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By Joan Nwagwu The leadership of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has called on President Bola Tinubu to expedite action on the new national minimum wage for workers. Mr Ibeji Nwokoma, NAAT President said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Nwokoma said the union was worried over the continuous delay by the President in transmitting the new National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly. “NAAT, as an affiliate of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), stands by the position of the organised labour and call on the federal government to expedite action on the matter to avoid industrial action,” he said. He said the union condemned in strong terms, the unpatriotic position of State Governors claiming inability to pay even the N62, 000 proposed by fed...

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has faulted the agitation for state creation in the South-East by some House of Representatives members, describing the proposal as a misplaced priority. Agbakoba, a former President, Nigeria Bar Association, spoke during an interview in Lagos on Sunday. The House of Representatives recently passed for second reading, a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states from the South-East geopolitical zone. Lawmakers should advocate restructuring not additional state creation, says Agbakoba‘‘The the National Assembly should, instead, return the country to the regionalism by collapsing the 36 states into six to eight regions or geopolitical zones.’’ The bill was sponsored by members of th...

Members of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria Petroleum (IPMAN) and NUPENG in Oyo and Osun states have announced a shutdown of their operations with immediate effect. The petroleum stakeholders, at an emergency meeting held in Ibadan on Saturday, hinged their decision on what they called harassment and extortion of members by the police. The IPMAN co-chairman, Mutiu Bukola and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of NUPENG, Hammed Hamzat, attended the emergency meeting. Others were the chairman of the Independent Marketers branch of NUPENG, Surajudeen Adegoke and IPMAN’s vice-chairman, Olalekan Lawal. They unanimously condemned the operations of the IGP monitoring team on the highway, which, they said, had been disrupting the lifting of petroleum products from dep...

Electioneering campaign in the United States went below the minimum standard on Saturday as Former President Donald Trump was the target of an assasin. Trump who was campaigning at Pennsylvania rally had to berushed off stage by the Secret Service after shots were fired. He was rushed to a local medical facility where he is receiving care.He was quickly swarmed by secret service agents and rushed off stage to a waiting vehicle. He raised a fist as he was bundled into the car. His spokesman said the former president “will be fine.” The suspect was shot dead at the scene by US Secret Service agents, the service’s spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said. He added that one bystander was killed in the shooting and two others were critically injured. The attacker had fired multiple r...

The Nigeria Police Force has said it will begin the enforcement of the digitalised Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) on July 29. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, called on users to comply by registering their vehicles. Mr Adejobi said the e-CMR was to enhance the security of lives and property and rejuvenate and digitalise the motor vehicle registration system to bolster the safety and security framework in the country. According to him, the e-CMR is an advanced, real-time online repository of motor vehicle data designed to support police investigations, operational activities, and combat vehicle-related crimes, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery. The police spokesman said the t...

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) says four persons have been rescued alive from the rubbles of a collapsed two-storey building in Kubwa, Abuja, on Saturday. The acting director-general, FEMD, Florence Wenegieme, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja. Ms Wenegieme said that the building was located beside Cupid Hotel, Sultan Dasuki Road, Phase 2, Site 2, Kubwa, in Bwari Area Council of the FCT. She explained that the collapsed building contained 45 self-contained rooms, adding that it was previously used as a hotel before it was converted for residential purposes. Ms Wenegieme said that two of the rescued victims had been taken to the Kubwa General Hospital and were currently receiving treatment. “FEMD was notified of the inci...

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has presented postgraduate foreign scholarship letters to 200 scholars from the Niger Delta region.Chiedu Ebie, the chairman of the NDDC governing board, handed over the letters to the beneficiaries during a pre-departure ceremony in Port Harcourt on Saturday. Mr Ebie, in a statement issued by the commission’s director of corporate affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, said that the scholars would pursue doctorate and master’s degrees in various fields of learning abroad. “The scholarship scheme is an important component of NDDC’s human capital development programme, providing free education to scholars in the Niger Delta. “We know that education is the most powerful weapon for changing the fortunes of the Niger Delta region. “We expect...

Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has shut down The Saints Academy School, Jos, whose block of classrooms collapsed on Friday, killing scores and leaving many others injured.A visibly angry Mr Mutfwang cited crass negligence by its owners as reason for the shut down order. 22 persons were confirmed dead with about 145 injured when the one-storey building collapsed on the students who were writing their examinations. Mr Mutfwang, who inspected the site where the incident occurred, and visited some casualties on Saturday, said the disaster would have been avoided if the school owners had complied with building laws. “It’s unfortunate that this has happened but, of course, we cannot allow the school to function. The school is hereby closed down immediately; we cannot take any further c...

A 35-year-old woman, Jumoke Ayoola, was on Friday docked in an Iyaganku chief magistrates’ court in Ibadan for allegedly threatening to kill her husband.Mrs Ayoola, whose address was not provided, was charged with a threat to kill. She pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor, Insp Akeem Akinloye, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on July 4, at about 1:00 p.m., in the Oluyole area, Ibadan. Mr Akinloye said the defendant hired some killers to kill her husband, Jide, after having a misunderstanding with him. He said the offence contravened the provisions of section 86 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000. The chief magistrate, Olabisi Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendant to N1 million with two reliable sureties in like sum. She adjourned the case until Nove...

Oba Owolabi Olakulehin in Oyo State on Friday has been crowned as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland. The event was held at the Labosinde compound in the ancient city of Ibadan – the family whose right is to crown any Olubadan of Ibadanland. Those present at the venue include a former Oyo State Governor and member of the Olubadan-in-Council, Rashidi Ladoja; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar; former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, among others. It would be recalled that Ibadan Kingmakers unanimously nominated the Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin as the next Olubadan of Ibadan following the passing of Oba Dr. Mohood Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland. The kingmakers at a meeting held at Mapo ...

By NAN The Institute of health service Administrators of Nigeria (IHSAN), has held a 3-Days professional development workshop and the council meeting of health service Administrators of Nigeria at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada, for the development of health service administration in the country. During her remarks at the opening ceremony with the theme titled, "The Hospital of the Future'' the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social services, Daju kachollom S. mni, tasked the professional body on genuine service delivery through dedication and selflessness. Kachollom said government as part of efforts to improve quality of health service administration, planning and management in Nigeria founded the Institute of Health Sector Administra...

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Nigerian Government must pay funds allocated to Local Governments directly to the respective Local Government Areas, which are managed by democratically elected officials. In a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim on Thursday, the court declared that it is unconstitutional for State Governments to withhold and utilise allocations meant for Local Government Areas without transferring the funds to them, as mandated by Section 162(3) of the Constitution. This ruling aims to ensure that Local Governments receive their rightful allocations, promoting decentralisation and grassroots development. Supreme Court had reserved its judgement in a lawsuit brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagb...

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has ordered that flags be flown at half-mast throughout Oyo State in honour of the departed Federal House of Representatives member for Ibadan North federal constituency, Hon. Olaide Akinremi. The Governor described the sudden demise of the member of the Green Chamber as shocking and a great loss to the State. The Governor prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed and courage for the family to bear the unfortunate loss. E-signed:Prince Dotun OyeladeHonourable Commissioner for InformationOyo State.10th July, 2024.

The lawmaker representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, Hon Olaide Akinremi, popularly called Jagaban, is dead. Although details surrounding death of the 52-year-old lawmaker is still sketchy as the time of filing this report, the APC Spokesman in Oyo State, Olawale Sadare confirmed this to our correspondent.