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Why Tinubu’s meeting with Joe Biden was cancelled – APC

Published

7 months ago

September 26, 2023

Joe Biden, Bola Tinubu

Why Tinubu’s meeting with Joe Biden was cancelled – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why the speculated meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the United States President, Joe Biden, could not be held during the United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York.

The APC clarification was in reaction to reports attributed to Phrank Shaibu, media aide to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who accused the Tinubu administration of peddling falsehood.

In a statement, the national publicity secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, said there was no basis for interaction between the two leaders, having met at another world engagement, the G-20 Nations summit in India, before gathering world leaders in New York.

Morka further argued that the Tinubu administration has no reason to peddle falsehood or propaganda.

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He noted, “President Tinubu is committed to ensuring an inclusive, honest, transparent and accountable governance system.

“The matter of the proposed meeting with United States of America President Joe Biden does not even require elaboration.

“Having met with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the G-20 Nations summit in India, another meeting with President Biden during the United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA) had become unnecessary and was not even on President Tinubu’s schedule, contrary to preliminary indications on the matter.

“As the discerning people that we are, we remain confident that Nigerians will continue to differentiate between genuine, constructive and development-oriented criticisms and those driven by self-interest, mercenary considerations and disruptive political agenda.”

Why Tinubu’s meeting with Joe Biden was cancelled – APC

News

Two million bank accounts closed over BVN, NIN, others

Published

18 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Trends Admin

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

News

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

Published

24 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Trends Admin

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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Minimum wage: Labour threatens nationwide strike by end of May

Published

26 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Trends Admin

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.

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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.