🥷 Crime and other powers
+ fatal flooding, FG's plan to to increase minimum wage, ASUU strike update.
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Today’s newsletter is 1,735 words (approx. 6mins read)
As Buhari packs up to leave office, he leaves something behind for us and the next administration.
The FG’s total debts and contingent liabilities have hit N60.9 trillion, and the figure could grow to N65 trillion before the end of the year.
This figure doesn’t include undocumented contingent liabilities, debts to federal school staff and other public employees and other pending financial liabilities.
Items and organisations on the contingent liability list are Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Plc, Nigeria Ports Authority – Lekki Deep Seaport, pension arrears, NNPC – AKK Gas Pipeline Project, among others.
In addition, Buhari granted a state pardon to former Plateau governor Joshua Dariye. Dariye was arrested earlier this year for corruption and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but Buhari granted him immunity in April. He was released from Kuje in August.
In this week’s edition
Federal university students protest in Abuja & Lagos
FG took ASUU to court over strike
FG imposes more taxes on small businesses
FG to adjust minimum wage
Over 300 killed by effects of flooding
ASUU strike update
Students protest in Murtala Muhammed International Airport
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) took over the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Road to protest the Academic Staff Union of Universities' seven-month strike (ASUU).
Students of federal universities are conducting demonstrations at strategic locations to ground activities. It’s an attempt to pressure the government to meet ASUU’s demand to suspend the seven-month strike.
The students blocked routes leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Monday, obstructing road users from 5 am-night.
In Kaduna, the NANS chairman, Dominic Philip, called on its members to shut down the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Wednesday to push for the calls to end the strike.
The Kaduna State Government did not like that.
Meanwhile, ASUU has reached a new agreement with the FG. On Tuesday, the House of Reps & ASUU brokered a new agreement after four hours of meeting at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Details of the resolution remain undisclosed.
Before the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, on behalf of the Federal Government, filed the matter before the court to resolve the ongoing strike.
FG won the lawsuit. The National Industrial Court ordered ASUU to go back to work.
The FG says they’ll continue negotiations with ASUU despite the court ruling.
Government governing
FG plans to ban ‘ponmo’ to revive leather industry
As the economy continues to decline, FG is considering banning ponmo to save us all.
Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology, NILEST, Zaria, Muhammad Yakubu said the ban would allow for the revival of the Nigerian leather industry. He further said the ban was necessary, especially since animal skin has no nutritional value.
The institute, along with industry stakeholders, would approach the national assembly and state governments to bring out legislation banning ‘ponmo’ consumption
Ponmo has recently become a cheap substitute for meat and fish as the economy worsens and food prices increase.
But who cares if we all starve? Hunger is temporary, but drip is forever.
Lagos govt justifies auction of impounded vehicles, says traffic law being reviewed
The Lagos State Government has justified its auction of some impounded vehicles owned by violators of the traffic laws in the state - Premium Times
The state government auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles on Thursday at the Taskforce compound in Lagos.
After receiving negation reactions from Nigerians online, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Moyosore Onigbanjo, insisted that the auction followed due process.
He said the traffic offenders were given the opportunity to defend themselves before a magistrate court.
“All the cars that were auctioned, some were abandoned and then notices were even given in adverts in the Punch newspaper that if your car has been abandoned in the yard, you can still come and pick it up before the auction date. In respect of the forfeited cars, they were forfeited pursuant to orders of the court of law,” Mr Onigbanjo said.
FG impose 50 different taxes on businesses
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has raised the alarm over 50 different taxes, levies and fees imposed on organised businesses by local, state and Federal governments - The Guardian NG
NECA also revealed that, currently, at the National Assembly, there are over five Bills also targeted at taxing businesses
This is in addition to other general levies such as:
The National Information Technology Development Levy (NITDA Levy)
Education Tax (or Tertiary Education Tax)
National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)
Company Income Tax (CIT)
Television and Radio License Fee
Local Content Levy
Stamp duty
The Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, lamented that the action would reduce the competitiveness of the industries and increase the cost of doing business, potentially compromising sustainability.
He also said the government should do all that is necessary to protect businesses and reduce the increasing unemployment rate.
FG to adjust minimum wage
The FG says it will adjust workers’ salaries to meet the current realities in the economy of the country - Vanguard
Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment said that the FG knows that the N30,000 National Minimum Wage had depreciated and confirmed that ‘an adjustment of wages’ was being considered.
The minister also explained that the Federal Government did not take ASUU to court over the prolonged strike of the union as some people claimed
Ngige said he would have failed in his duties if he did not refer the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) after seven months of failed negotiations
He noted the importance of counselling on negotiation
Insecurity
This week in terrorism, Nigerian troops allegedly kill more terrorists
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that troops in the frontline have defeated and killed over 38 ISWAP terrorists in Sambisa Forest in the past two weeks in Borno State - Guardian NG
The DHQ said that troops conducted ‘several kinetic and non-kinetic operations’ yielding significant results
The troops also killed seven Boko Haram terrorists in Kayamla Village, Borno State
The Guardian NG reports that the insurgents were neutralised on Tuesday in an ambush of 73 battalions in collaboration with the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kayamla.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, while briefing Defence Correspondents, said that troops of Operation Hadin Kai had sustained aggressive operations to deny terrorists further freedom of action
The senate considers state police
The Senate spokesperson, Dr Ajibola Basiru, says current security realities in the country have made consideration of state police inevitable.
The Northern Governors Forum, NGF, have called for the immediate establishment of a State Police to address the continued insecurity challenges in the country with kidnapping, mass killing and wanton destruction of property.
Meanwhile, the Senator said previously turning down the bill does not necessarily mean it has died, but insecurity across the country has become a necessity to look at the issue again
Crime and other powers
Customs intercept 319 sacks, 1500 jerrycans of petrol products
The Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday intercepted 319 sacks and 1,500 jerricans of petroleum products along the Badagry and Seme border - The Sun
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SC Hussaini Abdullahi on behalf of the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Bello Mohammed Jibo revealed in a statement that the duty paid value (DPV) of the seized products is over N19.785 million
According to him, the arrest of the petroleum products were made in the early hours of Thursday, September 22. Abdullahi said they found around 75,000 litres of stolen petroleum
However, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Jibo warned the perpetrators of these illegal activities to stay off Seme Border routes or continue to count heavy losses as his men were determined to frustrate them out of the area
Appeal Court backs EFCC on PND of State govts’ accounts for investigations
The Federal Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, has overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court, Makurdi holding EFCC from placing the account of the Benue state government on Post No Deposit( PND) for the purpose of investigations without a court order - Vanguard
The decision was unanimous and delivered by Justice M.S. Hassan on Thursday.
The court ruled that the EFCC has the power to place any account (state governments’ accounts inclusive) on PND for 72hours without a court order
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, delivered a judgment holding the EFCC from placing a PND on account of Benue State government on Tuesday, February 2, 2019. Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Commission approached the Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal also dissolved the N50million damages awarded against the EFCC by the lower court
Weather Woes
Flood displaces Nigerians as Cameroon opens dams
The operators of Lagdo Dam, in the Republic of Cameroon, have opened up the dam for the release of excess water on September 13, 2022.
The rainfall along with the opening of the dam has caused over 100,000 Nigerians to be displaced and at least 300 deaths in the past few months.
The released water cascades down into Nigeria through River Benue and its tributaries, “thereby overwhelming communities that have already been impacted by heavy rainfall”, said Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed.
The released water complicates the situation further downstream, as Nigeria’s inland reservoirs, Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro, are also expected to overflow between now and October ending.
Because of this, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) called on state governments to relocate communities prone to heavy floods due to the rain and waters from Rivers Niger and Benue.
Ahmed, issued the notice in Abuja at a meeting to review the situation and announce further action by emergency responders.
In Other News
Owerri—lead Counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor said that the detained leader of IPoB, Nnamdi Kanu’s health condition has continued to deteriorate in the detention facility of the Directorate of State Services, DSS - Vanguard
The Edo State Police Command has killed one suspected kidnapper and rescued two victims, Samson Osegbowa, and Stanley Peters, who were abducted while working on their farmland in Ago-Orio community, Edo - The Punch
Nigeria’s three major seaports, Apapa, Tin-Can Island, and Onne, are at risk of congestion as the number of overtime containers occupying a chunk of the space meant for imported goods has increased to over 6,000 - Business Day
Local airlines lose over 20 aircraft to 93 bird strikes in six months - The GuardianNG.
FG restates target of 7,000 megawatts by 2024 - The GuardianNG
The acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, was screened and confirmed by the Senate as the substantive head of the Judiciary arm of government by the Senate - This Day
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has ordered the immediate ban of the use of Amotekun, the Eastern security network, and other states sponsored security outfits during the electioneering campaigns billed to kick off nationwide next week - The Tribune
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd(NNPC) has opened talks with the United States Finance Corporation and Exim Bank to seek financing for a $410bn gas project - The Sun
Interesting things on the internet
This episode of NPR’s podcast Invisibilia. The episode description reads: “When a comic and a dominatrix go head to head, we find out the surprising forms power can take and what it takes to treat a power allergy”. - Invisibilia
Mike* shares with me what it was like depending financially on a parent with a tendency to withhold money - Breach.