Despite warnings by the opposition and predictions by western intelligentsia, there appeared to be a desperation to clamp down on opposition and international donor agencies as long as their position is at variance with the position of the ruling party, the opposition has alleged. This comes on the heels of the alleged freezing of the accounts of Peter Obi, the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
The PDP had earlier in the year warned of the plan by the APC led government to clamp down on the opposition and the Civil Society groups. “The first leg of this scheme is to commence a vicious intimidation and harassment of PDP members who have refused to succumb to pressure to join the APC in their undemocratic quest to create room for a one party state in Nigeria.” Kola Ologbondayan, the party spokes person alleged. They had claimed that the Federal Government is prepared to make maximum use of the anti graft agencies other security apparatus to intimidate opposition.
Recent developments appears to dovetail into that allegation. Deji Adeyanju, a social and political activist, has been under arrest by security agencies. Latest information indicates that he is being held for a case that a court of competent jurisdiction had already discharged and acquitted him in the past.
Besides Deji, Doyin Okupe, former spokesperson for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was arrested and accused of cyber terrorism. His arrest may not be unconnected with an interview he granted an online medium (not The Source) where he was alleged to have said that Atiku is the luckiest Presidential Candidate the Country has ever had because the APC has no presidential candidate. He cited the constitution stipulating that one of the conditions for elective office is that the aspirant must be a N9gerian. Okupe alleged that the current President Buhari was not a Nigerian.
The latest of the clampdowns was by the Nigerian military against international donor agencies like the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF, a group that the Nigerian Army has blacklisted. Apart from UNICEF, they are also up in arms against Amnesty International, an international human Rights Watchdog. AI is under fire for doing its job and releasing a damning report on the Nigerian Military in the War Against Boko Haram.
There were also reports that many media houses are under pressure to not write or broadcast anything that will embarrass the government. Some media houses are said to have fined heavily by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria, BON, for infractions that may be regarded as minor because they allegedly ignored warnings on their program. Program anchors have lost their positions in broadcast media because of Government pressures on their organization. Recently, Farouk Kpotogi, an American based social commentator, who was a columnist with the Weekly Trust Newspapers, had his column yanked off the Tabloid by the Newspaper management due to pressures from the government that sees his column as being too critical. He has since relocated his column to tribune.
The united states was said to have warned of increased clampdown on opposition as the election draws near, fearing that the election may precipitate violence if the aproaching trend is not checked.To this, PDP has warned that the ruling party should not attempt to rig themselves into power “like they did in Osun and Ekiti”
The handwriting was boldly written on the wall. The stargazers has predicted that the end was near for the Manchester United to part ways with their Portuguese manager.
The body language of Manchester United Chairman, David Wood, spoke volume. Immediately Mourinho substituted Ander Herrera, in their Sunday 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, Wood was disappointed as he made hand gesture towards the substitution to one of the board members beside him, showing his displeasure towards the move.
It was there and then, Manchester United fans knew Mourinho will be booted out.
Manchester United made their worst start to a season in almost 30 years, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
The 55-year-old Portuguese’s last match in charge was the 3-1 defeat by league leaders Liverpool on Sunday which left them 19 points behind their opponents.
It is United’s worst start in the league since 1990 and even his ambition of reaching the top four and a Champions League qualification spot is in danger with the club 11 points adrift of those places.
Despite the club having reached the Champions League knockout stages — they face an intimidating last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain — a mix of the results, dressing-room discord and criticism of the board’s transfer policy proved potent factors in the decision to dismiss him.
“Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect,” a club statement said.
“The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.
“A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.”
This will be the fourth time Mourinho will be sacked by a club. His first sack came in his first stint with Chelsea, where he was forced to resign or will be sacked.
When he was at Real Madrid, he was sacked by the Madrid board, having disorganised the dressing room, with players having issues with him.
He returned back to Chelsea after parting ways with Real Real Madrid. After just two and half season with Chelsea, he was shown the exit door, after having issues with some of the players in the team.
Now, he is sacked by Manchester United after just two and half season with the Manchester team. He won the UEFA Europa League, Carling Cup, and the Charity Shield with Manchester United.
Jimi Agbaje, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Lagos State, has high hopes becoming the next governor of the state.
Agbaje who had on several occasion tried his luck on becoming the governor of the Centre of Excellence, as Lagos State is called, but has been defeated by the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the 2015 gubernatorial polls in the state.
At the 2015 poll, Agbaje lost to the incumbent governor of the State, Akinwunmi Ambode, but this time around, Agabje believes he has what it takes to defeat Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, the APC candidate for the guber poll.
This is the third time Agbaje will the jostling to become the governor of the commercial hub state of the nation, having lost to former governor of the state Babatunde Raji Fashola in 2011 of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, which metamorphosed to APC. Then, Agbaje was the governorship candidate of Democratic Peoples Alliance, DPA.
“I have high hope of becoming the next governor of Lagos State because I have promised to bring character, knowledge and many good economic policies that will help Lagosians to the table.
“I want to address the leadership lopsidedness in Lagos and establish a good leadership structure that will be enduring to all. We want to address the major issues in Lagos.
“I also want to see how we can change the narrative on the infrastructural facilities by reducing traffic on our roads; the traffic on the Lagos roads is getting worrisome.
“The major thing is that our children should get a quality education from primary to the tertiary institutions. I also want to establish skills acquisition centres to provide jobs for our teeming youths,’’ he said.
“I hope to also address the water system in Lagos State which is far from what it used to be.
“There are many issues to be attended to which by God’s grace the solution is not far-fetched.
“I will concentrate on the social and economic policies to move the state forward,’’ he said.
In the spirit of Christmas and his undying love for humanity, His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has once again demonstrated His commitment to put smiles on the faces of less privileged children in the society as he organised Christmas party for over 1000 of them in Lagos.
The monarch through his Pet project, Hopes Alive Initiatives, HAI, which commenced operation in December 2017 as a social Advocacy Platform to alleviate the economic, cultural and environmental challenges of reducing the impact on the global society has put smiles on the faces of many indigent children nationwide in this year alone.
It would be recalled that Ooni recently visited the largest Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Wassa, Abuja which hosts over 5,000 persons where he donated drugs and erected football pitch to promote social activities among the refugees displaced by Boko Haram insurgencies.
This was shortly after he donated a vocational centre to some rehabilitated children and adults in Umuahia, Abia State barely two weeks after His donation of a new home to an orphanage in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking at the Christmas programme which had over 1000 children present, the Deputy Convener and Chief Executive of HAI, Princess Temitope Adesegun said it’s the role of the initiative to put permanent smiles on the faces of these set of people especially at this season of love.
“That is what we stand for, that is what gives His Imperial Majesty joy, to give them a new beginning, a sense of belonging, not temporarily but a long lasting memory that will change their entire sense of bearing, that will change their orientation, that will change their true essence and they will believe indeed and in truth they can actually live a well and beautiful life.
Saying in the one year of existence of the initiative they have done incredibly well, stressing the organisation’s visit to the IDP camp in Abuja, orphanage homes and several other programmes within the year.
“I can site an example here and that was when we went to Oluwakemi Orphanage Home. She practically had her kids in a slum and so what we did was to give them a new begining.
“We relocated them from that slum to a new well furnished and equipped apartment and with this we put a permanent smile on their faces and all the days of their lives they will remember what God and His Imperial Majesty has done for them,” she disclosed.
Thanking the convener, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Adesegun said it is overwhelming what the convener is doing because “for someone to be selfless that all what he thinks of is to make people happy.
“Its indeed a huge sacrifice, the Great Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye, Ojaja the second, I salute you and I say thank you so much for your tremendous love, its unique, the kind of love you have is liken to the love of God for the church and God will continue to bless you.
On feedback in the last one year,the Deputy Convener said people they have supported are doing well and calling to say they love the convener and “of course we have people supporting him and that is why we are calling on corporate bodies and individuals to support us.
“The reason why God created you as privileged person is not just for you to relax and be excited, but its for you to be impactful, its for you to bless people out there,” she urged.
On message for the season, she said the season is all about love and there is no way you can love anyone without given because ” the Bible says for God so love the world that he “gave” us His beloved son so we should extend our hand of love to fellow human.”
The Head Operations of the organisation, Mr. Chidi Amos explained that the ultimate aim of Hopes Alive Initiative was to give hope to the hopeless and of course we support good intention most especially ones that has to do with children.
The cross section of the children at the fanfare thanked the organisation for organising the programme especially during this season of love.
The die is now cast. It’s now clear that Diamond Bank Plc, with its over 28-years operation as a commercial bank in Nigeria, will in the new year join the league of other banks in the country taken over either by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN or a bigger bank.
But it’s more than that. The implication of a takeover will even be more for the teeming staff of the bank who have been living in apprehension of losing their jobs since the problem started in 2015.
In 2015 the bank sacked over 1,000 employees in its payroll citing serious economic challenges. From all indications the number of employees that will lose their jobs will even be more this time around, sources in the bank told the magazine.
In some of the branches visited yesterday by the magazine, some employees appear to have accepted the reality that sooner than later they will be asked to go.
But the fear is more among the managerial and middle level staff who believe they will not escape the down-sizing that will be implemented by the new owners of the bank.
“We are aware of the implication. When a take-over happens, it’s most unlikely that the new management will absorb existing staff. They will bring in their own people to run the bank in line with their goals and aspirations,” a branch manager told the magazine in Ikeja on Monday.
More than half of the 300 branch managers will be sacked, according to sources privy to the agreement reached by the two banks three days ago. “They will, however be paid their severance pay,” the same source said.
The magazine had penultimate week reported that the Uzoma Dozie led bank has ran into liquidity problem and therefore may find it difficult to meet its obligations to its customers.
It was also mentioned in the report that some customers were in panic over what may eventually happened to the bank, established 28 years ago by Pascal Dozie, whose family owns close to 20 percent shares in the bank.
Dozie is the chairman of MTN Nigeria and father of current CEO of the bank.
The magazine had reported that the management of the two banks were putting finishing touches to the ‘takeover’ and that the arrangement will be perfected before the new year.
The report came on the heels of stringent denial by Diamond Bank that it was in any merger talks with Access Bank, Nigeria’s fourth largest bank.
As it turned out, the bank had actually been meeting with Access Bank officials on how to wind down its operation in favor of Access that will now be the ‘mother’ entity.
“We have concluded the merger talks. We are waiting for the approval of CBN and anytime from now the situation will be made known to the public” a director of the bank told the magazine on Monday, though he said he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
The managing director and chief executive officer of Access Bank Plc Herbert Wigwe has confirmed that there’s an ongoing arrangement by his bank to subsume Diamond Bank.
He said “Access Bank has a strong track record of acquisition and integration which has a clear growth strategy.
“Access and Diamond Banks have complimentary operations and similar values. A merger with Diamond Bank with its leadership in digital and mobile-led retail banking could accelerate our banking strategy as a significant corporate and retail bank in Nigeria and a pan-African financial services champion.
“Access Bank has a strong financial profile with a robust capital of over 20 per cent CAR (capital adequacy ratio) as at 30 September, 2018.
“We believe that this platform, together with the two banks’ focus and innovative financial inclusion and sustainability will bring benefits to the shareholders of Access and Diamond Banks.”
Indeed, that’s good news for Access Bank which might become the biggest bank in Nigeria when the CBN finally gives approval for the merger.
Hearing begins today in an Oshogbo High Court on whether or not the National Assembly should proceed on the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari. The suit, filed by one Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ilesa branch; and another Lawyer, Comrade Suleiman Adeniyi, a human rights activist, stated that President Buhari had breached the provisions of the Nigeria Constitution claiming that he possesses the required qualification to vie for the exulted office of the President.
In the last sitting of the court on November 26, 2018, the court adjourned to enable parties joined in the suit be served. Indications are that all parties may have been served, but currently National Assembly workers are on a four day warning strike.
This is one of the latest pressures on the president to resign his position. Opposition party leaders have been calling on the president to resign based on his admission that the economy is in dire straits. The president had, according to governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara state, told Governors he met with that the economy is in bad shape and that things will get worse. “The economy is in bad shape (and) we have to come together, think and rethink on the way forward,” he said.
But Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had advised him to go back to Daura, his home town if he is tired of job of running the country.
“He is tired and at his wits end and it is time for him to vacate active task of presidency and return to his much cherished sedentary, pastoral and rustic lifestyle in his country home in Daura then leave the rigours and highly strategic art of governance to those who know how to govern and get the economy working again,” he said.
Besides the attacks on Buhari on the admission of failure in the economic front, there has been serious backlash on the Federal government dismissive attitude towards the fallen Nigerian soldiers during Boko Haram attacks. In recent times, Boko Haram has slaughtered the Nigerian military to the tune on over a hundred soldiers and counting. During the burial of the soldiers, the President was not there and Presidency was not represented, and this has sparked off anger among Nigerians on social media. Atiku and the presidency has also been at daggers drawn on the issue.
“I am pained that neither the President or his vice were in attendance at the funeral and that the Federal Government did not send a high powered delegation to represent the government at the funeral.” Atiku said.
“This is sad and totally unacceptable. This is beyond politics. This touches our shared humanity. What would it cost for the President to take a day and fulfil his role as head of state by attending the funeral of such men of honour and valour? The sad part of it is that a day before their funeral, President Muhammadu Buhari took time out of his busy schedule to host Nollywood stars at the Presidential Villa. I appreciate Nollywood and I have personally done a lot, both in my private capacity and when I was Vice President, to promote that vitally important industry. However, it does not send a right message to the men and women who are fighting for Nigeria if you can attend a get together of entertainers but you cannot find the time to honour those who make the peace we are benefitting from possible. I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to learn from French President Emmanuel Macron, who on March 28, 2018 took a whole day off to attend the funeral of Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame, who was killed by a terrorist after a March 24, 2018 terror attack on the South of France. It will be recalled that Time Magazine reported that that singular act by Mr. Macron boosted the morale of French security forces more than any other action in France’s war on terror. Nigeria lost the opportunity to do the same thing to our military and security forces.”, he concluded.
coupled with this is the new found war that the Nigerian is waging against international United Nations affiliated organizations. Recently they suspended the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Funds, UNICEF, from the North east, accusing them of impropriety. This was followed swiftly by their hammer of Amnesty International, an international human rights monitoring group.
The Lagos-Kebbi Rice production collaboration popularly known as LAKE Rice has become scarce in the market.
The local rice which is always flood the market during festivities has become a scarce commodity, as Lagosians lament the scarcity of the commodity which is cheaper than the foreign rice sold in the market.
A 50kg bag of LAKE Rice sells for N12,000; 25 kg at N6,000; and 10kg goes for N3,000.
A visit to major markets in the state, the traders are lamenting the scarcity of the commodity, saying that they booked for the commodity the months ago but they are yet to receive it from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mrs Franca Onyegbulam, said most of her customers prefer buying the LAKE rice, apart from the fact that it is cheap, but because it is locally made and sweet.
“I have been going to Alausa alnmost every week to get the commodity having paid over three months ago, but we are told it is not yet on ground. This is really affecting our business. We pray that before next week, the commodity will be available for our customers to purchase”.
A visit to the Ministry of Agriculture in Alausa, Lagos, a senior member at the ministry said the government is not resting on its oars to make the commodity available for the people, most especially during this season.
“There has been some logistics challenge which accounted for the delay and scarcity of the rice, however, the ministry is working hard to make sure that the product is available especially during the festive season. “For now, we are appealing to the distributors and customers to bear with us”, he said.
Zamfara
Zamfara and Ogun states are supposed to be strongholds of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Theoretically, they are still. At least, the two states governors are of the APC. However, the situation of the party in the two states is akin to a debilitating paralysis. In both of them, APC is like a king without a crown.
Intrigues and internal sabotage in Zamfara APC has ensured that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, barred the party from presenting a gubernatorial candidate for the state. The implication is that the 2018 governorship election in Zamfara will be a walk over for the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
INEC, on October 10, 2018 announced that it has barred the Zamfara state chapter of the ruling APC from fielding any candidate during the 2019 general elections after failing to conduct primary elections as a result of factionalization.Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Kabiru Marafa’s factions of the party could not agree on a candidate.
This magazine has learnt that APC factions in the state have adopted, and are funding guber candidates of fringe parties.
Ogun
Ogun state presents a familiar picture.The out-going governor, Ibikunle Amosun has publicly vowed to work against the APC candidate, Dapo Abiodun after his choice for a successor, Adekunle Akinlade, was denied the ticket.
Though Akinlade has found solace in All Progressives Movement, APM, after ditching the APC and has the backing of Governor Amosun, watchers of Ogun politics opine that APC in the state are so fractured that the governor’s faction, now branded APM, and the faction loyal to the state former governor, Segun Osoba, which produced Dapo, are too weak to produce a governor from either side.
To this end, pundits tip the candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gboyega Isiaka, as an underdog who may spring surprises in the election. Isiaka, who had vied for Ogun guber election in the past, reportedly has the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.The ADC candidate is also said to enjoy the secret support of some APC chieftains from both parties who are working on the theory that the only credible option open to the party(APC) is to support Isiaka to win after which he would be poached. The PDP is not in contention here because like the APC, Ogun PDP is factionalised and weakened.
The party is parading two factional governorshiop candidates—Senator Buruji Kashamu and Ladi Adedibu- each claiming the authenticity of the guber ticket. Howerver, a court has just upheld the expulsion of Kashimu from the PDP, thus confirming Adedibu the authentic governorship candidate.
Abia
The perilous condition of APC in Abia, Enugu, Cross River and Rivers are the same, and differs slightly from the paralysis in Ogun and Zamfara. The four states mentioned are PDP states where APC is in the opposition and parades factional candidates. Each of the factional candidates is resolute in contesting the 2018 election on the party’s platform.
In the streets of Aba, Abia’s commercial city, and the capital, Umuahia, posters of the factional APC candidates in the state- Uche Sampson Ogar and Ikechi Emenike adorn walls and eletricity polls side by side. Giant billboards proclaiming the candidature of the two are also common sights. Since parallel primaries produced both men in October, Abia APC has been in turmoil.
Though the National Working Committee of the APC and INEC recognize Ogah, a multi billionaire industrialist as candidate, an Abuja High Court last week nullified the primary that produced him and declared Emenike as the authentic flagbearer. Ogah is, however, still carrying on as candidate while Emenike has inaugurated his campaign team.
Like Ogun, another party, this time, PDP, is set to reap bountifully from the Abia APC crisis. APGA which should have naturally been a major beneficiary of the APC debacle is in itself enmeshed in a debilitating internal wrangling with Alex Otti and Chikwe Udensi both laying claims to the party’s guber ticket.
Some members of APC and APGA factions in the state, faced with uncertain political future in their parties, the magazine was informed, are rooting for the second term seeking PDP governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, on the basis that it would be impossible for their weakened and factionalised parties to defeat the incumbent.
Chibuike Amaechi: His APC faction loses out in Rivers state
Rivers
Except the Supreme court intervenes by quashing an Appeal court judgement which ,on Wednesday, affirmed APC in Rivers has no candidates in all the levels of next year’s elections, that party will simply stay on the sidelines and watch as the PDP glides to an unchallenged victory next year.
The internal squabbles in Rivers APC have their locale in the battle for supremacy between Minister for Transport, Chibuike Amaechi and his erstwhile ally, Senator Magnus Abe.
Matters came to a head during the APC ward and local government congresses in the state in May, and further deteriorated during the governorship primary in October. Amaechi and Abe’s factions conducted both exercises independent of the other, producing factional delegates and factional governorship candidates. Abe’s faction produced him as APC governorship candidate while Amaechi’s produced billionaire oil mogul, Tonye Cole, as candidate.
In the streets of Port Harcourt, the state capital, campaign posters of both men compete for space, but insiders in both factions confided in this magazine that APC in Rivers is in a bad shape. “Even if the Supreme Court eventually comes to our rescue, it will be an uphill task dislodging Governor Wike. The so called Federal might may not even help, not when as a result of this crisis, thousands of our members defect to the PDP every week and some of our party leaders sneak to Government House at night to negotiate their political interest”, a member of Abe’s faction who does not want his name mentioned, told The Source.
Cross River
Along Ndidem Isong Road in Mariam area of Calabar, the Cross state capital stands a storey building housing the campaign office of Senator Owan Enoh.Few poles away, opposite, is the campaign office of Pastor Usani Uguru, Niger-Delta Minister. Parallel primaries produced both men as Cross River APC governorship candidates. Though the national leadership of the party submitted Senator Enoh’s name as its candidate, Pastor Usani has been unrelenting in trying to retrieve what he describes as “my mandate”. A reprieve came his way on Thursday when an Abuja High Court declared the APC faction that produced him as legitimate.The implication of the judgement is that Enoh who defected from the PDP to APC few months ago, has lost out and, the Minister now enjoys court-ordered recognition as the flagbearer.
However, whoever eventually flies the APC flag in Cross River will be doing so on the platform of a party gasping for breath. Severe fracture in the APC in the state has left the party with uncontrollable haemorrhage. Thousands of members across the state daily defect to the PDP. Among party faithfuls who have so far moved to the PDP is Senator Florence Ita-Giwa. Sources claim prominent loyalists of both Enoh and Usani are making overtures to the state governor, Senator (Professor) Ben Ayade for posssible synergy in his re-election bid having come to the realisation that their principals’ governorship dreams may have become quicksand dreams.
Enugu
Senator Ayogu Eze who represented Enugu North in the Senate was a PDP member few weeks before a parallel primary threw him up as APC’s governorship candidate for the state. Another primary had ealier produced George Tagbo Ogara as the candidate. Though the APC national leadership submitted Senator Eze’s name to INEC as its candidate, Ogara insists he was short- changed. He is in the court, and confident the judiciary will give him justice. He and Eze are feverishly campaigning independent of each other. Their posters are in common sights in the coal city.
Meanwhile, while Enugu APC bickers, governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s support base burgeones as APC members who do not see political future in both Senator Eze and Ogara swell PDP’s ranks. One of them told this magazine: “It’s better to join a team that you are sure will carry the day than waste your time and vote on a party that can’t agree on who flies its flag. APC is not ready to take power in Enugu”
President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that the Nigeria economy is in bad shape. The number one citizen’s statement is in contrary to what is party, All Progressives Congress, APC, his media aides and loyalists had earlier said, claiming that the Buhari administration has stabilized the economy and fashion out a roadmap for the nation to grow economically.
Sadly, in a meeting today with the governors of the 36 states of the federation on the minimum wage issues that has been at the front burner of discourse, in which the governors said their states are financially incapacitated to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage, the president challenged state governors to redouble efforts in addressing infrastructure deficiencies in their respective states to revamp the nation’s economy.
The Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, said the president was not happy with the state of the economy, admoishing them to upp the ante in their respective stats for the economy to boom.
Yari said this was the major discussion they had with Mr. President at this closed-door meeting with the 36 State Governors of the federation in Abuja.
He said: “Mr President, as usual, responded by telling us that the economy is in a bad shape and we have to come together and think and rethink on way forward. “So, Mr President talked to us in the manner that we have a task ahead of us. So, we should tighten our belts and see how we can put Nigerian economy in the right direction and how we can address the nation’s infrastructural decay.
“So, all of us as leaders especially those that are coming to the National Assembly and those coming back as governors and the president who will be re-elected by God grace we should not think that things are going to be easy.
”They are going to be harder than before, this was the message of Mr President,’’ he said. On the meeting of the National Economic Council, the governor disclosed that the Council deliberated extensively on new ways state governments could generate additional revenues for speedy economic growth and development.
President Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with 36 state governors of the federation on the lingering disagreement between the organised labour and state governments on the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage.
The News Agency of Nigeria observed that some of the governors were represented by their deputies at the meeting which lasted for about 30 minutes.
President Buhari, had, on November 19, held similar meeting with representatives of Nigerian Governors Forum at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the same issue of national minimum wage was deliberated upon.
Representatives of the Governors Forum, who met with the President over the issue then, included governors of Zamfara, Lagos, Kaduna and Enugu; while the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, was also in attendance.
The Amal Pepple Tripartite Committee on the Review of National Minimum Wage had, on November 6, submitted its report to President Buhari where it recommended N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.
While receiving the report, the President expressed his commitment to ensuring the implementation of a new national minimum wage and pledged to transmit an Executive Bill (on National Minimum Wage) to the National Assembly for its passage within the shortest possible time.
However, the 36 state governors had since expressed reservations over the proposed N30,000 new minimum wage by the Amal Pepple committee, saying the state governments were not in a stable financial position to pay it.
The Chairman of the Governors’ Forum and Governor of Zamfara, Abdul’aziz Yari, had, on November 15, told newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the governors in Abuja that payment of N30,000 wage was not practicable.
