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Thursday, 02 May 2019 05:20

May Day: Labour laments Nigeria’s increasing external debt

Organised Labour in Nigeria has decried the increasing external debt accumulation by the government at all levels. It said the country’s external debt profile moved from N4.5 trillion in 2017 to N6.5 trillion in 2018. Mr Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Bobboi Kaigama of Trade Union Congress (TUC), disclosed this in their message to workers at 2019 May Day celebration, on Wednesday, in Abuja. According to Wabba, NLC is concerned about the increasing debt accumulation by the government at all levels. “Debt Management Office (DMO), disclosed as at 2018 December 31, that Nigeria’s debt burden stood at…

Thursday, 02 May 2019 05:18

Weak economy, low IGR may hinder minimum wage implementation – Govs

Some state governors on Wednesday lamented the poor state of the economy and low Internally Generated Revenue, saying these might negatively affect implementation of the new minimum wage in most states of the federation. The governors, who spoke during May Day celebration in their states, said if they must implement the new wage law, workers must be prepared to pay tax while revenue generating agencies should be prepared to raise their game to improve their states’ finances. However, from the body language of some of the governors during the celebrations, majority of the states might not be able to implement…

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 05:32

N’Assembly passes N8.916tn budget for 2019

National Assembly on Tuesday passed 2019 Appropriation Bill, raising the size by about N17bn from the N8.83tn proposed by the Executive to N8.916tn, with N23.7bn earmarked for lawmakers’ severance gratuities and allowances. The key components of the budget, as passed by the parliament, include N502,058,892,965 for statutory transfers, against the N492.36bn proposed; N2,254,014,113,092 for debt service, against the proposed N2.14tn; N4,055,940,383,684 for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, against the proposed N4.04tn. Although a sinking fund of N120bn was proposed for the retirement of maturing bonds to local contractors, the lawmakers approved N110bn. While the sum of N2.031tn (including capital supplementation but excluding…

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 05:31

Nigeria student arrested for 'drug trafficking' in Saudi Arabia freed

A Nigerian student arrested last year for alleged drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia has been freed, the federal government says. Zainab Aliyu was accused of smuggling 2,000 packs of a strong pain killer. Nigerian authorities later found that the drugs had been planted in her luggage by a criminal gang. Drug trafficking is a capital offence in Saudi Arabia, which practices conservative Islam. Those found guilty are executed. This was the fate earlier this month of a Nigerian woman, who was beheaded in the city of Mecca, along with two Pakistani men and a Yemeni man. Ms Aliyu's detention sparked…

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 05:30

FG, states, LGs share N617.5bn March allocation

A total of N617.566 billion was yesterday distributed as Federal Allocation for March, 2019 among the three tiers of government, comprising federal, states and local governments. A communiqué issued by Technical sub-Committee of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) released at the end of meeting in Abuja, indicated that the gross statutory revenue received for the reference month was N446.647 billion, which is lower than the N478.434 billion received in the previous month by N31.787 billion. In the same vein, revenue generated from Value Added Tax (VAT) was N92.181billion, representing a decrease from the N96.389 billion generated from previous month by…

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 05:27

Four killed as train crushes tricycle in Lagos

Four people were killed on Tuesday when a train crushed a tricycle along Iju-Fagba corridor of the railway line in Lagos State. Mr Christian Madza, Lagos District Superintendent, confirmed the incident. Madza said that the tricycle was trying to outsmart the moving train when the train crushed it at the level crossing. “That is what we have been repeating every time, don’t play too smart on rail line because the train has its right of way. “The tricyclist was just trying to outsmart the train after the railway official has flagged them to stop for the oncoming train; it is…

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 05:25

Revolution is coming, Archbishop tells Nigerians

Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Mr Emmanuel Chukwuma, on Tuesday called on Nigerians to prepare for a revolution. Chukwuma, who has constantly criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s management style, spoke in an interview with our correspondent in Enugu. According to him, poverty rate is high in the country because of bad leadership. He said the N30,000 new minimum wage would not reduce poverty in Nigeria, adding that inflation would render the new pay worthless. The cleric said, “There is hunger and people are deprived of basic necessities of life in Nigeria and the N30,000 new minimum…

Tuesday, 30 April 2019 04:56

While soldier fighting Boko Haram gets N1,000 daily allowance, Boko Haram fighter gets N1m - FG official

A member of Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI), Mr Sidi Mohammed, yesterday said that members of the terrorist organisation Boko Haram are being paid $3,000 (N1 million) daily. Mohammed spoke at the presentation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Sub-Sahara Africa’s Economic Outlook Report in Abuja. According to him, the payment dwarfs the N1,000 daily allowance paid to Nigerian troops at the war front. Mohammed, who is Head of the Humanitarian Assistance and Rehabilitation arm of PCNI, lamented that Boko Haram has been hijacked and operates like a cartel. “I will give you an example. Nigerian military, for example,…

Tuesday, 30 April 2019 04:55

Another recession coming, govs told

Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Zamfara State, Mr Abdulaziz Yari, has warned incoming governors to be prepared for another cycle of recession. He raised the alarm at the opening the ceremony of induction programme for newly-elected and returning governors put together by NGF Secretariat, at State House Conference Center, Abuja. He gave mid-2020 to third quarter of 2021 as circle for the looming economic decline. Nigeria had officially entered a recession for the first time in more than two decades in August 2016, according to figures which showed that economy had contracted for a second consecutive…

Tuesday, 30 April 2019 04:53

We’ve delivered on power in 3 years - Fashola

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has unveiled a book titled ‘Proof of Infrastructure delivery across Nigeria’ highlighting his performance in the last three years, five months and eighteen days. In his address at the book presentation in Abuja, Fashola recalled his maiden briefing on December 8, 2015, when he promised to increase budgeting for the ministry from and delivering on incremental power. He recalled how he promised to increase Works budget from N19 billion to revive construction activities and create better roads. He also promised a National Housing Programme for affordable housing scheme. On these promises,…

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Tuesday, 30 April 2019 04:52

Nigeria’s life expectancy third lowest in the world - UN

Nigeria has the world’s third lowest life expectancy rate of 55 years, United Nations has said. In its new report Monday, United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) said life expectancy of an average Nigerian in 2019 is only better than those of people in Sierra Leone, Chad and the Central African Republic. The three countries have respectively 53, 54, 54 years as their life expectancy rates, the report states. War-torn Afghanistan has 65 years; Somalia has 58; and Syria has 73. The report puts Nigeria’s current population at 201 million. The report also states that the total fertility rate among Nigerian women…

Tuesday, 30 April 2019 04:46

Workers Day: FG declares May 1 public holiday

Federal government has declared Wednesday, May 1, as a public holiday to celebrate 2019 Workers’ Day. Minister of Interior, Mr Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the declaration through a press statement. Speaking on behalf of federal government, he congratulated Nigerian workers on their commitment and sacrifice towards building a greater Nigeria. He commended workers’ effort at ensuring the full implementation of the policies and programmes of the government. He said they did this through efficient and effective service delivery to Nigerians and foreigners. Dambazau called for continuous support of Nigerian workers in government’s effort at re-positioning the economy and moving it to…

Monday, 29 April 2019 04:45

Saraki gets international appointment

Senate President, Mr Bukola Saraki, has been nominated as an Ambassador-at-Large of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC). This was made known via a press release by his Media Office. In a letter dated March 16, Mr Friday Sani, Diplomatic Head of the Commission to Nigeria and other African Countries, said as a sequel to the approval of the World Secretary General of IHRC, Saraki has been appointed as one of the revered Ambassadors-at-Large of the multinational body, the statement read. Sani commended Saraki’s efforts in the stability of the country and his firm leadership of the Senate, which, he said,…

Monday, 29 April 2019 04:43

Man wrongly imprisoned for 27 years seeks N20bn compensation

A 56-year-old man, Mr Clinton Kanu, has said he will demand a N20bn compensation for spending 27 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. Kanu, sentenced to death in 1992 for murder, was freed by the Supreme Court on April 5, 2019. The Okigwe, Imo State-born consultant criminologist explained that though he made efforts to absolve himself from a gang-up that led to his incarceration, nobody was ready to listen to him until he was jailed. While in prison, Kanu lost his mother; coupled with the fact that he was not married, he said he fought loneliness.…

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