News
It’ll Be Difficult For Tinubu Govt To Pay N100k Minimum Wage as 26 State Govs Can’t Pay Current N33k — Presidency
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President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has claimed that it would be difficult for the Nigerian government to peg the new proposed minimum wage at N100,000.
Onanuga, who stated this on Monday night during an Arise TV interview stated that the country’s current financial strength indicated that both the federal and state governments would be unable to pay their employees’ salaries if N100,000 or more was eventually approved as the new minimum wage in the country.
The presidential aide buttressed his assertion with the fact that most state governors were even currently struggling to pay the present minimum wage.
He said, “Let me tell you the last time it was done under President Buhari when the wage was increased to N30,000 per month. Till today, 26 state governments could not pay it, out of 36, Only 10 are paying.
“The rest have not paid the whole rate or maybe they’ve just improved a bit. But mostly, according to the people who have monitored it, 26 state governments are unable to comply. Whatever the government wants to do now, even if we increase wages to 100,000 naira. Will the Federal Government be able to pay?
“When you look at the financial position of the governments. Look at the last budget. Look at what the government inherited. Low revenue. Very high domestic and foreign debt. Repayment of a debt consuming, according to Buhari Budget, 97% of our revenue. This country was already broke. Having removed the subsidy, the government is hoping that the pressure on our finances will reduce and it is already reducing. If you look at the budget, the deficit is going to be about N6trillion compared to N14trillion that the Buhari government had planned for 2023.”
Meanwhile, Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress said that organised labour might demand up to N1million as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers if the rising inflation remains unchecked.
Ajaero had said the demand of the organised labour would be determined by the cost of living which has skyrocketed since President Bola Tinubu came to power following the removal of fuel subsidy and other policies.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had also last Thursday issued a 14-day strike notice to the Nigerian government.
News
Tinubu Fires Top Appointee Over Alleged N1.4 Billion Embezzlement
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President Bola Tinubu has sacked Sani Auwalu Balarabe from his position as HoD, Chief of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa, ICOH, over an alleged embezzlement of N1.4 billion during his tenure.
As far as one could gather from the People’s Gazette, the appointment of Balarabe was terminated on the 18th of July, following a spate of petitions that related to financial misconduct and investigations. The president appointed one Taiwo Olaniyi to replace him.
In January, several petitions were sent to the House of Assembly, EFCC, Ministry of Health, and other government agencies to investigate activities of Balarabe at ICOH. The petitions leveled accusations against Balarabe, saying that he had not conducted any research despite the institute receiving huge budgetary allocations, which is its core mandate.
One of the petitions dated January 16 had this: “Despite all these budgetary allocations, the centre has not produced a single oral health research project, which is its core mandate and the reason for its establishment.
It further brought to the fore that projects initiated under Balarabe’s administration, such as the construction of a remodeled dental clinic and administration block and the procurement of project vehicles, costing over N700 million, were never completed.
The petitions also accused him of backdating the appointment letters for new staff and paying them arrears of their salary, with such money to be returned to a particular account. These funds are said to have been applied toward some expenses at ICOH.
The sacking of Balarabe clearly typified President Tinubu’s commitment to corruption fighting and making those in charge of public institutions accountable.
News
Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
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The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
News
Reps North-West Caucus Beg Youths, Citizens In The Region Not To Join Planned Protest
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