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The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, on Saturday that the Federal Government had directed that health workers who plan to relocate abroad for greener pastures must henceforth resign their appointment beforehand.
Alausa added that the era of health workers exiting to other countries of the world in search of better offers after applying for their leave of absence is no longer acceptable.
The Minister stated this on Saturday during his visit to The Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Aro, Abeokuta.
Alausa said, “The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement.
“However, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the presidential executive order which has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned health facilities to implement.
“The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name still appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is still being considered as a staff whereas he has left the country.
“So, to solve this problem, the President has directed that any health workers going abroad to work should just resign their appointment and not apply for leave of absence. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work and of course piling burdens for your colleagues that you left behind.”
Nigerian Economy Cannot Survive Current Exchange Rate, Urges Shift To Export-Oriented Manufacturing - AfDB President Adesina
AdminAkinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), recently shared his thoughts on various aspects of the Nigerian economy, agriculture, and his personal life in an interview with OYETUNJI ABIOYE.
Regarding the current exchange rate of over N1,500 to a dollar, Adesina stated that the Nigerian economy cannot survive under such conditions. He emphasized the need to expand foreign exchange inflows and shift towards an export-oriented industrial manufacturing stance to address the issue. Adesina also highlighted the importance of solving Nigeria’s power problem, stating that the country should aim for a capacity of 60,000 to 70,000 megawatts to support double-digit economic growth.
When asked about the food crisis in Nigeria, Adesina revealed that the AfDB has approved $134 million for the country to implement an emergency food production plan. The bank is supporting the cultivation of various crops, including wheat, maize, rice, cassava, and soybeans, to boost food supply. Adesina also advised the government to revive the electronic wallet system he implemented as a minister to provide farmers with direct access to seeds and fertilizers.
Adesina, who was recently awarded the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership, expressed his emotional connection to the award, stating that Awolowo’s welfarist policies had a significant impact on his own life and philosophy. He emphasized the importance of people-centric policies and the need for leaders to lead with their hearts.
The AfDB president also discussed the bank’s efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through initiatives such as the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa, which aims to mobilize $5 billion for women-owned businesses on the continent.
On a personal note, Adesina shared the story of how he met his wife while studying at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). He credited her intelligence and support for his success. Adesina also expressed his deep commitment to his Nigerian identity, stating that he proudly represents his country in his work at the AfDB.
In conclusion, Akinwumi Adesina’s insights shed light on the challenges facing the Nigerian economy and the potential solutions that can be implemented to address them.
The Northern Senators Forum has vowed to meet President Bola Tinubu over alleged N3trillion padding it ‘discovered’ in the 2024 budget.
The Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP – Bauchi Central) disclosed this during an interview by the BBC, Hausa Service.
Ningi said the forum has commissioned consultants to thoroughly scrutinise the 2024 budget to reveal how N3trillion was surreptitiously added to the amount passed by lawmakers.
He also said the Forum would soon confront Senate President Godswill Akpabio with its findings concerning the N3trillion alleged ‘padding.’
On plans by the forum to review the 2024 budget, Ningi said: “This is true, for the past three months, we have engaged consultants to review the budget for us. We have some experts that are working on it line by line.
“We have seen the huge damage that was done not only to the north but the entire country in that budget. We are supposed to sit with the Senate President to inform him about what we have observed.
“We want to show him what we have seen in the budget that is not acceptable, we will not accept them and we don’t want the country to continue spending money on those things.
“Apart from what the National Assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground which we didn’t know.
“The new things we have discovered in the budget were not known to us. We haven’t seen them in the budget that was debated and considered on the floor of the National Assembly.”
On alleged discovery of N3trillion padding in the budget, Ningi added: “For example, it was said that there was a budget of N28 trillion but what was passed was N25 trillion.
“So there is N3 trillion on top. Where are they, where is it going? So, we need to know this. There are a lot of things.
“We are coming up with a report and we will show the president himself and ask him if he is aware or not.”
Responding to questions during the BBC interview, Ningi said the present administration has in his opinion, not performed to expectation.
He said: “First of all, I want you to know that I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a representative of the people. Based on my opinion, the government hasn’t performed to our expectations.
“Things are getting worse compared to when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the leadership of the country. People are going through a lot of difficulties. We live in villages.
“We are going there to interact with them and they are lamenting seriously. They have nowhere to go, so they have no one to express their grievances to than us.
“I think Bola Ahmed Tinubu didn’t even understand this country and he didn’t understand the difficulties of ruling a country like Nigeria.
“Probably, he has his thinking of what governance is, but I don’t blame him so much because when he was campaigning for the seat, there was no agreement or promise between him and the people.
“People were just blinded and voted for him because he supported former president Muhammadu Buhari when he was contesting.
“Some even voted for him because he is a Muslim, as such he needed their vote on whether he can or cannot do the right thing for the country.
“But the most painful thing is that Northerners stood for him and did all they could to bring him to power, but unfortunately, there was no agreement between them and the president on what should be done to the North and the Northerners.
“Especially taking into consideration the importance and significant projects that North has been yearning and aspiring to get for a long. For example, the Ajaokuta project, the Mambila power project, the dredging of river Niger and other notable projects.
“What mostly disturbs my sleep is that we had a budget in 2013 and 2014 in which we earmarked billions of Naira but it was neglected by President Goodluck Jonathan, when President Buhari came, we thought it was one of the projects he would pay attention to, but unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for over eight years.
“Even road construction like Kano-Abuja is not yet completed, as if it was cursed by someone, despite the road being the soul of our travelers in the North.
“Indeed, we don’t attack the government as the opposition is supposed to do. But this is a result of the situation and the government we have.
“These so-called leaders they forced on us, were not voted by us. They brought religious issues, and ethnic and tribal issues into the process, they used propaganda saying that no Hausa/Fulani would be trusted to lead the opposition because there would be no peace.
“If you look at it from this scenario, the majority of those in opposition are from the Northeast and the Northwest, but we were not allowed to be the leaders of the opposition in the Senate.
“This is one of the reasons why we said we would go back and look at what is happening under the umbrella of the Northern Senators Forum which is under my leadership. But you can’t do everything here, because it involves members of the ruling and opposition parties. It is very difficult to challenge the ruling party under that umbrella once you want the unity of the North.”
On transferring of some departments of federal agencies to Lagos, he said: “I will speak not as a member of opposition, but as a northerner. As a northerner, I know that this is going to happen.
“We heard about it and we saw several examples in the past that tell us that all this is possible. But as I speak, our people, especially the leaders are yet to take any action to find the solution. That is why I am not even surprised.
“These things that are happening are of two categories. Some affect the North only, and some affect the entire country. What we are doing now as leaders of the Forum of Northerners, we are trying to address the problem or reduce its strength without allowing politics to come in.”
Ningi also said the forum
plans to meet the President on need to complete the Mambilla power project.
“This is what we intended to do. We are to meet the president. We will talk to him about the Mambila power project, Ajaokuta and the River Niger dredging. We will talk to him about the Niger Republic. Recently, they said they will construct a dam, this is not good for us,” he said.
He claimed that the action taken by ECOWAS has affected the relationship between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
He added: “There was an agreement that they would not construct a dam so that the Kainji Dam would be intact and we will give them electricity in return.
“Over one billion US dollars was spent on Mambila, BBC has reported. Where is that money? Who collected the money? We need to know and see what can be done.
“This Mambila is like the future of the North. Every part of the country has its holds as a symbol that will save them in the future.
“One of our weaknesses in the north is that we don’t love ourselves and our region so much that we don’t care about the future. We are just living anyhow.
“We just love the region in our mouths not at heart and I am seriously worried about that.”
On security challenges in the North, he said: “These security challenges are happening in the North. There is nowhere in the South where someone will be abducted and spend seven days in custody of the abductors.
“Look at Katsina, Zamfara, and Benue. I am even afraid that one day we will wake up and see that states like Zamfara are been taken away from the country. It is possible going by what is happening.”
[TheNation]
The Nigerian government says citizens in the Diaspora can now apply for the issuance of their international passports seamlessly online.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this in a statement on his official X handle on Saturday.
According to the Minister, Nigerians in the Diaspora can now apply for their passport in the comfort of their homes through Nigeria’s official passport issuance website.
“Dear Nigerians in Diaspora, the sweet experience is here,” he wrote.
During an interview on Channels Television two months ago, Tunji-Ojo said that Nigerians in the Diaspora can apply for passport issuance in the comfort of their homes starting March 8.
He noted that the development would be the third stage of the ongoing automation of Nigeria’s Immigration Service Passport issuance system.
Ola-Wura Adepoju, the former Comptroller General of NIS, had corroborated with the minister’s assurance on the commencement of automated passport issuance.
Earlier on January 9, the automation of the passport issuance process had commenced for applicants within Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Saturday, said that the Federal Government had directed that health workers going abroad to seek greener pastures must henceforth resign their appointments before embarking on such journeys.
Alausa said the era of health workers exiting to other countries in search of better offers after applying for a leave of absence is no longer acceptable.
The minister said that the ban on the leave of absence for health workers emanated from the executive order issued by President Bola Tinubu as part of drastic steps to combat the challenge of brain drain fondly called ‘Japa Syndrome’ confronting the nation’s health sector.
This is just as Alausa also revealed that the FG has commenced the production of manpower in the health sector such that the annual enrolment of nurses which used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and that by the end of this year, it would have gone up to 120,000.
The minister stated this on Saturday during his visit to the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He said that the President considered the biggest asset of the country to be the people and has not only vowed but has taken proactive actions to ensure the health sector is in good shape so that the health of the citizens won’t suffer.
Speaking on the challenge of manpower shortages across the FG-owned health institutions, Alausa said, “The government is not unmindful of the Japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive production of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement.
“It is against this background that we are working intensely on the enrolment of our nurses. What used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and our intention is to take it to 120,000 by the end of the year, so there will always be abundant skilled manpower to take over from those leaving the job.
“We have equally doubled our enrolment for doctors, dentistry, pharmacists among others
“Again, we didn’t say anyone who wants to move or japa to the UK or Australia to take up appointments there should not go, it is a free world.”
The minister continued, “However, you cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the Presidential executive order that has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government-owned health facilities to implement.
“The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name still appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is still being considered as a staff whereas he has left the country.
“So, to solve this problem, the President has directed that health workers going abroad to work should just resign their appointments and not apply for leave of absence. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work and of course piling burdens for your colleagues that you left behind.”
Responding to some of the demands of the hospital such as increased funding, infrastructural development, among other welfare packages, Alausa said that the ministry would leave no stone unturned to do all that is necessary to improve the fortunes of the health sector in the country.
Speaking earlier, the Provost and Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Paul Agboola, lauded the Minister for his selflessness and passion to turn things around for good in the health sector.
The CMD said that as a result of the approval given by the Minister, his administration had started projects such as the Institute of Psychiatric for the hospital which had been in the pipeline for about 40 years, amongst others.
[Punch]
Bandits have reportedly abducted some Tsangaya students at Gidan Bakuso in Gada LGA of Sokoto.
Tsangaya is a school that combines Islamic and Western education.
The students were said to have been abducted at about 1a.m. on Saturday.
Multiple reports quoted Liman Abubakar, the proprietor of the school, as saying that 15 students were unaccounted for after the attack.
Abubakar noted that the bandits invaded the town, shot one person and abducted a woman before attacking the school.
He added that it was not the first time the village was attacked by bandits.
“As they were leaving the town, they sighted our students rushing into their rooms and they kidnapped many of them,” Abubakar said.
“We have so far counted 15 who are missing and we are still searching for more.”
Ahmed Rufai, the police spokesperson in Sokoto, could not confirm the incident at the time TheCable reached out to him.
Rufai said operatives from the police headquarters have been deployed to the area to ascertain the situation of things.
[TheCable]
The remains of the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba and son, Chizi, have been buried in his hometown of Omueke, Isiokpo, in Rivers State.
The 57-year-old banker Plc, his wife and his son were laid to rest in a private interment following a funeral service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Isiokpo, Ikwere Local Government Area of the state.
Naija News reports that their burial followed a week-long funeral rites to celebrate the life of the founder of Wigwe University.
Several business leaders, friends, captains of industry, family members and associates had paid tributes to the late banking guru at the events held in Lagos.
The funeral service for the esteemed banker and philanthropist commenced promptly at 11:00 am today, with friends, associates, and well-wishers from both local and international communities, gathered to pay their final respects.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers, Rivers Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, business leader Aliko Dangote, former Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II, Governor Alex Otti of Abia, and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun were present at the service.
Others are former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Babajide Sawno-Olu of Lagos, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, and a former Nigerian diplomat, Dr. Godknows Igali.
His Eminence, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has said that it was time for Nigeria to change to a system of government that would reduce corruption and bring government closer to the people.
The Emeritus Catholic Bishop of Abuja, stated this at a policy dialogue on new governance structure for Nigeria, organised by Abuja School Social and Political Thought (ASSPT), in Abuja.
“It is time for a change. One thing is definitely sure, we cannot continue the way we are going.
”If we decide to retain the system we have now, it must change the way it is been practiced.
“If the easiest way to change is to change the system, then let’s go ahead and change the system to parliamentary, with all its advantages and disadvantages,” he added.
According to him, anything that will bring government closer to the people, reduce discretion for stealing and corruption will be good for the nation.
“My understanding is that the parliamentary system is built in such a way that will not be so easy to steal such humongous sums of money, and misuse of our natural resources legally.
“The problem of this nation is that government people are stealing legally, they don’t even feel that they are stealing.
Onaiyekan cited the provision of pension for governors, saying it was not fair after being well paid to be legally entitled to houses, cars and other things, while a retired police officer goes home with meagre sum as pension.
He also said that restructuring, not constitutional amendment will save Nigeria.
The Cardinal said that the Nigerian constitution has consistently failed to provide a clear framework for governance and religious affairs, resulting in confusion and inefficiency within the governance system.
He also advocated decentralisation of power to allow for effective governance and decision-making at the local level.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Kingsley Chinda, an advocate of parliamentary system, said Nigeria needed to move from a system with so much baggage to the one that provides for reward and sanctions.
Chinda is one the 60 members of the House of Representatives that introduced three bills seeking to alter the current Constitution to parliamentary system of government.
“The presidential system we adopted from US is peculiar to their country, not Nigeria,” he said, adding that the parliamentary would solve most of Nigeria’s problems.
Chinda said that the members that proposed the bill welcome observations and contributions from Nigerians to enrich its content.
A representative of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Dr Akin Fapohunda, called for the provision of clearly defined process for the restructuring of the country.
“The bottom line is that we have no process. We are seeing the good but we have not defined the process, milestones and timelines that’s what is missing.
“We agree that the house is rotten and it needs to be pulled down and we should design an alternative model, which you are now selling,” Fapounda said.
A Catholic priest, Fr George Ehusani, said integrity is key to nation building and national prosperity.
Ehusani added that “elite idiocy” would ruin any nation, no matter how perfect its structural blueprint.
The Director of ASSPT, Dr Sam Amadi, argued that the parliamentary system of government was better than the presidential system currently being practiced in Nigeria.
According to him, the parliamentary system is less expensive to run when compared to presidential system, and provides better mechanisms for peer review and accountability.
“Evidence shows across the world that only few countries with presidential system of government are doing well economically,’’ he added.
Amadi said that the school believed it was key to first discuss with critical stockholders before adoption of the parliamentary system of government in Nigeria.
He said that the discussions would be escalated to include different national institutions, religious groups and regions, so as to agree to a win-win system of government.
“We want to get more people from the north and the south and the east and the west, to come together and have them shape issues,’’ Amadi added.
(NAN)
The Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, alongside the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, were among the dignitaries who attended the Christian wake of the late Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and son.
Naija News recalls that Wigwe, his wife Chizoba, and their eldest son Chizzy, were part of an ill-fated air crash in the US about a month ago.
However, Channels TV reports that the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalyi Fubara, and Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State, were also among those in attendance to pay their final respects before the burial ceremony scheduled for Saturday.
The bodies of the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, as well as those of his wife, Chizoba and son, Chizitere, have arrived in Nigeria ahead of their burial.
Naija News understands the remains arrived in Nigeria from the United States of America via the Port Harcourt International Airport on Friday.
The trio, alongside the former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo, lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the United States last month.
The remains of the Wigwes are scheduled for burial on Saturday at Isiokpo, his hometown, in Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State.
The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has approved the appointment of Adebayo Ojeyinka, an Osun indigene, among the 18 new permanent secretaries recently appointed across ministries in the state.
Making this disclosure in a statement on Friday, the spokesperson of the governor, Christian Aburime, detailed that the appointments were based on merit.
Naija News reports that the state government also appointed Joachin Achor from Abia State.
Aburime said that a “rigorous and transparent” procedure, comprising a computerized test, a search procedure, and one-on-one meetings with the governor, was used in making the appointments.
The statement read, “This personalised interaction allowed for a deeper understanding of the candidate’s aspirations, vision, and alignment with the government’s objectives, ensuring a well-rounded evaluation.
“It is imperative to note that historically, the selection of permanent secretaries solely rested with the prerogative of Mr Governor. However, this time, a deliberate shift towards a transparent search process was initiated.
“This change aimed to uphold principles of fairness, equal opportunity, and the identification of the most qualified candidates.
“Even younger, very productive civil servants were appointed based on their exceptional abilities.
“This groundbreaking move by Soludo highlights his commitment to breaking down barriers and promoting inclusivity in Anambra State.
“The appointments of non-indigenes and individuals from other states demonstrate a willingness to tap into talent from all corners of the country, rather than limiting opportunities to only those who hail from Anambra.”
It added that the appointment of Ojeyinka from Osun State is particularly noteworthy as it breaks the traditional practice of reserving top civil service positions for indigenes only.
“This move sends a strong message that Anambra is open to all, irrespective of their state of origin.”
The state government further detailed that the 16 other appointees were all indigenes of Anambra state.
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Identity Of Suspect Involved In $6.2 Million CBN Fraud, Wanted For Forging Buhari’s Signature Revealed
Admin
Odoh Eric Ocheme has been revealed as one of the suspects wanted for allegedly forging former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature to effect the disbursement of $6,230,000 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Naija News understands that Ocheme, who served as Emefiele’s personal assistant, is wanted by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Recall that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, testified before a Federal High Court in Abuja that no fund was meant for the payment of foreign election observers.
Mustapha said the apex bank leadership forged the former President’s and his own signatures to process the payment.
Following the development, the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the CBN under the former Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Jim Obazee, swung into action to unravel the payment.
In February, Obazee had asked Interpol to place three suspects on its watchlist over the $6,230,000 payment. The suspects were Ocheme, Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar.
Emefiele was also indicted over the alleged fraudulent payment. He is currently facing a 20-count criminal charge preferred against him by the EFCC.
Ocheme is one of those being investigated over alleged fraud in the apex bank. The EFCC recently declared him, Margaret, Emefiele’s wife, Anita Joy Omoile, and Jonathan Omoile wanted for alleged money laundering.
Profile Of Ocheme
Born on May 16, 1981, in Markudi, Benue state capital, Ocheme studied economics at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Before his tertiary education, he attended ECWA Secondary School in Markurdi.
According to TheCable, Ocheme, an associate of Emefiele, is one of the directors of Ricrem Limited and Beustone Nigeria Limited, which provides services for agricultural production.
The company, which was registered in February 2012, is inactive on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website, which means that the company has not filed its annual returns up to date.
Those listed as directors of the company are Ocheme, Raymond Sunday Odoh, Livingstone Ocheme Onukwue, and Elliott Ocheme Nwandu.
The second company, Beustone, was established on May 5, 2009. It is also inactive on the CAC website. Ocheme, Livingstone Onukwue, Beulah Ali, and Josephine Odoh are listed as directors.
Ocheme married Chinenyeze Ozioma Okoro in February 2021 in Owerri, Imo state.
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The wedding ceremony, which took place at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Irete, Owerri West LGA, was attended by top politicians and personalities, including Emefiele.
State governors committed to new minimum wage – Bala Mohammed
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted on a living wage for workers in the country.
The Congress asked the Federal Government to allow salaries and wages to be commensurate with the cost of living.
President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero said this at the 11th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria yesterday in Abuja.
On Thursday, the NLC presented N709, 000 for consideration as the new national minimum wage at the public hearing for the North Central.
The Trade Union Congress on the other hand presented N447,000 as its proposal for consideration as the new national minimum wage.
The current minimum wage of N30, 000 passed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari would expire in April this year.
Ajaero lamented that workers have been reduced to beggars because of the economic hardship in the country.
He said: “Food has become so scarce that Nigerians have become scavengers and resorting to raiding food trucks and warehouses for food. If those in government cannot see the danger in what is happening, we see it and must ensure that government fulfills its duties to the people.
“We are increasingly going hungry in our father’s land and cannot continue in this destitution. The greatest unifier and mobiliser of a people is hunger so it insults commonsense when those in government assume that somebody is sponsoring people who are protesting because of hunger.
“If anybody is arousing the people, it is those in government whose policies have impoverished the people and stripped them of those values that make them human beings.
“The looting of food trucks and warehouse is what you get when this happens. Unless something is done, this may unfortunately escalate. We pray it does not.
“Those who therefore think that they can stop us from this divine mission with their threats and violence should think twice. We cannot be cowed. We cannot surrender our natural mandate to powers and agents of poverty and emasculation. We are not after anybody’s job but we must insist that the instruments of governance must be used for the greater good of the people and not to wreck their lives.
“We must insist that any political calculation that does not put the lives of Nigerians first fails abysmally and is totally unacceptable. The people of Nigeria must have to survive first so that Nigeria can survive before we begin to talk about 2027.
“We must all work together to build power with which we can use for successful engagement with those who are in charge of the various corridors of power in our dear nation. Nigerians look up to us and we must not fail them. We in the NLC, which includes your Ag. President and Deputy President of Congress; Comrade Ado Sani Minjibir will always court and cherish your support to build the necessary structures that will make the NLC stronger thus challenge the vicissitudes of the nation’s current socioeconomic realities.”
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said the government was committed to providing affordable healthcare for Nigerians.
Onyejeocha, who was represented by the Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, Yusuf Mohammed also said the government was committed to providing better welfare packages for health workers.
Acting National President, Medical and Health Workers Union, Kabiru Minjibir said the removal of fuel subsidy has “unleashed hardship on Nigerians.”
Minjibir noted that “anarchy may be looming if nothing practical is urgently done.”
Meanwhile, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has affirmed the commitment of Nigerian governors to effectively implement a new minimum wage for workers.
The governor made the declaration on his verified Facebook page following his participation in a meeting in Yola, convened by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (North-East Zone) yesterday.
“We are collaborating to ensure the smooth implementation of the new minimum wage,” he stated.
The governor further expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his support to state governments and his endeavors to enhance the well-being of all Nigerians.
Former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, says that Steven Oronsaye’s report was not presented to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari during his administration.
Shittu was a minister during Buhari’s first term in office between 2015 and 2019..
According to him, the report was not brought to the attention of the Buhari administration, and as such, there was no need for implementation.
He said, “The report had been with the previous government (Jonathan’s) but they didn’t do anything. Nobody brought it to our (Buhari government’s) attention, at least not when I was there. So, the issue never came up for discussion at the Federal Executive Council meeting at all. If nobody brought it and there were no complaints, we didn’t have cause to look at it at all.”
There was controversy over the report since the Federal Government approved the implementation of some of its recommendations to reduce the cost of governance on February 26, about 12 years after it was submitted.
Twenty-nine government agencies are expected to be merged, even as eight parastatals will be subsumed into eight other agencies, even as some Nigerians fear that this may lead to job losses.
The National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Tommy Etim, had warned that job losses amidst the current hardship in the country could lead to mass protests.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, described the report as outdated, advising the Federal Government to ensure that “the crisis of insecurity is not compounded through the retrenchment of hundreds of thousands of workers.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Thursday, inaugurated the implementation committee.
Speaking on the matter, Shittu said that civil servants should not be afraid of job losses, adding that only politicians would be affected as the number of appointees would reduce.
“We must avoid or do away with duplication of services because that would increase the cost of governance. When we talk about some people losing jobs, I think that national interest is more important than personal interest, and I don’t see any civil servant losing his job on that,” he stressed.
Also speaking on the matter, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, said implementing the Oronsaye’s report would reduce the excessively complicated administration of ministries, departments, and agencies of government.
Ali said, “One of the things you will find is that there is a lot of inter-agency rivalry. It happens almost everywhere, including in the US. If the report is implemented faithfully, at least we will be out of the problem of rivalry as well as overlapping functions and duties.
“It may not affect the personnel because it will become a larger body. And it will lead to having a leaner government that will be able to manage bureaucracy better. The fact that you are merging A and B does not mean you will dismiss people. It only means that you will have a larger number of people working in the same space.
“If you are talking about the loss of jobs, what will you say with the advent of artificial intelligence and robotics? Should we say people will lose their jobs and not invest in AI, robotics like drones, and others? Anything that will bring progress, we should try to adopt it.”
Negotiations for the release of no fewer than 287 abducted pupils and teachers of the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga 1, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have begun, according to PUNCH report.
A highly placed source in the Kaduna State Government House, who is close to the negotiations but pleaded not to be identified because of security reasons, confided in PUNCH that the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator (names withheld) for the release of the pupils and their teachers.
The private negotiator is a highly influential negotiator who has been involved in negotiating several abductions with bandits in the past.
Bandits had stormed the LEA Primary School, Kuriga, around 8.30am on Thursday shortly after the assembly gathering and abducted the pupils and some staff members of the schools.
It was learnt that the secondary school was relocated to the primary school premises as a result of insecurity in the area.
Governor Uba Sani, who visited the school on Thursday, gave an assurance that the abducted pupils would be rescued unhurt.
Sani while addressing the community members said, “In my capacity as your elected governor, I am assuring you that by the grace of God, all the children will return unhurt.”
However, less than 48 hours after the abduction, which triggered national outrage, an official source said the government had reached out to the bandits for negotiations to release the 287 abducted pupils and the staff members of the school.
The source said, “The military has begun combing the forests in search of the children kidnapped by the bandits. Security agents have cordoned off the area and they have started searching for the abducted pupils.
“The government is doing all it can for the speedy release of the abducted school pupils.
“The government has established contact and reached out to the bandits for negotiation through a popular bandit negotiator. The negotiator was the one who worked for the return of some of the students abducted some years back.
“He (the negotiator) had negotiated the return of so many abductees in the past. He negotiated the return of those students abducted in Katsina State years back.”
Two other government officials confirmed the development to one of our correspondents but insisted on not being identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.
They also refused to provide additional information as they insisted that doing so might frustrate the ongoing efforts to secure the victims’ release and put them in harm’s way.
One of them said, “You know this is a highly sensitive issue. I can’t give more information on the negotiations because of the security implications. We don’t want the bandits to harm the pupils and their teachers, and we don’t want to put the lives of the negotiator and the security operatives at risk.
“The only thing I can say is that the Kaduna State Government will do everything humanly possible to secure their release, just as the governor promised on Thursday when he visited the affected community.”
It was gathered that an emergency security meeting was convened by the governor on Friday but details of the discussions were not available to journalists.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the security meeting and said details would be provided later.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu, did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to him on the development as of the time of going to press.
At least two worshippers were killed during Friday’s prayers at Anguwar Makera in the Kwasakwasa community, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.
The incident happened around 2pm on Friday, according to locals in the area.
A community leader, Hudu Kwasakwasa, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits opened fire on the worshipers.
He said the worshippers were in the second raka’at of the Salat prayer when they were attacked, forcing the remaining people to run for their lives.
He added that a few days ago, bandits abducted about nine persons from the Angwar Kanawa community.
Kwasakwasa appealed for help from the authorities concerned, adding that bandits were raiding the communities unchallenged.
The state government and the police command were yet to react to the mosque incident as the PPRO could not be reached on the telephone and had yet to reply to a text message sent to him seeking confirmation as of the time of filing this report.
When Saturday PUNCH established contact with one of the parents of the kidnapped pupils through a Joint Task Force operative, who availed one of our correspondents of the use of his mobile telephone, the traumatised father, who spoke in the Hausa language amid sobs, said, “I never knew I would be in this situation. I heard of things like this, but I never knew I would be a victim.
“What have I done to deserve this? Please I’m not myself. I should die.
“I pray for the governor to fulfil his promise of my son’s release along with the other innocent children, otherwise, we are finished.”
The JTF source informed Saturday PUNCH that the villagers saw over 100 bandits conveying the pupils on motorcycles.
This claim was also corroborated by a community leader, Alhaji Idris Abdurra’uf.
According to Abdurra’uf, a community leader from Birnin-Gwari, a neighbouring community to Kuriga, residents of the community are fleeing the area for fear that the bandits may return.
Abdurra’uf, who expressed concern over the latest incident, added that Kuriga was the same community where a school principal, Idris Abusufyan, was killed and his wife and two children abducted about three weeks ago and were still being held hostage by the bandits.
He also disclosed that residents of Doka village, which the terrorists used as a pathway to Zamfara State, said they spotted scores of the bandits on motorbikes carrying the abducted pupils.
The community leader told Saturday PUNCH that the residents were yet to ascertain the number of the abducted pupils abandoned by the terrorists on their way to Zamfara State.
According to him, as of Thursday night, they were told that some of the abandoned schoolchildren had been evacuated to Birnin-Gwari “and after profiling, we’ll be able to know how many students were abandoned and they would be reunited with their parents.”
He added that the situation at Kuriga was tense even before the latest abduction of the pupils, noting, “Most residents have evacuated their families and they have become Internally Displaced Persons, some in Birnin-Gwari and others in nearby Igawa.
“Kuriga village, which is not more than 26 kilometers from Birnin-Gwari town in the Chukun Local Government Area, is situated along the Kaduna Birnin-Gwari highway.
“The village is not far from the terrorists’ enclave in Manini, which is the gateway to Niger State through River Kaduna; the terrorists from Zamfara pass through that place to Manini to Alawa and Shawara in Niger State.
“Three weeks before the abduction of the pupils, the terrorists had killed the principal of the Government Secondary School Kuriga around 4am, while his wife and two children were abducted. The wife and children are still in captivity.
“The secondary school was the first structure you would see on the road when you are coming from Kaduna before you enter Kuriga, but because of the proximity to Manini (six kilometres), the school was relocated to the main town of Kuriga where the primary school is also situated; that was why when the terrorists struck, they took away pupils of both the primary and the secondary schools.”
Abdurra’uf added, “As it is now, we’re yet to ascertain the number of the primary school pupils the terrorists abandoned on their way to Zamfara. Yesterday night (Thursday), some of the locals in Doka, which is also the root of the terrorists in Zamfara, said that they saw over 100 motorbikes carrying the kidnapped students.
“As of last night, we were told that some of the abandoned schoolchildren of Kuriga were evacuated to Birnin-Gwari, and after profiling, we’ll be able to know how many students were abandoned and they’ll be reunited with their parents.
“We gathered that 220 students from both the primary and secondary schools were abducted.
“The situation in that town was highly tense even before the kidnapping of the students. Most people have evacuated their families and they’ve become IDPS; some are in Birnin-Gwari and others are in nearby Igawa, which is also a town on the Kaduna highway, and Buruku close to the Kaduna International Airport, all in the Chikun Local Government Area.”
The abductors of the over 200 IDPs from the Ngala camp, Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State have not contacted the families of the abductees for ransom.
Immediately after the report of the abduction, the state government sent a fact-finding team led by the Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Barkindo Saidu, to the Nigeria-Chad border town.
Saidu told newsmen in Maiduguri on Friday, “No abductor has up to this moment called for any ransom on the abductees.
“We don’t even believe that they were abducted. If they were abducted, the abductors would have by now called for ransom; but nobody has called anybody for any ransom yet.”
The DG argued that the IDPs probably lost their way back home from wherever they went in the bush, adding that some of them had already returned to the camp.
“Already, the IDPs, who could trace their way back home, are trickling back home. Even when I returned to Maiduguri from there yesterday (Thursday), I was called and told that two of the so-called abductees had found their way back to the camp,” he added.
The military refused to say anything other than the initial assurance by the spokesman for the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Ajemusu Jingina, on Wednesday that troops, with the help of the air component of Operation Hadin Kai, had been despatched for search-and-rescue operation for the abductees.