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Governors Reject N100,000 Minimum Wage Proposal, Opt For N70,000

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Governors from across the 36 states in Nigeria have said that a minimum wage higher than N70,000 is not affordable or sustainable for the states.

The governors made the remarks when they met under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), to discuss the economic situation and the ongoing debate around the minimum wage.

They considered options ranging from N60,000, which was offered to Labour by the Federal Government before the strike, to N70,000, which is currently being paid by the Edo State Government.

Despite their efforts, they were unable to reach a consensus on a uniform amount and have instead set up a committee headed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to review the options and make recommendations.

According to sources at the meeting, the governors are in agreement that a minimum wage of N100,000 is not feasible, and some states are still struggling to pay the current minimum wage of N30,000, which came into effect in 2019.

“Records available to us indicated that some states are still paying N18,000 because they are unable to afford N30,000 (which came into effect in 2019). Only a state has adopted a N70,000 wage,” the source said.

The governors’ position is in line with a previous statement made by the Chairman of NGF and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who stated that states will only agree to a minimum wage that is “affordable and sustainable”.

Meanwhile, the Presidency on Thursday denied reports that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, submitted a proposal for a new minimum wage of N105,000 to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the reports as false, stating that the minister had not proposed any such amount.

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BREAKING: Autopsy Reveals Possible Cause of Mohbad’s Death

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

An autopsy report on the late singer ‘MohBad’ real names Ilerioluwa Aloba, has finally been released, and it reveals the possible cause of his death.

According to the report, the autopsy was conducted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and samples of Mohbad’s gastric content, blood, bone marrow, liver, kidney, and lung were retrieved for a toxicology test.

The report states that Mohbad had an injury on his right forearm and his body was exhumed with moderate to severe decomposition.

The toxicology report showed a positive finding of Diphenhydramine, an anti-histamine, but the concentration was not in a fatal or lethal range.

The report concludes that there is a possibility of a drug reaction or anaphylactic shock. The report also notes that the body was not embalmed prior to burial and was exhumed eight days after burial, which may have affected the toxicology results.

The report said: “Following the Order for Exhumation, the body was exhumed on 21/09/2023 (8 days after the burial)………..in the light of the foregoing, cause of death could not be ascertained.

“However, the possibility of a fatal anaphylactic shock (drug reaction) could be considered in view of the absence of any significant post mortem and toxicology findings.”

Mohbad’s death was shrouded in mystery, and several suspects were arrested in connection to his death, including an auxiliary nurse who administered an injection to Mohbad before his death.

The singer died on September 12, 2023, and was buried the next day.

The police upon swift investigation revealed that the auxiliary nurse was the prime suspect in Mohbad’s death.

Feyisayo Ogedengbe, admitted to giving Mohbad an injection after Joseph Aloba, Mohbad’s father, revealed he passed away after receiving the Injection.

According to the Lagos state police commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa, the auxiliary nurse “administered multiple and highly potent injections which triggered an immediate reaction that eventually occasioned the death of Mohbad”.

The commissioner said the injections, consisting of tetanus toxoid, paracetamol, and ceftriaxone injection (IV), were administered at Mohbad’s residence.

“She acknowledged that it was the injections that she administered on the deceased that triggered the reactions. Other expert opinions and witness statements corroborated her admittance,” he added.

He continued, “Her actions of administering doses of Tetanus Toxoid, Paracetamol (IV) and Ceftriaxone injection (IV) on Mohbad at his residence on 12th September 2023 immediately and directly triggered the reactions (including vomiting, goose bumps, convulsion) that eventually resulted in the singer’s death.”

“This criminal liability is further heightened granted the evidential fact that as an auxiliary nurse, she is not qualified to administer such medications or function as a qualified nurse. She also did this in a non-clinical environment and in a professionally negligent manner that negated standard medical protocols.”

Naira Marley, Sam Larry, and Primeboy were also arrested in connection to Mohbad’s death.

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Police deny witch-hunting journalists with cyber crime act

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigeria Police Force clarified on Thursday that it was not out to witch-hunt journalists and suppress press freedom through the application of the amended CyberCrime Act of 2024, as alleged by the public.

The Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who made the clarifications while speaking at a joint briefing by Security, Defence and response agencies organised by the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee of office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA in Abuja, stated that the police were not preventing journalists from performing their duties.

Recently, the country has seen a series of crackdowns on journalists due to the implementation of the act by the police.

The former editor of First News, Segun Olatunji; Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism; Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting; and Nurudeen Akewushola, an investigative journalist with the platform, were among the latest victims of the contentious act.

According to the Force Spokesperson, “It’s not true that we are applying cyber crime act to witch-hunt or oppress you or to subvert press freedom in Nigeria. I am not saying you should not be a whistleblower but if you want to be one, you must get your facts right.”

He noted that the police operated under numerous laws and could prosecute journalists guilty of publishing defamatory reports using any of these laws.

Adejobi said, “Defamation of character is a law defined under the Cybercrime Act and the criminal acts of this country define defamation as an offence. If somebody has published something wrong against you, as a Nigerian you have the right to take it up.

“As a trained police officer, I may decide not to use the cybercrime act to prosecute you. As a trained policeman I must be able to lay my hands on many laws to nail you if I want to. Forget the fact that the NSA has called for the full implementation of the act, the police can lay their hands on any law to prosecute anybody.”

The Force Spokesperson added that journalists do not enjoy immunity, noting that a journalist is “criminally liable” once accused of a crime.

According to him, “Mind you, the fact that somebody is a journalist does not grant him immunity over certain things. You are criminally liable once an offence has been laid against you and the police have the duty to take it up.”

He urged journalists invited by the force to honour the invitations and inform his office.

Adejobi said, “Let me put it on record that if a petition has been written against you, as a certified journalist is to honour the invitation and get across to the office of the Force spokesperson.

“Some of them you claimed have been victimized have not contacted me. Everybody is a journalist, we practise citizen journalism in Nigeria.”

Adejobi stated that the police had not yet arrested any journalists from mainstream media.

He said, “The fact is the police have not arrested anyone from the mainstream media. Most of these bloggers are always running foul of the law because they want to break the law. You can’t break the news without confirmation from the parties involved. You need to balance your report. Once you are invited to come and clarify a report, don’t run away. We are human beings like you.”

He criticised media houses for using the term “abduction” to describe the arrest of journalists, saying that “the police do not abduct, rather they arrest.”

According to him “We don’t abduct, we arrest. If the arrest is wrong, you tell us why the arrest is wrong and we will tell you why it is right. We face challenges because many of you don’t understand the legal framework.”

Adejobi, however, said “when a journalist is arrested, his colleagues cannot stand surety for him.”

He maintained that the police would not release such a journalist unless a “substantive surety” is provided.

According to him” Once you have been arrested, your statement is taken under caution. Under the law, you are to be granted bail to a substantive surety and that is another problem. Don’t tell me your colleague in your office will stand surety for you. No. If you are not a substantive surety the police will not release anybody to you.”

Adejobi stated that the force was not mandated to extend an invitation to a suspect during the investigation, describing such a gesture as an honour.

He said, “I want to clarify that we are not obliged to send an invitation to a suspect in the first instance. It is just out of respect. No law says you must invite somebody before you carry out your investigation; we can only honour you by extending an invitation to you. Where you don’t honour the invitation, we go to court to get a warrant. With that warrant, we can even declare you wanted and arrest you anywhere.”

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Hajj: NDLEA arrests intending pilgrims with cocaine in Lagos

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested four intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia with cocaine consignments in Lagos.

Mr Femi Babafemi, spokesman for the NDLEA, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Babafemi said NDLEA operatives had raided Emerald Hotel, Ladipo, Oshodi, Lagos State, on June 5.
May 29.

He said the intending pilgrims were caught in the act of ingesting wraps of cocaine ahead of their flight to the holy land.

According to him, those arrested during the intelligence-led operation include Usman Kamorudeen, 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46; Fatai Yekini, 38 and a lady, Ayinla Kemi, 34.

“The four suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel where they had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms.

“100 wraps of the Class A substance were recovered from each of the two rooms bringing the total seizure to 200 wraps. Two suspects were to swallow 100 wraps each,” he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the commander, officers and men of the Lagos State command who conducted the operation.

Marwa said the agency would continue to spread its dragnet to track, trace and apprehend criminal elements.

This, he said, included those who may want to hide under pilgrimage to carry out their nefarious activities capable of denting the image of the country.

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BREAKING: Minister of Finance, Edun submits minimum wage cost to Tinubu

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Following a 48-hour ultimatum issued to him by President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on Thursday, submitted the projected cost implications of implementing a new national minimum wage.

The submission comes two days after Tinubu issued the directive to present a proposed new minimum wage figure and analysis of the associated costs.

The finance minister’s report is said to outline several potential new minimum wage levels along with the anticipated fiscal impacts on the federal budget of each option.

Recall that the Organised Labour had embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday and Tuesday to demand increased minimum wage for the government workers.

Another of the labour demand was the reversal of the recently increased electricity tarrifs.

The industrial action was suspended for five days by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) after signing a commitment with the federal government to resume negotiations, and come up with a new minimum wage within a week.

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BREAKING: FG releases approved lyrics of reinstated National Anthem

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The National Orientation Agency on Wednesday, June 5, unveiled the approved version of the reintroduced national anthem.
The agency also explicitly asked Nigerians to pay attention to the words in lines three and five of the national anthem that was reintroduced.

The Nation reported that on May 29 President Bola Tinubu signed into law the bill to revert to the old national anthem.

Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director-General of the NOA, unveiled the standardized version of the anthem on Wednesday in Abuja.

He explained that the goal of the exercise was to guarantee that the lyrics remain consistent.

He said: “Today’s event is to present the official version which will clear all doubts about the correct lyrics as contained in the Act signed by the President.

“We call the attention of Nigerians to line three of the first stanza, which reads: Though tribes and tongues may differ. Note that the words “tribes” and “tongues” are in plural. We want you to also note that line five of the first stanza reads: Nigerians all, are proud to serve”. The word ”are”, not ”and” is correct.”

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FG Suspends Import Duty on Food Items, Others to Ease Hardship

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has suspended import duty and other tariffs on staple food items, raw materials, and inputs for manufacturing, agriculture, and pharmaceutical products for six months.

This move is aimed at reducing inflation and stabilizing prices.

According to an Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the suspension affects essential items like fertilizers, seedlings, chemicals, poultry feeds, flour, and grains. The order also grants a rebate on import duty by fixing the exchange rate at N800 to $1 for six months.

To enhance productivity, the government has directed the Nigeria Customs Service to fast-track the clearing of agricultural equipment, food items, and manufacturing inputs at ports, aiming to reduce clearance time by at least 50%.

The order encourages states and local government councils to adopt similar measures to boost productivity. It also mandates government agencies to refrain from actions that may negatively impact businesses or sectors.

This move is expected to improve local supply and capacity utilization in various industries, including rice milling. Authorized millers can now import paddy rice at zero duty and VAT for six months.

The order added that the government shall prioritize the implementation of approved capital expenditures on basic infrastructure, including access roads to farms, solar-powered food storage facilities, and public sanitation. It added that at least 50% of the incremental revenue from PMS subsidy removal and Naira flotation will be earmarked for this purpose.

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Police invite Premium Times reporter over yet to be published story

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has invited Emmanuel Agbo, a reporter with Premium Times, over a land dispute story he is working on.

On Monday, Agbo received an invitation letter dated May 31 from the office of the deputy inspector-general of police intelligence response team (NPF-IRT), via WhatsApp.

On May 30, the reporter was first contacted over the phone by a man who identified himself as a police officer named Ezemba Ezekiel.

The officer asked the journalist to come over to the office of IRT in Guzape, Abuja to “clarify a petition”.

“I am Ezemba Ezekiel from the Intelligence Response Team. I am calling you on behalf of Homadils. You are expected to come over to our office at Abattoir in Guzape to clarify a petition,” he said via phone.

A formal written invitation was sent after the journalist requested for one.

During the phone conversation, the officer mentioned the name of Homadils Realty Limited, a real estate firm and a major party to a land dispute which the reporter is currently focusing on.

Prior to the police invitation, the journalist had reached out to Bilkisu Aliu, the chief executive officer of Homadils.

The CEO later exchanged WhatsApp messages with the journalist on the allegations against her by a family laying claim to the disputed land.

‘WE’RE READY TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES’

In a letter delivered to the office of the deputy commissioner of police at IRT, Idris Akinbajo, managing editor of Premium Times, said the platform is ready to work with law enforcement agencies in the course of their professional duties.

Akinbajo asked the police to provide more details of the petition since its invitation only mentioned receipt of a petition

“We, Premium Times, are an online newspaper dedicated to using investigative journalism to hold power accountable and deepen democracy as enshrined in Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution,” the managing editor said.

“We are thus always ready to assist law enforcement agencies in the course of their professional duties.

“However, in your letter to Mr Emmanuel Agbo, you only stated that your ‘office is in receipt of petition…’ but did not provide any details of the petition.

“We ask that you provide more details of the petition to enable our reporter, Mr Agbo, to make adequate preparations and bring along relevant materials when he appears in your office.

“We trust that you will treat this promptly so we and Mr Emmanuel Agbo can prepare adequately and assist you in the course of your work.”

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Editors condemn increasing spate of journalists’ abduction

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has condemned the increasing sequence of abduction and arrest of journalists in the country by security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, under the guise of enforcing the Cyber Security Act, and warned of the consequence of such illegal actions on press freedom.

The professional body of media executives and senior editors also warned of the dangers of allowing certain territories of the Nigerian states falling into the hands of terrorists and bandits, and expressed optimism that the federal government has all it takes to flush out these enemies of the country, and guarantee peace and security of the country and its people.

The Guild stated these in a press statement issued and signed by its President, Mr Eze Anaba and the General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, at the end of its Standing Committee meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, weekend.

According to the Guild, ‘’The meeting deliberated on the state of the media with emphasis on the increasing spate of abduction and arrest of journalists in the country – under the guise of enforcing the Cyber Security Act, and warned of the implications of such illegal actions on press freedom.

‘’The professional body of media executives and editors while warning the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police, against press freedom violation, called for a proper understanding and intention of the Cyber Security Act, declaring that the law was enacted as a legal framework for combating cybercrimes and not for persecuting journalists, who are performing their legitimate duties in a democracy.’’

The editors particularly condemned the method of abduction/arrest of journalists, the long detention and inhuman treatment they are subjected to, and said it was a negation of a democratic space.

‘’Press freedom is the ability of the media to report news and express opinion without government interference, censorship, or retribution. It is a fundamental human right essential for a healthy democracy, allowing citizens to access accurate information, hold leaders accountable, and participate in informed public discourse’’, the editors added.

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Heritage Bank: ‘No plans to withdraw licenses of banks’ CBN

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has rebuffed false allegations circulating in the public domain, suggesting that the CBN is set to revoke the licenses of three additional banks following its regulatory action against Heritage Bank Plc on Monday, June 3, 2024.

The Ag. Director, Corporate Communications (CBN)
Hakama Sidi Ali (Mrs.) disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday stated that the allegations are false and intended to trigger panic in the financial system.

According to Ali, the Nigerian financial system remains safe, sound, and resilient and have begun submitting implementation plans for the Banking Sector Recapitalisation Programme in
compliance with the CBN Circular reviewing the minimum capital requirements for Commercial, Merchant, and Non-Interest Banks (CMNIBs) as plans are currently being reviewed by the Bank.

“In addition to enhancing buffers to withstand economic shocks, this proactive measure by the CBN to require CMNIBs to recapitalize will result in increased capital for Nigeria’s banks, enabling them to provide much-needed credit to critical sectors of the economy.

“This will increase the financial system’s contribution to the growth and development of a $1 trillion
Nigerian economy.”

She added that the CBN would like to reassure all stakeholders of its unwavering commitment to ensuring the financial system’s stability.

“Our financial system remains on a solid footing, and the CBN will continue to take all necessary steps to maintain its safety and soundness.”

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