Thirty-five House of Representatives members have proposed a bill for a six-year single term for Nigeria’s presidents. Ikenga Ugochinyere announced the decision on Monday during a press conference in Abuja. He was flanked by colleagues who co-sponsored the bill. He told newsmen that the bill, which seeks to give a single term to the president and governors, has passed its first reading. The lawmakers said they also considered zonal rotation for the presidency to “ensure equal representation and reduce the desperation and tempo of agitation for the creation of states”. They proposed several other constitutional amendments bills on governance, restructuring and electoral matters. The lawmakers also proposed to amend section 3 of the constitution to provide for the recognition of the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones. Amongst the contents of the bill was a proposal to introduce offices of two vice presidents; one from the north and another from the south. “The first vice-president shall be a succession vice president, while the second vice-president shall be a minister in charge of the economy, and both shall be ministers,” Ugochinyere said. “The president and the 1st vice-president shall come from the same part of the country (north or south) and shall become president whenever the president becomes incapacitated.”

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has refuted media reports alleging that it inflated the fuel subsidy payments by N3.3 trillion. A report claimed that a forensic audit conducted by a global accounting firm, KPMG, had uncovered a significant discrepancy in the fuel subsidy claims made by the national oil company. According to a report by iWitnessLive, the audit revealed that NNPCL inflated its fuel subsidy claims by a staggering N3.3 trillion. The audit, which will cover 2015-2021, aims to verify the authenticity of the subsidy claims. The report comes several months after the NNPCL’s Group CEO, Mele Kyari, claimed that the federal government still owed NNPCL N2.8 trillion for petrol subsidy payments, which the company had covered from its cash flow. However, in a statement on Monday by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, the NNPC said it has never inflated its subsidy claims with the Federal Government. The national oil company said all its previous subsidy claims are verifiable, saying that all relevant records and documents have been sent to relevant authorities and agencies for audit. The statement reads: “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) notes with dismay a report in a section of the media alleging that it inflated subsidy claims by N3.3 trillion, and wishes to state that it conducts its businesses accountably and transparently in keeping with international best practices and has, at no time, inflated its subsidy claims with the Federal Government. “All previous subsidy claims by the Company are verifiable, as relevant records and documents have been sent to relevant authorities and agencies. NNPC Ltd. is neither aware of any audit of its subsidy claims nor the probe ensuing therefrom and wishes to state categorically that both ridiculous claims are products of the febrile imagination of the reporters and their respective media houses.” The oil company vows to resist any attempt to drag it into the politics of fuel subsidy, saying that it operates on a commercial basis and in line with the Petroleum Industry Act. NNPP, therefore, appeals to journalists and media houses to exercise restraint and verify any information before publication. It added: “NNPC Ltd. will resist any attempt to drag the Company into the apparent politics of fuel subsidy as it currently operates on a commercial basis and the express provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). “It is on record that, in line with its Transparency, Accountability & Performance Excellence (TAPE) mantra, NNPC Ltd. has, on several occasions, independently invited external auditors to review its books. “NNPC Ltd. calls on media practitioners and media houses to exercise restraint and verify information before publication in keeping with the ethics of the noble profession of journalism to avoid misleading the public.”

  The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court of justice has dismissed an application filed by Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser, praying the court to compel Nigeria to enforce a judgment declaring his detention unlawful and a violation of his rights. Delivering judgement on the application in Abuja, Sengu Koroma, the judge rapporteur, dismissed it on grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain or enforce the earlier judgment. Koroma said the court was guided by laid down procedures regarding the enforcement of its judgments as enshrined in the community law, and the proper party to institute an enforcement failure claim. “Having thoroughly assessed the claims and constitutive texts of the court, it lacks the competence to adjudicate the present claim,” the court said. BACKGROUND Dasuki had filed an application before the court for the enforcement of a suit marked ECW/CCJ/JUD/23/16, where he said Friday Nwoke, the presiding judge, had declared the government’s action against him as “arbitrary, unlawful, a mockery of democracy and the rule of law, and a violation of local and international rights to liberty“. The former NSA said the court had held that the government’s action violated Dasuki’s rights under the African charter of human and people’s rights (ACHPR) and the international convention on civil and political rights (ICCPR). He said the court also ordered the release of all the seized properties of the applicant, as well as the payment of N15,000,000 damages to him. Dasuki said the federal government had failed to comply with the judgement. But earlier at the hearing of the matter, the federal government denied the applicant’s allegations, saying the properties being claimed by Dasuki were subjects of ongoing criminal proceedings, which he did not disclose in the suit. The FG’s counsel had argued that the government had already fulfilled its obligations. The counsel added that the court’s chief registrar had issued a writ of execution, making the relief prayed for by the applicant unnecessary.

  A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to Martin Otse, a controversial social media critic known as VeryDarkMan, who has been charged with cyberbullying. He was released from police custody after completing the bail conditions on Monday. However, detailed bail terms are not yet publicly available. On May 22, Otse was charged in Abuja’s Federal High Court on allegations of cyberstalking. The defendant was accused by Nigerian Police of uploading obscene videos on Instagram and making indecent claims against Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh. The court granted their motion, resulting in his transfer to the National Cybercrime Centre. It should be recalled that VeryDarkMan was detained on March 22 but later freed on March 31. His lawyer stated that the arrest was based on accusations from Tonto Dikeh, Iyabo Ojo, and Samklef.

  The organised labour has vowed to reject any ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 minimum wage proposal for Nigerian workers by the federal government. Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Chris Onyeka, described such a proposal as a “starvation wage”. Onyeka insisted that labour won’t accept the latest government’s offer of ₦62,000, saying that its latest demand as the living wage for an average Nigerian worker remains ₦250,000. He said, “Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know can take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage. “We have never contemplated ₦100,000, let alone ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the marketplace, realities of things we buy every day: a bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.” Onyeka said the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government to review its proposal last Tuesday, June 4, 2024, would expire by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. He said organised labour would meet to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action if the Federal Government and National Assembly fail to act on workers’ demands by tomorrow. He added, “The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call. Our demand is there for them (the government) to look at and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and for the National Assembly to look at what we have demanded, the various facts of the law, and then come up with a National Minimum Act that meets our demands. “If that does not meet our demand, we have given the Federal Government a one-week notice to look at the issues and that one week expires tomorrow (Tuesday). If after tomorrow, we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the organised labour will meet to decide on what next.” When asked what the decision of labour would be should the government insist on ₦62,000, he said, “It was clear what we said. We said we are relaxing a nationwide indefinite strike. It’s like putting a pause on it. So, if you put a pause on something and that organs that govern us as trade unions decide that we should remove that pause, it means that we go back to what was in existence before.”   After weeks of failed talks on a new minimum wage for workers in the country, organised labour, comprising the NLC and TUC, embarked on a nationwide strike last Monday to demand a new wage and the reversal of the electricity tariff hike. The labour unions said the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 can no longer cater to the well-being of an average Nigerian worker, saying the government should offer workers something economically realistic in tandem with current inflationary pressures. However, the labour leadership suspended the strike for five days after signing a commitment with the Federal Government to resume negotiations and come up with a new minimum wage within a week. The suspension of the strike followed a six-hour meeting between the leadership of labour and the National Assembly in Abuja, on Monday night. To fast-track the talks, the President, last Tuesday, directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within two days. Tinubu also directed the government representatives to work collectively with the organised private sector and the sub-nationals to achieve a new affordable wage award for Nigerians. On Thursday, the finance minister presented the cost implications of implementing a new national minimum wage to Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, alongside the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu. Before the directive, the minister described the proposal made by organised labour as “unaffordable. Also, the 36 state governors said labour union demand was not sustainable. However, on Friday, June 7, 2024, labour and the government failed to reach an agreement. While labour dropped its demand again from ₦494,000 to ₦250,000, the government added ₦2,000 to its initial ₦60,000 and offered workers ₦62,000. Both sides submitted their reports to the President, who is expected to make a decision and send an executive bill to the National Assembly to pass a new minimum wage bill, which the president will then sign into law.

  A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has affirmed that Martin Amaewhule and the 26 other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, are still members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Delivering judgement in Port Harcourt earlier on Monday, Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Rivers State High Court, held that the claimants failed to prove that Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers, had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Justice Gbasam further held that membership of a party is only proven by being listed on the party’s register, or by membership card, adding that television ceremonies and or verbal statements, were not enough to show the same. Interestingly, the PDP had filed a motion to be joined in the case, and was added as the fourth defendant. Justice Gbasam further held that the Rivers state government is bound to obey all laws passed by the Assembly, as they are still members of the PDP hence, their names are still in the PDP’s membership register as provided by the party. He further posited that the state government is bound by the laws made by the Assembly, as they are still members of the PDP, and as such, haven’t lost their seats.

  The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has said that the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe successfully destroyed two Illegal Refining Sites (IRS) situated along the banks of Imo River. NAF’s Director, Public Relations and Information, Edward Gabkwet, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said the operation was carried out on Saturday. Gabkwet said the strike was conducted barely hours after the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had discussions with Gov. Alex Otti of Abia on plans to set up a NAF Base in the state. He said the illegal sites were located near Obiaku and in close proximity to the Imo-Abia-Rivers borders. According to him, the sites consist of two tanks and a reservoir in one location and three tanks and two reservoirs in another location along the Imo Riverbank. “Observing that these sites were active, authorisation was sought and received for air strikes on the targets. “Subsequently, air strikes by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe were conducted, which destroyed the 2 sites as well as the surface tanks and reservoirs. “Building on these successes, air operations under Operation Delta Safe, will be intensified, especially within the areas of interest, as part of efforts to curtail the activities of criminal elements. “The successes recorded in destroying these IRS bring to fore the necessity of a NAF Base in Abia, which Gov. Otti and Air Marshal Abubakar both agreed it was long overdue,” he said. Gabkwet said that NAF’s continued efforts in all ongoing operations underscored its commitment to maintaining aerial dominance over the Nigerian skies, while collaborating with surface forces towards the safety and security of Nigerian citizens