MINIMUM WAGE: SENATE COMMITTEE FINALLY CONCURS WITH REPS, APPROVES N30,000

THE Senate Adhoc Committee on a New National Minimum Wage Bill, 2019, has agreed with the House of Representatives, recommending N30,000 as the accepted minimum wage for the Nigerian workers as against N27,000 proposed by the Federal Government.

The Committee which is chaired by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Francis Alimikhena, All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo North, met yesterday at Senate Room 431 New Building has concurred with the members of the House of Representatives that had earlier recommended a wage of N30,000 that was later adopted by the lower chamber.

A dependable source, yesterday, revealed that at the meeting of the Committee, the Chairman, Senator Alimikhena asked all the members to make contributions one after the other on the new minimum wage.

According to the source, all the Senators who spoke one after the other agreed, for a new minimum wage of N30,000, just as they were said to have taken the bill clause by clause whereby they also agreed with the issues raised in the bill.

It was also gathered that the Senators agreed on very stiff punishment for civil servants who do not go to work as a fine of N75,000 to be paid by any erring Civil servant has been settled for by the members, just as they were said to have complained bitterly about local government workers who abscond from their duty posts, only to wait and come to the secretariat whenever the salaries were ready.

The Committee, would present its report to the Senate at Plenary next week Tuesday as the report would be ready this week and passed by the Upper chamber next week Tuesday.

It would be recalled that the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Monday this week, announced that following the absence of the Chairman, Senate Adhoc Committee on New National Minimum Wage Bill, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, APC, Osun Central, the Deputy Senate Majority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North to now head the panel in acting capacity.

It would be recalled that the Senate had on 24th January this year, set up an eight- member Adhoc Committee to look at the New Minimum Wage bill after scaling second reading, just as the Bill was referred to the constituted ad- hoc Committee.

The Ad- hoc Committee had the Senate Majority Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, APC, Osun Central, with the Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North, representing the South South; Senator Abu Ibrahim, APC, Katsina South who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour; Senator Shehu Sani, PRP, Kaduna Central, representing the North West; Senator Sam Egwu, PDP, Ebonyi North, representing South East); Senator Suleiman Adokwe, PDP, Nasarawa South, North Central) ; Solomon Adeola, APC, Lagos West, representing South West and Senator Binta Masi Garba, APC, Adamawa North, representing North East.

The Committee was given two weeks to conclude its assignment and report back.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), yesterday called for the review of Revenue Allocation Formula by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission as a way of effectively implementing the recommended N30,000 minimum way across all tiers of government.

Making his contribution during a meeting of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Minimum Wage chaired by Senator Francis AlimiKhena to consider the Minimum Wage Bill, Senator Adeola supported the recommended N30,000 contained in the National Minimum Wage Bill adding however that the law when passed must be implemented by all the three tiers of government.

In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Kayode Odunaro, Senator Adeola said, ” I am in support of the recommended minimum wage as it will go a long way in cushioning the challenges faced by workers. However, there must be no excuse for non implementation by any tiers of government across the federation. It is in this wise that I call on the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission to begin a process that will lead to the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula for all tiers of government to be able to pay the minimum wage when passed into law”.

The senator supported the sanctions contained in the bills for indolent workers stressing that while supporting the minimum wage for workers and improve welfare packages, the Civil Service at all levels must perform at its best as they are critical in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives, had on 29th January, approved a national minimum wage of not less than N30,000 per month for Nigerian workers.

The passage followed the lawmakers’ unanimous adoption of a report of an ad hoc committee on National Minimum Wage Bill, 2019, which recommended N30,000 as against N27,000 proposed by the Federal Government.

According to the Chairman, ad hoc committee on National Minimum Wage Bill and Deputy Speaker of the House, Yusuf Lasun (APC, Osun), the bill aims to prescribe the national minimum wage and a legal framework for a seamless review.

Tagged “A Bill for an Act to repeal the National Minimum Wage Act 1981 and enact the National Minimum Wage Bill, 2019” the law makes it compulsory for employers in Nigeria to pay their workers no less than N30,000 per month.

The Lower Chamber approved the minimum wage bill following its adoption by the ad hoc committee on the report presented to the assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

NO BODIES RECOVERED FROM ETHIOPIA AIRLINES CRASH SITE

No bodies recovered from the wreckage of the ill-fated Ethiopian Airline's plane, the airline’s spokesman said on Wednesday.

According to the unnamed spokesman, who was questioned by Rueters, only fragmented remains survived the impact and no bodies were recovered at the crash site.

“There were no bodies,” he told Reuters.

The black boxes, which record data, were found at the crash site in Bishoftu, Ethiopia and will be analysed in Europe.

Germany's federal agency responsible for investigating air accidents will not analyse the black box, after a spokesman for the airline said the country would take care of that.

All 157 people on board the plane died in the disaster which has rocked the global aviation industry.

INEC ANNOUNCES 23RD MARCH FOR SUPPLEMENTARY ELECTIONS IN BAUCHI, BENUE, KANO, OTHERS...

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it will conduct supplementary elections for Bauchi, Adamawa, Kano, Benue, Plateau and Sokoto on March 23, 2019.

INCONCLUSIVE ELECTIONS: 609,197 VOTERS TO DECIDE TAMBUWAL , GANDUJE, ORTOM, OTHERS...

A total of 609,197 votes will decide last weekend’s governorship elections in six states declared as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The affected states are Benue, Sokoto, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano and Plateau and the major contenders are the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Among the candidates whose fate would be decided by the re-run polls expected to hold on March 23rd are Governor Aminu Tambuwal (PDP) and his former deputy, Ahmad Aliyu (APC) in Sokoto State as well as Abdullahi Ganduje (APC) and Abba Yusuf (PDP) in Kano State.

Others are Governor Samuel Ortom (PDP) and Emmanuel Jime (APC) in Benue State; Governor Jibrila Bindow (APC) and Ahmadu Fintiri (PDP) in Adamawa State and Governor Simon Lalong and Senator Jeremiah Useni in Plateau State.

A breakdown of the deciding votes among the six states shows that Bauchi tops the chart with 180,652 votes, followed closely by Kano with 141,694.
Others are Benue (121,091), Sokoto (75,403), Bauchi (45,312), Plateau (49,377) and Adamawa (40,988).

Reasons cited by the electoral commission for declaring the polls in the states as inconclusive include over-voting, non-usage of card readers to accredit voters and violence, among others.

Declaring the governorship election in Benue State in which Governor Ortom of the PDP polled 410,576 votes to lead his closest rival, Emmanuel Jime of APC, who scored 329,022 votes inconclusive, INEC said that the margin of lead was below the total number of cancelled votes.

Ortom won in 13 out of the 23 local government areas of the state, while Jime won in 10. The councils where Ortom won are Gboko, Guma, Ukum, Logo, Vandeikya, Agatu, Kwande, Buruku, Konshisha, Ado, Ushongo, Gwer West and Gwer East. Those won by Jime are Makurdi, Tarka, Ado, Otukpo, Katsina Ala, Apa, Ohimini, Ogbadibo, Okpokwu and Obi.

But, the Returning Officer for the state, Prof. Sabastine Maimako, put the total number of cancelled votes at 121,091, while the margin of lead between the two leading candidates was 81,554 votes.

The local government areas affected by the cancellation include Gwer West, Gboko (Yandev North PU), Ukum (Azendeshi PU), Logo (Mbater RA-Kyanyon village square), Okpokwu (RA Ijigo, Okokolo and Okpali PU), Agatu (Adugba playground), Apa (Ibadan playground and Apaganyi open space), Buruku (Mbaakwa and Mbaazager market square).

Others are Otukpo (Okefe RA and Nboju Icho PU), Tarka (RA 08), Guma (Nyiev RA), Tsekeleke (Amua Health Clinic), Makundu, Saawuan, Kpanye and Dzegeor (Inyudu market Square), Konshisha and Oju.
Following the declaration of the Kano State governorship as inconclusive, INEC will conduct re-run elections in 22 local government areas of the state.
INEC had declared the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in the state as inconclusive.

The state’s Returning Officer, Prof. Bello Shehu, said the election was declared inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the difference in votes scored between the two leading candidates: Abba Yusuf of PDP and the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje of APC.

The PDP candidate polled 1,014,474 votes, while his APC counterpart scored 987,819 votes, a margin of 26,655 votes. However, cancelled votes stand at 141,694.

Among the local government areas mostly affected are Gaya, Bunkure, Kura, Dala, Nassarawa and Bebeji.

The commission cited non-usage of card readers, which led to manual voting and snatching of ballot papers for the cancellation in Kano State.

In Plateau State, INEC declared the gubernatorial election as inconclusive over the inability of the governorship candidate of the APC, Governor Lalong, to secure a margin higher than the number of cancelled votes.

The Returning Officer for the state, Prof. Richard Kimbir, after the collation of the election’s results, said the margin of lead between Lalong and his PDP counterpart, Senator Useni is 44,929, which is 4,448 lower than the cancelled votes of 49,377.

Lalong polled 583,255 votes, while Useni trailed closely by 538,326 votes, but Prof. Kimbir explained that the cancellation was as a result of over-voting and non-use of card readers in about nine local government areas, with a total of 20 registration areas and 41 polling units.

The local government areas affected include Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Jos North, Bokkos, Kanam, Langtang South, Pankshin and Shendam.
Mangu has the highest number of cancelled votes, with about 26,135 across three registration areas.

Jos North has 4,157 cancelled votes, Kanam (2,627), Barkin Ladi (570), Bassa (3,078), Bokkos (5,314), Pankshin (1,144), Langtang South (5,501) and Shendam (851).

Giving reasons for declaring the governorship election in Bauchi State as inconclusive, INEC cited the inability of the Collation Officer for Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area to give a clear account of what transpired in the area.

Bauchi State Returning Officer, Prof. Mohammed Kyari, said there was no result from Tafawa Balewa and as a result, the only op tion was to cancel the election result.

From the result announced by collation officer, Dominion Anosike, at the local government collation centre, the PDP polled 40,010 votes, while APC had 29,862 votes. Total figure of registered voters in the area is 135,340.

Kyari had earlier explained that the margin between the two leading candidates, Senator Bala Mohammed of the PDP and Governor Mohammed Abubakar of APC is 4,059 votes, which was less than the 45,312 cancelled votes.

The PDP candidate polled a total of 469,512 votes against his APC counterpart’s 465,453 votes.

Declaring the governorship election in the state as inconclusive, INEC said the margin of votes between the two top candidates – Governor Jibrila Bindow (APC) and Ahmadu Fintri (PDP) – is lesser than the 40,988 votes cancelled in about 40 polling units in the 29 Registration Areas.

INEC’s Returning Officer for the state, Prof. Andrew Haruna, said the margin of lead is 32,476. Fintiri polled 367,471 votes against Bindow’s 334, 995 votes.

In Sokoto State, 75,403 were votes cancelled, which is higher than the 3,413 margin of difference between the leading contenders – Governor Tambuwal of PDP and Aliyu of APC.

The state’s Returning Officer, Prof. Fatima Muktar, declared that the 75,403 votes were cancelled in 136 polling units across the state.

According to the results declared, Tambuwal polled 489,558 votes, while his closest rival, Aliyu, scored 486,145 votes.

Inconclusive polls: 609,197 voters to decide Tambuwal, Ganduje, Ortom, others’ fate

NJC BEGINS HEARING ON PETITIONS AGAINST Onnoghen, ACTING CJN

An investigative panel of the National Judicial Council will this week begin hearing on the petitions of alleged misconduct written against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen; and the Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad.

Our correspondent learnt the five-man panel set up by the NJC to investigate the petitions against the top judicial officers would conduct a hearing on Muhammad’s case on Tuesday.

It was also learnt that the panel had its first sitting on Onnoghen’s case on February 6 and adjourned till Wednesday.

The NJC had at its February 13, 2019 meeting reviewed the pre-assessment report on the petitions written against the two men and considered the complaints worthy of being investigated.

The council then set up a five-man panel led by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice S.A Akande, to investigate the petitions and issued queries to the judicial officers.

One of the petitions was reportedly written by a civil society group, the Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative, and its Executive Director, Mr Dennis Aghanya.

The allegations in the petition sent to the NJC were said to be the same as the one sent to the Code of Conduct Bureau, made up of six counts, accusing the suspended CJN of failure to declare some bank accounts with huge funds in foreign currencies as part of his assets.

The other petition sent to the NJC was said to be by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accusing Onnoghen of having suspicious lodgements of huge funds in his bank accounts.

The petition sent to the NJC against Muhammad was reportedly authored by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), who requested that Muhammad be sanctioned for submitting himself to President Muhammadu Buhari to be sworn in as acting CJN without any recommendation by the NJC.

Our correspondent gathered that both Onnoghen and Muhammad had replied to the queries issued to them.

 Agbakoba, the author of the petition against Justice Muhammad, confirmed to our correspondent on Sunday that he had received a notice for the Tuesday hearing on the Acting CJN’s case.

“I will appear before the panel on Tuesday,” Agbakoba told our correspondent over the telephone.

Our correspondent learnt that Mr R.A. Rabana-Lawal (SAN), who was said to have led Onnoghen’s team to the March 6 sitting of the NJC’s investigative panel, could not be reached on the telephone as at time of filing this report.

BAUCHI GUBER POLL: DOGARA BLOWS HOT OVER INCONCLUSIVE ELECTIONS, WARNS INEC CHAIRMAN

Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has condemned the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to cancel the Tafawa Balewa local government governorship election results in Bauchi state.

Dogara, speaking during a media briefing on Monday in Bauchi, said the decision to cancel Tafawa Balewa LGA by INEC was against the provision of the law.

According to him, the decision lacks substance as elections in the state was “conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner”.

The speaker further called out INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu to rise up from his seat in Abuja and defend his people.

Dogara said: “There was no problem at all in Tafawa Balewa. The only problem they had was the final collation. If that was the only problem, one will think that the worse decision that can be taken is for them to provide the relevant collation sheet to her (collation officer) and say go and complete the collation and bring it in the proper sheet.

“But in law, anybody who is a lawyer knows that the issue of form does not defeat the issue of substance

“Now, the substance is that there was a fair, free and credible election, which nobody is challenging. The only issue is that it wasn’t conveyed in the proper form and that can be cured and so, as it is, this election has been won and lost, no matter how you look at it and the PDP, Kauran Bauchi is, by the grace of God, the sitting governor-elect.

“As it is now, there is no problem, absolutely no problem with the votes from Tafawa Balewa.

“The chairman of INEC has told the world that elections begin and end at the unit. If they had cancelled any result at the level of unit collation or ward collation, it would have stood cancelled but for there to be peaceful elections, free and fair as attested to by the local government returning officer, Mrs Dominica Anosike, for there to be very peaceful, transparent collation of all the results across the eleven wards in Tafawa Balewa and the only challenge we had was that the Governor’s thugs and boys went and invaded the local government collation centre and carted away some result sheets.

“Thereafter, the returning officer who collated it on a separate paper, and then wrote a letter, an explanatory memoranda to the state returning officer and the Resident Electoral Commissioner to say that this was the situation in which they found themselves and that was why they had to use another result sheet to do the computation.

“If you look at it carefully, the thugs that invaded the collation centre in Tafawa Balewa are agents of the governor, the sitting governor of Bauchi State

“Their names were read out, it is not a rumour, they were apprehended by the army, including the vehicle they used for the operation and they have been handed over to the police.

“Now, if they were acting for a disclosed principal, which is the governor of Bauchi State, the point is that in the law of agency which we read and it hasn’t changed, the principal is responsible for the acts of his agents.

So, if they were acting as agents of the sitting governor, will the governor now take benefit of the crimes committed by his agents? That is one big question that INEC must answer.

“Secondly, I want to say that the chairman of INEC is a citizen of Bauchi State, just like all of us and they say that charity begins at home. Will he therefore sit down in Abuja and watch or preside over this brazen rape of the mandate of Bauchi State? Will he sit down and sleep in peace when he sees that the decision of his own people here in Bauchi State is being upturned by agents of the agency over which he superintends? That is the question that Professor Mahmood Yakubu, my namesake, will have to answer and the people of Bauchi State are watching.

“We want to see whether he will cast his vote with the people of Bauchi State or with those who are seeking to oppress the people of Bauchi State.”

INCONCLUSIVE ELECTION: TAMBUWAL REJECTS INEC'S DECISION, HEADS TO COURT

Governor Tambuwal

Tambuwal of Sokoto State has rejected the declaration of Sokoto Governorship polls as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging it to declare him the winner of the election in the state.

The election was declared inconclusive by INEC as the number of votes cancelled was much higher than the winning margin.
Tambuwal, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was leading by 3,413, having scored 489,558 votes while Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 486,145 votes.

But the number of votes canceled from across 136 polling units in 22 local government areas was 75,403.

Addressing a press conference, Tambuwal said there was nothing like inconclusive election in the constitution.

“It is not founded in the constitution and there is a need for it to be tested in the court of law,” he said.

Tambuwal noted the need for the electoral body to reconsider its decision.

According to him, the constitution was explicit about the winner of the election, quoting section 179 (2) of the constitution.

“We will not allow anybody to subvert the mandate of our people. Every member of INEC has his name to protect,” he said.

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