The senate has agreed to extend the retirement age of civil servants working in the national assembly.

The development comes a week after the upper legislative chamber threw out a bill on the subject. However, it concurred with the house on Thursday.

The bill, which has been passed by the house of representatives, is seeking to increase the retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first.

The existing law prescribes 60 years of age or 35 years of service for retirement.

Last week, some of the senators kicked against the bill, saying that special treatment should not be given to national assembly staff.

Specifically, Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south, said there is no difference between a civil servant in the national assembly and in a federal ministry.

“I have also looked at the retirement age for university lecturers and judicial officials which we passed about the same time,” Abaribe said.

“Coming down to the officers of the national assembly, I asked a simple question; What is the difference between the person who is a finance director in the national assembly and that in the ministry of finance?

“I do not see what separates the person who works inside here as a staff of the national assembly from the person who works in the ministry of commerce as a staff.

“We must not allow somebody to stay here beyond the rules of public service of Nigeria on retirement year.”

The senate has set up a committee to harmonise its bill with that of the lower legislative chamber.

[TheCable]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday condemned the recent protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), warning the Labour movement to know that it is not the only voice of the people.

He spoke at the commissioning of the Lagos Red Line Train connecting from Agbado to Oyingbo.

The Labour Union had on Tuesday staged a protest over hardship in the land as well as the refusal of the federal government to implement agreement reached with the unions.

But Tinubu came hard on the Labour in the course of his remark, saying Labour Union should understand that despite its acclaimed right and freedom, it cannot fight an administration which is just nine-month old.

This is just as Tinubu stated that there was no going back on his reforms despite resistance by those he called ‘smugglers’.

He also reiterated that corruption is fighting back and vowed that the government would exterminate corruption.

Tinubu said the current hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rate is temporary, begging Nigerians to persevere.

“There is very bright light at the end of the tunnel. Nigeria will be out of economic problem, we just need to persevere and work hard,” the President declared.

But facing the Labour, he reiterated that the NLC is not the only voice of the people and warned the congress to maintain peace.

He said, “Allow me to throw a jab here. The Labour Union should understand that you are not the only with freedom and rights.

“If you want to participate in the electoral process, meet us in 2027. If not maintain peace. You are not only voice of Nigeria.”

The President said the commissioning of the red line was the culmination of the vision he nursed 25 years ago when he was governor of the state, calling for more collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and other states to develop railway infrastructures across the country.

Nigerian football star, Victor Osimhen equalled late legendary Argentina captain Diego Maradona’s scoring feat at Napoli, after bagging a hat-trick against Sassuolo.

Osimhen got his second-ever hat-trick in Serie A as Napoli thrashed Sassuolo 6-1 away on Wednesday night, February 28. 

The Super Eagles striker has now scored in his last three games for the Italian league champions.

Also, he has taken his tally for the league campaign to 11 in 15 games.

His second goal against Sassuolo which put Napoli 3-1 ahead took his goals in the league to 10. 

Osimhen is now the only third Napoli player in the club’s history to have scored 10 or more goals for four consecutive seasons.

Maradona did that between 1984 and 1988 and one has to go as far back as 1929, when Attila Sallustro achieved the same feat for the Partenopei, between 1929/30 and 1932/33).

As part of effort to tackle traffic congestion and create a world class intracity transport experience, the 37 Kilometer Red Line rail project in Lagos State has been inaugurated.

The project was inaugurated by president Bola Tinubu on Thursday.

The North South rail route project will run from Agbado in Ogun state to Marina with 13 stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, MMIA International, MMIA Domestic, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Ebute meta, Iddo, Ebute Ero and Marina.

It is expected to embark on 37 trips daily, accommodating approximately 500,000 passengers.

Unlike the electric-powered Blue Line, the Red Line will use a diesel-powered system known as Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU). The Blue Line opened on September 4, 2023.

The rail system is managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA)

Initial estimates of the Red Line project, was pegged at the cost of $135 million under the Greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project.

However, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, revealed that both the Blue and Red Lines combined would exceed N100 billion. The construction of the project was handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

The idea of developing a rapid transit in Lagos state was conceived in 1983 with the Lagos Metroline network by Alhaji Lateef Jakande during the Second Nigerian Republic. The initial Metroline project was cancelled in 1985 by Muhammadu Buhari at a loss of over $78 million to the state tax payers.

However, in 2003, the then-governor Bola Tinubu revived the rail network for Lagos State with a formal announcement of its construction.

After the commissioning, Tinubu will depart Lagos for a two-day official visit to the State of Qatar on the invitation by His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar.

Renowned political economist Professor Pat Utomi has said opposition political parties in Nigeria are not living up to expectations.

He said the opposition political parties should be at the forefront of protests against hardship and suffering in the country.

He said they have failed in their responsibilities as opposition parties as they standby while the ruling party gets away with disastrous management of the nation’s affairs as the citizens grapple with worsening economic hardship and cost of living crisis.

Utomi voiced his displeasure in a post on his X handle on Thursday.

He said labour unions are now the ones leading protests because political parties are failing.

According to him, opposition parties lead protests in other climes, saying it is why the building of real parties is imperative.

He said: “The protests have come and gone. Power says they are political. What did they expect them to be, apolitical. Labour Unions are acting because political parties are failing. Elsewhere opposition parties lead the protests.This is why the building of real parties is imperative.”

Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and other related unions protested the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and hardship in the country.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress had issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the government over the failure to implement the agreements reached following the removal of the fuel subsidy

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are in talks with the coach of the senior national team, Jose Peseiro over a new contract.

The NFF, according to reports have offered the Portuguese the same €50,000 monthly he was earning before he helped lead the Super Eagles to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Peseiro previously earned $70,000 monthly but agreed a pay cut to $50k to lead the Super Eagles to the tournament.

The 63-year-old’s last contract ended at the end of the AFCON 2023 finals.

The former Saudi Arabia and Venezuela coach has been linked to several coaching jobs since the end of the AFCON with the Algeria Football Federation said to have strong interest in him.

The Portuguese revealed this week that he has “received at least seven offers from different national teams and clubs and will decide his future in the coming days.”

The Senate on Wednesday stepped down a bill seeking to confine to life sentence persons involved in drug-related offenses.

The bill which has passed the third reading in the House of Representatives and awaiting concurrence of the Senate seeks to Strengthen The Operations of the NDLEA, Empower the Agency To establish Laboratories, and Update the List of Dangerous Drugs

Presenting the proposed amendment for consideration, leader of the senate Opeyemi Bamidele says the bill will further review Penalty Provisions and enhance the power of the agency to prosecute drug-related Offences

The bill proposes that, any person who without lawful authority-

imports, manufactures, processes, plants, or grows drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin, or any other similar drugs shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

The bill further states that exporters, transporters or traffickers of drugs shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life

It further stipulates imprisonment for life for anyone who sells, buys, exposes, or offers for sale or deals in drugs

It also proposes a term not less than fifteen years but not exceeding 25 years for inhaling or injecting drugs.

“Persons who unlawfully permit or use premises for the storing, concealing, processing or dealing in the drug will be liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 25 years”

Former Plateau State governor, Senator Simon Lalong in his contribution
says the Bill “is timely, as he also raised concern on the need for the classification of offenders based on the quantity of drugs caught with

Senator Lalong disclosed that the Drug Barons are patronized by high-class individuals in the society.

He called for a holistic approach in tackling the menace

The Senate thereafter tasked its committee on judiciary and narcotics to ensure wide consultation on the Bill ahead of the next legislative day.

France World Cup winner, Paul Pogba, has been banned from football for four years because of doping.

The punishment effectively ends Pogba’s career as the Juventus midfielder turns 31 years old in March.

Pogba, who has been suspended since last September, was tested in August and the results showed elevated levels of testosterone, a hormone that increases athletes’ endurance.

The tribunal said Pogba had violated anti-doping rules when they found the prohibited substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites”, a hormone that increases athletes’ endurance.

Meanwhile, a second test sample has now been checked and the former Manchester United star has been handed a four-year ban, considered among the strongest possible punishments for the offence.

The Bakers Association of Nigeria, AMBCN, has called off its strike following a discussion with the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture.

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, signed by its president, Mansur Umar, the union said it had reached some agreements with the Nigerian government.

Umar, in the statement, said some of the agreements reached between the union and the government include the immediate export of 25,000 metric tons of wheat to flour companies for processing and supply to bakers.

The two parties also reached an agreement on revising the plan to produce flour from cassava, potatoes and sorghum.

He said an agreement was also reached to support breadbakers under a program of the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture.

Recall that Bakery owners in Nigeria had gone on strike after struggling with the high cost of production and the unavailability of materials.

The Labour Party presidential candidate in the last general election, Mr Peter Obi, has criticized the recent decision of the Monetary Policy Committee to increase the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, to 22.5% and the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, to 45%, saying it will further worsen the economic situation of most Nigerian households.

Obi said the measure would be counterproductive as it would not address the intended purpose of managing money supply.

According to him, the development was bound to cause more job losses in the productive sector, especially manufacturing and other sectors that rely on bank loans and credit facilities for their funding needs.

DAILY POST reported that the MPC Policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria had increased the benchmark interest rate by 400 basis points to a record 22.75%.

The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced this while reading the communiqué of the first MPC meeting of the year on Tuesday in Abuja.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday on his X handle, Obi argued that tightening liquidity in the financial system does not improve productivity, especially food production, which he claimed was the major cause of inflation in Nigeria.

Suggesting on what to be done, the former Anambra State governor said the most critical way to manage the high rate of inflation and decline in production was for the government to address the issue of insecurity in the country.

He stressed that this would allow for increased food, and crude oil production, and an overall increase in production, which will make products, especially food, cheaper.

The statement read: “Let me confess that the label of being a vintage Onitsha-based trader does not in any way confer on me the status of an economic expert.

“With my vast trading knowledge and my involvement in the real sector, I am of the strong opinion that the recent decision of the Monetary Policy Committee to increase the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, to 22.5% and the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, to 45% will further worsen the economic situation of most Nigerian households as it is bound to cause more job losses in the productive sector, especially manufacturing and other sectors that rely on bank loans and credit facilities for their funding needs.

“Tightening liquidity in the financial system does not improve productivity, ie food production, which is the major cause of inflation in Nigeria. Moreover, only about 12% of N3.6 trillion of the total money in circulation is in the banking system which means that 88%, about N3.2 trillion is outside the banking system.

“So, this measure would rather be counterproductive as it would not address the intended purpose of managing the money supply.

“These new measures will worsen the fragile economy as the supply of funds would dry up for the real sector, and the new MPR rate hike will push the interest rate on loans to above 30%, which would be very difficult for the real sector operators especially manufacturers and SMEs to repay; resulting, obviously, in increased bad loans, and worsening the nation’s economic situation.

“The most critical way to manage our high rate of inflation and decline in production is for the government to address the issue of insecurity in the country, which will allow for increased food, and crude oil production, and an overall increase in production, which will make products, especially food, cheaper.

“This way, we would increase our productivity as well as restore the confidence of FDIs and FPIs to come back to the country.

“I must caution that what the Nigerian economy needs now is hard headed practical originality and results. Tinkering with classical economic theories can only deepen our crisis”.