News
Reps Pass N30,000 As New Minimum Wage …Dogara, Reps Decamp To PDP
The House of Representatives, yesterday, approved N30,000 as new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
The approval followed the consideration of the report of the new minimum wage committee at yesterday’s plenary.
The House also approved a clause that would make the new bill operational on the date it would be assented to by the president.
It would be recalled that a public hearing was conducted on the new bill last Monday, consequent upon the accelerated hearing accorded to the Bill by the House.
By this development, the House has countered the National Council of State (NCS), which had earlier at an emergency meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, approved N27,000.
Similarly, the 2019 Appropriation Bill, otherwise called 2019 budget, yesterday, scaled through second reading at the House of the Representatives.
The bill has also been committed to the Appropriation Committee of the House for proper scrutiny.
The House commenced debate on the general principle of the Bill, last week, when it dictated some discrepancies in the proposals of some ministries which included Budget and National Planning, Education, Finance and the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF.
The development now entails that Appropriation Committee and all the standing committees of the House would in earnest begin work on the document by inviting the relevant Ministries, Departments and Departments (MDAs) of government to defend their financial estimates for 2019 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, yesterday, adjourned its plenary session until Feb. 19.
The adjournment was sequel to a motion moved by the Deputy House Leader, Rep. Idriss Wase (APC-Plateau), at the plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, in Abuja.
It would be recalled that the lawmakers on January 16 resumed for the 2019 legislative duty after the Christmas and New Year break.
Moving the motion, Wase, who represents Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau, said that the adjournment became imperative because of preparations toward the forthcoming general elections.
He said that the postponement of plenary sittings would allow members vying for one position or the other to focus on electioneering and other political activities of their political parties.
The Speaker, therefore, put the motion to vote and it was unanimously supported by the members.
Earlier at the plenary, Yakubu Dogara, Reps Ahmed Yerima and Edward Pwajok formally announced their defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While Pwajok represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency of Plateau in the House, Yerima represents Missau/Dambam Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.
The legislators announced their resignations from APC in separate letters to the House of Representatives, which were read on the floor of the House by the speaker.
Dogara, who represents Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, said that they resigned their membership of the APC due to irreconcilable differences.
The legislators said that they defected to the PDP after due consultations with their constituents.
It would be recalled that a gale of defections has continued to affect the lower chamber in the aftermath of the party primaries, in which several members failed to secure their parties’ tickets for the 2019 elections.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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