News

Tinubu Mourns Soldiers Killed in Niger Ambush As NAF Vows to Pound Bandits

Published

9 months ago

August 16, 2023

Eric

President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, mourned the death of troops killed by bandits in an ambush in the Shiroro area of Niger State, as well as the crash of a Nigerian Air Force helicopter in the state on Monday.

The President, in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, stated that the incidents brought him “immense sadness.”

He said, “These officers and men were answering the call of duty while on an evacuation mission. In their dedicated service to our beloved country, they paid the ultimate price.”

While commending the courage and devotion of the fallen soldiers, Tinubu said, “On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my condolences to their families, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the entire Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

This was as the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, vowed that the military would rid Niger State and other states of banditry and insurgency.

This is coming after bandits laid an ambush for troops and killed many in the Shiroro area of Niger State.

The Air Force also lost its aircraft while on a rescue mission in the state on Monday.

However, Abubakar noted that his service in collaboration with the land force would strengthen their operations.

He vowed that the military with its combat capabilities would completely eradicate the criminals.

Abubakar spoke when the Niger State governor, Umar Bago, paid him a condolence visit in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “As you are aware that Niger State and other states in this region are plagued by the menace of banditry, insurgency, and others, these challenges have continued to threaten the peace and security and well-being of the people.

“I want to assure you that the Nigerian Air Force and the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed, dedicated, and undaunted in our efforts at eradicating these security challenges being perpetrated by these non-state actors.

“Our approach now is to intensify our activities in tandem with the land forces to completely eradicate these criminal elements with our combat capabilities. Also, I believe in my philosophy, which is to transform the Air Force into an agile force capable of meeting all the air power demands of our national security in all operational environments.’’

The Air Chief attributed the Niger attack to increased onslaughts against the bandits.

He said, “Despite the efforts we have put in, we have a couple of issues and one of them is the air crash. The fact is that as long as we fly aircraft, there would be incidents of accidents.

“The volume of incidents and accidents are directly proportional to the operations. On our part, we are not folding our arms even with the challenges. The ideal is to strive for zero incidents and accidents in any operational environment. We are putting a lot of initiatives in place to check this.’’

He also said the weather conditions have posed a challenge to the service’s operations.

Abubakar said, “We have other seasonal challenges. The rains have come and there is a cloud, this hampers what we can see as well as our strike capabilities. Likewise, when the harmattan comes, it also has effects on our operations. These are challenges we live in. We hope that sometimes you understand when our operations are hampered or impeded by some of these challenges.”

He, however, urged the governor to embrace a whole of government approach to curb criminality in his state.

Speaking, the governor pleaded with the Air Chief to deploy more troops and fighter jets to the state.

He added that this was needed to guarantee the protection of lives and properties in the state.

“I have come here to say Minna airport was created as a backup for Abuja airport and we have the longest runways in Nigeria. We’re calling on you to please send some detachments and some fighter planes to Minna so that we can have more rapid responses when they are very close instead of flying from either Kainji or Kaduna.

“Let me at this juncture say thank you for giving us this time, and say that the Niger State government will support you anywhere you are. We are happy with what you’re doing and we’re behind you and we will support you,’’ the governor said.

“Our people have also asked me to tell you that we can give you accommodations if you can bring people. We will provide accommodations that are very close to the airport in Minna to come and stay in Minna because we need your protection.”

While condoling Abubakar, over the deaths of troops at Niger State, urged the military not to be discouraged.

“We also sympathise with the Nigerian military over the losses recorded in the ambush that happened in Wushishi which eventually brought about the evacuation by your chopper that crashed.

“The Air Force has done so much for us as a people. You have supported Niger State in the fight against insurgency and banditry. I want to say don’t be tired. Thank you very much for what you’ve been doing,” the governor said.

The Punch

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Osun Taskforce on Petrol Scarcity Raids Filling Stations, Forces Stations to Dispence Products

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Eric

The Special Taskforce set up by Osun State Government to monitor the Petroleum Scarcity has raided filling stations in Osogbo Federal Constituency.

The Taskforce which has the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye as the chairman went round filling stations in Osogbo, Ifón, Ilobu today to ensure that marketers do not hoard the products while people suffer for petrol scarcity.

The Taskforce team which comprises of Commissioner for Government House and Protocol, Honourable Soji Ajeigbe, Commissioner for Youths, Hon. Moshood Olagunju has two Special Advisers to the Governor, Hon. Babatunde Badmus and Alhaji Nurudeen Emiloju Among others.

At Muhy International Investment filling station at Ayekale, the committee ordered the manager to start dispensing as it was discovered to be hording about 800 litres in it’s PMS tank.

Addressing the petrol marketers and members of the public waiting to buy Petrol products, Hon. Soji Ajeigbe appreciated the managers of the filling stations that were seen dispensing the products.

According to him, the Taskforce was not out to shut down or witch-hunt any petroleum marketer but to ensure that any station found hoarding the product start dispensing the products immediately to the members of the public.

The team also took time to address members of the public on the need be orderly and law abiding assuring that the state government is doing everything possible to facilitate more allocation of PMS to the state from the depots in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Members of the public who were happy at the activities of the Taskforce were full of appreciation to the state government for being responsive to the public cries.

It was carnival-like from Agunbelewo where okada riders started following the taskforce from one filling station to another as those who were not selling before started dispensing the products ahead of the taskforce ‘s visit to their stations

The Taskforce inspected PMS tanks of the stations that were not dispensing the products to ascertain that they were not hording the product.

Parts of the stations visited include Major and Independent marketers as well as NNPC retail stations in Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun and Orolu local Governments.

Members of the Taskforce include Honourable Niyi Olaniyan, S A policy Coordination, and security agents.

News

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

Published

23 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

News

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

Published

2 days 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.