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Enugu Gov Announces N25,000 Cash Award To Civil Servants

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has announced a cash award of between N10,000 and N25,000 to the state workers, with effect from December to April 2024.

Mbah said that the government’s gesture was meant to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

The governor hoped that the new minimum wage negotiation would soon be concluded.

He disclosed this during a joint news briefing with the leadership of the organised Labour at the Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday.

He said that his administration was also implementing other social interventions apart from the cash transfer to better the lives of Enugu State workers.

Mbah said that the welfare of workers remained a priority of his administration.

He said that his laudable goals for the state could not be attained without a happy workforce.

He also announced an increase in the state social register enrolment from 43,000 to 260,000.

The governor also promised to lift more indigent citizens out of poverty through cash transfers and other social interventions.

“As you may be aware, since the removal of the petroleum subsidy, we have been in constant negotiation with the labour unions in the state, crafting a way forward on how we can provide palliatives to our teeming workforce.

“So, by the time you put a monetary value to all the social services we have provided, it will weigh well above N100,000 minimum wage.

“But, in addition to that, with effect from December, we are going to also make a flat payment to all the categories of our workers, beginning from our local government to the primary and secondary school teachers and civil servants.

“We are going to categorise them and there will be a flat payment of between N10,000 and 25,000, depending on the category.

“That payment is going to continue until April 2024”, he said.

Mbah also said: “It is our hope that by the end of April, the committee that is reviewing the minimum wage would have come out with what would then become the new minimum wage in the state.

“So, from there, we are just going to carry on the implementation of what is then set as the minimum wage”, the governor said.

He reaffirmed the determination of his administration to achieve a zero per cent poverty headcount index by 2031.

He said the state had set aside N1.5 billion for social development programmes, like water and sanitation in the communities.

“This is in addition to constructing 260 model primary health centres and 260 smart schools with accompanying teachers’ quarters.

“The state is just concluding the update of our social register and we have now expanded it from 43,000 to accommodate up to 260,000 indigent people in our state.

“That is also a platform that we are going to use to do cash transfers to engage our indigent ones”, he said.

Reacting, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Fabian Nwigbo, and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Benneth Asogwa, thanked the governor for his proactive steps towards the welfare of Enugu workers.

They said they were happy that Enugu workers did not have to lobby, protest or embark on strike to have their salaries and welfare addressed.

“I am overwhelmed by your pronouncements this afternoon.

“We are grateful for the announcement because there was no war to get this.

“We did not come begging and crying or shouting and agitating.

“It was out of the abundance of your heart that you decided to greet us with this big news.

“Actually, it has been great for the people of Enugu State, especially the workers under your administration.

“First of all, our salaries come as and when due and our promotion is also on the way for 2023.

“In the past, you have to spend years before you get promoted.

“So, as workers, we will do all we can to ensure that this government succeeds”, Nwigbo said

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‘Look at How Stupid and Unintelligent you people are’ – Asari Dokubo Slams Those Saying Lagos Belongs to the Binis

Asari Dokubo has slammed Nigerians who are pushing the narrative that Lagos state belongs to the Binis. His comment comes days after the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11, said that the Binis founded some parts of Lagos state.

The Monarch’s comment sparked a debate with people agreeing and also countering the monarch’s assertion. Some people in their submissions, insisted that the Binis own Lagos state

In a video shared online, Asari asked which of the Obas of Benin owned Lagos.

He described those peddling the idea that Lagos belongs to the Binis as unintelligent and stupid people.

“Look at how unintelligent and stupid you are to say that the Bini people founded Lagos. It’s a useless argument.

“Daume also attacked Lagos and attacked Abeokuta and Daume is in Benin Republic. So Daume people will say they owe this place because they came to fight there?

Borogu, which of them is the Benin Republic, will now say that because they had their army all over the place in those days, Igbo-Ora and the whole Okedun belong to them?

“You don’t know history. The Bini army attacked Lagos Island. The Ijaw army ferried them to attack not the whole of Lagos, just Lagos Island.

“Lagos was five divisions, four of these divisions were in the former Western Region. You don’t know history. But they keep Talking about ‘Lagos belongs to Benin’ which Oba of Benin can Lagos belong to?

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Nigerians will soon enjoy improved Electricity supply — Power Minister

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured that Nigerians will soon start enjoying improved power supply across the country.

This was even as he stated that the totality of the re-enacted electricity act has changed the entire landscape of the power sector.

The Minister disclosed this at the 3rd edition of the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria annual workshop in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, the 2023 Electricity Act has liberalised electricity generation, transmission, and distribution while also empowering states, organisations, and even individuals to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity.

He noted that the key part of the 2023 Electricity Act is the development of the Integrated National Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan.

“We are working with the National Council on Power (NCP) to develop and send the implementation strategy to the FederalE Executive Council (FEC) for approval,” he said.

Also, he said, “Part of the strategy in our road map is the emphasis on the bottom-up approach, unlike the top-down approach of the past.

“The implication, with the bottom-up approach, is that we will prioritise metering, distribution, and transmission infrastructure. In the short term, we will focus on customers down to distribution and transmission infrastructure. This is to ensure that a significant portion of what is generated currently gets to end users.

“We will also pay attention to the generation segment, particularly in areas of distributed (embedded) power from renewable energy sources, while at the same time advancing base load power through thermal and hydroelectric plants in the medium to long term.”

He further noted that the administration would explore the country’s regional energy potential.

“We will focus on solar energy in the North, mini hydropower plants in the Middle Belt and the Southwest, hybridised with solar, while our coastal states will be identified for wind energy utilisation.

Taking all the above into consideration, especially with the liberalisation of the sector, Nigerians will soon start to experience the objective that led to the Act, which is improved power supply across the country,” he said

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Court Remands 14-year-old Suspected Killer of FUTMinna Lecturer

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Minna, Niger State capital, has remanded a 14-year-old prime suspect, Joy Afekafe, over murder of Mrs. Funmilola Sherifat Adefolalu, an associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.

The Nigerian Police, Niger State Command, arraigned the 14-year-old Afekafe on three count charges which include criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and armed robbery.

The offences are in contrary to sections 97, 221 and 298 of the penal code law

The prosecution told Chief Magistrate Fati Hassan Umar that two other suspects in the crime: Wallex and Smart are still at large.

The prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu told the court that the trio had invaded the residence of the deceased on the 28th of October 2023 ”where you took a knife in the kitchen and stabbed her all over her body.

”You also used a wooden stool and hit her on her head after which you carted away $3000, one laptop computer, one mobile phone, two power banks and a car battery.”

The prosecution added that as a result, “the victim was taken to the IBB Specialist hospital where she was confirmed dead by medical doctors”.

When the charge was read to Afekafe, she pleaded not guilty to the crime.

The prosecution pleaded with the court to remand the accused in the Correctional Centre to enable the Police forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution in the state Ministry of Justice for legal advice, adding that it is only the High Court that has jurisdiction to try the case.

Chief Magistrate Fati Hassan Umar directed that Afekafe be remanded at the Children Correctional Centre before adjourning the case to 11th of December, 2023 for further mention