President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has commenced the payment of the 40 per cent pay rise arrears for civil servants.

       

PUNCH correspondent who spoke to some federal civil servants on Saturday learnt that workers started receiving bank alerts of the arrears on Saturday, April 22, 2023. A high-ranking civil servant who spoke to our correspondent anonymously in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, noted that the arrears came in alongside the April 2023 salary.

         

“I received my own arrears today. Some of our other colleagues have also confirmed receipt of their arrears. It came in alongside our April salary.”

Another civil servant who confirmed the development via a chat with our correspondent in Ibadan said, “Yes, it is true. Though I am a teacher with a Federal Government school, I can confirm to you that I received my April 2023 salary alongside my arrears.”

The regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd), proposed a 40 per cent pay rise for workers to cushion the effects of the planned removal of fuel subsidy.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Olajide Oshundun, who spoke to The PUNCH noted that the rise will be applicable to all workers from level 1 to 17.

Earlier in March, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed that the Federal Government had approved a pay raise for civil servants in the country.
He added that the pay rise had been included in the 2023 budget, noting that it would take effect from January 1, 2023.

Ngige described the pay raise as a peculiar allowance for civil servants in view of the current economic reality and it is meant to help government workers to cushion the effects of rising inflation, the rising cost of living, hikes in transportation fare, housing and electricity tariffs.

I ‘II RELOCATE TO NIGER REPUBLIC IF THEY DISTURB ME IN DAURA- BUHARI.

With barely 38 days to the end of his eight-year two tenures, Lifestyle Nigeria gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday asked for forgiveness from those his actions may have hurt during the administration.

     

Speaking inside the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja, during a Sallah homage paid to him by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents led by the Minister, Mohammed Bello, he also thanked Nigerians for tolerating him.

The President, who said he was counting days, praised democracy as the best form of government, saying that without it, he could not have become president after already serving as military head of state given the side of the country he hails from.

He reminded the audience that he is from the extreme corner of Nigeria, Daura in Katsina State, which he said is just eight kilometers from the Niger Republic.

The President stated that he decided to retire to Daura, which is far away from Abuja in order to get some respite, after years of work.

“I can’t wait to go home to Daura. If they make any noise to disturb me in Daura, I will leave for the Niger Republic. I deliberately arranged to be as far away as possible. I got what I wanted and will quietly retire to my hometown.

President Buhari spoke about his journey to the presidency and its frustration, reiterating how he was incarcerated for three years after the coup that ousted him from power in August 1984.

Recalling that he contested elections three times, in 2003, 2007 and 2011, without success, he added: “I dared the politicians and ended up at the Supreme Court three times. They laughed at me, and I responded, ‘God dey.’ God sent technology to my rescue, with Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC). The fraudulent people became unemployed.”

TROOPS FREE 468 VICTIMS, KILL 54 TERRORISTS In APRIL.

The Defence Headquarters says Nigerian troops have in the last two weeks rescued 468 kidnapped victims and eliminated 54 terrorists in the North-East, North-Central and North-West.

           

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the bi-weekly news conference on the operations of the armed forces.
Danmadami said the troops also apprehended no fewer than 122 terrorists, bandits, their collaborators and other criminals across the zones within the period.

He added that 30 of the rescued victims who were injured have been hospitalised while the remaining were reunited with their families.
In the North-East, Danmadami said troops of Operation Hadin Kai conducted operational activities at identified Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists camps and enclaves at highgrounds, villages and forests within the zone.

He said the troops neutralised 24 terrorists, arrested 40 logistics suppliers including one female, four terrorists informant, and rescued 206 civilians.
According to him, a total of 501 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists and their families comprising 60 male adults, 176 female adults and 266 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of operation.
“Troops also recovered 14 AK47 rifles, two AK49 rifles, one AK56 rifle, one GPMG, one RPG tube, one PK MG and two RPG bombs.

“Also recovered were 732 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 77 rounds of 7.62mm special, 19 rounds of 7.62mm by 29mm special and 16 rounds of 7.62mm ball metal links ammo.
“Also, 1,000 rounds of 7.62mm NATO  (belted), 243 round of 7.62mm x 54mm special ammo, 89 rounds of 5.56mm by 45mm special, 16 AK47 magazines, seven dane guns and the sum of N103,505 only, as well as other sundry items, were recovered.
“All recovered items, arrested Boko Haram/lSWAP terrorists, terrorists logistics suppliers, were been handed over to the relevant authority for further action.

“While the surrendered Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists and members of their families were profiled for further action.
“The rescued civilians were given medical attention before been handed over to relevant authority for further action,” he said.

In North Central, the defence spokesman said the troops of Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stoke apprehended  44 suspected criminals and rescued 252 civilians during the period.
He said the troops also recovered cache of arms, 18 mobile phones, 38 railway sleepers amongst other sundry items.

In North-West, Danmadami said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 30 terrorists, arrested 33 others and rescued 10 kidnapped civilians.

He said that the troops recovered 13 AK47 rifles, 16 AK47 magazines, 1,531 rounds of 7.62mm special, 886 rounds of 7.62mm NATO (belted) ammo, 139 rounds   of 7.62mm special (tracer) ammo, and 30 rounds of empty cases  of 7.62mm special.

“Other items recovered include 87 Detonators, 33 rolls of detonator cables, 11 safety fuses, 43 main explosive chargers, 25 motorcycles, 21 mobile phones, boafeng radios, 887 rustled cattle, seven trucks and the sum of N230,900.
“All recovered items, apprehended suspects and rescued civilians have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action,” he said.

“WHY PRESIDENT BUHARI SHOULD ASSENT TO NIGERIA PEACE CORPS BILL”.

The National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Professor Dickson Akoh has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to a Bill for an Act that would make the organization a statutory body.

The Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) passed by the two Chambers of the National Assembly is currently with Buhari for assent having been transmitted to him last week.

Addressing reporters on the development in Abuja, Akoh said Buhari would bequeath a lasting parting gift to the Nigerian youth and would be remembered for good when he assented to the Bill by also creating employment.

Justifying the need for Buhari to sign the Bill, Akoh explained that its entire contents, especially the functions contained in the Bill are a summation of inclusive empowerment programmes for the youth and on how to harness their innate potential for the overall tasks of nation-building.

According to him, the passage of the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill is not only timely, reassuring, and a renewed hope for the Nigerian youth, but also a pointer to the fact that the political elites are still very much conscious of the social challenges confronting the youth and therefore, passionate on proffering solutions to the challenges to same in order to place the youth in the front burner of our national life

Akoh said to underscore the high level of acceptability of the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill, opinion polls conducted in 2017 by The Nation Newspaper, Naija.com, and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA-Good Morning Nigeria) revealed that 89%, 76%, and 97% respectively supported the establishment of the Nigerian Peace Corps.

He said: “Concerned with the increasing waves of unemployment and high level of poverty in the land, both past and present administrations initiated different intervention policies to mitigate these challenges.
“Some of these initiatives are Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), You- Win, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), N-Power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Government Intervention Funds (GIF), Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) and Social Safety Net (SSN).

“It is a proven fact and incontrovertible reality that once these ‘Financial Handouts’ are no longer forthcoming or delayed in coming, these same youths go back to the streets on protest or quickly revert to social ills and unproductive preoccupations, and even sometimes back-lashing the Government.

“However, it is advisable that a more robust, sustainable, and institutionalized approach be adopted to ensure the irreversibility of conditions and welfare status of our youths. In more developed economies, efforts are tailored towards the pre-occupation of the youths in productive ventures where they will be economically useful to themselves and the larger society.

“This is in addition to engaging them in moral, citizenship, and leadership training aimed at character building and their valuable participation in nation-building.

In the United States of America, for instance, the American Peace Corps was created as an agency to promote World Peace and Friendship by training American youths as volunteers to perform social and humanitarian services overseas, including Nigeria.”
“The volunteers help communities in Developing Countries improve their Social and Economic conditions.

“The dynamic nature of insecurity in Nigeria today requires role differentiation as a panacea to expertise in addressing security challenges. It also requires multi- sectoral, multi- lateral and multi- dimensional approaches to tackle.
“In more advanced societies, Youth Based Organisations like the Nigerian Peace Corps, are established with the sole aim of engaging and pre-occupying the youths as a panacea to the social consequences of being unemployed.

“Similar organisations that exist in other parts of the world are: the American Peace Corps, Canadian Peace Corps, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, Peace Officers Commission in China, Chinese Labour Corps, Lera Uniform Corps of Malaysia, Malaysian People Volunteer Corps, Production and Construction Corps of China. All these are consciously and deliberately designed to empower and socially pre-occupy the youths so that their state of idleness won’t be exploited adversely”.

Akoh thanked the leadership and entire members of the 9th National Assembly for the unanimous support given to his Organisation all through the legislative processes leading to the eventual passage of the Bill for an Act to Establish Nigerian Peace Corps.

CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS AGENCY PLANS SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR JOURNALISTS.

The Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has undertaken to initiate a special media pilgrims package for journalists.

      Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Rev. Yakubu Pam, stated this at a news conference on the conclusion of the December 2022 main pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan, and the unveiling of the commission’s 2023 Easter pilgrimage on Monday in Abuja.

According to him, with the special package, journalists would embark on the trips to do a proper coverage and documentation of holy sites for documentaries for the country’s benefit.
Pam said more holy sites would be explored soon for pilgrimage, as the commission intended to enter more bilateral ties for Nigeria and other nations.

He said that 4,000 Nigerians had embarked on the first phase of the main pilgrimage, as more are expected in the second phase , making the 10,000 target by the commission achievable. Pam said the commission has better standard now for the welfare of pilgrims and also have zero absconding.

“We have prioritised the welfare of pilgrims and have better security watch to ensure there are no records of abscondment”, he said
He thanked all the states, individuals and organisations for their partnership with the commission for the success of the exercise. Pam commended Air Peace Nigeria and the Israeli government for initiating the historical direct flight from Nigeria to the State of Israel.

The NCPC Boss said Air Peace’s inaugural flight to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel-Aviv, Israel would commence on April 20.
He said the flight between the two countries would cut travel time from 27 hours to five hours.Pam said this would be a historical feat, as there had never been a direct flight between the Middle East nation and Nigeria.

He said Israel has started opening new routes to connect the world, and identified Nigeria as one of the leading countries in Africa that maintained close ties with Israel.
NAN.

Gov Sanwo-Olu Wants Appeal Court To Unban MC Oluomo’s Agency On Parks And Garages.

The Lagos State Government says it would be appealing the court judgement that this week nullified the establishment of the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) sitting in Lagos on Tuesday voided the appointment of the committee.

Justice Maureen Esowe held that the suspension of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in the state was illegal and unconstitutional, and ordered its reinstatement.

According to the state government, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo-led Lagos State Park Management Committee, was not a party to RTEAN’s suit.
In a statement by the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Grace Alo, the government said that what it set up was known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the operations of commercial road transport workers activities within garages and motor parks, and not a caretaker committee to run the affairs of RTEAN in the state.

The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to reports on various media about a judgement delivered by Honourable Justice Maureen Esowe in respect of Suit No NICN/LA/381/2022 between the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and The Executive Governor of Lagos State and 36 Ors.

“The reliefs sought from the Court by the Claimant include a declaration that the purported dissolution of the Elected Executive Committee of the Claimant operating in Lagos State and the appointment of a Caretaker Committee to run its affairs in Lagos State by the Lagos State Government is unconstitutional, null and void.

“It is on record that what the Lagos State Government set up is known as the Lagos State Park Administrators Ad-Hoc Committee on the Operations of Commercial Road Transport Workers Activities within Garages and Motor Parks and not a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos State.

“Several of the reports have mistakenly attributed to the Judgement that the Lagos State Park Management Committee (Committee) has been dissolved. The validity of the Lagos State Park Management Committee was not an issue before the Court and the Committee was not a party to the suit.

“The dissolution of the Committee is unrelated to the issues before the Court. “The Lagos State Government has applied for the Certified True Copy of the Judgement and intends to file an appeal in respect of same. All affected parties are enjoined to remain calm and be law-abiding.”

The state government had suspended the operations of RTEAN in September 2022 and constituted a 35-man caretaker committee to take over its functions. However, in its ruling, the industrial court restrained the state government from further meddling in the activities of the union’s executive.

RTEAN in suit marked NICN/LA/381/2022, had challenged the dissolution of its executive council by the Lagos State Government.
The first three of the 27 defendants in the suit were Lagos State Governor, the state’s Attorney-General; and the Governor’s Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa.

Police Welfare.IGP Directs  immediate Commencement of  Promotion Process For Inspectors, Rank and File.

The Nigeria Police Force has set up the Departmental Selection Board (DSB) for the screening and selection of deserving members of the Inspectorate cadre for recommendation to the Police Service Commission for promotion to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police II (ASP II).

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Force Public Relations Officer CSP .
Muyiwa Adejobi in a press statement on Thursday said, the IGP Usman Alkali Baba gave the directive to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Finance and Administration to coordinate the Force Secretary for the setting up of Departmental Selection Board (DSB) for the screening and selection of deserving members of the Inspectorate cadre.

The Spokesman noted that simultaneously, the DIG DFA has also been charged with mandating the Commissioner of Police (Welfare) to compile a list of members of the rank and file who are due and deserving of elevation to their next ranks.

He said, the Inspector-General of Police, while noting that regular and timely elevation of deserving officers to their next ranks would boost the morale of officers and men of the Force, charged the officers to be exemplary and exhibit professionalism in order to sustain the manpower development drive of the NPF.