The Defender

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has agreed to pay the sum of N22, 500 as new minimum wage for workers, as against the existing N18,000. Chairman of the Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. He explained that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the governors where they deliberated on the new minimum wage after a briefing from the forum’s representatives at the Tripartite Committee. The governor noted that the welfare of the people was the ultimate concern for the forum, lamenting the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of the populace. Before agreeing to a figure, he explained that the governors considered the stride of development in their states, particularly in health, education and infrastructure. Governor Yari added that the meeting did not take a position that would only reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on the ability and capacity of t...

President Muhammadu Buhari is calling for calm among Nigerians ahead of the 2019 general elections. The president made the call in a message delivered by the minister of state for petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu at a conference where he stressed the need for free and fair polls. Keynote speaker at the event and human rights lawyer Femi Falana said with the recent gains in crude oil sale Nigeria has no business getting more foreign loans. As political parties prepare for campaigns ahead of the 2019 elections, the need to maintain calmness for a peaceful election took the centre stage at the oil workers CONFAB in Abuja. President Buhari re-echoed the call for rancour-free polls. Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign was particularly of interest to Human Rights lawyer Femi Falana. Falana faulted government’s continuous quest for loans. The human rights lawyer also agreed with labour leaders that a new minimum wage must be implemented immediately to reduce the sufferings of citizens. ...

The federal government says it will soon commence the payment of outstanding export expansion grants estimated at over one trillion naira through the promissory note programme. The executive director Nigerian export promotion council, Segun Awolowo, at a meeting with interest groups in Lagos said the programme will be implemented after the national assembly reconvenes and gives its approval. Awolowo who was represented by a director in the council, Abdullahi Sidi-Aliyu, said government had processed the promissory notes and concluded plans to start payment. Major exporters, including the chairman manufactures association of Nigeria export group said the suspension of the export expansion grant was responsible for the drop in non-oil export revenue. The exporters are however optimistic that the re- introduction of the EEG and payment of outstanding ones will boost export activities and increase the non-oil export revenue soon.

The presidency has stepped up efforts to convince labor unions in the country to call off their strike following the earlier meeting at which the government accepted their demand to reconvene the tripartite meeting on the proposed new national minimum wage. Presidency Intensifies Moves To End Strike The meeting between the labour leadership and the representatives of the employers of labor is now scheduled to reconvene on Thursday 4th October. By its tripartite nature, the committee is made up of persons from the public sector, federal and state governments as well as the private sector made up of the largest private employer group and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA). Other members include the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES). The presidency in a statement assured Nigerians that the f...

No fewer than thirty communities on the fringes of the bank of river Niger in Anambra state have been submerged by flood. Residents of the four worst hit council areas of Anambra east and west, Ogbaru and Anyamelum are counting their losses as the authorities battle to provide aid materials. A newly tarred road leading to the economic nerve center, the water front market and the palace of Igwe Victor Awogu of Ossomala community in Ogbaru council area of Anambra state has been overtaken by the flood. The water level from the river Niger has submerged the community rendering most residents homeless. This has been the bitter yearly experience, during every raining season, by most riverine communities in Anambra state, south east Nigeria. People here want the government, particularly officials of the emergency agencies to come to their aid. Buildings and household properties, businesses, economic trees, farmlands as well as agricultural produce have been lost to the devasta...

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it has moved victims of Kogi flood into hostels in the state. Director-General of the agency, Mr Mustapha Maihaja, stated this on Wednesday during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television. “In Kogi State, the Presidential Committee on Flood, Relieve and Rehabilitation has constructed two hostels, we have moved the affected victims into these hostels,” he said. According to Maihaja, the agency took the responsibility of feeding residents of the state that were sacked by the unfortunate flood. He, however, explained that it was made possible following an effective partnership with the Kogi State Government. NEMA boss reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to cater for the health challenges of the displaced persons. He stated that the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with the state government activated the National Emergency Operations Centre and five Territorial Operati...

The federal government says it will continue to reform the procurement process to reduce abandoned projects and fraud in the country. The director general Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Mamman Ahmadu and the secretary to the government of the federation Boss Mustapha represented at the procurement meeting in Lagos said that the government will sustain ongoing reforms, properly coordinate procurement process and reduce sharp practices that are usually associated with procurement issues. They added that public procurement officers have a crucial role to play in national infrastructure development as well as the delivery on the reforms. The government said it is putting together a policy document crucial to the development of officers and help address challenges encountered in the procurement process.

The Bill and Melinda gates foundation has expressed concerns over Nigeria’s economy following the rising use of local government’s councils as conduit pipes by states to incure more debts. The associate programmes officer of the foundation in Nigeria, Chisom Okechukwu who expressed the concern in Abuja said the facts are contained in a 9-months long research carried out across the country in partnership with a research group; budget Nigeria. The research tagged “state of the states” also reveals natural resources available for exports in each state of the federation, which have remained untapped due to over-dependence on oil

The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi says the current level of work on the Lagos-Ibadan rail project is unsatisfactory. Amaechi who was on the monthly inspection of the project by his team, said that the major challenge facing the project now is where to site the railway stations along the various corridors. He explained that the slow pace of work was due to the rains, adding that the contractor handling the project has however given assurance that work would step up once the rains abate. The minister said rail tracks have been laid through a distance of about twelve kilometres noting that the track laying would be easy after the earth work must have been completed. He charged the construction company to work day and night to meet up with the December twenty eighteen deadline.

Lawyers at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association  Conference have called on African Nations to appreciate themselves in the areas where Africans have performed well rather than dwelling on the Negatives.                                                        President Nana Akufo-Addo At an Interactive Session, on Monday, Keynote Speaker President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and  the Emir of Kano,  Sanusi Lamido  Sanusi want African Countries to draw references on how to utilise their Services to boost their Economies. Both men also spoke on the Security challenges on the African Continent. Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami  Abubakar and others also took time out to bare to their minds on other burning issues. The NBA Conference continues  till Friday

The Lagos State Government has announced that the Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened today by 5:00 pm. The government revealed this in a statement on Sunday by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr Taiwo Salaam. The announcement comes three days after the bridge was temporarily closed for Investigative Maintenance Test. The state government explained that the decision to reopen the bridge earlier than announced followed the completion of the test by engineers. It thanked motorists and residents for their cooperation and patience while the closure lasted. The state government, in partnership with the Federal Government, had temporarily shut the bridge for the Investigative Maintenance Test with the closure initially scheduled to last from midnight of Thursday last week to midnight of Sunday.

The police in the state accused the protesting women of being members of the proscribed separatist agitation group, the indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB. The presidential aspirant who was at the owerri prison where the women were cramped said the arrest was a gross abuse of their fundamental rights. Moghalu urged Nigerians to rise and condemn the police high handedness. He also expressed worry over the manner Nigerian security agencies operate  The suspected IPOB members who stormed the streets of owerri in their hundreds were demanding for the release of Nnamdi Kanu whose whereabouts remains unknown after security operatives stormed his home in Afara-Ibeku, Umuahia, Abai state

The Nigerian government has approved the “zero draft” committee by the service welfare office to prepare a more implementable pre-retirement welfare policy to be presented to the federal executive council. Permanent secretary service welfare, office of the head of service, Didi Walson-Jack said this during an interactive session with participants of batches two to seven of the pilot phase of the pre-retirement programme. Some participants appreciated government’s desires to provide soon-to-retire civil servants with means of survival after disengagement from the service. aitonline.tv/post-fg_prepares_new_pre_retirement_policy

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop further investigations into the finances of the Benue State Government pending the hearing and determination of the suit filed by the state. Although all the parties were represented in court by their counsel, the vacation judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, insisted that he needs to study the case file, as it was coming to him for the first time. Subsequently, he adjourned the hearing of the suit to August 29, 2018, after issuing a preservative order, warning all the parties to desist from taking further steps that would destroy the subject matter of the case before the court. The EFCC had frozen the accounts of the state government domiciled in three banks on August 7, saying it was investigating alleged abuse of the state’s security votes. The Attorney General of the state, through an originating summons subsequently challenged the powers of the EFCC to investigate or i...

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has destroyed fake and unwholesome products with a value of about N464 million. According to a statement from the agency on Saturday, the goods were destroyed at a dump along Bajoga Road in the capital city of Gombe State. The drugs include antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, antiretroviral, cancer drugs, anti-malaria, and herbal remedies. Other items destroyed are controlled drugs such as codeine-containing cough syrup and tramadol, as well as tomato paste, non-alcoholic beverages, maize flour, and insecticides. The statement read, “The counterfeit, fake and unwholesome products destroyed were seized from companies that engaged in sharp practices by gallant and committed NAFDAC officers during surveillance and enforcement activities. “Other products were voluntarily handed over to the NAFDAC by compliant companies, sister agencies, and associations.” The agency assured Nigerians that it would conti...

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President Bukola Saraki have joined leaders across the world to pay tribute to former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Annan. Both leaders mourned the diplomat in a series of tweets on Saturday, hours after the news of his death broke. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are also part of the leaders who paid respect to Annan. The Ghanaian diplomat died on Saturday morning at the age of 80 in Switzerland after a brief illness. He served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from January 1997 to December 2006. He was also the first African to win the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the United Nations in 2001. See the tweets by former President Goodluck Jonathan and others below; Goodluck E. Jonathan ✔ @GEJonathan I am deeply saddened by the death of @ KofiAnnan , a world-renowned icon of peace and diplomacy. He was a distinguis...