s facilities in the House was first initiated by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who on Monday introduced a resolution to ban trans women from using women’s bathrooms inside the complex.

Mace said the resolution was “absolutely” in response to McBride, a Delaware Democrat, being elected to the House.

She took her anti-trans crusade even further on Wednesday, announcing a bill to ban trans people from using bathrooms that align with their gender in all federal buildings across the country. Neither of the resolutions have been brought to a House vote.

It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women’s only spaces,” he added.

Mace said the resolution was “absolutely” in response to McBride, a Delaware Democrat, being elected to the House.