Salaries
Anxiety in Bayelsa as four local councils cannot pay salaries
Trouble is looming in four local government areas in Bayelsa State over the inability of the council to pay the salaries of its workers. The affected local government areas – Ogbia, Nembe, Sagbama and Ekeremor – are said to be owning three months salaries. The other four local government areas namely Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Brass are said to be struggling but have a financial edge due to the internally generated revenue. Bloated wage bills in the troubled local government councils and the various debts they are servicing have eaten up their finances such that they cannot meet the financial obligations to their workers. The state government had recently taken over the payment of teachers salaries in the Ogbia Local Government Area to prevent industrial action by the tea...
Nigerian asks resident doctors, health workers to withdraw strike notices
The Federal Government has directed the National Association of Resident Doctors and the Joint Health Sector Unions to withdraw their strike notices immediately. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday. Ngige was addressing newsmen at the end of a meeting with the Presidential Committee on Salaries, relevant Federal Government stakeholders and health sector professional associations and trade unions. He said that the Federal Government was recently issued notice of trade disputes by NARD and JOHESU. “I told them to withdraw because it is arm-twisting. It is not allowed in International Labour Organisation Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiation. So, we expect them to withdraw those notices they gave. “JOHESU gave 15-day ulti...
Governor Sule: Nasarawa won’t borrow to pay minimum wage
The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, yesterday told striking workers in the state that the state government would not borrow to pay them the N30,000 minimum wage in order not to burden the state economy. The Organised Labour in the state on June 15, 2021 began an indefinite strike over partial implementation of N30, 000 minimum wage and other welfare-related issues. But the state government during a press conference at the end of an emergency expanded executive council meeting in the Government House, Lafia, maintained that government shall on no account borrow to pay salaries. These were resolutions taken at the Emergency State Executive Council meeting as read by Chairman of the Nasarawa State Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Musa Dangana. Dangana said: “In view of its negative i...
SSANU threatens strike over Nigerian government’s directives on workers of staff schools
The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) has advised the Federal Government to withdraw the circular directing that workers of the Staff schools should not be captured in the 2022 budget. The President of SSANU, Mohammed Haruna, gave the advice while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja. He threatened that the union would embark on industrial action if government refused to heed the union’s request. Haruna was reacting to the alleged circular from the Budget Office directing that teachers in Staff Schools should be removed from the Consolidated Salary Scale, CONTISS, in the 2022 budget. He said that the reopening of the matter that had been decided by the National Industrial Court would affect the industrial harmony being enjoyed in the universities as there a subsi...
IPPIS: Nigerian government suspends 331 civil servants’ salaries
The federal government says it has suspended the salaries of 331 civil servants for failing to update their Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary, Career Management office, announced in a statement issued by Abdulaganiyu Aminu, spokesman for the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) on Saturday in Abuja. Mr Mamman had signed the circular of the suspension on behalf of the HOCSF, Folasade Yemi-Esan. It added that the circular was addressed to all permanent secretaries, accountant-general of the federation, and the auditor-general of the federation. “The salaries of 331 federal civil servants have been suspended on the IPPIS platform for their failure to carry out the online records update of the HR Module of Integrated...
Ex-soldiers: We trained 4,400 IPOB militias after Nnamdi Kanu promised us rank of General in Biafra Republic
Operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team have arrested three dismissed soldiers, who allegedly partook in the training of 4,400 members of the Eastern Security Network for the Indigenous People of Biafra. The suspects have been identified as Linus Owalo, Godswill Steven and Chinasa Orji. They were arrested recently after operatives of the IRT, while following a tip-off from some members of IPOB, raided the group’s hideouts in Imo, Anambra and Delta States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. ESN is the armed wing of the POB. IPOB and ESN have been accused by the police of being responsible for the attacks and killings of security operatives as well as burning of police stations and government infrastructure across the South East and South South regions of the country. IPOB a...
CJN demands NJC’s involvement in fixing, reviewing of judge’s salary
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has admonished the National Assembly to alter the constitution to mandate the National Judicial Council (NJC) to be involved in the fixing and reviewing of salaries and other emoluments of judges in the country. The CJN, who decried the non review of their salaries in the last 13 years by the Salaries and Wages Commission, also asked for the review of their salaries every four years. He also wants the NJC to collect, control and disburse all monies, capital and recurrent for the judiciary. Justice Muhammad’s demands were contained in the paper he presented as part of recommendations on behalf of the Judiciary at the national public hearing by Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution held at the Africa Hall of the Inte...
Resident doctors extend strike ultimatum by two weeks for federal government, states to act
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has extended its strike ultimatum by two weeks to let the Federal and State governments to address the issues of welfare of their members across the country. The extension is contained in a communiqué at the end of the association’s 41st Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) which held in Nnewi/Awka, Anambra, between May 25 and May 29. The communiqué was release by Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, National President of NARD, in the company of other members of the executive. It said that the association would resume a total strike action if its demands remained unattended to at the end of the period. It said that the strike was suspended following government’s promises as entailed in the Memorandum of Actions, signed at the instance of Minister of Labour...
Anambra guber: Zoning favours APC, not APGA, PDP – aspirant
An All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Dr Amobi Nwaokafor, has argued that if zoning is to be a consideration in the Anambra State governorship election, the APC should be favoured since it has not ruled the state. Speaking after submitting his declaration of interest and nomination form at the party secretariat he insisted that having governed Anambra State previously, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should allow APC to test the seat. He also argued that since Awka indigenes never occupy the position too, he stands a better chance to benefit from zoning. The former President General of Awka Progressives Union also described himself as the best candidate for the race to occupy the states’ number one seat. He argued that with his wealt...
SAN faults Southern governors’ call for constitutional conference
A human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has faulted the call by 17 Southern governors for a constitutional conference. The governors had said such a conference would straighten knotty problems confronting the country. But Ozekhome who spoke in Anambra State on Thursday, as a keynote speaker at the 25th Law week of the Awka branch of Nigerian Bar Association, described the governors’ suggestion as unnecessary. Speaking on the topic ‘Legal profession in a lawless society,’ Ozekhome said the call for a new conference was not necessary, especially considering that the recommendations of the one held in 2014 had not been implemented. He said, “I was at the 2014 national conference headed by late Justice Idris Kutigi. The over 200 recommendation we made at that conference was yet to be touche...
NASU: Decision to reduce civil servants salaries ’provocative’
File Photo The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) says plan by the Federal Government to slash salaries of Federal civil servants is “provocative’’. NASU made this known in a statement by its General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi on Sunday in Abuja. It will be recalled that Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, had given the hint on May 4, at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja. Ahmed said during the dialogue that the review of salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies were part of measures to reduce cost of governance. She said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had bee...
Kebbi governor: Why we can’t pay leave grant, gratuities
Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, on Saturday, thanked the organised labour in the state for their patience, understanding and maintaining very good relationship with the government. The governor, who spoke during activities organised to mark the 2021 Workers Day in Birnin Kebbi, however, said his administration would not be able to pay the 2020 leave grant of workers and outstanding gratuities. “NLC is aware of the burden of gratuities the government inherited and how far we have gone in trying to clear the debts. “In spite of the dwindling resources, the state government still pays salaries, runs the government and puts in some infrastructure in the state. “The union should liaise with the Ministry of Finance for a way out. “On the 2020 leave grants, the state cannot afford to pay but you shou...
