Category: Special Report

Musa ODOSHIMOKHE

 

THE Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godwill Akpabio, has been clearing the Augean stable since he took over the ministry.

Akpabio assured that he was competent and capable of ensuring that the right thing was done in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The intervention of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in the NDDC logjam had set the commission’s past chief executives on explanatory mission.

The Minister demanded to know how the NDDC had managed its affairs under past and new leadership.

The major complaint was that the NDDC had become a conduit pipe for endless siphoning of public funds.

The former governor of Akwa Ibom State said it was no longer going to be business as usual, adding that those who abused their position in the NDDC would account for it.

He masterminded the appointment of an Interim management Committee to manage the affairs of the commission, and the committee eventually edged out the board whose members were confirmed by the Senate from the equation apparently because President Muhammadu Buhari was happy with the moves so far made by the Akpabio-backed committee.

The minister had mounted pressure on the contractors handling the construction of the NDDC headquarters buildings to double their effort. He had ordered the refund of N1.9 billion meant for the clearing of water hyacinth.

Akpabio said he did not see where such project was carried out and money could not just be expended on ghost projects.

Read Also: Akpabio: massive looting left NDDC in serious debt

 

His appointment as the minister had engendered controversies which many stakeholders were not comfortable with.

Apart from the NDDC issue, the former governor is trying to level up with happening in his state.

The once celebrated and highly respected governor was defeated in a senatorial election which he contested against Senator Chris Epkeyong of the PDP.

Observers said Akpabio’s defection to the APC was responsible for his defeat in the Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District.

They said the former governor was eyeing the majority leader of the Senate, but the ambition was truncated due to the poor outing at the poll.

They equally said the former governor defected because it wanted to be protected as he had scores to settle with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Akpabio first came under investigation in 2015 following accusation that he diverted N100 billion from the oil rich state account between 2007 and 2015.

Other allegations against the former governor include the award of bogus contracts to his cronies, who allegedly used the proceeds to buy several properties in Lagos and Abuja.

Though a rerun election was fixed between Akpabio and the senatorial candidate of PDP, Ekpeyong, it is believed that it will be difficult for Akpabio to counter the 38,056 votes advantage of the PDP candidate.

 

Olukorede YISHAU

 

Gridlocks do not just waste road users’ time; revenue is also lost. If in doubt, ask Dangote Group of Companies. Between 2017 and 2018, the group said it lost N25 billion to gridlocks.

The enormity of this challenge makes sense when juxtaposed with the fact that most traffic challenges in Nigeria are caused by bad roads.

Not a few believe Nigeria’s road networks and surfaces are some of the most deplorable in the world. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, however, does seem to share this view. He believes the roads are not that bad.

Dangote Group makes use of the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonsoki-Ojota highway, which has been in a bad state for years, a lot. Hardly any big firm in Nigeria is free from this road, which is daily clogged by traffic.

Lines of heavy-duty trucks are regular sights on this road, which hosts the country’s money-spinning ports.

Last month, Fashola said the reconstruction of the road would be completed this year. He spoke while inspecting the project with the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, whose firm took up the challenge of fixing the Apapa segment of the road.

The bad state of the road in Apapa led to businesses closing shops. Property development and renewal took the back seat. Clearing and forwarding agents and shipping companies looked elsewhere for succour.

Aside from the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonsoki-Ojota highway, many are also looking in the Federal Government’s direction for the fixing of the Oyo-Iseyin road.

Its engineering design works are said to have been concluded and procurement processes are said to have been activated in preparation for a contract award.

The poor state of this road has crippled economic activities in that axis. The people are looking up to Fashola to ameliorate their sufferings.

The Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the East-West road and numerous other federal roads across the country are also reasons all eyes will be on Fashola this year.

Many parts of the East-West road have failed and need attention. The Calabar-Itu highway is causing hardship to road users.

The axis between the Odukpani Junction and the Okurikang Junction has been in a very terrible condition for several months.

Significantly, almost all sections of the Lagos-Abeokuta road, including parts of Sango, Owode, Itori, Kola and Tollgate, have become impassable.

The Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway which was, in 2018, awarded for expansion from a four-lane dual carriageway to an eight-lane dual carriageway has left passengers with no choice but to deliberately avoid vehicles plying the road.

The rehabilitation of the Taraku-Otukpo portion was completed a few months ago, while the Makurdi-Aliade-Taraku axis had been neglected.

The Gombe-Biu Road, which the Federal Government voted N1.83billion for in three years, is also in a bad condition.

Fixing the roads does not come cheap. The Federal Government, it has been shown, cannot go it alone. That is why it has used public-private partnership and is considering the tolling option to fund the maintenance of kilometres of federal roads.

Read Also: Fashola: Govt to complete road projects

 

The Muhammadu Buhari administration, Fashola revealed last year, is indebted to contractors handling road projects to the tune of N306 billion.

Fashola is not going to be judged by roads alone. Many are homeless in the country and the government’s effort in this area seems a tokenism.

The country’s housing deficit, according to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), is 22 million units. Urban areas such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja are the worst hit because of the ever-expanding urban population.

With an annual population growth rate of 3.2 per cent, which translates to more than five million people born annually, a solution needs to be found. And fast too.

It is estimated that building additional units requires more than N6 trillion ($16 billion) annually. The Land Use Act of 1978 is also believed to be a problem to the solving of the deficit because it vests ownership of land in governors. The property registration process is made cumbersome thus creating barriers to housing development.

The act, experts believe, must be reviewed or amended to improve housing development. Failure to do this, they say, will make breaking the housing deficit jinx a pipe-dream.

Fashola will also have to find a solution to the paucity of funds, which is a key constraint to efforts at bridging the 16 million housing deficit.

The mortgage system in the country is also not effective and this has made it difficult to bridge the deficit. Other sources of funding housing projects such as budgetary appropriations, deposit money, banks, insurance companies and housing corporations are not enough.

This will definitely be a busy year for the minister as the people will expect to start seeing the fruits of his second coming. And with the power sector taken off his mandate, his efforts to bridge housing deficits and to give the country good roads will be closely scrutinised.

Nduka CHIEJINA (Assistant Editor)

 

The year 2020 will undoubtedly give Zainab Ahmed a lot of work to do as Nigeria’s finance minister. Already, attention is focused on her to see how she will perform in the new year with all the plans and promises she has made.

In 2020, she is expected to deliver on a potpourri of policy initiatives ranging from her much talked about revenue boost through a new tax regime and other revenue generating measures; implementation of the Open Government policy.

She will also defend government’s borrowing plans for the year and beyond, especially the $29.9 billion about to be approved by the National Assembly and the 2020 budget execution among others.

On revenue, the Federal Government has concluded plans to increase the value-added tax (VAT) from 5% to 7.5%. This VAT increase will be about half the African average and amongst the lowest in the world, and it will see the state and local governments taking 85% of the proceeds.

While defending the VAT increase, Ahmed once said that “the VAT increase, if correctly implemented, could bring in huge revenues, which would actually reduce the fiscal deficit burden.

The government’s borrowing programme could then ease and certainly the financially affected states and local governments could later focus on issues like poverty reduction, healthcare and power generation and transmission.”

Tax experts have argued that “the VAT increase, if enforced properly, forms part of the fiscal consolidation strategy for the country.

It could, in fact, help address the fiscal deficit problem and the revenues estimated to be collected could actually mean lowering of the fiscal deficit burden for the government across board.”

Zainab Ahmed will be the lead anchor of the recently passed Finance Bill. This is a web of laws proposed and passed to help government harvest as much revenue as it can.

The objectives of the Bill are to strategically “promote fiscal equity by mitigating instances of regressive taxation; reform domestic tax laws to align with global best practices; introduce tax incentives for investments in infrastructure and capital markets; support small businesses in line with the ongoing ease of doing business reforms; and raise revenues for the Government by various fiscal measures, including a proposed increase in the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5% to 7.5%.”

According to Ahmed, “going forward, the annual budget will always be accompanied by finance bills to enable the realization of revenue projections.

Future finance bills will therefore also provide us with additional opportunities to incrementally improve the fiscal policy (where tax resides) and regulatory/legal environment in order to further strengthen our domestic capital market, and ultimately ensure sustained and inclusive growth and development.”

The initiative, which most Nigerians say is laudable with the proposed modifications to the fiscal rules around taxation, are clearly aimed at creating an enabling business environment and alleviating the tax burden for small and medium enterprises.

The Bill has amended the following tax provisions to make them more responsive to the tax reform policies of the Federal Government and enhance its implementation and effectiveness: “the Companies Income Tax Act has been amended to curb Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) as proposed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and thereby broaden the triggers for domestic taxation of income earned by non-resident companies in Nigeria through dependent agents and via online market platforms.

Address the taxation of industries, such as insurance, start-ups, and the capital markets, considered by the Federal Government as critical to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy with a view to stimulating activities in those sectors and fostering overall economic growth.

In a bid to create a level playing field for local manufacturers, this Bill wishes to subject certain imported goods to excise duties in similar manner as their locally manufactured counterparts, while the Bill also seeks to provide clarity and efficiency in the administration of individual income taxes in Nigeria.

Read Also: Economic Council’s burden of boosting growth

 

Debt management:

In the new year, the debate on Nigeria’s debt management will be intense and Zainab Ahmed, as finance minister, will be in the eye of the storm.

Already, a lot people have voiced their opposition to the proposed $29.9 billion loan. Despite the opposition to the planned borrowing, the National Assembly has vowed that it will authorize the government to access the loan.

The idea of the loan was mooted in 2016 but the 8th National Assembly torpedoed the idea.  Infrastructure will gulp $18.3 billion from the amount the federal government will utilize $14.6 while the balance of $ 3.7 billion will be utilized by state governments for Mambila Hydro Electric Power Project; Railway Modernization Coastal Railway Project (Calabar-Port Harcourt-Onne Deep Sea Port Segment) Abuja Mass Rail Transit Project (Phase 2) Lagos-Kano Railway Modernization Project (Lagos-Ibadan Segment Double Track); Lagos Kano Railway Modernization Project (Kano-Kaduna Segment Double Track).

The federal government will spend $ 4.5 on Eurobond; $3.5 on Budget Support. On Social (Education & Health) the federal government will use $2.1 billion of the facility while state governments will spend $0.1 billion.

A total of $1.2 billion of the loan, when accessed, will be spent on agriculture and $0.2 billion Economic Management and Statistics.

The external borrowing plan is a three year plan covering proposed projects for 2016 – 2018. As such, the borrowings will be phased over the three year period. The borrowings are highly concessional (non-commercial), with low interest rates and long tenors.

The funding is being sought from multilateral institutions including the World Bank, Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and China EximBank.

The planned Eurobond issuance in the international capital markets is the only commercial source of funding.

 

Open government portal:

At the tail end of 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate implementation of the Open Government initiative where all government monetary receipts and expenditures are captured and uploaded on a daily basis.

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) will lead the initiative under the supervision of Zainab Ahmed as finance minister.

It is a major test of the administration’s resolve to fight corruption. At the launch of the portal, Zainab Ahmed spoke glowingly of the benefits of the portal and many Nigerians, even government critics, praised the idea.

With this initiative, Zainab Ahmed has become the major driver of government’s anti-corruption efforts. If the project goes bad, she will be the one to carry the can.

 

Budget:

This is where Zainab Ahmed’s skills as the manager of the economy will be put to the greatest test. The government has transmuted from the haphazard budget cycle to the desired January to December cycle which people had demanded for.

What is now left is for Nigerians to see the positive difference the change in budget cycle will bring with regards to the volume of implementation.

How Zainab Ahmed will match a lean revenue pot to the huge financial demands required to execute the budget through early releases of capital votes will stand her out as one of the greats.

Excuses have been accepted in the past on the pretext that the budget cycle is unpredictable. Now that the finance minister has a desired and predictable budget cycle, the first half of the year 2020 will likely show what the whole year will be like.

Adeyinka ADERIBIGBE

 

When he resumed office as the Minister of Transportation in December 2015, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had his job cut out: improving on intermodal connectivity across all the states with the rail as the back bone.

Amaechi said President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate was to connect all federating state capitals by rail by 2019, and in line with that vision, the government deepened the giant stride started by its predecessor in the implementation of the modernisation phase of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, in line with its 25-year master plan, which was kick-started in 2006.

The master plan was divided into two phases, the first being the modernisation of the rutted narrow gauge – the corporation’s surviving national heritage criss-crossing the West and Eastern lines, from Lagos – Kano (on the west line) and Port Harcourt – Maiduguri, called the Eastern line), which presently terminates at Gombe, because of the Northeast insurgency.

Although the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration which mid-wife the plan to renovate the 120-year old tracks, jump-started both initiatives with the repairs of the narrow gauge and reactivation of commercial service long suspended by successive military regimes under which the corporation almost declared bankruptcy,

it also signed an $8.6 billion contract with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the Lagos-Kano standard gauge tracks construction. The administration also flagged off as a separate contract, the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line in 2006.

Though the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and his successor President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration almost completed the project, the glory of the commissioning went to President Muhammadu Buhari whose Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, got the project delivered in June 2017, after some 11 years of construction.

The Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge has become hugely successful and over-subscribed. The government also flagged off the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge, the Lot II of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge, with a three-year mandate which terminates by May 2020.

Amaechi said only a modern train system would make the train attractive to the nation’s upper and middle class segments of the workers which formed the bulk of the commuting public for whom public transportation alternatives should be made a priority.

According to the minister, about 30 rolling stocks – made up of all classes of coaches –economy and first class, and locomotives, including two bullet diesel multiple units (DMU) had been ordered for and would be delivered to the Nigerian government before January ending to run the nation’s two standard gauge tracks (Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan).

Already, free train service now runs on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge. The free service, which started on December 4 and is expected to run till April, is meant to fine tune the operation of the new train ahead of its inauguration in May and eventual commercial operation immediately after.

Amaechi said the massive influx of passengers at the Fagba Train Station where they board the free train has further confirmed experts’ prognosis that just like the Abuja-Kaduna train shuttle, the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge would be over-subscribed by passengers, who will see the train as a cheaper alternative to the traffic jam usually experienced on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Amaechi at a recent forum had said the Federal Government would require close to N7 trillion to achieve a nationwide standard gauge rail track network.

As the Federal Government pushes for the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge, it has also delivered on the Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail tracks (Nigeria’s first standard gauge rail tracks, the construction of which started in 1983 to service the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mills).

This project was delivered in October 2017 with skeletal commercial activity running on the tracks as the Federal Government aggressively pursues the completion of the 12 train stations earmarked for the corridor as the government tweaks the original plan from a solely industrial line to serve industrial, commercial and passenger traffic.

The remodeling of the line has also introduced a new mix- the desire to link the line with Abuja, on one hand and the proposed linkage of the line from Warri to the Onne Deep Sea Port, as one proposed component to be handled by Private Sector Partners on a PPP arrangement.

As work progresses on that flank, the Federal Government also completed the engineering drawing of the Coastal Rail line from Lagos to Calabar, which proposes to connect virtually all the capitals on the southern part of the country, with a slip into the eastern line via Enugu, which would connect the South eastern states.

The Lagos-Kano rail line is also to connect to Katsina and to Daura, from where it would connect Maradi, in Niger Republic, which would have ensured the coordinated economic route which connects the port city of Lagos to the landlocked neighbouring countries within the Sahel which has always looked the other way to service their massive import desires.

While the Federal Government aggressively pursues the modernisation project, it also attempted a concession arrangement for the modernisation of the narrow gauge.

Sadly however, the concession, which was handed over to General Electric, the American conglomerate, ran into stormy waters, and GE which had earlier intended to inject 200 wagons and 50 locomotives to drive the administration’s privatization mantra on the narrow gauge, ditched  the contract in 2018.

As political campaigns drew closer, the Federal Government’s strides in the railway sub-sector of the economy became drawn into the mix with the minister anxious to prove that the administration is willing to beat a path that is uncommon to the nation’s infrastructure development by being the first to deliver such a huge project as the $1.6 billion Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge within the three-year time frame.

Read Also: FG commences cargo service by rail from Kaduna dry port

 

Though Ameachi failed in his bid to see President Buhari inaugurate the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project in May last year, his strides were bold enough to ensure his enlistment into the cabinet for a second term.

Ostensibly to “continue the good works” he has started on the train modernisation and to ensure the timely delivery of same as well as the consolidation of the initiative with the commencement of similar projects.

Also of note is the delivery of a wagon assembly plant at Kajola, in Ogun State, from where wagons needed to feed the cargo component of the narrow and standard gauge train services are to be assembled.

The assembly plant, which is the first of such investments by the Chinese Corporation on the African continent, would eventually become a train service hub not only for the EECOWAS sub-region but the African continent. The factory would assemble all classes of wagons – flat, tanker, containerised and open wagons as well as locomotives.

Also bequeathed to Nigeria by the CCECC consortium is a University of Transportation, an exclusive institution for the training of manpower to man the rail systems and other modes of transportation and auxiliary services provided by the industry.

The university, which would begin to operate in Daura, Katsina State in 2022, would receive a $50 million takeoff grant from CCECC.  Both components – the factory and the University of Transportation—come at no cost to Nigerian taxpayers.

As Nigerians ushered in year 2020, one ministry from which result is expected is the Federal Ministry of Transportation where Rotimi Amaechi has promised to deliver to them the 157-kilometre long Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail track for inauguration and commercial activity.

The flag-off of the Ibadan –Kano Standard Gauge rail tracks, according to him, will signal the commencement of the Ibadan to Kano, which is Lot III, marking the end of the modernisation agenda on the western line. The project, which is billed to begin in May, will be completed in 2023.

Though the Rotimi Amaechi scorecard may well be etched on his performance in the rail sub-sector for which Nigerians are very proud, experts asserted that he might also need to help deliver on the much needed transportation policy, which has continued to elude successive administration, as well as deliver on the transport sector reform bills which were at various stages in the National Assembly.

These bills would strengthen the government’s capacity to drive the needed change in the transportation sector and enable especially the railway sector play its role as the backbone of transportation services effectively.

“When all these bills are passed, the Federal Government will be left to focus on technical and economic regulations of the sector,” Amaechi said.

Amaechi’s desire, ultimately, is to drive improved GDP. The last time transportation sector contributed to the nation’s GDP was in 2016 when it contributed a paltry 4.0 per cent to the GDP. The minister is looking forward to the sector hitting two digits this year.

Musa ODOSHIMOKHE

 

EDO State Governor Godwin Obaseki is facing challenges in a year his second term ambition is supposed to materialise.

He and his erstwhile godfather and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, have fallen apart.

Today, the party is factionalised with some members standing with Oshiomhole while others are with the governor.

Worried by the possible consequences of the feud, well-meaning people in the state and outside of it have tried to intervene to no avail.

Many see the face-off as an ego war, with belief that Obaseki is not willing to bend because he wields all the power in the state.

This, many believe amounts to ingratitude ingratitude on the part of the governor whose emergence as governor was believed to have been facilitated by Oshiomhole.

Obaseki had many competitors for the exalted seat, but Oshiomhole reportedly closed his ears to the anti-Obaseki crusaders and installed him as the governor of the state.

This singular act, some said, should be enough consideration for the governor to accord Oshiomhole the highest regard.

Observers believe that the leadership tussle could become an ill-wind that would expose the party’s weaknesses to rival parties who are out to oust APC in the state.

Read Also: Obaseki vows to end godfatherism in Edo

 

Governor Obaseki said his decisions were taken in the interest of the state, to ensure that things are done properly.

The governor’s apologists also said they were out to put an end to godfatherism; a mission previously championed by the APC National Chairman while he held sway as governor in the state.

Obaseki had alleged that his quarrel with Oshiomhole stemmed from undue pressure from the governor that he should divert public funds to the wrong channels.

For Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), the support base of Oshiomhole in the state, the governor erred gravely in labeling Oshiomhole the problem of the state.

The group said Obaseki had set the machinery in place to use the APC national chairman as a burnt offering. According to EPM, Obaseki is acting like a typical slave raider who puts the entire state to sword because of his second term ambition.

They noted that the governor had been doling out crumbs to touts to go about cracking the APC National Chairman’s supporters.

Despite the challenges confronting the governor, he was recently honoured by the Fiscal Policy and Transparency Agency for his administration’s reform in the management of the state’s resources.

Musa ODOSHIMOKHE

 

ONDO State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu was elected in November 2016 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having defeated Mr. Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr. Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

The primary that produced Akeredolu was fraught with controversy and even polarised the APC in the state. The development posed a threat to the progressives’ camp in Ondo, but the ‘Team Aketi’ stood behind the governor as it battled to win the election.

Governor Akeredolu has to a large extent been blamed for the party’s disunity in the Sunshine State. The governor is believed not to have demonstrated enough will to manage the crisis, hence the party is bothered as to what to what must be done to achieve peace.

As the governor prepares for his second term, this year, many believe the party has to come together to be able to keep Ondo peoples mandate in the years ahead.

The worrisome situation has propelled the party’s leadership at the national level to seek a lasting solution to the crisis rocking the party in the state. The national leadership views the parallel camps in Ondo APC as poisonous and must be nipped in the bud.

Some of the groups that have emerged from the crisis within the APC in Ondo include the Borrofice group and the Ali Olanusi/Oke/Abraham faction. The latter became known as the Unity group and planned to sustain the struggle against the governor.

The disunity in the state manifested itself in the last presidential election during which the PDP candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, defeated President Muhammadu Buhari in the state.

Read Also: Ondo 2020: I’m ready to tackle Akeredolu, says PDP aspirant

 

Of the three senatorial seats occupied by Ondo APC senators, the party could only retain Ondo North Senatorial District won by Prof. Ajayi Boroffice.

The party struggled to win four out of the nine House of Representatives offices. The APC even descended to the background by promoting Action Alliance (AA) during the last general election.

Observers say the APC condescended too low in promoting the AA which never made an impact during the election. The crack in the APC is very visible as the party moves to consolidate its grip on power.

Former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, however, said the leaders were poised to mend broken fences to enable the party win the coming governorship election in the state.

Akande said that talks had reached advance stage on the unity of Ondo APC, noting that they had been advised to soft pedal in order to achieve unity.

But five months after the reconciliation efforts, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. One of the resolutions was that the state Exco be dissolved and replaced with an all encompassing caretaker committee. This however, has remained a tall dream.

But the government said there was no crack in the wall, noting that people are even defecting to the APC in view of the confidence and high performance recorded by government.

Mike ODIEGWU, Yadenagoa

 

UNDOUBTEDLY, the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, is one of the politicians to watch in the New Year. First, the governor is expected to hand over to his successor on February 14, 2020, the Valentine’s Day. He will cease to be a ‘valentine’ governor, an appellation he had enjoyed for about eight years.

Then, he will no longer be addressed as the governor of the state. He will become a former governor. The crowd that usually follows him will significantly thin out; and whenever he coughs, nobody will catch cold any longer.

In fact, Dickson after February 14, will no longer have the privilege of superintending over the billions of petrol Naira allocated to Bayelsa monthly. That is the nature of power, very transient.

It will be a historic transition in the oil-rich state. For the first time since the return of democracy in 1999, the administrative baton of the state will depart from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for an opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Obviously, Dickson is still fighting vigorously to vacate the ugly narrative. So, in the new year, the governor prior to his handover will continue to explore legal measures to stop the crowning of the APC and its governor-elect, Chief David Lyon, as the new Sheriff in town.

Already, Dickson has bared his fangs on multiple litigations to stop the APC and Lyon from taking over the state.

Accusing fingers were pointed at him when the Federal High Court, in a controversial judgement, two days to the November 16 governorship election, held that the APC had no candidate.

It was a case between a former Minister of Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, versus David Lyon and the APC.

While Lokpobiri in all his prayers asked the court to declare him a winner of the APC governorship primary that produced Lyon, the court went beyond his prayers and held that the APC didn’t conduct a valid primary election; hence, the party had no candidate for the election.

The governor is still waiting in the wings to see the outcome of the judgment at the Court of Appeal. Already, the Court of Appeal has reversed a pre-election judgment delivered by a Federal High Court in Abuja disqualifying the deputy governor-elect of the APC, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, on the allegations that he supplied false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The governor is said to be urging the plaintiffs to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

Besides, Dickson and the PDP have approached the governorship election petition tribunal challenging the victory of the APC and Lyon at the poll.

By all indications, Dickson will be busy in the earlier part of the new year exploring all the legal options to terminate the victory of the APC and ensure the PDP retains Bayelsa.

In fact, there is no gainsaying that life after the Government House will be a challenging experience for Dickson.

Having controlled Bayelsa for eight years and going down in history as the first governor to have done two tenures in the oil-rich state, Dickson had become used to calling the shots at all fronts, receiving myriads of visitors, being guarded by a crowd of armed security operatives, receiving and dispensing billions of monthly revenue allocated to and generated by the state among other enticing and dignifying pecks of office.

Indeed, no job will be as a eventful as that of being a governor. But Dickson is a man of many parts. He is a man blessed with oratorical skills.

He may get busy delivering speeches in his usual flowery dictions within and outside the country. The governor may enroll for further studies to become a lecturer and dedicate the rest of his life impacting knowledge.

Beyond playing active political roles, Dickson is a lawyer by training and has the wherewithal to float a legal chamber and engage in legal practice. But there are indications that the governor is not planning to quit active politics.

He may either remain in PDP or port to the APC. He also has the capacity and the experience to initiate a fresh political movement that will be a force to reckon with in Bayelsa.

Unknown to many people outside Bayelsa, Dickson is also a great farmer. He owns big farms in Bayelsa and Abuja and engages in fish production, poultry and production of cash crops.

His newly developed farm at his Toru-Orua country home recently became a beehive as politicians and his aides, including journalists, visited the massive farmland.

Prior to the election, Dickson spoke of his desire to return to his village and begin commercial farming after his tenure as a governor. He said he had been investing in farms years before he became a governor.

He said: “The farm here (in Toru-Orua) is about 25 to 30 hectares. It is not too big but I intend to make full use of it. You can see the large fish pond under construction.

There  will be a poultry here. There will be a piggery here and a ranch for cattle. The one in Yenagoa, Yenegwe,  I have about 30 hectares too. I have always had that from the early 20s, 2001, 2002. My farm in Abuja is about a 100 hectares”.

“My fish farms are very large. I have the largest fish farm in the state, hundreds of thousands of fingerlings and matured fish. We are constructing the preservation systems.

We want to be able to preserve them for long to sell and package because there are thousands of big fish of all kinds in my pond. The ponds are like lakes.

Read Also: Bayelsa election: How Wike incurred Dickson’s wrath

 

“So, we have been producing and selling; we have banana, mango, pineapples, oranges and so on. But my main focus is going to be aquaculture, poultry, piggery, cattle.

I am a herdsman, an Ijaw herdsman who does cattle rearing in a confined environment, ranching and that’s what we recommend to everybody”.

In fact, the governor desired to return to farming after the expiration of his tenure on February 14, 2020. Speaking further about his Toru-Orua farm and his future plans, he said: “I started this farm a long time ago. I haven’t really had time to prepare it and I am getting ready to do so. When I finish, I will be into full-time farming.

“Let me underscore the importance of investing in agriculture. First, to be able to provide what we eat and secondly, to be able to create jobs and create wealth and each of us, no matter how highly placed, should be in a position to add to the investment in agriculture and sometimes, it doesn’t take too much. You can all go to your communities, acquire one hectare, two hectares and plant something.

“Luckily, our country is so well endowed that in every part, we can at least plant one crop or another. So, for me, agriculture is very paramount if we are serious about creating a sustainable economy and if we are serious about creating jobs. By so doing, we provide food sufficiency for ourselves.

“In this farm, I plant almost everything; for the past two, three years, we have actually been harvesting a lot of banana, a lot of plantain, a lot of cucumber, a lot of pineapples, everything here and you have all joined me to harvest sugarcane and I have just formally inducted you all into my farm for which I am grateful. So this is to encourage you all to tell the story of agriculture.

“I intend to stay here in my community and my farm in Yenagoa so that I can make most of these investments to create jobs and also make profit. Farming is very profitable. We cannot meet our needs for pigs and eggs in this state and even other poultry products.

We import everything. Everything is brought into Bayelsa. So, farming is a good thing to go into and those who have gone into it have no regrets”.

He further spoke of other interests beyond farming. He said: “Age is still on my side and I have a lot of passion. Writing is one and teaching is another.

I will likely go back to school. I will like to be involved in teaching, carrying out research on studies about my deep experiences in governance”.

Raymond MORDI, Deputy Political Editor

 

The battle between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has been raging since the early days of the governor’s first tenure. But it assumed a new dimension in 2019 because of the campaign for the general elections.

Many Nigerians may be amused by the perceived overbearing attitude of Governor Ganduje towards the emir in recent times. The reason is not far-fetched.

The governor is very much aware of the role Sanusi played during the 2019 general elections when they were allies and does not want to be at the receiving end. So, the kind of high wire politics threatening the emir’s power today is similar to that which brought him to the throne.

But, in reality, Sanusi is a victim of circumstances; he found himself in between the political war between Ganduje and his predecessor, former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso. Sanusi was appointed Emir of Kano in 2014 by Kwankwaso.

At the time, Ganduje was Kwankwaso’s deputy.  In 2017, what appeared like an engineered plot by the state government to remove the emir through a probe of the emirate council’s finances was only halted after a series of high-level interventions to save the traditional ruler.

Though he is ranked third within the hierarchy of northern traditional ruling class, after the Sultan of Sokoto and the Shehu of Borno, outspoken Sanusi has more political clout and positive media image than his more illustrious colleagues.

He attained fame and notoriety after his open accusations against the then Goodluck Jonathan administration on the management of the country’s oil revenues.

Sanusi, it is said, had always nursed the ambition to become the emir; in part, because his grandfather, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi I, had been deposed by Ahmadu Bello in 1963 in favour of Ado Bayero, the elder Sanusi’s younger brother.

The death of Ado Bayero, his grand-uncle, in 2014 coincided with the time he was removed as Central Bank governor under controversial circumstances.

This presented an opportunity for Kwankwaso, who had just defected then from the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to settle a long-running conflict he had with the Ado Bayero ruling house.

Some of Kwankwaso’s supporters had earlier accused Bayero of favouring Kwankwaso’s rival, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. Kano State politics since the return to civil rule in 1999 has been shaped by the Kwankwaso-Shekarau rivalry.

Bayero’s death in June 2014 perfectly suited both Kwankwaso and Sanusi’s designs for the emirate. Kwankwaso, as governor, had a major say in choosing the next emir and Sanusi offered a tool for sidelining Bayero’s direct descendants and gaining a long-sought influence over the emirate, as well as a means of undermining the then President Jonathan by elevating one of Jonathan’s key adversaries.

So, within a period of just four months in 2014, Sanusi went from being fired and rebuked by Jonathan over the missing oil revenues controversy to being enthroned as one of the most prominent traditional rulers in the northern part of the country.

The face-off between Ganduje and Sanusi deepened in the run-up to the 2019 governorship elections in Kano. The general perception at the time was that Ganduje’s re-election bid faced substantial obstacles with Sanusi’s utterances.

Ganduje’s team felt that Sanusi was backing Kwankwaso’s candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf, of the PDP, who incidentally is also the former governor’s son-in-law. Ganduje nearly lost the election. He eventually won with 8,982 votes after the supplementary election.

Ganduje was believed to have blamed Sanusi  for his political woes. Therefore, one of the re-elected governor’s first targets was the emir. But for the intervention of powerful stakeholders, the emir would have been removed  before the election.

The alternative after he won his second term mandate was to whittle down the emir’s powers by creating four new emirates.

Sanusi’s supporters responded by taking the governor, along with the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and the Kano State Attorney General, to court in an effort to block the division of Sanusi’s territory by a new law.

In mid-June, a Kano High Court dismissed the suit, but another court judgment soon followed, ruling that the new emirs could not be enthroned. Nevertheless, Ganduje went ahead to appoint the new emirs.

For many, Ganduje brought the idea of splitting the Kano emirates into five to actually whittle down the influence of Emir Sanusi, but the governor has consistently denied this, saying that the creation of Bichi, Gaya, Rano and Karaye emirates were the wish of the people and also to take development to the hinterlands.

Read Also: My relationship with Ganduje cordial – Jibrin

 

In May last year, Ganduje created the four emirates and gave the emirs first-class status, just like Emir Sanusi.

The action was said to have rattled Emir Sanusi and his supporters who went to court to challenge it. In November 2019, a Kano High Court delivered judgment in favour of Emir Sanusi and faulted the process followed in the creation of the new emirates.

Many had believed that Ganduje and the Kano State Government would appeal the judgment, but instead, the state executive council re-activated the process of re-establishing the four emirates quashed by the court.

But, subsequently, the Kano State Executive Council approved the Emirate Council Bill 2019, which provides for the establishment of additional emirates.

To this end, the council endorsed the establishment of the four new emirates, namely Rano, Gaya, Bichi and Karaye and forwarded the same to the state assembly for necessary action. In turn, the Kano State House of Assembly approved the 2019 Emirate Council Bill.

After the successful passage of the Executive Bill sent to the Kano State House of Assembly for the creation of four more emirates, Governor Ganduje signed the Bill into law, an action that now paved the way for five emirates.

Following the signing the bill into law, Ganduje stated that the law provides that there will be individual emirate councils in all the now five emirates. Membership of the councils include the emir, heads the council of his own domain; an Imam from the emirate; a representative of the business community, and other identified groups of people from there.

The governor said there is going to be a central Council of Emirs that will consist of all the five emirs as well as representatives of other identified groups.

The new system is more of injecting some semblance of people participating in their socio-economic development through traditional institutions.

He said while the Chairman of the Central Council of Emirs will be appointed by the governor, who will chair the council for two years, it is again the prerogative of the governor to make sure that the chairmanship goes round all the five emirates.

Sanctions are also attached for any erring emir or any traditional ruler. If an emir refuses to attend the Council of Emirs meetings three times without any concrete and convincing reason, such an emir’s turban would be removed but with the consultation of other emirs by the governor.

Another action that attracts sanction from the provision of the new law is that, if an emir disrespects the norms and values of his people, where such an emir’s action goes against the culture and tradition of his people, he would face the music.

Hundreds of babies on Wednesday swelled the world’s population. Nigeria has its fair share and government officials are showering them with gifts, Adekunle Yusuf and UJA EMMANUEL report

 

FCT Minister of State donates items to 120 babies

Federal Capital Territory Minister of State Dr Ramatu Aliyu yesterday donated baby items and cash to 120 babies delivered in selected Primary Health Care Centres across the six Area Councils of the territory.

The donation was part of activities celebrating the New Year in FCT.

Presenting the items in Chikuku Primary Health Care Centre in Kuje Area Council, Aliyu described the successful delivery by expectant mothers as “bundle of joy.”

She prayed that joy would continue to radiate in FCT in 2020 and beyond.

The minister, who was represented by Dr Iwot Ndaeyo, Acting Executive Secretary of FCT Primary Health Care Centre, advised mothers on the early training of their children, adding that children were gifts from God.

Aliyu also used the occasion to remind mothers of the need to ensure that their babies complete the routine immunisation before the age of two.

The minister also called on them to keep the immunisation card safe and accept all vaccines given during government-approved immunisation campaigns.

 

Rivers governor’s wife welcomes New Year babies

The wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, yesterday welcomed three New Year babies at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.

The First New Year baby, Ijeoma Sandra, was born to the family of Sergeant & Mrs Destiny Ijeoma by 1.04 am on New Year Day. She weighed 3.1kg at birth.

The second and third babies were also born at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.

Baby Ezekiel Hart Agatha, born at 6:28 am to the family of Mr and Mrs Ezekiel Hart Nathaniel weighed 3.1kg at birth, while Baby Innocent Siya born to the family of Chief and Mrs Batubo Innocent weighed 2.7 kg at birth. All three girls are from Rivers State.

Justice Nyesom-Wike extended gifts and cash to the New Year Babies and their parents. She prayed for God’s protection and blessing for the new year Babies and their families.

 

Benue welcomes three babies, present gifts

Mrs Eunice Ortom, the first lady of Benue State governor, yesterday presented gift items to the first “Baby of The Year”2020 at the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi.

The first Baby of the Year named Akuu Mwuese was delivered at 12.02 am.

The second baby was born 7.41 am and the third baby of the year also received gift items.

The babies are all boys.

 

UCH Ibadan records 1st baby of 2020 at 1.08 a.m

The University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan yesterday recorded the delivery of the first baby of 2020 at exactly 1.08 a.m.

An Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, UCH, Mrs Rosline Olufemi-Adewole told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that the baby weighing 3.35kg was delivered at 1.08 am by Mrs Folusho Adedokun.

Olufemi-Adewole said the baby girl was delivered without any complication and the mother and baby were in good condition.

She said the baby would be discharged within three days.

Also speaking, mother of the baby, Foluso, said she was very happy and thanked God for the safe delivery.

“I am very happy and thank God for the safe delivery and appreciate the nurses for their effort. I am a businesswoman and I know God is in control concerning the amount to be paid for this delivery,” she said.

 

Ebonyi welcomes the first baby

 

The wife of Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, Rachael, has welcomed the first baby of the year at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FETH), delivered around 12:15 a.m.

Mrs Umahi, while welcoming the baby commended the hospital management for paying prompt attention to the patient without wasting time on payment.

She made the commendation in Abakaliki during her visit to the first baby who was delivered through a caesarean operation.

“Thank God for safe delivery and I commend the hospital management for attending to the mother promptly.

“I hope the child will be brought up properly for the betterment of the society, community and the family,” she said.

The new Chairman Medical Advisory Council (CMAC) of the hospital Dr Richard Ewa said the caesarean operation was successful.

Ewa said that the baby was born at 12:15 a.m., weighing 3.2Kg and was delivered of a 19-years-old single mother, Miss Chinemeremu Eze from Ezza-North Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state through surgical operation.

He also applauded Umahi and wife for making an impact in the lives of indigent patients in the state.

“The hospital has been surviving due to supports from the State Government with assistance rendered to indigent patients,” Ewa said.

The governor’s wife presented various baby and food items to the baby and other patients at the hospital.

Sanwo-Olu’s wife presents giftsto ‘first babies of the year’

The wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, yesterday welcomed the first babies of the year in four state-owned health facilities, namely Ijede General Hospital, Agbowa General Hospital, Ketu-Ejirin General Hospital and Lagos Island Maternity Hospital. She also presented gifts items to the babies and their mothers.

Baby Agede, a male who weighed 2kg delivered at exactly 12.01 a.m. by Mrs. Bukola Agede is the first baby of the year at Ijede General Hospital. Another baby, a female who weighed 3.1kg delivered at 12.07 am by Mrs. Beauty Agbor is the first baby of the year in Agbowa General Hospital. Also, baby Kazeem, a boy, who weighed 3kg and delivered at 1.40a.m. to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Kazeem is the first baby of the year at Ketu-Ejirin General Hospital while the first baby of the year at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital is baby Momoh. The baby, a male who weighed 2.6kg, was delivered at 12.09 a.m. by Mrs Mary Momoh.

Mrs. Sanwo-Olu, who was at these hospitals to celebrate with the new mothers on the arrival of their babies, said the birth of a child does not happen by chance but requires that the mothers take steps to ensure that they live a healthy life whilst pregnant and get skilled care during labour and delivery. “Just as the birth of a healthy baby requires that the mother takes steps to ensure that she lives a healthy life whilst pregnant and gets skilled care during labour and delivery, we must also play our part to ensure that we live the kind of life that will promote our own welfare and the well-being of our society,” she stated.

While noting that the birth of a child brings good fortune to a society, Sanwo-Olu averred that the birth of a child is significant because it symbolizes the assurance that human heritage and life force is carried on to the next generation. “We are here today not just to celebrate new lives, but also to seek opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the people who need our assistance. Bearing in mind always that our show of love, kindness and compassion is only an extension of gratitude to our maker for the same grace granted to us.”

While highlighting strategies implemented by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to strengthen the health sector and halt the trend of maternal and child mortality in the state, she said two new Maternal and Child Centres (MCC) at Alimosho and Eti-Osa areas of the state were commissioned to complement the existing ones. She added that Neonatal Care Units, as well as equipment and resources, were also provided at some general hospitals to enhance the quality of maternal and child care services, stressing that her office and the state government are poised to do more this year.

While noting that there is still a significant number of people who lose their lives and the lives of their newborns because they do not have access to quality healthcare services either because they cannot afford them or unaware of the dangers of seeking care from unqualified persons, Abayomi stated that the state government is committed to reducing maternal and child mortality through the implementation of mother and child survival interventions.

 

Gbajabiamila visits Surulere hospital, doles out gifts to first babies

House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday visited Surulere Maternal and Child Care Hospital, where he spent time with babies born early on New Year Day and their mothers.

Baby Oyindamola, a male, was the First Baby of the Year in the facility. He was born at exactly 12.05 am on Wednesday, and weighed 3.9kg at birth.

Gbajabiamila congratulated the mother on the safe delivery and described the “bouncing baby boy” as a great gift from God.

The speaker gave gifts, including cash, two 50kg bags of rice, clothes and diapers to the baby and his parents.

Gbajabiamila later went round the cots of other babies born shortly after ”Baby Oyindamola’ at the facility, spent time with them and gave each of them gifts.

He offered to settle the delivery bills of one of the New Year babies, Baby Chidera, as her parents could not immediately afford to pay the hospital bills.

The Speaker commended the management of the hospital for a job well done and promised to always support the facility in any way he could, to improve their services.

The Speaker was accompanied on the visit by top politicians in his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, including Lagos lawmaker, Mr Desmond Elliot and a former Commissioner for Sports in the state, Mr Agboola Dabiri.

Mr Jabaar Andy, the father of Baby Oyindamola, told NAN that he was elated by the Speaker’s visit and commended Gbajabiamila for his kind gesture.

“This is a surprise to me. I am excited. I thank the Speaker for the generous gifts he gave us. We are so grateful. We pray that God will continue to protect him so that he can do more for the people of Surulere in particular and Nigerians in general,” he said.

Barely two days to the deadline given by Organised Labour to states to conclude negotiations on the implementation of the N30,000 new National Minimum Wage, some state governors have started a last-minute rush to meet the cut-off date of the labour union. TOBA AGBOOLA reports

 

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in a communiqué at the end of its meeting with the state council chairmen last week, said it would not be able to guarantee industrial peace in states that failed to conclude negotiations and begin payment of the new minimum wage by December 31, 2019.

In the communiqué, which was jointly signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja; and the National Chairperson of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union side), Simon Anchaver; the NLC said states that had yet to commence negotiation might experience industrial disharmony from January if the governors refuse to do the needful.

As of the said date, the NLC noted that while states like Kaduna, Lagos, Kebbi and Adamawa had begun payment, some others like Kano, Abia and about nine others had constituted negotiating committees. Others like Rivers, Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Gombe and about 14 others had yet to set up a negotiating committee.

The new minimum wage Act was signed into law on April 18, 2019, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, while Cross River, Taraba, and Ondo states have set up committees to negotiate with the unions before the deadline, Oyo, Gombe and Imo states have not shown commitment to meet up with the deadline.

Also, Benue, Enugu, Bayelsa and Ebonyi states have ruled out the possibility of meeting up with the deadline.

 

Kwara State

In Kwara State, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, said the governor had shown a commitment to meeting the deadline by constituting the minimum wage 15-member committee earlier to work out the modalities for the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Also, a member of the implementation committee and state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kolawole Olumoh, last week, said: “We have commenced negotiations with the state government and Insha Allah, we are going to meet the deadline. Though some states, including Kwara, have paid the December salaries of their workers, since we have commenced negotiations in our case, I’m sure we are going to meet the deadline.”

 

Delta State

In Delta State, Commissioner for Finance Fidelis Tilije promised that the committee would conclude seating on the matter by Tuesday (December 31).

He said: “We have been meeting and already negotiating with labour. I’m so sure by Monday or Tuesday, we must have resolved completely, and should be able to come up with the final agreed minimum wage pay for Delta State.”

Also, the state Secretary of NLC, Mr Innocent Ofoeyeadi, said: “We are engaged in dialogue with the committee of the state government and they would have to pay the new minimum wage this December. But because of the issues of figures in the proposal, it will not reflect until we resolve them.”

 

Edo State

In Edo State, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the state government had already set up a committee on the implementation of the salary scale.

Meanwhile, the NLC chairman in the state, Mr Sunny Osayande, said there was no cause for alarm, adding that they were praying for the governor to be able to implement the new scale in December.

He added: “The governor is working seriously I must confess to you even though he is not talking. By the grace of God, Edo will meet the December 31 deadline with the work ongoing right now in the state. We have met him already and he has assured us.

“He said they should work out how much is involved and we discovered that what we are going to add to it is going to be very minimal, so there is no cause for alarm,” he said.

 

Katsina State

In Katsina State, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour and Productivity, Mallam Tanimu Saulawa, said the state was optimistic about the fruitful outcome of its current negotiation with the state chapter of the NLC before the December 31 deadline.

Saulawa said: “The deadline has not come. We are still discussing with the workers. We do not envisage any problem over the minimum wage issue. Do not forget that His Excellency is workers’ friendly and he does not joke with issues concerning workers.

“We have a committee that is discussing with the workers and anything can happen between now and the end of December. But I am sure that by the grace of God, everything will be positive.”

The state chairman of the NLC, Mr Hussaini Hamisu, also said he was hopeful of a fruitful outcome on the current negotiation between labour and the government.

“We are going to conclude the negotiations before the deadline. We hope that the whole thing will be fruitful,” he added.

 

Ogun State

Also, the Ogun State NLC Chairman, Emmanuel Bankole, said negotiation was ongoing with the state government, adding that the state would meet up with the deadline.

When asked if labour would extend the December 31 deadline for negotiation to be concluded due to the delay in constituting the committee, Bankole said it might not be necessary.

“Negotiation is in progress; we just left the committee now, it is ongoing and we are hopeful that we can still conclude it by December 31,” he added.

 

Borno State

In Borno State, the chairman of NLC, Mr Bulama Abiso, also expressed hope that negotiations would be concluded before the deadline.

“We are negotiating and very much hopeful of the fruitful outcome. Therefore, the issue of starting an industrial action does not arise for now,” he added.

 

Osun State

In Osun State, the Chairman of the Joint Negotiation Council, Bayo Adejumo, said the December 31 deadline could still be met.

He added: “Osun State government has shown willingness. They recently requested for names of labour negotiating team and we have submitted that. I believe they are also putting together their team. Before the end of the month, negotiation will commence and I believe the negotiation will not take a long time.”

 

Enugu State

Also in Enugu, the state chairman of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Mr Chukwuma Igbokwe, said the December 31 deadline was just a template but that they would conclude negotiation before January 31, 2020.

Commissioner for Information Chidi Aroh neither answered his calls nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile phone.

 

Taraba State

In Taraba, the state Chairman of NLC, Mr Peter Gambo, said the organised labour was worried over the delay by the state government in setting up the negotiation team.

But, the Special Assistant to Governor Darius Ishaku on Media and Publicity, Mr Bala Dan-Abu, said the government was not opposed to the negotiation. He said the committee would soon be constituted.

 

Imo State

In Imo State, the Secretary to the State Government, Uche Onyeagocha, said the governor would inaugurate the joint negotiation committee before the December 31 deadline.

 

Ondo State

In Ondo State, chairman of NLC, Mr Sunday Adeleye, said a meeting had been scheduled for Monday, adding that if the meeting was deadlocked again, the unions would make their next line of action known.

The Head of Service, Mr Dare Aragbaiye, who is the leader of the government team, could not be reached on Friday.

 

Cross River State

In Cross River State, the Vice-Chairman of NLC, Mr Lawrence Achuta, said: “We have not held any meeting on that. Hopefully, before the end of the year, we may likely have a state executive council meeting after which we will decide. So, we are just hoping that perhaps before that December 31 something positive will come up.”

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Ben Ayade, Mr Christian Ita, however, said: “I’m not sure there is an issue to it because if there was an issue to it, you will see labour agitating.”

 

Bayelsa State

In Bayelsa State, the NLC chairman, Mr John Ndiomu, said the organised labour would take it up with the government if at the end of January 2020 the new scale was not implemented. “By January 2020, if they (the state government) don’t pay, we will make small trouble with them,” Ndiomu said.

 

Ebonyi State       

In Ebonyi State, the NLC chairman, Mr Nwafor, said the state government’s claim that it had negotiated the minimum wage with workers was a lie.

“Of course, we are not aware of the negotiations and don’t know the people that it (government) signed the agreement with.

“So, if after looking at what they had done and it’s right, we will adopt it; but if it’s wrong, we will join others and embark on the imminent strike.”

 

Oyo State

In Oyo State, the NLC Chairman, Mr Bayo Titilola-Sodo, said he would not speculate on whether Oyo State workers would embark on strike or not by December 31 if the state government did not start the implementation. He, however, said the union would liaise with the national body when the right was right.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, said: “The governor had made it clear that we are going to get the matter resolved and the labour has keyed into that because of the sincerity of purpose and transparency they have found in this government.”

 

Gombe State

In Gombe State, the Secretary of NLC, Shuaibu Chiroma, said negotiations would commence on December 30 (Monday), adding that final decisions would be taken on Tuesday.

But the Special Adviser to the Gombe State Governor on Public Communications and Strategy, Dr Anas Kubalu, said: “The government has inserted the minimum wage and consequential adjustment to the issue of salary in the 2020 budget.”

Speaking on the development, the Secretary-General of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said any governor who fails to implement or show commitment before the Tuesday deadline would be deemed to have declared war against labour.

 

Kano State

The Kano State government has commenced the payment of the N30,000 minimum wage and the consequential adjustment that follows for workers in the State, this December.

In Kano, the agreement reached at the end of the committee meetings, in the new minimum wage of N30,000, was held between the State Government and the joint Public service Negotiating Council on Thursday 19th December, 2019, with members from the Government and Labour’s side agreed to commence payment from December, 2019.

In the agreement letter, the categories of the increment are as follow: GL O9, 14 %, GL-10, 11 %, GL-12, 10 %, GL-13, 9 %, GL-14, 8%, GL-15-17, 6 %.

The letter reads: ”Government has agreed to commence the payment of the new minimum wage, effective from December, 2019, while arrears of April-November, 2019, will be settled on instalment basis.

”Having resolved on the above percentage increases, as well as the salary tables of the affected categories attached herewith, three representatives each from the Government and Labour side, as well as two witnesses from each side do hereby append their individual signatures as follows:

“Herewith in a letter, signed by the Head of Service, the Permanent Secretary, Establishment, as well as the Permanent Secretary, Salary and Wages were all from the Government side. While from the Labour side, were the State Chairman, Joint Negotiation Committee, its Secretary and the State Treasurer.”

The witnesses, during the signing exercise, include the Permanent Secretaries of Ministry of Planning and Budget and that of Finance, supported by the State Chairman, NLC and the State Chairman, TUC.

 

Abia State

The Abia State Joint Committee on the consequential adjustment of the N30, 000 minimum wage will submit its report to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu today, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman Comrade Uchenna Obigwe told The Nation.

While inaugurating the 16-man committee, which has the Head of Service, Sir Onyi Wamah as Chairman, at Government House, Umuahia, Ikpeazu assured that the government was committed to paying the new minimum wage to Abia workers.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, mandated the committee to expedite action and submit their report on or before the 31st of December 2019.