Nigeria
Bayo Adelabu: No governor should flaunt payment of salary as achievements
Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 elections, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has said no governor should flaunt payment of salary of workers as achievements. He said this while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan as part of activities marking his 50th birthday. To him, payment of salaries of workers is done through statutory allocations that states across the country receive on monthly basis. He said, “No state needs a governor before salary is paid. When salary is paid through statutory allocations and it goes straight to the Accountant General, they take it to the bank and they pay. Why must that be the major achievement of any governor? Adelabu who is a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria also said embarking on populist is not susta...
AGF: Why I’ll not testify before Justice Salami panel
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Thursday, gave reasons why he would not appear as a witness in the ongoing probe of the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel of inquiry. In a statement that was signed by his media aide, Dr. Jibrilu Gwandu, the AGF, maintained that his refusal to testify before the panel was “purely constitutional and not based on any ulterior motive”. Malami contended that as an AGF, his appearance or otherwise as a witness in any investigation should be a constitutional matter. “In establishing propriety or otherwise of the presence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice whose responsibility is...
President Buhari: CAMA Act will help us fight corruption
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday explained that the recently passed Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA) in Nigeria will enhance transparency and corporate accountability in the fight against corruption. President Buhari spoke in a video message presented at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) 2020 Virtual Leaders’ Summit on the sidelines of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA75) in New York, United States. ”Since the inception of our Administration in 2015, the Government has been committed to changing international and domestic perceptions regarding Nigeria’s commitment to fight corruption and foster good governance. ”We focused on the task of dealing head-on with this destructive monster, which led to us joining the Open Government Partnership and...
Minister, others shun senate over 2020 budget performance
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Thursday shunned the Senate when summoned to brief lawmakers of 2020 Budget Performance. The Minister’s refusal to appear before the Senator Barau Jibrin, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano North led Senate Committee on Appropriations was the second time in two weeks. Also invited but shunned the meeting with the Senate were the Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze. Briefing Journalists in Abuja Thursday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Jibrin expressed disappointment at the absence of Nigeria’s key economic and budget planners at the crucial meeting. The Senator who noted that the meeting was originally scheduled to ho...
EFCC recovers N4.16 billion debt owed Nigerian government by lottery companies
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered at least N4.16 billion out of the debt owed the federal government by lottery companies. The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Mohammed Umar Abba, gave the figure on Thursday when a delegation from the Ministerial Task Force for recovery of unpaid revenues from lottery businesses, led by its chairman, Willaims Alo, visited the commission in Abuja. Mohammed noted that lottery companies operating in the country were not forthcoming in remitting revenues that were due to the government hence the need for the EFCC to intervene. While appraising the efforts of the Commission in this direction, he said, “We mapped out strategies which resulted in the recovery of over N1.16 billion from lottery companies, operating in Abuja with over N3 bi...
Lagos seeks monthly payment of house rent for residents
The Lagos State Government has called on stakeholders in real estate sector to work out modalities for residents to pay house rents on monthly basis instead of yearly. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made the call on Thursday in Lekki, during the Policy Roundtable Dialogue with key stakeholders in the Real Estate Sector. The roundtable, with the theme ”International Best Practices On Real Estate Regulations”, was organised by the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA). Sanwo-Olu said that a situation whereby residents faced pressure once their rents were due was not palatable, hence, should be looked into. He called for synergy between the state government and stakeholders in the real estate sector to address issue of housing deficit and reduce rents in the st...
Labour insists on reversal of fuel price, electricity tariff hike
File Photo The organised labour Thursday insisted that the Federal Government should revert back to the old prices of petrol and electricity tariff, if not the strike will stand. This is as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the President of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, had a hot altercation over the letter to President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the prices of petrol and electricity tariff. Meantime, Secretary to the Federal Government, SGF, Boss Mustapha said that deregulation of the Petroleum sector was long overdue, but the TUC President maintained its previous position that government should revert to the old prices before any discussion would continue. The meeting which took place at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, had...
Anglican Primate wants programmes to cushion hike in petrol, electricity tariff
The Primate, Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to urgently come up with programmes to cushion the effects of the hike in petrol prices and electricity tariff on citizens. Ndukuba, who made the call at the 13th General Synod of the Church in Abuja, stressed that the hike would worsen the economic hardship on Nigerians and increase the poverty level in the country. While lamenting the negative effects of COVID-19 on the citizenry, Ndukuba expressed regret that most of the small and medium scale enterprises had collapsed and many more Nigerians had lost their jobs. On national security, the Anglican Primate stressed the need for government to accord priority to community policing and support regional security organisations to strengthen ...
Plateau teachers decry non-implementation of new minimum wage
Nigeria Union of Teachers The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Jos East Chapter, on Wednesday decried the non-implementations of the new minimum wage in the state. Its Chairman, Mr Samuel Agwom, voiced the teachers’ concerns when he led other NUT officials on a courtesy visit to the Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, Mr Abok Ayuba. Agwom appealed to the Plateau government to quickly initiate the process of implementing the new minimum wage for civil servants, especially the primary school teachers. “As teachers, we are crying over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage and we want to believe that you have the ability to channel this concern to the state government. “Another challenge is the late payment of salaries of teachers. As primary school teachers, we lay the foundation of...
Oyo governor flags off construction of 360 housing units, Ajoda new town estate
Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, flagged off the construction of 360 Housing Units at the Ajoda New Town Estate, located on the New Ibadan-Ife Expressway. The estate, which is estimated to cost about Two Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira (N2.5 billion), according to the governor, will enhance affordable housing to all and sundry in the state. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that the strategic location of the new estate will ensure that the investors make quick returns on their investments. In another development, Governor Makinde, also, on Wednesday, handed over the Agbowo Shopping Complex, Ibadan, to investors who have committed to turning around the fortunes of the abandoned complex in ...
Google, UNWTO partner to boost tourism in Nigeria, others
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Google on Wednesday hosted the first UNWTO & Google Tourism Acceleration Program which focused on insights from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. The programme was put together ahead of World Tourism Day, Google said in a statement. The organisations said they partnered to create and host an online Acceleration Program for UNWTO member states’ tourism ministers, top travel associations and tourism boards. The initiative is put together to further develop innovation and digital transformation skills across the Africa and beyond. The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately affected tourism, a sector that accounts for millions of jobs around the globe, a statement by Google said Wednesday. “While no one can say with certainty when th...
FinCen files: Corruption is another name for Atiku Abubakar, PDP – BMO
Findings by a team of international journalists on a United States of America’s agency files is an indication that corruption allegation won’t stop haunting former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, it is alarming that a man who aspired to lead Nigeria is always mentioned in suspicious financial activities. “It is instructive that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s name featured in a new investigation by an international consortium of journalists and media groups on suspicious transactions within the international financial system. “This is not the first time the former PDP Presidential candidate would be linked to allegations of financ...
