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There’s hope for great economy, Tinubu assures Nigerians

Published

9 months ago

February 28, 2024

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

There’s hope for great economy, Tinubu assures Nigerians

The economic situation will improve and pains will give way to prosperity, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assured Nigerians yesterday.

Urging citizens not to despair, he said things would get better.

Also, House Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas urged Nigerians to exercise patience and cooperate with the government in its bid to effectively implement the economic reforms that will soothe the pains.

President Tinubu and the Speaker spoke on the prospect of economic recovery yesterday as workers staged protests in state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over the high cost of living.

The President said: “We must assure Nigerians that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“We might be going through a difficult period now, but when you look at the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and people manning the ship of this country, including Central Bank of Nigeria (governor), they have collaborated and in the spirit of development and progress, we are glad that good effort is being made to retool, re-engineer the finances of the country and make growth our hallmark.”

The President spoke during the unveiling of the handbook on Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL).

Abbas, who spoke when he received the leadership of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) led by Comrade Muhammad Usman in his office, said: “My appeal to you as the National President of PASAN is to please, help to tell your other colleagues in the Labour leadership to give this government a little more time.

“There are so many things that are under consideration, things that the government is trying to come up with for the benefit of Nigerians.

“So, please, help us to tell them to exercise patience that something very good will come out very soon.”

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He added: “I know of a lot of palliatives, reviews of salaries and welfare packages that are most likely coming on board in the near future.

“Please, communicate to them that we know their pains and their problems and we will not let them down. They should give us more time.”

The President lauded the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for the various progressive innovations he introduced, saying they have received applause at home and abroad.

President Tinubu, who described the EEL scheme as another game changer, highlighted its advantages.

These include better employment opportunities for Nigerians with foreign companies, bridging the wage gap between Nigerian employees and expatriates in foreign companies operating in Nigeria and boosting national security.

He said: “We expect revenue generation improvement, improved naturalisation and indigenisation, employment of more Nigerians by foreign companies operating in this country, balancing of employment opportunities between Nigerians and expatriates, and closing the wage gap between the expatriate and the Nigerian labour force by making it more attractive to hire Nigerians.

“I’ve been further assured that the project can plug loopholes and gaps that have bedevilled the country in dealing with security challenges, and the movement of foreigners in and out of the country.

“Interestingly, this scheme will wield the dual fold of revenue generation as well as addressing employment challenges.”

President Tinubu, however, warned operators of the scheme against turning it into another bureaucratic bottleneck, which is capable of frustrating potential investors.

He said: “I declare my support for the Expatriate Employment Levy scheme and I will continue to encourage the operators, practitioners of immigration matters and expatriate quotas.

“But don’t use it as a bottleneck, don’t use it to frustrate potential investors.

“There will be clear lines of implementation and effective acceleration of aims and objectives of this programme.

“Immigration matters and expatriate quotas, and relevant stakeholders, have to be effectively guided to make Nigeria the focus of the objective of this EEL.”

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The Minister of Interior highlighted some of the features of the EEL scheme, saying that it would create employment opportunities and competitive advantages for Nigerians working in foreign companies in the country.

He said the project was in tandem with the President’s eight-point agenda, especially on security and economic growth.

Tunji-Ojo said: “The main essence is to be sure that if you are bringing an expatriate to work in Nigeria, it should be a job that no Nigeria has the skill to do.

“That’s the major objective of this particular initiative; balancing employment opportunities between Nigerians and expatriates and, of course, closing wage gaps between expatriates and the Nigerian labor force by making it more attractive to hire Nigerians

“Part of the motivation is to reduce the dependence of companies on foreign personnel and to also reduce the rate at which renewal of expatriate quotas has been sought after by companies.

“We want to see a scenario whereby once an expatriate comes, there will be a knowledge transition period of which Nigeria should be able to be trained to take over this responsibility and create opportunities for our teeming youths.”

Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole, said the initiative would strengthen the position of Nigerians when it comes to competitive employment

He said: “We all have to share with Mr. President the burden of putting in place appropriate policies that will ensure that more Nigerians are engaged in jobs that are good paying.

“That is the way to fight and defeat poverty in the long run.”

There’s hope for great economy, Tinubu assures Nigerians

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[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election

Published

7 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Ondo governorship election final result

[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, has emerged victorious in the Ondo governorship election.

Olayemi Akinwumi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, disclosed the results in Akure, Ondo’s capital, on Sunday.

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor, secured 366,781 votes, surpassing Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.

Nejo Adeyemi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, trailed behind with 4,138 votes.

The APC dominated the election, winning all 18 local government areas, while the PDP failed to secure any victories.

The off-cycle election in Ondo, contested by 17 candidates, took place peacefully, with minimal violence reported.

Prior to the election, Aiyedatiwa expressed confidence in his victory, citing his impressive record in office.

Aiyedatiwa emphasized that he was the sole candidate to have visited all 18 local government areas, adding that he’s willing to concede defeat if the election is free from manipulation.

Ajayi, Aiyedatiwa’s closest rival, expressed concerns regarding INEC’s capability to ensure a fair electoral process.

The PDP candidate also criticized the commission’s sluggish pace, alleging that it constitutes a “deliberate attempt to rig the polls”.

ONDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS (UPDATED)

1– Akure North

APC 14, 451

PDP 5, 787

2–Okitipupa

APC 26, 811
PDP 10, 233

3—Akoko Northeast

APC 25, 657

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Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon

Published

11 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has shifted the collation of results for the Ondo State governorship election from 5am to noon.

The Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, had earlier announced that collation of the remaining five council areas will resume by 5 a.m. (Sunday), but later said it commences by noon.

Prof Akinwunmi is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja.

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Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it is to give room for the arrival of results from the remaining council areas.

He said: “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive some receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume 5am for these local governments.”

According to results from 13 of the 18 local government areas announced so far by INEC, Aiyedatiwa has polled 259,851 votes ahead of his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Agboola Ajayi, who scored 81,031 votes.

Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon

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Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group

Published

22 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Trends Admin

Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group

The Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa), through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), has said that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bought votes from the electorate for as low as N3,000 and N5,000 respectively during the Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State.

Prof. Victor Adetula, Lead, CDD-EAC Observation Mission Ondo 2024; and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Director, CDD-West Africa, said this in CDD’s EAC preliminary statement on the conduct of the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, presented by Ms Oluseyi Awojulugbe, a member of the CDD-EAC.

The report also said that the election recorded lower incidents of disinformation and information manipulation, also referred to as fake new compared to the recently concluded off-cycle September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

“CDD-EAC notes a lot of instances of vote buying. In Okitipupa LGA, Ward 09, Unit 003 (Irowa, Ilutitun 3), voters were solicited for their votes, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 per voter and PDP ₦3,000.

“In Odigbo LGA, Ward 01, Unit 001 (Oja Baale, Agbabu), reports of vote-buying were noted, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 and PDP ₦5,000 per voter.

“Our observers also noted that some party agents started transferring money to voters to circumvent having to hold cash. In Ese-Odo, Ward 07, Unit 013 (Tari Ama Zion Ugo Community, Arogbo Ward 2), Vote-buying was observed at this polling unit, with PDP offering ₦3,000 and APC offering ₦5,000 to voters.

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“CDD observers watching the process in Ward 5, PU 001, located at St Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East spotted APC leaders writing down the names of those who voted for their candidate.

“Subsequently, a card was given to them and they were instructed to converge at an agreed location where cash would be disbursed to them.

“In Ward 005, PU 001, St Barnabas Primary School, Ifon, CDD-EAC observers saw policemen arguing over money shared by a party stalwart.

“The policemen reportedly frowned that about 10 of them were given N100,000 while only one official from another branch of the armed services allegedly got N15,000,” the report said.

The CDD-EAC said that the vote buying incidents and behaviour of party agents sparked multiple conflicts during the voting process, listing Idanre LGA, Ward 06, PU 004 (Methodist High School), where APC agents were accused of strategically monitoring voters’ choices, a move initially defended by security officials but later curtailed after protests.

The report, however, commended the prompt arrival of electoral officials at polling units (PUs), with 99% of CDD-EAC observers reporting that the INEC officials were at their stations before 8:30am.

Observers also reported cases of rowdiness in the polling environment with some youths disagreeing in some cases about the initiative by poll officials to allow elderly voters to cast their ballots first, leading to the disruption of the process, despite the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Post Office Premises, Akungba Akoko, Akoko South West.

On disinformation and information manipulation, the report said that the numbers of false narratives, claims and counter claims in the Ondo State governorship election have been relatively low, compared to other recent polls.

It said, “In the campaign period, and on Election Day, 13 claims have so far been reported and fact checked by CDD War Room.

“This is low, compared to the 61 claims reported during the same period in the Edo election, representing a 79% increase between the two elections. While 12 of these claims have been assessed to be either false or misleading, the sole claim peddled on voting day was adjudged to be true.”