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Buhari meets Lawan, Amaechi

Published

2 years ago

June 13, 2022

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President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, met separately with former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; both of whom were presidential aspirants at the just concluded Primary election of the All Progressives Congress.

The meeting comes on the heels of the visit by the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu, to Buhari at the Villa.

Although the matters discussed with Amaechi were not disclosed, Lawan who spoke after his session with the President, said the party was still grappling with challenges it inherited since 1999.

“I want to make a promise to Nigerians on behalf of my party that APC at the state and national levels will always do things that would matter for the lives of the ordinary Nigerians and why we are failing is not because we want to fail. It’s because we are challenged and we are only eight years old.

READ Electoral Act: Supreme Court dismisses Buhari’s suit against National Assembly

“We had a political party that was in power for 16 years and most of the problems that APC met at the state and national levels are issues sown a long time ago since 1999 and some were there before 1999.

“We have done a lot. I am a chief participant in this administration and I know just how much has been invested in the infrastructure of this nation and how much we have invested in empowering the youth,” he said.

Both former aspirants are visiting the President for the first time since the presidential primary election.

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Court restrains NERC from implementing tariff hike for Band A customers

Published

27 mins ago

May 3, 2024

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A federal high court in Kano has issued an order restraining the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) from implementing the new electricity tariff for Band A consumers.

Ruling on an ex parte motion on Thursday, Abdullahi Liman, presiding judge, made an interim order restraining NERC and KEDCO from going ahead with the impending tariff pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before it.

The order also restrained the defendant from intimidating and threatening to disconnect the applicants’ electricity supply for non-acceptance of the new increased tariff.

The suit marked FHC/KN/CS/144/2024 was filed by Super Sack Company Limited and BBY Sacks Limited.

Others are Mama Sannu Industries Limited, Dala Foods Nigeria Limited, Tofa Textile Limited and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Limited (MAN).

The motion ex-parte was moved by Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to the plaintiffs.

On April 3, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

READ $65m fraud: Presidency breaks silence, says ex-FMBN boss declared wanted no longer Buhari’s in-law

The commission said customers under the category, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, would begin to pay N225 per kilowatt (kW) from April 3 — up from N66.

The sudden hike has been criticised by the house of representatives and other stakeholders who have asked NERC to suspend the implementation of the new tariff.

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UK local election: Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting valid ID

Published

3 hours ago

May 3, 2024

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Former prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, was turned away from his local polling station after forgetting to bring the required photo identity.

Johnson had joined locals in South Oxfordshire on Thursday to vote in the police and crime commissioner election.

Polling officials however told him he would not be allowed to vote without providing his identity.

There are 22 acceptable forms of ID in the UK including passports, driving licences, blue badges, and certain local travel cards.

As prime minister in 2022, Johnson introduced the Elections Act which requires photo ID — a development that sparked intense criticisms from Britons.

Last year, the Electoral Commission warned that the new law could exclude hundreds of thousands of people, including minorities and those with disabilities.

A spokesperson for Johnson confirmed he had forgotten the photo ID, but that he was able to cast his ballot after he returned with a valid ID.

READ Rivers PDP accuses Amaechi of working for Atiku

“Mr Johnson voted Conservative,” Sky News quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Downing Street said it would “look into” changing the controversial rules which require photo ID in order to vote, so that ID cards of veterans can be added to the list of valid identification.

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Governors can pay N615k minimum wage if they get priorities right – NLC

Published

4 hours ago

May 3, 2024

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President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says state governors can afford to pay the proposed N615,000 minimum wage if they get their priorities right.

Ajaero spoke on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television.

Recently, organised labour announced that the new minimum wage should be pegged at N615,000.

The proposal came amid ongoing minimum wage negotiations between federal and state governments on one hand, and organised labour on the other.

In 2019, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari pegged the national minimum wage at N30,000.

After the new minimum wage was announced at the time, it took some states forever to implement the increment.

Asked during the interview if organised labour’s proposal of N615,000 is realistic, Ajaero said the amount is the “most realistic” given the galloping inflation in the country.

The NLC president said organised labour considered factors like transportation, housing, and feeding before arriving at the sum.

READ LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Buhari gets Covid-19 booster shot

“If you are talking about being realistic, the N615,000 demand is the most realistic. Being realistic is not about slave wage,” Ajaero said.

“However, N30,000 is big money if inflation is brought down, and at a single digit.

“Look at the indices that create inflation. If you check them, you can talk about being realistic. All other factors in the country are going high and wages remain constant.”

Asked if states can afford the N615,000 proposal, the NLC president averred that it is not about ability to pay but the priorities of states.

“I think we need to understand the issues of ability to pay and not getting the priority right,” he added.

“Most of the states that have shown willingness to pay the current minimum wage are not among those getting the highest revenue.

“During the time of Muhammadu Buhari, some states were declared not having enough money to pay and he released funds for them to pay.

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“Those states still refused to pay. It is not the question of either the quantum of money that they have or not, it is what they decide to do with such money.

“If they get their priorities right, then a lot can happen.”

Organised labour has also threatened to embark on a strike if a new minimum wage is not announced before May 31, 2024.