Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 16th July 2024
1. Tinubu To Send Minimum Wage Bill To NASS Next Week
President Bola Tinubu is set to transmit the New National Minimum Wage bill to the National Assembly next week.
The transmission of the Executive Bill to the National Assembly will be after the President meets with the leadership of the Organized Labour on Thursday.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while briefing the State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, said that the President will transmit the executive bill after the meeting with the organized labour on Thursday.
He also stated that the executive will send what he described as an amendment to the 2024 budget to the National Assembly.
According to him, the amendment would take care of the new minimum wage among other things.
2. Nigerians Can Now Obtain UAE Visas – FG
The Federal Government has announced it has reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the visa ban on Nigerians.
Naturenex reports that the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made this known on Monday while briefing State House correspondents following the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Idris said the agreement allows Nigerian passport holders to obtain visas for travel to that Arab nation starting today, July 15, 2024, without any hindrance.
He also asked Nigerians seeking information on the updated UAE visa conditions to visit: http://documentverificationhub.ae for further details.
It would be recalled that the UAE imposed a visa ban on Nigeria barely two years ago due to various diplomatic disputes.
3. FG Donates Trucks Of Rice To 36 States, FCT
President Bola Tinubu-led government, on Monday, donated twenty trucks of rice to the 36 state governors and the federal capital territory for onward distribution to Nigerians.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while addressing State House Reporters after the Federal Executive Council, said the rice is for the most vulnerable Nigerians.
He also said the Tinubu administration is committed to making sure that Nigerians have food on their table.
Idris said each state has received truckloads of rice, each containing 1,200 bags of 25kg rice for onward distribution to the most vulnerable persons and families.
He said the consignment is the first step by the federal government to provide support to all the sub-nationals.
The Minister noted that state governments are expected to distribute the commodity to bring down the current hardship in the country.
4. Court Perpetually Bans Ado Bayero, Four Others From Parading Self As Emirs
The Kano State High Court has issued a permanent injunction preventing Aminu Ado Bayero and the four deposed Emirs of Bichi, Rano, Gaya, and Karaye from presenting themselves as Emirs.
During the ruling on Monday, the Court presided over by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, also prohibited the 15th Emir of Kano and the four other Emirs, as well as their associates, agents, and any other individuals appointed by them, from parading themselves as Emirs of Kano, Bichi, Gaya, Rano, and Karaye.
Naturenex reports that the Kano State government had initiated legal proceedings requesting the State High Court to prevent the 15th Emir Aminu Ado Bayero and the four Emirs of Karaye, Bichi, Rano, and Gaya from portraying themselves as Emirs.
Furthermore, the Government instructed the Deposed Emirs to vacate their respective Palaces within 48 hours of their dethronement.
5. NLC Issues Threat To Lawmakers, Governors On Minimum Wage
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has expressed strong opposition to a legislative move by members of the National Assembly that seeks to shift the wage determination from the Exclusive legislative list to the Concurrent list.
Speaking at the 2024 annual Rain School event of the NLC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Ajaero voiced concerns that this shift could allow state governors to individually determine minimum wages, potentially undermining national wage standards.
Ajaero warned that such a change could provoke significant labour unrest, including a potential halt of movement across the country for one month.
He stressed that the move could lead to a fragmented and inequitable wage structure that would harm workers’ rights and livelihoods, particularly in less economically robust states.
According to Ajaero, the time has come when the Federal Lawmakers and governors should be subjected to collecting minimum wage.
The NLC President wondered why Nigerian leaders were bent on cheating workers, even amid the current hardship they are facing due to the removal of fuel subsidy.
6. Stop Illegal Mining, Nigeria Losing $9 Billion Annually — Speaker Abbas Tells Tinubu
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has stated that illegal mining in the northern part of Nigeria is denying the country $9bn annually.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to put an end to the activities of the illegal miners.
Abbas lamented that the illegal miners are responsible for about 80 per cent of the current insecurity in the northwest part of the country in particular.
The lawmaker disclosed this at the investigative hearing, on the activities of illegal mining in the Solid mineral sector in the country, on Monday, in Abuja
He said the host communities have continued to live in fear, abject poverty and deprivation, instead of getting benefits that should have accrued to their communities.
The speaker urged the government to act now, stressing that illegal mining activity has caused Nigeria a socio-economic challenge, leading to the loss of the ecosystem and high poverty level especially among farmers.
7. Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Hits 34.19% Amid Soaring Food Prices
The latest data from the National Bureau of State Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s inflation figure has reached a new high, hitting 34.19 % for June 2024.
Naturenex reports that the development comes amid the rising cost of food items across the country, pushing essential commodities beyond the reach of millions.
The new data shows an increase of 0.24% points when compared to the inflation figure for May 2024.
According to the NBS, headline inflation, on a year-on-year basis, jumped in June 2024 compared to the same month in the last year.
The agency added that on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in June 2024 was 2.31%, 0.17% higher than the rate recorded in May 2024 (2.14%).
8. ‘You Have Become A Destructive Agent’ – Labour Party Directorate Blasts NLC Transition Committee
The Labour Party (LP) Directorate on Mobilization and Integration has asserted that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Transition Committee (NTC) has become a destructive agent seemingly working for the government.
Naturenex reports that the Directorate made this known while reacting to a statement purportedly released by the NLC NTC describing Julius Abure as the former National Chairman of the Labour Party.
The statement further directed party stakeholders to boycott the planned Congress organised by LP in Anambra, Imo, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, the LP Directorate, in a statement on Monday by its Director General, Marcel Ngogbehei, maintained that Abure remains the authentic National Chairman of the LP, confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party’s highest decision-making organ.
Ngogbehei described the purported statement by the NTC as childish, malicious and misleading, noting that the NLC does not have the authority to set up any transition committee for any party in the country.
He urged the LP stakeholders not to be distracted by the ill attitude of the NTC and to ensure that they fully attend the upcoming party congresses as announced by the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Ngogbehei also accused the NLC NTC of working with the government to demarket, weaken and prevent opposition parties like the Labour Party from holding the government accountable.
The LP Directorate added that NTC should engage the government to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and citizens rather than meddling in political affairs.
9. Tinubu Sacks Adekanmbi, Reinstates Prof Zabbey As HYPREP Coordinator
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reinstatement of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey as the Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Naturenex reports that this was made known in a statement on Monday to journalists signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
According to the statement, Tinubu reached the decision following a performance review of the HYPREP Project Coordinator and concluded that the Project Coordinator is fit to discharge his functions in accordance with the regulations guiding the execution of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
“By the directive of the President, the reinstatement of the HYPREP Project Coordinator takes immediate effect,” Ajuri Ngelale stated.
Recall that Tinubu had on Saturday appointed Adekanmbi as the Project Coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
Dr Adekanmbi was Commissioner for Special Duties, Culture and Tourism in Ondo State and a Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) member.
10. FG Working To Address High Food Prices – Minister Assures Nigerians
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is working to address the high cost of food prices in the country.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation has reached over 40 per cent in recent months, pushing the prices of essential commodities beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians.
Naturenex reports that Abdullahi, in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, admitted there is food insecurity in the country but assured Nigerians that the situation is being addressed and that the prices of commodities will soon come down.
According to Abdullahi, with several programmes by the Federal Government, the prices of commodities will be reduced.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on NATURENEX. See you again tomorrow.
