Category: National Issue

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The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement, titled ‘Embarking on industrial action at this time when Nigerians need you most is not the best action to take, says President Buhari to doctors.’

Buhari said, “The lives of citizens that could be lost or damaged when doctors withdraw services, are precious enough to be worth opting for peaceful resolution of differences.

“Protecting our citizens is not to be left to the government alone, but taken as a collective responsibility, in which especially medical professionals play a critical role. Let me speak directly to the striking doctors. Embarking on industrial action at this time when Nigerians need you most is not the best action to take, no matter the grievances.

“This administration has a good track record of paying all debts owed to government workers, pensioners and contractors and we have even revisited debts left by past administrations, once due verification is done. Debts genuinely owed to health workers will be settled.

“I learnt that some of the 12 points demanded in the ongoing strike were already addressed, though the review of a new hazard allowance has not been fully negotiated because of the sharp and deep division within the ranks of the striking doctors.’’

“In this respect, it is important to remind you that, as senior medical personnel and representatives of one of the most respected professional groups in the world, your responsibility for the health and wellbeing of Nigerians are clear.

“It does not end only with the welfare of your members, but continues with a sense of responsibility for the entire country and its socio-political health and national stability,’’ Buhari said.

Punch

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The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, gave the advice in a statement titled, “Contribute to economy through skill acquisition,” which was made available to news correspondent in Abuja.

He said, “The days of waiting endlessly for job opportunities in government agencies can no longer be sustained economically.

“Over 70 per cent of the Federal Government budget is going into debt servicing and overhead and there are little resources available for core economic activities.

“However, the situation is not as gloomy as people paint it.”

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The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Patami, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen at the end of the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said: “I presented before the Federal Executive Council, which has also been approved after deliberation. That is the National Policy on Fifth Generation Networks for Nigeria’s digital economy, the national policy on 5G. So, that policy has been approved by the Federal Executive Council today.

“Furthermore, the policy discusses the benefits to be attained through the deployment of 5G in Nigeria and in any part of the world which includes lower latency, larger capacity, and higher data rate. These are the three major benefits of fifth generation. And in a simple language, we can say it will open many opportunities economically, academically, educationally and even in health sector.

“And it will also support our security institutions, particularly in areas where they need high quality services. So, these are some of the benefits to be anticipated when fifth generation or 5G is deployed in Nigeria.

Thisday

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The charges were filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja after over two months since the secret police arrested and detained the two aides of the activist and the DSS refusal to grant them bail despite a court order.

In the suit no FHC/ABJ/CR/305/2021, which was dated August 31, 2021, the DSS through its lawyer S.M. Bello, filed five terrorism charges against Noah Oyetunji and Amudat Babatunde (female).

The DSS alleged that Oyetunji was in possession of fire arms for terrorism-related activities while Babatunde promoted terroristic acts through her Facebook account.

The court has not fixed any date for the hearing.

Meanwhile, The Counsel for the Department of State Service, I. Awo, told the Federal High Court, that the case file relating to the Fundamental Human Rights Enforcement application filed by the aides to Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, was stolen by armed robbers.

He told Justice Obiora Egwuatu that his colleague who was to bring the case file to court had boarded a vehicle belonging to armed robbers commonly known as ‘one chance.’

According to him, his belongings including the case file were hijacked by the armed robbers.

Consequently, he applied for an adjournment.

Punch

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Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting televised live on Channels TV and two other stations, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike lamented about the injustice in the country saying Rivers generated N15bn in June 2021 but got N4.7bn while “Kano produced N2.8bn in June but Kano also got N2.8bn. Sometimes you don’t want to believe these things exist”.

“People say that let heaven not fall but sometimes I believe that heaven should come down so that everybody will rest…When we do the right thing, heaven is at peace. So, the right thing must be done at all times,” he said.

Wike added, “Rivers State is challenging FIRS from collecting VAT in Rivers State. I am not challenging FIRS from collecting VAT in Abuja. Let it be understood. But the law says Rivers must collect VAT in the state.”

“The Federal Government surreptitiously lobbied to amend the constitution to place VAT collection under the exclusive legislative list

“We have challenged it and we have no apologies to anybody.

“I don’t want to be in the good book of anybody but in the good book of God.

“You don’t bully state like us. FIRS should be very careful. I have the political will to do a lot of things. If they continue to bully us, I will take all their offices in the state,” he stated.

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The Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Charles Akpan, disclosed this in an invitation to journalists.

Akpan explained that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige will meet with the unions at his conference room by 2 pm.

JOHESU had handed down a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and threatened to go on strike if its demand for payment of outstanding allowances was not met.

The threat by JOHESU is coming barely a week after the Nigeria Medical Association and its affiliates also handed down a 21-day ultimatum to declare an industrial action if the FG failed to resolve all the issues contained in the various agreements signed with the doctors.

This is happening as the strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors entered its fifth week.

Punch

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In a chat with newsmen, the minister of state for Power, Goddy Agba, said a committee set up by the government has submitted its report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), for review following which the committee would further sit on to fine- tune it.

“There has not been an increase in electricity tariff. We are working on getting a suitable and acceptable tariff that will be acceptable to all Nigerians. It is going to be fair and equitable, I assure you if this,” the minister said.

“The intention of government is to solve the problem of the people; so it won’t unilaterally impose tariff that will bring hardship on her people. We are working together with Labour; we know the minimum wage is not enough to carry on all of the problems we have. So, I assure you that when a new tariff regime comes in place, both labour and Nigerians will be happy because we are not working in isolation of labour- labour is for the people; labour is on that committee and they are guiding us appropriately,” Agba said.

TheNation

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In a chat with newsmen, the minister of state for Power, Goddy Agba, said a committee set up by the government has submitted its report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), for review following which the committee would further sit on to fine- tune it.

“There has not been an increase in electricity tariff. We are working on getting a suitable and acceptable tariff that will be acceptable to all Nigerians. It is going to be fair and equitable, I assure you if this,” the minister said.

“The intention of government is to solve the problem of the people; so it won’t unilaterally impose tariff that will bring hardship on her people. We are working together with Labour; we know the minimum wage is not enough to carry on all of the problems we have. So, I assure you that when a new tariff regime comes in place, both labour and Nigerians will be happy because we are not working in isolation of labour- labour is for the people; labour is on that committee and they are guiding us appropriately,” Agba said.

TheNation