News
I wonder why Buhari thanked Britain for Nigeria’s unification –Falana
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said he was surprised that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), could hail Britain for uniting Nigeria in his Independence Day speech.
The President in his Independence Day speech had said, “For 1st of October 1960 to happen, all hands were on deck. East, West, North all came together to celebrate freedom. Today should not only serve as a reminder of the day the British handed over the reins of power to Nigerians, but also unified Nigerians from all ethnic groups, religions and regions.”
Falana, while speaking on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme of the Channels Television monitored by our correspondent in Abuja, noted that Nigeria is still grappling with underdevelopment due to its failure to remove structures mounted by the British colonialists.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari’s broadcast yesterday (October 1) was thanking the British for uniting us, I was wondering where that was coming from, because the colonial regime engaged in divide-and-rule,” he said.
When asked if it had been so far so good since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Falana said it had been “so far ,so bad.”
The activist added, “Nigeria has refuse to get it right; whereas, in 1960, Nigeria was ahead of many countries in Asia, including, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of them. Today, some of these countries have frog jumped; they have left us as a Third World country and they have metamorphosed into First World.
“So, for the majority of our people, 1960 provided an opportunity to start all over again but, unfortunately, the nationalist politicians who took over the reins of power from the British colonial regime did not decolonise the country and the psyche of our people. And all of them retained the colonial structures. The laws and ordinances were simply changed to Act of Parliament. The institutions were left intact.”
Punch News
News
Two million bank accounts closed over BVN, NIN, others
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.
READ ALSO:
- Senate insists on 16 years as requirement for tertiary institution admission in Nigeria
- Minimum wage: Labour threatens nationwide strike by end of May
- UCL: Füllkrug gives Dortmund 1-0 first-leg win over PSG
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
News
Senate insists on 16 years as requirement for tertiary institution admission in Nigeria
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.
READ ALSO:
- Minimum wage: Labour threatens nationwide strike by end of May
- UCL: Füllkrug gives Dortmund 1-0 first-leg win over PSG
- Adopt quarterly exchange rate for Customs duty, economist advises FG
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
News
Minimum wage: Labour threatens nationwide strike by end of May
Minimum wage: Labour threatens nationwide strike by end of May
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have given President Bola Tinubu until the end of May to finalise the implementation of the new national minimum wage for workers.
NLC president Joe Ajaero made the demand on Wednesday in Abuja at this year’s International Workers Day.
Mr Ajaero said, “All parties in the tripartite process are well represented, and the engagement has been robust. We have placed our demand of N615,000 only before our social partners while we await their offer. If, however, the negotiation of the minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May, the trade union movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country.”
Ajaero also said labour demanded that the new act have a two-year life span and included an agreement for automatic wage adjustments at any time inflation exceeded 7.5 percent.
He said the union further demanded that every employer with up to five workers pay the new minimum wage. Mr Ajaero called for strengthening monitoring and compliance mechanisms to penalise non-complying state governments.
READ ALSO:
- Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home
- May Day: A’Ibom gov increases minimum wage to N40,000
- El-Rufai ignored us for 8 years, Kaduna NLC praises Gov Sani
He said that Nigerian workers deserved to have a national minimum wage that approximated to a living wage.
“Our figures are based on objective realities around the nation and not based on some fantasy but on what confronts us as workers around the nation. We want to be able to buy foodstuff and housing, among others. Any wage that is below this living wage condemns workers to starvation,” the NLC president said.
Ajaero, however, said, “We must not let our guards down but be alert so that together, we can assist government take the right decision and pay workers a living wage as promised by Mr President. We will not allow our interest to sabotage the desire of the president concerning a living wage for workers.”
The NLC president also said the contributory pension scheme needed to be reviewed. He noted that there had been complaints about it, such as the delay or non-transmission of contributed money to the Pension Fund Administration.
Ajaero also called for the reactivation of gratuity to public servants. He further called for the upward review of the retirement age in the entire public service from 60 to 65 years and 35 years to 40 years in service just as was done for teachers and judges.
Minimum wage: Labour threatens nationwide strike by end of May
UTME results not available in paper format – JAMB
Two million bank accounts closed over BVN, NIN, others
Senate insists on 16 years as requirement for tertiary institution admission in Nigeria
-
metro1 day agoLabour Day: Nigerian workers are dedicated, resilient, says NURTW leader
-
Education3 days agoBREAKING: JAMB releases 2024 UTME results
-
Auto14 hours agoAppeal court takes over NURTW case as NIC withdraws
-
metro2 days agoWoman arrested in Ogun after husband commits suicide
-
News3 days agoSeun Kuti retracts allegation on P&ID fraud, tenders apology
-
News3 days agoTerrorist negotiator Tukur Mamu seeks transfer out of DSS custody to Kuje prison
-
metro3 days agoBREAKING: Suspected herders kill 3 mourners, farmers in Enugu
-
News3 days agoGanduje probe: Kano commission invites public for information