Insecurity: Southern govs ask Buhari to address the nation, insist on restructuring – Newstrends
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Insecurity: Southern govs ask Buhari to address the nation, insist on restructuring

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Governors of southern states of Nigeria have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to address Nigerians on the challenges of insecurity.
They also urged the President to take measures to restore the confidence of the people.

On their own, they resolved to ban open grazing of cows in their territories and pledged to work towards restructuring of the country.
These are part of a 12-point communique of the forum read by its Chairman, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State at the end of a four-hour meeting held in Asaba, Delta State.
They however said they would continue to work for the unity of the country based on justice, fairness and equity.
He said, “Southern governors expressed very grave concern on the security challenges currently plaguing the nation and strongly urged that Mr. President should address Nigerians on the challenges of insecurity and restore the confidence of our people.
“We observed that the incursion of armed herders, criminals, and bandits into the Southern part of the country has presented a severe security challenge such that citizens are not able to live their normal lives including pursuing various productive activities leading to a threat to food supply and general security.
“Consequently, the meeting resolved that open grazing of cattle be banned across Southern Nigeria;
“Agreed that the progress of the nation requires that urgent and bold steps be taken to restructure the Nigerian Federation leading to the evolution of state police, review of revenue allocation formula in favour of the sub-national governments and creation of other institutions which legitimately advance our commitment to and practice of true federalism.
“In view of widespread agitations among our various peoples for greater inclusiveness in existing governance arrangements, the Federal Government should convoke a national dialogue as a matter of urgency.”
The forum expressed worry over the prolonged gridlock on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and recommended the establishment of ports in other states of the federation to create new jobs and promote socio-economic activities in the country.
The governors also expressed concern on the economic implications of another lockdown on the country and called for greater coordination and cooperation between federal and state governments in evolving strategies for dealing with the pandemic.
Fifteen governors that attended the meeting are Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Dr Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).
Others are Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Willie Obiano (Anambra). Imo and Akwa Ibom States were represented by their deputy governors, while Osun and Cross Rivers states were absent at the meeting.

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Drama as Delta workers boo Gov Oborevwori over minimum wage

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Drama as Delta workers boo Gov Oborevwori over minimum wage

Delta State workers expressed their disappointment with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Wednesday as he failed to address the issue of minimum wage during the 2024 May Day celebration in Asaba, themed “People First.”

Anticipating news on the minimum wage, the workers were disheartened when the Governor concluded his speech without mentioning it, prompting them to chant, “no, no, no, we no gree, pay us our minimum wage.”

Despite the interruption, Oborevwori stood firm, stating, “Listen to me, listen to me, calm down, calm down, you cannot cajole me.”

The celebration, which included a march past by various affiliate unions, turned sour due to the workers’ dissatisfaction with the governor’s silence on the wage issue.

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According to a union leader, previous attempts to address the matter with the Governor proved futile.

In response, Governor Oborevwori announced plans to establish a committee to address the workers’ demand for salary increases amidst prevailing economic challenges. He praised the workers for their support and assured them of his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.

“I have listened attentively to your requests, and I have taken note of them; they are, no doubt, legitimate demands and as a responsible government, I will deliberate with my team on how best to address them within the limits of the resources available to us,” he affirmed.

In a statement delivered by Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, he emphasized the importance of politicians keeping their promises, stating, “We want promise keeper politicians because, as workers, we keep records of promises.”

Drama as Delta workers boo Gov Oborevwori over minimum wage

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Two million bank accounts closed over BVN, NIN, others

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Two million bank accounts closed over BVN, NIN, others

Commercial banks in Nigeria closed 2.021 million bank accounts in the first quarter of 2024, Q1’24, to clean their books of questionable accounts and comply with regulatory orders on the linkage of bank accounts to the National Identity Number, NIN.

This is contained in a report by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, which also indicated that the number of inactive bank accounts grew month-on-month, MoM, by four million or 2.0 per cent to 19.7 million in March 2024 from 19.3 million in the previous month, February.

A bank account is classified inactive when it records zero transactions including deposits, withdrawals, transfers or point-of-sale transactions for six months.

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However, details of the “Industry Bank Account Database”, a monthly data reported by banks, and compiled by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, also indicated that the number of active bank accounts grew by 6.62 million or 3.0 per cent to 219.64 million from 213.02 million in February.

Recall that in December 2023, the CBN issued a directive to all commercial banks in the country to restrict tier-1 accounts without proper Biometric Verification Number, BVN, and National Identity Number, NIN, that are not linked by Thursday, March 1st, 2024.

According to NIBSS data on BVN enrollment count, 61.6 million Nigerians have BVN as of April 2024.

Two million bank accounts closed over BVN, NIN, others

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Senate insists on 16 years as requirement for tertiary institution admission in Nigeria

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Senate insists on 16 years as requirement for tertiary institution admission in Nigeria

The Nigerian Senate has moved to clarify recent discussions regarding the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions. 

The red chamber assured Nigerians that the current age requirement of 16 years has not been altered and that recent comments suggesting an increase to 18 years were personal opinions.

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Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Adeyemi Adaramodu, emphasised that any changes to the age requirement would require legislative action following due process. 

Adaramodu explained in an interview with journalists that comments made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, about increasing the minimum age limit were not legally binding but rather personal opinions.

The Minister of Education had previously hinted at plans to review and raise the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions to 18 years.

Senate insists on 16 years as requirement for tertiary institution admission in Nigeria

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