Former spokesman for the Atiku Abubakar/Ifeanyi Okowa presidential campaign in the 2023 presidential election, Daniel Bwala has said that his support for President Bola Tinubu is not for better for worse.
Bwala said he would easily work away if the President goes against the constitution of Nigeria and democratic Ideology.
He said this during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday, insisting he had a good time with Atiku Abubakar but had to shift his support to Tinubu when it was clear the presidential election was over.
Bwala who was a strong supporter of former vice president Atiku, said, “It was nice that I supported former vice president Atiku and for the period I supported him, I gave my all but when I made a decision to support President Tinubu, it is just owing to the fact that the elections are over.
“We all know the problem we are in and if you’re privileged to have an attention of somebody who is now the sitting president who didn’t meet you in the first place but he felt that you have something to offer and said ‘Come and be a part of what we are doing in this government, let us see how you support good governance’, I feel it’s an honour.
“And don’t forget I was Asiwaju’s loyalist before. I changed party to Atiku, it is not a situation of going back to somebody you don’t know, I have always believed in him.
“The only thing that will make me withdraw my support for President Bola Tinubu is if he goes against the constitution of Nigeria and goes against democratic ideology but I do not see that happening because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is on course.
“He is redefining the structure of our foundation and economy and I know that the decisions are hard, but they are definitely decisions that are going to work at the end of the day.”
[DailyPost]
The Federal Government and Organised Labour on Wednesday adjourned the minimum wage talks till Thursday (today) when the negotiation is expected to continue.
The Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage postponed the session in anticipation of the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, submitting the salary template to President Bola Tinubu today.
Tinubu had on Tuesday directed the finance minister to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within two days.
The President gave the order at a meeting with the government negotiation team led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Sources in the labour unions privy to the committee meeting said the parties decided to await the outcome of the presidential template before proceeding with further negotiations.
A source who attended the meeting said, “The meeting has been adjourned until Thursday. We showed understanding because we all know that the president gave the minister of finance 48 hours to come up with a minimum wage. So, we decided to give them the time. We will be meeting by 2 p.m.”
A top labour official who is a labour representative on the tripartite committee explained that the template was crucial to the minimum wage negotiation.
The source, who cannot be quoted because he was not authorised to disclose information to the media on the negotiation, expressed confidence that the talks would record good progress once the presidential template is presented to the parties.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had hinted that the President wished to know the financial implications of the new minimum wage in 48 hours.
Briefing journalists on the presidential directive, the information minister said, “We were all there to look at all issues, and the President has directed the minister of finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today and tomorrow so that we can have figures ready for negotiation with labour.”
Idris assured of the president’s readiness to accept the committee’s resolutions, adding that “The president is determined to go with what the committee has said and he’s also looking at the welfare of Nigerians.
“Government is not against or opponent of labour discussions; the government is not an opponent of wage increase, but what is there is that government is always there to ensure a balance between what government pronouncement is and what the realities are on the ground.
“And therefore, we will work assiduously to ensure that whatever promises the government makes are promises that will be kept. That is the idea of this meeting.”
Furthermore, he said Tinubu 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.
Idris explained, “The President has given a marching order that all those who have negotiated on behalf of the Federal Government and all those who are representatives of organised private sectors, the sub-nationals to come together to have a new wage that is affordable, sustainable and realistic for Nigerians.
“The wage is not just that of the Federal Government; as I mentioned earlier, the sub-nationals are involved, the organised private sector is involved; the Labour stepped out during that procedure. Now we have come back to the negotiation table.”
The minister assured that all hands would be on deck to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians in one week.
“All of us will work together assiduously within the next week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable and realistic,” Idris said.
Despite the intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly, labour embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday and Tuesday, crippling economic activities nationwide.
Banks, airports, public schools and courts were shut, forcing the Federal Government to convene an emergency meeting to find a way out of the impasse.
Following a meeting with the SGF, National Assembly leaders, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday, the unions announced on Tuesday the suspension of industrial action for five days after President Tinubu agreed to pay a national minimum wage higher than N60,000. The tripartite committee pledged its readiness to convene daily until a new minimum wage is announced.
In an interview on Channels television, the President of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, said the unions would not insist on its N494,000 demand, indicating that the labour leaders were willing to accept a reasonable compromise.
Though the union leader refused to mention a specific amount, he said the new minimum wage must equal purchasing power to the value of N30,000 in 2019 and N18,000 in 2014.
Meanwhile, airlines lament the revenue loss incurred during the two-day strike declared by the labour unions.
The action forced airports to shut down, resulting in scores of cancelled flights and huge financial losses.
The Chief Operating Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Osita Okonkwo, highlighted the severe impact of the strike on UNA’s operations.
He said, “For two days, we didn’t fly. Ours (revenue loss) runs into millions. We do about 24 flights every day, and for two days, we didn’t do 48 flights. I can tell you it runs into millions.
“Our passengers were continuously informed of the situation. Our call centre was busy 24/7. The fallout now is what do we do with passengers who want to continue with their businesses because they have lost two days and all want to travel tomorrow (today)?
“And then, we have passengers booked to travel tomorrow (today). We are trying to accommodate as many as we can. Where possible, we put in additional flights. But you know capacity, you can’t stress it too much. Most flights are full now because of what happened in the last two days. It is not like we are against the strike, but everybody is feeling the situation of the country.’’
Okonkwo canvassed that essential services should be exempted from strikes, lamenting the plight of stranded passengers.
“It is understandable what labour is doing. But essential services should be exempted from this type of strike. Hospitals, and air travel, because some people had connecting flights. Some were stranded in Asaba, and they were supposed to go to Europe,” he noted.
The Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, also expressed concern over the financial losses recorded by the local airlines during the labour action.
“There was a massive loss of revenue. If you were going to take N100 of revenue a day, and you don’t fly at all, you will probably make N2 or N3. And then there’s more to it because we must accommodate all the people that didn’t fly. So, you may be unable to sell seats for a long time because you’re dealing with a backlog,” he explained.
The Assistant General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, emphasised the strike’s broader impact on the aviation industry.
“It’s not only the airlines. The aviation industry lost lots of money due to the strike. The airlines, airport terminals, concessionaires, taxi drivers, and others. In fact, the entire ecosystem lost millions of naira, even the charter flights.
“Some flights were cancelled. People are now forced to reschedule flights and see if they can get seats on a future date. And in getting those seats, ticket prices have jumped due to the rush to get seats.” he stated.
Pointing out the long-term economic effects on the aviation sector, the Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, said, “The domestic airlines will lose some money, and that will affect the economy. The kind of money I’m talking about is not coming from local airlines because they contribute virtually nothing. If you compare the money they make from ticket sales to the money we make from foreign airlines, that is where the problem is.
“In the next two, three days, they would have cleared all those passengers, and we would now go back to our normal aviation problems, which are fuel and ticket fares,” he said.
Speaking on the long-drawn minimum wage negotiation, Debo Adeniran, the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, urged the Federal Government and labour unions to finalise their talks quickly.
“The FG and the labour unions should not waste any more time beyond the 48 hours given to the finance minister. Everything is already concluded; they need to harmonise their positions based on their capacities to raise resources,” Adeniran stated.
Stressing the need for swift negotiations, he noted, “Labour unions and the FG should be realistic, which should not take an eternity to conclude. They should aim to finalise everything by the end of tomorrow (today).”
Adeniran also cautioned the labour unions against rushing to embark on strikes.
On his part, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, admonished the government to be honest and realistic during the negotiation.
“The Federal Government needs to be honest and realistic. They should be able to restore dignity in labour. Once the FG is realistic in presenting a minimum wage to Nigerians, there would not be any delay in the meeting with labour unions,” he concluded.
[Punch]
![[PRESS RELEASE] Fidelity Bank PLC Undertakes A ₦29.6BN Rights Issue and ₦97.5BN Public Offer](/media/k2/items/cache/522c1a9b861f4bebcbb09c3df5a77b56_M.jpg)
5 June 2024: Lagos, Nigeria: Fidelity Bank Plc (“Fidelity Bank” or the “Bank”) has concluded all necessary arrangements to raise a total of up to ₦127,100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Twenty-Seven Billion, One Hundred Million Naira) by way of a Rights Issue to existing shareholders and a Public Offer (the “Combined Offer”). The Combined Offer is a part of the Bank’s strategy to increase its share capital base in compliance with the revised minimum capital requirements for Nigerian commercial banks introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (“CBN”) on 28 March 2024. Overall, the Bank expects that the capital raised would support the Bank’s efforts to drive sustained growth and diversification of its earnings base.
The Signing Ceremony with respect to the Combined Offer was held at the Board Room of the headquarters of Fidelity Bank in Lagos on Wednesday, 5 June 2024. The Bank's shareholders had already approved the Rights Issue and Public Offer at the Extra-Ordinary General Meeting held on Friday, 11 August 2023. Under the Rights Issue, 3,200,000,000 (Three Billion Two Hundred Million) ordinary shares of 50 kobo each will be offered in the ratio of 1 new ordinary share for every 10 ordinary shares held as of 05 January 2024, at ₦9.25 per share. For the Public Offer, 10,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each will be offered to the general investing public at ₦9.75 per share.
Stanbic IBTC Capital is the Lead Issuing House to the Combined Offer, whilst the Joint Issuing Houses include Iron Global Markets Limited, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Afrinvest Capital Limited, FSL Securities Limited, Futureview Financial Services Limited, Iroko Capital Market Advisory Limited, Kairos Capital Limited and Planet Capital Limited. The Acceptance and Application lists for the Rights Issue and Public Offer are expected to open on Thursday, 20 June 2024 and close on Monday, 29 July 2024.
At the Signing Ceremony, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank PLC, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, disclosed that the proceeds of the Combined Offer will be applied towards investment in IT infrastructure, business and regional expansion, and investment in product distribution channels.
The Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Capital, Oladele Sotubo, commended Fidelity Bank’s management team for their commitment towards executing the Combined Offer. He lauded their efforts for being at the forefront of achieving the CBN’s revised minimum capital requirements for Nigerian commercial banks. While thanking the Bank for trusting Stanbic IBTC Capital to lead and advise on this landmark transaction, Dele expressed confidence that the deal would encourage other corporates to tap into the equity capital markets to raise funding to meet their strategic business needs.
The Rights Circular for the Issue, which contains a Provisional Allotment Letter and the Participation Form, will be mailed directly to shareholders of the Bank. Printed copies of the Public Offer Prospectus can be obtained at the offices of Fidelity Bank and the Issuing Houses during the Public Offer Application Period.
All existing shareholders and prospective investors are encouraged to read the Rights Circular and Prospectus and, where in doubt, consult your Stockbroker, Fund/Portfolio Manager, Accountant, Banker, Solicitor, or any other professional adviser for guidance before subscribing.
-ends-
About Fidelity Bank Plc
Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged commercial bank, operating primarily through branches and service centres located across Nigeria, with authorisation from the CBN to operate internationally through branches located in foreign countries. The Bank provides a range of banking and other financial services to over 8.3 million corporate and individual customers from 250 business offices in the country with a total asset base of ₦6.2 trillion, all as of 31 December 2023. The Bank also operates in the United Kingdom through its wholly-owned subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited, located in London.
Financial products and services offered by the Bank include granting of loans and advances, equipment leasing, corporate and trade finance operations, treasury and investment services, retail banking (including current and savings accounts, debit cards, ATM services, electronic banking, agency banking and retail lending), money market activities, private banking/wealth management services, foreign exchange services, funds transfer services, and bank guarantees.
The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage has resumed talks over a new minimum wage for workers in the country.
The committee is meeting at NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja.
DAILY POST reports that the Federal Government is represented by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance; Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and National Planning; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of Labour; and representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, along with the Head of Service of the Federation.
Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, are leading the organized labour delegation.
Abdulateef Shittu, the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, was present at the meeting even though none of the state governors was present at the time of filing this report.
DAILY POST reported that Labour suspended its nationwide indefinite strike on Tuesday after grounding the economy.
The Nigerian government has acknowledged that fuel subsidy expenditures are expected to surge to ₦5.4 trillion in 2024, according to a recent revelation by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.
This disclosure was made during the presentation of the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP) report, which outlines strategies to address critical challenges and stimulate growth across various sectors.
The projected subsidy cost for 2024 marks a significant increase from ₦3.6 trillion in 2023 and ₦2.0 trillion in 2022, highlighting a continuous upward trend in government spending on fuel subsidies.
This revelation comes amidst previous denials from the government regarding the complete deregulation of fuel prices.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, reiterated during a ministerial briefing on the anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration that fuel subsidies had been entirely eliminated.
“I can confirm to you that subsidy is gone; officially, there is no subsidy; I want to make it clear that there is no subsidy in the country today,” Lokpobiri stated.
These statements come after significant policy shifts last year when President Tinubu declared the end of the fuel subsidy, leading to a hike in pump prices from ₦250 per litre to over ₦500. Prices have continued to climb, reaching an average of ₦702 per litre as of April 2024.
The persistence of fuel subsidies and the floating of the Naira have had a profound impact on the economy, contributing to soaring inflation rates. As of April 2024, Nigeria’s headline and food inflation rates had escalated to 33.69 percent and 40.53 percent, respectively.
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] On World Environment Day, President Tinubu Calls For Win-win Transition to Prosperous And Clean Economy Future
Admin![[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] On World Environment Day, President Tinubu Calls For Win-win Transition to Prosperous And Clean Economy Future](/media/k2/items/cache/d80f04d21a00987cbbdaf590c67a0ed5_M.jpg)
On the special occasion of World Environment Day marked every June 5, President Bola Tinubu calls for earnest effort and action by citizens, stakeholders, institutions, and development partners to safeguard the environment and ensure a win-win transition to a prosperous and clean economy future for all.
The World Environment Day, established by the United Nations during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, is an important moment for raising awareness on environmental matters.
The theme of this year's occasion, 'Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience', is very significant, particularly for Nigeria, where the scourge of drought threatens parts of the country.
According to the projections of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, about 40 percent of our planet’s land is degraded, which directly impacts half of the world’s population.
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification also says the number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent since 2000 and that without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by 2050.
In his determined march towards Nigeria's aspiration to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, President Tinubu established the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, which he chairs, to oversee the nation's climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, as well as green economy initiatives.
The President also approved the establishment of Nigeria's first Green Industrial Zone, Evergreen City, which is poised to be the leading manufacturing hub in Africa for renewable energy technologies, green solutions, and climate-adaptation technologies.
The President restates his commitment to ensuring the planting of 25 million trees by 2030, not only to protect the environment but also to provide opportunities for Nigeria's youths within the green-economy value chain.
While calling for a more proactive approach to protect the land and ecosystem through afforestation, water conservation, and the cessation of indiscriminate felling of trees, President Tinubu emphasizes that to heal our world, we must begin by healing the land and its people.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
The strike declared by organised labour has reversed some of the gains made in May by stock market investors as the Nigerian Exchange Ltd (NGX) All-Share -Index (ASI) fell by 0.18 per cent on the first market day of June.
ASI fell to 99118.86 points from the 99,300.38 which it was on the last market day of May 2024.
Market capitalization dropped by 0.18 per cent to close at N56.07tn as investor’s wealth declined by N102.55bn.
On Monday, the volume and value of shares traded decreased by 19.45 per cent and 38.92 per cent to 349.59 million units and N5.24bn respectively.
Top losers were E-Tranzact International Plc which saw shares price dropping by 9.82 per cent of its value, Unity Bank Plc with a decrease of 9.80 per cent, Jaiz Bank Plc losing 9.65 per cent of its shares and MCnichols Plc which lost 9.09 per cent of its share value.
Banking stocks went south as Access Corporation lost 0.05 per cent of share price, First Bank Holdings lost 1.1 per cent shares and Unity Bank Plc lost 0.15 per cent of share price.
The bearish performance came on the background of labour strikes in Nigeria which crippled economic activities across all sectors.
THE WHISTLER reported that banks, schools, hospitals, airports and government offices were shut on the orders of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress over a wage increase dispute with the Nigerian government.
Organised labour is demanding N494,000 minimum wage and embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on June 3, 2024 but the federal government is offering a N60,000 wage.
But after deliberations on Monday night, June 3, 2024, the federal government has agreed to increase the N60,000. However, no amount was mentioned on the negotiation table between the government, private employers and organised labour.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on Tuesday, announced that it would shutdown power supply for one hour at the international terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
The power maintenance shutdown is expected to occur between 1:30pm and 2:30pm on Wednesday.
FAAN said this is to verify the issues affecting the Bus Riser 11KVA high tension panel on the ground floor – North of the international terminal 2.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby notify all stakeholders and the public that a maintenance shutdown of power supply shall occur at the International Terminal 2(ITZ-2) between 13:30 and 14:30 hrs on Wednesday, June 05, 2024.
“This is as a result of the urgent need to verify the issues affecting the Bus Riser 11KVA high tension (HT) panel on the ground floor, North of the International Terminal 2 (ITZ-2) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos,” a statement by FAAN’s Director, Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, said.
The agency assured that it would ensure that the shutdown has very minimal disruption to flight operations and passenger facilitation.
FAAN informed that airlines that operate within the maintenance hour would be relocated for check-in and arrival formalities at the International terminal 1.
“FAAN would ensure that the shutdown of power supply is with very minimal disruption to flight operations and passenger facilitation.
“The identified airlines, namely Rwanda Air (WB), EgyptAir (MS) and Qatar Air (QR) that operate within the maintenance hour will be relocated for check-in and arrival (parking) formalities at the International terminal 1(ITZ-1). All intending passengers on these flights should please take note.
“The Authority regrets any inconveniences this might cause our stakeholders and the travelling public.
“We are committed to world-class safety standards and service to all airport users,” Orah added.
Calls Accusations “False And Misleading”
Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has denied allegations of misappropriation of funds made by Kafilat Ogbara, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.
The allegations were made during a programme hosted by Arise TV, where Ogbara claimed the minister had been petitioned and invited by the committee to explain the alleged misappropriation of funds in the ministry.
Musa Abdulrahaman, her media aide, denied the allegations in a statement, entitled: “Re: Allegations against Uju Kennedy, false, inaccurate and misleading.”
He categorically denied the allegations, describing them as false, misleading, and an attempt to discredit the minister, adding that the committee on Women Affairs has not communicated with the ministry regarding any petition or invitation for explanation.
Abdulrahaman said the Minister of Women Affairs has been praised for her significant impact on the lives of women and children across the nation, particularly in areas of empowerment, girls’ child education, and the fight against sexual and gender violence.
According to him, her commitment to transparency and accountability has been highlighted, with the office stating that she operates an open door policy and is accessible to all.
The media aide called on Ogbara and her committee to focus on delivering the dividends of democracy in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, rather than being distracted by false allegations.
More...
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Claudia Sheinbaum on Election as Mexico's First Female President
Admin![[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Claudia Sheinbaum on Election as Mexico's First Female President](/media/k2/items/cache/e5998df32e97ec1e3ef12c4828e516df_XS.jpg)
President Bola Tinubu extends his congratulations to Her Excellency, Ms. Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic election as the first female President of the United Mexican States (Mexico).
Ms. Sheinbaum won the Mexican presidential election by a landslide, becoming the first female President in the country since its independence in 1821.
President Tinubu states that the election of President-elect Sheinbaum accents the voices of women in government, shatters political glass ceiling, and sends a reverberating message across the world that women must not only be participants but principal architects in shaping and implementing decisions affecting the lives of many.
On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, the President congratulates the people of Mexico and calls for the strengthening of bilateral ties between both nations across areas of mutual interest.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
No fewer than 30 state governments of the federation have spent ₦986.64bn on recurrent expenditures, including refreshments, sitting allowances, travelling, utilities amongst others in the first three months of 2024.
The states’ budget implementation reports, which were obtained from Open Nigerian States, a website supported by BudgIT that acts as a repository for public budget data, were analysed for the first three quarters of the year.
Punch examined budget implementation data from thirty states. Data for six states were not available.
Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe States were the ones without Q 1, 2024 data.
According to the report, 30 states spent ₦5.1bn on refreshments for guests, ₦4.67bn on sitting allowances to government officials, ₦34.63bn on local and foreign travel expenses, and ₦5.64bn on utility bills, amounting to ₦50.02bn in the first three months of 2024.
The general utilities include electricity, internet, telephone charges, water rates, and sewerage charges, among others.
The sub-nationals also paid ₦405.77bn as salaries to their workers.
Other recurrent spending items covered in the report included the amount spent on foreign and domestic travel, internet access fees, entertainment, foodstuff, honorarium/sitting allowance, wardrobe allowances, telephone bills, electricity charges, stationery, anniversaries/special days, welfare, aircraft maintenance, and more.
In the first three months of 2024, Abia State spent ₦10.92bn on its recurrent expenditures, including ₦165.38m on refreshments and feeding, ₦39.26m on utilities, ₦214.57m on sitting allowances, ₦127.1m on local and foreign travels, among miscellaneous expenses.
During this period, Adamawa State expended ₦23.7bn on recurrent expenditures with ₦287.61m spent on refreshments and feeding, ₦109.62m on utilities, ₦79.57m on sitting allowances, ₦768.77m on local and foreign travels.
For Akwa Ibom State, recurrent expenditure gulped ₦46.85bn, which included N4.46m on refreshments and feeding, ₦223.32m on utilities, ₦6m on sitting allowances, ₦214.61m on local and foreign travel.
Anambra State disbursed N9.91bn for recurring expenses with ₦78.18m on refreshments and feeding, ₦32.52m on utilities, ₦42.09m on sitting allowances, ₦188.39m on local and foreign travel.
Also, recurrent expenditures cost Bauchi State Government ₦35.75bn with ₦397.58m going to utilities, ₦50.8m on refreshments, ₦287.11m on allowances, and ₦413.56m on trips.
Bayelsa State spent ₦35.1bn on recurrent expenditures, comprising ₦28.4m on utilities, ₦156.14m on refreshments and ₦279.99m on trips.
Similarly, Lagos State disbursed ₦189.62bn for recurrent expenditures, including ₦1.21m for refreshments, ₦383.12m for utilities, sitting allowances costing ₦52.79m and ₦633.37m on travels.
Borno spent ₦18.79bn, Cross Rivers (₦17.44bn), Delta (₦68.68bn), Ebonyi (₦14.95bn), Edo (₦32.32bn), Ekiti (₦32.8bn), Enugu (₦7.51bn) and Gombe with ₦20.89bn.
Within the same period, Jigawa State spent N15.52bn on the recurrent expenditures, Kaduna expended ₦34.69bn, Kano (₦34.41bn), Katsina (₦21.87bn), Kebbi (₦11.67bn), Kogi (₦37.4bn), Kwara (₦24.34bn), Nasarawa (₦18.61bn), Ogun (₦47.12bn), Ondo (₦31.12bn), Osun (₦24.39bn), Oyo (₦40.12bn), Plateau (₦24.70bn), Zamfara (₦13.46bn), and Taraba (₦20.93bn).
[NaijaNews]
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has frowned at the recent vandalism of structures on the second Niger bridge.
A statement by Orji Uchenna Orji, a lawyer and special adviser (media) to the minister, on Tuesday said the destruction of the joints used to absorb the thermal expansion of the bridge was a ‘cowardly’ act.
“The minister condemns this ruthless destruction in strongest terms. It is a deliberate act of sabotage on a key national infrastructure that has immense socio-economic benefits to the contiguous states, and indeed, the entire country. It is saddening that a human being with the right senses could destroy such a critical and strategic treasure that catalyses Nigeria’s socio-economic advancement,” he said.
The minister assured the public that a more formidable security architecture was being activated to forestall further havoc on the facilities, while a technical team had been directed to inspect, evaluate and reinstate the damaged parts of the superstructure.
“The Federal Ministry of Works shall promptly and handsomely reward any person or group who nabs or gives useful information on the identities of perpetrators of the vandalism of facilities on the bridge or any of our road infrastructures nationwide. We shall ensure that such perpetrators face the full wrath of the law,” he added.
[DailyTrust]
The Nigeria Labour Congress has described the federal government’s silence on the April 3 electricity tariff hike as disappointing.
NLC disclosed this in its communique on Tuesday after its National Executive Council meeting where it suspended its indefinite strike for one week.
The development comes after the federal government in a meeting with organized labour on Monday agreed to pay minimum wage higher than N60,000.
However, the government has yet to say anything about the second part of labour’s demand, which is electricity tariff reversal.
NLC expressed disappointment over the government’s silence and lack of concrete action regarding the reversal of the electricity tariff hike and the abolition of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into Bands.
“The NEC reaffirms that these issues are critical to alleviating the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general populace. The electricity tariff hike and discriminatory Band classification remain unacceptable and must be addressed alongside the wage increase,” it stated.
Recall that on April 3, the NERC approved tariff increment of over N200 per kwh for customers getting 20-24 hours power supply.
The hike generated reactions among Nigerians.
In reaction, the government earlier announced a minor reduction of N18, bringing it down to N208.80kwh for band A customers.
However, unsatisfied with the reduction, the NLC, the Trade Union Congress and other organizations called for the complete reversal of the electricity tariff hike.
It was part of the demand presented to the federal government, alongside the issue of minimum wage.
[DailyPost]