PRESIDENT BUHARI TO WADE INTO MINIMUM WAGE IMPASSE

 President Muhammadu Buhari

Nigerian workers would have to wait for the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari before enjoying the new national Minimum Wage signed into law on April 18, 2019.

Negotiation between the Federal Government and the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, which resumed on Friday, once again ended in a deadlock as both parties failed to arrive at a decision.

The meeting, which held at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had Permanent Secretaries of Ministries of Finance, Labour and Employment, General Office of the SGF, and Representative of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

Our correspondent was informed that the government team resolved to take the position of both parties in the negotiation to the President and report back on September 4th for continuation of the meeting.

A source close to the meeting resolved to adjourn the meeting to September 4 and allow President Buhari weigh into the disagreement of relativity and consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage.

The source said both parties are still insisting on their position, stressing that nothing has changed from the earlier position of Labour as well as the government team.

“We are demanding 30 percent for grade levels 07 to 14 and 25 percent adjustment for grade levels 15 to 17.

‘’We came down to 29 and 24 respectively. But they have not even moved from their earlier position of 9.5 and 5 percent respectively.

“We are saying they should make a substantial movement in their offer but they have refused to do that and that has not gone down well with us.

‘’If they make a substantial movement, we will go back to our principals who are the workers. But they have not.

“So, we have asked them to report back to their principals; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the President so that the President can intervene and for us to put this thing behind us once and for all.

“So, we have agreed to meet again on the 4th of September so that we can resolve. We want them to shift ground because they have not even moved from 5 percent to 5.5 if we see reasonable movement, we will go back to the workers and get further mandate.’’

A member of the Labour group in the negotiating council, Lawrence Amaechi, confirmed that both parties have agreed to consider their stances and allow Buhari to decide on the issue.

He said: “Both parties have agreed on their different positions on the relativity/consequential adjustment of salaries and it will be submitted to Mr President, let him weigh into it.

“We have however adjourned till September 4, to get the outcome from submission to the President.”

Amaechi, who is the National President, Nigerian Civil Service Union, said the payment of the new minimum wage was long overdue, adding that government must be proactive in order not to accumulate arrears which may create another round of agitations by employees.

15YR OLD NIGERIAN BOY STAGES OWN KIDNAP, DEMANDS N500,000 RANSOM FROM FATHER TO CELEBRATE GRADUATION

A 15-year-old boy has allegedly staged his own kidnap and demanded N500,000 as a ransom.

The suspect, who was paraded in Jos on Thursday, said: “I was the one who initiated the plan and not my friends. I wanted my father to give me money for clothes and to also celebrate my graduation.”

The Commissioner of Police, Plateau Command, Isaac Akinmoyede, said five persons were arrested in a case of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping, including the victim, who staged his own kidnap.

According to the police chief, the father of the victim, Jerry Vichi, had on July 19 reported at ‘A’ Division, Jos that his son, working as an apprentice at a motor vehicle electrical wiring shop, did not return home after the day’s job.

The boy’s father reported that he received a phone call from a hidden number informing him that his son had been kidnapped and taken away from Jos.

“The father said that the caller demanded N500,000 ransom and threatened the boy’s life,” said Akinmoyede.

Akinmoyede added that the command had arrested 44 suspects in connection with alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide, and other cult-related activities as part of its efforts to protect lives and property of the people of the state.

“We have arrested 11 notorious kidnap suspects and a syndicate responsible for the recent kidnap at Plateau State Polytechnic Staff quarters, Haipang, Zawan and other places in Jos South Local Government Area.

“We have also arrested two suspects in a case of threat to life and kidnapping at Bokkos Local Government Area and another for criminal activities, armed robbery and allegedly belonging to an unlawful society, with a locally-made pistol and two live ammunition recovered.

“Three suspects for culpable homicide and cult-related offences were also arrested for shooting one Chinedu Okoye dead at Chorbe junction in Jos North Local Government Area, while other armed robbery suspects were also apprehended,” he explained.

PRESIDENT BUHARI CHANGES NAME OF NIGERIAN PRISONS SERVICE

A bill signed into law on Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari has changed the Nigerian Prisons Service to Nigerian Correctional Service

Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists covering the State House in Abuja on Wednesday. 

According to a top government source, who spoke to correspondents shortly after the passing into law of the bill, the move was meant to give Nigerian prisons a new image and make it function more as a correctional institution rather than mere shelter for persons serving jail terms.

PENSIONERS APPLAUD APPEAL COURT JUDGEMENT VOIDING PENSION AND SEVERANCE PAYMENTS FOR POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS

The Nigeria Union of Pension (NUP) has described as “laudable”, a recent Appeal Court judgement which overruled the payment of pension, gratuity and severance allowance to political officeholders.

The Head, Information Unit of the union, Bunmi Ogunkolade, who reacted to the judgement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Abuja, called for a refund of all monies already collected.

“The practice of paying such monies to them is not sustainable and should not be allowed. The NUP is very happy with the judgement outlawing it.

“NUP wants those concerned to ensure that all monies previously collected by these politicians be refunded to government’s coffers,” Mr Ogunkolade said.

He said it was not morally right to pay an elected public officer or political appointee pension, gratuity or severance allowance for holding such an office for three to eight years.

According to him, this practice cannot be justified in the context of the nation’s current social realities.

“To even conceive such payment amounts to gross social injustice. For the present administration to be seen as being serious about fighting corruption, it must begin the process of recouping payments already effected,” he said.

NAN recalls that the Court of Appeal recently faulted the payment of either severance allowance, pension or gratuity to political office holders and political appointees, declaring that the practice was “morally wrong”.

A three-member panel of the court held that it was unjustifiable, in the face of the nation’s socio-economic reality, for some few politicians, who held office for not more than eight-years, to allocate huge public funds to themselves in the name of pension and severance packages.

The panel particularly wondered why the politicians should enjoy such packages while civil servants, who committed most of their active years to the service of the nation, were still denied their retirement benefits.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had made the pronouncement while ruling on an appeal filed by the Governor of Kogi State and three others.

The court, in its lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that it was “wicked and morally wrong for political office holders and political appointees, who helped themselves to public funds while in office, to claim entitlement to pension and severance allowances”.

Justice Agim declared: “I must state here that the claim for payment of severance allowance by those whose tenure has come to an end, is as unfounded as is morally wrong.”

CIVIL DEFENCE OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED 100-LEVEL NDU DSTUDENT IN BAYELSA

A year-one student of the Department of Petrochemical in the Faculty of Engineering at the Niger Delta University simply identified as Obinna, has been shot and killed by a Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel.

The incident happened at Efeke-Ama area of Amassoma community, Southern Ijaw Local Council Area of Bayelsa State, at about 10:30 pm on Saturday.

It was gathered the yet-to-be-identified NSCDC personnel is part of security details attached to a politician and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Confirming the incident via a telephone interview, Mr. Indoni Ingezi, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, said the shot that killed the deceased was an accidental discharge.

“Yes, I can confirm the incident but it was off-campus where a security detail miss fired during a political event.”

However, the suspect (officer) has been allegedly arrested by operatives of the Amassoma Police division while the investigations are ongoing.

Efforts to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, proved abortive at the time of filing this report.

KHAFI TO FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR PARTAKING IN BBNAIJA – MET POLICE

Photo caption: Met Police officer Khafi Kareem is appearing on the Nigerian version on Big Brother (PA Wire/PA Images)

Khafi Kareem, a contestant in the ongoing Big Brother Naija reality show, is currently being investigated by Scotland Yard for appearing on the show without permission, Evening Standard is reporting.

Ms Kareem, a Met police officer, was refused permission to appear on the show by her superiors.

Scotland Yard said it had not granted her request to appear on the programme and that an internal investigation would be carried out.

Ms Kareem, from Ekiti State, was pictured alongside Commissioner Cressida Dick when the Met celebrated 100 years of women in the force last November.

The 29-year-old, who joined the force as a police constable in 2015, was filmed allegedly having steamy on-screen romps with fellow contestant Ekpata Gedoni, 31, while appearing on the show.

But the organisers denied that it happened.

The UK Sun newspaper further reported that Khafi’s alleged sex romps with Gedoni on the show have further incensed her colleagues and bosses for bringing the force into disrepute.

An unnamed colleague of the Scotland Yard officer told the Sun, “She’s a serving British police officer – it’s outrageous.

“She asked permission to go on the show but, when her request was refused, she went anyway.”

The Met said Ms Kareem was granted unpaid leave for an “unrelated reason” ahead of appearing on the show but her request to take part in the programme was denied.

A spokesman said, “A Pc, attached to the Met’s transformation command, requested permission to take part in a reality television entertainment show in Nigeria. Permission was not given.

“The Met is aware that the officer has since appeared on the show without authority.

“The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and will be carrying out an investigation into the circumstances.

“The Met does not support the officer’s appearance nor does she represent the Met whilst appearing on the show.”

The force added that any officer found to have breached police standards of professional behaviour could face misconduct proceedings.

A post on the website of Africa Magic, the television channel which broadcasts Big Brother Naija, said Ms Kareem joined the show “so that she can do societal good”.

The post also stated that Ms Kareem would spend the prize money, about N30 million (£68,000), on hosting a travel show in Nigeria, as well as investing in charitable causes. In London, she is on a yearly salary of £30,000.

MINIMUM WAGE: FG BLAMES LABOUR FOR DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION, SAYS THEIR DEMAND TOO HIGH

The federal government has attributed delay in the implementation of the “consequential adjustment” of the N30,000 new minimum wage to the unrealistic demands of labour unions.

The chairman of National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Richard Egbule, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, August 12.

Egbule explained that the current demand of the labour unions would raise the total wage bill too high and that was why government could not accept their proposed salary adjustments.

“Labour is asking for consequential adjustment and government in its wisdom had made budgetary provision for an adjustment of N10, 000 across board for those already earning above N30, 000 per month.

“However, the unions have refused this offer, saying that because the increase in minimum wage from 18,000 to N30, 000 was 66%, therefore they want 66% increment across board.

“We told them that the minimum wage was not raised from N18,000 to N30,000 through percentage increase but as a result of consideration of economic factors including ability to pay, " he said.

He further explained how the delay came about, giving clearer details on the conflicts in the percentage adjustment.

“However, we said that if they want consequential adjustments in percentage terms, we will use a percentage that when applied will not exceed what has been provided for in the budget.

“The computation based on percentage which government had given to labour, was 9.5% from level 7 to 14 including level 1-6 of those salary structures that did not benefit from the minimum wage.

“And then five percent from level 15 to 17. Labour countered the offer and proposed 30 per cent increase for level 7 to 14 and 25% for level 15 to 17.

“One point we keep repeating is, it will be unfair that because you gave the person earning minimum wage N12, 000, you give a level 17 officer almost N100, 000 if you apply 25 percent,’’he said.

Egbule said that at the last meeting between the Federal Government and the labour unions, the government proposed a 10% increment for level seven to 14 and a 5.5% increase for level 15 to 17.

He advised labour to come to a compromise because government had so far been magnanimous in agreeing to increase salaries without any threat of downsizing.

“Labour is currently stretching out and eating up the time that people could have used in benefiting from the adjustment because the new minimum wage was implemented since April.

“My advice is for labour to accept the terms for now and prepare to fight for the harmonization of salaries that is coming up. Harmonization of salaries will take care of this issue.

“The committee has already been formed and awaiting inauguration. I want them (labour) to know this and liberate us from this unnecessary log jam,” he said.

Egbule reiterated the commission’s commitment to giving sound advice to the government on the portion of national income that should be devoted to the payment of salaries and wages.