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Tag: Federal Government

  • Senate Moves to Increase FG Revenue Share, Cites Security Burden

    Senate Moves to Increase FG Revenue Share, Cites Security Burden

    The Senate has commenced legislative action to amend the 1999 Constitution in a bid to increase the Federal Government’s share of national revenue, arguing that the current allocation formula is no longer capable of sustaining the country’s mounting national obligations.

    At present, the Federal Government receives 52.68 per cent of the nation’s revenue, while the 36 states get 26.72 per cent and the 774 local government councils receive 20.60 per cent.

    The proposed amendment is contained in a bill sponsored by Sunday Karimi, which passed first reading during plenary on Tuesday.

    Addressing journalists after the session, Karimi said the existing revenue sharing arrangement has become grossly inadequate for the Federal Government, especially in the face of deepening infrastructure collapse and worsening security challenges nationwide.

    He maintained that the formula, which has remained largely unchanged for years, no longer reflects current realities and places disproportionate financial pressure on the Federal Government.

    “The revenue allocation formula is outdated and unsustainable. It fails to provide the Federal Government with sufficient resources to meet its constitutional responsibilities,” Karimi said.

    He pointed to the deplorable state of federal roads across the country, noting that the burden of construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance continues to rest squarely on the Federal Government despite dwindling funds.

    Karimi also highlighted the escalating cost of internal security, stressing that massive resources are being channelled into combating banditry, terrorism, and other violent crimes threatening national stability.

    According to him, persistent funding gaps have weakened the capacity of the military and other security agencies to effectively prosecute the war against terrorism.

    “The Federal Government is stretched thin. The responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, maintaining critical infrastructure, and preserving national unity cannot be met under the current revenue framework,” he said.

    The senator argued that increasing the Federal Government’s share of national revenue would provide the financial leverage needed to reinforce security operations, repair critical infrastructure, and stabilise governance at the centre.

    The move is expected to reignite intense debate within the Senate of Nigeria, as well as among state governments and local councils, many of which have consistently opposed any reduction in their revenue shares.

    If passed, the proposed constitutional amendment would represent a major shift in Nigeria’s fiscal structure and could significantly redefine the balance of financial power among the three tiers of government.

  • Economic hardship: FG slashes stranded foreign scholars’ allowances

    Economic hardship: FG slashes stranded foreign scholars’ allowances

    The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has announced a slash in allowances of foreign scholars who are currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others by 12.7%.

    The ministry attributed the development to economic crises.

     Nigerian students studying in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and other countries, on the Federal Government’s scholarship lamented their unpaid stipends for eight months running.

    The students are studying under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship.

    The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries.

    The Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.

    The government’s decision to slash the scholars’ allowances was contained in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.

    “After due consultations, the Federal Scholarship Board has come up with adjustments in line with budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholar’s supplementation allowances for the 2024 academic year,” the memo, dated July 23, 2024, and addressed to the scholars’ association, read.

    According to the memo, the monthly allowances were slashed from $500 to $220; the graduation allowance from $2500 to $2000; and the PG research allowance was slashed from $1,000 to $500, among others.

    The total for the payments initially paid was $5,650 per student but will now be $4,370

    “The Scholars’ Association is hereby notified that due to the prevailing economic situation, the payment mandate for the BEA scholars’ allowances will be as per the new adjustment.

    “The balances for the years 2023 and 2024 owed to scholars will be paid as soon as the funds are made available,” the ministry said.

  • NLC accepts N70,000 as new national minimum wage

    NLC accepts N70,000 as new national minimum wage

    By Doris Isreal Ijeoma

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accepted the offer of N70,000 as the new National Minimum Wage, as proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a meeting at the Presidential Villa on July 18, 2024. 

    This was disclosed in a statement via NLC’s X handle on Friday, July 19.

    This decision was made during an emergency treatment National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 19, 2024.

    The statement reads:”The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) convened today in an emergency meeting in response to the outcomes of the Meeting with the federal government which held yesterday, the 18th of July, 2024 at the Presidential Villa with the new National Minimum Wage in focus.

    “The President of the Federation, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presided over the meeting.

    “The NEC-in-session after extensive deliberations, unanimously:
    1. Commended and applauded the doggedness of the leadership of the Congress on the courage and forthrightness with which they handled the National Minimum Wage fixing exercise
    2. Accepted the President’s offer of N70,000 (Seventy thousand Naira) as the new National Minimum Wage and the 3-yearly tenure for its review.
    3. Demanded full and strict compliance by all to the dictates of the National
    Minimum Wage 2024 when it becomes an Act.”

    “NEC-in-session concluded that this decision, though challenging and far from our initial demand, was made in the spirit of solidarity and sacrifice for Nigerian masses to avert a threatened further hike in the price of Petrol which would inflict more hardship on the already suffering masses.

    “Once again, NEC-in-session restates the commitment of the NLC to continue to stand resolutely in its mission to defend and advance the rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerian people at all times. It therefore calls on all Nigerians to unite in this cause and to hold our leaders accountable to the same standards of sacrifice and service.”

  • BREAKING:Heavy Security As SSANU, NASU Members Gather In Abuja For Nationwide Protest

    BREAKING:Heavy Security As SSANU, NASU Members Gather In Abuja For Nationwide Protest

    By Doris Isreal Ijeoma

    There is heavy security at the Unity Fountain in Abuja as a group of demonstrators from the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) gathered to participate in a nationwide protest.

    Several protesters have already arrived at the Unity Fountain, but some have been prevented from entering by security personnel.

    Following some commotion from the protesters, the gate has been opened, and the demonstrators have now used their trucks to block the entrance to the Unity Fountain.

    The protesters are calling for the release of their four months’ unpaid salaries and the reevaluation of the 2010 agreement with the Federal Government, among other requests.

    In 2022, both unions, along with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, went on a prolonged strike.

    While the SSANU and NASU strikes lasted four months, the ASUU strike continued for eight months.

    Despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the affected staff to receive their four-month salaries, SSANU and NASU members allege that they have not been paid, unlike ASUU members.

    Both unions have urged their members to participate in a nationwide protest on July 9 at all state chapters, with a subsequent national protest planned for Abuja today.

  • 190 Nigerians Repatriated From UAE, Land in Abuja Amid Suspension of Travel Ban

    190 Nigerians Repatriated From UAE, Land in Abuja Amid Suspension of Travel Ban

    The Nigerian government has confirmed the repatriation of 190 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Zonal Director NEMA North Central, Bashir Idris Garga. 

    He said the returnees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 6am on Tuesday by a combined team of government officials led by NEMA.

    According to NEMA, “The returnees were profiled and documented by the relevant agencies and sensitised to behave with decorum and responsibility on their return to Nigeria.

    “The federal government urges all Nigerians, wherever they may be, to act as exemplary ambassadors of their country, upholding the fundamental values of patriotism, rule of law, decency, and integrity.”

    This comes as the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government on Monday announced that the UAE had lifted its visa ban on Nigerians.

    The Nigerian government had said it reached an agreement with the UAE that would enable Nigerians to access UAE visas.

    They had previously imposed a visa restriction on Nigerian citizens in October 2022. Additionally, the Emirates Airlines had suspended its flight operations to Nigeria in November 2022.  

  • LG Autonomy: ‘FG Cannot Tell Us What To Do In Oyo State ‘ – Seyi Makinde 

    LG Autonomy: ‘FG Cannot Tell Us What To Do In Oyo State ‘ – Seyi Makinde 

    By Doris Isreal Ijeoma

    Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Federal Government is not superior to states in exercising each other’s constitutional roles.

    Makinde made this known in Ibadan at an emergency consultative meeting with stakeholders on Monday to appraise last week’s Supreme Court judgement, which granted financial autonomy to the local government areas across the nation.

    He maintained that the judgment had created a constitutional lacuna that would throw up different challenges at the local government level.

    The Governor stressed that though he was not opposing transparency in the councils, the Supreme Court judgment “is not a silver bullet that will wash away Nigeria’s problems.”

    He said, “I called this meeting because I felt that even though we have not seen the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court, we have to be proactive and discuss the decision of the Supreme Court as it concerns the financial autonomy of the local government councils because I believe a lacuna has been created between the decision and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that we all swore to uphold.

    “The law is the law and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court. But it behoves on us to look for our own homegrown solutions that can ensure that we have transparency and that our people do not suffer. This is because when two elephants are fighting it is the grass that will suffer.”

    Speaking further, Makinde said his administration has been doing what was right, including clearing the backlog of debts owed to workers and pensioners at the council level and fixing the infrastructure deficit in the PHCs and the inner roads.

    He added, “I am saying this because Oyo State will get out of this even stronger. We are people that know what is good for our people. We can run our own affairs, the Federal Government is not superior constitutionally to the state government. Well, they have more resources than the state, but their jurisdiction is coordinated, so we can do what is right in Oyo state, and we have been doing what is right.

    “Before we came in, leave bonuses were last paid in 2017 and we have paid for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Primary Health Care facilities, inner roads were all in bad shape. But we have been working collaboratively with the LGs to deliver dividends of democracy to our people.

    “We were able to clear those salary arrears. We paid N18 billion in pension and gratuities over this period. We upgraded about 209 PHCs, equipped about 264, and completed 60 model schools. We constructed and renovated hundreds of primary school classrooms and fixed some of our roads.

    “But there are still challenges that we have to address. We still have a backlog of gratuities and pensions. The local governments owe about N55 billion in pension and gratuities. We are developing infrastructure that would push the economy and raise the living standard of their people and push their economy towards sustainable goals.”

  • FG Issues Warning To Civil Servants Leaking Official Documents

    FG Issues Warning To Civil Servants Leaking Official Documents

    The Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, has taken a firm stance against the increasing leakage of sensitive official documents. 

    Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan emphasized the need for permanent secretaries to expedite the transition to a digital workflow system to mitigate the embarrassment caused by these leaks.

    A stern warning was issued, stating that any civil servant caught leaking documents would face severe consequences in accordance with relevant regulations. 

    The memo tagged HCSF/3065/VI/189 reads, “It has been observed with dismay, the increase in the cases of leakage of sensitive official documents in Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This is very embarrassing to the government and therefore unacceptable.

    “As part of the efforts to curb this undesirable development, all permanent secretaries are to fast-track the migration to the digitalised workflow system, and ensure effective deployment of the Enterprise Content Management Solution,

    “This will reduce physical contact with official documents thereby checking the increasing incidence of leakage and circulation of same.

    “Furthermore, permanent secretaries are advised to strongly warn all staff against leaking and circulating official information and documents.

    “Any officer caught engaging in such unbecoming act will be severely dealt with in line with the relevant provisions of the Public Service Rules and other extant circulars.”

    This move comes in response to recent public outrage over leaked memos disclosing financial allocations and plans by government committees, prompting calls for investigations by Civil Society Organisations and organized labour.

  • Nigerian Red Cross Raises Alarm Over Escalating Hunger Crisis

    Nigerian Red Cross Raises Alarm Over Escalating Hunger Crisis

    The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) has issued a dire warning regarding the deepening hunger crisis in Nigeria, urging immediate action to address the escalating situation. Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Kende, Secretary General of the NRCS, delivered the stark message during a press briefing held in Abuja yesterday.

    Dr. Kende expressed grave concern over the worsening food insecurity gripping the nation, attributing it to factors such as hyperinflation fueled by surging fuel prices. He revealed that an estimated 26.5 million Nigerians, including vulnerable groups such as women and children, are currently grappling with acute hunger and require urgent assistance to avert further suffering and loss of life.

    The announcement comes amidst mounting protests against food shortages and soaring living costs, with demonstrations spreading to cities like Ibadan, where protesters defied police warnings to demand action from the government.

    At the launch of a partnership between the Red Cross and Ecobank aimed at mobilizing local resources for the hunger crisis appeal, Dr. Kende underscored the precarious situation faced by vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. He disclosed alarming statistics, revealing that nearly 4.41 million children and 585,000 mothers are confronting acute malnutrition, with approximately 1,000 Nigerian children succumbing to malnutrition-related causes daily.

    Dr. Kende emphasized the multifaceted nature of the crisis, citing factors such as changing weather patterns, heightened internal conflicts, and the enduring impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Urging swift action, he stated, “The time to act is now.”

    The partnership with Ecobank aims to mobilize funds locally to support the hunger crisis appeal and deliver essential relief to affected communities. Dr. Kende outlined various initiatives, including the provision of multipurpose cash grants for emergency relief and recovery, nutritional support for pregnant and lactating mothers, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions to mitigate disease prevalence.

    In conclusion, Dr. Kende called upon individuals, businesses, and organizations to unite in supporting government efforts to address the crisis. He underscored the pivotal role that corporate entities like Ecobank Nigeria can play in contributing to the nation’s welfare.

    The Nigerian Red Cross, in collaboration with partners and volunteers across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, stands poised to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of communities hardest hit by acute hunger.

  • EFCC Reportedly Arrest FUTA Students During Midnight Raid

    EFCC Reportedly Arrest FUTA Students During Midnight Raid

    Some persons believed to be operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly conducted a late-night operation at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in Ondo State. 

    According to reports, student residences were breached around 2 am, with some students taking to social media to share videos claiming that the individuals forcibly entered rooms and arrested several students. 

    Social media footage also appears to depict damaged window frames, suggesting attempted forced entry. 

    One social media user, J Brandy, criticized the incident, questioning the continuation of nighttime raids despite a directive from EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede in November to cease such operations. 

    Brandy wrote, “I thought they said EFCC should not raid at nights again. This hostel (Celebrity Lodge, FUTA ) is right behind mine. When will this endemic? EFCC (officials) moving like thieves at night!”

    This directive to stop midnight sting operations came following widespread condemnation after EFCC operatives arrested suspected internet fraudsters in Ile-Ife, Osun State. 

  • Police Declares Same-Sex Marriage Illegal, Vows To Arrest Perpetrators

    Police Declares Same-Sex Marriage Illegal, Vows To Arrest Perpetrators

    The Nigeria Police Force has warned Nigerians to steer clear of same-sex marriage as it is illegal in the country, saying anyone caught in the act of same-sex marriage in the country would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who issued the warning on Thursday in a statement, said that in accordance with the Nigerian Criminal Code Act applicable in Southern states of Nigeria, unnatural offences are prohibited under Sections 214 to 217.

    According to Adejobi, the prohibition is re-echoed by Section 284 of the Nigerian Penal Code applicable in the Northern part of the country.

    He said that “Following recent trend on social media where some individuals who identify as queer were visibly encouraging and associating themselves with activities perceived to be unnatural in light of Nigerian Laws, the Nigeria Police Force hereby wishes to enlighten the public on the legal aspects concerning unnatural offences and same-sex marriage within the country.

    “In accordance with the Nigerian Criminal Code Act applicable in Southern States, unnatural offences are prohibited under Sections 214 to 217.

    “These sections specifically criminalize acts considered unnatural, such as having carnal knowledge of a person, or permitting a person to have carnal knowledge of one against the order of nature, or having carnal knowledge of an animal, and those found guilty may face legal consequences as outlined by the law.

    “This is re-echoed by Section 284 of the Nigerian Penal Code applicable in the Northern part of the country.

    “Similarly, it is imperative to note that same-sex marriage is strictly prohibited in Nigeria. The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 criminalizes the solemnization, operation, and public display of same-sex marriages.

    “We therefore emphasize the importance of understanding and adhering to these laws as any violation will be met with due legal processes.

    “We remain dedicated to maintaining law and order and call on all citizens to report all suspicious activities related to unnatural offences or same-sex marriage, providing crucial information that will aid our efforts to enforce the law.

    “We need to collectively kick against such while we urge parents and guardians to take note and support the Police in the fight against such inhuman activities which are alien to our culture and also punishable under the law.”