Gov Ododo approves N72,500 minimum wage for Kogi workers

The Kogi State governor, Usman Ododo, has approved a new minimum wage of N72,500 for the state’s workforce, including local government workers.

He announced the approval on Monday after receiving the report from the state’s Minimum Wage Implementation Committee, led by Head of Service, Elijah Avenemi.

Ododo reaffirmed his dedication to the welfare of all workers in the state and introduced a one-year tax relief. He declared that there would be no Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) taxes or any other deductions for the entire year.

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He assured the workers that as governor, he would ensure the state’s resources are used to improve the lives of its citizens, rather than oppress them.

“I am just your chief servant, and I will ensure that the resources are allocated to all sectors fairly and equitably,” he said.

Ododo attributed the smooth implementation of the new wage to the efforts of the labour leaders and the previous administration’s screenings and staff audits, which helped ensure that genuine workers, not ghost workers, benefit from the state’s resources.

He called on workers to support his administration and promised the prompt payment of salaries.

In response, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Gabriel Amari, commended the governor, describing him as the most worker-friendly governor in Kogi’s history.

Gov Ododo approves N72,500 minimum wage for Kogi workers

I’ve done everything possible for peace to reign in Rivers – Fubara

Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, says he has done everything humanly possible to let peace reign in Rivers but certain persons are undermining his efforts.

This is even as the governor urged his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, to allow peace to reign in the state.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday, Fubara said he did the right thing by conducting the local government election in the state last Saturday.

He noted that despite the resistance by Wike’s men in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, he did not regret conducting the polls.

The governor said he had all the power to do these things, asking his predecessor to let go of whatever influence he thought he had over the South-South state as he can’t win every fight.

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Fubara said he had kept all understanding he had with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to ensure peace in Rivers State.

“There is nothing I have not done on this earth for peace to reign. I can tell you the number of times I have knelt down to beg that let’s allow this issue to go. I have done everything,” Fubara said.

On what he would tell Wike if they meet, Fubara said: “I’ll tell him (Wike) that it has gotten to a point where he needs to let go. We need peace in this state.

“You don’t necessarily need to win all the fights; at times, you just let go for the sake of the good people of Rivers State and the love that you have always profess for the state. We need to secure the state.

“Fubara will leave tomorrow. Who knows who is going to come? It might be through him or through another person but we need to secure the state.”

I’ve done everything possible for peace to reign in Rivers – Fubara

Lagos assembly suspends Alimosho LG chair over alleged misconduct

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday suspended Jelili Sulaimon, Chairperson of Alimosho Local Government Area, over alleged misconduct.

The suspension is with immediate effect.

The lawmakers during plenary agreed that his vice, Akinpelu Johnson, should oversee the affairs of the council in his absence.

The House further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise the authority of Mr Johnson and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.

Misconducts

Mr Sulaimom was suspended in a unanimous vote by the lawmakers over an alleged non-compliance, defiance and unyielding attitude to the legislative body.

The chairperson of the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sanni Okanlawon, moved the motion for his suspension in line with relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution.

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“He should be suspended immediately while the vice chairman, Akin Johnson, takes over with immediate effect,” he prayed.

He recalled that in April 2024, pandemonium erupted in the Iyana-Ipaja axis of LGA leading to the death of one Micheal Ajayi.

Mr Okanlawon, whose committee was saddled with the responsibility to investigate the cause of the pandemonium, said it was discovered that the suspended chairperson masterminded the chaos.

According to the lawmaker, all persons involved in the issue were invited, but Mr Sulaimon had continued to show acts of misconduct to the committee.

He highlighted the council chairperson’s failure to adhere to the assembly’s directives and his mismanagement of public funds.

Majority leader speaks

Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, while supporting the call for Mr Sulaimon’s suspension, added that the action would make other local government chairpersons to “sit right.”

“The Alimosho council chairman does not follow procurement processes or the budget. There has been a lot of misconduct from him and I support that the chairman be suspended indefinitely,” he said.

On his part, Nureni Akinsanya, Chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts for Local Government, referred to the report submitted by the State Auditor-General concerning the activities of Mr Sulaimon.

The report, he said, emphasised Mr Sulaimon’s “consistent non-compliance with financial regulations, with significant irregularities in his records.”

Similarly, Ladi Ajomale, a lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2 expressed surprise that the council boss had been recalcitrant despite previous reports detailing his alleged financial mismanagement.

Subsequently, the House Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, directed the clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to communicate the assembly’s resolution to all relevant authorities.

Lagos assembly suspends Alimosho LG chair over alleged misconduct