By Philomina Attah

The Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, has urged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

Ndukuba, who made the call at a news conference in Abuja on hardship and insecurity in the country, said that the problems in Nigeria would take 10 to 20 years to be fixed.

“I want to appeal to Nigerians to exercise patience by giving this government more time to do what they said they will do.

“With the problem that we have, it’s not something that can be solved within a day, one month or one year.

“The magnitude of our problems will take us another 10 to 20 years for us to deal with them,” he said.

On insecurity, the cleric decried the constant attacks in some parts of the country and called on the government for urgent intervention to protect lives of citizens.

“I call on the government and statutory security agencies to rise to their responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of the citizenry, giving heed to the call for effective community policing.”

He equally appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to shun the planned nationwide strike.

“I want to appeal to the leadership of NLC to go into negotiation rather than going on strike. Let them go back to the round-table.

“We are pleading with the government to do the needful by engaging with the leadership of the NLC to resolve the issues amicably.

“People are hungry, and a hungry man is an angry man. We can’t tell them not to express themselves.

“Nigerians are not asking for too much. They are asking for food, security, infrastructure such as roads, and a constant power supply for them to live and do their economic activities.”

Ndukuba emphasised the need for Nigerians to engage in subsistence farming by using the available land within their premises for farming.

This, according to him will reduce hunger and suffering affecting the citizens.

“Nigerians are hardworking and can labour to feed their families if encouraged.

“There is a need for us to encourage Nigerians to go back to farm on any available land around their houses to get basic food.

“The wealth of this country has been captured and hijacked by the few elites. In a situation where few are richer than the whole nation, the wealth is not properly distributed.

“It’s very dangerous. We need to see what can be done to salvage this nation together,” he added

He urged Christians to pray for peace of the country, stressing that religion should be part of the solution to the societal problems and not the cause of its problems.

“We are trusting God that this challenges will be resolved in a no distant time.”(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Philip Yatai

Dr Abbas Idriss, on Wednesday, officially bowed out of the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as its pioneer Director-General (DG), after serving  the agency for 10 years.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Idriss was appointed as the pioneer DG of the agency in 2013 and served for 10 years until his retirement in September 2023.

Idriss described his experience as very fulfilling while speaking  at a send-off ceremony organised in his honour by the leadership of the agency in Abuja.

He, however, said that much needed to be done to position the agency in its rightful position to make the desired impact.

He emphasised training and retraining as crucial to achieving the mandate of the agency, adding that any untrained brain would not generate fresh ideas.

He commended all FEMA stakeholders, whose partnership ,he said, had  been crucial to driving the successes recorded in the last 10 years.

The former FEMA boss expressed regret that the  bill establishing  FEMA had not been assented to, saying it was affecting the strength and growth potential of the agency.

“It is my hope that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike would look into the issue and facilitate the signing of the FEMA bill to strengthen the operational efficiency of the Agency.

“In furtherance of the agency’s success, the management must prioritise the issue of staff training in relevant courses capable of improving the operational efficiency of all departments.

“Great attention must also be given to staff welfare to keep their morale high,” he said.

The acting DG, Mr Mohammed Sabo, said that Idriss and his team nurtured the agency to the enviable heights attained presently.

Sabo said that over the years, Idriss’ unwavering commitment, visionary leadership and tireless dedication had played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of emergency management within the territory.

According to him, Idriss’ tenure was marked by integrity, professionalism, and steadfast dedication to the principle of public service.

On her part, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FEMA, described Idriss as a workaholic, a mentor, and a seasoned professional with passion.

According to her, the pioneer DG laid the very foundation upon which FEMA was built and positioned it on the path of progress.

Also, Mr Adesola Olusade, the immediate past Permanent Secretary, FCTA, said that Idriss’ due diligence and hard work had strengthened local response to emergency situations.

According to him, the success of the pioneer DG will be measured by the number of disasters that were avoided in the FCT under his stewardship.

On his part, Mr Soji Adeniyi, the Convener, African Network for Disaster Risk Reduction, expressed excitement that Idriss was leaving the agency very strong.

“This is someone who genuinely believes in the need for us to have an agency for disaster management and from scratch he has been able to build it to the level it is today.

“I recalled that the very first training I facilitated for them, they were less than 10 staff and the last training I facilitated for them before he left office, they were over 48 staff.

“That is to tell you the trajectory of the growth that they went through over the years, but he still has a lot to give for the benefit of the staff,” he said.

NAN reports that the pioneer DG was honoured with a Pioneer DG Award and an Exemplary Leadership Award by the staff of the agency. (NAN)

Edited by Buhari Bolaji

By Philip Yatai

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disbursed N4.82 billion to the six area councils of the FCT, teachers and pension scheme as statutory allocation for December 2023.

The Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, disclosed this on Wednesday while presiding over the 185th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting in Abuja.

According to the minister, the amount represents a slight increase when compared to N4.73 billion shared in November of the same year.

“A breakdown for the amount shows that N2.36 billion was disbursed to the six area councils, while N2.45 billion was disbursed to other stakeholders.

“Of the N2.36 billion distributed to the area councils, Abuja Municipal Area Council got N549.98 million, Gwagwalada got N371.09 million while Kuje received N402.34 million.

“Also, Bwari Area Council received N364.67 million, Abaji N313.34 million, while Kwali got N362.73 million.

“For teachers and pension scheme, primary school teachers got N2.07 billion, N226.48 earmarked as 15 per cent pension funds, N107.85 million as 10 per cent employer pension contribution, while N48.16 million was earmarked as 1 per cent training fund.”

The minister commended the synergy between the Satellite Towns Development Department and the area councils, particularly in waste collections and management. (NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

By Gabriel Agbeja

The Federal Government, has inaugurated the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Service Charter and Grievance Redress Mechanism.

At the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Maritime and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the service charter would enhance efficiency, transparency and customer-focussed maritime sector.

Oyetola, who was represented by Mr Babatunde Bombata, the Director of Maritime Safety and Security in the ministry, said the document symbolised a renewed commitment to service excellence, responsiveness, and continuous improvement within NIMASA.

He added that the Charter will facilitate  NIMASA’s dedication in providing world-class services to their stakeholders and foster an environment that encourages sustainable growth in the blue economy.

According to the Minister, the charter will also enhance productivity, and promote national growth.

The Minister underscored the importance of  technology and modernisation in the maritime industry in order to adapt to the rapidly evolving global landscape.

On his part, NIMASA Director-General, Dr Bashir Jamoh,  said the document reflected the agency`s dedication to elevating the standards of service delivery, embracing innovation, and fostering a culture of excellence.

“ I am honoured to lead an organisation that is committed to redefining the way we deliver services to our stakeholders.

“The launch signifies a paradigm shift in our approach to fulfilling our mandate.

“It is a significant step towards achieving the goal of providing world-class services that meet the needs of our stakeholders that have high expectations of us, “ he said.

In a paper presentation, Mrs Nnenna Akahemeli, the National Coordinator, SERVICOM Office, Presidency, said that with the increasing demand for efficient and effective service delivery, NIMASA had taken a bold step towards automation.

“The automation of NIMASA represents a watershed moment in our quest to enhance service delivery and uphold our service charter”

Akahemeli noted that the charter would facilitate effective delivery of the agency’s mandates of  regulating and promoting the maritime sector in Nigeria, ensuring safety, security, and efficiency in the waters.(NAN)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Joan Nwagwu

Civil servants have urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to be sensitive to workers’ plights.

The workers, through their umbrella bodies, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

The workers, while speaking on the delay in the payment of their salaries, wage award and other emoluments, urged the Federal Government to show more concerns to the workers’ welfare.

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), specifically expressed discontent over the delays in payment of monthly salaries to civil servants.

Mr Tommy-Etim Okon, President of ASCSN, said that government should be prompt in payment of salaries and emoluments of workers.

He claimed that since President Tinubu assumed office, the payments of monthly salaries and emoluments of workers had not been done on time.

According to him, the situation is affecting productivity and well being.

He stressed the need for the government to be sensitive to the plights of the workers considering the economic hardship in the country.

“Everyday the cost of living is skyrocketing, how will workers pay for their transportation to the office? How will the economy and other industries survive, if there is no exchange of money.

“Today is the 7th of February, but some workers are yet to receive their salaries,” he said.

Okon added that even the monthly wage award promised to federal government workers to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal was not paid as at when due.

“When we brokered and arrived at N35,000 wage award, government promised to pay for six months before the implementation of the new national minimum wage.

“But as I speak, government has paid for the months of September and October 2023 ; this means that November, December, 2023 and January 2024 are still outstanding.”

Okon called on President Tinubu to be sensitive to workers’ plights and the masses in general, by expediting action on economic policies beneficial to their well being.

Similarly, Mr Olorunsuyi Ademola, the Branch Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Mathematical Centre, said the government should show concern to workers on the high cost of living in the country.

Ademola said the present administration should be sensitive to the plight of workers considering the effects of removal of fuel subsidy and the high exchange rate of naira to dollar, among others.

“The economic policies, though desirable, have negatively impacted the standard of living of Nigerian worker.

“It is unimaginable that with the sufferings brought about by these policies, the salary and emoluments of Nigerian worker’s are being delayed beyond expectations,” he said

Ademola said that the 25 per cent salary increase approved by the government for the university sector that was supposed to take effect from January 2023 was yet to be implemented.

He added that the withheld salary of the university workers that the government promised to release was also yet to be paid.

Also, Mr Eric Haruna expressed disappointment over the activities of the present administration in the area of prompt response to salary payment since its inception.

Haruna added that the delay had negative effects on workers’ productivity.

“You will agree with me that there has been an irregular payment of workers’ salaries in recent times.

“The delay in payment has posed difficult situations to not only workers alone but other Nigerians, market women/men in particular, who make reasonable sales whenever workers receive their salaries,” he said.

According to him, the civil servants are the engine room of any government and anything that goes wrong in the system will have spiral adverse effects on the administration.

“Since this government came on board, it has never paid salary as and when due.

“It will always cross to the following month before payments are made and this is affecting the entire system negatively,” he said.

Mrs Grace Ezekiel, another civil servant, said she has been in great pain as she has not been able to pay her children’s school fees and other unavoidable bills.

She said the present administration has not been fair to workers’ plight, considering the delay in payment of salaries and wage award to workers.

“You can see the continued rise in the prices of goods and services in the market. Inflation is high, coming to work has not been so easy for workers,” she said.

Another civil servant, Ibrahim Alli who spoke specifically on the February salary
said, the situation is no longer acceptable for the government to keep delaying salaries without explanation.

“We are aware that the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N1.1 trillion amongst the three tiers of government, so why the delay?’’ he queried.

Also, Mrs Hauwa Sule condemned the idea of delaying the monthly salaries of some government workers while others will be paid.

Responding to the accusation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) said that many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government have received their salaries.

Mr Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press, OAGF, said the delay in payment of salaries of some MDAs is due to discrepancies in their 2024 budgets.

Mokwa, however, assured that most of the discrepancies had been reconciled and the outstanding salaries should start dropping,” he said.

NAN reports that the FAAC shared N1.13 trillion among the three tiers of government as revenue generated in December 2023.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its January meeting, the Committee said the total figure shared represented an increase of N40 billion or 3.67 per cent compared to the N1.09 trillion shared for November 2023.(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi