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  • FG Kicks Off 2024 National Environmental Sanitation Day In Abuja

    FG Kicks Off 2024 National Environmental Sanitation Day In Abuja

    The Federal Ministry of Environment has called on Nigerians to prioritize environmental hygiene to curb the spread of cholera. 

    This appeal was made by the Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Adam Kambari, during the launch of the 2024 National Environmental Sanitation Day activities in Piwoyi, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Represented by Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Kambari emphasized the crucial role of hygiene in disease prevention. 

    “Currently in the country, we are faced with the challenge of a cholera outbreak, which is caused by bacterial infection spread through contaminated water or food due to unhygienic practices,” Kambari stated.

    The theme for this year’s event, “Environmental Sanitation in the Era of Climate Change: Go Greener, Stay Clean, Climate Change is Real,” underscores the importance of maintaining clean environments amidst changing climate conditions.

    The Permanent Secretary highlighted open defecation as a primary cause of cholera and urged communities to adopt better sanitation practices.

    The Ministry’s commitment to partnering with communities for a cleaner environment was reiterated by Kambari. Piwoyi was chosen to kick-start the 2024 NESD activities, with a series of events including a school debate on June 25 and the main event on June 28.

    In his goodwill message, Mr. Jonathan Duku of Breakthrough Action Nigeria stressed the importance of cleanliness to prevent cholera and Lassa fever. 

    He noted, “Mitigating environmental challenges will not only eradicate cholera but also other diseases like Lassa fever, as dirty environments attract rats that cause Lassa fever.”

    Mr. Edwin Isotu Ede, representing the World Health Organization (WHO), encouraged the community to use the opportunity to promote sanitation and hygiene. He advised landlords to leave space for trees and ensure the availability of toilets.

    The Director of Environment, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mrs. Hannatu Ibrahim, pledged continued collaboration with the Piwoyi community to prevent cholera. 

    The Etsu of Piwoyi Community, Mr. Tanko Lazarus Bahago, appreciated the Ministry’s efforts and vowed to maintain clean environments.

    To engage students and inspire future generations, a quiz competition on environmental issues was organized. Participating schools included Federal Government College Wuye, Model Junior Secondary School Maitama, Junior Secondary School Area 10, Junior Secondary School Area 11, P-E-M International Academy Lugbe, and First Kingdom Kids Academy Mararaba. JSS Area 10 emerged as the winner, with prizes to be awarded at the main event on June 28 in Abuja.

  • Organised Labour Told To Begin Nationwide Strike Immediately Over Minimum Wage Delay

    Organised Labour Told To Begin Nationwide Strike Immediately Over Minimum Wage Delay

    The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, CDWR, has called on Ogranised Labour to immediately mobilize and declare a nationwide strike over the minimum wage and the recent hike in electricity tariff. 

    According to CDWR, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, as the next step in the minimum wage struggle, should declare and mobilise widely for a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to demand a minimum wage not less than N200, 000 and the reversal of all anti-poor policies (privatization, deregulation, subsidy removal, electricity tariff hike etc).

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, CDWR said “The NLC and TUC have been at loggerheads with the government and private sector over a new minimum wage and negotiation has been deadlocked for over 3 weeks and still counting. Government and Private Sector insistence on paying N60, 000 provoked the declaration of an indefinite strike which started on June 3rd 2024 but was suspended on the 4th of June, 2024. 

    “The suspension was to last for five days but it does not appear that the labour leadership put in place any plan of action should the government as usual failed to meet their demands as many principal leaders proceeded on the trip to the meetings of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Switzerland. This is the second time the labour leadership has suspended action this year and gone to sleep. The first one was a 2-week ultimatum that was declared following the suspension of a nationwide mass protest on February 28, 2024, and lapsed on March 13, 2024.

    “The strike organised on June 3, 2024, was the most effective and widely supported compared to previous strikes since 2016 even though it was not adequately mobilized. The capitalist ruling elite came under pressure as major sectors of the economy were shut down including sea, airport and electricity. Rather than build on the momentum, labour leaders have again gone to sleep. Unfortunately, this inaction gave the capitalist ruling elite more time to maneuver and recover. “The labour leaders could make the case that they were engaged in important meetings at the International Labour Organisation, in that case, they could have sent one or two people to Europe instead of a delegation of around 116 so-called ‘workers representatives’. Then the other ‘workers’ representatives’ could have travelled around Nigeria campaigning rather than sitting in Switzerland. Instead, when millions upon millions of Nigerians suffer a massive drop in living standards, the “Generals” left the battlefield for too long and did nothing serious to mobilise support for what was likely to be a major struggle.

    “Wage is a very crucial integral aspect of the unfair/exploitative/profiteering capitalist system, the self-serving capitalist ruling elite, government and private sector employers will continually do everything to condemn Nigerian workers to poverty wage to secure huge profit and profligate lifestyle for themselves. Weak Nigerian capitalism can only function based on low wages; hence, the government and the organised private sector resist a genuine living wage for workers. Even the N30, 000 minimum wage, which ought to have been outdated, has not been implemented by some states. For instance, Zamfara State government just announced implementation of N30,000 minimum wage structure this month (June 2024) more than five years after it had become law. In line with class struggle, the challenge for the trade union movement is to force the capitalist ruling elite to grant living wage to Nigerians workers and also resist all anti-people policies.

    High inflation

    “This is urgent. Inflation rate is 33.95 percent, the rising cost of living is notoriously high as prices change rapidly, and food generally has become unaffordable forcing many people to go hungry. A basket of tomatoes is over N60, 000, a bag of beans is over N180, 000, a big tuber of yam is over N1

  • How I still get paid as a civil servant in Nigeria, UK cab driver confesses

    Despite leaving Nigeria for the UK two years ago, Sabitu Adams gets paid each month as a junior official at a government agency back home.

    Adams, who now works as a taxi driver in the UK, had his name changed by a BBC report to protect his identity.

    The taxi driver has yet to resign from his job in Nigeria.

    Adams is one of the thousands of ghost workers, a rampant issue in the Nigerian civil service.

    Each year, the government carries out biometric verifications and reels out numbers representing discovered ghost workers, and money saved.

    But no one is ever announced to have been arrested or prosecuted.

    Last week, President Bola Tinubu directed that all civil servants drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad should be made to refund the money.

    Tinubu also ordered that the culprits’ supervisors and department heads be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud while they were in charge.

    Adams told the BBC that he was not worried about the president’s directives because he earned better as a taxi driver in the UK.

    “When I heard about the president’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried,” the 36-year-old said.

    The cab driver said he did not resign “in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years”.

    Adams was quoted as saying he had an arrangement with his boss in Nigeria who is a “relative”.

  • Shehu Sani Speaks On El-Rufai Working With Atiku In 2027

    Shehu Sani Speaks On El-Rufai Working With Atiku In 2027

    The former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, in a recent interview, spoke on ex-vice president, Atiku Abubakar working with ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai in the 2027 presidential election.

    Sani, in an interview with Sunday Sun, said he does not know if the duo will work together, but he is sure there will be a realignment of forces.

    He claimed that the North would play a card that would bring northerners together and also work on getting an alliance with a section of the country.

    Speaking on the possibilities of the 2027 presidential election, Sani said, “Well, I don’t know whether they are working together or not, but I know that there will be a lot of realignment of forces and the ace, the card that will be played by the North is that of bringing all northerners together and then, getting an alliance with a section of the country other than the Southwest and then, see how that can garner votes to remove Tinubu out of power because in the equation of the North, out of the eight million votes which Tinubu has gotten, five million comes from Northern Nigeria.

    “So, they want to see how they can pull off these votes from him and there are a lot of issues which they are going to put forward in the build-up to the 2027 campaign.

    “And they are going to use so many issues like the shifting of the CBN offices to Lagos; like the issues of appointments of many people from the South-western part of Nigeria; like the issue of insecurity which has not been solved in Northern part of Nigeria; these are all fundamental issues which they are going to take very seriously.”

  • Minimum Wage Dilemma: States May Go Bankrupt, FEC Delays Decision

    Minimum Wage Dilemma: States May Go Bankrupt, FEC Delays Decision

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently postponed a decision on the new minimum wage report from the tripartite committee, opting for further consultations amid concerns that many states could go bankrupt if the proposed wage increases are implemented.

    The FEC’s hesitance comes as President Bola Tinubu prepares to present the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly, an announcement that has stoked tensions across various states.

    Last week’s discussions at both the National Economic Council, chaired by Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the Southern Governors’ Forum failed to yield a consensus on the wage structure, with the governors suggesting that wage negotiations should be state-specific.

    The labour unions have criticized the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for their significant sway in the wage negotiations, arguing that the proposed wages could push states towards financial insolvency.

    A report from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat highlighted that increased recurrent expenditures have already strained budgets, leaving states like Abia, Ekiti, and Kogi in deficits as of 2022.

    The proposed ₦62,000 minimum wage, more than double the current ₦30,000, could destabilize state finances further, potentially leading only ten states, including Lagos and Rivers, to remain financially stable.

    According to the documents, sighted by Punch, Abia, with an employment size of about 58,631 workers, pays ₦5,837,899,980.40 as wage monthly. Anambra has a 20,541 employment size and pays ₦1,824,851,308.96 monthly as wages, apart from ₦894,480,399.62 as pension obligation and ₦579,694,680.33 for debt servicing.

    Bayelsa boasts of 48,213 workforce, paying ₦5,802,435,178.58 monthly, with ₦1,194,528,784.40 as pension obligation and ₦3,535,787,992.48 as debt servicing, totalling ₦10,532,751,955.46 as total recurrent expenditure monthly.

    Benue has about 13,366 workers in its workforce and pays ₦2,040,184,471.85 as monthly wage, ₦76,838,634.62 for pension, and ₦64,685,126,826.08 for debt servicing, totalling ₦66,802,149,932.56 monthly.

    Delta has about 50,871 workers, offering ₦8,973,081,853.50 as wages ₦1,499,886,303.39 as pension, and ₦72,417,433,139.00 as debt servicing, accumulating to ₦82,890,401,295.89 in a month.

    Jigawa has about 44,831 workers in its employ and pays ₦2,795,662,113.02 as wages, and ₦345,987,843.12 as a pension, totalling ₦3,141,649,956.14 monthly on recurrent expenditure.

    Katsina, Kwara and Niger have 19,062, 36,048 and 22,225 workers, with accumulated ₦139,294,944,565.27, ₦4,457,268,675.54 and ₦2,653,614,213.35 monthly recurrent expenditure respectively.

    According to the document, Abia has a total recurrent expenditure of ₦111,983,979,958.62, against a total revenue of ₦147,637,730,867.73.

    For Adamawa, the recurrent expenditure stands at ₦70,369,399,885.57, against a total revenue of ₦109,722,949,684.65, while Akwa Ibom boasts of a high revenue of ₦444,288,683,000, with recurrent expenditure of ₦235,144,539,000.

    Of the states, Lagos has the highest total revenue, amassing ₦1,243,778,878,170 in 2022, with a recurrent expenditure of ₦621,043,036,000, followed by Delta, with ₦702,020,717,460.08 and a recurrent expenditure of ₦377,905,100,451.83.

    Rivers amassed ₦525,588,159,714.88 in 2022, with recurrent expenditure of ₦186,974,715,774.87; Kaduna had a total revenue of ₦222,349,875,000 and expenditure of ₦95,987,999,472.10; Ogun, ₦297,249,009,626.83, recurrent expenditure of ₦178,519,010,628.42 and Oyo, with total revenue of ₦247,156,776,739.70 and recurrent expenditure of ₦152,077,804,384.65.

    Kebbi State had the lowest total revenue in 2022, raking in ₦92,132,444,588.16 and spent ₦57,601,464,374.96 on recurrent expenditure, followed by Taraba, with a total revenue of ₦101,177,283,069.87 and recurrent expenditure of ₦75,055,201,412.62.

    Aside from FAAC allocation, some states recorded poor IGR in the 2022 data compiled by the NGF S

  • Minimum wage: Why Govs can’t take over negotiations, Labour

    Minimum wage: Why Govs can’t take over negotiations, Labour

    Organised Labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, has rejected the proposal of the Southern Governors’ Forum to decentralise minimum wage negotiations to state governments.

    The NLC condemned the proposal as “unfriendly and anti-worker”, noting that allowing states to determine their minimum wages would be detrimental to workers’ welfare.

    On Friday, The PUNCH had reported that the Southern Governors’ Forum sought for states to be allowed to negotiate the minimum wage for workers independently. At the end of a meeting held on Monday at the Ogun State Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, the forum resolved that wages should be reflective of the cost of living.

    This was revealed in a communique issued from the meeting and signed by the newly-appointed Chairman of the forum, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; and Vice-Chairman, Prof Charles Soludo of Anambra State.

    The meeting was attended by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos; Godwin Obaseki of Edo; Hope Uzodinma of Imo; Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti; Duoye Diri of Bayelsa; Ademola Adeleke of Osun; Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom; Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers; and Bassey Otu of Cross River.

    Other attendees included Governors Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State; Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo; Peter Mbah of Enugu; Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State; and Alex Otti of Abia State.

    “The forum discussed the minimum wage demanded by Labour and unanimously agreed that the minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living, and that each state should be allowed to negotiate its minimum wage,” the communique stated.

    Meanwhile, the Presidency had on Monday appealed to Nigerians not to put unnecessary pressure on the President, assuring them that the Federal Government would transmit the proposed bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly once it was ready.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the plea in a terse statement sent to The PUNCH on Thursday.

    “People should be patient,” he stated.

    While Organised Labour is adamant about its N250,000 minimum wage demand, the state governors said that paying even the N62,000 proposed by the Federal Government would plunge many states into debt.

    This was even as President Bola Tinubu demanded more time for consultation on Wednesday.

    Reacting to the proposal of the governors, the National Treasurer of the NLC, Akeem Ambali, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, insisted that the governors had no power to negotiate the new minimum wage.

    He added that the governors were compelled by law to implement the new national minimum wage. Ambali advised the governors to stop trying to strong-arm the Federal Government and labour with their request to negotiate with labour individually, and rather focus on how they would implement the national minimum wage when it is approved.

    Ambali noted that it was regrettable that labour had to always resort to strike actions to get the government to yield to its demands. He asked the governors make public how much they earn, and subject it to negotiations.

    He said, “Traditionally, the minimum wage is a national issue; it is not a sub-national negotiation. That is the essence of the Minimum Wage Act, and the law is clear. Governors don’t have the power to negotiate the minimum wage. What they can only negotiate are other allowances, but the minimum wage is a social protection content, and it is not only applicable to Nigeria.

    “My advice for the governors is that they should prepare their balance sheet and look at how to implement the national minimum wage once it is approved. They should not stress themselves with the issue of negotiating with Labour on a state level. After all, we have seen what happened in Zamfara, where they refused to pay the current minimum wage (N30,000) until Labour issued an ultimatum, and they quickly started paying. Some states are still not paying the current minimum wage. We know what happened i

  • Why I won’t return to Aso Villa – Patience Jonathan

    Why I won’t return to Aso Villa – Patience Jonathan

    Former First lady, Dame Patience Jonathan says if she is requested to return to the presidential villa to function as Nigerian First Lady, she would decline.

    In a viral video clip, Mrs Patience, who spoke on Friday at a public function, said “the stress of Nigeria is too much”, stressing that she looks younger than when she was in office.

    According to her, “If you call me now for villa, I wouldn’t go there. I won’t. Don’t you see how young I am? The stress is so much.

    “The stress of Nigeria is so much. If God manages to bring you out of it, you should glorify Him. He has taken you there once, why do you want to go there again”?

    The former president, Goodluck Jonathan exited the presidential villa in 2015 after losing the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari.

    During her reign as the First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan was popular for creating memes in her usual pidgin English such as “na only you waka come”.

  • JUST IN: Two Officers Killed As Gunmen Attack Police Checkpoint In Abia

    JUST IN: Two Officers Killed As Gunmen Attack Police Checkpoint In Abia

    Two officers of the Nigeria Police Force were reportedly murdered on Friday night when a group of dangerous criminals attacked a police checkpoint at the well-known Opobo Junction, near the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway in Abia State.

    Another officer reportedly sustained some injuries from the attack, which unsettled residents of the area.

    It was reported that the police were stationed at the junction for their regular evening patrol before the assailants attacked them.

    A witness described how the attackers, who were armed and dangerous, arrived in a Sienna SUV.

    He explained that just a few minutes into the police officers’ regular night shift, multiple police squads arrived in the area as people began to evacuate the scene.

    SaharaReporters quoted the witness as saying that the event led to widespread panic, forcing local businesses and market vendors to shut down, with some even leaving their goods behind to find safety.

    The latest attack on security officials is coming a month after gunmen attacked a military checkpoint at the Obikabia Junction in Aba, Abia State.

    The attackers, who also set fire to the military vehicle, were believed to be carrying out the sit-at-home order issued by IPOB across the Southeast region to commemorate Biafra Day, a holiday celebrated in the area every year.

    The heavily armed individuals, dressed in black, were reportedly spotted firing at the junction intermittently.

  • 14 Killed In Kano As Truck Rams Into Muslims Returning From Jumat Prayer

    14 Killed In Kano As Truck Rams Into Muslims Returning From Jumat Prayer

    No fewer than fourteen (14) people reportedly died when a moving truck rammed into Muslim faithful who were returning home from Friday’s Jumat prayer in Kano State.

    Reports obtained revealed that the tragic incident happened at Imawa, a town along the Zaria–Kano highway in the Kura Local Government Area of Kano State.

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confirmed the sad development to journalists yesterday in Kano.

    According to him, the accident occurred when a truck with registration number MKA 537 XN lost control and rammed into pedestrians who had just concluded Friday prayers and killed 14 of them.

    Abdullahi said, “We received a distress call at about 01:50 p.m. on June 28, 2024. Upon receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our personnel and vehicle to the scene of the accident.

    “The FRSC is committed to road safety and urges all road users to adhere strictly to traffic regulations to prevent such avoidable tragedies.”

    The sector commander offered his sincere sympathies to the families of the deceased and reassured the public that ongoing efforts were being made to determine the precise circumstances of the crash.

  • After Lagos assault, EFCC arrests 27 suspected internet Fraudsters

    After Lagos assault, EFCC arrests 27 suspected internet Fraudsters

    Operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday June 26, 2024 arrested 27 suspected internet fraudsters at different locations within Benin City.

    The suspects were arrested following actionable intelligence on their suspected involvement in computer- related fraud.

    Items recovered from them include the sum of N590,000, nine exotic cars, laptops and phones

    The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

    This is coming after the operatives of the anti-graft agency assaulted a member of staff of Regional Hotel in Lagos in a night raid.