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Killed Policeman: 52 Arrested in Anambra
His Royal Highness, Igwe Promise Eze Tuesday alleged invasion of his community by men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), calling on the police to release the youths unconditionally.
This came on the heels of a clash between the youths and the police officers from Zone 9, Umuahia, in which one police man lost his life while 52 youths from the town were arrested.
A middle-aged woman, who recently lost her husband, also lost her life as she reportedly fell on sighting the police in the community.
Properties worth millions of naira were lost during the incident, including two hotels that were razed down.
The state Commissioner of Police; Mr. Garba Umar, said the command would not fold its arms and allow miscreants violate the law with impunity, insisting that the arrested suspects would be charged to court to face the law so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
A statement made available journalists in Awka the CP said: “On March 2, 2018, police officers from Zone 9, Umuahia, were on investigation activities over a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 9, on a matter bordering on conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace over land.
“However, when members of the team got to Umuenze, the youths attacked them with weapons, and the policemen sustained severe injuries, which resulted in the death of a policeman.
“The area was reinforced by a police team to calm the situation, but the youths were still violent and some of them were arrested. No individual is above the law. We are out to protect the lives and property of citizens and ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.”
Speaking on the issue yesterday at Umunze, Igwe Promise Eze faulted the statement by the police, saying that his people were not criminals and ought not to have received the kind of treatment meted to them by an organisation working for the government.
He called on the Anambra State Government to urgently set up a panel of inquiry,
independent of the police, to investigate the alleged excesses of the police who carried out the act.
According to him, such a panel would not only find a lasting solution to the ugly incident, but would help to arrest the culprits, to serve as a deterrent to others.
The Monarch however said that the genesis of the incident had nothing to do with land tussle as being reported in some quarters, saying that it was rather a fracas between two individuals over a little girl.
Narrating the story, he said: “Trouble began when one of the individuals, said to be a relation to the girl, had accused the other of beating the girl. The accusation triggered quarrel, which culminated into fighting between the two of them.
“One of them lodged a complaint at the Umunze police station and they were later reconciled by the DPO. The same person who pledged not to raise the matter again, reported same to the Zone 9 Police in Abia State.
“The police came and raided the area and arrested the other man, together with some other youths. But instead of taking them to the station here, they took them to Ajali without the knowledge of the DPO.
“They later came back and arrested more youths, some of who were bailed with amount of money ranging from N5,000 to N10,000”.
Continuing the Monarch said that it was the return visit of three of the policemen to the community that triggered the anger of the youths of the community who confronted them and it subsequently led to the sporadic shooting of guns by the police.
He, however, said he had since pleaded with the irate youths to remain calm, assuring them that efforts were being made to find a lasting solution to the fracas.
His words: “The frequent invasion and harassment of the people of the community by the police has continued to pose a source of worry to me and the peace-loving people of Umunze.
“The recent invasion in my community by the police and at odd times for that matter, and the steady arrest of youths, has continued to paint the community and the people in a bad light.
“The action of these police officers does not also speak well of the force and I still wonder whether those who invaded our community are real police officers in view of the calamities they carried out here.
“We are peace loving people and not criminals as they label us and we cannot afford to continue to be on the news for the wrong reasons.”
The traditional ruler maintained that the relationship between the community and the police had been cordial before it suddenly went sour as a result of the recent development.
News
Badaru on Operational Tour of 82 Division, other Military Installations in Enugu and Imo States
The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar CON mni is currently in Enugu on operational tour of 82 Division of Nigerian Army and other military platforms in Enugu.
He was received on arrival by the General officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army / Commander JTF SE of operation Udoka Major-General H.T Dada and other senior military officers.
The Minister is expected to meet with South East stakeholders on the way forward.
Details later…
Tinubu has granted full oversight responsibilities to Ministers of State over agencies under them amongst whom are Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle, Water Resources and Sanitation, Minister of State for Agriculture and others will henceforth enjoy full oversight responsibilities over such agencies.
President Bola Tinubu at FEC Meeting has approved that ministers of state be given full powers to supervise the agencies under them, the cable reported.
Until now, files pertaining to departments and agencies under their supervision were sent by their permanent secretaries to the senior ministers.
With the new dispensation, ministers of state can now grant all necessary administrative approvals on the governance process of these agencies and departments.
According to a source in the office of the head of service of the federation, “the president was not pleased with the prevailing governing framework in which ministers of states were just ministers in name”.
This, Tinubu reportedly said, led to the “underutilisation of the expertise and capabilities” of most ministers of state.
“The president believes ministers of state should have the right to make decisions and direct action within their areas of responsibility,” the official added.
According to the Cable report, the source said the idea, first mooted by Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the President on policy coordination and head, central delivery coordination unit got an instant buy-in from the President.
With the new directive, the administration hopes “to unleash” the potential of all the ministers, the source added.
…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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