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Niger Delta youths protest plans to relocated Gas firm to Lagos

Protests are legitimate but no room for insurrection, anarchy in a democracy-IMPI

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The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has decried the manner some individuals and groups are laying the groundwork for insurrection under the cover of a peaceful protest.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju, the policy analyst group noted that although protests are acceptable in a democracy, no government will tolerate a call to anarchy, riots, disturbance of public peace, purposeful violence, and destruction of private or public property.

A peaceful protest is often organised, orderly, and non-violent. It is supposed to be orderly, a situation where protesters are not expected to go out of control or resort to committing crimes, the Policy Group counselled.

IMPI said: “For several weeks, we have quietly watched as some individuals and groups mobilized for what they call ’10 days of rage’ starting from August 1. Their mode of preparation gauged from their actions and speech shows that they may be bracing up for riots, chaos, and violence, which are antithetical to peaceful protest.

“Engagement in peaceful protest as a means to reduce cost of living in this country should be seen from the perspectives of actions being taken to ameliorate whatever conditions that are considered unpalatable.

“And interestingly, within the time some were mobilizing for the protest, the administration of President Bola Tinubu had continued to roll out policies and programmes targeted at stemming the effects of the global cost of living crisis as it affects the country.

“Rather than acknowledge that the administration had not been sitting idly or ignoring the need to provide succour for the people, a group of disgruntled elements who will not settle for less but anarchy had continued to use the social media space to steer mutiny and rebellion against the government, ostensibly for political reasons.

“A close look at the list of demand shows that what they called a protest against the cost of living crisis is indeed a call to anarchy in the short term, and regime change in the long term.

“We wonder how a protest ordinarily aimed at drawing attention of government to economic issues, if the claim of reducing costs of living is real, should include amongst others, giving Nigeria a new constitution through a Sovereign National Conference and the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu who is standing trial before a court of competent juridiction, among others.

“How can anyone rationalize the call for President Tinubu to scrap the Senate, approve a minimum wage of N250,000, and carry out an ‘immediate reconstitution of the electoral body, INEC?

“Many of the demands are beyond the powers of the President so from an analysts point of view, we see the protest as an opportunistic attempt by conflict entrepreneurs and power mongers to capitalise on the crisis of cost of living to wage a war of attrition and insurrection against a duly elected government.

“We urge Nigerians to see the protest call as nothing but a call to anarchy because we sincerely do not know how the federal government could accede to the demands.”

IMPI also picked holes in the narrative that the President Tinubu administration is not doing anything to provide relief for the citizenry.

“While we acknowledge that economic reforms have brought some hardship in their wake, it is not true that the administration has not been responsive to the issues.

“Some of the initiatives include a reduction in the number of taxes from 60 to 10 as well as the elimination of withholding tax for businesses with annual turnover of N25m.

“There is also a N36bn Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cost effective alternative to petrol for mass transit that will see the introduction of 30,000 CNG powered vehicles aside from a one-off N10bn allocation to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for the procurement of buses under the National Support and Infrastructure Programme.

“To stem the tide of rising food inflation, President Tinubu recently approved a 150-day duty-free window for food imports while also introducing measures to ramp up local food production.

“And for the youth population, there is a historic Student loan scheme that is up and running while the reinvigorated National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) would be rolled out in a few day’s time to put N110bn in the hands of young business owners,” the IMPI added.

End

Crude Oil

Nigeria unveils metering project teams to combat oil theft

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The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has inaugurated Metering Audit and Advance Cargo Declaration project teams, to promote transparency and accountability in the upstream oil and gas.
The Commission Chief Executive, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, who spoke at the inauguration of the project teams, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the projects were designed to combat crude oil theft and boost revenue.
It will be recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a 21 million dollars contract to audit metering and measurement equipment in the 187 oil flow stations in the country and also put in place an advance cargo declaration solution.
These initiatives as earlier announced by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, aims at enhancing monitoring and accountability in crude oil production and distribution, addressing rampant oil theft.
Komolafe, while inaugurating the project monitoring teams, announced a four-month deadline for the completion of the projects.
According to him, the initiatives zre in line with NUPRC’s mandate to ensure optimal government revenues from upstream petroleum operations, as specified in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
He said the projects would be executed by PE Energy Limited and P-Lyne Energy.
“Audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities project aims to establish reliable baseline data for all measurement points, identify gaps in production and allocation measurement, and implement targeted interventions to enhance metering infrastructure.
“This project is crucial in addressing issues such as the presence of obsolete equipment, lack of a comprehensive database and absence of real-time production measurement across many locations.
“Advance Cargo Declaration Solution complements the metering audit by establishing a robust system for declaring and tracking crude oil transportation and exports from Nigeria,” he said.
He said the project would monitor and account for the movement of crude oil within the country, prevent disruptions, theft, and under-declaration, and ensure that only certified products were being exported.
“It will also enable real-time tracking, reconciliation, and reporting of crude oil exports to facilitate accurate revenue billing and generation.
“For a long time as a nation we have suffered from the menace of crude oil theft and there have been contentions on the accuracy in terms of our hydrocarbon accounting in Nigeria in a manner that has impacted our federal revenue unfavourably.
“So what has happened is that the commission, within its assumption of office, has been able, as a regulator, to take a very bold measure to address this issue.
“We have 31 crude oil loading terminals. So we are trying to ensure that we put in place a framework where the nation will be able to accurately determine and measure the volume of crude that is loaded from these terminals,” he said.
He tasked the teams, comprising experts from various NUPRC’s departments, to discharge their duties professionally, adding that the projects would be delivered within four months, while any request for timeline extension would not be entertained.
The NURPC boss said that each project had a dedicated team, led by Mr Enorense Amadasu, Executive Commissioner for Development and Production, NURPC, with strict timelines for completion.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for his support, Komolafe urged stakeholders to cooperate with the teams to facilitate successful implementation of the projects.
“Team for Audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry” project comprise ; Manuel Ibituroko – Deputy Director, Facilities Engineering & Optimisation; Mohammed Sirajo – Manager, Facilities Engineering; Ike Chidi – Manager, Facilities Engineering; and Bashir Shariff – Principal Regulatory Officer.
“Team for Advance Cargo Declaration Solution” project, comprise: Bello Shehu – Assistant Director, Crude Oil & Gas terminal Operations; Abdulrahman Idris – Manager, Petroleum Accounting; Omeje Desmond – Deputy Manager, COTO PHC; Dimkpa I. H. – PRO, COTO Warri and Olatunji Babatunde – NDR”.
He said the teams would liaise with the contractors to ensure the fulfilment of the Commission’s specified obligations and monitoring the implementation of the projects to ensure alignment with the scope and specifications.
Responding, one of the two contractors, Chief Executive Officer, PE Energy Ltd, Daere Akobo, thanked the Federal Government for the confidence repose in them to take a pragmatic look at hydrocarbon accounting.
Also, the Director, P-Lyne Energy, Tomi Ogunwole assured that the company would abide by the four-month deadline set by the commission.

Onanuga 1

Obi’s threat to sue Onanuga over protest allegation is deceitful – TDF

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The Democratic Front has dismissed the threat of legal action by Peter Obi, former Labour Party Presidential Candidate against Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Strategy, as laughable, ludicrous, and irrational.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary Wale Adedayo, the group described the threat of a N5 billion law suit as a futile expedition that will amount to nothing.

“If the allegation by Mr. Onanuga that Peter Obi’s supporters were the organizers of the proposed protest was strange to Obi, he should be informed that majority of Nigerians share the view of the Presidential aide on the unruly and unscrupulous supporters of the Labour Party candidate otherwise known known as “Obidients”.

“Keen watchers of political events and developments in Nigeria are aware of the highly inflamed sentimental and volatile propagandist campaigns ran by the “Obidients” during the electioneering campaigns of the last presidential election.

“Their enormous capacity for abusive words and hate speeches to amplify ethnic, regional, and religious divisions in the country was both unbelievable and unprecedented.

“This coupled with their attempt to intimidate and demonize the Nigerian Judiciary through the infamous “All eyes on you” advertorials, and the irresponsible call for military take-over because their principal lost the Presidential election both at the polls and the courts, all point to the fact that the “Obidients” are a group of politically unintelligent mob that harbour hatred and disregard for the ethics of social democracy and the rule of law.

“We recall how Peter Obi himself was bursted in a pre-election viral telephone conversation with Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church during which he described the election as a “war” between two religious faiths.

It is a statement of fact that the “Obidients” have assertively and consistently used all available social media platforms to demarket the nation, and have continually called for mass protests to abruptly end the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since Obi’s defeat. This is common knowledge to most Nigerian users of social media.

“We expect Obi to know that Mr Bayo Onanuga will not, as a reputable public servant, a seasoned journalist anda spokesman of the President, flippantly point accusing fingers to the “Obidients” camp on the planned protest to disrupt the nation’s peace, without a solid and verifiable hint from security and intelligence bodies.

“It is for this reason that we believe Mr. Onanuga acted aptly based on the strength of solid information.

“So it is therefore pretentious, deceitful, and dissimulating for Mr. Peter Obi to feign ignorance of the erratic and irresponsible behaviour of his supporters. His response to the Presidential aide ought to have been an open dissociation of his person from the planned protest with facts.

“He has failed to do so and instead, he has resorted to the pedestrian style of threat of a lawsuit against Mr. Onanuga, which is obviously aimed at concealing the truth and misleading the public,” the group added.

List-Of-Banks-In-Nigeria

One-off windfall tax on banks forex profit, creative revenue initiative for capital projects – TMSG

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The one – off windfall tax policy on profits made by banks on foreign exchange revaluation by the President Bola Tinubu administration has been described as a product of ingenuity and creativity.

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) which made this assertion said that only a creative mind like President Bola Tinubu could come up with this innovation of one-off windfall tax on profits made by banks from foreign exchange revaluation of 2023.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, the group added that the government’s decision to deploy proceeds from the tax to infrastructure development is a good way of getting the banks to give back to the society and participate more concretely in national development.

Going down the memory lane, the TMSG recounted that when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) unified the multiple foreign exchange rates last year, it was clear to every discerning Nigerian that commercial banks in the country would make a tidy profit from the policy.

It said: “So it was not a surprise that many of the banks which barely made N5bn in foreign exchange gains in 2022 were posting profits as high as N26bn in their financial statements in the subsequent year.

“For example, one of Nigeria’s biggest commercial banks holding company posted a revaluation gain of N441.79bn last year, far outsripping a meagre N57.94bn it recorded in 2022.

“We also have it on good authority that nine of Nigeria’s top banks made over N2tn in the first nine months of 2023 after the CBN floated the naira but the good thing is that they were open enough to declare it as gains from the revaluation of foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities held in their non-trading books.

“It is a good thing, however, that the President Bola Tinubu administration has deemed it fit to impose a one-time windfall tax on the banks’ forex gains which, according to provisions of the amendment sought to the Financial Act, would be ploughed into capital infrastructure development, education and health care projects lined up in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“There is a strong possibility that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will collect in excess of N1tn from the windfall tax and we are convinced that the Tinubu administration will ensure judicious use of the revenue in line with provisions of the proposed amendment to the act.

“We know that some tax and advisory service firms have been expressing concerns about what they consider as drawbacks, but we are opting to look at the positives.

“We see it as a better option to funding the additional N6tn made to the 2024 budget rather than employing measures that will increase the tax burden of the average Nigerian.

“It is a creative endeavor that will still see the banks holding on to a large chunk of the massive gains they made at the expense of Nigerians in one year. So it is a win-win situation which will see the banks give back to the society.”

The pro-Tinubu group urged stake holders in the banking industry to see the proposed tax as their contribution to national development.

ogun_school_children

Student Loan will foster new generation of skilled Nigerians

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The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has said that the newly launched Student Loan Scheme will contribute in no small measure to national development by building a generation of well-educated citizens with high level manpower tranning

The scheme, the TSF said, in a statement signed by its chairman, Ahmad Sajoh and Secretary Afolabi Josiah, will enable individuals to be self-reliant, attain their maximum educational ambition, and be useful members of the society.

“This scheme is bound to ensure that financial constraints do not deny indigent students of quality education while knowledge acquired will be useful to the country.

The group futher said: “This initiative, overseen by the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), marks a significant milestone in our nation’s educational history, with 103,000 successful applications out of 164,000 registered between May 25 and July 17, 2024.

“For us, the scheme underscores President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to education as a powerful tool to combat poverty and insecurity in Nigeria.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian government has, historically, catered to students through bursaries and scholarships. While those methods have been beneficial, the current initiative promises a more structured and expansive approach, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder any Nigerian from accessing quality education.

“Comparatively, the student loan systems in the UK and USA have long supported students in achieving their educational goals, leading to well-established and effective frameworks. So, the implementation of a similar programme in Nigeria signals a commitment to adopting best practices that have proven successful globally.

“This program is designed to not only support current students but to be a sustainable model that will serve future generations.

“President Tinubu’s initiative ensures that tuition fees are paid directly to institutions, while students receive stipends for their upkeep, thus covering all critical aspects of their educational pursuit. This initiative is poised to create a lasting impact on the educational landscape of Nigeria, fostering a generation of well-educated and skilled individuals equipped to contribute significantly to national development.”

The group also urged beneficiaries to ensure they honour their commitment in order to ensure that the programme is sustained.

“As we celebrate this landmark achievement, we urge the beneficiaries to approach this opportunity with utmost seriousness and integrity. The successful implementation and sustainability of this program rest on the responsible utilization and timely repayment of these loans.

“By honouring their commitments, beneficiaries will not only secure their own futures but also pave the way for countless other students to benefit from this scheme in the years to come.

“We at the TSF believe that this programme will be entrenched and will grow to support many generations of Nigerian students. We commend President Tinubu for his visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to making education accessible to all,” added.

rail drack in warri

Delivery of 17 locomotive containers to ease movement of food, others – TDF

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The delivery of 17 locomotive driven containers to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) facilitated by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will considerably reverse the trend of food inflation in the country because of its potential to reduce the cost of movement of food items from producers to consumers across the country.

The Democratic Front in a statement signed by its Chairman Mallam Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo observed that the delivery of the containers was not only another huge response to ease food scarcity but also targeted to boost freight operations of the NRC.

The group noted that the provision of the containers that will traverse Lagos to Kano is also in conformity with the President’s campaign manifesto.

The group noted: “We applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the impressive show of efforts in fulfilling his promise by stamping his authority on the development of critical infrastructures that will urgently ease pressures on economy and the people of the country.

Listing some of the many advantages, the TDF said that the recent delivery of 17 locomotive wagons from Kano is a confirmation of a successful launch of freight operations by rail and it confirms the dogged mindset and determination of the President to make the Nigerian economy globally attractive and competitive.

It also said that the provision of these items has the potential and capacity to generate a modern and efficient railway system which will contribute meaningfully to the concerted drive towards the realization of $1trn economy as being envisaged.

“We are convinced that the movement of cargos and other heavy-duty equipment across the country by rail will reduce auto crashes and also ease the current pressure on the roads. The menace of haulage lorries will reduce, thereby making the roads safer and more durable, the group insisted.

The statement continued: “Indeed, we confidently envisage that the cargo haulage system will also considerably reverse the trend of food inflation in the country because of the potential of a cheaper movement of food items from the agricultural belt of the North to the South and vice versa.

TDF then posited that the investment in railway services is just one of the efforts by the Tinubu administration to boost the economy since assuming office.

TDF acknowledges that this significant development in the railway transportation sector is just one out of a plethora of achievements by the Tinubu administration since the commencement of its economic reforms.

But the group regreted the actions of “unpatriotic opposition working in cahoot with a group of misled alarmists within the country who rather relish in advancing their selfish political interests by inciting Nigerians against the very hard working administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the detriment of our collective national patrimony.

“TDF believes that nothing insults the sensibility of Nigerians, more than a political party that inherited a promising and developing economy from the military in May 1999, but squandered the wealth and potentials of the nation within a period of 16 years, leaving the nation in penury and indebtedness. Only for the party to pretend and project itself as the messiah of the people.

“If the PDP had judiciously invested the billions of dollars made from crude oil in 16 years, to develop a modern, national railway transportation system, rehabilitate the state owned refineries for private sector management, construct additional power generation sources like the recently commissioned 800 MW Zungeru Power Station, and mechanize the processes and production of agricultural outputs, the impact of fuel subsidy removal would not have been this harsh on Nigerians.

“The railway transportation sector is currently receiving priority attention from the President, and we expect that the giant strides in the development of railways in Nigeria will continue,”it said.

food products

TSF Commends Federal Government’s Initiative to Address Food Shortage Across Nigeria

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The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has commended the Federal Government for its proactive measures in addressing the critical issue of food shortage across Nigeria.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Ahmad Sajoh and Secretary Afolabi Josiah on Sunday in Abuja, the group said the measures including the dispatch of trailer loads of food supplies to states are a reflection of the administration commitment to the welfare of Nigerians.

“This initiative of dispatching 20 trailer loads of 25kg bags of rice to each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through state governments underscores the Tinubu administration’s commitment to alleviating hardship among the most vulnerable members of society.

“We see the distribution of these rice supplies to the states as a laudable effort to ensure equitable access and support for those in need.

“We at TSF recognise, acknowledge, and support this additional step taken by the government to bolster food security measures and express hope that the subnational governments will ensure that the supplies get to those they are meant for.

“We are encouraged by the knowledge that this effort by the Tinubu administration is not a standalone one as it supplements existing government strategies aimed at enhancing food security nationwide

“So for us, President Bola Tinubu, has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to safeguarding the welfare of all Nigerians, particularly during challenging times, the TSF affirmed.

pdp

PDP governors can’t rate Tinubu’s performance – TMSG

The Tinubu Media Group (TMSG) has revealed the hypocrisy of the PDP governors describing them as chichidodos, a mythical bird that hates excreta but feed on worms that live in faeces.

The group made the remarks on Sunday in Abuja following the governors’ comments on the Tinubu administration.

In a twist of irony, the PDP governors who had feasted on the enormous allocations being generated by the Tinubu administration have turned to accuse the same government of non – performance.

The TMSG, in a statement signed by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, noted that the PDP governors statement was down to insincerity and smirks of being arrogantly sanctimonious. Non-performing governors like those of the PDP are a burden on the country, the group emphasised.

“The governors elected on the platform of the PDP are in no position to advice President Bola Tinubu on governance or rate his performance in office because none of them has done anything worthwhile with the improved revenue they had been getting since Tinubu assumed office in the last one year.

The group said: “Going through the communique issued by PDP governors on sundry national issues at the end of their meeting in Enugu, we were not surprised that they took pot shots at President Bola Tinubu who has over the years been the nemesis of their party even before his assumption of office.

“But we find it shameful that state governors, with little or no real performance to their names in spite of a quantum leap in public funds allocated to them in over one year, are pointing fingers of blame at the President.

“We consider this as an act of hypocrisy, but we also recognize that they have to play the politics of opposition, which in Nigeria denotes abuse or canvassing false narratives.

“Just like President Tinubu, we acknowledge that the twin policies of fuel subsidy removal and unification of multiple exchange rates as well as high cost of living globally have exacerbated the high cost of living in the country but, it has also led to improved allocations from the federation account to all tiers of government which these governors enjoy.

“Our question for this group of governors is,what have they been doing with the public funds at their disposal to the extent that they themselves have had to raise posers on the ability of subnationals to pay the new minimum wage?

” The Federal government has also been extending support to state governments, regardless of party affiliation, but there are no signs of massive infrastructure projects in many of the states that are commensurate with the funds the governors have been receiving.

“And lest we forget, some of these governors are presiding over oil-producing states which incidentally have the highest number of people living in multidimensional poverty even after years of receiving enormous allocations tied to resources.

“Yet these are governors who chose to “express dismay at the management of the economy” rather than sit down and engage in a sincere peer review mechanism that will enhance performance in their respective States.

TMSG also wondered what the PDP governors meant by the good old days of the former ruling party.

“We found it laughable that members of a party that presided over multiple oil boom eras with little to show for it could engage in a revisionist ploy to hoodwink  gullible Nigerians.

“This is a political party which plundered Nigeria’s hard-earned resources and squandered its national patrimony for a period of 16 years and ring-fenced hundreds of state-owned companies and investments through an opaque privatization process.

“It is easy for PDP governors to play the populist card by bringing up price of food items and the pump price of fuel but Nigerians have not forgotten the massive diversion of oil revenue into private foreign bank accounts as well as

the deliberate neglect of public infrastructure in the face of huge revenue earnings.

Recalling what Information minister Mohammed Idris told PDP governors sometime in February this year,TMSG said listed the many achievements of President Bola Tinubu.

‘The President and his administration recognise the unfinished business of revamping our national economy kickstarted by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ the group referred to the minister as saying.

The minister said the government has achieved breakthrough in such programmes that focused on large-scale infrastructure, social welfare, prioritizing the equipping of, and welfare of the military and security agencies. So also is the reclaiming of Nigeria’s strategic place in the comity of nations.’’

He added that Boko Haram and its affiliates, which were on the ascendancy in 2014/2015, have since been decimated, and similar bold gains are now being made with bandits and other criminals.’

“If a 16-year period marked by those harsh realities were the good old days the PDP governors were referencing, then our message to them is, Never again,” the pro-Tinubu group added.

nlc-tuc

Tinubu’s intervention in national minimum wage crisis, great relief for Nigerians- Group

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The Democratic Front (TDF) has described the successful intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the long standing crisis over a new national minimum wage as a great relief for Nigerians.

It said in a statement signed by its Chairman Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary Wale Adedayo that it was a reflection of the President’s solid,time-tested negotiation skills.

“We welcome the cheery news of the resolution of the lingering minimum wage crisis and the role played by President Tinubu in breaking the deadlock.

“As many Nigerians may have realized now, it took the intervention of the President to break the impasse between Federal Government officials and that of Organized Labour after the tripartite committee had completed its 6-month assignment without all parties reaching an agreement.

“What better way could anyone describe a situation where the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and that of the Trade Union Congress TUC gave the President a standing ovation as soon as the deal was sealed.

“This for us is a reflection of the political will to get things done even when confronted with a dead end so President Tinubu deserves credit for staving off a potential Labour crisis which could have impacted negatively on the economy.

“As we all know, the history of faceoffs between Labour and Government is rooted in a series of multi-dimensional trajectory that have impacted negatively on national productivity.

“Whenever we remember in retrospect, the exemplary role President Bola Tinubu played in 2016, as a non state actor, to prevail on the then Ayuba Wabba led NLC to call off an active nation-wide strike over the national minimum wage, our confidence in his ability to successfully break the impasse was never in doubt. And we were indeed proved right.

“So we believe the President deserves to be appreciated for the manner he got the two Labour centres to shift ground from their earlier wage demand to accept the new offer of N70,000, despite its consequences on the recurrent expenditure.

“We also laud the President for his unwavering determination to cushion the effects of subsidy removal by going beyond wage increase to allocating N100 bn for the purchase of CNG buses and CNG conversion kits across Nigeria, as well as also providing N125bn to energise MSMEs.

“The President’s intervention measure of N185 bn palliative loans to all state of the federation should equally be appreciated within the same context.

“We however know that some people have been calculating the new minimum wage in dollar terms without considering Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) but we make bold to say, for instance that the naira equivalent of $100 could buy a lot more in Nigeria than what same amount could get in any American city.

“So for us, a new minimum wage which is more than twice the previous one should be viewed from local perspective which obviously Labour acceded to by accepting the President’s offer,” it added.

The group also urged Organized labour to continue to cooperate with government in order to make ongoing reforms a success.

end

tinubu (1)

Tinubu’s N70,000 minimum wage excites publisher

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The Publisher of Flowerbudnews, Alhaji Biola Lawal, has commended the award of N70, 000 national minimum wage.

The former Acting Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) specifically thanked President Bola Tinubu for his magnanimous gesture of approving the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers .

The leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also hailed the president for his magnanimity.

Lawal said the action of the President goes to demonstrate in practical terms that the President cares and would always lend a listening ear to the desire and wishes of Nigerians.

“For the labour leaders to have described the approval of N70,000 by the President as a “fatherly gesture’ showed maturity and a demonstration of appreciation on behalf of the workers.

” The President should remain focused and should not be distracted from his determination to make a big and best difference in the life of Nigerians.

” He should know that Nigerians still love him as they demonstrated with their votes in February last year. He should sustain his acknowledged link with the masses through regular assurances and gestures of goodwill like he has done on the issue of minimum wage.”

As a brilliant, committed and appreciative leader, Lawal said the President should always remember how he was literally ‘”mobbed” with joy and ecstasy by Nigerians from all walks of life inside the National Mosque in Abuja with heavy shouting of “JAGABAN, JAGABAN, JAGABAN” when he came to offer jumat prayer few days after he was declared President-Elect.

*I was lucky to be there live and even shook the President-Elect’s hand that day.

“The President should know and continue to appreciate that, these people, these masses are still there for you and truly, still care.”

He also urged the President to follow up and sustain the joy of the minimum wage by surgently looking into the plight of retirees.

” These are people who have generally exhausted their productive capacity in life, but goes to the same market etc like the rest of the citizens.

” With the President’s ingenuity, compassion and care, he should look for a way, anyhow, to increase what goes into the retirees pocket monthly.”

He also appealed to the President to flood the nation with food including rice, wheat, maize as well as meat.

Nigerians would continue to shout the name of Tinubu as long as food crisis persisted, he explained.

” No matter the explanation the President gives, his name would continue to ring bell in Nigerian homes on the issue of food.

” So, the President should ignore detractors, forget the Governors (Pay day would come), and just decisively take the bull by the horn on the food problem like he has done with the Minimum wage issue.”

“Let TINUBU RICE, TINUBU MAIZE, TINUBU GUINEA CORN, TINUBU BEANS – EVEN TINUBU MEAT etc Flood everywhere for as long as necessary while he systematically re-energise local food production.”

The President should ignore any insincere call that his massive importation of food as AN EMERGENCY measure would cause this, would cause that.

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