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A meeting between the Federal Government and organised Labour to stave off the planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress deadlocked on Monday night.
The Minister of State Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who hosted the parley in Abuja, could not convince the unions to suspend the strike slated for February 23.
This was as the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria threatened to down tools by February 27, 2024, if the Federal Government failed to implement the agreement it entered into with the association in 2020.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, sought the understanding of the unions, saying, “We are optimistic Labour will see reason and strike will be averted in the interest of the nation.’’
The NLC and TUC on February 8 issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the Federal Government over the failure of the Bola Tinubu-led government to implement the agreements reached on October 2, 2023, following the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit known as petrol.
In a statement signed by the leaders of the two labour unions, Joe Ajaero and Festus Usifo, the organised Labour expressed sadness that despite the passage of time, “The majority of these crucial agreements remain unmet or negligibly addressed, indicating a blatant disregard for the principles of good faith, welfare and rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerians.”
The unions said despite their efforts to ensure industrial peace, the government seemed unperturbed by the mass suffering and hardship across the country.
After the removal of the fuel subsidy by the President on May 29, 2023, the labour unions reached a 16-point agreement with the Federal Government on measures to cushion the pains of the subsidy removal on workers.
N35,000 wage award
Among other things, the government agreed to pay N35,000 to all federal workers beginning from last September pending when a new national minimum wage would be signed into law.
The resolution provided that the wage award would be paid to the federal workers for six months while states were encouraged to extend the same benefit to their workers.
The Federal Government also pledged to make cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians and provide 100 CNG (compressed natural gas) buses nationwide to ease the high transportation costs.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, the NLC Vice President, Hakeem Ambali, insisted that the strike would go on unless the Federal Government addressed “the untold hardship meted on Nigerians by the famous pronunciation that ‘subsidy is gone’ on 29 May.’’
He lamented that the Federal Government had yet to fulfil its part of the agreement with the labour movement.
“The two-week ultimatum stands except the government does the needful and addresses the untold hardship meted on Nigerians by the famous pronunciation that ‘subsidy is gone’ on 29 May.
“We can see pockets of protests across the country. These are very dangerous. So, Labour must rise and offer leadership; Our ultimatum is patriotic,’’ he declared.
Shedding light on what transpired at the meeting with the minister, Ambali, who is also the National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, in an interview with one of our correspondents, disclosed that the session was called to review the level of implementation of the October agreement.
He stated, “The meeting realised that major parts of the agreement have not been implemented and Labour minister expressed her disappointment that the government had not kept faith with the spirit of the agreements.
“The meeting resolved subsequently that the agreements have not been well implemented and that they (government) still have windows of opportunities to meet to address all these to avert the impending strikes.”
Speaking further, the vice-president noted that the agreement with the Federal Government was time-bound.
He added, “We signed an agreement in October last year that the buses would be ready to ply Nigeria’s road in December last year. We are already in February. I do not think we have seen any bus on the road.
14-day ultimatum
“On the wage award which is N35,000, we also realised that the government has not kept faith with that. They were only able to pay one until we issued an ultimatum for 14 days. We realised that even state governments did not negotiate with their labour unions.
“What they only did was that they started paying N10,000 before the agreement was signed. Some of the governors were part of the meeting back then in October. They would have called the labour unions and negotiated new wages which were not done.”
On the minimum wage negotiation, Ambali noted the NLC declined to meet with the committee as the government was supposed to address the issue.
“For emphasis is the issue of the minimum wage committee. By law, in September 2023, the minimum wage committee should have come into operation, six months after the expiration of the old Minimum Wage Act which was not done.
“The committee was inaugurated about two weeks ago and with the negotiation statute barred because it is expected to have matured by March 31, 2024, when the existing law becomes obsolete.
“Even now, they said the committee was to brief us yesterday (Monday), we said we are not looking for a technical session. That it is a joint committee between Labour and government who is supposed to have briefed us and the committee never met,’’ he explained.
Also speaking with The PUNCH, a top NLC official said the unions scheduled a second meeting with the labour minister.
“The Ministry of Labour of Labour and Employment is just an intervention platform. What the ministry is doing is to come in and say they would arrange the meeting, but it is not in any position to make an offer,’’ the labor leader clarified.
Addressing the Second National Labour Adjudication and Arbitration Forum organised by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association in Abuja on Tuesday, the NLC President, Ajaero, pointed out that the government’s failure to implement agreements was the primary reason for the lack of positive outcomes in social dialogues.
This was as he advocated a yearly review of workers’ minimum wages to survive the biting economic hardship occasioned by the policy stance of the government.
The event themed, ‘Strengthening Tripartism and Social Dialogue (including Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms) for a sustainable industrial relation system in Nigeria,’ serves as a platform for social partners and stakeholders to promote fair and just resolution of labour disputes, foster harmonious employer-employee relations.
Ajaero bemoaned the ‘promise and fail’ tactics employed by government officials to inflict pain on Nigerians.
He lamented that eight months after the fuel subsidy removal, the government had yet to fulfil any of the 16-point agreement signed with the labour unions in October last year.
He said, “I have heard a lot about the minimum wage coming on board and it is crucial. We have been paying lip service to the issue of tripartism. Yesterday, we had a meeting and part of the agreement was talking about social dialogue.’’
Responding to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who urged the NLC to embrace tripartism, and social dialogue, Ajaero said, “If tripartism produces an agreement and that agreement is not implemented, what is the essence of having such dialogue?
“Last October, we had a 16-point agreement with the government but up till today, none has been implemented. So, if you call me for social dialogue again, do you think I would answer you?
“It is a problem and becoming a mantra but we must internalise it so that Nigerians will know that you are serious.”
Continuing, Ajaero called for an amendment to the minimum wage law that stipulates a once-in-five-year negotiation.
Minimum wage
“No matter what you negotiate with, the present Nigerian economy will not buy anything meaningful in the next five years. So, we have to look at all these issues. I think we should have a system that every year we look at the level of inflation and devaluation and adjust accordingly.
“People have been coming up to say if the government increases salaries, it would affect inflation and then you keep salaries constant while other variables continue to go up. The wage award for N35,000 has not been paid and workers are being owed salaries.’’
“It took the government 24 hours to say that the subsidy is gone but it is taking eight months to decide what to do with it and then you are saying we should give more time.
‘’No CNG buses on the road and then labour unions are termed as trouble-makers. Even states are not paying the wage award,’’ he complained.
Earlier in his address, Akume assured the participants that the president was passionate about rebuilding the economy and improving workers’ welfare.
He stressed that open dialogue, constructive engagement, and exploration of innovative solutions are the delicate process of determining a minimum wage that is fair, sustainable, and beneficial for all stakeholders.
Akume, represented by the Cabinet Affairs Official, Richard Pheelangwah, said, “I urge the NLC to embrace tripartism and social dialogue by recognizing the fact that collaboration and mutual understanding between government and labour unions.
“Each party must actively listen to the concerns and perspectives of the others, fostering a spirit of compromise and cooperation. While striving for a living wage for Nigerian workers, we must acknowledge the nation’s economic challenges.’’
The SGF warned that “Finding a sustainable equilibrium that protects workers’ well-being without jeopardizing business viability and overall economic health is crucial.’’
He also asked the labour unions to recognise the fact that collaboration and mutual understanding between government, employers, and labour unions are paramount.
“Each party must actively listen to the concerns and perspectives of the others, fostering a spirit of compromise and cooperation,’’ he further advised.
He admonished the labour leaders to embrace alternative mechanisms like mediation and arbitration to expedite resolutions, minimize disruptions, and foster trust among stakeholders, noting that the traditional methods may not always yield the desired outcomes.
In actualising their demands, Akume asked the unions to consider “wider public service obligations discharged by the government to cushion economic hardships, beyond the minimum wage.’’
These, he said, included increased investment in infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and power plants which according to him, had helped to create jobs and boost economic activity; investment in gas-powered public transportation systems, railways and waterways; and expansion and strengthening of social safety nets, such as the Conditional Cash Transfer programme.
NECA advises Labour
The NECA Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, on his part assured of the employers’ commitment to promoting a peaceful and harmonious industrial relations environment for a thriving economy.
He said, “Our country has witnessed several Labour upheavals in recent times and we must, therefore, remind ourselves to embrace social dialogues and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (mediation, adjudication, or arbitration) that have been established by both local and international Labour institutions.”
In protest against the harsh business environment in the country, the Association of Master Bakers has said it will withdraw its services nationwide from February 27 due to multiple taxation and the high costs of baking materials.
A statement from the National President of the Association, Alhaji Mansur Umar, read by the Kogi State Chairman of the association, Chief Gabriel Adeniyi, said the decision was due to the “multifarious increase in the prices of baking materials such as flour, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, petrol and diesel occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal and forex deregulation.’’
The union accused various government agencies including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Consumers Protection Council, Department of Weights and Measures, and others of imposing various levies on its members.
It stated, “The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has critically assessed the state of our business operation and consequently demand the liberalisation of flour and sugar importation, reduction or total removal of import duties on major baking materials such as flour, sugar, butter, yeast, etc as applicable to other commodities as have recently been done by the Federal Government and provision of concessionary forex exchange to flour millers and other stakeholders as well as reduction of tariff on imported wheat and sugar.”
It further demanded the cultivation and processing of wheat and sugarcane in Nigeria, and the removal of multiple taxations both at the federal, state, and local government levels.
The association also called for immediate implementation of financial support palliatives for bakers as post-COVID-19 support programmes for SMEs for bakers who have lost over 40 per cent of their membership.
The union called for the suspension of all forms of taxations on the bakery industry for now both at the federal, state, and local government levels.
It demanded the setting up of a price control and monitoring committee as allowed by the constitution and other conditions that could enhance the ease of doing business in the country.
The association said it issued the strike notice because its action might not go down well with the economy.
Endorsing the move, bakers under the aegis of the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria declared support for the master bakers’ planned strike.
PBAN President, Emmanuel Onuorah, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the government had continued to turn a deaf ear to the plight of bakers in the country.
He said, “If this is what it will take for the FG to hear our cry, so be it. The industry is almost going extinct, we support them 150 per cent.”
Speaking further, Onuorah said he and some of his members had already downed tools due to the continued spike in the price of baking materials.
He said it was no longer sustainable to continue producing under the current business climate.
Onuorah added, “I have stopped production. Many of my members have stopped working. In the last two weeks, a 50kg bag of flour and sugar increased by N6,000. Sugar increased by N15,000 and softener by N200,000.
“Diesel increased by N200 per litre. Recall I told you that the effect of the dollar increase for clearing of goods at the ports will increase cost by 15 – 20 per cent across goods and services in Q1, 2024. This is the result of the president’s flawed economic and monetary policies.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said the distribution of its 102,000 metric tons of assorted grains will commence soon.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed, who disclosed this to The PUNCH, explained that grains were meant to crash the current prices of food items in the country.
He said, “The essence is that we want it to reach the real target, the masses, and not just anybody. We hope to make them available in the next week or maximum two. By that time, we will start the distribution.
“The thinking is that once these grains are made available and they are not enough, the Federal Government will take another measure.”
“We are hoping this (42,000 metric tons grains) will cushion the effect for some time before that one comes up. And if the situation does not appear to improve, the FG will still come up with other measures. The idea is that the government must bring down the cost of food and make it available to Nigerians. That is the directive the president has given.”
“The other 60,000 is from the rice millers’ association. The Federal Government is buying that one from them. But I know that some journalists just added the figures together. But it is important we need to make that distinction,” he stressed.
[Punch]
FirstBank has launched the second season of its Cash Out promo designed to reward users of FirstMobile, its mobile banking solution with cash prizes totalling N36 million.
The bank in a statement explained that, “the FirstBank Cash Out Promo 2.0 which began on Monday, 15 January 2024, ends on Friday, 15 March 2024, and is open to new and existing customers.
“Leading up to the grand finale – with N1 million up for grabs – the promo comprises three distinct categories, each offering attractive rewards comprising N10,000 worth of airtime and data, N20,000.00, and N100,000.00 respectively.
“In the first category, 100 lucky customers will win N10,000 worth of airtime and data each week for completing a minimum of five transactions on the FirstMobile app.
“The second category builds up the excitement of the promo, as 100 lucky customers will win N20,000 each for carrying out a minimum of ten transactions weekly.
“On the other hand, Lucky 50 customers who carry out 25 transactions each month will be rewarded with N100,000 each.
“The promo culminates in the grand finale draw as two lucky customers with a minimum of 50 transactions will win the whooping sum of N1 million each.
“Dormant and inactive account holders can immediately become eligible once they reactivate their dormant accounts. Inactive users of FirstMobile only need to update their Apps on their iOS Appstore or Android Playstore and start transacting to qualify.”
[Vanguard]
CRD Lugbe residents cry out to Tinubu, FCT Minister, others against FCDA’s threat to demolish their homes, reallocate their lands
AdminResidents and property owners in Committee on Resettlement and Development Layout, popularly called CRD, in Lugbe, along Airport Road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have sent a passionate plea to President Bola Tinubu to save them from threats by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to demolish their homes and reallocate their lands to private estate developers.
In a “Save Our Souls” petition, copies of which were sent to several government authorities, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the National Assembly, the distressed residents said they have been subjected to incessant harassment and threats by officials of the Development Control Department of the FCDA working in connivance with the River Park Estate developer.
The residents said the latest experience was on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 when some of them returned home from work to find demolition notices pasted on the walls of their buildings by persons who claimed to be officials of the Development Control Department.
They said the notices informed owners of the affected houses that their properties have been marked for demolition within 21 days to make way for a Central Market in the area.
The notices read: “Demolition Notice. Plot No. Central Market (3785). District: Lugbe North. Cadastral Zone: E25. The Authority observed with dismay that the development or structure on plot … is defective and constitutes danger or nuisance to the public/adjoining plot. Take notice that you are given 21 days to comply by pulling down the structure or have the illegal development demolished in accordance with Section 61 of the Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Act 1992.”
In the petition, copies of which were sent to the FCT Office of the Department of State Security (DSS), the residents expressed surprise that the Layout, which has been in existence since 1996 with fully developed properties, would suddenly be converted into a general market without the knowledge of residents and land owners.
Blaming the problem on the unholy connivance of some FCDA officials through the Development Control Department with a private estate developer, one Paul Odili to harass, intimidate, and illegally dispossess them of their properties, the resident urged President Tinubu and the FCT Minister to immediately wade into the simmering situation to avoid it imploding and resulting in avoidable multi-dimensional crises.
Since 2014, the residents said Mr Odili, through his firms, Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited; Jonah Nigeria Limited, and Paulo Homes Limited in River Park Estate, has been waging a series of illegal wars of conquest to achieve territorial expansion of his allocation into CRD land area.
“CRD layout, covering a land area of about 474 hectares, was created in 1996 by the FCDA to relocate and resettle persons affected by the dualization and expansion of the Airport Road within the Lugbe 1 area.
“Most of the lands in the CRD Layout were legally acquired from the FCDA. The layout was comprehensively designed with various infrastructures, including schools, hospitals, markets, town halls, recreational facilities, religious places of worship, police post, and other public institutions, etc.
“The area in contention, CRD Lugbe 1 Layout is identified in the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) as Plot No. 0235, where land titles owners have fully developed and occupied since 1996,” the Chairman of the CRD Residents and Landlords Association, Abdulwasiu Mustapha, said in the petition.
Available information from the FCDA shows that Mr Odili and his private estate development firms, who were allocated part of the CRD area in 2017 by the then El-Rufai administration in the FCT, have so far acquired almost half of the area.
“Our lands were given to Paul Odili without due process of law or revocation of existing titles in clear violation of the rights of the property owners. Since then, our lives have been a living hell. This man has deployed all known means to forcefully sack us from our lands. He has deployed security agencies to constantly, harass, intimidate, threaten, arrest, and detain our people without any lawful excuse.
“He has demolished our homes, barricaded our roads, dug trenches around our houses, and fenced our community in without outlets to the rest of the world. We have written to virtually all public institutions for intervention without success. We have sought reprieve from the courts, but he has ignored every restraining court orders without any consequence.
“Today, we are still in court with him, while some of our people have obtained judgments against him, both at the High Court and Court of Appeal without abating his threats and harassment. We want the President and the FCT Minister to wade in and save us,” the residents cried out in their petitions.
Although following the latest assault by the FCDA on February 7 the residents went the following day to meet with the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, to seek clarification on their action, the Chairman of the Residents Association said it was surprising that his promise to convene a meeting of all stakeholders in the crisis to discuss the issues was yet to materialize several days after.
Mustapha said residents who attended the meeting with Mr Galadima were surprised that instead of addressing the areas of breaches of the extant laws regarding building designs and structures, he claimed the CRD community has been re-designed, and that most of the fully-developed houses and structures fell within the road corridors and a central market.
The Chairman said Mr Galadima did not produce the re-designed CRD layout, or said when the redesign was done without the knowledge of residents, neither did he identify the beginning of the road infrastructure and where it would terminate.
“We have lost confidence and trust in the Director’s handling of the matter. We suspect he is playing the familiar script and antics of Mr. Paul Odili with the evil intention of dispossessing us of our valued properties. There is no way an important action such as redesigning CRD would be done fairly without the involvement of the existing residents since 1996.
“As most of the residents of the CRD community are public and civil servants with pensioners who used their meager life savings to raise a place for their families to live, we will resist every attempt to render us homeless and turn us into refugees,” the residents said.
Senator Ned Nwoko has urged the National Assembly to pass relevant legislation, such as the right to firearms, to guarantee further the safety of lives and property in Nigeria.
Mr Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District and is a member of the Senate Committee on Defence, made the appeal in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday.
The lawmaker said insecurity in the country informed his decision to introduce to the Senate an amendment bill to allow civilians to own firearms.
He said the permission for self-defence would, however, depend on stringent conditions and regulations such as comprehensive training.
“This approach ensures that firearms are in the hands of responsible individuals who understand the gravity of such ownership and are equipped to handle these weapons safely.
“Nonetheless, this approach necessitates a meticulous regulatory framework and oversight to prevent any adverse consequences and prioritise public safety above all else,” Mr Nwoko said.
“My bill on self-defence and firearms ownership regulation, currently listed in the Senate awaiting its first reading, deals with this pressing issue.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has refuted claims made by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Nigeria’s economic condition is akin to that of Venezuela.
The statement came as a response to comments made by Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, during a meeting in Abuja on Monday, where he expressed concern over the country’s rising cost of living and the depreciation of the naira.
Governor Mohammed had drawn a parallel between Nigeria’s economic challenges and the situation in Venezuela, which as of January, reported an alarming inflation rate of 234 percent, placing it among the highest in the world.
He described Nigeria as “almost on the road to Venezuela,” highlighting the severe economic difficulties facing the nation.
Contrary to these claims, Minister Idris, in a statement on Tuesday, firmly stated that Nigeria’s economic situation does not bear resemblance to that of Venezuela.
The statement reads, “It is far-fetched when PDP governors, who are supposed to be major players in driving economic growth and prosperity for our citizens in their respective states, mischievously and falsely compare our current economic challenges to Venezuela.
“We want to state categorically that though our country is going through some rough patches, which are being addressed by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our situation is nowhere near what is happening in Venezuela.
“The Nigerian economy is still very strong and is expected to record a 3% GDP growth this year. The economy is meeting financial obligations to lenders at home and abroad.
“The Nigerian government is running effectively, and our government can pay all its bills while maintaining a healthy trade balance with trading partners worldwide.”
“Nigerians should ask PDP Governors how far and how well they have utilised the increased revenue to better the lives of Nigerians in their respective states.
“It is on record that most States controlled by PDP owe workers and pensioners months of unpaid salary and pension arrears. The PDP Governors have defaulted in paying gratuities to their retired workers.
“It is also a fact that many of the PDP Governors have not paid N30,000 minimum wage to their workers since it took effect more than four years ago. All of these anomalies in their states contribute significantly to the economic pressure their citizens face.”
Idris said the PDP governors should support the federal government to revamp the economy.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha yesterday said that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature was forged by those who withdrew $6,230,000 as authorised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on February 8, 2023.
Mustapha, who testified in the trial of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, said his signature was also forged.
The SGF emphasised that he knew nothing about the money said to have been withdrawn for the payment of foreign election observers.
Mustapha, who spoke as a prosecution witness, told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama that it was not the business of the Federal Government or the office of the SGF to request funds from the CBN for the payment of foreign election observers.
He said it was solely the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deal with issues relating to election observers and other election-related matters.
A Deputy Director in the CBN, Michael Onyeka Ogbu, had told the court on Monday that the money was handed in cash to an official from the office of the SGF, named Jibril Abubakar, upon approvals by President Buhari and Emefiele, following a request by the SGF.
The prosecution is accusing Emefiele of being behind the withdrawal.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Mustapha, dressed in a blue kaftan and a cap, identified Emefiele (who was seated in the dock) when asked if he knew who the defendant was.
Mustapha, who said he is a lawyer and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980, said Emefiele was the Governor of the CBN when he served as the SGF from 2017 to 2023.
Asked if he knew anything about the transaction relating to the payment of the $6,230,000, he said: “I wish to state that, up until when I left office, I knew nothing about this transaction.”
Mustapha was then shown a document, marked as Exhibit PD7, said to be a letter from President Buhari, approving the payment and asked if he recognised the document.
Mustapha said he was seeing the document for the first time in the court.
He added: “On the face value of this document, having served (as the SGF) for five years and months, I can say that this document did not emanate from the office of the president.”
The witness explained that correspondence that has the seal of the President does not carry a reference number as the seal serves as the authority.
Mustapha added: “Looking at the signature, it is a faint attempt at reproducing President Buhari’s signature.”
The former SGF also faulted the document on the ground that it purported to convey a decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which is not normally conveyed via letters.
He said: “I have looked at it. I have read it. Federal Executive Council decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.
“I am the custodian of the record of the Federal Executive Council. So, for that reason, the President will not be referring the conclusion of EXCO to me.
“In all the five years and seven months that I served, I have never heard of the term – Special Appropriation Provision – that was refered to here (in the letter).”
The witness said he was only familiar with appropriation, as provided by the Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly and Supplementary Appropriation.
He also faulted the concluding part of the letter, saying that it was unusual for the President to end his letter to the SGF by saying: “Please, accept the assurances of my highest regard.”
Mustapha said being the President’s subordinate, his letter to the SGF can not end in that manner.
The former SGF also said the Nigerian government has no business funding foreign election observers.
He added: “That I know as a fact because I have managed two election circles. INEC has the sole responsibility in that area.”
On the claim in the letter that the decision to approve money for foreign observers was taken at the 187th FEC meeting held on January 18, 2023, the witness said it was not true.
He agreed that there was actually a FEC meeting on January 18, 2023, but that the meeting was presided over by the Vice President because the President was away.
The witness also said the issue of payment to foreign observers never featured on the meeting’s agenda, which he prepared as the SGF.
Mustapha said: “My role as the secretary is to prepare the agenda for the meeting and on that day, there was a 16-point agenda. There was no item on the agenda that has to do with payment to foreign election observers.”
When shown another document, marked: Exhibit PD6, said to be his letter conveying the presidential approval to the Governor of the CBN, Mustapha also faulted it.
He said: “To the best of my knowledge, this letter did not emanate from the office of the SGF. If it did not emanate from the office, then, I did not sign it. No, I did not sign it.”
Mustapha also explained why he said the letter was not from his office.
He said having not been privy to the internal operations of the CBN, he could not have written in the letter “Attention, Director, Banking Services.”
He also noted that the heading of the letter was defective, pointing out that the heading said: “Re: Payment for foreign election observers,” which presupposes that there was a previous correspondence.
Mustapha denied knowledge of any Special Task Force on Logistics, which the letter claimed was set up by the Federal Government, and Jibril Abubakar, a Principal Executive officer, who is alleged to be the coordinator of the task force.
He also denied introducing any Jibril or Jibril Abubakar to the Governor of the CBN as claimed in the letter.
Mustapha said: “Again, this letter did not conform to the standard in which we write letters in the office of the SGF.”
He said the reference in any letter from the office of the SGF is usually very clear and each paragraph is numbered.
He said neither the whole $6,230,000 nor part of it was brought to him.
On why he gave a specimen of his signature to the EFCC during his interrogation, Mustapha said: “I gave my specimen signature to the EFCC because they needed it for further verification since I denied the authorship of the letter allegedly written by me, that is Exhibit PD6.”
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), Mustapha denied knowing Jibril Abubakar, who Ogbu claimed came to collect the money in cash.
He said no official of the CBN, Garki branch, where the money was paid out, contacted him to inquire if he knew the said Jibril Abubakar.
On whether he and Emefiele were not given the money, Mustapha who said he could only speak for himself, maintained that he was not given any money.
He said he had no discussion with Emefiele about any such money, adding that it is not the usual practice for the SGF to receive money from the CBN for election observers.
Mustapha stressed: “The issue of observers is that of the INEC. To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a request from the office of the SGF for money from CBN for election observers.”
Burkaa also cross-examined Ogbu, who while testifying on Monday, claimed that the money was processed for payment to Jibril Abubakar because of the approval of the President, which was conveyed by a letter from the SGF to the CBN Governor, accompanied by the CBN Governor’s endorsement and further instruction by the Director, Banking Services Department.
When asked if he saw Emefiele signing the document, he said no.
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Ogbu also said Jibril Abubakar’s BVN was not verified before the money was paid to him, and that they only worked with his work identity card as contained in the instructions for payment.
The witness defended the payment of the money, saying that he acted correctly and with due diligence and that the transaction was not fraudulent.
Ogbu, who is the Branch Controller in charge of the Garki branch, Abuja where the money was paid out, said his branch has CCTV and that there is CCTV footage of February 8, 2023, showing Jibril Abubakar who received the money.
The witness said he had seen the CCTV footage and that it showed the officer who counted the money and handed it to the receiver.
He said the CCTV footage also showed how Jibril Abubakar received the money and left the banking hall.
Ogbu added: “The footage showed the teller who paid, that is, the person called Usoro. Jibril was the person nominated by the SGF. He was the one authorised in the document to collect the money.”
He noted that the Controller of the branch where the money was paid and the Director of Operation are not standing trial because of the transaction.
Ogbu also said he was not aware that the Deputy Governor, Operations and Director, Bank Service Department, are standing trial.
He said: “I am not aware that the person who collected this money is standing trial.
“I am not aware that Boss Mustapha, the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation is standing trial in respect of this transaction.
“I did not pay any money directly to the defendant. I am not aware that part of the money is traced to his account.
“He (the defendant) did not call me to ask me to make the payment while he was the governor.
“My evidence that the defendant approved the payment is based on the documents presented to me, not that I saw him approve it.”
Ogbu maintained that he only acted based on what he saw on paper.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has no records of monies recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) between 2016 and 2019 as required.
This is according to the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) in its 2020 Audited report of government finances.
The report, dated November 30, 2023, was submitted to both chambers of the National Assembly through the Clerk.
The OAuGF said the last time the CBN recorded an inflow of recovered funds into the federation accounts was December 2015.
It also said that the Recovered Funds component of foreign exchange inflows into the Federation Account of $40,502,645.06 was last reported in December 2015.
Such inflows were not reported between 2016 and 2019, says the report, adding that there were no documents to justify the non-recognition of recovered funds between 2016 and 2019.
In its management response, the CBN said: “There was no inflow for the period January 2016- December 2019.
“However, a review of the account showed credit interest for the period.”
The report asked the Public Account Committees of the Senate and House to request the CBN governor to justify the non-recognition of recovered funds for the years 2016 to 2019.
The report queried what it called an unjustified decrease in foreign reserves of the country between 2017 and 2019.
“Audit observed from the review of CBN Summary of Monthly Foreign Exchange Cash flows that Foreign Reserves which stood at $42.594 billion as at December 2018 decreased to $38.092 billion in December 2019, and there were documents to justify the decrease,” the report says.
The Auditor General also reported a decrease in foreign exchange earnings of about $2,667,269,011.33 in 2019 as contained in the CBN summary of monthly foreign exchange cash.
The Auditor General also said in 2020, the CBN made deposit placements with First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) United Kingdom (UK) Ltd, London amounting to US$134,507, 155.20, split into two tranches of $59,029,548.09 and US$75,477,607.11 to circumvent the provisions its Guidelines on offshore deposits.
It alleged that no further information was given at the time of the audit visit to enable the audit to verify the average monthly deposits of FBN UK Ltd, London over one year to establish if it qualified for exposure above US$100 million
However, the CBN denied any infraction, saying the exposure to FBN, UK was within the approved exposure limit.
It added that the deposits were split for liquidity planning purposes and not to circumvent the provision of the guidelines.
It also said that the placements with FBN UK have never been above the limit stipulated by the Guidelines.
The report accused the apex bank of violating IMF conditions, and diversion of IMF rapid financing instrument of about $3.4 billion
The report says: “The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through a letter dated 28th April 2020 approved Nigeria’s request for emergency financial assistance of US$3.4Billion under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to meet the urgent balance of payment needed for stemming the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic and the decline in Oil prices.”
“As part of the conditions to release the grant to Nigeria, IMF had requested CBN to credit a Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) account with the Naira equivalent upon receipt of the Funds.
“Audit observed from the review of documents relating to the grant of the US$3.4 billion that on April 30, 2020, US$ 2,396,458,513.75 was transferred to CBN’s account with Federal Reserve Bank, New York (FRB), while CNY 6,776,051 497.99 was transferred to CBN’s CNY account with People’s Bank of China, Shanghai Office.
“On June 1, 2020, barely one month after the receipt of the fund, the CBN moved US$ 2,396,458,513.75 out of the fund with Federal Reserve Bank, New York to Bank of International Settlement (BIS) for investment in short-term maturities.
“The funds with Peoples Bank of China, CNY 6,776,051,497.99 were moved to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
“The funds were classified under the CBN’s portion of the External Reserves instead of the Federal Government Reserve to earn interest that may help to increase the reserves portion of the Federal Government.
“No information/document was provided to justify the movement of Fund, including the subsequent investment and classification as CBN Reserve category that was not made known to the Federal Government and not approved by the Investment Committee of the Bank.”
Forty-four per cent of candidates who wrote the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates in last year’s Second Series recorded Credits in five subjects, including English and Mathematics.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which announced the release of the results yesterday, said 80,904 candidates wrote the examination.
In a statement by the Acting Head of the examination body’s Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, on behalf of the Head of National Office, Dr. Josiah Dangut, WAEC listed the percentage of successful candidates in the examination.
The council noted that the percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for Private Candidates 2021 and 2022 – Second Series, that is, those who obtained Credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 48.61 per cent and 42.16 per cent.
It said there was a marginal increase of 2.13 per cent in the candidates’ performance.
WAEC also said 57.19 per cent of the candidates obtained Credit and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language and/or Mathematics.
The council said the results of 7,192 candidates, representing 8.89 per cent of the total number that sat the examination, were being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.
“Candidates may check their results by visiting www.waecdirect.org and ascertain their status before visiting the Digital Certificate platform (www.waec.org) to access the digital copies of their certificates, which have been released along with their results.
“Candidates may also be required to apply for the printing of the hard copies of their certificates, online, through the WAEC Certificate Request Portal (e-Certman) website: https://certrequest.waec.ng/,” WAEC said.
Emefiele: Ex-SGF, Boss Mustapha exonerates self, Buhari from alleged $6.2m foreign election observers payment
AdminThe immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, cleared former President Muhammadu Buhari and himself on Tuesday in Abuja of the alleged fraudulent payment of $6.2 million to foreign election monitoring observers.
He said that the letter purportedly written and signed by President Buhari did not emanate from the Presidency, and another purportedly written and signed by him were forged documents.
Mustapha made the clarifications on Tuesday while giving evidence in the trial of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
He said that the one, Jubrin Abubakar, who allegedly collected the $6.2 million cash on February 8, 2023, under the watch of Emefiele, was not a staff of the Office of the SGF and was not known to him.
Mustapha faulted the purported two letters alleged to have emanated from the Presidency under Buhari and the SGF office, adding that the letters did not conform with the standard with which the Presidency and SGF write letters.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had alleged that Emefiele forged the letters to defraud the Federal Government to the tune of $6,230, 000 under the guise of making payments to some foreign election monitoring observers.
Mustapha insisted that the issue of payment for either local or foreign observers is the sole responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and not any other federal government agency.
“I am not privy to the operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and cannot write the governor for the attention of the Director, Banking Services.
“From mere looking at the purported letters, the headline down to the contents are defective. I am not aware of the contents of the letters because there was no Federal Executive Council approval for such a thing,” he said.
Mustapha said further: “The purported letter from the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation bears my name as the SGF. To the best of my knowledge, the letter did not emanate from the SGF office. If it did not emanate from the SGF office, then, I did not sign it.
“Nigerian government has no business with foreign election observers. That, I know as a fact, because I managed two election cycles. INEC has sole responsibility for the foreign election monitoring observers.
“Looking at the signature on the purported letter that emanated from the Presidency, it is a failed attempt at reproducing President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature.
“Up until the time I left office, I did not know anything about the transactions. All through my service, I did not come across the letter purported to have been written by Mr President.
“On face value, and having served as SGF for 5 years and seven months, I can say this letter did not emanate from the Presidency for seven major reasons.
“Among others, the seal of the Presidency does not carry a reference number. The seal itself is the authority. Federal Executive Council decisions are not transmitted by letters but by extracts after conclusions have been adopted.
“I am the custodian of FEC. The President will not refer FEC conclusions to me. In all the correspondences from the Presidency, President Buhari never ended with “Please, accept the assurances of my highest regards”.”
Meanwhile, further trials have been fixed for March 7, 11, and 25.
A chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, has urged President Bola Tinubu to probe the administration of his predecessor, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, former ministers and aides.
Naija News reports that the factional Secretary General of Ohanaeze made the call in a statement titled, ‘Urgent action required: Probe Buhari, Ministers, and close aides to save Nigeria’s agonizing economy’.
Isiguzoro, in the statement released on Tuesday, said the probe would save Nigeria’s economy from further deterioration and prevent the spread of economic hardship protests.
He noted that the probe must investigate the reckless external borrowing, which failed to translate into visible and tangible projects during Buhari’s administration.
The statement read, “Nigeria’s economy is in a state of crisis, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization and the resolute voice of the Igbo, boldly calls upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to summon the righteous resolve within him.
“It is time to officially initiate an executive probe into former President Buhari’s administration and the severe mismanagement of Nigeria’s economy from 2015-2023.
“Furthermore, the probe must address the monumental re-looting of recovered loot from corrupt individuals and corporate organizations by Buhari’s ministers, close aides, and family members.
“The suffering endured by Ndigbo and Nigerians as a whole, in abject poverty and unimaginable hardship, can be directly attributed to the incompetence of Buhari’s economic teams and the audacious re-looting of recovered assets.
“To prevent the spread of economic hardship protests, temporarily halted by the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, President Tinubu must initiate an inescapable comprehensive probe of Buhari’s administration.
“Nigerians are astounded by the wealth accumulated by Buhari’s ministers, close aides, and family members, surpassing that of their states and even eclipsing the combined wealth of all 36 Nigerian states.
“These individuals must be compelled to return all the “re-looted” loot, as this signifies the initial step toward Nigeria’s economic recovery.”
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Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have urged President Bola Tinubu to address worsening insecurity in the country and the continuous fall in the value of the Naira.
Naija News gathered that the call was made after the meeting held at the Conference Hall of the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Wuse, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Adolphus Wabara, who was appointed as the substantive Chairman of the party’s BoT, on Tuesday, said the BoT expressed deep concerns over the biting economic hardship, high cost of essential life-enhancing commodities, and alarming food scarcity in the country.
He stated “The BoT is alarmed by the worsening insecurity in the country as evident in the rising cases of mass killings, banditry, kidnap for ransom, and acts of terrorism by assailants who are emboldened by the manifest laidback attitude of the APC administration to issues of security, especially in the last nine months.
“The BoT is appalled by the monumental corruption and unbridled treasury-looting in the APC administration especially the looting of billions of Naira meant for palliatives for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“The BoT is seriously worried over the fall of the Naira to an abysmal N1,500 to the Dollar, incessant increase in the pump price of fuel which now sells for over N700 per liter with long queues in various parts of the country.
“These have attendant negative consequences as evident in the nearly 30% inflation rate, 41% unemployment rate, and alarming 46% poverty rate where up to 130 million citizens have sunk deeper into multi-dimensional poverty in the last nine months.
“The BoT is disturbed that the catastrophic economic and security situation in the country has left Nigerians hopeless, despondent, angry and constitutes a present and immediate threat to the survival of the country as hardworking young Nigerians, professionals in critical fields as well as major multinational companies are now leaving our nation in droves.
“The BoT is distressed that there are no concrete and coherent policies, measures, and steps by the APC administration to address these existential threats which have put the country in a precarious situation.
“The BoT calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to know that the situation in the country has become unbearable. Mr. President should immediately address the issues of corruption in his administration, worsening insecurity in the country, continuous fall in the value of the Naira, high fuel price, unbearable food scarcity, and unemployment in the country.”
He reassured the Nigerian public that despite the challenges, the PDP remains united, stronger, and more determined in its commitment to working for the well-being of Nigerians and defending their interest at all times.
Wabara continued, “In this regard, the BoT as the Conscience of the Party charges all Organs, leaders, critical stakeholders, and members of the PDP across the country to remain united and focused as the Party further repositions for the task ahead.
“In the bid to further strengthen itself, the BoT has confirmed His Excellency, Senator Adolphus Wabara as its Chairman and His Excellency, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi as Secretary in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).”
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has placed a N2 million bounty on an Anambra State-based lawyer, Adachukwu Chukelu-Okafor, for allegedly burning her 11-year old house help.
She was alleged to have used hot pressing iron and a knife to burn and chop in pieces, the private part of her househelp.
Ms Kennedy-Ohanenye disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja, following a viral video of the girl after she was abused and returned to her aunt, who gave her out as a house help.
“Please Nigerians go out there search for this woman, bring her out, call any police station and hand her over.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is offering N2 million to anybody that will lay hands on this woman and hand her over to the police.
“We need this woman urgently because the girl is in pain and has been in the hospital. It could be your child or anybody’s relation, so let us not fold our hands.
“We will give N2 million to anybody that will give necessary information to the police or the women affairs ministry on how to get Adachukwu, the barrister, who did all those harmful things to her house help.
“This woman will be apprehended by the police who have been looking for her and she is nowhere to be found,” she said.
Ms Kennedy-Ohanenye also urged the public to divulge any information that would enable the authorities to apprehend the suspect, who has gone into hiding, to ensure justice for the victim.
“This issue of Adachukwuchu who burnt her 11-year-old house girl with a hot knife, putting it in her private part and at the same time using hot pressing iron to do other damage on her is of grave concern to the federal government.
“I kept quiet initially because I thought that by now it would have been solved by the state since they are aware of it. For the fact that it still hasn’t been solved, I have decided to wade in.
“Some people will say why is the ministry always getting involved. Let me explain that it is within my purview to get involved in anything that involves women and children across Nigeria. I have every right to get involved in it,” she said.
The minister also revealed that the government would soon make a pronouncement on the issue of employing underage house helps that are less than 18 years, to end cases of child abuse and violation.
Policy on househelp recruitment
According to her, there will be an enforcement programme to that end to be driven by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“Again, in a couple of days, there will be a pronouncement from this ministry on taking househelps that are less than 18 years.
“We are going to put a stop to it, there will be a pronouncement within a week and an endorsement programme towards that action.
“And we will need the whistleblowers, who are Nigerians, to come and fight for your country, especially now. Come out and give information on anything that you feel will help this country,” she urged.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a video of the house help, lying on a hospital bed after being allegedly abused, went viral, sparking public outrage.
(NAN)
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, on Monday paid condolence visit to the families of Herbert Wigwe and Abimbola Ogunbajo, expressing sympathies for the families of the deceased.
Peter obi on condolence visit to the family of Herbert Wigwe
According to Peter Obi,
@PeterObi
“Yesterday, with a heavy heart, I paid a condolence visit to the beloved families of my very dear friends, Herbert Wigwe and Abimbola Ogunbajo, whose deaths continue to break my heart and those of many in the nation.
“I expressed my deepest sympathies to the Wigwe and Ogunbajo families over this colossal loss. Herbert and I have remained very close friends over the years and I cherish the times, ideas, and moments we shared.
Peter Obi signing the condolence register of Abimbola Ogunbajo
“His death remains a terrible sore in my heart, especially when I consider his immense contributions to our national development, and his plans to do more for the nation in the very critical areas of development.
“He was a man who remained committed to the advancement of the nation and the progress of the people especially the youth.
“As we mourn his very painful death, we are comforted by the enduring legacies he left behind, the lives he positively touched both within and outside Nigeria, and the cherished memories of his kindness, simplicity, and love for humanity.
Peter Obi writing his condolence message
“May God Almighty grant eternal rest to Herbert, his wife, and son; to Abimbola Ogunbajo, and all those who died in the plane crash.
“May God comfort their families, and indeed all of us who mourn, and give us the fortitude to bear this sad and irreplaceable loss. -PO”
[NationalDaily]
A pivotal bill aimed at amending the 1999 Constitution to elevate the educational requirements for candidates aspiring to key political offices in Nigeria has been stepped down at the House of Representatives.
Sponsored by Adewunmi Onanuga, representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State, the bill proposed setting a university degree or its equivalent as the minimum educational qualification for governorship, presidential, and other significant elective positions.
During the plenary session on Tuesday, Onanuga led the debate, advocating for the constitutional amendment to ensure that holders of elective offices possess at least a university degree, in contrast to the current provision, which permits candidates with a First School Leaving Certificate to contest for the nation’s highest offices.
The bill received backing from several lawmakers, including House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Babajimi Benson, and Kingsley Chinda, who supported the notion of raising the educational standards for political office aspirants.
However, opposition from certain quarters, including Aliyu Madaki from Kano State and Ahmadu Jaha of the APC, Borno, highlighted a divide among the representatives on the proposed alteration.
Citing the pushback, Onanuga expressed disappointment and opted to step down the bill, signalling her intent to engage in further lobbying with her colleagues to gather more support before reintroducing the bill at a later date.
She said, “It appears some of our colleagues need further lobbying. I will move to step down the bill for now.”
[NaijaNews]