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28/11/2018

reduces cost of UTME, NECO forms

The federal government has approved a reduction in the cost of forms for final year secondary school and post-secondary school examinations.
This reduction, first announced by President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide on new media, Bashir Ahmad, was decided at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting in the absence of Mr Buhari who travelled on official assignment to Borno State.

The cost of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms was reduced from N5,000 to N3,500 while the cost of National Examination Council (NECO) forms was reduced from N11,350 to N9,850.

The cost of Basic Education Certificate, also handled by NECO, was also reduced from N5,500 to N4,000.
The reduction takes effect from January 2019.

JAMB has been making hundreds of millions of naira profit since its new leadership headed by Ishaq Oloyede assumed office; leading many Nigerians to demand a reduction in the cost of forms.

The House of Representatives had in May urged the Federal Ministry of Education to slash the cost of JAMB application forms.

The call had followed JAMB’s announcement that it remitted N7.8 billion to the federal government as proceeds from sale of Unified Tertiary Examinations (UTME) application forms in 2017.
The lawmakers had accused JAMB of becoming a “revenue generating agency.”

On Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who briefed journalists at the end of the three hours FEC meeting, said he presented a memo to call for the reduction in fees. He said the reduction followed the pleas from parents.

According to him, since the Buhari administration put in place a prudent management in JAMB, corruption in the agency gas been eradicated.

“So, in answer to yearnings my parents, Mr. President directed that we should look into the possibility of reducing the charges,” he said.

“So accordingly, from January 2019, JAMB fees will be from N5,000 to N3,500 for the UTME, Senior Secondary Certificate charged by National Examination Council (NECO) from 11,350 to N9,850 and Basic Education Certificate handled by NECO is reduced from N5,500 to N4,000,” he said.

The council also approved 11 ecological interventions projects worth N9.6 billion in Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Cross River, Adamawa, Bauchi, Jigawa, ABU Zaria, Kaduna and Abuja

It also approved N14.7 billion for ECOWAS biometric cards to replace the current ECOWAS travel certificate.

02/11/2018

STOPS NLC, TUC'S PLANNED STRIKE.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ordered the organised labour, comprising the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress not to embark on its indefinite strike scheduled to commence on November 6 .
Justice Sanusi Kado , on Friday , gave the order in a ruling on an ex parte application moved on behalf of the Federal Government by the Solicitor -General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary , Federal Ministry of Justice , Mr . Dayo Apata .
Agreeing with Apata , Justice Kado ruled that if the strike is allowed it would lead to huge economic loss to both public and private institutions and could jeopardise the health of many Nigerians who would not be able to access health facilities during the period .
The organised labour had threatened to commence an indefinite strike action to press for the increase in the national minimum wage from the current N18 ,000 .
The last meeting of the tripartite negotiation committee on the minimum wage had ended in deadlock after the Federal Government insisted that it could only afford to pay N25 ,000 , while the governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors ’ Forum had held on to N 22 , 500 and the labour N 30 , 000 .
Apart from the NLC and the TUC , the NGF is also joined as a defendant in the suit .
Justice Kado adjourned the matter till November 8 for the hearing of the motion on notice seeking the interlocutory injunction to stop the strike.
The judge ordered that the court order and other papers be filed on all the defendants .

02/10/2018

loses suit seeking to stop Senate’s invitation.

The Federal High Court in Abuja , on Tuesday , struck out a suit by the Inspector -General of Police , Mr . Ibrahim Idris , seeking to stop the Senate from inviting him for a legislative hearing .
Delivering judgment in the suit which Idris filed after two successive invitations by the Senate , Justice John Tsoho ruled that the IG ’s excuse for not honouring the Senate ’s invitation was not tenable .
Ruling that the suit amounted to an abuse of court process , the judge said he agreed with the Senate and its President , Dr . Bukola Saraki , who were the two defendants , that the suit was only aimed at preventing the Senate from carrying out its legitimate and constitutional responsibility .
Meanwhile , the judge also withdrew from the IG ’ s second suit in which he sought an order quashing the May 9 , 2018 resolution of the Senate declaring him “an enemy of democracy and unfit to hold any public office within and outside Nigeria ”.
The judge sent the case file back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court , Justice Adamu Abdu -Kafarati , re -assignment to another judge .
The Senate had in a letter dated April 25 , 2018, invited the IG to appear before it in relation to the purported inhuman treatment of the Kogi West Senator , Dino Melaye , and the killings in many parts of the country , including Benue , Plateau and Kwara States .
The IGP , on April 26 , refused to appear before the Senate but delegated the Deputy Inspector General of Police ( Operations) and Commissioner of Police , Kogi State , to represent him at the Senate .
But the Senate refused to grant an audience to the two representatives , insisting that the IG must personally appear for the legislative hearing .
The upper legislative chamber then rescheduled the meeting for May 2 and again directed that the IGP must honour its invitation in person.
But the IGP, through his lawyer , Dr. Alex Izinyon ( SAN ) , filed his suit on April 30 , 2018 , challenging the Senate ’s insistence on his personal appearance , which he argued was unnecessary because the issues for which he was invited were not personal .

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30/09/2018

suspends strike

The Nigrerian Labour Congress has suspended its ongoing strike.
The strike commenced on September 26.
The National President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, announced the suspension of the strike at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja.
“The suspension takes effect from today Sunday,” he said.
The suspension means workers are expected to resume duties on Tuesday as Monday has been declared a public holiday by the federal government to mark the October 1 Independence Day.
The workers are demanding a new minimum wage of about N50,000 instead of the current national minimum wage of N18,000.
Most state governors as well as proponents of true federalism have, however, argued that states should be allowed to set their own minimum wage especially as many states are barely able to pay the current N18,000 current minimum wage.
On Wednesday, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, said the union was open to dialogue on the strike.
“Our demand is that the tripartite negotiating council should be called back to conclude its assignment on minimum wage.” Mr Wabba said.
The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, then assured the unions that the tripartite committee will reconvene to complete its negotiation. “Before the meeting on October 4, all necessary demands by organised labour would have been factored in,” Mr Ngige said.

29/09/2018

set to end strike as banks, hospitals remain shut. #

The Presidency on Friday said it had begun moves to end the nationwide strike organised by the Nigerian Labour Congress.
The Presidency in a statement said a meeting had been scheduled for Thursday.

The NLC had on Wednesday directed all its members and affiliate unions to commence a nationwide strike on Thursday, following the failure of a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in Abuja, to produce a positive result.

Meanwhile, the strike entered its Second day on Friday as banks, government offices, hospitals, schools, petrol stations, TV and radio stations, among others, were shut.

Schools, banks, hospitals, others shut in South-West

In Ogun State, one of our correspondents observed as government offices and schools were shut, while a few banks operated skeletal services.

At the Oke Mosan Secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, few civil servants were seen in some of the offices within the complex.

In Ondo State, there was compliance with the NLC directive as government offices remained shut.

Only two private TV stations were in operation in Akure, the state capital, as the government-owned radio and TV stations remained closed.

However, when one of our correspondents visited some of the government hospitals in Akure, it was observed that some skeletal works were going on, while it was gathered that only senior medical officers were allowed to enter into the facilities to perform some skeletal works. In Ibadan, Oyo State capital, the level of compliance with the NLC order was near total as banks were closed while civil servants stayed away from work.

All schools, except privately-owned ones, were also closed.

Patients patronise private hospitals in S’South as residents groan

The NLC strike also took its toll on residents in the South-South as government facilities, as well as commercial banks, remained shut.

One of our correspondents who monitored the situation on Friday in Edo State found out that some patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, had started leaving the facility for private hospitals due to strike by health workers.

In Akwa Ibom State, when one of our correspondents visited the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, the workers blocked the entrance gate and were seen drumming, dancing, and singing, “Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop; enough is enough!”

The state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Etim Ukpong, told Saturday PUNCH the workers had been pushed to the wall, which was why the strike action was needed.

The state Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Mr John Cebastine, also said he was happy about the level of compliance with the NLC directive by workers in the state.

In Cross River and Bayelsa states, the situation was similar as public and private enterprises, including government offices, schools and financial institutions were closed to the public.

The NLC Chairman in Cross River State, Mr John Ushie, said the union was on an enforcement drive to ensure total compliance.

Ushie’s counterpart in Bayelsa State, Mr John Bipre-Ndiomu, appealed to the federal and state governments to make workers’ well-being a top priority so as to promote good governance in the country.

24/09/2018

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