WHY IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MINIMUM WAGE MAY BE DELAYED

A disagreement between the Federal Government and Organised Labour in the Public Service on the template to work out consequential adjustment in wages may delay the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.

President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Kaigama told The Nation on the sideline of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland that while the government wants an amount be fixed across all levels, labour wants the adjustment to be done in percentages.

The immediate past Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige had told The Nation in his last interview as Minister that the government will run into trouble in the implementation of the minimum wage if it carries out the consequential adjustment on percentage basis as the government will not have the money to implement it.

The government has however set up a technical committee made up of representatives and officials of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council to work out the template for the adjustment from grade level one step two to grade level 17.

Kaigama, who threw his weight behind the call for a universal minimum wage being canvassed by some world leaders at the 108th Session of the International Labour Conference, however assured workers that whenever the template is finalised, government will be obliged to pay arrears of the new wage.

He said: “We are concerned that the templates for the implementation of the new minimum wage are not yet out.

“It is one thing to sign the law proscribing minimum wage and another is implementations because there are two bodies in charge of negotiations.

“But as soon as we finish this last leg, the effective date of the law is the day the President signed the bill into law.

“Be rest assured that all employers of labour in Nigeria will have to pay for arrears. The President gave us one month to sort this out.

“But after setting up the technical committee, we discovered that there are hitches.

“So we decided to go back and prepare some scenarios, then back and look at them before agreeing on one which will cut across all levels in the service.

“Government is of the opinion that we fix an amount across, but we believe that is not scientific.

“We believe we should take a percentage and even if that means you have to stagger it.

“We are preparing scenarios and at the end of the day, we hope to arrive at something.”

BUHARI REMOVES MAIKANTI BARU, APPOINTS KYARI AS NNPC GMD

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, bringing to an end the tenure of Maikanti Baru, as the oil firm’s boss.

NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, who disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday morning, stated that the President also appointed alongside Kyari, seven new Chief Operating Officers.

Until his new appointment, Kyari, a geologist, was Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since May 13, 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Buhari also directed that the new GMD and the newly appointed Chief Operating Officers work with the current occupiers of the various offices till July 7, 2019 towards a smooth transition on July 8, 2019, when their appointments would take effect.

The corporation, however, stated that the appointment of Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North West), who is replacing a retiring Chief Operating Officer, is effective from June 28, 2019.

It outlined the newly appointed Chief Operating Officers to include Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-South) – Chief Operating Officer, Upstream; Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (North Central) – Chief Operating Officer Refining and Petrochemicals; Yusuf Usman (North East) – Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power; and Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (South East), Chief Operating Officer Ventures.

Others include Umar Isa Ajiya (North West) – Chief Financial Officer; Adeyemi Adetunji (South West) – Chief Operating Officer, Downstream; and Farouk Garba Said (North West) – Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services.

Ughamadu stated that Baru had congratulated the new appointees.

According to the corporation, Kyari is a quintessential crude oil marketer with prerequisite certification and outfield pedigree in petroleum economics and crude oil and gas trading.

It said that in the last 27 years, the new NNPC boss had traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum industry, with exceptional records of performance.

NNPC said under Kyari’s watch, the Crude Oil Marketing Division had recorded noticeable transformation in the management and sales of various Nigeria’s crude oil grades via an infusion of transparency and automation of the processes.

Kyari would be the 19th Group Managing Director of the national oil company.

 Mele Kolo Kyari

Baru Maikanti Baru

AGAIN GUNMEN INVADE BAKANA, A RIVERS COASTAL COMMUNITY, ABDUCT 4, CART AWAY 6 SPEED BOATS

Gunmen

Again, gunmen have invaded Bakana, a Coastal Community in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, leaving not less than four persons missing and six speed boats carted away.

The gunmen struck on Tuesday at about 10 pm.

The Youth President of Bakana, Comrade Francis Duke, who narrated the incident said several persons were missing after the invaders stormed the community shooting sporadically unchallenged.

He said the surprise invasion of Bakana caught the residents unaware, forcing them to look for places to hide for safety throughout the period of invasion.

Duke said that by Wednesday morning, some families reported cases of missing persons with traces of blood littered in front of their houses. He said they are not sure whether those abducted persons were alive or dead.

He also claimed that six speed boats were declared missing after the invasion.

“Yesterday night, at bedtime, Yet-to-be identified invaders were already in community shooting sporadically into the air forcing residents to run to safety places. Nobody could challenge them because we don’t have security people on ground. They did whatever they wanted to do. After they left, four young men were missing,” he said.

However, some members of the community who craved anonymity accused the Degema Local Government Council Chairman, Dr Tony Philmore of not doing enough to provide security in the area.

“The Chairman of the Local Government is from Bakana, Ward 5. He Has not done enough to provide security for Bakana. We need security. We cannot continue like this,” a source said.

At the time of the report, the Rivers State Police Command is yet to  reacted to the invasion of Bakana.

67-YEAR-OLD NIGERIAN WOMAN HACKS FIRST BANK ACCOUNT, STEALS N16.2 MILLION

A 67-year-old woman has been arraigned before the Lagos State Magistrate Court at Igbosere, Lagos, for allegedly hacking into a First Bank Plc account and stealing N16.2million.

The woman, Wuraola Folashade Oluloye, was arraigned on a five-count charge of fraudulent diversion, was arrested following a complaint from Solomon Akhanolu, Head of the Department of Forensic Auditors of First Bank. 

Oluloye pleaded not guilty to the five counts and was granted bail by Folashade Olukoya, the presiding magistrate and the chief magistrate of Igbosere court. She is to raise N500, 000 in bail bond and provide two sureties in like sum. 

Oluloye would be remanded in Kirikiri Prison custody until she meets her bail conditions

George Nwosu, the prosecution counsel, said Oluloye committed the alleged offences between last October 16 and December 31, at First Bank’s Agidingbi Branch, Lagos.

He said the 67-year-old woman allegedly hacked the account of a First Bank customer, Emefiele Ogbor, with account No 3014419974, and withdrew N16,200,000 from there and transferred same to her accounts in Stanbic IBTC, Union, Sterling and First banks.

Shortly afterwards Oluloye showed up at the bank to make withdrawals from her account. Unknown to her, the police were waiting and she was arrested.

The alleged offences contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, the court heard.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.

The case continues on June 24.

YOU'VE 1 MONTH TO REFLECT NEW MINIMUM WAGE IN WORKERS' SALARIES - FG TELLS MINIMUM WAGE COMMITTEE

The federal government will begin adjusting the salaries of civil servants to reflect the new minimum wage. This is as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Gida Mustapha, on Monday, June 17, inaugurated a 22-man committee to achieve this

The head of the committee, led by the head of the civil service of the federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, said it will do it utmost to achieve positive results

After its inauguration of a 22-man committee on Monday, June 17, to negotiate the adjustment of salaries of workers to reflect the new national minimum wage, the federal government gave the group one month to come up with positive results.

The committee, inaugurated by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Gida Mustapha, is led by the head of the civil service of the federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Daily Trust reports.

Some of the members of the committee are the ministers of labour and employment, budget and national planning, education, health and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the minister of justice.

Others members of the committee are director general, budget office of the federation, secretary, federal judicial service commission, secretary, National Assembly Service Commission, and chairman, national salaries, incomes and wages commission will serve as member/ and secretary.

Speaking to the committee, the SGF said that its key duty will be to negotiate the consequential adjustment in salaries arising from the new national minimum wage.

Mustapha said: “I have no doubt in my mind that you have abundant literature, reports and other materials to help this assignment. The duration of the assignment is four clear weeks from this inauguration. It is expected that the committee will work assiduously to complete the assignment.”

Oyo-Ita, said that in view of the economic realities in the country, the committee will do its utmost to deliver positively.

PRESIDENT BUHARI TO NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: YOU’VE FAILED THE COUNTRY

President Muhammadu Buhari has taken a swipe at the country’s universities, berating them for failure to develop “ground-breaking researches” in various fields of human endeavour.

Reviewing the Nigeria’s tertiary education development since independence in 1960, the President regretted that, “it is not heart-warming that in our over 58 years of independence, Nigerian universities are slow in discoveries and inventions.”

Buhari, speaking on Saturday in a message he sent at the fourth convocation ceremony of the Federal University (FUDMA), Dutsinma, in his home state of Katsina, challenged, “all universities to come out of their shells to conduct researches that will attract industries to patronise the universities in order to enhance and improve their capacities to produce and diversify their products.”

BREAKING: SENATOR AHMED LAWAL ELECTED SENATE PRESIDENT OF 9TH SENATE

Sen. Ahmed Lawan

Sen. Ahmed Lawan have just been elected senate president of the 9th Senate. He came out victorious after keenly contested election conducted by the Clark of the national assembly. The election was between Sen Lawan and his colleague, Sen Ali Ndume. 

Senator Lawal polled a total of 79 votes to defeat his rival, senator Ndume, who polled a distant 28 votes. 
Senator Lawan just took his oath of office as Senate president of the 9th Senate. 
Details shortly....

RIVERS PENSIONERS SAY THANK YOU TO GOV. WIKE

Pensioners who retired from the Rivers State Civil service, yesterday, held a street procession in honour of the state Government and the Governor, His Excellency E.N. Wike for signing the new pension bill into law without delay.

According to some of the pensioners, "there is a brighter ray of hope that the backlog of unpaid pension would be cleared soon by the Rivers State Government.

The pensioners finally urged the Rivers State Government not to delay any farther in the payment of pension as a lot have died waiting for their pension. 

FINALLY LOCAL GOVTS GETS DIRECT FUNDING AS GUIDELINES ON LG FUNDS TAKES OFF, WORKERS APPLAUDE FG

After the failure of state governors to stop the take-off of the guidelines issued by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit on the operation of local government funds, the guideline has finally taken off to the admiration of local government workers across the country.

A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital had rejected an application brought before it by the Akwa Ibom state government seeking to stop the commencement of the guideline which many have seen as a way of President Muhammadu Buhari bringing to bear local government autonomy in the country after state governors frustrated the passage of the local government autonomy bill by the National Assembly.

The local government workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC); are full of praises over the smooth take-off of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in the country.

The two unions commended the Federal Government and the financial institutions who have adhered strictly to the guidelines of the NFIU on Joint State-Local Government Account and local government funds.

President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, told journalists in Abuja that the smooth take-off of the guidelines and the way the banks have cooperated for its smooth take off was encouraging despite stiff opposition from the governors who were only bent on their selfish desires to mismanage funds meant for the local governments.

Khaleel said “the Federal Government, especially President Muhammadu Buhari should be commended for standing on the side of the people, rule of laws and the development of the country, by insisting on NFIU guidelines. Also, the Financial institutions must be commended for strict adherence to the rules, while we praise the Unit itself for leading the way in doing a very good job.”

The Guidelines issued by the agency commenced June 1, 2019 after the governors failed to secure a court order stopping its implementation.

The agency had on May 6, 2019, issued the guideline to reduce the vulnerabilities created by cash withdrawals from local government funds throughout the country and restored the full mandate of the operations of State/Local Government Joint Accounts to be used solely for the distribution of funds directly to the accounts of the local governments.

Banks were requested to ensure the full implementation of the guidelines with effect from June 1, 2019.

Comrade Khaleel said the NFIU initiative will halt the looting of local government funds and bring about development that have been lacking under the previous system, to the local government.

“Effective regulation of arbitrary withdrawals of local government funds by state governments from the joint local government/state joint accounts by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), as we have seen with the take off now, would reduce looting of council finances,” he said.

The NULGE President described guideline as a giant step towards granting financial autonomy to local governments, saying he would do everything to see that his earlier promise to work with the relevant agencies of the Federal Government to ensure the successful implementation of the guidelines; is achieved.

“To encourage the Federal Government, President Buhari, the banks and other financial institutions and the NFIU itself, the union will train its members across the length and breadth of the country to keep eagle eyes on the operations of the funds going to local government councils henceforth. I am assuring you, we will ensure that flagrant abuse of the system and the funds is stopped,” Khaleel said.

Similarly, SSASCGOC General Secretary, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, applauded the agency for the initiative, adding that state governors have over the years frustrated development at the grassroots by refusing to allow financial autonomy for local government councils.

He commended President Buhari, for sanctioning the guidelines; which has renewed the faith of Nigerians and the Labour movement in the anti-corruption fight of the present government.

MINIMUM WAGE NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE TO HOLD INAUGURAL MEETING

Winifred Oyo-Ita, HOCSF

The committee set up by the Federal Government to negotiate the consequential adjustment arising from the new minimum wage will on Thursday meet for the first time, three weeks after its inauguration and less than a week before its job is scheduled to be completed.

The committee was inaugurated by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on May 14, 2019 with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, appointed as chairman.

Other members of the committee are ministers of ministries relevant to the negotiation. Mustapha said the committee would work for four weeks with the inaugural meeting scheduled to hold on May 20, 2019 but the meeting was never held. All the ministers appointed to be part of the committee had left their positions after the expiration of their term as ministers in the last administration.

Organised labour had accused government of deliberately using inauguration to delay the negotiation, expressing the fear that government could begin to look for a way of reducing the amount using complex financial technicalities.

Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Alade Lawal, told our correspondent said it was not necessary to wait for new ministers to be appointed before negotiation would commence. According to him, permanent secretaries in the ministries were competent to hold forth for government.

On Monday, a member of the committee who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not asked to speak on behalf of the negotiation team said a date had finally been fixed, adding that permanent secretaries would represent ministers at the inaugural meeting.

He said, “Finally, a date for the inaugural meeting has been fixed for Thursday, June 6, 2019 at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Permanent Secretaries from various ministries will act in place of the ministers that were appointed to be on the board. That is governance. That is the way a government should run state business.

“Government must not allow a vacuum to delay state matters because there is always a provision in the constitution for someone to act on behalf of government. During the tripartite committee meetings on minimum wage, most of the time, the ministers were represented by the permanent secretaries.