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Electoral Bill: Ozekhome Pleads with President Buhari to Give Assent

Published

2 years ago

December 20, 2021

Eric

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been transmitted to him since November 19, 2021.

The legal luminary urged the president to damn any consequences on the electoral act and make Nigerians happy by assenting the bill.

The National Assembly had on November 19 transmitted the bill to Buhari. Like every other bill, the President is expected to assent or withhold is approval within a 30-day period.

With the continued delay of the President’s approval, many had speculated that the inclusion of a mandatory direct primaries for political parties to elect their candidates for elections may not be well accepted by some individuals in the presidency.

Recall that the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress had openly rejected the contentious clause in the bill, saying that the parties should instead be given the right to choose its mode of electing their flagbearers in every election.

Reacting as the 30-day period elapses Monday, Ozekhome urged Buhari to assent the bill, saying that heavens will not fall.

The activist said this while speaking on Arise TV, Sunday.

In his words, “Mr. President, I am on my bended knees, I am bowing for you with great respect and reverence, assent to this amended electoral act sir, and Nigerians will be happy with you. I will write, I will come again on television and praise you. Damn the consequences and heavens will not fall. If they were to fall, the heavens will fall on all of us. So don’t be afraid it is surely for all of us, it is not a Bem Johnson’s or Usain’s 100m quick race of less than 10 seconds, Sir, it is a marathon race and Nigerians are watching.”

Speaking further, the lawyer also urged the National Assembly to be ruthless by overriding the President’s veto to pass the bill into an act should Buhari fail to assent by tomorrow, Monday.

According to him, the National Assembly needs to show Nigerians that they are not a “toothless bulldog that cannot bite.”

He continued, “Nigerians are still saying that the 8th assembly is the best we have had so far in terms of facing up to tyrannical act of the executives. Since the time of Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe who was the first president of the Senate, followed by Dr. Nwaifo Orizu, they should know that most Nigerians believe that the present National Assembly is not only a toothless bulldog that cannot bite, but it cannot even bark once Mr. President manifests. They should discard this obnoxious perception of them because they have a future, individual names, collective names, posterity and history writes everything we do.

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NLC Rejects FG’s 35% Salary Increase, Demands N615,000 Living Wage

Published

14 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Eric

The National President of the National Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has described the federal government increase of civil servants by 35% as mischievous, insisting that the minimum wage should not be below N615,000

Ajaero who made this statement in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday, said the federal government should pay workers a “living wage.”

According to the union boss, a living wage is such that at least keep the workers alive for the month, without resorting to borrowing and malnutrition.

Ajaero said the President promised to pay a living wage, and it was legislated upon by the National Assembly.

However, he said the government is yet to reconvene a meeting with the organized labour after they submitted a report of N615,000 to the government as the amount for living wage.

“The announcement now appears mischievous because there is no wage increase that government is announcing. For them to announce it now, it is an issue that we are worried about at the NLC and even at the TUC.

“And the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on the 18th of April. By now, we assume today on the regime of a new minimum wage.

“Discussions were supposed to be concluded. The national assembly legislated on it before now. The discussion entered voicemail because the federal government refused to reconvene the meeting that was adjourned.

We had public hearing in the six geopolitical zones and we came back to collate the submission. And the committee asked NLC and TUC to do their submission which they did and came up to about N615,000.

“The moment they got that up till this moment, no meeting has taken place.

“Living wage is such a wage that will at least keep you alive. That should be N615,000.”

Speaking further, Ajaero further broke down the proposed living wage to the federal government.

He said this wage will cover things such as utility bill payment, transportation, feeding, hospital, electricity and education, among others.

“We are asking for accommodation of N40,000. We are asking for electricity for N20,000. We look at utility that is about N10,000 and kerosene and gas which is about N25,000 and N30,000.

“We look at food for N9,000 for the family of six, in a day. For thirty days, that’s about N270,000. We look at medical for N50,000 and education N50,000, and sanitization for N10,000.

“Because of subsidy removal and the fact that workers stay in fringes, that amounted to N110,000. That brought the whole thing to N615,000. And I want anybody to subject this to further investigation and find out if there will be any savings after these payments”, Ajaero added.

On Tuesday, the Federal Government approved an increase in salaries across various salary structures in a move aimed at boosting the welfare of civil servants.

The Increase, ranging between 25% and 35% will apply to personnel on the six remaining Consolidated Salary Structures.

These salary structures include the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS), and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).

Nairametrics

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FG Fetes Civil Servants with 35% Salary Increment, Backdates Payment to January

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2024

Eric

The Federal government has approved a salary increase of between 25 percent and 35 percent for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures.

The Head of Press, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Mr. Emmanuel Njoku, disclosed this through a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said: “The Federal Government has approved an increase of between 25 percent and 35 percent in salary increase for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures.

“They include Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), and Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS).

“Others are Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS), and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).

“The increases will take effect from January 1.”

Njoku revealed that the Federal government has also approved increase pension increase of between 20 percent and 28 percent for pensioners on the Defined Benefits Scheme.

He added that the increase is on the six consolidated salary structures and would also take effect from January 1.

The move, according to him, is in line with the provisions of Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The official recalled that those in the tertiary education and health sectors had already received their increases.

“This involves Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for universities.

“For Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, it involves the Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS).

“The Health Sector also benefitted through the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS),” Njoku added.

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Ahead One Year in Office Anniversary, Abia Assembly, Others Give Otti Vote of Confidence

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2024

Eric

Ahead his one year anniversary in office on May 29, Abia State governor Alex Otti, has been endorsed by the leadership of the Labour Party (LP) in the State and the 17 LGAs.

The unanimous vote of confidence was passed during an enlarged meeting, which was attended by the governor, the entire party hierarchy in the State, all political appointees in the state executive cabinet, elected members at the national and Abia State House of Assembly.

The motion for the vote of confidence was moved by Obi Aguocha, the member representing the Ikwuano-Umuahia Federal constituency, who said that Otti has made the party proud in the past 11 months in office by surpassing expectations.

The motion at the meeting, which was convened at the governor’s residence, was supported by the member representing Obingwa-Osisioma-Ugwunagbo federal constituency, Munachim Alozie, with the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, putting the decision to a vote.

The meeting, according to stakeholders, was called primarily for the party hierarchy in the State and the local government areas to familiarise themselves with the various appointees of government, including members of the State Executive Council and local government.

Governor Otti, who said he was surprised at the show of solidarity and confidence by his party leadership and other stakeholders, expressed gratitude to God that people have taken note of the modest achievements recorded by his administration in less than one year in office.

The governor informed the meeting that he met Abia at sub-zero level and said that Abia citizens were ashamed to introduce themselves as citizens of the State.

“Today, everywhere you introduce yourself as an Abian, people look at you differently with respect, unlike in the past, ” said Otti.