The hottest and most trending news articles for this week in all categories are captured in one shot. Find articles ranging from News to Sports, to Politics, to Entertainment, to Economy, to Metro plus, and many other categories. See below the top news for the week:
NEWS
- FG to borrow more as Buhari asks n’assembly to approve N819bn supplementary budget
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the national assembly to approve a supplementary budget of N819 billion. Buhari’s request was read by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, during plenary session on Wednesday. He said the 2022 supplementary budget would be used to finance infrastructural projects across the country.
The national assembly had passed N17.12 trillion as the 2022 budget, but it was later revised to N17.31 trillion on Buhari’s request who cited the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war on the country’s economy. In the latest request, contained in a letter to the national assembly, Buhari said the 2022 flood has affected infrastructure across the nation.
He said the supplementary budget would be financed through additional domestic borrowings and this would raise the budget deficit for 2022 to N8.17 trillion and the deficit GDP ratio to 4.43 percent.
- Politicians behind plot to arrest Emefiele, says CAN
Joseph Hayab, chairperson of the Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has expressed concern over the plot to arrest and detain Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Newsmen had reported how a federal high court in Abuja declined an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest Emefiele over terrorism charges. There are suggestions that the bid to arrest Emefiele might be political given the impact the redesign of the naira and limit on cash withdrawals might have on vote buying in the 2023 elections.
Reacting, Hayab, in a statement, wondered how the new CBN policy has become a tool for politicians to pick a fight with Emefiele. He accused the politicians of wanting to intimidate the CBN governor in order to carry out voter inducement during the elections.
- Twitter negotiated with FG, minister clarifies
Federal Government, on Monday, refuted claims that Twitter did not negotiate with the Nigerian government following the suspension of the microblogging site. Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the clarification, yesterday, at the presentation of Buhari administration’s scorecard in Abuja. Describing the claim as ludicrous, the minister said government could have simply ignored it if not for the generated speculations.
“Without mincing words, let me say there was a long-drawn negotiation between Nigeria and Twitter, at the instance of the latter, following the suspension of the platform on June 4, 2021 because of its persistent use for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence. Seven days after the suspension, precisely on June 11, 2021, we received a letter addressed to Mr. President from Twitter’s Vice President in charge of Public Policy, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Sinead McSweeney, seeking to meet with us on the Twitter suspension. That letter kick-started a number of activities that culminated in the extensive negotiation. A copy of that letter is displayed on the screens here and will be made available to gentlemen of the press.”
He said that after the letter, the Federal Government announced its team to discuss with Twitter. The team, chaired by the Minister of Information and Culture, also comprised the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Ministers of Communications and Digital Economy. Others were Foreign Affairs, Works and Housing , Labour and Employment ministers. It also included Director General, National Intelligence Agency. The minister added that following the composition of the Federal Government team, another letter was received from a group called Albright Stonebridge Group, which was working on behalf of Twitter.
- 2023: Avoid breaking news syndrome, INEC tells media practitioners
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, urged media practitioners to avoid landmines and breaking news syndrome, while reporting the 2023 general elections. INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, stated this during a one-day capacity building for journalists in the South West on Conflict Sensitive Reporting and the 2023 General Elections, in Akure, Ondo State.
The programme was organised by the INEC and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ. Okoye, who was represented by INEC Administrative Secretary in Ondo State, Mr Oyetola Oyelami said: “As the country moves closer to the 2023 general elections, there are obvious landmines that the media must avoid.
In his remarks, the National President of the NUJ, Mr Chris Isiguzo, commended the commission for providing the opportunity to discuss issues bordering on the 2023 general elections in the country.
- Terrorism charges: CJ demonstrated uncommon bravery – CSO
A coalition of human rights organisations under the aegis of Justice Centre has hailed the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for declining to grant an exparte application brought before him, seeking an order to arrest and detain the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, for at least 60 days. The organisation said by that action, the CJ demonstrated “uncommon courage, bravery, erudition, and candour.”
Justice Tsoho had declined the application to grant the order “for lack of evidence, absence of authorisation of the President for the application to be brought and for being an irregular procedure which was unacceptable to the court.” The Director of JC, Kingdom Okere, also lauded Justice Tsoho for standing firm in the defence of the rule of law.
According to him, the CSO would approach the court to demand the sacking of the those responsible if President Muhammadu Buhari does not take action.
- 2023: INEC to need 100,000 vehicles, 4,200 boats
The Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said over 100,000 vehicles and about 4,200 boats will be needed to convey personnel and sensitive materials to the various polling units in the 2023 general elections. This is as he assured Nigerians of the timely arrival of materials and personnel on election day.
Speaking at the signing of the revised Memorandum of Understanding between INEC and road transport and marine workers’ unions in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, Yakubu explained that the revised MoU had been designed to facilitate the successful deployment of personnel and materials on election day. But political parties said the commission should have called for bids rather than settle for transport unions based solely on their national identities.
Highlighting the logistics required for the polls, Yakubu said, “The 2023 general election will involve the nationwide deployment of over 1 million personnel and massive quantities of materials twice within two weeks from our state offices to 774 local government areas, 8,809 electoral wards, and 176,846 polling units across the length and breadth of our country.
- FG to stop cash withdrawals from ALL government accounts, says NFIU
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) says the government is planning to stop cash withdrawals from federal, states and local government accounts. Modibbo Tukur, director/chief executive officer (CEO), NFIU, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, signed by Ahmed Dikko, the unit’s chief media analyst. According to the statement, Tukur spoke at a parley with Mahmud Yakubu, chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday.
“The government is putting all necessary measures in place to stop cash withdrawal from federal, states and local government accounts,” he said. Because of the consistent devaluation of the naira and the introduction of a new naira policy, section 1 of the money laundering prohibition act is automatically activated”.
Tukur further said most cash withdrawals from government accounts — including payments for estacode — are often in excess of the cash withdrawal limit provided by the money laundering act. He said this puts public servants at risk of imprisonment.
Additionally, Tukur said the NFIU has already prepared recommendations to the secretary to the government of the federation; all governors; and local council chairs, directing all civil servants to open domiciliary and naira accounts prior to the commencement of the policy.
The NFIU CEO said governors and council chairmen will also need to organise training for market men and women on how to use automated teller machine (ATM) and point of sale (POS) services. However, he refuted reports that the NFIU will block FG accounts in January 2023.
- CBN raises cash withdrawal limits
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has raised its weekly cash withdrawal limits set for individuals and corporate organisations to N500,000 and N5 million, respectively. The earlier limits pegged individual cash withdrawals per week at N100,000; while corporate organisations were limited to weekly withdrawals of N500,000.
The reviewed limits under the new policy were contained in a circular number BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/015/073 and dated December 21, 2022. The circular by the Director of Banking Supervision, Mr Haruna Mustapha. According to the CBN, any withdrawal above the set limits must be approved by the Managing Director of the bank in writing.
- Emefiele ill, will be represented, CBN writes Reps
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, will not appear before the House of Representatives on Thursday, the apex bank has said. Emefiele will be represented by the Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Aisha Ahmad.
In the latest letter the House received from the Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, CBN, Edward Adamu, Emefiele was said to be ill and would not appear before the lawmakers in person. For the second time, Emefiele failed to appear before the House on Tuesday.
Amidst protests and condemnation, the lawmakers rescheduled his appearance for Thursday, insisting on suspension of the cash withdrawal limits set by the apex bank. The House had summoned Emefiele to explain the latest policy by the CBN which, among others, set limits to cash withdrawals at the Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions.
After Gbajabiamila read out Amadu’s letter to members in the middle of Wednesday’s plenary, the lawmakers resolved to accept Emefiele’s representation.
- Emefiele: Beware of political manipulators, Saraki advises DSS
A former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has advised the Department of State Services and other security agencies in the country to avoid being manipulated by politicians as the country approaches the 2023 elections.
He gave the advice in a statement signed by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, while reacting to the recent court case in which the DSS accused the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, of terrorism and other sundry charges while seeking a court order for his arrest.
- 231,900 PVCs uncollected in Gombe – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday said no fewer than 231,900 Permanent Voter Cards were yet to be collected in Gombe State. Speaking during a briefing at the Commission’s office, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of the state, Umar Ibrahim, revealed that the figure was as of Tuesday.
Ibrahim disclosed that the figure of yet-to-be-collected PVCs was based on the previous registration for the 2019 elections, urging the registrants to pick up their PVCs to participate in the 2023 polls.
The REC said, “The total number of uncollected PVCs in Gombe State as of December 20, 2022, is 231,900. “I urge you to join us in calling on those who registered, transferred, updated their biodata or requested for replacement of their lost or damaged PVCs to go and collect their PVCs. The Commission’s preparation has however not been without challenges.”
Ibrahim noted that the Commission would not like to preempt the process, stressing that there were plans to ensure that it conducted run-offs if it became necessary. He condemned the consistent burning of its facilities, stating that the Commission was ever committed to free, fair and credible polls.
- EFCC secures interim forfeiture of 15 properties, $899,900 linked to suspended accountant-general
A federal capital territory high court has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) interim forfeiture of money and properties recovered from Ahmed Idris, suspended accountant-general of the federation. The forfeited items include a sum of $899,900; N304,490,160.95; and 15 properties in Kano and Abuja.
M.A. Hassan, the presiding judge, gave the order on December 13, 2022, while ruling on a motion ex parte marked M/1149/2022, filed by the EFCC. The commission had prayed the court to grant temporary forfeiture pending the determination of the criminal charge (suit FCT HC/CR/299/2022) against the suspended accountant-general.
The commission further prayed the court for an order “to open an interest-yielding account where monies realised from the management of the assets and properties of the persons stated in the Schedule to this application shall be paid”, pending the determination of the substantive case.
An order “freezing the bank accounts of the persons referred to as account holders/or the bank accounts set out in the schedule to this application”, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive case, was also sought by the EFCC. The judge granted the motion as prayed but ordered that the recovery account sought to be opened by the EFCC “shall be in the name of the commission as Recovery Account and the details of the account shall be reported back to the court within one week of opening”.
- FG declares Christmas, New Year holidays
The Federal Government has declared Dec. 26 and 27, 2022 as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day. It also declared Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, as holiday to mark the New Year. The announcement was made by Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister felicitated Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora on the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Aregbesola enjoined Christians to emulate virtues of Jesus Christ in deeds and follow his teachings, especially on faith, hope and love. The minister emphasized that peace and security were critical conditions for economic development and prosperity.
He therefore urged Christians and Nigerians to make the best use of the festive period to pray for the total eradication of any vestige of insecurity in the country. Aregbesola reminded Nigerians that 2023, was an election and political transition year, as such they should make it a huge success by voting peacefully and avoiding anything capable of undermining the exercise.
POLITICS
- PDP, APC clash over alleged Tinubu rigging plot
The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday called on security agencies to probe and sanction the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over an alleged plot to derail the 2023 general election. The party also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call Tinubu and his party members to order to ensure a peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process. The PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, made the call at a press conference in Abuja.
The APC candidate, had in a closed-door meeting in London earlier this month, told his members that “political power is not going to be served in a restaurant. It is not served a la carte. It is what we are doing; It is being determined; you do it at all cost; fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run with it.”
But Ologunagba said, “In response to this directive, APC leaders and members have now activated plots to derail the electoral process through orchestrated violent attacks in various states of the country aimed to trigger a national security emergency, instil fear and make it appear not conducive to conduct elections in the country. Part of the plot is the current attacks on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, in various parts of the country as witnessed in Ogun, Osun and Imo States where sections critical to the conduct of elections particularly those connected to the collection of Permanent Voters Cards PVCs were targeted and destroyed.”
Continuing, the PDP spokesperson said, “Our party has been made aware of plans by the APC to orchestrate attacks in other states particularly Kogi and Delta; some states of the South East as well as parts of the North with the view to subverting the electoral process in as many states as possible. Intelligence available to our party indicates that the attack on INEC facilities is to prevent newly-registered voters from collecting their PVCs; destroy the PVCs so that they will not be available for collection in INEC offices, and thirdly, destroy INEC equipment and cripple its capacity to conduct elections.
“In addition, the APC has introduced a very disturbing dimension of purchasing PVCs from unsuspecting Nigerians through monetary inducement masquerading as empowerment programmes. In any case, our party is not surprised at the resort to violence by Asiwaju Tinubu and the APC; a clear acceptance of electoral defeat which accounts for the APC’s presidential candidate’s decision to boycott the signing of the National Peace Accord by presidential candidates in the 2023 elections.
“Of course, the London meeting where Asiwaju Tinubu directed his party members to unleash violence on Nigerians was a closed-door event which inadvertently leaked to the public. The APC aimed to hit our nation with violence and mislead security agencies to direct their investigation on criminal elements and social restiveness, instead of the real culprit, the APC.”
Reacting to the claim, the spokesman for Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, called on law enforcement agencies to invite the leaders of the PDP for questioning.
- Attacks on INEC offices: Invite PDP leaders for questioning, APC charges security agencies
Following the consistent attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and claims by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP that some ruling party officials were bent on derailing the 2023 general election, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has asked security agencies to invite PDP leaders for questioning.
According to the APC, PDP must be made to back up its claims because it takes a thief to catch a thief. Minister of State, Labour and Employment and Chief Spokesperson of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council PCC, Mr Festus Keyamo SAN gave the charge in a statement on Wednesday. Keyamo was reacting to a news conference by the PDP leadership wherein it accused ruling party officials of inciting violence in the lead up to the polls.
He said based on its latest Press Statement about having ‘credible information’ about certain individuals plotting to derail the 2023 elections, including acts of arson already perpetrated on the facilities of INEC, “we therefore call on the law-enforcement agencies to, as a matter of urgency, invite the PDP leaders for immediate questioning”.
According to him, the PDP must provide information regarding the place and time such a meeting took place and those in attendance. He said the PDP should realize that an electioneering process is a very serious business and not a time to issue baseless and infantile statements out of want of something to say to the Nigerian people.
- Politicians unhappy with moves to block vote buying, says INEC
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said many politicians are unhappy with current efforts by the commission and security agencies to stop vote buying during the 2023 polls and are expected to fight back. The commission said though it is not going to be easy to root out the negative influence of money on the elections, it is determined to tackle it.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a one-day stakeholders’ summit on addressing the influence of money in the general elections.
Yakubu added that the commission is ready for covert and overt pressure, countervailing actions and even threats by vested interests, urging citizens to reject vote buying He explained that pernicious use of money tremendously increases the likelihood of election violence due to a “win at all costs” mentality among contestants who would have invested a fortune in the poll. In attendance were representatives of security and anti-graft agencies, including members of civil society organisations, financial institutions and the media.
The INEC chairman maintained that election is not a business venture for profit but an application to serve the people with the understanding that they may prefer someone else on one occasion. Insisting that citizens’ choices must never be subverted by the negative use of money, Yakubu said the ban on cell phones at voting cubicles is still in force. He added that the use of Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS), electronic transmission of results, and public display of polling unit results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) has come to stay.
- Rising attacks, vote-buying threaten polls, INEC cries out
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday expressed concern that persistent attacks on its facilities were threatening successful conduct of the 2023 elections. The commission also lamented that its past efforts to curb vote-buying failed, adding that the vice could mar successful conduct of the elections. The electoral commission expressed the concerns at two different events in Abuja on Monday as part of the preparations for the elections.
Speaking at a two-day workshop on political violence and election security organised by the National Defence College in collaboration with African Global Empowerment and Development Network, the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, insisted that there must be an end to the attacks on its facilities as well as the insecurity ravaging parts of the country if the commission must conduct free, fair, and credible elections in 2023.
Yakubu added that if the attacks continued till next year, they could impede the successful conduct of the polls. He also said if the insecurity in some parts of the country did not cease; it could affect candidates’ chances of having the required number of votes stipulated by the constitution to be declared the winner.
- Okupe’s conviction’ll not demoralise me — Obi
The presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has said that the witch-hunting of persons in his campaign team cannot break his resolve to be Nigeria’s president. Obi made the remark, yesterday, while responding to questions from newsmen at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Akwa, Ibom State Council.
He said he is undaunted by the conviction of Director-General, Mr. Doyin Okupe, over alleged money laundering. According to Obi: “I am hearing about it(the conviction) just like you. I am still studying what is coming out of the courts and everything. I believe in the rule of law. It is not going to demoralize me.
On the impression that he does not have political structure to win the presidential election, he responded that he was determined to dismantle the existing political structure in the country which has caused wide-spreads poverty among Nigerians.
- Okupe resigns as LP presidential campaign DG — hours after money laundering conviction
Doyin Okupe has stepped down from his position as the director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council. He announced his resignation in a letter addressed to Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate, and dated December 20, 2022.
“Dear Peter, you will recall that I briefed you yesterday about my personal travails in seeking justice and clearing my name using the Nigerian Legal System to pursue same,” the letter reads.
I have invested too much in your campaign to allow my personal travails to become a source of distraction. In the circumstances, I have opted to step aside and plead that you appoint a new Campaign DG who can continue the assignment with zero distractions.”
It’s time to step aside. But I am with PO and the Obidients and the Presidential Campaigns till God gives us victory in Jesus Name. pic.twitter.com/ZByUqN9orr
— Doyin (@doyinokupe) December 20, 2022
Okupe’s resignation comes hours after he was convicted over money laundering charges.
At a sitting on Monday at the federal high court in Abuja, Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment after he was found guilty of 26 out of a 59-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was, however, given the option to pay a N500,000 fine on each of the counts — totalling N13 million.
- Money laundering: Okupe pays N13m, escapes two-year jail
Dr Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was on Monday found guilty of receiving over N200m cash from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd). He was therefore sentenced to two years imprisonment by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja with an option of N500, 000 fine on each of the 26 count charges for which he was found guilty.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Ojukwu held that Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission violated the Money Laundering Act.
She said he had up to 4.30 pm to pay the fine option totalling N13m on all the charges he was found guilty of or be sent to the Kuje Correctional Centre. Justice Ojukwu, in sentencing Okupe, considered the pleadings for leniency from the convict’s wife, Omolola, and his son, Adesunkanmi.
While stating that the Money Laundering Act provided that no individual or organisation shall receive any sum above N5m and N10m respectively without passing through a financial institution, the judge held that, “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution” and that Okupe was not a financial institution, and that, even if the president was said to have authorised the funds, he did not say that the money must be paid in cash. Consequently, the court found Okupe guilty in counts 34, 35, 36 to 59 and sets him free from counts 1 to 33 because the prosecution failed to establish the charge of money laundering and criminal breach of trust and corruption against the NSA.
It was gathered that Okupe succeeded in paying his fine before the deadline and was allowed to go. A source said, “Okupe has paid; they returned with the bank papers around 4.25pm. The court processed it, and everybody signed, including the EFCC lawyer.” Shortly after his release, Okupe tweeted, “God is not man. The enemies have tried in so many ways but kept on failing. Victory is of God.”
- ‘Try it, go to jail’ — Wike warns politicians against flouting Rivers laws on party activities
Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers, has warned political parties against flouting the state’s laws, saying places such as public schools are not to be used for rallies without approval. He said this on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Ahoada-Omoku dual carriageway.
Wike had, in November, approved executive orders restricting the use of public buildings and residential areas for political activities, without government approval. Speaking at the project inauguration on Wednesday, Wike said carrying out political activities in restricted areas without approval carries the risk of imprisonment.
“Some people put their campaign offices where people are living. Somebody is coming back to his house, he cannot enter his house. Why? Because they are holding political meetings. We say ‘no’; this thing has to be regulated. Let it be non-residential areas. They say they will not; I say you will. If you try it by force, you will go to jail. You must seek approval. If you don’t seek approval, you will be made to face the wrath of the law. Nobody can dare it.”
The Rivers governor also said the achievements of his administration are enough to convince the people to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
- Lai tackles Atiku: Your plan to reopen borders would make Nigeria top importer of Thai rice
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for pledging to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president. Atiku, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the pledge during his campaign rally in Katsina state on Tuesday.
Reacting on Thursday in Abuja, Lai said Atiku’s plan would return Nigeria to the era of “unbridled inflow of weapons and massive importation of food to the detriment” of local farmers.
The minister said Atiku’s pledge if implemented, would put millions of Nigerians out of jobs and destabilise the fertiliser companies and rice mills that have grown since Nigeria shut land borders in 2019.
He said the planned policy would worsen the security situation in the country and encourage an inflow of small arms and light weapons into the country. He added that millions of rice farmers would lose their jobs when imported rice floods the country while hundreds of thousands of Nigerians working in the various rice mills established by the Muhammadu Buhari administration would be rendered jobless. The minister said Atiku’s promise is a red flag to Nigerians who have been striving “to produce what they eat and eat what they produce”.
ECONOMY
- FG seeks minimum wage compliance, begins implementation
The Federal Government on Thursday announced that the implementation of the National Minimum Wage was critical to national development. This was disclosed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, at a public enlightenment and sensitisation workshop for field officers monitoring the implementation of the National Minimum Wage in Abuja, which was organised by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission.
Ngige said, “Ensuring compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act would ensure that workers were not short-changed. “A satisfied worker would contribute effectively and efficiently to the sustainability and growth of an enterprise. This will in turn contribute to national development and less disruptions in productivity, occasioned by industrial actions. There is an urgent need, therefore, to ensure a minimum living wage to all employed and in need of such protection and attain a just and equitable share of the fruits of progress.”
Speaking further, he said the formal and informal sectors were represented during the collective bargaining mechanisms that produced the Act. He said with that, no establishment could claim ignorance or non-involvement in reaching the collective bargaining agreement on the minimum wage. He stated that all establishments were bound by the Act. On the workshop, the minister said the training was critical to implementing the mandate of the ministry and the NSIWC. He noted that Section 12 of the Act, titled “Monitoring and Compliance”, indicated that the Ministry would collaborate with NSIWC to monitor the implementation of the national minimum wage.
On why implementation and monitoring were coming about three years after the national minimum wage act was signed into law, Nta said the commission was constrained by funds. He said although the commission was still battling with funding, it had to embark on the exercise, which would commence in the first quarter of 2023 because of its determination for efficiency.
On productivity, he said, “For Nigeria to be successful, working has to be productive”. Nta said, “It was important for agencies that would be monitored in the exercise to cooperate with the commission. The compensation business is a serious business, and we urge agencies to open their books and tell us the truth. Even with infractions we will sit and talk”.
The stakeholders commended the move by the Federal Government to monitor the implementation of the wage and expressed concern that some states of the federation were not complying with it, leading to hardship and less productivity. While saying that the move was late in view of the fact the N30,000 minimum wage came into effect since 2019, the stakeholders, however, said “It is better late than never.”
- Naira redesign will affect the poor, SMEs — W’Bank
The World Bank has warned the newly redesigned naira which went into circulation last week may have negative effect on economic activity especially poor Nigerians due to its timing and short transition period. The Washington-based bank revealed this in a new report titled, “Nigeria Development Update.” This came amid the mixed reactions that have been trailing the newly redesigned notes. The Central Bank of Nigeria had last month unveiled new N,1000, N500 and N200 notes as part of measures to mop up excess cash in circulation, ransom payment for kidnapping, terrorism financing, counterfeiting, among others.
The World Bank, in its report, however, said the new policy would negatively affect small businesses especially those who day-to-day cash transactions. The report read in part, “While periodic currency redesigns are normal internationally and the naira does appear to be due for it since naira notes have been redesigned for two decades, the timing of and short transition period for this demonetization may have negative impacts on economic activity, in particular for the poorest households.
The President of the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Dr Uju Ogunbunka, had also said the objectives of the cashless policy was understandable but noted that the execution and timing were not right. He said, “From the cashless policy point of view, we should appreciate that, as much as possible, the government is trying to limit the use of cash for transactions, more so, now that they are redesigning the currency. “The second thing is that the government wants to drive the use of online banking, which is good for our economy. Unfortunately, there have been so many complaints about failed transactions.” Also, the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprise, Dr Adebayo Adams, had said the policy would hit businesses and the MSMEs.
- 80 million Nigerians risk job loss 2030 – World Bank
The World Bank has disclosed that 80 million working-age Nigerians will not have a full-time job by 2030 if the nation doesn’t improve its employment rate. It added that 23 million more Nigerians would ill live in extreme poverty by 2030 if the nation’s poverty rate doesn’t fall. The global bank disclosed this in its ‘Nigeria Development Update (December 2022): Nigeria’s Choice’ report.
It stated that creating better jobs is a necessary condition if the nation wants to reduce poverty and increase economic transformation. According to the bank, most poverty in Nigeria is in-work poverty, and having any job does not guarantee a way out of poverty. It stated that employment in agriculture is far more prevalent among those that are poor.
The global bank stated that while Nigeria was one of the best growth performers globally in the 2000s, it failed to build institutions that could foster structural transformation and job creation. It said because of this the nation is struggling to keep pace with growth rates and transformation of its peers since the early 2010s with GDP per capita dropping from US$2,280 in 2010 to US$2,097 in 2020, and the number of Nigerians living below the poverty line rising from 68 million to about 80 million.
Also, Nigeria is one of the least developed countries in the world, with a ranking of 160 out of 188 on the 2021 Human Development Index. It said, “Per-capita income will plateau, 80 million working-age Nigerians will not have a full-time job by 2030 if the employment rate does not improve, and 23 million more Nigerians will live in extreme poverty by 2030 if the poverty rate does not fall.” Explaining how crucial the creation of these jobs is, the Washington-based bank stated, “Creating better jobs is a necessary condition for accelerating poverty reduction and economic transformation.
- Limits not anti-people, CBN insists, Reps knock Emefiele
The Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday defended the cash withdrawal limits policy, insisting that it was not targeted at vulnerable people. Defending the policy while appearing before the House of Representatives, the Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Aisha Ahmad, declared that Nigeria could operate a cashless economy, noting that about 94 per cent of cash withdrawals through personal accounts were less than the revised N500,000 per week, while 82 per cent of those via corporate accounts were less than N5m.
Ahmad represented the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who had twice failed to appear before the lawmakers to defend the policy which had generated a groundswell of opposition from Nigerians. The apex bank had informed the House that Emefiele would not appear before the House in person, rather, Ahmad would lead the Committee of Governors before the lawmakers.
In her presentation to the House, the CBN deputy governor also noted that while some critics had expressed fears about the lack of commercial bank branches, especially in rural areas, data obtained by the CBN showed that people in remote locations had embraced online banking options. Ahmad also announced that the CBN ordered 500 million notes of the redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations through the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc.
- Why POS agents are needed in CBN’s cashless policy – Emefiele
Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Thursday, underscored the importance of Point of Sale (PoS) agents in the cashless policy of the apex bank. Speaking when he appeared before the House of Representatives to brief the lawmakers on the recent monetary policies of the bank especially the cash withdrawal limit, Emefiele said that it was important to ensure that the people at the hinterlands where there may not be financial institutions are given access to financial services.
Represented by the deputy governor, Financial System Stability, Aisha Ahmed, the Governor said the quickest financial service would be the POS at the rural communities. According to him, there were 6,500 bank locations, 900,000 POS terminals, 14,000 Automatic Teller Machines, ATMs, across the country, and 1.4 million agents nationwide.
He said every local government in Nigeria has an agent represented, adding that there were N6 trillion in POS transactions as against N48 billion in 2012 when the policy was started.
- Naira Redesign: We ordered 500m new notes, says CBN
Against the backdrop of complaints by the banking public that banks are not dispensing enough of the redesigned Naira notes the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has said that a total of 500 million units of the newly redesigned currency notes were ordered from the minting company.
Meanwhile, the apex bank has explained that its research has shown that operators of mobile money services, otherwise known as Point-Of-Sale, PoS, were comfortably accommodated within the revised withdrawal limits. It also allayed the fears that the new cashless policy of the Bank would impede job creation.
Emefiele spoke through the deputy governor of the apex bank in charge of the Financial System Stability at the CBN, Mrs Aisha Ahmed, yesterday when appearing before the House of Representatives plenary session in Abuja at the instance of the lawmakers to brief them on the new monetary policies that had become controversial in some quarters.
He said that the timing for the implementation of the monetary policies especially the cash withdrawal limit not was neither here nor there, adding that the 90 days notice in the estimation of the bank was enough to get Nigerians sensitized. He, however, informed that CBN was partnering the National Orientation Agency, NOA, and other similar bodies to fully create the needed public enlightenment on the new policies.
BUSINESS
- FG may reintroduce telecom tax in 2023 – Report
The Federal Government is reconsidering imposing excise duty on telecoms services after it was suspended, which would compel operators to adjust the rates of calls and data upward. This is contained in a document titled ‘Invitation to a One Day Public Hearing and Submission of Memoranda on the 2022 Finance Bill,’ released by the House of Representatives Committee on Finance.
It indicated that suspended excise duty on telecoms services may feature again in the 2022 Finance Bill, which is currently before the National Assembly. According to the committee, it is conducting a public hearing on the 2022 Finance Bill and one of the subjects on the agenda is the discussion of telecoms as one of the goods liable to excise duty.
Part of the document read, “Telecommunication services provided in Nigeria shall be charged with duties of excise at the rates specified under the duty column in the Schedule as the President may by Order prescribe pursuant to section 13 of this Act.”
It added all telecommunication services in Nigeria shall be charged with duties of excise at “the rates specified under the duty column in the Schedule as the President may by Order prescribe pursuant to section 13 of this Act”. According to the bill, the amendment was necessary to expand the scope of duties beyond the telecoms sector to avoid an undue focus on levying duties on this sector, adding that would remove the limitation of the scope of services that may be subject to excise duty.
- I’ll resign as Twitter CEO once I find ‘foolish enough’ successor, says Elon Musk
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla Inc., says he will resign as Twitter’s chief executive officer when he finds someone “foolish enough to take the job”. Musk said this in a tweet on Wednesday morning. He said he would still run the software and servers teams after his replacement is found.
“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software and servers teams,” Musk tweeted. I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2022
Commenting on the development, Dan Ives, managing director of Wedbush Securities, described Musk’s announcement as a step in the right direction. “Musk announces he will resign as CEO once successor is found. Finally a good step in the right direction to end this painful nightmare situation for Tesla investors,” Ives wrote on Twitter.
The billionaire had promised to abide by the result of a Twitter poll which saw 57.5 percent of 17.5 million users vote “yes” to him stepping down from the position. “Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll” he had asked Twitter users when he launched the poll on Monday.
- Twitter users vote for Elon Musk’s resignation as CEO
Majority of the Twitter users, who participated in a poll put up by Elon Musk have voted for his ouster as Chief Executive Office, CEO of the micro-blogging platform. Musk, the billionaire founder Tesla Inc, on Sunday launched a poll to determine whether he should remain as CEO.
Based on the result of the poll which ended on Monday, 57.5 percent of the 17.5 million users, who partook asked for his exit. Musk had earlier pledged to abide by the poll’s results when it ends.
After what has been described as a controversial acquisition deal, Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion in April 2022, thereby becoming CEO of the microblogging platform. According to the deal, investors received $54.20 for each Twitter share they own, the company said in a statement. Twitter also became a privately held company upon the completion of the transaction.
WORLD
- Taliban ban university education for women in Afghanistan
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned females in the country from attending university. According to Associated Press, the development was announced on Tuesday after a meeting of government officials. A letter shared by Ziaullah Hashmi, the spokesperson for the ministry of higher education, asked public and private universities to implement the ban without delay.
In 2021, the Taliban had said Afghan women could continue to study at universities but classrooms would be “gender-segregated” with mandatory hijabs for women. Abdul Baqi Haqqani, education minister, had also announced that subjects would be reviewed to reflect Islam accordingly.
Many teenage Afghan girls have already been banned from secondary school which has restricted university entrance. Reacting to the ban in a statement, the Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation, described the Taliban move as “shameful” and a violation of women’s rights.
Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, an Islamist group, after it seized several provinces and took over Kabul, the country’s capital, in August 2021. After the capital city was captured, thousands ran to the airports in an attempt to leave the country — amid concerns that the Taliban resurgence would lead to the stifling of human rights, especially that of women. Since coming into power, the Taliban have introduced stringent and restrictive regulations, with women and girls affected the most.
- Gambia foils coup attempt, arrests four soldiers
The Gambian government says it has foiled a military coup attempt and arrested four soldiers allegedly plotting to overthrow President Adama Barrow’s administration. In a statement on Wednesday, Ebrima Sankareh, Barrow’s spokesperson, said the situation was under control.
He also said efforts were ongoing to arrest other suspects over the development.
“The Gambia government announces that, based on intelligence reports, some soldiers of the Gambian army were plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Adama Barrow,” the statement reads. The GAF High Command in a swift military operation conducted yesterday, arrested four soldiers linked to this alleged coup plot.
“Those arrested are: Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera from the Gambia navy as the alleged ring leader of the plot; Corporal Mbarra Touray from 1st Infantry Battalion, Yundum Barracks; Corporal Ebrahima Sanno from the military police who is currently on study leave and Sergeant Gibril Darboe from The Gambia Navy.
Coup attempts are not uncommon in the Gambia. Former President Yahya Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 and thwarted several attempts to overthrow him before he lost an election in late 2016 to Barrow.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Basketmouth, wife end marriage — after 12 years
Bright Okpocha, the famous comedian better known as Basketmouth, has announced that he is no longer with Elsie Okpocha, his wife. The comedian disclosed this in a statement on his Instagram page on Thursday.
Basketmouth said the announcement came after “much deliberations” between himself and his wife. He added that they will continue to co-parent their children while urging the public to respect their decision.
“As much as it pains me to bring my personal life to the public space, this is an unavoidable situation. After much deliberations, my wife and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage,” he wrote.
“As we move forward separately, we will continue to work together to give our beautiful children all the care, love, guidance and support they need. We humbly ask that you respect our privacy as we navigate through these times. Thank you.”
SPORTS
- FIFA ranks Morocco best team in Africa
Following their impressive outing and exploits at the just concluded 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Morocco have overtaken Senegal to become the best African side in the lastest FIFA Ranking for 2022.
Morocco were ranked 22nd in the World and 2nd in Africa in November, but have now moved 11 places up to 11th in the World after their brilliant performance at the biggest football event in the World. The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar becoming the first and only African nation to ever reach that stage in the tournament’s history.
En route to the semi-finals of the biggest football event in the World, the Atlas Lions beat Spain in the Round of 16 and also saw off Portugal in the quarter-finals. Morocco finished top of their Group after beating, Portugal Belgium and Canada and drawing with Croatia. Walid Regragui’s side ended the tournament with a fourth-place finish and lost narrowly to 2018 finalist Croatia in the third-place playoff.
- Messi is football’s greatest player — Pep Guardiola
Manchester United manager and former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, has said that Argentina star and latest World Cup winner, Lionel Messi, is the greatest footballer of all time.
In an interview seen on Sky Sports on Wednesday, Guardiola said Messi’s World Cup triumph confirms he’s the best footballer in history. He added that the World Cup win is the “final achievement of an incredible career” for Messi.
The coach admitted that even if Messi hadn’t won the World Cup he would still rate him as the best. Guardiola also congratulated Argentine player Julian Alvarez, who is also a Manchester City player, saying “one of our own is a world champion,” as well as Nicolas Otamendi, who was also a former City player.
The Man City boss said, “Everyone has an opinion but nobody can doubt that he is there, with the greatest of all time. For me I said many times, he is the best, but it will be difficult to understand. A player can appear and compete with what he has done in the last 50 years to 70 years, but the people who saw Pele or Di Stefano or Maradona, they can say their favourite.
Congratulating Alvarez, Guardiola said, “We are incredibly happy for him (Alvarez), congratulations to him and Nicolas Otamendi, and personally to Lionel Messi. For Argentina as a country, they are a well-deserved champion. For Julian, he is with us and we are delighted because he played a lot. His contribution was amazing for the team and the way they played. We have a world champion in our team.”
METRO PLUS
- Conducive accommodation will boost policemen’s morale – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, said the welfare of Nigeria’s over 318,000 police personnel remains his regime’s priority. While noting that accommodation remains a major challenge, he said officers and men of the force would be motivated to perform their duties when their families live in decent houses and have adequate health coverage.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke when he received the 2021 audited report and 2023 budget proposal of the Police Service Commission at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The statement quoted Buhari as saying, “This administration has made the welfare of police officers and men a priority and police reforms a sacred duty. “I particularly note that accommodation for police officers and men is very critical and this administration has made the welfare of police officers and men, and indeed, the armed forces a top priority.”
Emphasising the importance of quality welfare in effective service delivery, the President added, “I know that when officers and men are posted on duty or assignments and they know that their families live in barracks with facilities, schools, clinics and a conducive living environment, their morale is boosted and they would discharge their duties with courage and efficiency.
- IGP orders Zonal AIGs, CPs to secure highways, railways, airports, others
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Baba has ordered Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, AIGs in charge of Zonal Police Commands, state Commissioners of Police, among others to ensure heavy deployment of officers in uniforms on highways, rail lines, waterways, airports and at the various recreational centres within their jurisdictions.
The order is also to be carried out by heads of tactical, intelligence and operational units. The IGP also directed that “officers whose jurisdictions include big cities with heavy traffic gridlocks are tasked to deploy officers on motorbikes to monitor traffic and prevent traffic robberies.
Similarly, the IGP directed that officers should engage in visibility policing by ensuring that those on routine duties are in uniform and their vehicles marked with the names of their Divisions, Commands or Squadrons for proper identification by members of the public.
The IGP in a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, “Assured all Nigerians and residents in the country, particularly those who will be travelling or joining friends and relatives in public places for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, of their safety and security during and after the yuletide season.
- Lagos tests train, projects 250,000 passengers daily
THE Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described the completed 250, 000-passenger Blue Rail train project as a milestone that came through several reforms in the state’s transportation sector, stating that the first-phase of the project will be operational in January.
The governor stated this on Wednesday during the test-running of the mono-rail and events to mark the completion of the first phase of Lagos rail mass transit held at the National Theatre Blue Line Station, Iganmu, Lagos.
Also, the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, explained that the train passengers will use the state’s unified electronic payment system known as cowry card currently being used for Bus Rapid Transit and regulated ferry services.
- Soludo vows to stop sit-at-home, knocks Ekpa
The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, on Wednesday vowed to stop the weekly sit-at home trend in the state, that had continued for months. Soludo, who spoke on the occasion of the 2022 Public Servants Day, described Simon Ekpa, the organiser of the last sit-at-home, as “a mad man in Finland.” He said it was only in Anambra that the order was not obeyed, adding that by next year, the trend will be completely abolished.
He said Anambra could no longer afford the loss of 20 per cent of its public life to sit-at-home which, he said, is already becoming part of life in the South-East. “Eight LGAs were totally taken over at the time we came, they said they were unknown gunmen, no, they are known gunmen born of women and from communities.
“Last week, one mad man living in Finland said he was declaring sit-at-home, it was only in Anambra that it was not observed. By the time you return next year, we shall stop sit-at-home.
We must get back to work, working five days in a week, we must take back Anambra from the criminals, we can not build a prosperous Anambra when we work four days, when our children go to school four days, that is a 20 per cent loss in productivity,” he said.
The governor also rejected the nomination of a serving commissioner for the public service award during the occasion of the 2022 Public Servants Day. The Anambra State Head of Service, Mrs Theodore Igwegbe, had during her speech, announced the commissioner for lands and 32 others as nominees for awards for their “sterling performances” in service of the state.
But Soludo said while the HoS could nominate civil servants who are under her direct control, it was not within her powers to nominate a commissioner who is in the same executive council with her. He congratulated all the public servants in the state, including those nominated for awards, the 21 commissioners and all the managing directors of parastatals and agencies.
- Eleven Dead, Many Others Injured From Electrocution In Zaria
At least eleven people have been electrocuted to death and many others injured in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at Gwargwaje area of Zaria Local Government, leading to the burning of some buildings and business premises.
According to the management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, the tragic incident was caused by a high tension line snap on the low-tension line which resulted in a voltage supply outside limits.
In a statement, the Head of Corporate Communication of Kaduna Electric, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, expressed sadness over the incident, saying that preliminary investigation revealed that the incident was a result of high tension line snap on the low-tension line, which resulted in a voltage supply outside limits. “We are grateful to His Royal Highness, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, Emir of Zazzau for his support to all in managing the effects of the incident”.
A community leader, Alhaji Bature Aliyu also said that the fire affected all the houses in the three communities, the Police Barracks, the New Layout Unguwar Major Aliyu and the New Kauran Juli layout.
- Killings: Reps urge CDS, Police to flush out terrorists in Kaduna, Ebonyi
House of Representatives at yesterday’s plenary, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. General Lucky Irabor to initiate a coordinated joint security operation to flush out terrorists in Kaduna and Ebonyi states. The call followed recent fresh attacks on communities in Kaduna State, where seven abducted Chinese nationals were rescued by special forces from the militants’ cell with terrorists killing 37 people.
Moving a motion of urgent national importance, Gideon Gwani said that Malagum and Sokwong communities of Kagoro Chiefdom in Kaura LGA of the state were attacked by the terrorists, who also burnt down over 100 houses. Noting that the terror attacks have been going on without proactive measures initiated to avert them, Gwani warned that if no urgent measure was taken to safeguard the life of people, it might constitute a threat to national security.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to provide relief materials to the victims of the terror attacks. In a related development, the House also condemned the gruesome killing of Mr. Ejike Egwu, Chukwuemeka Ajah and many others, whose lives were cut short by bandits and armed men terrorizing Amaeze community of Ishiagu, Ivo LGA of Ebonyi State. The motion was moved by Makwe Livinus from the state.
