The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, HCSF, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has provided an update on the lingering issue of ghost workers in the civil service.....Read Full Article>>

DAILY POST reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had at the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night, said civil servants who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning, must refund the wages they received during the period.

Speaking at a press conference to mark her 100 days in office on Monday, the HCSF said some of such workers have returned to their job in Nigeria while other resigned honourably.

She vowed that the momentum would be sustained to fish out such workers as it a continuous process.

“On the civil servants who have ‘japa’, the issue came up and there was verifications done. of them returned to the country to continue working while some other resigned honourably,” she said.

“Right now, it’s just to sustain the momentum. We’re still scrutinising using the IPIS HR and the IPIS payroll to know who is there and who’s out.

“I think that’ll be a continuous process to ensure that people are not having their cake and eating it by going outside and still receiving their salaries.

“Progress has been made in this regard and we’ll ensure that it is completely dealt with.

On the issue of harmonisation of workers salaries, the HoS said “the issue has been on for quite some time. When I came in I tried to find out where we are on that I’m aware that the National Wages, Income and Salary Commission is working very hard on that. I’m also aware there’s a Presidential committee on Salary.

“And being a member of that committee, I can assure that the committee is working hard to deal with all the issues concerning salaries. I want to remind you that just before the minimum wage was approved, there was what we called a wage award and that also was very beneficial to the salaries of civil servants.”

According to Daily Trust, there has been much discussion on President Bola Tinubu’ s son Seyi Tinubu’ s endorsements ahead of the 2027 Lagos gubernatorial election, with major political figures offering their opinions.....Read Full Article>>

The Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL), which is made up of youth organizations from all six geopolitical zones, supported Seyi Tinubu for governor of Lagos on Tuesday.

A lengthy meeting in Owerri preceded the announcement of the endorsement. The leadership of CONYL, which included Comrade Goodluck Ibem as President General, Comrade Junard Abubakar as Secretary, Comrade Iniobong Sampson as Public Relations Officer, and Comrade Adeyemo Adewale as Publicity Secretary, credited Seyi’ s perceived leadership abilities and the legacy of his father’ s transformative governance in Lagos with their choice.

It led to a series of similar sponsorships. The Middle Belt Youths’ Lagos chapter joined the appeal on Thursday at a news conference held at the Eko Hotel. Capt. Brent Kane, the National Youth Leader of the Middle Belt Forum, and Dr. Stanley Augustine Kavwam, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, both pushed Seyi to take over in 2027, calling him the leader Lagos needs.

Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa responded to rumors that he was considering running for governor amid the escalating crisis. Obasa denied accusations of self- serving ambition immediately after Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu gave the House of Assembly the N3 trillion Lagos budget for 2025.

There is no conflict between Obasa and Seyi Tinubu or any other possible party candidates, he continued.
” I cannot recall any part of the speaker’ s speech that drew a battle line with Seyi Tinubu or anyone else. This is simply the opposition trying to play up the situation to create unnecessary sentiment, ” he said.

Former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, is on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, The PUNCH has learnt. This is just as our correspondent gathered that the anti-graft agency had commenced an investigation into transactions, including contracts awarded during his tenure as the governor of Edo State.....Read Full Article>>

Obaseki, who bowed out of office on November 12 after an eight-year tenure, had said the EFCC planned to arrest him soon after stepping out of office. His successor, Monday Okpebholo, has just established a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate his tenure.

Similarly, the EFCC had on November 2 arrested five Edo government officials who served under Obaseki, including the Accountant General, Julius Anelu, over huge withdrawals from the state treasury within a short period of time.

But Obaseki had on November 8 said he was not scared of a probe by the EFCC.

The former governor said he would be willing to submit himself to the anti-graft agency to give an account of his tenure.

commission, who pleaded anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the matter, said so far the bulk of the transactions under Obaseki’s administration had not been directly linked to him.

The source said, “An investigation has commenced on his administration. He can’t just be invited until the work has got to a certain stage. Some team of crack investigators have been assigned to the case and have been trying to unravel some of the transactions including contracts awarded under his administration.

“The bulk of the transactions, you can’t trace it to him. He made use of others. There have been leads which we have been following and we hope to get something substantial.”

Asked if Obaseki had been watch-listed, another source said though not limited to Obaseki, all former governors are being watchlisted by the commission.

“All former governors are always on the commission’s watch list whether the commission has something with the fellow or not. We are not going to allow them to jet out of the country and then start going after them when we need them. So that is why we always place all of them on our watch list,” the source said.

Efforts to get the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, proved abortive as calls to his line were not answered. He had yet to respond to a text message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

Mohammed Saidu Etsu, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairmanship aspirant, on Tuesday faulted President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint Daniel Bwala as his Special Adviser on Policy Communication. Etsu said Tinubu should not have appointed the likes of Bwala into his government due to his past actions and utterances.....Read Full Article>>

Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Etsu recalled how Bwala denigrated Tinubu in the past, only for the president to appoint him as one of his spokespersons. The APC chieftain also accused Bwala of struggling to be appointed into Tinubu’s media circle.

He said, “It’s not bad to have a presidential spokesperson, but to have people who have insulted or denigrated the office of the president as a spokesperson is what I feel is an aberration on us as party loyalists.

“I felt sad for Mr. Bwala, who has been struggling to be appointed into Tinubu’s government because I don’t know why he has been running helter-skelter to be in the government he had denigrated and the government he called all sorts of names before his appointment.

“For Tinubu to appoint Bwala into his media circle, I don’t think he has done well for himself as president because people are looking at Bwala as someone that has said a lot of things about the president.

“He even spoke against the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, but today he is back speaking for the same Muslim-Muslim ticket, and this is why I said I feel bad for him struggling to be appointed into Tinubu’s government.

“The current Minister of Digital Economy was appointed, and all the party men were not happy, but he was screened, and they promised to make amendments, but we are seeing now that people who insulted this government are the ones being rewarded.

“When I contested for the National Chairman of this party, I worked on three thresholds – internal party mechanisms, loyalty to the party, and reward system – and I know Asiwaju very well. Before he was elected as president, he always talked about people who have worked for the party being rewarded, but today things have turned into something else.

“The president should adjust himself because he’s losing a lot of core party men. When you talk about bringing your enemies closer, it’s not the likes of Bwala that should be appointed into such a position.

“Somebody that had called the president all sorts of names? He called the president a drug baron, and you appointed him? That’s why I said I feel sad for Bwala to struggle to take this appointment.”

SPEECH DELIVERED BY GOVERNOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE AT THE LABOUR EVENT HELD TODAY AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE COMMISSION NOVEMBER 25TH, 2024.....Read Full Article>>

PROTOCOLS

It is my privilege to address our senior citizens today as we again fulfill our obligations and responsibilities. As we have done in the last two years, we are here to further reaffirm our commitment to the care and the welfare of our senior citizens. From the beginning of our administration, we have left no one in doubt as to our passion to address challenges facing pensioners and the pension sector. We had declared then that senior citizens deserve due attention from state leadership as a matter of duty. From November 27th, 2022 to date, we have kept faith with our pledge.

Today, as we mark our second year anniversary, I restate our resolute policy of standing attention to pension matters. Our leadership will continue to resolve individual and personal issues plaguing the sector. In specific terms, we are working to standardize pension administration to ensure pensioners are treated with all required dignity and timeliness.

Today, we are gathered here for the distribution of bond cheques to our contributory pensioners. As part of our determination to settle pension indebtedness, today we are paying out a total sum of One Billion, Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eight Seven Naira (N1,999, 908,887.33). This is a combination for both state and local governments.

I am happy to inform our senior citizens and the general public about what each administration from former Governor Rauf Aregbesola to date has paid in the pension sector

Former Governor Aregbesola’s payment as at 2018 was a total sum of Seventeen Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Two Million, Six Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty One Naira (N17,152,662,351.26).

Former Governor Oyetola’s payment as at 2022 was a total sum of Seventeen Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Five Million, Four Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eight Naira (N17,255,424,708.51).

The total for the two previous administrations under a 12 year period was Thirty Four Billion, Four Hundred and Eight Million, Eighty Seven Thousand and Fifty Naira Naira ( N34,408,087,059.77)

For our administration in the last two years plus what we are paying out today, the total payment is the sum of Twenty Two Billion, Six Hundred Seventy One Million, Two Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety Three Naira (N22,671,217,893.24).

Our administration paid almost 70 percent under two years of what the former APC administration paid under 12 years.

We added a life changing policy, the enrolment of pensioners in the health insurance scheme. This has eased access to health care for our senior citizens. Our love, care and support for pensioners is therefore not a political gimmick. It is about doing the right thing.

As much as we still have a lot of ground to cover, we have started on a strong note. We have proved to our elderly people that we are with them, that we seriously care about their well being.

Other outstanding issues in the pension sector are to be looked into. The Head of Service is mandated to compile a list of other unresolved issues facing pensioners, especially areas they still want our government to focus on. This will further ensure adequate state response to areas of needs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our dear senior citizens, we are ensuring attention to all sectors within a tight financial situation.The dwindling value of Naira has negatively affected the actual value of the state fund including the less than 20 percent increment in federal allocation. The consequence is that what we earn today as a state is less in value compared to what obtained under the previous administration.

Despite the situation, our administration has delivered across the sectors. Leadership of the pension union is invited to the town hall meeting holding by Wednesday for detailed accountability and scorecard.

To state workers, I reassure you of our unshaken commitment to your welfare which is number one item on our five point agenda. We are a government of workers, labour, pensioners and the masses.

Before I end my address, I must commend the Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina and his team for their strong performance in service delivery and in the ongoing reform of the public service. We value your contributions.

I thank you for listening.

HE, Senator Ademola Adeleke,
Executive Governor of Osun State.

A coalition of federal opposition lawmakers have accused some Peoples Democratic Party governors and 24 state party chairmen of plotting to keep the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, in office until 2027 to weaken the party.....Read Full Article>>

The lawmakers made the claim during a press conference in Akokwa, Imo State, on Sunday evening. The spokesman for the group and member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said, “Today, our nation is facing different challenges, both economic and political.

But there’s something that’s missing in all these problems and that’s a vibrant and responsive and responsible opposition.

“We have the PDP that’s supposed to lead the opposition, but what we have are political charlatans hijacking the heartbeat of the opposition party and turning it into an errand platform for the ruling party.

“Some of you called me yesterday after the meeting the governors had in Jos and said it’s all over for the PDP. It’s very shameful that a party that was founded in 1998 by the great efforts of our founding fathers-the likes of Alex Ekwueme, Jerry Gana, Atiku Abubakar, Olusegun Obasanjo, and so many others, came together and ended 16 years of military rule.

“That political party is what these guys are playing Akara with. Umar Damagun and Samuel Anyanwu are now messing up with and forgetting the sacred expectation of Nigerian people.”

He alleged that plans had been perfected to prevent the National Executive Committee from selecting a substantive chairman from the North Central zone, as originally intended.

He added, “They want Umar Damagum to continue to parade himself as the National Chairman and stay in office till 2027 so they can foist on us a weakling that will be presidential candidate.

“We have impostors among us who have no honour and decency. The ruling party will be laughing at them now that they want to sabotage their own party.

“First, they said there was a Sallah holiday, and they shifted it. Since last year, they kept on shifting the NEC meeting. Till now, no NEC meeting. They keep on giving different excuses. The national leaders of PDP are frolicking with APC leaders, going to London having meetings with APC leadership.”

He accused the party leadership of nurturing a political alliance with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party governors over allegations that it manipulated the Edo State governorship election held on September 21, 2024.....Read Full Article>>

INEC had declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner with 291,667 votes, while the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, secured 247,274 votes. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata came third with 22,761 votes.

Rising from its two-day meeting in Jos, Plateau State on Saturday, the PDP Governors Forum maintained its stance, insisting that electoral irregularities denied its candidate victory in Edo and alleging vote-buying in Ondo.

The PDP governors alleged that INEC tampered with results to favour the APC during the Edo governorship election.

The party called on the judiciary and lawmakers to strengthen electoral laws to prevent what it termed “institutional sabotage of the will of the people.”

“The forum notes with concern the rape of democracy in Edo governorship elections. It is clear to everyone with conscience that INEC manipulated results in favour of the APC candidate when in fact majority of lawful votes were won by the PDP candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo.

“Meanwhile, we are still examining the documents in Ondo elections where the APC manipulated results after openly buying votes. The forum calls on the judiciary to save Nigerian democracy and the National Assembly to look into our electoral laws to make it difficult for institutional sabotage of the will of the people,” the PDP Governors’ Forum said in its communique.

But reacting to the accusations, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, described the claims as “unfortunate and inappropriate.”

“As a law-abiding organisation, we cannot comment on a matter that is before the court. It is sub judice,” Oyekanmi stated.

He criticised the PDP governors for pursuing what he called a “media trial,” urging the party to present its evidence in court rather than raising unsubstantiated claims in public.

“Interestingly, it is the PDP that filed the petition at the tribunal to challenge the result of the Edo State governorship election that is now canvassing the same issues in the media. One would expect the party and its candidate to tender their evidence in court to prove the allegations detailed in their petition, rather than embark on media trial,” he said.

Addressing claims regarding the Ondo State election, Oyekanmi defended INEC’s performance, describing it as one of the best elections conducted by the commission.

“We do not claim it was a perfect election, but it was a good outing,” he remarked.

He urged political parties to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship, saying, “It is not healthy to accept the outcome of an election only when you win.”

Also reacting, the APC knocked the PDP governors, asking them to concentrate on their court case rather than whipping up public sentiment.

In an interview with The PUNCH, the APC National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim said, “Why is the PDP refusing to utilise the provision of going to the constitutional court, rather than the public court? The constitution has made it very clear that if there is an election and you are not happy with the outcome of the election, you proceed to the court for interpretation of what happened.

“Whether it was an election or selection or whatever language they are using, the right place to go is the constituted court, not the court of public opinion, which is what they are doing. Are they indirectly trying to incite the public to lynch INEC or to take the law into their hands and go into civil disobedience?”

Continuing, Bala raised concerns that the PDP may be up to some mischief and foul moves with this latest allegation.

The APC spokesman further recalled the opposition party’s refusal to sign the Peace Accord before the election to buttress his point.

“You will recall that before the election, there was an invitation for peace, to which they refused. They refused to sign the peace accord. I am suspicious that the PDP is planning something that is not in the interest of the constitution of this country. I hope I am wrong.

“Why are they always following the path of emotion rather than following the path of legality? These are governors that were put in place by constituted courts, not the court of public opinion. Now, they are trying to incite the public to go against what is constitutionally provided. They should have a rethink.

“It is sad to even think that some of them are lawyers, some journalists who are supposed to be members of the fifth realm of the estate. They need to be schooled. Let them come to the APC Progressive Institute and learn the ropes of politics,” he said.

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have declared that the party remains a formidable force in Nigeria. Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, made the assertion at the end of a meeting on Saturday in Jos.....Read Full Article>>

Mohammed said the party will overcome all its challenges, adding that the ‘minor setbacks’ would soon be over. He called on lovers of the PDP and Nigerians in general not to lose hope in the party.

“The Forum notes the concerns of Nigerians, the founding fathers, elders and members of our great party about the seeming divisions within its rank and file.

“The Forum, however, wishes to state categorically that it remains resolute in its determination to ensure unity and cohesion within the party.

“This is a party that Nigerians have come to trust as the best platform to provide democratic governance to all; it is still the party to beat,” he said.

The chairman also called on the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, to convey a meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, as part of measures to address internal wranglings.

He commended members of the National Assembly elected under the platform of the party for their contributions toward the growth of democracy.

Mohammed, however, called on the leadership of the National Assembly to critically interrogate all bills to ensure fairness, equity, national balance and even development.

The governor, who noted with deep concern the current economic crisis in the country, called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review his administration’s macro-economic and fiscal policies to address the welfare and well-being of Nigerians.

While commending Governor Caleb Mutfwang for hosting his colleagues in Plateau, Mohammed, equally commiserated with the government and people of the state over the recent fire outbreak at a wood market.