Category: News

The Executive Director, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, SERDEC Mr. Tijani Abdulkareem has called on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to close the gap of marginalization and socio-economic inequality against the indigenous people of Abuja. 

The SERDEC Executive Director, who spoke on the sidelines of the 16th Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples held in Geneva, Switzerland, said the military contributed to the disadvantaged situation the indigenous people of the FCT now find themselves in.

According to Tijani, the military took away indigenous peoples’ lands, territories, and resources, adding that despite that, democratic governments have refused to democratize the process with effective mechanisms for compensation and socio-economic inclusion of the people.

He said: “SERDEC emphasizes the need for inclusion and participation of Abuja indigenous People in governance, noting that Decree 16 of 1976 which created Abuja militarized the rights of the Abuja indigenous people and displaced them from their ancestral land through a military-managed dictatorial compensation and relocation process which lack the democratic and transparent firm to infuse socio-economic justice for the FCT indigenous people.

The subsequent democratic government has refused to democratize the process of mainstreaming the FCT indigenous people into the state, local and national framework of economic, political, and social development, this has presented glaring inequality across all fronts.

“All over the world, indigenous peoples are recognized by their own history and values backed by international instruments like the International Convention on Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Convention 169 all of which emphasize the protection of indigenous peoples, including their intellectual and cultural property rights.”

Tijani insisted that the indigenous people of the FCT have suffered decades of socio economic marginalization following the forceful taking over of their land engendering the people and the culture that keeps both balance.

“SERDEC, therefore, calls on the new administration to meet her international obligations by domesticating the various international conventions that will strengthen the indigenous communities in Abuja, protect their culture, and include them in the political and economic development processes,” he said.

Tijani urged the new administration to adopt legislative, policy, and administrative measures that will lead to the empowerment of indigenous people by providing them with access to basic livelihood, cultural rights, right to land, territories, resource, and economic opportunities enjoyed by other citizens with state status.

As part of its efforts to block leakages and incessant infiltration of ghost workers in the Civil Service, the Federal Government has busted 1,618 civil servants with fake employment letters.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, disclosed this while speaking during a media parley ahead of the 2023 Civil Service Week.

According to her, the discovery was made after the introduction of control mechanisms set up by the Service to address loopholes identified in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Head of Service said 69,854 officers have been captured in the core Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) across the six geopolitical zones of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

She added that the exercise has recorded continuous suspension of officers from the IPPIS platform for not uploading their records.

Yemi-Esan also disclosed that the government was working towards an upward review of the Duty Tour Allowances of civil servants.

“The Presidential Committee on Salary Harmonization is working to review salaries to reduce the disparity. 40% of the basic salary has been approved by FEC as a Peculiar allowance with effect from January 2023. Also, we are working towards an upward review of staff Duty Tour Allowance (DTA),” she said.

Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of 50,000 free doses of Anthrax vaccines to livestock farmers in Niger State in order to ensure safety of livestock as well as prevent the spread of the disease to unaffected animals and human.

According to a statement signed Wednesday by Chief Information Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Eremah Anthonia, quoted the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, as saying the vaccines have been given to the State for the commencement of mass vaccination of all livestock within 12 kilometres radius of the farm where the disease was first diagnosed.

The Permanent Secretary, who was presented by the Deputy Director Veterinary and Pests Control Services, Dr. Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, said the government was also planning to carry out free anthrax vaccination campaign on other states.

According to him, “We have also placed restrictions of movement on animals within the farm where the outbreak occurred for the next 20 days from the date of the onset of the outbreak.

“This is to ensure that if these animals are infected, they do not infect other animals around them, the farm, its equipment and surroundings will also be thoroughly disinfected while the Ministry will also mount surveillance in slaughter slabs, abattoirs and livestock market around the farm and similar locations in the country to detect the disease early before it spread”, he added.

In his remarks, the Emir of Suleja, His Royal Highness, Mallam Muhammad Awwal commended the FG for its prompt response noting that the outbreak of the disease in his domain came to him as a shock.

While assuring of his readiness to collaborate with the government to curtail the disease, the Emir urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the State government pointing out that without synergy among the stakeholders nothing can be achieved.

Senator Gbemisola Saraki, former Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, NNPP Presidential candidate, and former Kano Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, among others, have been named in the leaked Ministerial list submitted to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.

In the past few weeks, speculations were rife that former governors were among the list of prospective ministers, with various groups calling on President Bola Tinubu not to join his predecessors in recycling former governors, most of whom have served two terms of eight years.

From the leaked copy of the list which was obtained by NIGERIAN ANCHOR on Wednesday, those bandied around as possible ministerial nominees, such as former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai; ex-Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike; Wale Edun; the Special Adviser, Monetary Policies, did not make the cut.

The Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on Tuesday, said the President sought prayers of Nigerians for him to make the right choice.

Bamidele disclosed this while speaking in Abuja at his 60th birthday lecture and book presentation titled: “Leadership through Communication.”

According to speculations, the list, which is expected to be a mixture of technocrats and tested politicians, would have more technocrats who would help drive the President’s Renewed Hope agenda for the next four years.

The Fifth Amendment to the 1999 Constitution mandates the president and governors to submit the names of their ministerial and commissioner-nominees within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or state House of Assembly.

Tinubu, who was sworn in as President on May 29, has to submit his ministerial list to the Senate before July 29 as stipulated by law.

Full List of Ministerial Nominees 2023

1. Prof. C. Abraham – Abia State 

2. Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed – Adamawa State

3. Dr Mrs J. Ekanem – Akwa Ibom State

4. Sen. Andy Uba – Anambra State 

5. Alhaji Isa Yuguda – Bauchi State

6. Mr Timi Alaibe – Bayelsa State

7. Rt. Hon. E. Jime – Benue State

8. Sen. Abubakar Kyari – Borno State

9. Sen. Ben Ayade – Cross River State

10. Peter Godsday Orubebe – Delta State

11. Julius Ali Ucha – Ebonyi State

12. Mr Lucky Imasuen – Edo State

13. Prince Dayo Adeyeye – Ekiti State

14. Rt. Hon. I. Ugwanyi – Enugu State 

15. Alhaji Umar Abdullahi – Gombe State 

16. Nnamdi Anyaechie – Imo State

17. Hon. Farouk Aliyu – Jigawa State

18. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi – Kaduna State

19. Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso – Kano State

20. Sen. Abu Ibrahim – Katsina State

21. Atiku Bagudu – Kebbi State

22. Rt. Hon. James Faleke – Kogi State

23. Gbemisola Saraki – Kwara State

24. Mr Olabode Agusto – Lagos State

25. Sen. Tanko Almakura – Nasarawa State 

26. Nasko Usman – Niger State

27. Rt. Hon. Olademiji Bankole – Ogun State

28. Dr O. Bamidele – Ondo State

29. Gboyega Oyetola – Osun State 

30. Asiwaju M.O. Adebayo – Oyo State 

31. Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong – Plateau State

32. E. N Wike – Rivers State

33. Alhaji Musa Adar – Sokoto State 

34. Emmanuel Bwacha – Taraba State

35. Bashir Machina – Yobe State (Damaturu)

36. Sen. Kabir Garba Marafa – Zamfara State.

37. Hon. Zakari Dobi – FCT

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Wednesday, described as despicable, the July 25 altercation between the Department of State Security Service and officials of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) before a Federal High Court Lagos.

NBA President, Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) has consequently called for disciplinary measures against officers involved in the shameful act.

He made this known in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday, in reaction to the recent faceoff between officials of the sister agencies over custody of suspended governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele who was arraigned on charges bordering on illegal possession of firearms.

He was granted bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum and the court had ordered that he be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional facility, pending perfection of his bail.

Trouble, however, started when officials of the correctional service, sought to take Emefiele into custody but were resisted by men of the DSS who were armed to the “teeth”

DSS had sought to re-arrest Emefiele and take him to their custody instead.

The ensuing disagreement had resulted in a fight between some men of the DSS who manhandled a senior official of the prisons,.

Reacting to the development, the NBA president urged disciplinary measures by the government, on the defaulting parties.

Part of the statement reads:

“The NBA has further condemned the brazen disrespect for the judicial process and sanctity of the court premises.

“The NBA has particularly denounced the DSS for its peculiar part in the disgraceful and unlawful conduct, considering the fact that the Court had earlier ordered that the suspended CBN governor be kept in a Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

“A situation where officers of Federal Government agencies engage in a fight as witnessed by the public, for whatever reason, is antithetical to our security as a nation and creates a recipe for anarchy and chaos.

“Both the DSS and the NCoS are important institutions dealing with national security and administration of justice respectively, and the need for them to work in concert toward attaining justice in a secured Nigeria cannot be over emphasised.

“While it is difficult not to hold the leadership of the two Federal Government agencies directly responsible for the shameful and disgraceful conduct of the personnel, the NBA president has particularly called on the two agencies “to take immediate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in this disgraceful conduct,” he said.

In addition to this disciplinary measure, Maikyau also called for a complete overhaul of the institutions and a total reorientation of the personnel, to achieve professionalism and ensure synergy in the discharge of their respective constitutional responsibilities

He said the NBA remained committed to the promotion and protection of the principles of the rule of law and due process, within a safe and secured Nigeria. 

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun has unveiled a smart policing initiative to enhance the swift and efficient response of police personnel during emergencies.

Egbetokun who unveiled the `Police-VGS Quick Emergency Reporting and Response System (QERRS)’ in Abuja, said it would revolutionise police response to emergencies.

According to him, the Police-VGS QERRS application has been modeled to ensure prompt response and referral during accidents, natural disasters, medical emergencies, criminal incidents, and intelligence sharing.

“With the swipe of a button on a phone, emergency notifications will be sent directly to a dedicated team of police operatives.

“The operatives will ensure a swift, live, and coordinated response in the shortest possible time,” he said.

The IGP believes that the initiative would make a huge impact in saving lives, combatting crimes, and securing communities.

Egbetokun said that the Police-VGS was an additional option to the already inaugurated C4i-NPF Rescue Me App.

“This represents the epitome of the Nigeria Police commitment to the security and safety of members of the public,” the IGP said, whilst urging the public to embrace the innovation.

The National Industrial Court has authenticated the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) as trade unions.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), had dragged the Minister of Labour and Employment, The Registrar, Trade Union, CONUA, and NAMDA as first, second, third, and fourth defendants in the case, respectively.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Benedict Kanyip held that in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Act, there can be more than one trade union within an employment.

The judge in addition quashed the claimant’s submission that Section 3 (2) of the Trade Union Act made the first and second defendants incompetent to register CONUA and NAMDA to coexist and carry out the same functions in the universities as ASUU.

Kanyip said that the Section does not encourage the monopoly of trade unions, but rather, the section encourages the existence of other trade unions.

The court said “The reliefs prayed by the claimant failed, refused and I so hold. I make no order as to cost”

The claimant’s counsel, Mr Femi Falana SAN, submitted two questions for determination.

Part of the question was whether by Section 4 (2) of the constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended and Section 3 (2) of TUA, the second defendant can register CONUA and NAMDA to carry out the same functions covering the same jurisdiction sphere as the claimant.

The counsel further averred that the second and third defendants registered the third and fourth defendants in a bid to split ASUU.

The first and second defendants in reply submitted that the court should determine whether the issues raised by the claimant were not speculative and academic.

The third defendant on its part raised three issues that bordered on whether the claimant put before the court any proof, whether the claimant’s suit was not liable to be dismissed, and whether the third and fourth defendants were not legally registered.

The fourth defendant submitted for the determination of the court whether there was any violation in the registration of the two unions.

According to the court, the claimant gave evidence of this assertion from an online publication titled “FG Registers 2 New University Unions in a Bid to Split ASUU”.

Although the fourth defendant objected to the admissibility of the publication in evidence, stating that the publication was a hearsay evidence, the court however dismissed the objection and allowed the admissibility as Exhibit 1.

The court also held that the fourth defendant was not registered as a trade union until January 1, collected the certificate of registration on January 13 and formally completed all processes to be registered as a trade union on January 17, 2023.

The court therefore ruled that as of June 26, 2022 when the claimant filed the suit, the fourth defendant was not in existence.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has embarked on indefinite industrial action.

The National President of the association, Dr Innocent Orji, disclosed this in Abuja.

According to him, the major demands of the association are immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement and payment of skipping arrears.

Others are an upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS and payment of arrears of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage to omitted doctors.

The association also demands the reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

NAN reports that the association had in a communique on July 5 after its virtual Extraordinary National Executive Council Meeting (E-NEC), issued fresh notice to the Federal Government to meet its demands within two weeks or risk industrial disharmony in the health sector.

The communique was signed jointly by NARD’s National President, the Secretary-General, Dr Chikezie Kelechi and the Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Umar Musa.

Members of the association had embarked on a five-day warning strike on May 17, urging the Federal Government to address its concerns before May 29 otherwise there would be industrial disharmony.

The industrial action was embarked upon after the two-week ultimatum issued on April 29 expired on May 13.

Members of the association however suspended the strike on May 21.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas had on Monday urged the resident doctors to suspend the impending strike during a meeting between the leadership of the House and NARD in Abuja.

He said, “I urge you to suspend the impending industrial action while we intervene, and seek your understanding of the fact that a new administration just came on board.”

He further said that the administration was still in the process of settling down as ministers were yet to assume office.

He said NARD’s decision to meet with the House was an affirmation of their faith and confidence in the House’s capacity to intervene and resolve the lingering issues in dispute.

The Federal Government has said that Diaspora home remittances in 2022 stood at US$ 21.9 billion through official channels.

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said this at the 17th annual National Diaspora Day (NDD) 2023, at the Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The theme of the day was: “Consolidating Diaspora Engagement for National Development”.

Tinubu was represented by his Chief of Staff Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The President said Nigerians were excelling globally and contributing immensely to the country’s development through their resources, talents, skills and global exposure.

“In 2022, our Diaspora home remittances through official channels stood at US$ 21.9 billion, over four times the value of our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

“The Nigerians in the Diaspora are also actively investing in healthcare, agriculture, education, information and communication technology, housing and real estate, sports, transportation, oil and gas and other sectors.

“This I must say is commendable and in our enlightened self-interest as only Nigerians both at home and abroad can develop Nigeria.”

He also estimated Nigerians in the Diaspora at over 17 million and reiterated that the government held the Diaspora in high esteem and worked hard to uplift engagements with them.

He said parts of the engagement included the passage of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) (Establishment) Act in 2017, and its take off in 2019, and the approval and adoption of the National Diaspora Policy in 2021.

Tinubu also described the day as special owing to the new initiatives by NiDCOM to celebrate contributions of the Diaspora champions with the introduction of the maiden edition of the National Diaspora Merit Awards.

He said the initiative would serve as a morale booster for the Diaspora community and also encourage Diaspora engagement and participation for national development.

The president also commended the commission for its dynamic engagements with the Diaspora community, especially with laudable programmes for Nigerians in Diaspora to invest at home.

“I believe in the years to come, these programmes will impact tremendously on our economy by catalysing our developmental efforts.

“May I, therefore, encourage you to key into these programmes for our mutual benefit.

“May I also let you know that this new democratically-elected government is a Diaspora friendly one, which will provide an enabling platform for effective policies for the Diaspora with the view to galvanising support for the new administration and concretising our democracy, setting a good example for other African countries to emulate.”

He assured that the government would address some of the challenges the commission faced to make it more effective with the Diaspora for national development.

In her welcome address, Chairman, NiDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the theme of the day was a summary of the entire mandate of NiDCOM.

She said the mandate was to engage and harness the talents, skills, resources, and global exposure of Nigerians in the Diaspora for national development.

“Our interactions with the Diaspora community during this year’s National Diaspora Day celebrations, therefore, are expected to mobilise the Diaspora to key into some of the programmes of the government and to chart improved and better ways on how to achieve the positive results for national development within the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the government.”

The chairman urged the federal government to review the Act setting up NiDCOM to streamline its activities by setting up a sustaining funding mechanism for the commission’s activities.

She encouraged the government to support and conclude the setting up of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Fund (NDIF) as an investment window for the Diaspora, and the setting up of a Diaspora Intervention Fund for emergencies involving the Diaspora.

In his opening remarks, Amb. Adamu Lamuwa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, applauded the Nigerians in the Diaspora for their contributions in Nigeria.

Lamuwa was represented by Amb. Samson Itegboje of the ministry.

The permanent secretary commended NiDCOM for its efforts and promised to work hand-in-hand with the commission for better Diaspora relations.

Highlights of the day included a cultural performance by the National Council for Arts and Culture, a musical interlude performed by Christiana Igbokwe, granddaughter of the late Nigerian musician, Christy Essien-Igbokwe, a saxophone played by OreOfe Sax, among others.