An emergency meeting between the Federal Government and the leadership of the organised labour over the ultimatum demanding government to reverse the increment in the pump price of petrol and electricty tariff is in progress at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha is heading the government’s delegation while NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Quadri Olayele are leading the labour team at the meeting.
There have been series of meetings between the Federal Government and the organised labour following ultimatum issued by the two labour centres to government to reverse its decision on the pump price of petrol and electricty tariff.
The last meeting held last Thursday was adjourned to reconvene tomorrow, Monday, by 3pm but the Federal Government summoned an emergency meeting to apprehend the looming protest and strike after the expiration of the ultimatum by 12am tonight, Joseph Agi reports for Radio Nigeria.
Labour: FG Makes Last Ditch Effort to Avert Costly Strike 7pm
In what appears to be a last ditch effort to avert the impending nationwide strike action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting with the leadership of Organised Labour for 7pm on Sunday.
Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, confirmed the meeting in a statement.
Earlier adjourned to Monday at 3pm on after the Federal Government failed to reach an agreement with Labour on fuel and electricity tariff hikes, the meeting will hold at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja by 7pm.
“The Honorable Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige will be meeting with the Organized Labour.
“The meeting earlier scheduled for Monday 28th September 2020 is now scheduled as follows:
The suspected Boko Haram members and their family members.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists numbering 13, alongside their family members including 6 women and 17 children from Kodila village on Saturday, September 26, surrendered to troops of 151 Task Force Battalion at Banki Junction in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Boko Haram terrorist and family members
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
The DHQ media chief said the terrorists took the decision following a sustained aerial bombardment and aggressive intensive clearance operation of the troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE on their village.
“They survived the aerial bombardment but were starving with nothing to fall back on. They have no choice than to surrender,” the source stated.
The suspected terrorists and their family members are now receiving medical attention at the 21 Special Armoured Brigade Medical Centre.
The suspects are also currently undergoing thorough profiling and investigation in line with global best practice in handling such cases
Four executive members of the 151 Base Services Group (151 BSG) Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Makurdi, who were standing trial before a General Court Martial (GCM), sitting at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Makurdi for criminal misappropriation of over N41,000,000.00, were, on 24 September 2020, awarded various sentences.
A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola noted that the 4 NAF personnel, who were arraigned before the GCM for Misappropriation of Cooperative Funds, amongst other offences, include Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Sherifi Olawoore, Flying Officer (Fg Offr) Ademola Adekoya, Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Michael Oyebanji and Warrant Officer (WO) Paul Atteh. The personnel were sentenced based on their levels of involvement.
Delivering his judgement, the President of the GCM, Air Commodore Nazib Aliyu, pronounced the 4 accused personnel guilty of various charges. Flt Lt Olawoore was tried for negligently performing his duty as the President of the Cooperative, found guilty and awarded 6 months loss of seniority. In the same vein, Fg Offr Adekoya was tried for negligently performing his duty as Secretary of the Cooperative. He was found guilty and awarded one year loss of seniority.
MWO Michael Oyebanji, who was the Vice President of the Cooperative, was tried on a 46 count charge, including; Criminal Breach of Trust, Theft, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Misappropriation, Making of False Documents and Conduct to the Prejudice of Service Discipline, contrary to Sections 114 and 103 (d) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Sections 312, 287, 96 and 309 of the Penal Code Cap P3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. He was found guilty on all 46 counts and subsequently sentenced to serve 21 years imprisonment, cumulatively, as well as reduction in rank to Corporal and ordered to refund all monies misappropriated. In the same vein, WO Paul Atteh, who was tried for negligently performing his duty as the Treasurer of the Cooperative as well as for the Making of False Documents and Criminal Breach of Trust, was found guilty of all 3 charges. He was awarded reduction in rank from WO to Sergeant, in the first instance, and then eventually reduced to the rank of Corporal. He is also required to pay a fine of N1,000,000.00. Meanwhile, the GCM has ordered the release of WO Atteh from detention.
While pleading in mitigation, the Defence Counsel urged the Court to show leniency, describing the Accused Persons as first-time offenders. The sentences were announced as being subject to confirmation by the Appropriate Superior Authority. However, it is within the rights of the Accused Personnel to appeal the judgment of the GCM, if they are dissatisfied.
File Photo of Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at his State House office, Abuja, during a virtual roundtable dialogue organised by the Justice Research Institute.
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, says the Federal Government would focus on autogas as an alternative to the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, issued on Saturday, Osinbajo disclosed the plan during a virtual interactive session hosted by the Africa Report magazine on Thursday.
Read the full statement below
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
We Will Focus On Auto Gas As Alternative To Petrol –Osinbajo
*Use of Compressed Natural Gas part of ESP
*VP says no plan to increase taxes
In a determined effort to offer Nigerians an effective option to petrol, the Federal Government will focus on developing Compressed Natural Gas otherwise known as autogas, which is priced significantly lower than PMS.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, stated this during a virtual interactive session hosted by the Africa Report magazine on Thursday.
Answering a participant’s questions regarding the removal of petrol subsidy, the Vice President said: “we have experienced a severe downturn in our finances over the years, so at 60 per cent less revenue, we are in a position where sustaining fuel subsidies is practically impossible simply because we do not have the resources.”
According to him, “what we have decided to do is to focus on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which is about half the price of petrol today. So, if we use CNG for our cars and for our buses, it will cost between N78 and N80 or so per liter.”
Under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP), the Federal Government’s objective is to promote domestic use of CNG and support the creation of 1 million jobs by maximizing the domestic use of CNG while reducing reliance on refined petroleum products like kerosene and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Responding to a question regarding increase in taxes, the Vice President noted that the administration has no plans of increasing taxes, stating that “our position really is that, this is hardly the time to raise taxes”.
According to him, “It is even more difficult for people to pay taxes now than ever before, I mean, given the state of affairs, but this is why we’re doing everything now.
“We are trying to ensure that businesses survive this period by providing as much support as we can, and by relieving them of as much burden as possible and ensuring that they are able to get some moratorium so that they can at least continue to run their businesses and by all the other interventions and support that we are giving, we hope that those interventions will help businesses.
“Our approach is first to ensure that we save jobs. If we save jobs and save businesses, and then do the best we can in agriculture, the housing scheme and all of that, we will actually be able to improve spending and if we are able to improve spending, taxes will definitely improve, and if businesses survive, taxes will improve. So, those are the sort of projections that we are looking at.”
It would be recalled that the 2020 Finance Act exempts businesses generating less than N25 million in annual turnover from Companies Income Tax. Also, businesses with a turnover of between N25m and N100m will only pay 20% Companies Income Tax instead of the 30% which was the former applicable rate.
The Vice President had recently said it is the plan of the Buhari administration to put money in the hands of Nigerians.
Addressing concerns raised about electricity tariffs, the Vice President said the era of subsidizing petrol and electricity was over, noting that government has adopted measures of addressing the situation.
His words: “What we are trying to do is to ensure that we are able to reform the electricity industry. The industry is privatized except for the transmission sector. But what we have seen is that the distribution companies (DisCos) are just not able to meet their targets or to even provide electricity on any kind of stable basis now.
“The DisCos have been hankering all these years for a cost-reflective tariff and government has been paying the subsidy. In fact, in the past few years, we have spent about N1.3 trillion on subsidies for electricity. Again, here is a situation where that is completely unaffordable.
“We want to ensure that new companies come into the market. So, that will be decentralized completely. This way, in several parts of our country, we can have micro-grids, small grids, and all of that. We are doing 5 million solar connections as part of the Economic Sustainability Plan. We think that, with all these, we can electrify our country within a short period of time.”
The Vice President added that the overall target of government in the Economic Sustainability Plan is to save existing jobs and revamp businesses by improving the spending capability of Nigerians through the various initiatives in industry, agriculture, mass housing, and the solar connectivity projects.
Over 1, 200 persons on different platforms across the world, participated in the virtual event tagged by Africa Report, the organisers as Digital Dialogues.
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Office of the Vice President
26th September 2020
Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has appointed chairman and members of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, the Governor also named chairman and members of the board of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
The statement noted that 10 other boards, commissions and agencies previously named by the Government will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 29th September, 2020 at the June 12 Cultural Centre Kuto, Abeokuta 2pm prompt.
The statement said the inauguration of all appointed commissions and boards will be done in batches in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
“These new boards are too important to the development of the Building Our Future Together Agenda because Basic Education is critical to that future we are building. The OOUTH was one of the first places I went upon assumption of office and the Committee we set up then made far-reaching recommendations that I am sure this Board would work on in order that this tertiary health institution fulfils the dreams of its founding fathers.
“Our Administration is firmly committed to restoring OOUTH to its enviable position as a training, research and healthcare facility. That’s why we are appointing people with rich and diverse experience to reengineer the Teaching Hospital. Our SUBEB too will fast-track our goal of Building Our Future Together and put our education on the path of excellent academic achievement and service delivery”, the statement said.
Governor Abiodun said the new appointees are forward-thinking managers who would discharge the onerous tasks thrust on them responsibly. He prayed that they will give their all to their assignments to move the State to the next level.
“As I have always stressed, the Building Our Future Together is more than a mantra. It is an overarching policy thrust that we will leave no stone unturned to actualize. Our inclusiveness is deliberate because together, we will achieve more and at a faster pace,” the statement further quoted the Governor as saying.
Below is the full list of the new appointees:
State Universal Basic Education Board
(SUBEB)
1. Dr. Femi Majekodunmi
– Chairman
2. Barr. Femi Odufowokan
Member I
3. Hon. Isiaka Aderounmu
Member II
4. Hon. Femi Ilori-Oduntan
Member III
5. Hon. Segun Ogunleye
Ex Officio
6. Alhaja Bisola Aliu
Ex Officio
7. Mrs. Kemi Adeogun
Ex Officio
8. Barr. Kola Ogunlana
Ex Officio
9. Hon. Adewale Adeogun
Ex Officio
10. Hon. Waheed Ogundele
Ex Officio
OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL
1. Dr. Adekunle Hassan
– Chairman
2. Dr. (Mrs.) Bisola Shodipo-Clark
Member
3. Dr. Haruna Adetunji Ajibode
Member
4. Mr. Solu Abimbola
Member
5. Dr. Peter Adefuye
Member
Chief Medical Director (OOUTH)
6. Prof. Tola Olatunji
Member
Provost, College oh Health Sciences (OOUTH)
7. Prof. Adediwura Fred Jaiyesimi – Member
Representative of Senate (OOU)
8. Prof. Ayodeji Johnson Agboola – Member
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (OOU)
9. Dr. (Mrs) Bunmi Fatungase
Member
Chair, Medical Advisory Council (OOUTH)
10. Dr. Oluwole. O. Kukoyi
Member
Representing Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)
11. Mr. Sammy Ogunjimi
Member
Representing Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
12. Dr. Solomon O. Sokunbi
Member
(Deputy Director, Hospital Services, Ministry of Health
On the schedule of the first batch of inauguration are 97 chairmen and members of 10 of the previously appointed Boards and Agencies. All appointees are to be seated by 1:30pm. The boards to be inaugurated are:
1. Ogun State Housing Corporation
2. Ogun State Health Management Board
3. Ogun State Agro Services Corporation
4. Ogun State Bulk Purchasing
5. Ogun State Agric Multi-Purpose Credit Agency (OSAMCA)
6. Ogun State Market Development Board
7. Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation
8. Ogun State Alternate Medicine Board
9. Food Crops Marketing Board
10. Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA)
It should be noted that only those to be inaugurated will be allowed access to the venue, in view of the prevailing measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State Friday took another turn as the Tony Adeniyi-led faction suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi and the Paul Omotosho-led Executive Council over anti-party activities.
The latest suspension order came barely 24 hours after Omotosho’s faction loyal to the governor suspended the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Ojudu Babafemi, and 10 others.
But respite seemed to have come the way of Fayemi, Babafemi and others as APC National Secretariat in a statement on Friday by the Deputy National Secretary, Yekini Nabena, described the suspensions as a “nullity.”
Nabena said the attention of APC National Secretariat has been drawn to a purported and widely-reported “suspension” of Fayemi as well as an earlier reported “indefinite suspension” of BBabafemi and other party members in the state.
Suspending Fayemi and Omotosho on Friday, the Adeniyi-led faction alleged that the governor’s camp has refused to hold Ward Congress in Ekiti State since inception of the party, describing the governor’s faction as illegal.
Adeniyi represented Ekiti South Senatorial district between 2011 and 2015. He explained that he was made Acting Chairman of Ekiti APC owing to the “absence of direction or directive from the National Body” and was adjudged as “the only one thus capable to call the SEC (State Executive Council) meeting as duly required by the constitution henceforth.”
The senator further described his factional supporters as “the authentic members” of the party in the state that were duly constituted as members of the National Convention of the party, based on Section 12.8 of APC Constitution.
The Adeniyi faction after its meeting on September 23 accused Fayemi of anti-party roles in the September 19 Edo State governorship election, which saw the party losing to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The party alleged Fayemi of colluding with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in his bid for 2023 vice presidential slot under PDP, if his bid for presidential candidacy in APC fails.
However, APC National Secretariat has called on the warring factions to sheathe their swords to allow for genuine reconciliation.
“The actions are a nullity as the party’s National Secretariat is yet to receive communication from the state chapter on the purported ‘suspensions.’ We strongly advise all members to adhere to our party constitution.
“Governor Kayode Fayemi remains the leader of the party in Ekiti State.
“In line with the mandate of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee and the President’s admonition to party members to ensure and support ongoing amicable and rancour-free settlement of internal party disputes, we call on our esteemed party members and leaders in Ekiti State to be duly guided.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Architect Paul Omotosho-chaired APC Ekiti State Working Committee is the authentic, valid and duly recognised Executive as no factions or divisions exist in the State Chapter,” Nabena said.
Read the full text of the statement on the suspension of Fayemi and Omotosho…
RE: DR. KAYODE FAYEMI ANTI–PARTY ACTIVITIES
After painstakingly reviewing the activities of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, we the authentic members of the Party in the State and Members of State Executive Committee per Section 12.8 of APC Constitution being duly constituted members of the National Convention of the Party, rose from its meeting of the 23rd September, 2020 and resolved as follows:
1. We note the continued illegalities in the name of the party, being conducted by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who as Governor is an ordinary member of the SEC and ought to have called meetings of this duly constituted body as a critical party organ, has failed to do so since his assumption of office in 2018.
2.That the body currently masquerading as the elected members of the SEC or as the State Working Committee or appendages is unknown to us (as due statutory members of SEC) since no Ward Congress has taken place in Ekiti State APC since inception. All SEC members listed in Section 12.8 of our constitution, (i) to (xxvii) as such are open positions since only duly officiated Ward congresses with INEC observation can fill these positions.
3.As such, only the duly elected members of the APC in the state serving as Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker & Deputy Speaker as well as Principal Officers of the House and Members of the National Convention which includes all present and past National Assembly members today constitute the State SEC of our great party.
4.To this end, in the absence of a properly organized body and meeting, and the continued insistence of the Governor to neglect his duty to initiate Ward Congresses or call a meeting of the SEC to deliberate upon pertinent issues, we as loyal members of our party and members of the State Executive Committee met to rescue our party from continued denigration and abuse, and resolved thus:
1.That Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State is hereby suspended from the Party in view of his numerous anti-Party activities especially his role in the recent concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC Constitution.
For five days prior to the Edo elections Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr Femi Fani- Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekiti in the run up to the Edo elections . It was here they perfected the coup against our party in Edo State. This is same Fani-Kayode who daily abuses President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the APC as a party as well a vital section of our country. We have evidence of that meeting.
Fani-Kayode specifically said he has gone on his tour as part of an effort between him and Fayemi to build a cross-party alliance and few hours after leaving Ekiti he fired a shot at Asiwaju Tinubu.
1 (a) We also have evidence of celebration by his aides in Ekiti government house and on social media.
1(b) We also recall his role in the gubernatorial election in Oyo State where he supported the PDP candidate to defeat the APC candidate. A second tranche of money he sent to Gov Makinde in the election was intercepted by soldiers. The courier Mr Ayo Adegbite, his Chief Protocol Officer was arrested and he immediately disowned and announced his sack . Mr Adegbite remains his aide till date.
1(c) We also recall the support he provided a PDP candidate who challenged an APC Senator Prince Dayo Adeyeye in the Tribunal. He moved the judges to Kaduna to deliver judgement when he knew what he planned against his party was unpopular in Ekiti. We have more to tell on this betrayal and traitorous act of his. APC Senator is out of the Senate today and PDP is in. The relationship between Fayemi and Senator Olujimi of PDP , the beneficiary of his treachery is known to all in Ekiti State.
We also recall his resort to court when majority of party members nominated late Senator Abiola Ajimobi for Deputy National Chairman of the party. He fought Ajimobi till death.
1(d) His fraternisation with the PDP in continuation of his bid for Vice Presidential candidate under the party ( if his bid for Presidential candidate in APC fails ) was masked by commissioning of projects in Rivers State, a smokescreen for his consultation to woo the support of Governor Nyesom Wike last year .
2. That the Paul Omotosho led faction of APC Executive in the State is hereby declared illegal and suspended from the Party for failure to emerge in accordance to the Constitution of the Party.
3.That Paul Omotoso and his co travellers’s refusal to respect court proceedings in which they are not only joined but appeared in court through the proceedings but defiantly disrespected the court contrary to the hallowed decision of the Supreme Court in OJUKWU vs GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE
4.That Paul Omotosho faction of the executive should desist from parading themselves as the Executive Members of the Party in the State and that the Nigerian Police and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public should take note.
5.That Senator Tony Adeniyi, as a statutory member of the SEC going by our party’s constitution, was elected by all members attending as the Acting Chairman of the State Executive Committee in the absence of direction or directive from the National Body. He is as such the only one thus capable to call the SEC meeting as duly required by the constitution from henceforth.
6.The committee seating also agreed to begin bridge building across our members, statewide and nationally, and set up a special intervention committee, APC Majeobaje Working Group, to be led by Prince Bamgboye Adegoroye, and six other individuals from across our great state. That working group will henceforth do the hard work of rebuilding APC in Ekiti state and prevent the oncoming annihilation of our party if we take no action at the upcoming polls.
We note that the All Progressives Congress is a party of progressives, and must do things only in line with the law. The APC cannot act against its constitution or the law of the land, hence this intervention became urgently necessary and pertinent before marauders destroy the party permanently.
It must be emphasized that with the increasingly discerning capacity and sophistication of our people we cannot afford to take them for granted. We must be able to sustain the relevance of our party in Ekiti State, hold our members and win new members. We are obligated to ensure that the light of our electoral prospect and fortune is not dimmed or extinguished.
Signed:
For Ekiti State APC State Executive Committee
1. Senator Tony Adeniyi
⁃ Senator , Ekiti South Senatorial District (2011 – 2015)
2. Senator Babafemi Ojudu
⁃ Senator , Ekiti Central Senatorial District ( 2011 – 2015 )
3. Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Senator , Ekiti South Senatorial District ( 2019- ) Former Minister of Works.
4. Congressman Bimbo Daramola, Ekiti North Federal Constituency (2011 – 2015)
5. Hon Robinson Ajiboye , Ekiti North Federal Constituency (2011 – 2015)
6. Hon Oye Ojo, Ekiti North Federal Constituency (2011 – 2015)
7. Hon ( Dr.) Adewale Omirin – Hon Speaker Ekiti State House of Assembly (2011 – 2015)
8. Hon Femi Adeleye , Member , Ekiti State House of Assembly , (2007 – 2011)
File Photo: Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (File Photo)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has identified real estate business as a key sector that has the potential of contributing 25 per cent growth to the state’s economy, saying his administration could not afford to miss this opportunity.
Speaking at the maiden Policy Roundtable Dialogue with the theme: “International Best Practice on Real Estate Regulations,” organised by Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), Sanwo-Olu charged property developers, investors, real estate lawyers and practitioners to work with his administration to create a home ownership model that would help the state government address the deficits observed in housing market in Lagos State.
The governor raised concern over the huge gap observed in the provision of mass housing to large number of residents, describing the situation as unacceptable. He said Lagos State Government was ready to bridge the gap by partnering the private sector and working with stakeholders to ensure people have access to viable home services.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration had started to identify big players in the real estate sector that would partner with the government to raise housing stock of in the state. He said the government was ready to provide enabling environment for the investors to put their finances in creation of viable housing market for residents.
According to him, “Public Private Partnership is one of the options we are exploring to realise our objectives of providing viable housing scheme for our citizens. We are at the edge of identifying real big players in the real estate sector to see how well we can leapfrog housing stock in our state. The government is ready to provide enabling environment and remove the bottlenecks that may impede this opportunity.
“The housing stock deficit that we have in Lagos is not acceptable, but we all know the government cannot provide everything. We certainly need to explore opportunities in private investment to ensure we realise our objective.
“Real estate business has the potential of contributing 25 per cent growth to the State’s economy and we cannot let this opportunity pass by.”
Sanwo-Olu said part of the efforts being made by the government to raise the investment level of real estate business is to improve the turnaround time on land transactions. He said the state government had started improvement work on its Geographic Information System (GIS) platform to enable real estate investors have real time information on status of property they are investing in.
The governor harped on lack of accurate data on real estate investment in the state, pledging that the state would be working with the practitioners to create workable database that would help investors and government. He added that his administration would introduce legislations that would help curb bad behaviors among tenants and property owners.
He disclosed that his administration would be launching a N5 billion seed capital through Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to support businesses that want to provide succour to citizens in different areas.
In his remarks, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, assured the stakeholders that the current administration was ready to regulate business and protect the citizens from abuse and fraudulent transactions.
Also speaking at the event, Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, said the incumbent administration would not fail in its social responsibility to the people and investors.
She said: “The reason for the emphasis on registration with the Real Estate Practitioners and Property Developers is to provide protection to citizens from imposters, fraudsters and reduce sharp practices associated with some unauthorised individuals who are not registered members of any professional association in Lagos and the country at large.
“I urge all stakeholders to join hands with the state government to eliminate dubious individuals in the Real Estate industry and deal with them in accordance with relevant laws of the state.
“This way, the integrity of the business will be restored and international investment will increase. LASRERA portal will provide local and foreign investors with the relevant data analytics for market transparency and intelligence that will help the growth and development of the real estate sector.”
In what appeared to be a self-appraisal and telling hard truth to whoever cares to listen, President Muhammadu Buhari Friday revealed how he simplified the process that led to the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over his own party, All Progressives Congress (APC), at the just concluded Edo State governorship election.
While noting that his single desire is to make sure that innocent Nigerians don’t suffer regardless of party affiliation, the President disclosed his personal position ahead of Edo poll, saying: “If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist is, nobody should go and raise a counter force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.”
These revelations were disclosed in a statement by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
The statement said the President specifically ordered the security agencies to protect Nigerians, explaining that the Nigerian leader wanted Nigerians to appreciate that he respected them as Nigerians and that he’s bound by the oath he has taken.
Speaking, while receiving in audience Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, his Deputy, Philip Shuaibu, and other party supporters on a thank-you-visit to State House in Abuja, Buhari declared that he’s doing his best to build a new APC based on a rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, from polling units to local governments, to states and to the federal level.
He said despite the fact that his party has lost some states in elections, he wished to leave behind a political culture based on integrity.
According to him, “I thank you for bringing your deputy and supporters to come and see me after beating my party. I am supposed to preside over all Nigerian interests whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer. That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair.
“If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist is, nobody should go and raise a counter force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.
“I want Nigerians to appreciate that I respect them as Nigerians and that I am bound by the oath I have taken, that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government, which I am leading.
“We have lost states across the country. Now I do not like to escape the responsibility, seeing as the leader of the country, I am also the leader of my party, that I am not leading the party very well.
“I am trying to make sure that the party is built on a civilised basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, right from polling units to local governments, to states up to Abuja and that’s what I have been insisting as my contribution to the National Working Committee and executive of the party. I know we are a developing country, a developing economy and trying to develop our political culture.
“I want the development of political culture to be based on integrity and accountability. Let people work very hard and earn what they are looking for through their hard work and through fair competition.”
He added jocularly that he was congratulating Edo State governor “reluctantly” because he defeated the candidate of his party.
In his remarks, Obaseki thanked the President for ensuring that fair play reigned during the election which saw him victorious.
He said: “You would recall a couple of weeks before the election, I came to see you and you assured me that we were going to have a free, peaceful and credible election. That is what we had during the election of 19th September and the whole world has acclaimed that Edo election was perhaps one of the best conducted in recent times in Nigeria.
“This could not have been possible without your insistence that the right things be done, and for that, we want to say thank you very much.”
He also thanked the President for his congratulatory message, assuring him that the message “has been internalised, that it is God that made this election possible, therefore I should be humble about the election and also magnanimous in victory.”
He pledged his unalloyed loyalty and support and that of the people of Edo State to the President and the Federal Government.
In the same.vein, Governor Obaseki met Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo in his office.
Obaseki said he visited the VP “In continuation of our ‘Thank You’ tour, as we continue to show appreciation to various stakeholders that contributed to the success of the Edo Governorship election on Saturday.
Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has kicked back at the Dapo Abiodun-led government, which had accused the erstwhile administration of negligence in an unpaid ₦106.9 Billion gratuity; leave bonus, contributory pension and promotion arrears due to workers, a situation that led to a strike action by labour union in the state on September 16, 2020.
In a rebuttal statement Friday titled- Ogun State Workers Strike Putting The Records Straight (2011-2019), signed and sent to Echotitbits by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in the Ibikunle Amosun administration, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, stated that: “our conscious decisions to stay in our lane were violated last week during the well-publicized Ogun State worker’s strike. In the defense by the current administration, references were made to matters relating to our administration which we believe for reasons of posterity needed to be corrected”.
Adeoluwa, accusing the Dapo Abiodun-led government of overstating an amount of N9.6B in figures pertaining to gratuity stated that: “A total sum of ₦22.9B was the outstanding Gratuity for Local Government and SUBEB as against the ₦32.5B published.
“It is instructive to note that a backlog of 3 years left by the previous administration was paid by our administration.”
The Amosun administration equally said it discovered that the liability under Leave Bonus was overstated by ₦1.6B as against the actual outstanding liability of ₦7.6B an amount of ₦9.6B was claimed in the publication.
“As we have done with all other staff related liabilities inherited by us from the previous administration, we also paid all outstanding inherited Leave Bonus liability from the previous Administration”, Adeoluwa stated in the statement.
Reacting to pension issues raised, the Amosun-administration said it identified the Contributory Pension Scheme as a very tricky one.
While it stated that the total liabilities stood at ₦41.4 Billion (State – ₦20.03B, LG & SUBEB – ₦21.37B), the Amosun-admiistration said it cannot be held responsible for the outstanding debts of ₦41.4B attributed to us.
”It was a good initiative, but badly implemented without cash backing by the administration before us. This led us to engage the Labour leaders, and subsequently the law setting up the scheme was therefore reviewed – allowing workers that will be retiring on or before 2025 to have the opportunity of opting for the old pension scheme arrangement.
“This obviously resulted in many civil and public servants opting for early retirement leading to high increase in the amount of resultant Gratuity liabilities and payments. We did this review to correct the faulty implementation of the programme and to give enough time to provide adequate fund (sinking fund) for effective and seamless running of the programme.
“We noticed also that the amount of ₦46.5 Billion published as the outstanding Contributory Pension liabilities was overstated by ₦5.1 Billion. As the total liabilities stood at ₦41.4 Billion (State – ₦20.03B, LG & SUBEB – ₦21.37B). Respectfully, we cannot therefore be held responsible for the outstanding debts of ₦41.4B attributed to us.”
On the issue of promotion arrears, the Amosun-administration said since by convention, the exercise for promotion for year 2018 will have to be conducted in 2019. It was the responsibility of the new administration to oversee the subsequent ones beginning from 2018.
It added that: “We conducted the one for year 2017, and was duly cash backed and paid.
“In view of this, we do not owe the ₦217M in respect of Promotion Arrears, as claimed in the publication.
“We wish to place on records that we made full disclosure of our financial status and deliberately included that of SUBEB and LGAs. This is more than we got when we took over government.
“The declared liabilities of ₦49.23B passed on to us by the previous government carefully excluded amounts outstanding and owed to the other tiers of government (the Local Government) which was material in amount, and all of which our Administration have since paid.
“We gained from our experience and financial analysis that without attaining a financial break-even point in the state IGR, the State will continue to lag behind in development. The foundation and trajectory for further growth of the State IGR which we had established ought to be reinforced by the current and indeed all succeeding Administration in order to meet up on its financial obligations to the Ogun workers and indeed all the good people of Ogun State.
“From the critical analyses and review of Ogun State finances vis-à-vis the current and future financial needs and development of the State, the financial break-even point for the State will be if and when the State attain the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) figure of at least ₦12.5 Billion. Without this, succeeding Administration will continue to encounter the same financial difficulties and crises.
“From the Financial Outlook of the State as contained in the Ogun State Development Plan (2017-2030), we were confident to predict that by year 2022, the State’s IGR will be between ₦12 Billion to ₦14 Billion monthly, while a further projected figure put it at ₦20 Billion per month by year 2025. This is no rocket science, but an outcome of a coordinated approach and well articulated plan laid out by our Administration.
The Amosun-administration however concluded that: “in light of this, it is expected that any succeeding administration after us will continue with the Ogun Standard way of thinking out of the box in order to take our dear State to the highest pedestal, whose foundation had already been laid by our Administration and the Contributions and Efforts of those GIANTS that came before us”.
In a statement issued September 17, where the state government reacted to the dispute and strike notice by labour in the state, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Adetokunbo Talabi, informed the striking workers that the state government inherited N106.9billion unpaid welfare package.
Talabi noted that government considered the abrupt withdrawal of the labour team and unilateral declaration of one-week strike as unfair, indecorous and violation of the principles of collective bargaining, adding that it was a surprise that labour would take the step even when the negotiation process was still on.
Read full text of the Amosun-administration rebuttal statement below.
OGUN STATE WORKERS STRIKE PUTTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT (2011-2019)
Since we left office in a blaze of glory and total thanksgiving to Almighty God after our tour of duty in May 2019, we have consciously refrained from joining issues with the successor regime in our beloved State. Despite mis-statements of facts in respect of programs and projects of our administration, we were resolved to keep our peace. Having done our level best for our people, we remain grateful to God Almighty and the good people of Ogun State for the opportunities availed us and for the privilege and enablement signposted by numerous legacy and life changing accomplishments that attended our administration.
2. However, our conscious decisions to stay in our lane were violated last week during the well-publicized Ogun State worker’s strike. In the defense by the current administration, references were made to matters relating to our administration which we believe for reasons of posterity needed to be corrected. TO BE PRECISE, IN THE NEWSPAPER
ADVERTS ON FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER, 2020, OUR ADMINISTRATION WAS ACCUSED OF LEAVING AMOUNT TOTALING N106.9 BILLION UNPAID IN RESPECT OF OGUN STATE WORKERS GRATUITY, LEAVE BONUS, CONTRIBUTORY PENSION AND PROMOTION ARREARS.
3. Our experience when we assumed office in May 2011 was not palatable. We met a State in dire need of urgent attention and timely intervention. In fact, we met a far more precarious Ogun State where there was near total absence of security for both lives and properties. Banks and other financial institutions could not operate anywhere in the Ogun East Senatorial District. The industrial climate was in comatose. Cultism, Kidnapping, Ritual related murder and unresolved assassination were the identities of a once peaceful and progressive people of Ogun State. In the World Bank Ease of Doing Business 2010 ranking, Ogun State was ranked 36 out of the 37 States including FCT peer reviewed. It was also adjudged the worst State to live by several reputable rating bodies. Infrastructural deficit, decay and retardation were common place. But with the help of God and the support of the good people of Ogun State, we are humbled by the well acknowledged testimonial that we left behind a peaceful, prosperous, and progressive State that we are so proud of, and were so proud to serve.
4. On the issue of Ogun State workers, our administration inherited accumulated arrears of unpaid salaries Deductions, pension, gratuity and associated liabilities. The then outgoing administration on the eve of the elections, committed to a number of new liabilities under pressure and retrospectively backdated in some instances the commencement from January, 2009. For instance, pension payments to retired Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Service got jacked up by Executive fiat from ₦40,000 to ₦400,000; and, from ₦45,000 to ₦450,000; monthly, respectively. The implication was that from the end of our first full month in office, June, 2011, the monthly pension of civil and public servants went up astronomically. We paid this unfailingly throughout our tenure; May, 2011 – May, 2019.
5. Then came the National minimum wage barely a few days after we took office. Ogun State under our watch took the credit as the first State in the South West to begin the payment of that new minimum wage in August 2011, applying fully the Consequential Adjustment that benefited all cadre of staff from Level 01 to 17. With that, the monthly emoluments paid to Ogun State workers, both civil and public servants increased by more than ₦1.6 Billion monthly within the first Three (3) months of our administration. We are grateful to God that despite the enormous wage bill, we did not owe monthly salaries and pensions (both to State and Local Governments) from May, 2011 to May, 2019, and we cleared all salary deductions for the same period before we left office.
6. To put the record straight and for the purpose of posterity, we shall hereby address the issues relating to the financial liabilities of ₦106.9 Billion claimed to have been left unpaid by our administration.
A GRATUITY
(i) (State Workers)
YEAR AMOUNT PAID
Jan 2009 – May 2011 ₦ 5,642,119,495.41
June 2011 – Dec 2013 ₦14,977,316,036.44
Total (Paid) ₦20,619,435,531.85
Jan 2014 – Dec 2016*** ₦10,808,277,510.65
Total (Assumed Paid) ₦31,427,713,042.50
Outstanding Liability
YEAR AMOUNT OWED
Jan 2017 – May 2019 ₦7,635,425,007.44
***The ₦10.6B refund from the Federal Government owed to our administration and earmarked specifically (and which was clearly stated in the handover notes) for the Gratuity payment for period January 2014 to December 2016 was blocked together with the ₦5.7B May 2019 Statutory Allocation from the Federation Account (which was to be used specifically to augment the May, 2019 Workers’ Salary) by the present administration in early May 2019, before they assumed office. The refund of ₦10.6 Billion was paid in early July 2019, barely 6 weeks into the new administration, while the ₦5.7 Billion was paid in the first week of June, 2019.
A total of ₦20.69B was paid and ₦10.6B provided for, totaling ₦31.4B by our administration for the period between January 2009 to December 2016.
For the record, the total outstanding Gratuity to the State workers stood at ₦7,635,425,007.44 at the end of our administration in 29 May, 2019.
(ii) Local Government and SUBEB as at May, 2019)
SUBEB – ₦18,705,681,760.97
Local Government – ₦4,208,956,965.27
TOTAL – ₦22,914,638,726.24
A total sum of ₦22.9B was the outstanding Gratuity for Local Government and SUBEB as against the ₦32.5B published. Leaving an overstated amount of ₦9.6B.
NB
It is instructive to note that a backlog of 3 years left by the previous administration was paid by our administration.
We equally discovered that the liability under Leave Bonus was overstated by ₦1.6B. As against the actual outstanding liability of ₦7.6B an amount of ₦9.6B was claimed in the publication.
NB
As we have done with all other staff related liabilities inherited by us from the previous administration, we also paid all outstanding inherited Leave Bonus liability from the previous Administration.
I. CONTRIBUTORY PENSION LIABILITIES
The Contributory Pension Scheme has been identified as a very tricky one. It was a good initiative, but badly implemented without cash backing by the administration before us. This led us to engage the Labour leaders, and subsequently the law setting up the scheme was therefore reviewed – allowing workers that will be retiring on or before 2025 to have the opportunity of opting for the old pension scheme arrangement. This obviously resulted in many civil and public servants opting for early retirement leading to high increase in the amount of resultant Gratuity liabilities and payments. We did this review to correct the faulty implementation of the programme and to give enough time to provide adequate fund (sinking fund) for effective and seamless running of the programme. We noticed also that the amount of ₦46.5 Billion published as the outstanding Contributory Pension liabilities was overstated by ₦5.1 Billion. As the total liabilities stood at ₦41.4 Billion (State – ₦20.03B, LG & SUBEB – ₦21.37B). Respectfully, we cannot therefore be held responsible for the outstanding debts of ₦41.4B attributed to us.
II. PROMOTION ARREARS
By convention, the exercise for promotion for year 2018 will have to be conducted in 2019. We conducted the one for year 2017, and was duly cash backed and paid. It was the responsibility of the new administration to oversee the subsequent ones beginning from 2018. In view of this, we do not owe the ₦217M in respect of Promotion Arrears, as claimed in the publication.
7. We wish to place on records that we made full disclosure of our financial status and deliberately included that of SUBEB and LGAs. This is more than we got when we took over government. The declared liabilities of ₦49.23B passed on to us by the previous government carefully excluded amounts outstanding and owed to the other tiers of government (the Local Government) which was material in amount, and all of which our Administration have since paid.
8. We gained from our experience and financial analysis that without attaining a financial break-even point in the state IGR, the State will continue to lag behind in development. The foundation and trajectory for further growth of the State IGR which we had established ought to be reinforced by the current and indeed all succeeding Administration in order to meet up on its financial obligations to the Ogun workers and indeed all the good people of Ogun State.
From the critical analyses and review of Ogun State finances vis-à-vis the current and future financial needs and development of the State, the financial break-even point for the State will be if and when the State attain the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) figure of at least ₦12.5 Billion. Without this, succeeding Administration will continue to encounter the same financial difficulties and crises.
9. The improved SECURITY and massive INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT embarked upon by our Administration
resulted in improved economic activities which attracted private sector participation of both Local and Foreign Direct Investments which in turn led to the massive increase in the IGR from the paltry ₦700 Million monthly that we met upon assumption in May, 2011, to about ₦7 Billion monthly by the time we left in May, 2019. Indeed, in the year 2016 and 2017 Report by the Manufacturers Association of
Nigeria (MAN) and the report conducted by Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC), Ogun State was adjudged to have attracted 75% of all manufacturing related FDIs into Nigeria. Under our watch, Ogun State became the Industrial Capital of Nigeria. We are humbled that we attracted over 140 new Industries which individually invested between $200 million and some few instances up to $2 billion in Ogun State. One of such Industries is the $250 million International Breweries Plant in Bara, Obafemi Owode Local Government. The plant is the largest investment of the ABInBev Group in Africa, outside of South Africa. This is not to mention several others who invested below $200 million individually.
All of these were made possible through our financial re-engineering and the enabling environment that our Administration provided for businesses to thrive.
If our Administration could increase the State IGR astronomically from N700 million monthly to N7 billion monthly within the period of 8 years (2011-2019), then, clearly, there is NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.
CONCLUSION
10. Let it be noted that our Administration did not start from ‘Ground Zero’ in terms of outstanding liabilities related to Ogun State workers – Salary, Emoluments and Allowances. Rather, with the help of God and the support of the good people of Ogun State, as well as our Administration’s commitment and resolve to leave Ogun State better than we met it, we are proud to say that we have been able to put our dear State on auto drive, particularly in the area of improved IGR. The Ogun State we left behind can be likened to an Economic Volcano that is already erupting!.
From the Financial Outlook of the State as contained in the Ogun State Development Plan (2017-2030), we were confident to predict that by year 2022, the State’s IGR will be between ₦12 Billion to ₦14 Billion monthly, while a further projected figure put it at ₦20 Billion per month by year 2025. This is no rocket science, but an outcome of a coordinated approach and well articulated plan laid out by our Administration.
11. In light of this, it is expected that any succeeding administration after us will continue with the Ogun Standard way of thinking out of the box in order to take our dear State to the highest pedestal, whose foundation had already been laid by our Administration and the Contributions and Efforts of those GIANTS that came before us.
12. Finally, we thank the organized Labour in Ogun State for calling off the strike. As two wrongs will never make a right, we encourage Labour to consider that though strike is a legitimate weapon to drive demands, it should always be the last resort for reasons that the good people of Ogun State will ultimately be the victims of such disagreement between Government and Labour. As stakeholders, we all must endeavor to cast differences aside and work together for the development of our great State.
God bless Ogun State.
Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa
Secretary To The Ogun State Government (2011-2019)
Dated this 24th September, 2020.
Abeokuta, Ogun State
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