The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Lagos: minimum wage implementation a done deal

    The implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage is a done deal in Lagos State, the Head of Service (HoS), Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said yesterday.

    He spoke while answering questions from reporters after addressing them on the Public Service day in his office at the State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

    He said there seemed to be delay in implementation because the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, “which came on board on May 29, is just trying to settle down.”

    “The governor has just taken over the reins of administration. In the meantime consolidating on getting all the facts and figures regarding our current financial status.

    Read Also: What Lagosians expect from Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat

    “And as soon as all of those are done, it will be a matter of whether we are implementing the minimum wage, our own minimum wage or whether or not there are other incentives that will be added. It will definitely take off in the nearest possible shortest time”.

    The theme for this year’s celebration is “Achieving sustainable development goals through effective delivery of services, innovative transformation and accountable institutions.”

    Muri-Okunola said the  day which is celebrated yearly globally on June 23 is to recognise the value of service to humanity, appreciate, and recognise workers in the public service and highlight their contributions to development efforts worldwide.

    “It has become imperative since 2001 to organise the event in the state. The commemoration provides an excellent opportunity to appreciate the productive and outstanding efforts of the public servants towards effective and efficient delivery of high quality public service,” he said

    The HoS said this year’s celebration has been postponed to August because of certain exigencies so as “to allow for proper preparation for the series of events for the weeklong event”.

  • Visa: Woman ‘impersonates’ Lagos govt’s official

    A woman (name withheld) has been arrested for allegedly impersonating official in the Lagos State Governor’s office.

    The middle-aged woman was arrested following intelligence on the usage of the Governor’s office to seek visas for some members of the public.

    She sent an e-mail to the Embassy of Italy in Lagos, posing as an official of Lagos State government and sought the country’s visas for some unsuspecting Nigerians.

    The embassy, however, wrote to the Governor’s office to authenticate the claims, which were later found to be false.

    Read Also: Man ‘impersonates’ Naval officer

    The letter from the Italian embassy led to further investigation and her subsequent arrest and interrogation.

    Although she denied the allegation, claiming that her email was hacked.

    Officials at the Lagos State Governor’s office had sent the matter to the appropriate security agencies for appropriate action.

    A statement by the Deputy Chief Press Secretary Gboyega Akosile said Lagos Governor’s office has alerted members of the public to be weary of some people who may fraudulently use the office to commit criminal act.

    “In the meantime, the office has warned members of the public not to deal with any persons who parade themselves as government representatives in consular matters,” Akosile said.

     

  • Police kill kidnap suspect in gun battle

    The Police have killed Mafutau Timileyin Sulaimon alias Pencil, described as a notorious kidnapper, in a gun battle.

    He fell under the susperior fire power of the police on Sunday night in Ikorodu, Lagos.

    Pencil was said to be the leader of the gang that killed two Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and two others at Odogunyan in Ikorodu on March 14 after collecting N1.6m ransom from the money changers.

    The bodies were recovered from a septic tank following the arrest of three members of the gang.

    It was gathered that the police stormed his hideout around 9:10pm and he allegedly opened fire on the team. Sergeants Omola Adedeji and Oluwadare Gbenga of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) were hit.

    In a statement yesterday,  police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said Pencil’s gang was behind the mysterious disappearance of some people in Ikorodu over a period of time.

    Read Also: Police kill notorious criminal in Rivers

    Elkana said: “They are serial killers, rapists and cultists. Three members of his gang were earlier arrested by SARS operatives and they led detectives to their den at Ikorodu where corpses of the two BDC operators and two other victims were recovered. A sustained monitoring of the fugitive ring leader finally yielded positive results as the team eventually traced him to his hideout at Odogunyan, Ikorodu.

    “On sighting the team led by DSP Rotimi Ogunmuyiwa, Pencil engaged them in a gun battle. Two SARS operatives – Sergeants Adedeji and Gbenga – sustained various degrees of injuries, while Pencil sustained bullet wound on his legs. They were all taken to the hospital and the said Pencil was confirmed dead on arrival.

    “The two injured operatives were taken to Intensive Care Unit and are responding to treatment. One gun with live ammunition as well as an expended ammunition were recovered.”

  • Trump dismisses UN request to investigate Khashoggi’s murder

    President Donald Trump has dismissed a United Nations request for the FBI to investigate the murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

    The investigation, he said, would jeopardise American weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.

    A report on Khashoggi’s assassination published last week by the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings said the US should open an FBI inquiry and “pursue criminal prosecutions within the United States, as appropriate”.

    But Trump brushed the proposal aside in an interview broadcast by NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.

    Asked if he would allow the FBI to investigate, Trump said: “I think it’s been heavily investigated.”

    Asked who had investigated, the president replied: “By everybody. I mean … I’ve seen so many different reports.”

    Khashoggi, 59, was a US resident who wrote for the Washington Post.

    He was killed and dismembered after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in last October, seeking paperwork he needed in order to marry.

    The UN report contains disturbing details of conversations between unidentified Saudis before and after Khashoggi’s arrival, based on transcripts provided by Turkish authorities.

    Khashoggi is referred to as a “sacrificial animal”. One Saudi official is quoted as asking whether it would “be possible to put the trunk in a bag”.

    Read Also: Why I stopped Iran strike – Trump

    Another replies: “No. Too heavy. It is not a problem. The body is heavy. First time I cut on the ground. If we take plastic bags and cut it into pieces, it will be finished. We will wrap each of them.”

    Transcripts of conversations after Khashoggi’s arrival at the consulate include the journalist saying: “There is a towel here. Are you going to give me drugs?”

    The reply: “We will anaesthetise you.”

    The UN special rapporteur blamed the Saudi government for the murder and said there was credible evidence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior officials were responsible.

    Trump told NBC the murder “really didn’t come up” in a call this week with the prince, a key ally of the president’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who among other responsibilities is charged with implementing a plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

    Trump also suggested Saudi Arabia was no worse than other states in the Middle East, which he called a “vicious, hostile place”, adding: “Look at Iran, look at other countries, I won’t mention names.”

    The president then cited a drastically overinflated figure for Saudi spending on US weapons that fact-checkers have previously noted does not match the official record.

    “I only say they spend $400bn to $450bn over a period of time, all money, all jobs, buying equipment,” Trump said.

    In fact Saudi Arabia last year signed “letters of offer and acceptance” for $14.5bn in military purchases from the US.

    The Senate last week voted to block the Trump administration selling arms to Saudi Arabia, seven Republicans joining Democrats to pass the measure.

    Read Also: Trump to announce bid for re-election at Florida rally

    Trump has pledged to use his presidential veto and push on with the sales.

    While denying he was saying such purchases were “the price” for Khashoggi’s murder, Trump on Sunday defended his consideration of arms sales in responding to the assassination.

    “I’m not like a fool that says, ‘We don’t want to do business with them,’” Trump said.

    “And by the way, if they don’t do business with us, you know what they do? They’ll do business with the Russians or with the Chinese …”

  • Why Senate majority leader, others are yet to be named

    THE need for wide consultation and agreement among party members is ongoing to select the principal officers of the National Assembly, it was learnt yesterday.

    A top All Progressives Congress (APC) senator who spoke on why the Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate have not been named, said that “there is no need to worry.”

    The Senator who is also a strong ally of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, assured that “by the time we return on July 2, our party must have taken a position on who becomes what in the two chambers.”

    He noted that with the election of presiding officers of the two chambers, “it is taken for granted that principal officers of the two chambers will be selected to work with the presiding officers.”

    He added that the presiding officers and the principal officers will constitute the Selection Committee that will pilot the affairs of the chambers.

    According to the Northwest senator, “everything will take shape by the time we return because the need to consult and consult widely to reduce acrimony and bad blood is ongoing.”

    Read Also: NASS officers: APC Senators, Reps await final zoning formula

    He noted that whoever will emerge as Senate Leader, which he described as “the soul of the Senate” will be “a product of consensus as directed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party (APC).

    “The APC leadership is on top of the situation and doing what it needs to do to reduce division among possible principal officers of the two chambers.”

    Insisting that “there is nothing to worry about,” he noted that the party will not disappoint its members.

    Asked whether some people have been penciled down for the positions, he said that “the front-liners for the Senate Leader slot are known.”

    He listed Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Alliyu Sabi Abdullahi as possible choices by the party.

    He said: “It is a party affair and anybody the party puts forward will emerge. The party is working to prevent rancor and acrimony. Only one person can be Senate Leader.

    “The party will also ensure spread in order to carry all party members along.”

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on its part is also battling to fill its own principal officers’ slot in the House of Representatives.

    The opposition party has concluded its selection in the Senate with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) tipped as minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwuacha(Taraba South) deputy minority leader, Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) minority whip and Clifford Ordia (Edo Central) deputy minority whip.

    The position in the House is not cleared yet.

    Although it is being rumoured that PDP has settled for Hon. Kingsley Chinda, Hon. Nicholas Ossai appears not to have given up the struggle to upstage the Rivers State House member.

     

  • NASS officers: APC Senators, Reps await final zoning formula

    As the horse-trading for principal officers of the National Assembly intensifies, All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators and members of the House of Representatives are awaiting the final zoning formula from the ruling party.

    The party is however being careful not to impose principal officers on its caucuses in the National Assembly.

    There were indications that consultations were ongoing among APC leaders, senators and members of the House.

    But no agreement has been reached on the power sharing formula.

    The offices to be filled are: Senate Majority Leader, Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip, and Deputy Chief Whip.

    In the House of Representatives, the vacant positions are House Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip, and Deputy Chief Whip.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that although a tentative zoning formula was approved for the Senate by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, the party said it was not the final.

    The formula for the Senate is Senate Leader (Northcentral); Deputy Senate Leader (Northwest); Chief Whip (Southeast/Southwest); and Deputy Chief Whip (Southwest or Southeast).

    It was gathered that the positions of the Senate Leader and House Leader have attracted more jostling among lawmakers.

    Read Also: Buhari congratulates new principal officers of Ninth NASS

    The Northcentral, the Northwest and the Southeast are jostling for Senate Leader.

    In the House, the struggle for its leader is between the Northeast and the Northwest.

    Some of the high-profile aspirants are a former Deputy Speaker nominee to Gbajabiamila in 2015, M. T. Monguno (Northeast); ex-Chief Whip Ado Doguwa; Garba Datti; Musa Sarki Ada, Goro Aminu Suleiman (Northwest); Johnson Egwahido Oguma (Southsouth); Nkiru Onyejeocha, who stepped down for the Speaker and Emeka Nwajiuba (Southeast).

    While the Northeast is seeking the slot for House Majority Leader, the Northwest is insisting that it deserves the office.

    Also, the Southeast said it should not be left out in the scheme of things in the National Assembly.

    A ranking Senator from the Northwest said: “We have been having talks across the geo-political zones but we are yet to reach consensus on how to share the remaining positions.

    “We are now relying on the party to zone these offices before we resume. If the zoning is effected, each geopolitical caucus can meet and vote for any preferred candidate from their zone for any office allotted to it.”

    A top source in APC said the party was being careful to avoid division in its caucuses in the Senate and the House.

    The source said: “We did the zoning informally before the election of the President of the Senate, the Deputy President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker.

    “But the zoning is not iron cast, political exigencies will determine the final zoning formula. No action has been taken on the zoning of other offices.

    “What we are doing now is to allow Senators and members of the House to consult among themselves in order to build consensus. We do not want to impose principal officers.

    “When we get feelers from our lawmakers, we will aggregate majority views, alongside those of our leaders, and come out with final zoning formula.”

    When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mallam Issa Lanre-Onilu said: “No action has been taken on the zoning of the remaining offices to my knowledge.”

    A ranking Senator, however, said: “The actual convention all over the world is for the  party to lead the initiative and zone these offices. We don’t know why they have not done so.

    “We hope they will adopt this universal convention. We are loyal party men, we will abide by the decision of the party.”

  • FG warns against attacks on Nigerians in diaspora

    The Federal Government warned at the weekend that unprovoked attacks on Nigerians living legitimately abroad by the host countries would not be tolerated.

    It said the lives of its citizens living abroad are very precious, and therefore, they should be taken care of by their hosts just as Nigeria takes care of foreign nationals in its domain.

    The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa spoke for the Federal Government at the State House after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

    According to her, only Nigerians who indulge in crime should be made to face the wrath of the law, noting that Nigeria and its law-abiding citizens should not be penalised.

    She spoke specifically on the recent attacks on Nigerians in Ghana and Togo.

    She said: “But right now we are dealing with the issue of attacking Nigerian traders in Ghana. We have the assurances of the President of Ghana through the High Commission here and ours in Ghana that Nigerian traders will be protected.

    “So, we are also going to be emphasizing that the life of one Nigerian means a lot to us anywhere in the world.

    “Of course, we have the issue of Ghana, the professor whose appointment was terminated by his university because of the tape he released. Well, it turned out that he didn’t actually record, I mean that was a private meeting with Nigerians in Ghana, it was like a private discussion.

    Read Also: Envoy assures diaspora commission of safety of Nigerians in Ghana

    “And he also claimed that part of the tape was actually doctored. The matter is been looked into by the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana and I believed those matters will be resolved subsequently.”

    Speaking on the incident in Togo, she said: “On the issues happening around neighbouring countries like Togo, we have Nigerians attacked. One woman alleged that she was raped and she turned out to be the accused girlfriend.

    “We have also seen the Togolese Ambassador and made it clear that the lives of Nigerians must be protected anywhere they are because we take care of others here and we deserve to be taken care of.

    “If a Nigerian commits a crime, let him pay the penalty for it as a punishment, but you cannot penalise a nation and its citizens.

    “So, we will be working more on that as we appealed to Nigerians to be good ambassadors wherever they find themselves.”

    The former Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs & Diaspora disclosed that the government has intervened in the incident in the United Kingdom (UK) where a Nigerian damaged some vehicles at the High Commission.

    “But the key things happening across, you know the UK incident of the Nigerian who damaged some vehicles at the High Commission. We have made it clear that that incident is unacceptable.

    “There is no reason why he should damage and be so violent. At the same time, we do admit that there are some challenges in some of our embassies while there have been large improvements in some of them.”

    She said that a stakeholders meeting has been scheduled to hold in the UK over the matter.

    Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said: “We will be having a stakeholders meeting in particular in the UK with the Nigerian community, the High Commission, the immigration, to look at whatever the challenges are so that they can be resolved, because I know that there are some challenges that are resolvable.

    “So, we will be engaging more with the diaspora. Subsequently, we are going to have hotlines for Nigerians in diaspora so that they can contact the commission and we can look into whatever challenges they are facing.”

    Speaking further on the outcome of the meeting with the President, she said: “Since the passage of the Diaspora Commission Bill by Mr. President, this is my first time that I will be thanking him and also briefing him on the activities of the commission so far, which in the last one week have been quite a lot.”

    She said the President reserves the right to constitute his cabinet.

  • Morocco sneaks past Namibia 1-0

    NAMIBIAN Itamunua Keimuine headed an 89th-minute Hakim Ziyech free-kick into his own net to gift Morocco a 1-0 victory on Sunday in the opening Africa Cup of Nations Group D match.

    It was cruel blow for the minnows from southern Africa, who lived up to their Brave Warriors nickname by taming the much-vaunted Atlas Lions.

    Relief was etched on the face of Morocco coach Herve Renard as the final whistle blew after an unconvincing start by one of the competition favourites.

    Renard is the only coach to win the Cup of Nations with two countries, guiding outsiders Zambia and previous underachievers the Ivory Coast to success between 2012 and 2015.

    Read Also: Senegal 2-0 Tanzania: Teranga Lions crush Taifa Stars

    “We battled because of the good organisation of Namibia, the heat, and the fact that we were playing our first match,” said Frenchman Renard.

    “The most important thing was to take three points and I hope Namibia will pose problems for the Ivory Coast and South Africa.”

    Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti said: “I had to comfort my players, especially the player who scored the own goal.

    “I am so proud of my boys for the way they executed our tactics. Sometimes the game plan may not be nice to watch, but I was up against very experienced coach, a very experienced team.”

  • Senegal 2-0 Tanzania: Teranga Lions crush Taifa Stars

    SENEGAL defeated Tanzania 2-0 in their opening 2019 AFCON game as the Teranga Lions put up a convincing display against Emmanuel Amuneke’s team on Sunday evening in Egypt.

    Senegal made the first attempt in the clash as a loose ball was intercepted in the midfield and it was delivered to Niang by Sarr but the Tanzanian goalkeeper Manula was on point to deny the Senegalese forward.

    Niang was set up and he sent the ball to the side net after the Tanzania goalkeeper narrowed the angle for the Rennes attacker.

    The Terenga Lions defender Sane Salif suffered an injury in the 24th minute and was replaced immediately by Kouyate Cheikhou .

    Read Also: Mahrez concerned about Kenya in 2019 AFCON

    Keita Balde broke the deadlock in the 28th minute for Senegal after a brilliant assist Gueye Idrissa as Aliou Cisse’s men continued to dominate the game.

    Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amunike made his first substitute as Mussa Farid was thrown in for Salum Feisul with just a minute to end the first 45 minutes of the game.

    Tanzania ensured they put up a better challenge in the second half but their plan amounted to nothing as Diatta Krepin scored a screamer in the 64th minute to double the lead for Senegal.

  • Nigeria not an easy opponent, says Burundi’s Abdul Razak

    BURUNDI striker Abdul Razak has admitted that his side played against a tough opposition during Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations group B opening game against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Alexandria stadium in Egypt.

    Odion Ighalo came off the bench to score the goal that gave former champions Nigeria a 1-0 victory over Burundi in the 77th minute.

    The Burundian side known as the Swallows, who were enjoying their debut at the African football showpiece showed no sign of inferiority during the opening half in the ancient city and came closest to breaking the deadlock during the first 45 minutes.

    Burundi striker started the second half as the better side with Razak leading the Swallows’ charge for the opener, but Kenneth Omeruo was alert to the danger.

    Read Also: Mikel confesses: Burundi were too hard to crack

    “The game was good. It was okay for both sides. We expected to win or to draw but Nigeria is not an easy team and they managed to score in the 77th minute. And luck was on their side too,” the JS Kabylie of Algeria striker said.

    He added: This is our first AFCON appearance and there is nothing special about my game and I have to play the way I used to play. Even at the elimination stages, I was playing like this. It is like I am marketing myself and I have to give all I have against Nigeria. Again, I am a professional and I am not expected to be scared of any team.”

    Razak stressed that he and his colleagues will play to win their second game against Madagascar. “We are going to work very hard and make sure we win. Nigeria is a strong team in our group and we will try everything to get the result in the game against Madagascar.”