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Herdsmen Attacks: Idoma youths spit fire
Idoma Youth Assembly has given the Fulani herdsmen residing in Benue state to vacate the state and particularly Idoma land by April 15, 2018 or have themselves to blame. A statement issued on Monday by the apex body of the youths, signed by the President, Dr. Patriot Ocheya Patrick Ekre, said the body has waited for so long anticipating that the government will take decisive action to put an end to the incessant killings and wanton destruction of lives and property going on in Idoma land and Benue state as a whole.
But while they waited, the youths said: “We’ve come to realize the sadistic attitude of the government towards the quandary state of our helpless people. The first major attack was launched on a part of Idoma called Agatu, where over 300 persons were massacred by the Fulani’s herdsmen; nothing like mass burial was organized for the dead, the river which was known and used as source of income for the fish farmers was completely made inaccessible because of the lifeless bodies thrown into it; some were left in the open field for the animals to feed on, some escaped death with various degrees of injuries without any help, crops and property worth millions were destroyed and to this moment hundreds of Agatus are yet to return to their ancestral homes for fear of the Fulanis.”
According to the statement, “Shortly after the massacre, our governor, Samuel Ortom with his counterpart, governor Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa state instead of condoling with us for those we lost, regrettably went ahead and ceded Agatu land to the same Fulani herdsmen who are killing us and as if that was not enough, the Army was sent to raid the houses of law abiding citizens who are predominantly farmers.
“We’ve carefully observed the role and the body language of both the state and federal government and it’s quite disheartening to note that they practically failed the electorate of their primary mandates which is to give them protection.
“It shows how nonchalant and insensitive this government is to the plight of the populace. Few days after the Agatu massacre, the IG of Police Mr Idris sat in his office in Edet house, Abuja and said to the world that it was only five persons that were killed in Agatu. Barely a year plus, similar incident occurred in Benue state and the same IGP Idris was ordered by the President to relocate to Benue state where lives and property have been destroyed on the daily basis. He defied that order but went and lodged in a presidential lodge in Lafia, Nasarawa State.”
Continuing, the statement said: “This has actually made it clear to the world the reason why IG Idris sealed the legitimate office of one of us, Ambassador, Dr, Dickson Akor, the Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria over one year even when the court have ordered the IG to unseal the premises in dual injunctions.
“The question here is, is the police boss still maintaining the law and order or defying the same order he ought to preserve?”
The statement also said: “We therefore call for the sack of IGP Mr. Idris with immediate effect and anything less than that will invariably put the integrity of Mr President to further questioning, especially as Benue people wholeheartedly voted for him. Benue state is one of the states that gave him the overwhelming votes that paved the way for him to enter that office and all we can receive in turn is killing and molestation.”
The statement recalled that in January this year in logo, Gwer and Guma local government areas, 75 lives were announced as killed but in fact it was over hundred souls which were lost and while mourning their loved ones, the so called Fulanis invaded Okpokwu Local Govt Area and 26 persons were killed, while the government remained economical with the truth and comfortable with the mental and physical torture of the people.
“Consequently, we want to categorically state here that we are highly disappointed at the President Buhari’s visit to Benue state since his visitation was not to proffer solution to the killing rather it seems we’ve been mocked and its quite unfortunate and amazing to hear from the Mr President who casually stated thus, I quote, ‘I didn’t know the IG of police never followed my orders’.
“For how long can we live in deceit and shift blames? Who is to be blamed, the IG or Mr. President? And now that he’s aware that IGP disobeyed his order what then is the sanction? To our greatest surprise, Mr President also stated that he told the Benue people many times to live in harmony with the Fulanis! So we are to take all the blames for our killings. We are extremely tired, Yes Nigeria must move forward but we refuse to fold our hands and allow this planned agenda going on in our land.
“Recently a woman stood in the hallowed chamber of the house of Representatives to state and I quote, ‘who knows if God created Fulanis to value the life of their cows more than human lives’ and one may ask if she was elected by the cow or if she is representing animals in that chamber.
“Whatever we the good people of Idoma Nation and Benue state in general take exception to, that evil comparative we condemn in totality and refuse to be replaced by cattle; we have the right to live and as such we can no longer continue in this lamenting state of life and governmental abandonment. We at this point concluded that President is not for the people of Benue state,” the statement declared.
“However, at this juncture, we task the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom to ’’stop crying like a drowning man as he was tagged by the police boss. He should rise to the occasion and do the needful by strengthening the neighborhood watch; he should take a leeway from people like the governor of Rivers state, Barr. Nyesom wike, since this is an obvious and deliberate attempt to reduce the Benue people for political reasons,” the youths advised.
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Enugu: Mbah Approves N80,000 Minimum Wage for State, LG Workers and Primary School Teachers
…It’s unprecedented to earn above minimum wage in Enugu- Labour
… We’ll commence implementation immediately- ALGON
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved N80,000 minimum wage for the state’s work force, including local government workers, effective October 2024, noting a direct link between a motivated workforce and his administration’s vision of growing the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.
The new minimum wage covers all state employees, primary school teachers, and local government workers.
Organised labour has described the wage as unprecedented, as it was the first time that Enugu workers would be earning above the national minimum wage.
Mbah announced the new minimum wage on Thursday after a meeting with the Enugu State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee headed by the Head of Service, Kenneth Ugwu and labour leaders, including the state’s labour leaders.
Mbah said, “Few weeks ago, I inaugurated a committee with the responsibility to oversee the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage in Enugu State. Today, I’m happy to announce a new minimum wage for workers in Enugu State, reflecting our fidelity to their welfare, in regard of which we have been resolutely committed.
“We have approved the sum of N80,000 as the new minimum wage in Enugu State. This underscores our commitment to bequeathing lasting legacies of improved living conditions.
“Our commitment to improved workers’ welfare runs deep, and is rooted in the firm understanding of the inextricable link between an inspired workforce and the audacious economic targets we had set our sights on.
“We clearly understood that reducing poverty to the barest minimum and achieving an unprecedented economic growth target were contingent on the output of the workforce. Therefore, for us, the best way to acknowledge that labour creates wealth is by ensuring that the workforce, which creates the wealth that oils the wheel of government, is sufficiently motivated.
“We have similarly demonstrated our commitment to workers welfare through the consistent payment of the wage awards, a gesture we had pledged to sustain until a new wage structure took effect.”
Speaking, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, thanked governor Mbah for always prioritising the welfare of workers, describing the new minimum wage as “a great one for Enugu workers.”
“In the past, when minimum wage is announced, it takes up to one or two years for anything to happen; and when it did, we took anything they gave us as we saw it. But today, you have even given us something much higher than national minimum wage.
“But I am not totally surprised because when other governors were paying N12,000 wage award, you were paying us N25,000. When others paid for some months and stopped, you continued paying it until the new minium wage as you promised. So, we have enjoyed wage award for 11 months and today you announced the minimum wage which is the first of its kind since my 32 years in service,” said.
Speaking to Government House correspondents, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Ben Asogwa, said, “We are so happy. The governor did not just announce ₦80,000 minium wage, but said that it cascades down to even local government workers. He said that he does not want disparity in salary implementation in Enugu State anymore because we all go to the same market.
“This is the first time in history we are seeing the implementation of minimum wage above the approved amount by the federal government. Actually, when we entered into the negotiation, we were afraid because we know quite well that we are not among the states that share in dividends of oil money. We know quite well that we are at the back when it comes to federal allocation, but His Excellency actually surprised us.
“One thing we have seen is that he understands the impact of motivation on productivity. The governor has set a pace and we know that any other person coming after him will have the challenge to meet up with the target set by His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah.”
On his part, Chairman of the Association of Local Government Workers, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, pledged the commitment of council chairmen to implementing the new minimum wage.
“When you motivate workers, they become more productive. What I am promising on behalf of the Enugu ALGON family is that we are going to cascade the new minimum wage to the local government level. Implementation begins immediately,” he said.
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Matawalle Brief President Tinubu on Security Situation in North-West
Minister commends Nigerian Military, reports SANDRA ANI
The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, H.E. Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, MON, briefed President H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR on the outcome of his two operational tours to Sokoto State
Dr. Matawalle highlighted the significant successes recorded by the Nigerian Military in combating insecurity in the region, praising the dedication and professionalism of the Nigerian Military, particularly the Armed forces of Nigerian . “They will continue to play a critical role in safeguarding our nation,” he emphasized.
According to a statement signed by Henshaw Ogubike, director (Information and Public Relations), at the Ministry, the Minister eulogised President Tinubu for his Government’s commitment to providing necessary resources to maintain operational efficiency in countering security threats in the North-West. He also reaffirmed the government’s resolve to bolster NAF’s capacity as part of the strategic fight against insecurity in the region.
Dr. Matawalle’s operational visit to Sokoto State aimed to rekindle the people’s faith in the Federal Government’s efforts to restore peace and security in the North-West region. His presence, along with the Chief of Defence Staff and other military chiefs led to the elimination of many bandit leaders amongst whom is Halilu Buzu sububu. This demonstrates the government’s determination to flush out bandits and terrorists.
The Minister called on residents of Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi states to remain vigilant and cooperate with security forces to ensure the success of ongoing operations.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was very pleased with his briefing and commended the Minister and the troops in their renewed vigour to eradicate insecurity in the North West and the country.
…Says MOD has the infrastructure to make both systems work effectively
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, has inaugurated the Project Steering Committee and Project Implementation Technical Team for the Performance Management System (PMS) and the Enterprise Content Management of the Ministry of Defence with a charge on the members of both Committees to make the Ministry shine.
Inaugurating the committee at the Ship house, Abuja, the Permanent Secretary said that the Ministry of Defence has the infrastructure and human resources that are experts to drive the process to success. “We have experts in the Ministry that can drive the process. We have Directors and Deputy- Directors from different departments who are experts and can help in cascading the processes down to other staff of the Ministry,” he said.
He therefore called on the Ministry’s Performance Management System (PMS) Champions to demonstrate unwavering commitment and excellence in driving service delivery and achieving set targets in line with the ministry’s mandate towards fulfilling the renewed hope agenda.
While he acknowledged that there might be initial hiccups, he charged the PMS Champions to be resilient in overcoming the initial challenges that may arise with the programme’s rollout and re-emphasized the need for a continuous training. “In MOD, training is not going to be an issue. We can afford to be organizing training on PMS and ECM every week.
Furthermore, Dr. Kana said that the PMS and ECM Champions are expected to lead the charge towards ensuring efficiency, productivity, and accountability across the Ministry, with the ultimate goal of achieving total compliance with government performance standards.