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BREAKING: FG cancels controversial $300 helicopter landing levy

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has announced the cancellation of the contentious $300 landing levy imposed on helicopter operators within Nigeria.

The levy, which had been outsourced to Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited for collection, faced significant backlash from helicopter operators who deemed it unnecessary.

The suspension of the levy was announced on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Spokesman, Mr Oluseyi Odutayo.

The decision to halt the levy follows a meeting with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) executives and is pending further review by a newly formed committee.

“Following a meeting with the AON executive on the issue of helicopter landing levies collection at aerodromes, helipads, airstrips, and others, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has temporarily suspended the enforcement granted to Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Ltd.,” the statement said.

“The suspension is with effect from 30th May, 2024,” it added.

The ministry indicated that the suspension was prompted by calls from industry stakeholders for a review.

Consequently, a committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, its relevant agencies, AON, International Oil Companies (IOCs), and Messers NAEBI Dynamic Concept Ltd., has been tasked to examine the concerns and submit a report by the end of June 2024.

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FG arrests 3 illegal miners shutdown, mining site in Abuja

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The federal government’s crackdown on illegal mining led to the apprehension of three suspects and the shutdown of their illegal mining site in Gaube, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The arrest was carried out by the newly inaugurated Mining Marshals, led by Assistant Commandant John Onoja Attah, under the operation code-named “OPERATION HAYAKIN KOGO.”

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects did not have the necessary documentation authorizing their mining activities on the site.

It was also found that a legitimate mining company with the proper permits for the same location was unable to access the site due to the activities and resistance of the illegal miners.

“This is a clear case of illegal miners displacing lawful miners and investors, which will not be tolerated,” according to the Commander of the Mining Marshals.

The suspects, who voluntarily confessed to the offence of illegal mining, admitted to having been operating on the site for over a year.

As at the time of their arrest, over 2,000 tons of lithium was on the ground, highlighting the scale of the illegal operation.

According to Attah, “Whereas, we met about 2000 tons of lithium on the ground, the quantity of lithium mined since commencement of operation can’t be quantified as they were not being recorded due to the illegality of their mining operations.”

The seized minerals and equipment on site have been marked as exhibits for prosecution, and further investigations are ongoing to uncover the extent of the illegal activities.

The Marshals Commander further said that the crackdown on illegal mining was part of a broader effort to combat revenue loss in the country’s mining sector and attributed the success of the operation to the collaborative efforts of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake and the Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi.

He added that the operation is aimed at cleansing the mining sector of illegal activities and promoting a more secure and prosperous industry.

“This operation sends a strong message to illegal miners and investors that the federal government will no longer tolerate illegal activities that undermine the growth and development of the mining sector,” Attah maintained.

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FG reveals cause of tomato scarcity, prices increase across Nigeria

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has said that a severe infestation of the tomato crop is the reason for the scarcity and elevated prices of the essential commodity in the country.

In a statement on Monday via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Kyari referred to the infestation causing tomato scarcity as “Tomato Ebola” or “Tomato Leaf Miner.”

Recall that it was reported on Sunday that a basket of tomatoes was selling for as high as N150,000 in some parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that the Federal Government has sent experts to the affected regions to control and eradicate the infestation.

The Minister explained, “A significant number of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner. This has drastically reduced the availability of tomatoes and contributed to rising costs.

“Our ministry is taking immediate action to combat this issue. We are deploying agricultural experts to affected areas to contain and eliminate the infestation.

“Additionally, we are supporting our farmers with the necessary resources and guidance to recover their crops as quickly as possible, just as we instituted the Ginger Blight Control Taskforce.

“We understand the impact this has on your daily lives and are working tirelessly to resolve the situation and restore the supply of affordable tomatoes,

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Home delivery of passports to start in June, FG assures Nigerians

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Nigerians no longer have to travel to the immigration office to obtain their passports, as home delivery of passports is set to begin in June.

This development was announced by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday when he inspected the electronic gates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s new terminal in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo said the delivery will not include every location to avoid overloading and damaging the system.

He said the Nigerian Immigration Service would start home delivery in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja.

He stated that for Nigerians in the diaspora, the home delivery service would initially launch in the United States and the United Kingdom, with preliminary testing to ensure its effectiveness.

The minister explained that the delay in implementing home delivery was due to a lack of data centres.

He noted that the NIS had been relying on a private company’s data centre and emphasised the need for a permanent solution to this problem.

“We have completed the whole solution but when we came on board, we realised that the data centre was not really there. We were leveraging on a private company data centre and we appreciate them for that assistance. We think that it is better to create a permanent solution to problems rather than quick fixes.

“We could have done it in February but we had to build our data centre from scratch to be able to keep the integrity of our data and national security intact. This is more important. It is disgraceful that NIS is 61 years old and NIS is a custodian of biometric data of Nigeria and we believe that NIS should be in charge of the data of Nigeria.

“It is not acceptable that this data is domiciled in a third party and that is why we have been able to do this,” he said.

H added that the data centre has been constructed and the passport delivery issue has been resolved.

“It is about national security and I can assure you that It is comparable with anyone you can find anywhere in the world.

“We have built the data centre, sorted the passport delivery solution and done the final presentation in terms of technology deliverables and the tracking solution which will all be embedded in the application we have so we do not create multiple lines of failure,” the minister said.

Speaking further, the minister stated that the final presentation of the electronic visa has been completed.

He added that it will reduce the visa processing time from 72 hours to 48 hours.

“The passport automation process is almost complete,” he added.

This announcement comes nine months after the minister initially declared that home delivery of passports to Nigerians would commence by February 2024.

In October, Tunji-Ojo stated that starting in February 2024, Nigerians would be able to have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, or any other location of their choice.

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BREAKING: FG sues 36 states at Supreme Court over local govt autonomy

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The federal government has sued the thirty-six governors before the Supreme Court to ensure the autonomy of the nation’s local governments.

In the suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, was filed on May 20, by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on behalf of the federal government.

The federal government is praying the Apex Court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected leaders for local governments.

It also prayed the Supreme Court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the federation account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.

It wanted an order stopping governors from constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.

Also, the federal government wants an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents, and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefit of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.

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FG approves N35bn financing to revive Ajaokuta

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government says it has reached an advanced stage of raising more than N35 billion required to restart the Light Mill Section (LMS) of the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu, said this at the Ministerial Sectoral Update on the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the last one year,on Thursday in Abuja.

Audu said that a presidential approval had been given to raise the amount from a local financial institution, as part of the Tinubu’s administration resolve to boost the economic profile of Nigeria.

“The local financial institution has given us a final offer.

“I have done a cover letter and forwarded the relevant documents to the Minister of Finance to be able to take the financing on behalf of the Federal Government,” he said.

He said that the LSM had the capacity of producing 400,000 metric tonnes of iron rods per annum, and was critical in shoring up industrialisation in Nigeria.

According to him, he is working closely with the minister of works to supply the iron rods needed for road construction projects in the country from the section.

“There are so many roads being constructed in the country, about 30,000km of roads across the six geo-political zones.

“We understand that the ministry of works needs about seven million metric tonnes of iron rods over that four year period (first term) to construct these roads, Ajaokuta can produce 400,000 tonnes,” he said.

There are so many roads being constructed in the country, about 30,000km of roads across the six geo-political zones.

“We understand that the ministry of works needs about seven million metric tonnes of iron rods over that four year period (first term) to construct these roads, Ajaokuta can produce 400,000 tonnes,” he said.

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BREAKING: Labour Rejects FG’s Fresh ₦57,000 Wage Proposal Demand ₦497,000

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Organised Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has again rejected the Federal Government’s new offer of ₦57,000 minimum wage.

The Organised Labour rejected the government’s fresh offer, the third proposal in about a week when negotiation talks resumed on Wednesday.

However, the NLC and the TUC shifted ground from their initial ₦615,000 to ₦497,000.

A prominent member of the Tripartite Committee for the negotiation of a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers told Channels Television labour correspondent that the Federal Government and the Organised Private Sector side of the talks proposed a ₦57,000 monthly minimum wage as against the ₦54,000 they proposed on Tuesday when the committee resumed negotiations. The government had initially proposed ₦48,000 last week, which was also rejected by the Organised Labour.

According to the source, the Organised Labour also saw reasons to drop their demand from the initial ₦615,000 minimum wage to ₦497,000.

The Organised Labour had pulled out of the negotiation last week, accusing the government and private sector of showing unwillingness to agree on a new minimum wage.

At the resumption of the negotiations on Tuesday, the NLC and the TUC also rejected the new proposal of ₦54,000 minimum wage by the government.

The committee is yet to agree on a new minimum wage just about 10 days before the May 31 deadline the labour unions gave to the government to conclude the negotiations.

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JUST IN: FG bans processing of Nigeria’s mineral resources abroad

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has effected a new policy, which makes it imperative for mining companies interested in using its solid minerals to set up their plants in country and process such materials rather than ferrying them away to process abroad.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, disclosed the development while briefing the media as part of the one-year anniversary of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Alake said announced that in order to prove the seriousness of the administration to the development f the Solid Mineral sector, the ministry has revoked the mining licenses of no fewer than nine thousand dormant companies, that got approvals but did not use the licenses to produce anything.

The minister announced that although the dormant licenses were promptly revoked by the Tinubu’s administration, it had also put in motion new policies that have attracted no fewer than 10,000 new applications for licences, out of which 4000 new ones have been issued to applicants.

Alake boasted that the Tinubu administration was determined to turn the solid mineral industry into a major economic sector to compete favourably with the oil and gas industry and create new source of wealth for Nigeria.

The minister spoke just as his Steel Development counterpart, Mr. Shuaib Audu Abubakar, revealed that the federal government had approved the sourcing of $25 million to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Plant in Kogi State, starting with the production of iron rods for the construction industry.

Abubakar said that the ministry was at the final state of obtaining private sector funding to get the plant partially producing important military hardware and save the country from importing the core items abroad.

Abubakar stated that the ministry was also deliberating on the desirability of bringing back the Russian firm that constructed the Ajaokuta steel plant or engaging other companies from China, India and Nigerians to get the place working maximally for the benefit of the country.

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Entertainment

“You‘re joking”, Kanayo .O. Kanayo, dares FG over ban on money rituals, smoking in movies

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Veteran actor Kanayo .O. Kanayo alongside music icon Mike Okri has frowned at the Federal Government’s recent approval of the prohibition of smoking and glamorizing of money rituals and killings in Nigerian films, skits and music videos, describing such development as ‘a joke.’

The government on Wednesday, through the Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini approved the “Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Product, Nicotine Product Promotion, glamorization, display in movies, musical videos and skits” in pursuant to Section 65 of the NFVCB Act 2004.

NFVCA boss made this known, while speaking at a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood in partnership with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, held in Enugu.

However, reacting to the development, veteran musician, Mike Okri described the action of the federal government as a joke, adding “it’s a way to silence the movie industry.”

“Whoever is behind this from the FG is joking. It’s a way to silence the movie industry. They should focus on the real challenges facing the country,” Okri snapped.

Also, reacting, popular actor Kanay .O. Kanayo described the move, as ‘a sensible nonsense/. He said that the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa has no job for approving a move to gag the film makers.

Husseini stated that the censors board has continued to place the highest premium on the progress of the film industry by ensuring that films/video works, musical videos and skits are free of depiction and glamorization of harmful substances like smoking of tobacco, violence, criminal acts, immoral acts, ritual killing and money ritual.

According to the NFVCB boss, “Today, we are facing an industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions from all of us as parents, guardians and stakeholders.”

He said after a series of engagements, the NFVCB in collaboration with the CAPPA decided to do a Subsidiary Regulations to cater for smoking in movies since this aspect was not expressly spelt out in the extant Law.

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Headlines

FG suspends Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project Realignment

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The federal government has shelved and diverted realignment of Lagos-calabar coastal road projects while also saving the telecommunications infrastructure and submarine cables, among others at the axis.

With the presidential directive, Telcos, MTN submarine cables, and workstations along the Okun-Ajah community axis have been saved from demolition after a thorough assessment of the EIA impact on infrastructure and business activities along the Okun-Ajah community axis.

The minister of Works, David Umahi, while addressing stakeholders meeting in Lagos on Compensation and Environmental Impact Assessment on the coastal road project informed community groups and traditional institutions in the state, particularly the Okun-Ajah community in Lagos.

Earlier, the Okun-Ajah community cried out and warned the federal and Lagos State governments over the alleged illegal variation to the Lagos-calabar coastal highway route which put six villages at the risk of demolition and also the displacement of three traditional kings within the Community if the plan was not shelved.

Umahi buttressed the need to redesign the route to save the 600 years ancestry of Okun-Ajah community, adding that, the president, out of compassion to realise the project, added human phase to save property and infrastructure of Okun-Ajah axis while applauding efforts of the president to divert alignment routes to save the communities from the ongoing demolition exercise stretching along the indigenous communities in the state.

The minister said, following the gazetted alignment, and order of the EIA assessment, over 750 houses were expected to be demolished in the old alignment while 450 houses were marked for demolition in the new alignment after thorough assessment of the project along the Okun-Ajah community axis.

Umahi also explained that the project approval followed the process and went through the Bureau of Public Procurement (BBP) after consideration by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as prescribed by law.

Umahi said the project followed certification process and Environmental Impact Assessment Acts and lent credence to it and followed the processes involved.

Umahi noted that BPP issued a certificate of no objection on the project to the Ministry of Works in line with the Procurement Act but added that the Ministry of Works took the certificate of no objection to FEC and FEC debated and approved it.

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