Suspected Gunmen attacked Sokoto village killing and abducting many in the early hours of Sunday. The attackers storm Dudun Doki vilkage of Gwadabawa local government area Sokoto killing over ten people and abducted many at about 1:30 am of today Sunday. Details later…
A middle-aged man identified as Eric and his yet-to-be-identified girlfriend have been found dead in their room at their residence in Ondo City in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. They were found dead on Saturday in the man’s apartment located in the Ayeyemi area of the city. However, some neighbours and residents of the area suggested that the couple had put on a generating set and charged a phone in a socket placed on the bed, suggesting that it is possible that the woman’s chain made contact with the socket, resulting in electrocution. A resident identified as Ayo said Eric’s relatives found the bodies when they checked on him after he didn’t answer his phone. On getting to his residence, they looked through the window and saw the bodies, and then broke down the door to gain access into the house. The spokesperson of Ondo State Police Command, SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya confirmed the incident to our Correspondent in a telephone chat. She disclosed that the deceased had been dating each other for about two years now and both families are aware of their relationship. Their remains have been evacuated and deposited at the morgue in a nearby hospital.
SERAP demands a new minimum wage bill that guarantees a living wage The organisation cites international human rights treaties as justification It criticises the current proposed minimum wage as inadequate SERAP suggests cutting governance costs and recovering missing funds to fund a fair wage They threaten legal action if the bill fails to meet international standards By John Ogunsemore The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that his government’s proposed bill on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers is entirely consistent and compatible with Nigeria’s international obligations to promote and advance the right of workers to an adequate living wage. In his Democracy Day Speech on 12 June, the president stated, “We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine the new minimum wage as part of our law for the next five years or less.” In a letter dated 15 June and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the reportedly proposed level of the minimum wage in the executive bill is grossly inadequate and falls short of the requirements of international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party. SERAP said, “The executive bill should reflect the international standards that Nigerian workers should be provided, at a minimum, with a living wage, in accordance with the cost of living.” According to SERAP, “As you and your government know, Nigerian workers face many human rights challenges. Most of the people living in poverty work, yet they do not earn a wage sufficient to afford an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families.” Read also: Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka: Let minimum wage be for all The letter read in part: “Any proposed minimum wage that fails to guarantee a life in dignity for Nigerian workers and their families would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with international standards. “Successive governments have persistently and systematically violated these guarantees. Millions of Nigerian workers remain poor due mainly to low wages and a lack of social security and social protection. “If your government sends to the National Assembly any bill which fails to meet the requirements of international standards, and the bill is then passed into law, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest. “The proposed recommendations are not unrealistic, as they are based on Nigeria’s international human rights obligations. Human rights are not a matter of charity. “Upholding Nigeria’s international obligations regarding the right of workers to an adequate living wage would protect the purchasing power of workers in poverty. “The preparation of the executive bill provides you and your government with an important opportunity to respect, protect, promote and advance the rights of Nigerian workers to an adequate living wage and fair remuneration. “We urge you to take concrete steps to defend the rights of Nigerian workers to an adequate living wage. “This would ensure that the proposed executive bill protects not only against absolute poverty but also against relative poverty, as a source of social exclusion. “Your government has legal obligations to reflect these guarantees in any executive bill on the new minimum wage to be sent to the National Assembly. “The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights imposes clear legal obligations on your government to ensure and uphold the right of Nigerian workers to an adequate living wage that would ensure a decent standard of living for the workers and their families. “We urge you to put the country’s resources at the service of human rights, and to advance Nigerian workers’ right to an adequate living wage by immediately cutting the cost of governance and implementing bold transparency and accountability measures in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). “We urge you and your government to urgently propose cuts in the huge budgetary allocations to fund security votes, jumbo salaries and allowances paid to members of the National Assembly, and unlawful life pensions to former governors and their deputies. “We also urge you and your government to immediately and fully recover missing public funds from MDAs, as documented in the several reports published by the Auditor-General of the Federation. “These would enable you and your government to effectively comply with Nigeria’s international legal obligations regarding workers’ right to an adequate living wage. “Article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969, to which Nigeria is a state party, provides that ‘[a] party may not invoke the provisions of its internal [law] as justification for its failure to perform a treaty.’ “The minimum wage setting must take into consideration the relative living standards of other social groups and economic factors, including the requirements of economic development. “This means that the level of wages to be proposed in the executive bill takes into account the current cost of living in the country, to ensure that it is sufficient to enable the worker and his or her family to enjoy other rights, such as healthcare, education, and an adequate standard of living. “SERAP urges you to ensure that the proposed executive bill sets the minimum wage at a level that corresponds to the ‘living wage’, allowing Nigerian workers and their families to achieve an adequate standard of living. “We would therefore be grateful if the recommended measures are reflected in the proposed executive bill. “According to our information, you stated in your Democracy Day Speech on 12 June 2024 that your government is finalising an executive bill on the new minimum wage, which is set to be sent to the National Assembly. “Under Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7(a) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, all Nigerian workers have the right to remuneration that provides them, as a minimum, with fair wages and a decent living for themselves and their families. “In the preamble of its Constitution, the ILO calls for ‘an adequate living wage’, and
Sunday 16 June 2024 Marketers distribute 25 million litres Dangote diesel Family accepted Abiola’s death, June 12 election annulment as God’s will – Brother Nigeria’s Headline Inflation Rises To 33.95 In May Gunmen Abduct Three People In Lagos Eid-el-Kabir: Be Security Cautious, DSS Advises Muslims, Others Nigerian Teenage Girls Trafficked To Ghana Arrive In Lagos – NIDCOM Police Allege Irregularities, Corruption In Constables Recruitment South Africa’s Ramaphosa Re-Elected After Coalition Deal Nigeria Working Hard To Eliminate Terrorism, Cybercrimes, Tinubu Assures FBI FG Flags Off Distribution Of Food Palliatives To Disabled Persons in North-East Emirate Tussle: Kano State Government Rejects N10 Million Fine Rivers State University Suspends Four Students For Assaulting Colleague Gunmen Attack LGA Secretariat In Anambra, Destroy Patrol Vehicles Tinubu Appoints Ayodeji Gbeleyi As BPE DG Disquiet as lawmakers plan to end president, governors’ second term Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, govs, others preach unity, patience, sacrifice at Eid-el-Kabir Edo Guber: I’m Ready To Sweep APC Candidate Into Office –Oshiomhole Purported ‘draft bill’ seeking return to regional govt just a memo — Reps Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has released the names and pictures of some of the inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state. On April 24, rainfall destroyed the walls of the Suleja prison and led to the escape of 118 inmates. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, said the collapsed walls of the Suleja prisons were old. Tunji-Ojo said the federal government would prevent future occurrences of the incident. “Obviously, we can see the walls are actually old. Unfortunately, there are certain responsibilities that we must deal with,” the minister had said. Recently, Abubakar Umar, NCoS spokesperson, announced that 23 of the inmates who escaped from the Suleja prison had been recaptured. As of June 15, NCoS published the names of the 18 inmates who escaped from the Suleja on its website. The names of the escaped inmates are: Ogbonna Kingsley, Auwal Mohammed, Mustapha Ibrahim, Suleiman Sani, Raphael Kelly, Abdullahi Babangida, Idris Bashir, Umar Mustapha, Ayuba Obedience, and Lamido Gambo. Others are Garba Fidelis, Mohammed Jibrin, Sylvester Allison, Albert Israel, Edoga Okwudili, Olaiya Stephen, Ibrahim Aminu, and Audo Usman.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Police Command, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has condemned the morning attack at the Ogbaru Local Government Area Headquarters Secretariat by armed arsonists. The attack, which resulted in the destruction of four patrol vehicles belonging to the vigilantes, has been described as an act of cowardice. Notably, there were no casualties. Preliminary information indicates that the assailants, arriving in large numbers on motorcycles and a vehicle, began shooting indiscriminately. However, they faced strong resistance from the Vigilante Operatives until the police response team arrived. Due to the superior firepower of the security operatives, the gunmen fled the scene. Unfortunately, four operational vehicles of the security operatives were engulfed in flames and severely damaged. In response to this incident, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations led a joint security force comprising the Army, Navy, and other security agencies to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment. Ongoing onslaught operations are being carried out to apprehend the culprits. The Commissioner of Police commends the security operatives for their bravery and assures the public of continued and strengthened collaboration in the fight against criminal elements in the State. _Further developments will be communicated as they arise._
The police service commission (PSC) has denied any of form of irregularities and corruption in constables recruitment. The commission said it will succumb to blackmail by the Nigerian police. Recall that the Nigeria Police Force on Saturday morning raised an alarm over alleged irregularities and corruption regarding the recently released names of successful candidates by the Police Service Commission in the 2022/23 Police Constables Recruitment Exercise. A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the list released on the Police Service Commission portal is full of several names of successful candidates who did not even apply and therefore did not take part in the recruitment exercise. According to the statement, the published list contains several names of candidates who failed either the Computer Based Test (CBT) or the physical screening exercise or both. But in n a tense statement, the Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission said that the Nigerian police press statement is not only in bad state but diversionary. It is sad to note that despite the unambiguity in the powers of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as clearly spelt out by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the subsequent interpretation of such powers by the Supreme Court, the Nigeria Police Force will still not allow the Commission exercise its Constitutional powers to appoint persons into the Nigeria Police Force. This clandestine scheming by the Inspector General of Police to usurp such powers is obviously an affront on both the Nigerian Constitution and judgment of the Supreme Court. The statement queried why it is only during recruitment exercises that Police confrontation manifests suggesting obvious hidden interests and corrupt tendencies. The statement reads, ”the attention of the Joint Union of the Staff of the Police Service Commission has been drawn to a Press Release with reference number CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/178, dated June 15, 2024 and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), on behalf of the Inspector General of Police. ”The said Press Statement is not only in bad state but diversionary. It is sad to note that despite the unambiguity in the powers of the Police Service Commission (PSC) as clearly spelt out by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the subsequent interpretation of such powers by the Supreme Court, the Nigeria Police Force will still not allow the Commission exercise its Constitutional powers to appoint persons into the Nigeria Police Force. This clandestine scheming by the Inspector General of Police to usurp such powers is obviously an affront on both the Nigerian Constitution and judgment of the Supreme Court. ”The Commission is at a loss why it is only during recruitment exercises that Police confrontation manifests suggesting obvious hidden interests and corrupt tendencies. ”To address the issues raised by the FPRO in the above release, it is worthy of note that after the Commission got judgement from the Supreme Court on the 11th of July, 2023 re-affirming it’s powers to amongst other things, appoint qualified Nigerians into the Police Force as stipulated in the paragraph 30 Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution thus: The Commission shall have power to (a) appoint persons to offices (other than the office of the Inspector-General of Police) in the Nigeria Police Force; the Commission to ensure inclusiveness constituted a Recruitment Board comprising of a Commissioner from the Police Service (PSC) as Chairman, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Development and Training Department as Co-Chairman/Deputy Chairman, CP Hassan Yabanet representing Police Training Colleges (NPF), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Olabode Akinbamilowo as Secretary to the Board amongst others . The Board had representatives from virtually all the stakeholders in the Police Sector such as The Commission, the Police, Ministry of Police Affairs, Federal Character Commission, the Police Colleges and the Police Trust Fund. ”The claim that the Recruitment Board was crippled and was not allowed to function, was no doubt a fallacy as the Board severally met before the release of the list of successful candidates. The same Board met and endorsed the list that was released on the 4th of June, 2024 at their usual meeting point, PSC Corporate Headquarters, with the DIG Training, Mr Frank Mba and other Police representatives in attendance. ” Meanwhile, it is also worthy of note that the Police had shortlisted and concluded the exercise without the knowledge of the Board and PSC. They had the effrontery to submit the list to the Commission. They wanted a meeting of the Board where they had planned to force the list on the Board but unfortunately their plans collapsed. For example, this takes us back to 2019 when the then IGP hijacked the list of candidates of the smooth on-going recruitment exercise from the Commission in the guise of having the list to prepare the training colleges for the training purposes and ended up smuggling hundreds of names of persons who neither applied nor participated in the screening process. A case in study is Nasarawa State with 13 Local Government Areas that is supposed to have had 253 successful candidates but ended up having 528 after the NPF had sneacked 275 candidates in excess. That culminated into the Commission instituting a legal action against the NPF over our mandate. ”Our position, however, is as follows: 1. The Commission demands a forensic audit of the Joint And Martriculation Board Computer Based Test results and compare it with the list released by the Commission. We insist that the list of the successful candidates as released by the Commission is open to any Body or Organization for forensic examination to establish it’s authenticity. ”The Commission will not at any time involve itself in any untoward activities in the process of recruiting qualified Nigerians into the Nigeria Police Force. 2. The Police and any other interested bodies are very free to investigate any act of financial dealings and corrupt practices as alleged by the Force Public Relations Officer. ”Finally, considering the power and mandate of the Commission
Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi on Saturday described the widely reported ‘draft bill seeking Nigeria’s return to regional system of government’ as a memo or proposal from a Citizen. The House Spokesman, who stated this in a statement titled: ‘Clarification of House position on “Draft ‘Bill’ for Regional System of Government’, affirmed that the ‘memo or proposal initiated by the citizen is not before the parliament contrary to the reports. While educating Nigerians on the legislative processes and procedures, Hon. Rotimi explained that there are three ways a bill can be initiated. “By Honourable members proposing a constitutional amendment bill. By individual Citizens and Groups submitting memoranda to the Constitution Review Committee. Note that memoranda submitted should eventually come by way of a bill sponsored by a member. By an executive bill from the executive arm of government,” Hon. Rotimi explained. While reiterating the House’s position on the subject matter, he underlined the need to educate the public that “there are three main routes to proposing constitutional amendments in the House of Representatives: “Regarding the specific memo authored by Citizen Dr. Akin Fapohunda, the House maintains that his proposal has not come before the House Committee on Rules and Business for listing as a bill by any member, nor has it been submitted by way of memoranda to the House Committee on Constitution Review. “To clarify the misinformation, the House states that contrary to inaccurate reports suggesting that the House ‘disowned the bill’ or ‘rejected the bill,’ the House has neither disowned nor owned the proposal. The position provided earlier was to inform the public that the proposal is not before the House for consideration at this material time. “The House of Representatives encourages healthy and progressive debates on any subject and the exchange of ideas on how to improve our country. “However, the constitution review process has clearly defined guidelines and limitations and involves a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that the collective will of the good people of Nigeria is reflected in the constitutional amendments underway. “The legislative agenda of the 10th Assembly prioritises inclusion and engagement. We are committed to facilitating a constitution review process that ensures all voices are heard. “For more information, individuals and groups can contact the House Committee on Constitution Review at info@hccr.gov.ng or visit the website at www.hccr.gov.ng. “We encourage the media to accurately report and frame public discourse in a way that promotes national cohesion. “The document being circulated is not a bill, as it is not before parliament, and is, at best, a memo or proposal by a citizen,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the resignation of Mr Mamman Ahmadu from office as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP. This was made public via a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale on Saturday. According to the statement, “This is part of a larger reorganization effort in the public procurement system to reposition the agency for greater efficiency and transparency. “The Director-General is to hand over to the most senior officer in the Bureau, pending the appointment of a new Director-General.” The President thanked Ahmadu for his services and wished him success in his future endeavours. Meanwhile, President Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi as the new DG of the BPE. Mr. Gbeleyi is a renowned financial expert and award-winning chartered accountant. He is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). He is also an alumnus of executive programmes of the prestigious London Business School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Lagos Business School. A statement by the presidential spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the new BPP boss has over 30 years of post-qualification experience in diverse sectors, including manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), investment & commercial banking, project finance, telecommunications, infrastructure, and public administration. He was the board Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State from 2013 to 2015. ‘Stranger’ as monarch: You are biased, Osun ruling house accuses govt The statement further said that, “The President expects the new Director-General to bring his vast experience and competence to bear in this role to strengthen the agency as the national resource centre for capacity building and sustenance of reforms through the promotion of a competitive private sector-driven economy, ensuring social accountability and efficient deployment of public resources, as well as advancing effective corporate governance and fiduciary discipline in the public and private sectors.”
Nigeria’s year-on-year inflation rose to 33.95% in May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures released on Saturday. This means that inflation rate has risen for 18 consecutive months. It was 33.69% in April. The NBS highlights major concerns with food inflation in particular. The Bola Tinubu presidency continues to struggle with policies that could control an annual inflation rate that Reuters has described as the highest in the last 28 years. In May 2024, the headline inflation rate increased to 33.95% relative to the April 2024 headline inflation rate which was 33.69%. Looking at the movement, the May 2024 headline inflation rate showed an increase of 0.26% points when compared to the April 2024 headline inflation rate,” the latest NBS Consumer Price Index stated. “On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 11.54% points higher compared to the rate recorded in May 2023, which was 22.41%. This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in the month of May 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., May 2023). “The Food inflation rate in May 2024 was 40.66% on a year-on-year basis, which was 15.84% points higher compared to the rate recorded in May 2023 (24.82%). Food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (46.32%), Ekiti (44.94%) and Kwara (44.66%). Adamawa (31.72%), Bauchi (34.35%) and Borno (34.74%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis. On a month-on-month basis, however, food inflation was highest in Gombe (4.88%), Kano (4.68%) and Bayelsa (3.62%), while it was lowest in Ondo (0.02%), Yobe (0.95%) and Adamawa (1.02%). An untamed inflation rate corresponds to a higher cost of living for the average Nigerian. The cost of living crisis is also at the centre of organised labour’s demand for a significant national minimum wage increase.
