Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Tanimu Yakubu as the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Thursday. According to the statement, “the President expects the new Director-General of this pivotal agency to further enhance the provision of efficient and qualitative budget functions, with a view to promoting fiscal sustainability, transparency, and accountability in public finance management for national development.” See full statement below: PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE BUDGET OFFICE OF THE FEDERATION President…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu says he will approve the government can afford as the new minimum wage for workers in the country. He stated this on Wednesday at a dinner to mark Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken Democracy in Abuja. The President appreciated those who stood by him over the years and promised Nigerians that he won’t depart from the tenets of democratic governance. “I have to celebrate with you my dear brother, Senate President, Deputy Senate President,” he said, adding that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau would soon get an Executive Bill from him on the…

THE Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa, has been suspended by the Office of the Head of Service over sexual harassment allegation. The Head of Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, said the permanent secretary would be on suspension pending the outcome of an immediate probe into the allegation against him. “The permanent secretary has been suspended pending the outcome of the probe by the committee set up, “ a senior director in the OHCSF told our correspondent in Abuja. It was learnt that following a petition submitted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, against Lamuwa,…

THE Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu has defended his principal’s slip, saying the Nigerian leader is only “human like all of us”. Tinubu missed a step while climbing the parade vehicle at Eagle Square in Abuja during an event for the 2024 Democracy Day. But he quickly regained his balance and continued with the activities for the day. The move triggered an outpour of reactions from Nigerians especially on social media. “President Tinubu is not a Superman. He is human like all of us. President Biden has had several slips in the last three years.…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has assured the Organised Labour that a an executive bill on the new national minimum wage for workers will soon be sent to the National Assembly for passage. Tinubu made this known on Wednesday in his second Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2024. “In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with organized labour on a new national minimum wage. We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less,” the…

TEXT OF PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU’S NATIONAL BROADCAST ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNBROKEN DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA, DEMOCRACY DAY 12TH JUNE 2024.  1. My fellow Nigerians, let me begin by congratulating all of us for witnessing the celebration of another Democracy Day today, the 12th day of June 2024. This year also marks our nation’s 25 years of uninterrupted democratic governance.  2. On this day, 31 years ago, we entered our rites of passage to becoming a true and enduring democratic society. 3. Going through this passage was hard and dangerous. During the fateful six years that followed, we fought and…

THE coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Southwest, Sylvester Alabi, has said police officers attached to some influential individuals in the country have been withdrawn, in a bid to address shortage of manpower in the police force. Abiodun stated this on Monday in Ado-Ekiti during his maiden visit to Ekiti State police headquarters. Speaking with journalists, he said, “There was a time we accessed the level of deployment of Officers and we realised that there are some areas that we need to rejig the deployment particularly where manpower is being underutilised, they are recalled back. That issue…

IN a shocking revelation the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has notified the Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, about persisting allegations of sexual harassment against the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ibrahim Lamuwa. A married female employee of the ministry, Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, through Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and her lawyer, informed Tuggar of Lamuwa’s alleged sexual advances. The complaint was contained in a letter obtained by News Point Nigeria, dated, 27th May, 2024, titled; ‘RE: OFFICIAL COMPLAINT REGARDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF MRS SIMISOLA FAJEMIROKUN AJAYI BY AMBASSADOR IBRAHIM ADAMU LAMUWA (PERMANENT…

THE new minimum wage talks between the Federal Government and Organised Labour are expected to end on Monday (today) as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress leaders await President Bola Tinubu’s decision on their N250,000 offer. The labour leaders had given a Monday deadline for the conclusion of talks on the new minimum wage. Last Friday, the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage concluded its meetings where the Federal Government and the Organized Private Sector agreed on N62,000 while Labour demanded N250,000. However, the Nigeria Governors Forum in a statement said any minimum wage higher than N57,000…

STATE governments are getting set to eliminate electricity subsidies in their territories as more states gear up to join others in running their different power markets under their own laws. In a document put together by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, titled, ‘Development of the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan Policy Recommendations by State Governments to the Federal Ministry of Power,’ the states also stated that they would implement different electricity tariffs in their domains. They made this recommendations based on the enactment of the Electricity Act 2023. The Electricity Act 2023 is a federal law which repeals…

IN accordance with his commitment to actualize Nigeria’s green industrial vision, boost investor confidence, and unlock sustainable economic value through various climate finance instruments, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) in interim capacity, pending the confirmation of her appointment by the NCCC Supervisory Council. The President has also approved that Dr. Maduekwe, 39, who holds a Bachelor of Law degree; a Master’s degree in Environmental Law & Policy from the University of Dundee (UK), and a Doctorate degree in Law from the…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has urged stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to pursue compensation, and not litigation to resolve land disputes in the nation’s capital. The President stated this when he commissioned the Guzape Lot II Infrastructure Project in Abuja on Saturday. He said the completion of the project was testament to what could be achieved through “diligent planning, collaboration and shared commitment to excellence”. The President said commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for delivering on the infrastructure renewal promises of the Federal Government to the people of the FCT. The President also…

FOLLOWING several hours of meeting on Friday, the Federal Government and the organised private sector have increased their offer for the new minimum wage to N62,000 from the earlier N60,000. However, the organised labour is proposing N250,000 which is a shift from its earlier N494,000. This brings to and end the deliberations on the new minimum wage by the tripartite committee set up by the the Federal Government after several months. The recommendations will be forwarded to President Tinubu, who is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly for legislative action. With the work of the tripartite…

THE governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, says the Tripartite Committee on the minimum wage is close to agreeing a new national minimum wage. He disclosed this after emerging from the meeting of the committee on Friday which lasted for over 12 hours. “We had a very fruitful deliberation and of course you know it is a technical subcommittee of a committee. “And at the level of the committee, we have reached near consensus and by the time we go to the plenary we will have a complete agreement and maybe from there the media can start their job. As…

THE 36 state governors who make up the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have said that the N60,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government is not sustainable and cannot fly. A statement by the Acting Director, Media Affairs and Public Relations of the Forum, Mrs Halima  Ahmed, noted that if allowed to fly, many states will use all their monthly allocations from the federation account to pay workers’ salaries. The governors appealed to members of the tripartite committee to agree on a minimum wage that would be fair and sustainable. Recall that the organised labour had rejected the N60,000 proposal and…

IMO State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, says the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage will arrive at a figure by Friday (today). Uzodimma, who is the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this after the committee’s five-hour meeting on Thursday. Addressing the press after the meeting, Uzodimma said the committee would arrive at a figure when the committee reconvenes by 11am on Friday. On the rumours making the rounds that a figure of N105,000 has been agreed, the governor said no such decision has been reached but assured workers in the country that…

THE Presidency has described as false the news making the rounds that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, has proposed N105,000 in the new minimum wage template. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on his X account on Thursday. The presidential aide wrote, “The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, has not proposed N105,000 minimum wage. “The contrary story being disseminated is false.” Edun had earlier in the day presented the template to President Bola Tinubu, meeting the 48-hour deadline.…

THE Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage adjourned its meeting on Wednesday to allow the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to meet the 48-hour deadline for presenting the cost implications of the proposed wage increase. A source close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, told The Nation that the committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, organised labour, and the private sector, discussed general matters details of which were not disclosed. The meeting was adjourned on Wednesday, to give…

THE Senate, on Wednesday, sought an increase in the penalty paid by parents who fail to enrol their children in school. Lawmakers in the upper chamber want the penalty paid by defaulting parents raised from N2,500 to N250,000. The Senate also passed a Bill for an Act to amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act through second reading. The bill moved by Senator Idiat Adebule sought to review the law to ensure that a key provision in the UBE Act that empowers the Local Education Authority within the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory to prosecute…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within two days. Tinubu gave the order at a meeting with the government negotiation team led by the Secretary to Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the presidential villa in Abuja. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in an interview with correspondents after the closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Idris said the President had a meeting with the representatives of the Federal Government in the negotiation with the labour on the minimum wage. He…