Category: News

President Bola Tinubu has approved a new directive to promote the trade of crude oil using the local currency.

…vow to expose, join force with security agencies to deal with promoters

…as civil society group commends Gov Mbah over new security architecture

Residents across Enugu State have issued stern warning to the leader of the autopilot criminal gang seeking to destabilize the South-east zone, Simon Ekpa, and his sponsors, to steer clear and count the state out of their sit-at-home madness, insisting Enugu people would do everything possible to liaise with the security agencies to expose and deal ruthlessly with promoters of sit-at-home in the state.

This was even as a popular civil society group, Security and Accountability Watch (SAW) commended the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, over new security architecture in the state such as the “ongoing security camera installation, procurement of new high-powered security vehicles, and modern tracking system”, saying it would further guarantee safety in the state.

Majority of the residents expressed anger at Ekpa’s deliberate attempt to bring the region on its knees. They warned that they would no longer fold their arms and watch some “criminals acting under the guise of Biafra agitation” take them for a ride, threatening to fish out those promoting the illegal declaration.

Residents of Abakpa Nike in Enugu East Local Government Area of the state said they had already disregarded the illegal declaration of sit-at-home issued by the Finland-based fugitive having been assured by the governor and members of the security operatives.

“We are not part of the sit-at-home and we will not take part in it. Sit-at-home is a self-inflicted madness that could only be declared and obeyed by psychopaths,” Mr Eze Kennedy, a resident of Abakpa, said.

While dismissing the declaration made by Ekpa, an Nsukka trader, Nelson Agbo, said they held the Nsukka traders’ meeting with security agencies who assured them to go about their normal businesses; that the governor had already directed that maximum security be provided.

He said: “You know, since the governor cancelled sit-at-home in the state, security has improved very well. We are now able to go out and carry on our trade on Monday and every other day. So, we are no longer interested in Ekpa’s madness. We are even working with security personnel to identify and hand over those criminals to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

In Agbani road, Independence Layout, Coal Camp, New Haven, GRA, Trans Ekulu, Uwani, the stories remain the same as people living there threatened to deal with anyone or group promoting sit-at-home in the area.

“These hoodlums called Ekpa and his sponsors cannot be going to work every day in Finland, Europe, Turkey, America and other parts of the world, and be telling us living in the South-East when to go out and when to sit-at-home.

“We have resolved amongst ourselves to fish out those miscreants and teach them some lessons that they would not forget all through their lives,” Mr. Charles Okike, a chemist at Amobia Street, Uwani, fumed.

At Gariki, Mr. Ogbuene Udoka, who depends on daily income to earn a living through cart pushing, said anyone still talking about sit-at-home should have his brain examined as Enugu people had already consigned that to their ugly past.

“It is funny whenever that criminal called Ekpa talks about sit-at-home in the East. We have suffered that menace as a collective ignorance in the past. We almost died of hunger sitting at home, and he and his criminal gang have never provided alternative. We are waiting for them because we are ready to resist them with our last breath,” Ogbuene added.

While commending Mbah for the ongoing security reform and the new security installation in the state, the Director of SAW, Engineer Nduka Mpu, said the government had shown sustained commitment in its responsibility by flushing out threats in the state.

Nduka said this on Monday while monitoring the level of economic activities in state, noting that “We are satisfied with the level of movements and other human activities so far.

“From our assessment, the economic activities show that our people in the state defied Ekpa and his herds of criminal bedfellows.

“Even with the security presence at almost every corner of the state, you will be motivated to come out. What we are seeing today has reinforced our confidence in the state government,” he said.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered all telecommunication companies in the country to reactivate all lines they have barred over issues surrounding the linking and verification of National Identification Numbers (NIN) linked with their SIMs.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday signed the new national minimum wage into law.

Ahead of the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest in August, human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has asked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to probe telecommunication operators’ alleged disconnection of subscribers.

In a statement on Sunday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria warned that telcos should not attempt to sabotage the forthcoming protest against economic hardship in Nigeria by restricting internet access among displeased citizens.

“For the past few days, some telecom companies have been disconnecting their subscribers for flimsy and untenable reasons. Some allege lack of NIN registration or linking while some didn’t give any reason at all,” Adegboruwa said.

“This action is coming on the heels of the proposed struggle of the people against hunger, poverty, suffering and the suffocating economic policies of the Tinubu administration.

“From all indications, it would seem that the underlying target of the telecom companies is to limit the reach of their customers in order to restrict access and thus frustrate the protests.”

The senior lawyer said the contract between telecom companies and their subscribers remains sacrosanct and should not be tampered with arbitrarily.

“Sufficient information and opportunity should be given for subscribers to remedy any alleged breach or error.

“So many telephone users deploy their numbers for their businesses and other lawful engagements, not to talk to those who may have medical and health-related emergencies.

“The NCC is urged to look into this and come to the rescue of the subscribers.”

The senior lawyer had written security agencies, requesting protection for protesters under the umbrella of the Take It Back Movement come next month.

The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.

Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.

President Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor, who was sworn in as President in May 2023, has appealed to displeased youths to shelve the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.

As part of moves to placate aggrieved citizens, the President sent a bill to raise the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 to the National Assembly this week. Both chambers of the legislature speedily passed the bill on Tuesday, awaiting the President’s assent.

On Thursday, the military authorities warned that unscrupulous elements plan to hijack the protest and use it to stage anarchy like what was recently witnessed in East African country Kenya.

The police had also warned against bloody demonstrations come next month just as All Progressives Congress (APC) governors surmised that the protest could be hijacked and turn violent like the EndSARS nationwide protest against police brutality back in October 2020.

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Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has accused those he described as Abuja politicians of being behind the armed banditry and killings in the Sankera axis of the state comprising Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Local Government Area, LGAs, of the state.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday transmitted a national minimum wage bill to the House of Representatives in the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

The President and the leadership of the Organised Labour had last Thursday agreed on ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Information Minister Mohammed Idris had said “the new national minimum that Mr President is expected to submit to the National Assembly is ₦70,000”.

The truce between the government and labour sides followed a series of talks between labour leaders and the President in the last few weeks after months of failed talks between labour organs and a tripartite committee on minimum wage constituted by the President in January.

The committee, which comprised state and federal governments and the Organised Private Sector, had proposed ₦62,000 while labour insisted on ₦250,000 as the new minimum wage for workers who currently earn ₦30,000 as minimum wage.

Labour had said ₦30,000 was unsustainable for any worker going by the economic vagaries of inflation and high cost of living which followed the removal of petrol subsidy by the President.

Despite its initial insistence on ₦250,000 as the new minimum wage, Labour accepted the President’s offer of ₦70,000 last Thursday.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, said Labour accepted ₦70,000 and rejected a proposal by President Bola Tinubu to pay ₦250,000 minimum wage on a condition to increase petrol prices.

He also said Labour agreed to the ₦70,000 offer because minimum wage won’t be reviewed once in five years anymore but once every three years.

The transmission of the wage bill came about six weeks after the President said in his Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2024, that an executive bill on the new national minimum wage for workers would be sent to the National Assembly for passage.

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Abia state Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has charged Inner Galaxy Steel Company, a Chinese firm operating in Abia State to evolve initiatives that can contribute positively to the socioeconomic growth of the host communities and the State in extension.

Governor Otti was speaking during a meeting with the management of Inner Galaxy Steel Company and the Ukwa West Traditional Rulers Council held at the Governor’s residence.

This followed a petition written by the Traditional Rulers Council of Ukwa West to the Governor against the company, which is sited in Umuahala-Obuzor, Ukwa West LGA, alleging acts of employees abuse and non-performance of corporate social responsibility by the company.

The Governor said that the matter involving the company showed that there was no good communication between the company and the host communities.

“Successful companies set up a host relations department, some people call it community relations, who interface between the company and the host community”.

“It is not very good for it to be reported that you have not sat down with the leadership of your host community and if they write you letters you ignore those letters”.

“The truth about it is that if the community is not there, you cannot exist. If the community is in turmoil, your business will be in turmoil no matter how much of security agencies you surround yourselves with”. Governor Otti stated.

He urged the management of the company to conduct an internal audit to find out the exact amount their staff are being paid to address the issues being raised about the minimum wage it pays.

The Governor said that the government’s resolve to broker peace between the company and the host community relied on its determination to encourage businesses in the state.

He however said that the continued operation of the company in Abia would be based on its good behavior and in playing by the rules, respecting the host community, carrying out its cooperate social responsibility and paying taxes accordingly.

The Governor stated that under his watch, Abia State Government would not tolerate any form of non-compliance to government directives.

The Governor said that the government follows due process in addressing every matter and called for a meeting to give fair hearing to all the parties involved but warned that he would not tolerate any form of disrespect to government directives. According to the Governor, “The reality is that, if the government gives an instructions and it is not carried out, I will shutdown the place”.

“I don’t joke, but I follow due process and this is the due process that we are following, by saying that the Mayor should coordinate periodic meetings between the company and the host communities.

“The issues raised must be discussed in the meetings and the parties must comply. If they do not comply, I will bring out the big stick and nothing will happen”.

“I am sure they have seen our government. It is a very serious minded government. We don’t cut corners, so if you are supposed to do something, you do it”.

“Somebody was trying to pollute the waterway in Umuahia, I shut down the company and everything until they complied:.

“The first thing to do is to listen to people and then give them room. So, you assume that everybody is innocent until they prove themselves guilty”.

“We cannot pass a guilty judgement without giving them opportunity to fair hearing. I will not even tolerate it”.

He enjoined the company to become a good corporate citizen by carrying out activities that would positively impact on its host community.

“If a road is bad and the road leads to your company, there is something called corporate social responsibility”.

“Our people say that charity begins at home and there is another saying that wherever you live as your home, that is where you will protect first”.

He said that there were reports that the company uses the security agents attached to the company to harass the members of the host community and he charged the company to desist from encouraging such acts.

Governor Otti further charged the management of the company to make concerted efforts to redeem its image because the company rarely elicits good remarks from members of the public.

“This is the second time I am meeting with you and the first time, I told you that your name is not good because anytime your name is mentioned, it does not bring good remark from people”.

“It means something is wrong and to add insult to injury, your staff was now involved in this one that I don’t want to talk about because it is still before the court”.

“While you may not take responsibility as a company because any person that commits a crime takes responsibility for the crime, but it is not a good scene”. The Governor concluded.

Governor Otti urged the company to hold quarterly meetings with the host community to improve the company’s engagements with the community and directed the Mayor of Ukwa West LGA, Mr Newman Azu, to coordinate the meetings, and ensure that reports from the meetings would be made available to him.

In his remark, the Chairman of the Ukwa West Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Augustine Dike, said that the council had received reports that the company mistreats its employees and added that the community had not felt any developmental impact from the company.

According to Eze Dike, “There are persons under their employment that are supposed to earn N30,000 but at the end of the month they are given N15,000”.

“If you use the convenience, the company would surcharge you and the company does not have a healthy relationship with the host community and has not done anything in the community”.

“They were using the Umuahala Road which leads to their company but immediately the road became impassable, they abandoned and created an entirely new access road for themselves”.

He said that the community had written several letters to the company for dialogue but all the letters had been ignored by the company.

The royal father further said that the decision to come to Gov. Otti was informed by the fact that he has the capacity to address the issue between the company and the community,

Also, the Mayor of Ukwa West LGA, Mr. Newman Azu said that for the past six years, the company which is a conglomerate of five companies with the sixth one about to be set-up, had not paid a dime to the Ukwa West Local Government Council.

He added that fundamental issues like pollution involving the company has been of utmost concern .

“The only waterway of the local communities around there is being polluted on a daily basis directly from the activities of Inner Galaxy Steel Company”. he said.

In his response, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Hongming Zhang said that staff welfare had remained a top priority in the company and the company ensures that it transacts it business in line with international best practices.

“We have a record of the amount we pay our workers and it varies from N60,000 to N500,000 which is dependent on the job each staff performs”.

“We provide accommodations for the staff that live in the compound and we have our canteen where staff can get food from using the meal tickets given to them by the company.

“The company does not delight in firing people because it costs the company money to train workers to get the required expertise for the job”, he stated.

He said that the company would make serious efforts to meet the demands of the community and improve its engagements with the host community. The meeting was attended by some members of the State Executive Council and other Governor’s appointees.

Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor.
17-07-2024.

The Government of Enugu State has stated that it has sealed a deal to build an over $300 million state-of-the-art medical city in the state with a group of Nigerians in the diaspora.

According to a government issued statement, the medical city, which would play in all the value chain of medical services to make Enugu State the hub of medical tourism on the African continent, will see the state provide 100 hectres of land in consideration for which it would get a 10 per cent equity stake in the Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV, for the development.

Welcoming the executive and management of African Medical City to the Government House, Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah said that the development was in line with his campaign promise to grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion and also make the state the premier destination for business, investment, tourism, and living.

He assured the investors, who are mostly Nigerian medical doctors based overseas, that the state government would discharge its obligations with dispatch to ensure a timely realisation of the initiative, blaming lack of modern facilities for the over $1 billion, which Nigerians are estimated to spend on medical tourism annually.

“What we are witnessing here today is monumental, and we cannot take the value and the significance of it for granted. This is in line with the humongous promise we made to our people during our campaign for office to grow our GDP exponentially from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

“But we recognised that a lot of that growth will come from the private sector; and we also recognised that it has to be enabled by the government. So, our strategy was to have a government-enabled, but private sector-driven economy.

“So, coming to Enugu with an investment size of over $300 million, we knew it was something that must not escape us when we heard of it. We must do everything necessary to ensure that the investment is not only sitting here, but that we also recruit you as one of our testimonials, people who can market Enugu based on your experience in terms of how we made it easy for you to come here and invest and how we have also shown transparency, accountability and integrity in the entire process.

“You can be assured that we will discharge all those obligations creditably,” the governor said.

Speaking, Chairman of the African Medical City, Dr. Ethelbert Nwanegbo, said the group was attracted to Enugu by the investment and ease of doing business push by the present administration in the state.

“What we are trying to do here is to establish a medical city. A medical city is not just a medical building, to be sure. So, when we think of Africa, we think of Nigeria and think of yesterday.

“We are not looking at the Enugu State of yesterday, but Enugu State of the future. And there is no better time for us to institute this, and there is no better place to establish the African Medical City than Enugu State. That is why we are proudly here, and we are proud to make this place our home.

“I believe that what this project is going to do to the economy of this state in the future, there is no other state that can stand the chance, especially in the areas of GDP, employment, welfare of our young and older parents and health status in the West African region,” he stated.

In his remark, the President/CEO of African Medical City, Dr. Uchenna Ogbozor, assured that the organisation would hit the ground running.

“African Medical City is a big organisation and we have 21 members as it stands today. So, I want to commend our members, including those that are not here, for their financial commitment and capabilities.

“We are looking at this investment to be an over $300 million investment. The government is giving us 100 hectres of land, representing 10 per cent of the investment.

“We thank His Excellency for giving us that kind of support. We hope that in few weeks time, we will come back again, to advance the development plans in earnest” he stated.

Also on the AMC delegation was Mr. Joseph Michael Budetti, a financial advisor.

President Bola Tinubu will depart for Accra, Ghana on Saturday, July 20, to attend the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU).

As chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Tinubu will address the meeting on regional integration, highlighting achievements and challenges in West Africa.