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Anger as FG Delays Minimum Wage Template, Levels Terror Charges on Ajaero

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By David Torough, Abuja

Failure to release the consequential adjustment template for the implementation of the New Minimum Wage Bill signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 29th July is causing concerns in the organised labour.

Even as this has already created anger among workers, the police have compounded the problem by invading the Labour House and linking the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero to terror charges.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu in early June presented the cost implications of a new national minimum wage to the president.

Since then the template for the consequential increase of the payment structure has yet to be communicated by the Federal Government to organized labour.

Labour therefore accuses government of deliberately delaying the release of a template for the new pay package.

The NLC Head of Information and Public Relations, Benson Upah yesterday said the implementation of the new national minimum wage would have taken effect.

He said, “We are wondering why the delay. We’re planning a meeting with all the state chapters aiming to ensure the agreement they will reach with their State government will be uniform.

“We are urging all state governments to expedite action towards a reasonable consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage for workers, most importantly the implementation.

“At the national level, we are doing our best to know what the Federal government is doing towards releasing the consequential adjustment template.

“But we are expecting the government to make an announcement very soon. We also expect the figure of the consequential adjustment template to be reasonable and the implementation to commence soon.”

Similarly, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) admonished the federal and state governments to expedite action towards implementation of the new minimum wage immediately.

The TUC Deputy President, Tommy Etim Okon said labour said, “It’s the statutory duty of the National Salary Income and Wages Commission to come up with the template for the implementation while the Joint National Public Services Council will engage with the government on the consequential adjustment to cover all grade levels in the service.

“To achieve the above, the Trade Union Congress has been engaging and pressuring the government to release the template for the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage because of the socioeconomic challenges and the need to ensure that the purchasing power of the average worker has improved.

“The TUC is not happy with the delay in the implementation and that is the reason why it’s mounting pressure on the government to urgently provide the template for the implementation and follow suit.”

Also, the Director, Information and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga said the Ministry of Finance had done what it was supposed to do on the new minimum wage.

The Public Relations Officer, National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Emmanuel Njoku said concerted efforts were ongoing for implementation of the new minimum wage.

While all this is happening, NLC on Tuesday asked its members to be ready to commence a nationwide strike if need be following the ongoing face-off between it and Nigeria Police.

The labour centre said in a communique issued after its emergency National Executive Council in Abuja that it had directed all the state chapters and affiliates to mobilise workers for an indefinite strike if anything happened to the NLC President who was invited by the police for questioning over terrorism financing allegation.

The police invitation to Ajaero came weeks after policemen conducted a night raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, while justifying the raid, said the police were on the trail of one of the terrorists who masterminded the crisis in Sudan.

The police added that the raid was to search for seditious materials in connection to the recent nationwide #EndBadGovernance or hunger protest, which turned violent in parts of the country, particularly in the North, where some protesters were seen waving the Russian flag and demanding President Bola Tinubu’s resignation.

On Monday, the police said Ajaero should appear for questioning at 10:00am over allegation of terrorism financing and treasonable felony.

The NLC National Executive Council, after reviewing Ajaero’s summon termed it as “a clearly unfounded and politically-motivated investigation.”

In the communique signed by NLC Deputy President, Ado Sani Minjibir, the congress warned that “it will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement.

“The NEC directs all affiliates and state councils to immediately commence the process of mobilising their members across the nation.

“The congress will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement.

“If anything happens to the President of the Congress or any other leader of the congress in furtherance of these tendentious allegations by the state.”

The meeting expressed grave concern ‘that rather than extending the demand by the congress for the earlier invasion of its national headquarters by security agencies, the Nigeria Police has chosen to embark on this spurious and fortuitous journey of intimidation, harassment, and witch-hunt.

NLC said that it had decided to honour the police invitation as a responsible labour centre committed to the rule of law and due process.

It however added that it would not sit idly while the rights and freedoms of its members and leaders were trampled upon with impunity by the state.

“The NLC shall honour the invitation extended to its President by the Nigeria Police but will demand for extension of time given the nature of the invitation.

“However, we wish to state unequivocally that this does not in any way legitimise the baseless allegations levelled against him.”Femi Falana (SAN) who wrote the police on behalf of NLC asked that Ajaero’s interview be shifted to August 29.

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After Five Months Bello, EFCC Standoff Turns Theatric

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Kogi- tate Governor-Yahaya Bello
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From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello yesterday honoured the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A statement from Bello’s Media Office signed by Michael Ohiare said that the decision was made after due consultations with his family, legal team and political allies.

The statement read, “The former governor, who has great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority, had all the while only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure due process.

“The case has been before a competent court and Alhaji Yahaya Bello had been duly represented by his legal team at every hearing.

“It is important for the former governor to now honour the invitation of the EFCC to clear his name as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear.

“The former governor believes firmly in the efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to place Nigeria on the path of sustainable economic development and support the fight against corruption in the country.

“It is on record that he was the first Governor of Kogi State to put in place an anti-corruption mechanism to check graft and ensure that the resources of the state work for the people of the state.

“He was accompanied to the EFCC Headquarters by high profile Nigerians.

“It is our hope that the commission will be as professional as necessary and respect his fundamental rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Details of his engagement with the operatives of the anti-graft agency will be disclosed later.”

However, EFCC denied that the former governor was in its custody.

The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said that Bello remained wanted with a subsisting warrant of arrest.

He said, “Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is incorrect.

“The commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody.

“Bello, already declared wanted by the commission for alleged N80.2 billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest.”

Bello was declared wanted after the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo helped the embattled former governor to escape arrest in April.

Ododo’s arrival with heavy security at the residence of the ex-governor in Wuse, Abuja prevented the EFCC men from effecting his arrest.

Ododo’s entourage drove out with Bello in the governor’s car.

Since then, it was said have holed up in the Kogi State Government House, Lokoja.

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Alia Hands over Seized Palliatives Truck to EFCC, ICPC in Makurdi

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From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State yesterday handed over a truck of palliatives he recently confiscated in Makurdi to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) with a charge on them to conduct a thorough investigations bordering on alleged diversion.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had on Sept.

11 through the office of the representative of House of Representatives for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Terséer Ugbor deployed two trucks of palliatives to his constituency for onward distribution to IDPs and vulnerable households.

However, one of the trucks containing several materials worth millions of naira was confiscated by the state governor.

Our correspondent had earlier reported that the seized truck was conveying assorted relief materials meant for IDPs in the Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency was caught offloading its contents at a private residence around Kilometre 2 in Makurdi.

Further checks revealed that the palliatives, which were loaded from a NEMA warehouse in Jos found their way to a private residence under the directives of Ugbor.

The governor explained that he gave a standing order that the truck be impounded and moved to Government House Makurdi so as to know why goods released from NEMA for distribution to IDPs in Kwande and Ushongo could be offloaded at a private residence in Makurdi.

Alia who spoke at NEMA headquarters upon his return from the United Kingdom expressed displeasure over the discovery of some hidden facts regarding the matter.

He explained that preliminary investigations revealed that the goods were coming from NEMA and were meant to be sponsored by the state government and lifted by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

In a letter from NEMA headquarters addressed to the representative of the Kwande/Ushongo constituency, Ugbor, who lobbied for the materials, the agency specified that the state government should pay for the expenses of lifting the materials in Jos and that the materials be taken to the state by NEMA and handed over to SEMA.

Alia who discovered that some of the trucks conveying other materials such as mattresses were still missing, directed anti-graft agencies to liaise with a three-man committee from the state and conduct a thorough investigations to uncover more facts.

“It was also discovered that the materials were to be distributed directly to the affected persons by officials from the agency’s North Central Zonal Office in collaboration with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency team.

“I have directed that the Acting Executive Secretary of SEMA, James Iorpuu, officers of the EFCC, and a few others should monitor the situation and ensure that due process was followed and that the materials were distributed to the rightful people.

“I thank President Bola Tinubu for having Benue people at heart. I therefore use this opportunity to call on the National Assembly members to consider the conditions of vulnerable people in their states and ensure that they provide for their constituents whatever the federal government gives,” Alia stated.

The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Tersoo Kula in a statement in Makurdi, said the Director General of NEMA through a phone call, thanked the governor for being vigilant and also promised to continue to collaborate with the state government to ensure the fair distribution of materials coming from the Federal Government.

Similarly, last month, the governor uncovered the diversion of relief materials for an IDPs camp in Makurdi by SEMA officials.

The diverted food items include: 55 bags of rice, 24 bags of garri, Indomie noodles, beans among others.

The Executive Secretary of SEMA was perplexed, wondering how the governor got wind of the development.

Three staff of the agency were arrested in connection with the incident.The IDPs said diversion of relief materials by staff of SEMA was a common happening.

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CBN Appoints New Board for Keystone Bank

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By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reconstituted the board of directors of Keystone Bank.

In a statement by the bank on Wednesday, the move is part of the apex bank’s strategy to ensure sustained growth for the financial institution.

According to the statement, Ada Chukwudozie is the new board chairman alongside five other non-Executive Directors.

They are Abdul-Rahman Esene, Fola Akande, Akintola Ayodeji Olusoji, Obijiaku Samuel, and Senator Farouk Bello.

In addition, the CBN named two new Executive Directors, Ladi Oluwole and Abubakar Usman Bello.

Chukwudozie, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s corporate sector, brings nearly three decades of experience in business strategy, management, and administration.

Her expertise cuts across multiple industries, including De-Endy Industrial Company Limited, Dozzy Group, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and Vogue Afrique Magazine.

Esene, with over 43 years of experience in banking, investment management, and corporate finance, has held leadership roles in major institutions including Fidelity Bank, Afrinvest, and Global Arbitrage International Inc.

Akande boasts over 25 years of experience in legal, compliance, and risk management, having worked with global brands like Cadbury, Stanbic Chartered Bank, and Shell.

Olusoji has a distinguished 30-year career in accounting, finance, and business development, having served at institutions such as Sterling Bank, Access Bank, and Intercontinental Bank.

Samuel with more than 35 years of experience in banking and treasury operations has left a significant mark on Nigeria’s financial sector, previously working with Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank.

Senator Bello, a seasoned banker with over 20 years of experience, has led initiatives across both the public and private sectors, including the National Assembly and Guaranty Trust Bank.

The two new Executive Directors bring their vast expertise to the table. Oluwole, the new Executive Director of Risk Management comes with over two decades of experience in credit and enterprise risk management, including previous roles at Bank of America.

 Bello, Executive Director for the Northern Directorate has extensive experience managing corporate, retail, and public sector clients.

Speaking on the appointments, Keystone Bank’s Managing Director and CEO, Hassan Imam expressed confidence in the new board members, adding that their wealth of experience would play a crucial role in the bank’s continued repositioning and growth.

“We are pleased to welcome the new chairman, non-executive directors, and executive directors to the board of Keystone Bank.

“We are confident that their extensive experience will be invaluable as we continue to reposition the bank to seize emerging economic opportunities while maintaining strong corporate governance and providing our customers with a secure and reliable banking experience,” Imam said.

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