Five pro-Wike commissioners have resigned their respective positions from Fubara’s cabinet today. The commissioners include: Prof. Chinedu Mmom, Commissioner for Education and Ben-Golden Chioma, Commissioner for Environment Dr Gift Worlu, Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Jacobs Nbina, Commissioner for Transportation and Mrs. Inime Chinwenwo Aguma, the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation.   In a letter addressed to the office of the Secretary to the State Government, the Commissioners said their resignation is with immediate effect. Mmom Prof. Mmom cited toxic environment as part of his reasons for resignation. According to him: “I write to formally tender my resignation as a member of the Rivers State Executive Council as the Honourable Commissioner for Education with effect from today the 15th day of May,2024. “It is a truism that a calm, safe and friendly environment would stimulate efficient service delivery and enhanced productivity. It is however unfortunate to note that my current work space has become toxic and no longer guarantees a favourable environment to enable me realize my set targets for the Education sector in the State. “There is loss of trust, animosity and sharp division among colleagues in the same cabinet which is unhealthy and very unfortunate. I want to thank Your Excellency for the opportunity to serve in your cabinet and wish your administration well”. Ben-Chioma On his own part, the Commissioner for Environment, Ben-Chioma, cited political crisis in the state as his reason for resignation According to him: “I hereby tender my resignation as the Hon. Commission for Environment, Rivers State on this day the 15th May, 2024.   “I want to sincerely appreciate your Excellency, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the State Executive Council. My decision to resign is due to the political crisis befalling our dear Rivers State and other personal reasons. “It was a privilege to have been of service to you in your administration and wish you all the best in your tenure.” Worlu Similarly, Dr Gift Worlu, the Honourable Commissioner for Housing, cited toxic atmosphere as his reason for resigning. He noted that: “I write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Housing. “One of the most difficult decision in my life yet it is precipitated by the toxic atmosphere that has characterized our working relationship, especially the shouldering arbitrariness of decisions and actions, including the attempt to fuse the executive and the legislative in Rivers State. “I thank you for the opportunity to serve in your government and I wish you the best as you continue to steer the ship of state. “Kindly accept the assurance of my esteemed regards.” Nbina Nbina in his letter noted that his decision to leave his office is because of the political crisis in the state which has remained unresolved. He said: “I write to formally tender my resignation as Honourable Commissioner for Transportation and member Rivers State Executive council with effect from 15 May, 2024. It has been a privilege to serve in this capacity and I thank Your Excellency for the opportunity to serve our State which I served dutifully and meritoriously. “I also thank His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his Intervention in the events of the last few months in our dear State and hope that peace shall continue to reign in Rivers State. “My decision to resign is due to the unresolved political crisis in our dear State leading to tack of trust and apathy.” Aguma Also, the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Aguma, claimed working under an unconducive environment was the reason behind her resignation. She said: “Pursuant to the current unconducive working environment, it is imperative to tender my resignation as Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Rivers State. “I resign with all sense of responsibility especially as there is no room for progression development in the work place.”

  Operatives of 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State have arrested five illegal oil bunkering suspects. This was as the troop of the Division also uncovered five 45,000 capacity reservoirs ladened with approximately 225,000 liters of crude in the thick forest of the community. The army made this discovery and arrest at Odagwa Community in Etche Local Government Area of the state. Conducting journalists around the forest for the achievement, the Commanding Officer, 29 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Ishaya Manga, revealed that the troops achieved the feat through the combination of technology and human intelligence. Manga, who represented the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian, Port Harcourt, Major General Jamal Abdusallam, vowed that the troops would not rest until illegal oil bunkering and other crime perpetrated within their Area of Operation are brought to a standstill. He further noted that apart from the huge amount of stolen crude oil discovered, several other cooking pots were uncovered and destroyed by the operatives. Manga said: “In continuation of our operation to rid 6 Division area of illegal oil bunkering and other forms of criminality which began in February organised by the division. It is against this backdrop that the troops of 6 Division were directed to identify, locate and destroy all illegal refineries within the 6 Division area of responsibility. “We use two approaches to our discoveries, one of the approaches is drones, but it is not everything that the drone can sight, so we deployed our second approach which is human intelligence and that is what we’ve been using so far and it has been yielding tremendous results.” Abdussalam while emphasising that the operations of the criminals were negatively impacting the social economic activities of the state, explained that each of the uncovered reservioirs contained about 45,000 liters of the product. “This is economic sabotage against the federal government, impacting negatively on the social economic activities, as well as the health of the citizens and that is why we are here. We would continue to do our best to ensure that all illegal refineries in this area are destroyed.   “Apart from these reservoirs, there are other cooking pots at various locations not far from here which would be completely destroyed. “In this general area of Odagwa, our troops have discovered about five reservoirs filled with about 45,000 liters of illegal crude oil and there are other empty reservoirs discovered by the troops, the operation is ongoing and we will continue to make further discoveries. As soon as the discoveries are made, the public would be informed.” While commending the law-abiding citizens for their cooperation in their fight against illegal oil bunkering in the state, he warned economic saboteurs in the state to steer clear of government’s infrastructure. “I also want to send a message to those oil bunkerers to desist from these forms of criminality because it is against the law, this is sabotage against the federal government, Rivers State government and the community where this heinous crime is being carried out.

  The labour unions comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have walked out of the ongoing minimum wage negotiations with the government and the Organised Private Sector. Angered by the N48,000 proposal by the Federal Government as the national minimum wage, the labour unions described the offer as ridiculous. The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, explained that the government is not serious about negotiating with the Labour on the new minimum wage. He explained that the FG does not have the necessary data to negotiate with Labour. Ajaero maintained that Government have till the end of the month to arrive at a decision, adding that Labour will take a decision at the expiration of the ultimatum. The Trade Union Congress was represented at the meeting by the Deputy President, Mr. Tommy Okon. A joint statement signed by Ajaero and Okon after the meeting read in part, “The Government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000 (forty-eight thousand Naira} as the Minimum Wage does not only insult the sensibilities of Nigerian workers but also falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations. “In contrast the Organised Private Sector (OPS) proposed an initial offer of N54 ,000 (fifty-four thousand Naira) though it is worth noting that even the least paid workers in the private sector receives N78,000 (seventy-eight thousand Naira per month) as clearly stated by the OPS, highlighting the stark disparity between the proposed and prevailing standards further demonstrating the minimum wage unwillingness of Employers and Government to faithfully negotiate a fair National Minimum Wage for Workers in Nigeria Furthermore, the Government’s failure to provide any substantiated data to support their offer exacerbates the situation. This lack of transparency and good faith undermines the credibility of the negotiation process and erodes trust between the parties involved. “As representatives of Nigerian workers, we cannot in good conscience accept a wage proposal that would result in a reduction in income for federal-level workers who are already receiving N30,000 (thirty thousand Naira) as mandated by law, augmented by Buhari’s 40% Peculiar allowance (N12,000) and the N35,000 (thirty-five thousand Naira) wage award, totaling N77,000 (seventyseven thousand Naira) only. “Such a regressive step would undermine the economic well-being of workers and their families and is unacceptable in a National Minimum Wage Fixing process. The NLC and TUC had proposed that the Federal government should pay Nigerian workers N615,000 minimum wage, citing high cost of living as the yardstick for the proposal. N615,000 Wage Proposal On April 14, the organised Labour demanded N615,000 as the new minimum wage for workers to cope with the many economic realities and high cost of living in Nigeria. The new wage of N615,000 monthly was reached after consultations between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), according to the NLC President, Joe Ajaero. The labour unions said the current minimum wage of N30,000 can no longer cater for the wellbeing of an average Nigerian worker, lamenting that not all governors are paying the current wage award which will expire by April, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act is to be reviewed every five years to meet up with contemporary economic demands of workers. NLC and the TUC have at various times called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to hasten the upward review of wage awards. Earlier in January, the Federal Government inaugurated a 37-man Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with a mandate to recommend a new National Minimum Wage for the country. The NLC had announced N1m as the new minimum wage, due to the rising inflation in the country which had pushed many into poverty.

  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has activated plans to double foreign-currency remittance flows through formal channels by granting 14 new International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) Approval-in-Principle (AIP).   This was disclosed in Abuja on Wednesday by the Bank’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali. Ali stated that the initiative will help increase the sustained supply of foreign exchange in the official market by promoting greater competition and innovation among IMTOs to lower the cost of remittance transactions and boost financial inclusion. According to her, “This will spur liquidity in Nigeria’s Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), augmenting price discovery to enable a market-driven fair value for the naira.” It will be recalled that the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, had recently declared: “We’ve set ourselves a target to double remittance flows into Nigeria within a year, a goal I firmly believe is within reach. “We are wasting no time driving progress to remove any bottlenecks hindering flows through formal channels permanently. We have a determined pathway and a sequenced approach to tackling all challenges ahead, working hand in hand with key stakeholders in the remittance industry.” Continuing, Sidi Ali said that the CBN viewed increasing formal remittance flows— one of the major sources of foreign exchange, accounting for over 6% of GDP—as a means of reducing the historical volatility in Nigeria’s exchange rate caused by external factors, such as fluctuations in foreign investment and oil export proceeds. The increase in the number of IMTOs is one of the primary actions initiated by the CBN’s remittance task force, overseen by Governor Cardoso as a collaborative unit pulling together specialists to work closely with the private sector and market operators to facilitate the ease of doing business in the remittance ecosystem in Nigeria. The task force was established as a direct result of an executive learning session with IMTOs during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings held in Washington DC, United States of America, in April 2024. The task force will meet regularly to implement strategy and monitor the impact of its measures on remittance inflows.

  The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese and Founder of the Kukah Centre, Right Reverend Matthew Kukah, says one year is not enough to pass judgement on President Bola Tinubu’s government. He, however, said that the government needs to communicate to Nigerians when it will fix the current socioeconomic challenges in the country. Bishop Kukah stated this in an interview with State House Correspondents shortly after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa Abuja to discuss an upcoming event organized by the Kukah Centre to address the topic of national cohesion. He said while the administration is providing solutions to the myriad of the challenges, Nigerians need to get a sense of how soon they expect to breathe a sigh of relief. According to him Nigerians are in various levels of pains. “I’m sure that many people will tell you that one year is not enough to make a judgement. However, from where we all stand, we know that we are all in a very difficult situation. “Nigerians are in various levels of pain and they are pains that are unintended. But, they are as a result of certain policy decisions that hopefully, with time, can be amended in order to serve the welfare of ordinary people,” Bishop Kukah explained. He said it is the responsibility of the government to ensure better living conditions and security of the citizens. “I believe that the essence of government is to guarantee the welfare and security of ordinary citizens. I believe that the times that we are in are very very difficult times, and nobody should be under any illusion. But, there are also times for renewal. We just need to commit ourselves to the fact that building a good society takes a lot of time. It’s not something that is done in one lifetime. And for me, the most important thing is for us to continue on the building blocks of the things that we think are being done well. “My argument has always been that the government needs to very quickly improve the quality of communication so that Nigerians can at least get a sense of how long is it going to be before food is ready.” On the current crisis in Rivers State, Bishop Kukah said he believes Fubara and Wike will fix their problems. According to him, it is the ordinary people that are worrying over what is happening in Rivers State, but the politicians have a way of settling themselves. “This is politics. I’m very hopeful, we ordinary people cry more than the bereaved. The important thing is that politicians will fix their problems. “Rivers State is a place that is very dear to me because I have been associating with them for a very long time. But, look, when politicians fight, don’t get carried away because they have their capacity to fix their quarrels. I hope and pray that Rivers State will sooner than later reposition itself because it is not an insignificant part of Nigeria,” he said.

  Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, on Wednesday, appealed to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, to set aside his differences and work together with the party leadership for old-time’s sake. Abure made the plea at his first press conference following the April 3 fire incident that almost claimed his life at his Abuja residence. Both Abure and Ajaero had been at loggerheads following several attempts made by the congress to take control of the party structure over claims the embattled LP chairman was running a one-man show amid allegations of financial malfeasance. The LP camp had also made a counterclaim that Ajaero was desperately seeking to evict the Abure-led National Working Committee with an ulterior motive to use the party as a transactional platform ahead of the 2027 election. So This Happened (247) reviews Wofai Fada’s engagement, a fake medical doctor, others0.00 / 0.00 Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat in Abuja, Abure described the NLC president as a friend and brother having worked together in the trenches over the years fighting for the welfare of workers. The LP national chairman therefore urged the union leader to put aside his grievances and support their effort to rebuild the country in the interest of Nigerians. He said, “Consequently, I want to appeal first to my brother, friend and Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC whom we have worked together in the trenches over the years in the struggle for workers, to put aside whatever may be his grievances. Let’s work in the interest of our people. “Fighting the Labour Party is uncalled for and unwarranted, especially at this time when the working people of Nigeria are suffering. As we speak today, the minimum wage is still N30,000. There are unfair workers practices by employers across the country. The inflation in Nigeria is unprecedented and nobody talks about workers welfare. “For us, we need to team up together to be able to fight for better working conditions for our people. We need not waste or dissipate our collective energies in fighting ourselves over nothing. The NLC should know by now that the attempt being made to take over the leadership of the party will not work. It is my appeal that working together is better.”