Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 24th July 2024
1. Tinubu Speaks On Planned Hardship Protest, Make Demand From Nigerians
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to reconsider the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest set for next month.
The appeal was made through Information Minister Mohammed Idris during a briefing with State House correspondents on Tuesday.
Idris conveyed the President’s message, stating, “The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas.”
The planned protest, which has gained significant traction on social media, is scheduled to occur across all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August.
This movement, organized by faceless groups, aims to address the economic hardships faced by Nigerians. The economic crisis has been exacerbated by the government’s recent policies, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.
The President’s appeal comes at a time when prices of food and basic commodities have soared, leading to one of the worst inflation crises in the country’s history.
2. Senate Passes New Minimum Wage Bill Into Law
The Senate has passed the new national minimum wage bill into law, following the request by President Bola Tinubu.
This followed the presentation and adoption of a report on the bill by the leader of the Senate, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti).
The lawmakers in the upper legislative chambers passed the bill on Tuesday, 23rd July and will now wait for concurrence from the House of Representatives following a letter asking for such from President Bola Tinubu.
The bill passed through the first, second and third readings sequentially in plenary on Tuesday.
The bill, when active, would pave the way for the payment of the new minimum wage of ₦70,000 to Nigerian workers.
The newly passed bill also has a new provision for its review after 3 years, unlike the former provision with a 5-year review period.
3. Protest Is Your Right – Atiku Backs Nigerians
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to exercise their rights to protest against economic hardship in the country.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) guaranteed citizens the right to protest peacefully.
In a statement on Tuesday, Atiku Abubakar said the accusation and threat from the Presidency that some persons were behind the protest was an exercise in futility.
Recall that Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had accused the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party – Peter Obi, and his supporters of being responsible for the August slated protest.
There have also been other indirect threats from the Presidency to Nigerians concerning the protest tagged “End bad Governance”.
Nigeria’s former vice president, also, recalled that President Tinubu, his supporters and his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), led a protest in 2012 against the government of former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Atiku warned the federal government that any attempt to suppress the rights of citizens to protest in August would be seen as a direct affront to Nigeria’s democracy.
4. Reps Orders Reversal Of Tariff Increase For ‘Band A’ Customers
The House of Representatives has directed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to reverse the recent tariff increase for Band A customers.
Naturenex reports that this decision was made on Tuesday following the adoption of a report submitted by the House Committee on Power.
NERC had previously announced a tariff increase for Band A customers, raising the rate to N225 per kilowatt.
The House has also decided to investigate the tariff hike further.
Presenting the report, Victor Nwokolo, the Chairman of the Committee on Power, stated that the new tariff is unaffordable for many Nigerians.
The Committee recommended returning to the previous tariff rates.
The recommendations were approved by the Committee of the Whole and subsequently passed.
5. Presidency Confirms When Minimum Wage Will Take Effect, Says Workers Will Get Arrears
The presidency has confirmed that the new national minimum wage is expected to take effect from April 2024.
The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, who confirmed this in a post via X on Tuesday, added that workers will be paid arrears of their increase from this period.
Olusegun gave the update while confirming that President Bola Tinubu has written to the National Assembly, seeking their approval for the new National Minimum Wage bill.
“President Bola Tinubu has written to the House of Representatives, sending the National Minimum Wage Bill to them for consideration.
“When signed into law, the new minimum wage is expected to take effect from April 2024, meaning workers will be paid arrears of their increase from this period,” he wrote.
6. We Won’t Allow Violence Under Guise Of Replicating Kenya Protests – IGP
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has issued a stern warning against any attempts to replicate the recent protests in Kenya under the guise of #EndBadGovernance.
Speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, during a strategic meeting with top police officers, Egbetokun emphasized the commitment of the Nigerian Police Force to prevent any violent demonstrations.
Last month, Kenya experienced significant unrest as young citizens protested against policies they deemed anti-masses.
These demonstrations, which targeted the parliament and other strategic locations, resulted in substantial reforms, including a cabinet reshuffle.
In Nigeria, various groups are mobilizing for a protest-themed #EndBadGovernance. This movement seeks to address grievances related to the country’s economic and political landscape.
Egbetokun, during his address to Commissioners of Police, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIG), and Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIG), advised those planning the protest to abandon the idea. He stressed that the police force would not tolerate any form of violence.
He referenced the traumatic experiences of the police during the #EndSARS protests, highlighting the ongoing recovery from those events.
7. Dangote: Reps Call For Suspension Of NMDPRA Boss
The House of Representatives has demanded the suspension of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, pending conclusive investigations into the allegations against the Authority.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Esosa Iyawe on the House’s urgent need to address the outage resulting from what he called unguarded comments from him.
The lawmaker stated that Sulphur dioxide has dire environmental and health consequences, as it can damage the human respiratory system, compromise lung function and even cause cancer.
He reminded the House that fuel quality can impact engine hardware, thus ultra-low sulfur diesel is recommended for all types of companies, power plants, storage tanks, industrial facilities, fleets and heavy equipment, and even ships, as high Sulphur content in fuels, causes damage to engines and contributes to air pollution
Iyawe said the NMDPRA permits local refiners to produce diesel with Sulphur content of up to 650 parts per million (ppm) until January 2025, as approved by the ECOWAS.
He expressed concern that the careless statement by the Chief Executive of the NMDPRA without conducting any prior investigation is not only unprofessional but also unpatriotic, especially in the face of the recent calls for protest against the Federal Government.
8. Senate Passes Police Amendment Act 2024, Clears Way For IGP Egbetokun To Complete His Tenure
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill 2024, seeking to amend the Police Act of 2020.
The bill, passed by the lawmakers on Tuesday, would allow the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to complete his tenure as stipulated in the appointment letter.
President Bola Tinubu, had, on Tuesday, forwarded the Police Act Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives, seeking to amend the tenure of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The proposed amendment addresses the contentious issue surrounding the retirement age and tenure of the IGP.
The current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, appointed in June 2023 for a four-year term, is at the centre of this legislative adjustment.
Earlier in July, the Nigeria Police Force had refuted claims that IGP Egbetokun attempted to lobby the National Assembly for a bill to extend the retirement age of officers.
According to Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Egbetokun, born on September 4, 1964, is mandated to retire in September 2024 when he turns 60, which would cut short his tenure to just one year and three months out of the four-year term.
9. CBN Raises Interest Rate To 26.75% Amid Soaring Inflation
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Tuesday, raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which measures interest rates by 50 basis points, from 26.25% to 26.75% amid soaring inflation and skyrocketing food prices.
The Governor of the apex bank, Olayemi Cardoso, announced this after the apex bank’s 296th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja.
The MPC had maintained a hawkish stance to tame inflation since it resumed meeting this year and thus far, it has hiked rate by more than 500 points.
The rate was raised to 26.25 per cent in May.
However, with inflation moving to 34.19 per cent in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the headline inflation increased by 0.24 per cent relative to the May 2024 headline inflation rate which was 33.95 per cent.
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 11.40 per cent points higher than that of June 2023 (22.79 per cent).
10. Protest: Those Who Want To Burn Down The Country Will Meet The Strongest Resistance Of Their Lives – Presidency
The presidency on Tuesday declared that those planning a protest want to burn down the country, and they will meet the strongest resistance of their lives.
This position was declared by the Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, via a post on his X account.
The presidential media aide declared that they are waiting for those planning the protest, adding that it won’t be a resistance from security agencies, but from those who gave their mandate to President Tinubu via the ballot box.
“Those who want to burn the country down under whatever guise will meet the strongest resistance of their lives. Not from security agencies, but from the silent majority that gave their mandate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for four years in the first instance. We are waiting,” the media aide wrote.
The strong warning comes at a time when some Nigerians are planning a nationwide protest against economic hardship and harsh government policies driven by the fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira.
The protest is billed to hold in the first week of August.
