NEPOTISM: PRESIDENT BUHARI QUIETLY APPOINTS SON-IN-LAW AS HEAD OF BORDER AGENCY

L: Junaid Abdullahi

President Muhammadu Buhari has quietly appointed his son-in-law as the head of Nigeria’s Border Communities Development Agency.

Junaid Abdullahi, a retired pilot, assumed duties at the agency on a low-key on October 18.

He was married to Zulaihat, Mr Buhari’s first daughter who passed away in 2012 from childbirth complications. She was 40.

Mr Abdullahi took over from Jummai Idakwo, the former director of the agency.

Such appointments are usually announced by either the Presidency or the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

It was not immediately clear why both institutions kept a sealed lip over the appointment.

A government source who learnt about the appointment last month said it might have been hushed to save Mr Buhari the trouble of again being accused of nepotism.

The president has faced regular allegations of being sectional, with critics saying his appointments have been lopsided since he assumed office in 2015.

His critics often raise concerns about how most key federal appointments, especially top national security positions, have been ceded to northerners.

Last week, the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Oby Ezekwesili, said Mr Buhari was Nigeria’s “most nepotistic” leader ever.

Mr Buhari has repeatedly denied the allegations, and often urged Nigerians to scrutinise his appointments, after which they are likely to reach a different conclusion.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has also said the administration’s appointments are not lopsided, and suggested that more seats have gone to the south than the north under Mr Buhari.

It was not immediately clear whether Mr Abdullahi has remarried since the passing of Zulaihat, who was born with sickle cell anemia.

MINIMUM WAGE: FG PLANNING TO INCREASE PETROL PRICE TO N185 – AYO FAYOSE

Fayose

Immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has said that the federal government must perish the idea of increasing the pump price of petrol from N145 per litre to N185 in March next year.

He said that “Nigerians have suffered enough in the hands of the APC government and won’t accept any further upward review of petrol pump price.”

The former governor, who described the planned increment as a way of taking back of whatever that is added to workers salary as minimum wage increment.

He said; “They are delaying the increment till March because of its effects on the February 2019 elections.”

Media Aide to the former governor, Lere Olayinka, said in a statement on Monday that the NNPC presentation to the Senate last week that N145 fuel pump price was unrealistic and that the pump price of petrol was supposed to be N185 per litre as against the official price of N145 per litre was a way to prepare the minds of Nigerians for the planned increment.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru had told Senate Ad-hoc Committee set up to investigate allegation that the Corporation created a fund to finance fuel subsidy without appropriation by the National Assembly that the NNPC set aside $1.05 billion to augment the differential between the landing cost of imported fuel and the pump price of N145 per litre. He said landing cost of petrol was N185 per litre, pointing out that the N40 gap was being filled with the $1.05 billion Support Fund.

Reacting, Fayose, who said the NNPC must explain to Nigerians where it derived powers to spend $1.05 billion (over N350 billion) from crude oil sales to subsidise petrol, noted that it was unexplainable for any agency of the federal government to spend revenue belonging to the entire country without first remitting the fund into the federation account.

The former governor said it was uncharitable for anyone to draw comparison between the pump price of petrol in West African countries with that of Nigeria without considering cost of living in those countries and whether or not they are oil producing like Nigeria.

He said “smuggling is an outdated excuse for increasing petrol pump price, it will no longer be accepted by Nigerians.

“Nigerians are suffering. Millions of jobs have been lost and even many of those still employed are not gainfully employed. The federal government must not add to the burden of the suffering masses by increasing the pump price of petrol as being planned.”

BREAKING: STALEMATE AS MINIMUM WAGE COMMITTEE ADJOURNS MEETING TILL 10PM

The meeting of the tripartite committee set up to come up with a new national minimum wage has ended in a stalemate.

The Chairman of the committee, Ama Pepple, told journalists at the end of their marathon meeting that they would be reconvening at 10pm.

She, however, said the committee arrived at two figures of N24,000 and N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

She said the committee had appealed to the labour leaders to call off the strike and they have promised to consult and revert when the meeting reconvened at 10pm.

But the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said the meeting at 10pm was meant to get appointment on when the report will be submitted to the President.

POLICE ARREST WOMAN FOR LOCKING HER HOUSEMAID INSIDE TOILET

The Nigeria police, in Lagos, on Monday arrested a 35-year-old mother of two (name withheld) who allegedly locked her housemaid inside a toilet and left for church.

The 14-year-old maid was said to have been rescued by policemen who broke the toilet door.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, said that a neighbour who felt concerned about the ordeal of the victim reported to the police.

“Based on the complaint, the DPO of Ipaja division visited the house at Baruwa estate and forced the door open to rescue the girl.

“During interrogation, the victim told me that since she had been living with her madam, she had been going through one form of maltreatment or the other,’’ Edgal said.

He said that police saw various degrees of injuries on the body of the victim.

“On close examination of the girl, wounds of various forms were seen all over the victim’s body,’’ the CP said.

He called on parents to be careful of who they give their children to.

The suspect, however, said that she lock up the victim in the toilet for refusing to follow her to church.

“On the fateful day of the incident when we woke up, I asked her to get prepared so that we can get to church early, but stayed in the toilet doing something else.

“After waiting for her for a while, I went into the toilet to check her only to see her doing some irrelevant things. Out of annoyance I spanked her for avoiding going to church.

“In order to punish her for her action, I locked her inside the toilet and went to church.

“It was when I came back from church that I was told my neighbour reported the incident at Ipaja police station.

“I was told that police broke the door to bring her out of the toilet,’’ she said.

Similarly, the CP said that the Command Gender Unit is investigating a case of defilement against one Nigerien national who allegedly inserted his fingers into the private part of a 10-year-old girl.

Edgal said a concerned resident who saw stains of blood around the girl’s genital area reported the matter to the police.

He said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded. (NAN)

ONDO STATE GOVT. PROMOTES 14,016 CIVIL SERVANTS IN ONE YEAR

The Ondo State Government says it has promoted no fewer than 14,016 deserving civil servants in the state between 2017 and 2018.

The Chairman, Ondo State Civil Service Commission, Dr Afolabi Adewakun made the disclosure at a press briefing on Monday in Akure.

According to him, the promotion affected officers from grade level 02 to grade level 17.

Adewakun also disclosed that 3,091 civil servants in the main stream of the state’s civil service had received their letters.

He said distribution of letters to the remaining 10,923 in parastatals and agencies of government were ongoing.

“One special feature of this exercise is the early approval for the exercise given by Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

“He gave the approval as early as August, and you will agree with me that this is unprecedented.

“Hitherto, such approval comes up between October and November of the promotion year and the exercise will not be completed until December.

“I am sure that by now, most, if not all, must have received their letters of promotion.

“Usually, promotion for senior officers on grade level 07 to grade level 17 is handled directly by the commission.

“A total of 1,742 officers were promoted based on the briefs forwarded by the commission by the Head of Service’’, he said.

The chairman said the governor’s gesture would not only ensure improved productivity within the service but would also boost the morale of civil servants in the state.

“Since the inception of the Akeredolu’s administration in February 2017, the welfare of workers has been prioritised through motivation and incentives.

“This has resulted in higher productivity leading to better service delivery for the people of the state,’’ he said.

Adewakun also said the governor approved the promotion of all the deserving officers despite economic challenges being experienced in the country at the moment. (NAN)

COURT REFUSES TO GRANT FRESH ORDER AGAINST ORGANISED LABOUR’S PLANNED STRIKE

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday rejected a request for a fresh order stopping the organised labour from embarking on its planned indefinite strike scheduled to commence Tuesday.

The court which was presided over by Justice Sanusi Kado also refused to grant a prayer for an order to compel the government to immediately commence the process of adopting N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

Justice Kado said it would be unnecessary to make another order stopping labour from embarking on the planned strike having earlier made a similar one in a case brought to the court by the Federal Government last Friday.

The Federal Government had filed its suit following the threat by the organised labour, comprising the National Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, and the United Labour Congress, to embark on strike if its demand for increase in the national minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000 was not met.

Contrary to the labour’s demand, the Federal Government said it could only pay N24,000 as minimum wage and the state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, had stuck to N22,500.

The lingering dispute between government and the labour prompted the Federal Government to seek and obtain the court order stopping the strike last Friday.

But the fresh ex parte application seeking to stop labour from embarking on the strike and to also compel government to commence the process of paying the N30,000 minimum wage was filed by a civil society group, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International.

The group’s lawyer, Mr. Okere Nnamdi, at the Monday’s proceedings, informed the court that he had filed his client’s ex parte motion alongside other processes on November 1.

He urged the court to grant the prayers, including the one seeking an order of substituted service of the court processes on the governors joined as the 10th to the 45th defendants in the suit.

But the judge immediately cut in, asking the lawyer if it would still be necessary to proceed to hear the application, in view of the Friday’s order made by the same court.

Okere conceded that he was aware of the order made by the judge on Friday.

But he insisted that his ex parte motion was different from that of the Federal Government, save for the prayer seeking an order stopping the planned strike, which is contained in both applications.

He said two prayers contained in his motion seeking an order of substituted service of the court processes filed in the case on the 36 state governors and the one seeking an order compelling the federal and state governments to commence the process of paying the N30,000 minimum wage differentiated his motion from that of the Federal Government.

Responding, Justice Kado said an order of interim injunction could only be granted if there was an urgency, there was the need to preserve the subject matter of the dispute and the defendants could not be served.

The judge noted that the court having, on Friday, granted an order stopping the strike, it was no longer any form of urgency in the matter, and as such, it was not necessary to compel the government to start the process of adopting the N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

Following the judge’s explanation, the plaintiff’s lawyer applied to withdraw two of the prayers having to do with the request for an order stopping the planned strike and the other seeking to compel the government to pay N30,000.

ATIKU SUPPORTERS WARN OBI EZEKWESILI

Ezekwesili

A group of Atiku Abubakar’s supporters, under the aegis of Atiku for Better Nigeria, has warned a former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, to desist from using derogatory remarks against Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Atiku supporters advised Ezekwesili, who is a presidential candidate for 2019, to concentrate on her campaign and stop tagging other contestants and political parties as fraudsters.

The Atiku for Better Nigeria, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Benita Dike-Israel, made available to our correspondent, advised Ezekwesili to learn the ropes in politics so as to avoid “falling into the abyss”.

The group argued that by painting Atiku and the PDP black, Ezekwesili was indicting herself and bitting the fingers that fed her since she was a minister under the PDP regime.

The group said, “Oby should learn not to be rude to Atiku or bite the fingers that fed her.

“For her to say that the PDP and Atiku lack knowledge in economy and (are) into 419 politics, is self-indicting. That means her period as Minister of Education and Solid Minerals added no value to the party that appointed her and to Nigeria as a whole; that also means that her immense credential amounts to nought and (she) has nothing new to offer. After all, a river is as good as its source; for whatever is built on void is void.”

The Atiku supporters argued that by joining politics, Ezekwesili, who had been spearheading the campaign for the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls through the #BringBackOurGirls movement, had “diluted her fame and goodwill among ordinary Nigerians and friends of Nigeria”.

According to the group, people will now begin to see Ezekwesili’s campaign for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls as “a mere ruse, smokescreen and cheap opportunity to feather her own political nest.”

“Whereas it is her constitutional right as an eligible Nigerian to contest the election, yet she should understand politics as a game of persuasion and lobbying rather than (using) pressure group tactics of brick batting and (using) foul language.

“She can politicise without being rude and judgmental,” the Atiku supporters said.

BREAKING: SOLDIERS KILL ONE AS YOUTHS PROTEST FLOODING IN RIVERS

Report reaching our news desk have it that some soldiers on Monday shot and killed one Aleruchi Woko during a protest against flooding by youths of Nkpolu Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the Rivers State.

A policeman, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was alleged to have been seriously injured by the angry youths, while four other protesters were said to have also sustained gunshot injuries.

Our correspondent learnt that a policeman, who probably had come to maintain peace, allegedly lost his rifle during the clash.

It was gathered that the deceased was died on the spot after being hit by the bullet from one of the soldiers.

The incident resulted in a gridlock on the Choba-Rumuokoro axis of the East-West Road, leaving many commuters stranded for hours as the angry youths blocked the Nkpolu point of the road.

The spokesman of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, dismissed the claim that anybody was killed by soldiers.

“It is cheap blackmail to say that soldiers killed anybody. They smashed the windscreens of our vehicles, including that of the escort. The mob threw stones and other objects at them (soldiers and the government officials).

“For them to extricate themselves and because of the blockade, they (soldiers and government officials) had to turn back to base. In this era of social media, if somebody was killed, you would have seen it all over the social media,” Iliyasu said.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the clash between the soldiers and the youths, but could not confirm whether anybody was killed or not.

Omoni disclosed that 15 suspects had been arrested in connection with the breach of peace within the area, adding that those arrested were helping the Police in their investigation.

GOV GANDUJE OF KANO STATE AGREES TO PAY N30,600 MINIMUM WAGE

The Government of Kano State has said it is ready to pay the new minimum wage of N30,000 with additional N600.

According to the state Head of Service, Auwalu Naiya, the decision to pay the N30,000 naira new minimum wage was adopted at the State Council meeting which has the governor and his Deputy in attendance.

Auwalu Naiyya reminded that Governor Ganduje gives much priority to the welfare of Civil servant’s a reason Kano is among the few State that has no payment of monthly salary problems.

Similarly, Naiyya hinted that apart from the monthly salary of over N8 Billion the State always was in the forefront in the payment of Pension and Gratuity.

“Therefore it is as easy as anything for us to pay the N30,000 monthly salary this is because welfare of our workers is Paramount to anything and will always gives it preference”, Naiyya added.

However, the state Labour Union Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Minibir said they have not received any formal communication on the state readiness to pay the new minimum wage.

Kabiru Minjibir who spoke to a local Radio notes that as soon as they received formal communication they would sit on the matter and discuss.

The government also pleaded with the Labour to spare some strategic places like hospitals, banks, filling stations, markets and other areas.

BREAKING: FG, LABOUR IN CLOSED-DOOR MEETING OVER MINIMUM WAGE

Ngige

The federal government is currently in a closed-door meeting with the National Tripartite Minimum Wage Committee members over the demand by labour union for an increase in the national minimum wage from N18,000 naira to N30,000 naira.

This is coming just hours after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared an indefinite nationwide industrial action over what it described as poor funding.

Following a meeting of leaders of the union on Sunday at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the Ondo State capital, ASUU National President, Professor Abiodun Ogunyemi, had said that the union took the decision due to the poor funding of universities.

However, leaders of the organised labour had failed to attend the meeting convened by the Federal Government to continue negotiations on the national minimum wage for workers in the country. The labour union insisted that its members would also commence on strike tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the government continued the earlier on scheduled dialogue with the organised private sector at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, on Sunday in Abuja.

Following the appeal by Dr. Ngige for all stakeholders to attend today’s meeting for the interest of the nation, members of the committee are currently in the meeting at the SGF’s office alongside federal government’s delegates.

The meeting is expected to find a solution to the minimum wage impasse.

Details later…