Metro

‘Nigeria has witnessed significant progress under Tinubu’— SGF Akume

Published

1 month ago

May 23, 2024

Nigeria’s Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has given thumbs up to the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying the country has witnessed tremendous progress in just one year of the government.

Akume, who was speaking at the ‘Ministerial Sectoral Updates’ in Abuja on Wednesday, said despite the hardships being experienced as a result of the policies of the government, the administration had also rolled out social intervention programmes to mitigate the suffering of the people.

“I make bold to say that, Nigeria, under its present stewardship, has witnessed significant policy strides in various sectors including but not limited to,” Akume said as the Tinubu administration heads to its first year in office.

Listing some of the achievements of the government, the SGF noted in particular the following:

“i. The Presidential accent to the 2023 Electricity Bill, a move that dismantled monopolistic control over electricity generation, transmission and distribution at the national level and granted authority to State Governments, Corporations and individuals to generate, distribute and transmit electricity, thus decentralizing the power sector;

ii. Accent to the passage into law of the Nigeria Data Protection Bill 2023 that established a legal framework for safeguarding personal information and promoting data protection practices in Nigeria; and

iii. The challenging but very necessary Removal of Fuel Subsidy, a longstanding policy notorious for fostering corruption, and inefficiency and imposing significant fiscal strain on the government annually, and primarily benefitting the affluent and smugglers, rather than effectively aiding the general populace.

It is apt to say that under President Tinubu’s stewardship within his first year in office, we have witnessed significant strides in various sectors of our economy.

Through prudent fiscal policies and strategic investments, the Nigerian economy has shown resilience and potential for growth.

The administration’s focus on infrastructure development, job creation and economic diversification has laid the foundation for sustainable progress and prosperity for all Nigerians.

Furthermore, the government’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law has strengthened our democratic institutions and enhanced transparency and accountability in governance,” Akume said.

However, his optimism is not shared by a majority of Nigerians, especially the masses who have been at the receiving end of the stick.

The ordinary Nigerians do not seem to enjoy the present administration of President Tinubu due to the hardship and hunger they have been made to go through due to the policies of the government.

Cost of living has skyrocketed and the prices of basic commodities have gone out of the reach of the masses while government officials are living large at their expense.

A labour leader who lamented the current situation in the country on Wednesday summed it up with these words:

“Government cannot be telling us that there is no money; this is an insult. We did not remove subsidies or float the national currency.

“The government created this problem. Since the removal of the petrol subsidy and floating of the naira, has the government shown proof that the country has no money, no?

“We are aware that the government gave members of the National Assembly no less than N160 million each to buy cars, the same government has released N90 billion to subsidise hajj operations.

‘’The government has renovated the Senate chambers, and the vice president’s office, and it is buying luxury buses for Customs in millions of naira.

‘’They are also buying all manner of SUVs for government officers. Since the removal of subsidies, the government has been making life better for political elites who have been feeding fat on workers.

“Crude oil sales have increased considerably and it has been getting more money in dollars, while workers have been suffering and going deeper into poverty.

“The state governors have been receiving three times more than they were receiving before the removal of subsidy. We cannot accept this. We did not cause the socio-economic challenges the country is facing.

“The government inflicted these problems on the country with their ill-thought out and unprogressive policies of subsidy removal and devaluation of the national currency. If the country has no money, let it reflect in the lives of government officials, their aides and cronies.”

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Metro

Minimum Wage: Labour warns Tinubu against transmitting bill without negotiation

Published

3 hours ago

June 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Organised Labour in Nigeria has warned President Bola Tinubu against transmitting a proposed minimum wage bill to the National Assembly without further negotiations and reaching a satisfactory deal with its leadership.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been locked in a battle with the federal government on its demand for an increase in the minimum wage of Nigerian workers.

While the two parties have not arrived at an agreement, there have been rumours that Tinubu will soon transmit the bill to the National Assembly, but labour has urged the President to consider consulting and reaching an agreement with its leadership before transmitting the proposed bill.

In his Democracy Day broadcast, the President had announced that a consensus had been reached between the Federal Government and Labour on the new minimum wage, a claim both the NLC and TUC promptly debunked.

Tinubu had also stated that an executive bill would soon be sent to the National Assembly to formalise the agreement, emphasising his administration’s preference for a democratic approach over dictatorship in dealing with labour matters.

While speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, a top executive of the NLC who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the labour leaders were disappointed with the government over its delay tactics in handling the wage crisis.

“As things stand, we cannot really do anything until we are aware of what they are trying to do.

“The delay in sending the bill to the National Assembly is even the reason we have yet to call for our NEC meeting.

“The President is supposed to decide on the impasse and then forward the bill to them. They need to come up with an official statement before we can decide on what to tell our people.

“If President Tinubu singlehandedly takes a decision, you know it can’t be the same as the decision of the National Assembly.

“He needs to send the bill so the lawmakers can amend whatever he is sending and call for a public hearing. So we are waiting for him to make his move.

“But if he is wise as we believe, he will not make that move without consulting us directly before even sending the bill.

“If he sends the minimum wage bill based on the position of his government, it means he has taken sides. The wiser thing is for him to intervene since there is a stalemate with the people he sent to negotiate with us.

“But again, we know the Presidency has no idea of what to do and they don’t consult. You only need to sit with some of these people in government to know they are empty. That is the situation at the moment.”

Metro

‘Ghost workers who relocate abroad and still draw salaries must be punished’— Tinubu

Published

1 day ago

June 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered Nigerian civil servants who relocated abroad but are still drawing salaries without formally resigning to refund the accumulated sums they have received during the period or face severe sanctions.

Tinubu, who gave the directive during the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night held at the Continental Hotel in Abuja on Saturday, also directed that supervisors and department heads of the culprits must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.

Tinubu’s orders came following a recent revelation by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, that there were goverment employees who had relocated abroad but were still drawing salaries without formally resigning.

The President who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, stated that he was dismayed over the attitude of the “foreign based” ghost workers.

“During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week’s activities,” Tinubu said.

“I was particularly struck by the revelations the Head of the Civil Service shared regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning.

“It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.

“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.
Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch,” Tinubu said.

He warned that the Civil Service cannot just be a workplace where ‘anything is possible and where workers violate rules without the fear of punishment or repercussions.

Tinubu reiterated that the government would take appropriate measures to ensure they were punished and the money refunded to the government treasury.

“The civil service of any nation is too important for such misconduct to take root or be tolerated.

“The Civil Service is the bedrock, the engine, the locomotive of government, which is necessary for the government to deliver public goods to citizens. As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide,” he noted.