Business, Politics

Protesting Benue pensioners cries out to the speaker over unpaid pension

No Comments

Members of the Association of Concerned Benue Pensioners have cried out to the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Rt. Hon Titus Uba to come to their rescue as they are losing their wives to Motorcycle riders (Okada) because of inability to take care of them.

The protesters carrying various placards with different inscriptions marched to the assembly complex in Makurdi on Wednesday, September 21, 2022.

The pensioners were first denied access on the ground that the Speaker was not on seat but after refusing to back down, they were allowed to meet with management of the assembly.

Presenting their grievances contained in a letter, they said,

“This is for your information and necessary action. It is no longer news that the Government of Benue State is owning her pensioners 37 and 74 months pension arrears at the State and Local Government Levels respectively. Our backlog of gratuity remains a no go area and is totally forgotten,”

“As a result of non-payment of pension and gratuity, pensioners are dying on a daily bases as most of them are on special diet and drugs but could not afford even a maintenance ration or drugs.

“This has caused untold hardship to pensioners, including the inability to afford decent food, Housing, payment of hospital bills as well as inability to pay children’s school fees leading to their being sent out of school by the school authorities, thereby frustrating their future.

“The concerned Benue State Pensioners have become scavengers, Refugees destitute and beggars on our fatherland that we served with zeal and meritocracies, if we do not beg, we will not eat.

“Because of hardship occasioned by non-payment of Pension and gratuity, we have lost our wives to Okada Boys, ‘because we are no longer economically viable to carter for them.

Life has become miserable, meaningless and unbearable.” they added.

Lifestyle, Politics

Court order won’t stop negotiations with ASUU – Ngige

No Comments

Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment has said that the court order directing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend its strike will not prevent negotiations with the lecturers on their demands.

The Minister said this while receiving members of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) in his office in Abuja.

Ngige also said “the government will order the vice-chancellors and pro-chancellors to reopen the universities in line with the court order.”

He said;

“The ruling is in the best interest of the nation. It is a win-win situation for all of us- government, students, lecturers- all Nigerians indeed.

I have just gotten the court order asking ASUU to go back to work. It is a sound judgment. It is no victor, no vanquished.

“You doctors in academics are for now members of ASUU, but, you are here, even though you have dissociated yourself and are working. We want to thank you for working and teaching your students.

“The court ruling does not preclude us from going on with further negotiation and consultations. The pro-chancellors met Mr. President and made some demands, such as topping up government offers and seeing whether there could be some bailout.

“Mr. President (Muhammadu Buhari) said in considering it, he will consult stakeholders. So, he is going to consult everybody.”

Lifestyle, Politics

Villagers fleeing from bandits drown in Abuja

No Comments

Five persons, comprising four male adults and a housewife, drowned while fleeing from bandits who stormed Chakumi village in Gurdi ward of Abaji area council of Abuja and attempted to kidnap them on Wednesday, September 21.

Daily Trust reports that the village chief of Chakumi, Mohammed Magaji, who confirmed the sad incident, said the bandits stormed the village at about 11 am.

Magaji stated that the deceased victims, including a middle-aged house wife were working on the farm, when they sighted the bandits.

He said they rushed to board the canoe in order to escape to neigboring Daku village, but in the process of trying to cross the river Gurara, the boat capsized.

“And even as I am talking to you right now, the corpses of the victims have not been recovered yet as fishermen from Daku and my village are still searching for the corpses” he said.

Magaji, who decried activities of bandits in the area, said farmers could no longer go to their farms over fear of being kidnapped by bandits.

Vice-Chairman of Abaji LGA, Ibrahim Abubakar, also confirmed the incident, disclosing that one of his relatives was among those who drowned.

“In fact, one of my relatives was among those that got drowned and their bodies are yet to be recovered up till this moment that I am talking to you,” he said

Politics

There are saboteurs in Buhari’s administration – Yahaya Bello

No Comments

Governor Yahaya Bello has raised an alarm of saboteurs in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Bello made the claim when asked to comment on the alarming debt ratio, the high rate of youth unemployment and the worrying migration of medical workers under the Buhari administration as revealed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday September 21.

He said; “Most times we question and query the statistics because I am most affected sometimes.

For instance, the NBS or in the media or out there, people used to say that Kogi State is owing salaries or not paying salaries.

“Even an elite once put it on his Facebook post that I was owing salaries of 18 or 12 months.

And that person is supposed to be a credible leader in his own right. And within a few hours, he had to put down that information. So, there are information out there that are misleading.

“But that is not to say there are no areas to be improved upon in this government. But the fact is that there are saboteurs. Still, in the midst of all of that, the country is moving on.

The President continues to improve on our infrastructure.“On the issue of National Bureau of Statistics, a federal government agency Mr President inherited but did not rejig appropriately, will not be there to sabotage and dish out numbers.

“And for them to come out clean, they need to show us the methodologies they applied, let us see the processes they applied for them to come up with these numbers.”

Business, Lifestyle, Politics

Nigerian students reject court judgement mandating ASUU to call off its 7 month strike

No Comments

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has kicked against a court judgment that mandated the Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off its 7-month strike.

National Industrial Court of Nigeria today, September 21, ordered ASUU to call off its ongoing nationwide strike.

Reacting in a statement, NANS National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope, referred to the ruling as a “black market judgment.”

Temitope said the ruling betrayed equity because the Federal Government ought not to drag the academic union before the court in the first place. The statement reads:

“Our attention has been drawn to news of a court judgment mandating the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its 7 month strike.

As an association, we feel disturbed to read the news of the judgment because we believe that it betrays equity.

“Ordinarily, the Federal Government is not meant to have dragged ASUU to court. But, the fact that they had to drag ASUU to court is a signal that this government cannot handle crisis.

And, we want to state categorically that the court cannot force members of ASUU back to lecture theatres. “And, as it stands today, with that court judgment, we maintain that the court has not resolved the problem and we reject the judgment in strong terms.

The court could have said that the Federal Government should go and pay rather than say that lecturers who are on strike should go back to classrooms.

We were expecting the court to have understood that lecturers are on contract of personal service hence, they cannot be compelled to render a service they don’t want to render.

“The only remedy to this strike action is for the Federal Government to accede to the demands of ASUU which the government willingly entered into with them and properly fund education.”

Politics

Wike’s Team Pulls Out Of Atiku’s Campaign Council

No Comments

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s team has pulled out of the campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

This was the outcome of a meeting that ended early on Wednesday morning in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Present at the meeting were party leaders including founding members of the party, governors, ex-governors and ministers.

Lifestyle, Politics

House of Reps members lament as Nigeria’s debt reaches an all-time high of N42.84trn

No Comments

Members of the House of Representatives have expressed concern over the rising debt profile of Nigeria which currently stands at N42.84 trillion.

A breakdown of the debt figures released by the Debt Management Office DMO shows that the bulk of the federal government borrowings were done domestically, with 72.53 percent being FGN bonds.

According to the DMO, Nigeria’s total public debt stock, comprising the debt obligations of the federal, state governments, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rose by N1.24 trillion within three months, from N41.60 trillion ($100.07 billion) as at March 30, 2022 to N42.84 trillion ($103.31billion) by June 30, 2022.

The DMO also indicated that domestic debt stock for the review period stood at N26.23 trillion ($63.24 billion) due to new borrowings by the federal government to part-finance the deficit in the 2022 Appropriation (Repeal and Enactment) Act, including fresh borrowings by state governments and the FCT.

According to the DMO, Lagos state retained its top spot as the state with the highest debt stock with N797, 305,312,602.53 in its debt profile.

Delta State is second with N378, 878,236,830.75, followed by Ogun State with N241, 782,021,304.96; Rivers State, N225, 505,011,356.83; and Imo State, N210, 394,836,519.93.

Akwa Ibom was next on the debtors’ scale with N203, 951,611,822.07, while Jigawa retained its least-indebted state profile with 45,135,377,621.30, and Ebonyi State trailed with N59, 111,939,636.77.

Reacting to this development, Gbajabiamilia at resumption of plenary yesterday, expressed concerns over the rising debt profile of the country and crude oil theft.

Gbajabiamila stated that the concerns emerged from interactive sessions of the Senate and House Committees on Finance with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

He said the issues emerged while considering the scope of deficit financing to be proposed in the new budget and the decline in crude oil production due to theft and sabotage.

Gbajabiamila said while the House appreciated that the current fiscal conditions necessitated borrowing to finance budgetary expenditures, there should be worry about the long-term effect of the debt burden on the country and the ability to pay in a responsible and sustainable way.

Politics

Presidency is not a regional issue. Igbos should wait till next time – Orji Uzor Kalu

No Comments

Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu has said that Igbos should sit out the 2023 presidential election and wait for another election cycle.

Briefing reporters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Tuesday September 20, Kalu said the presidency is not a regional issue and can only be won with the support of other geo-political zones.

He said;

“Presidency is not a regional issue. I asked the political parties to zone the presidency to the South East. When they didn’t do that, and since presidency is not a regional issue, I had to withdraw.

“I have no problem with Igbo man being president. But we have to do it with other Nigerians. If we don’t do it with other Nigerians, it is not going to work, no matter how popular you are.

It’s president of Nigeria, not president of Igboland.“I’m an Igbo man to the core. I’m also a Nigerian to the core. If anyone from the Southeast would have been nominated for presidency, I would have been the one. So, it’s a party business.

I have no grudges against anybody who is running.“So, it is not personal. It is political and party. This thing is about party winning elections.

I have chosen to be in APC. Why will I vote against Tinubu? It’s madness, and I’m not going to do it. Elections go along party line, not along tribal line.

“For me, we will wait for another time and see how all Nigerians will agree to zone the presidency to the Igboland.

But for now, our presidential candidate is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Tinubu is a strategic leader, he will make his presidency beneficial to the Igbo.

The Igbo will be the biggest beneficiaries of Tinubu’s presidency.”

Business, Lifestyle, Politics

Yusuf Buhari’s wife, Zahra bags first class in Architectural Science

No Comments

Present Buhari’s son, Yusuf Buhari’s wife, Zahra Bayero, has graduated with first class honors in Architectural Science in a UK University.

Her mother-in-law, Aisha Buhari disclosed this via her social media accounts on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

“Congratulations to Mrs. Zahra B Buhari on your graduation with First Class Honors in Architectural Science. Wishing you all the best,” the First Lady wrote.

Lifestyle, Politics

Avoid Kaduna Airport, Shehu Sani Advises Protesting Students

No Comments

Former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, on Tuesday, advised the National Association of Nigerian Students that they should stay away from Kaduna airport as they protest against the prolonged strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

He disclosed this on his Twitter handle.

Sani further stated that the forest near Kaduna Airport is unsafe, saying, “NANS should avoid Kaduna International Airport; you know that forest nearby, e get as e bi.”

This comes after students blocked access to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Monday to protest the prolonged strike.

Politics

FG hints at increasing salaries of civil servants

No Comments

The federal government has hinted at increasing the salaries of civil servants in the country to meet the current economic realities.

Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige in his speech at the public presentation of NLC’s 40 publications titled, ‘contemporary history of working-class struggles’ held in Abuja on Monday September 19, said the federal government knows that the N30,000 national minimum wage has lost its value.

Ngige said;

“Yes the inflation has increased worldwide and it is not confined to Nigeria, that is why in many jurisdictions, it is an adjustment of wages right now.

“As the Nigerian government, we shall adjust in conformity with what is happening in wages.

“More importantly, the 2019 national minimum wage act, right now has a clause for the review, which we started then, I do not know whether it is due next year or 2024.

“But before then, the adjustment of wages will reflect what is happening in the economy, just as the government has started the adjustment with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).”

Politics, World News

Trump mocks Biden for the 14th row seat he was given at the Queen’s funeral

No Comments

Donald Trump has mocked Joe Biden for being given a seat on the 14th row at the Queen’s funeral and said if he were the president he would have been moved closer to the front of the audience.

The former President said on his social media platform – Truth Social – that it showed there is “no respect” for the United States anymore. He also insisted it was a good time for Biden to get to know “leaders of certain Third World Countries”.

In his first reaction to the funeral, Trump noted Biden’s position in Westminster Abbey behind the Polish president.

He wrote: “This is what’s happened to America in just two short years. No respect! However, a good time for our President to get to know the leaders of certain Third World countries.”

He added: “If I were president, they wouldn’t have sat me back there—and our Country would be much different than it is right now!”

He then quoted his own tweet and added: “In real estate, like in politics and life, location is everything.”

Politics

Imo Assembly removes speaker

No Comments

The Imo State House of Assembly has removed its speaker Kennedy Ibe and replaced him with Emeka Nduka.

Emeka Nduka was elected today, September, 19. Nduka, who represents the Ehime Mbano State Constituency, was immediately sworn-in by the Clerk of the Assembly, Chinelo Emeghara.

Ibe, who represents the Obowo State constituency was elected as speaker in November 2021, after Paul Emezim was impeached as the speaker.

Ibe was on suspension when he was elected as the number one man of the legislature.

The Imo State House of Assembly has now had four speakers in three years following Nduka’s election.

Politics

Court dismisses PDP’s suit seeking disqualification of Tinubu and Peter Obi

No Comments

The opposition party which claimed that the Electoral Act 2022 did not make provision for a “place holder” or temporary running mate, asked the court to declare that Tinubu and Obi be disqualified unless they contest alongside their previous running mates; Kabiru Masari and Doyin Okupe respectively.

In the lawsuit which has INEC, APC, Tinubu, Masari, Labour Party, Obi and Okupe as defendants, the PDP also asked the court to determine if “by the combined interpretation of Section 142(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sections 29(1), 31, 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, the first defendant (INEC) can validly accept any change or substitution of the 4th (Masari) and 7th (Okupe) defendants as running mates of the 3rd (APC) and 6th (Labour Party) defendants”.

Ruling on the case after respondents in the suit challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter, Justice Donatus Okorowo stated that the lawsuit is not within the court’s jurisdiction.

He went on to dismiss the case he said lacks merit and an abuse of court process.

Politics

Since 1999 Governors have been the problem of the country – Former Speaker, Ghali Na’abba

No Comments

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’abba, has said that Governors have been the country’s issue since 1999.

Na’abba made the claim while hosting a delegation of the Na’abba Youth Organization.

He claimed that Nigerians are now running from politics because Governors have pocketed political parties and now decide who would contest for positions in elections.

The former speaker also said that the action of these Governors is crippling the country’s democracy as what they are doing is rotating power among themselves without considering competency.

Na’abba said;

“Since 1999 governors have been the problem of the country. They contributed to the death of democracy within the political parties.

And when there are no elections within the parties, then incompetent leaders will emerge and that will affect the whole political system and the country’s development too.

The governors have caused all these. They will hardly hold primaries. Rather they will ask you to go for consensus; which is wrong.“If we really want to see changes in the country, we must change our democracy and give equal chances to all.

Give chances for elections within parties so that the masses and the rich will have roles to play. Only that can bring changes. Not what they (governors) are doing. That will not lead us anywhere.

Rather it will deteriorate the situation of the country.” Also acknowledging that youths have lost confidence in politicians, he added that he returned to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after realizing the ruling party is not doing the right thing.

He said;

“When I realised that APC is not doing the right thing, I stepped aside.

Later I was contacted by some of my associates to go back to where I belong; that was why I returned to PDP.”

Politics

70% of voters in 2019 presidential poll were illiterates – Muiz Banire

No Comments

Former chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Muiz Banire has explained how the Nigerian government can curbll ethno-religious tension.

Speaking at the 11th annual zonal symposium organised by the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) B-Zone on Sunday September 18, Banire who revealed that 70% of voters in 2019 presidential poll were illiterates, averred that there is need to address the widespread illiteracy in the country.

In his presentation titled ‘Ethno-Religious agitation and imperative inclusiveness’, the former AMCON Chairman said mass illiteracy is why the electorates are unable to choose the right leaders.

He also said that getting the census right will ensure equity since “everybody knows that most of the entitlements in Nigeria are based on the census figure”.

Banire said;

“There are some prerequisites that must be addressed. As of today, Nigeria has no reliable census. We don’t even know how many we are; the same manner we don’t know how much oil we produce.

‘So, we need certainly to get our census right, but I’m not too sure that that can ever be gotten right, because except there is a nationalistic conviction in all of us, we can’t get it.

“Everybody knows that most of the entitlements in Nigeria are based on the census figure — revenue, location of infrastructure, employment.

So, everybody strives to manipulate it from one to the other and without it, no progress for the nation. We must get our census right.

“We must get the election right. Of course, we are making progress but we are not yet there. When INEC improved in technology and everything, now it’s vote buying. We have to tame that. We have to tame illiteracy.

“The last election, only 35 percent of Nigeria’s eligible voters voted Nigeria’s president, and out of this 35 percent, 70 percent of them are illiterates — those who do not know why they are voting;

‘they said we should go and vote’; ‘they said that man is in our area’; ‘he’s our town man’; ‘we attend the same mosque’; ‘he’s our pastor’ — and all manners of primordial considerations.

“So, at the end of the day, those who do not know are the ones showing us the road in Nigeria.”

Politics

All gunmen caught over attacks in Anambra are Igbo – Soludo

No Comments

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has given an update on the security situation in Anambra state which he governs.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Sunday September 18, the professor of economics and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said his administration has reduced insecurity in the state.

Soludo said;

“Giving where things were when we came, we are not saying that Anambra is 100% secured … but everybody in Anambra – the 8.5 million residents of Anambra can testify to you that insecurity in Anambra has come down to the barest minimum.

“Fifteen camps (run by gunmen) here (have been) decimated. Even yesterday (Saturday), some other places (where) they were gathering were decimated; we have degraded their infrastructure and I don’t think they have the capacity again to come with the kind of ferocity they had in the past.

“Anambra has been relatively quiet and peaceful, and we are pursuing this agenda.“I would dare to say that if we were to have the statistics over the last three months, I think Anambra will compare favourably as one of the safest comparatively.”

On the identities of those arrested in connection with some of the attacks in the state, Soludo said;

“Let me be clear about it; 100% of the people we have caught are Igbos. It is not about some people invading from somewhere; it is 100% Igbos on Igbos, that is the fact.”

Politics

Governor Umahi denies ordering the disruption of Peter Obi’s supporters’ rally in Ebonyi

No Comments

Governor David Umahi has denied ordering the disruption of Peter Obi’s supporters’ rally in Ebonyi.

It was reported earlier today that the rally organized by the Labour Party presidential candidate’s supporters, was disrupted by policemen who stopped them from moving through the streets.

In a statement released by Umahi’s Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to the Governor, Chooks Oko, it was stated that “relevant government agencies had approved the use of Abakaliki township stadium for a rally by the Labour party subject to the payment of some specified fees, but the organizers chose to empty into the streets causing some untold hardships on the hapless citizens going about their daily pursuits.”

Oko added that the police stepped in to restore law and order.

The statement read;

THE GOVERNOR ORDERED NO DISRUPTION

The attention of the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State have been drawn to some online publications and rumours making the rounds that he ordered the disruption of a gathering in support of one of the presidential candidates in the 2023 elections. This is not true.

The Executive Governor of Ebonyi state is certainly not aware of any disruption of any gathering as he didn’t order any. He is a democrat who believes firmly in the rule of law.

He wishes every contending politician the very best and will insist on a level playing ground for all. If it is true that the police dispersed people, the answer will surely rest with the police.

For record purposes, the relevant government agencies had approved the use of Abakaliki township stadium for a rally by the Labour party subject to the payment of some specified fees.

Rather than pay the fees, it was gathered, the organizers chose to empty into the streets causing some untold hardships on the hapless citizens going about their daily pursuits.

The police, we are informed, had to step in to restore law and order.The Governor appeals to all citizens to always abide by the dictates of the law and decent living so that law and order will always reign supreme.

He wishes all political parties and their candidates well and enjoins all to play the game by the rules.

Chooks Oko Special Assistant to the Governor(Media & Strategy)

Politics

Peter Obi’s Supporters Hold Rally In Plateau

No Comments

Supporters of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, turned out in great numbers on Saturday for a march in Plateau State ahead of the 2023 election.

Rallies for Obi have been holding at different locations in Nigeria in recent weeks.

Lifestyle, Politics

FCT rural schools is not safe for resumption of academic activities – PTA Chairman

No Comments

Alhaji Usman Abubakar, Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) has said that primary and secondary schools in rural communities in the capital territory are not safe for resumption of academic activities.

Speaking to Daily Trust on Friday September 16, Abubakar said activities of bandits and kidnappers in some rural communities especially at Abaji rural communities, which share boundaries with neighbouring villages in Niger State, are quite worrisome.

He said;

“In fact, schools within Yaba axis and some other communities that share boundaries with neighboring villages in Niger State are still shut because report coming from those axis over security threat as a result of activities of bandits and kidnappers is quite worrisome.”

Abubakar also told the publication that even before the resumption of academic activities, some of the rural schools across the axis had been facing security threat.

He added

“we expected that before resumption, government should be able to put in place security measures in these schools.”

The PTA Chairman who disclosed that they are happy with FCT administration’s directive for schools to resume, further stated that the administration ought to have put in place security measures in such rural schools.

He called on the FCT administration to liaise with community leaders in mobilizing local vigilantes to safeguard the affected rural schools to facilitate resumption of academic activities.

Close Menu

Privacy Policy