“We are working to ensure optimal performance of the Smart Card Readers,” the INEC Chairman said. Yakubu highlighted INEC challenges to include do or die mentality of politicians, vote-buying, lack of internal democracy, incendiary speech, security, impunity and lack of consequences for electoral offenders. 

According to him, impact of litigation and conflicting court orders are also affecting the commission, but the electoral body continues to put in efforts to improve the conduct of elections in Nigeria. He lamented that there were increasing pre-election cases, with the commission being joined in 273 court actions and numerous petitions. Earlier in his remarks, Dr Haroun Adamu, the Chairman of the occasion and former Chairman, Petroleum Trust Fund, said that social media platforms had been so influential in information dissemination.

“They are the major opinion shapers and are influential. The business model adopted by Real News is very forward-thinking and can be described as being ahead of the crowd. “The team must continue to strive to remain dynamic, flexible and willing to adopt as the environment evolves with advances in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI),” Adamu said. He urged Real News and other media to be the cornerstone of investigative journalism in Nigeria and Africa, and be change agents in the Nigerian social and political landscape, focusing on key sectors of Nigeria’s economy. (NAN)

Read More

How Oshiomhole received and shared the money

SaharaReporters can also confirm that the figures mentioned earlier are nothing compared to what the DSS documented in a report it forwarded to the presidency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) some days ago.

  

“Total $55 million is what Adams is alleged to have received. Some party chieftains claim it is $80 million,” a source aware of the contents of the report told SaharaReporters.

Read More

All committee members signed report – NLC president

Speaking to journalists after the presentation, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said every member of the tripartite committee signed the report.

He said the agitation for the national minimum wage was not connected to the forthcoming general elections in the country.

On the capacity of state governments to pay the N30,000, he said “the N18,000 was being paid from 2011 to 2015 until when most of the states emptied their treasuries before elections.

“It was coincidence. In 2011, it was almost at the same time. At whatever time the minimum wage is due, it is our responsibility to raise the issue,” he said.

However a source at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said while the president’s endorsement means that federal civil servants would earn N30, 000 as minimum wage, it may not be the same for state workers as governors have said they do not have the resources to pay the amount.

The source added that the governors’ forum did not insist that all states must pay N22, 500 but said those who have capacity to pay N30, 000 minimum wage should go ahead and do so.

Briefing journalists last week, Chairman of the forum, and Governor of Zamfara State Abdul’aziz Yari said it was their position that since the percentage of salaried workers is not more than 5% of the total working population, their position must not just reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on ability and capacity to pay.

CLICK HERE for futher information

Read More

N30,000 wage will cause inflation – Umahi

Governor of Ebonyi State David Umahi said the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage would cause inflation and asked civil servants to look beyond the minimum wage.

He spoke Monday night when fielding questions from journalists at the Presidential lodge, Abakaliki where he inaugurated his re-election campaign.

“If you say something is wide, we should be able to say how wide it is. I believe that if we harness the resources of this country we will have enough to take care of our workers and we will have enough to take care of our health, education and others.

“Civil servants should look beyond minimum wage, even the minimum wage of thirty thousand naira cannot solve their basic needs,

“The reason is that it will cause inflection which is going to sweep out whatever gain you think you have. I think we are approaching this issue of minimum wage very wrongly,” he said.

CLICK HERE for final information

Read More

We must pay a living wage – Expert

Commenting on the impact of the new wage on inflation, Professor of Economist, Derin Ologbenla of the University of Lagos said: “We must pay a living wage. That is certain amount of money to the workers so that they feed. The question of poverty is based on the inability of government to pay a living wage.

“The workers will buy goods and services and the money will boost the economy of the country.”

He argued that most state governors do not understand the impact of paying a living wage.

Ologbenla said: “The private companies know these. We the intellectuals think it is man’s inhumanity to man for a Nigerian not to earn N1,000 a day and also expected to pay tax.

“So it is a lie that this could trigger inflation. When the senators have N13 million a month, did it cause inflation.”

Read More

Simon Ebegbulem challenged Frank to publish the names of the alleged bribe givers or face legal action.

Ebegbulem said, “He is a political jobber looking for cheap popularity. How on earth would people of questionable character like Frank be questioning the integrity of the National Chairman? I challenge him to publish the names of those that gave the alleged bribes or we won’t hesitate to institute  legal action against him.”

Frank alleged that the DSS had presented its report and findings against Oshiomhole to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said, “I dare say that this singular act of refusing to order the prosecution of Oshiomhole over sundry acts of bribery and corruption he committed as contained in the DSS report,  President Buhari has shown that his APC administration is a stinking house of corruption.”

Frank, however, called on the President to act on the recommendations of the DSS by ordering Oshiomhole’s sacking and prosecution, if his government was actually fighting corruption or opposition.

He said, “We are in the know that President Buhari has received the DSS report on Adams Oshiomhole and Nigerians are patiently waiting for the action or inaction of his government,  because this is an administration that has claimed fighting corruption as an achievement.

CLICK HERE for further detail

Read More