News

Minimum Wage: Implementation ’ll Commence Soon -Buhari …As Labour Blasts FG Over Debt Profile

Published

7 years ago

June 28, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday assured Nigerian workers that implementation of the new minimum wage of N30, 000 will commence soon.
President Buhari has also asked state governments and employers in the private sector to work towards providing a living wage for their workers.
Speaking at the 11th Triennial Delegates Conference of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria, the President who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha enthused that the nation’s economy was expected to grow by 2.7 percent in 2019 as a result of several reforms embarked upon by the government.
President Buhari urged state government and the private sector to implement the minimum wage as a way of encouraging workers to contribute to the development of the country, adding that his government will continue to pay particular attention to the welfare of workers.
Stressing that giant efforts had been made in building solid foundation for the country since he took in 2015, he said, “these efforts have begun to yield results. The Economy is making a steady progress and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 percent this year. Our external reserve has risen to $45 billion and can finance a number of our foreign commitments.
“With the steps taken to integrate rural economies to the national grid, provide credits and inputs to rural farmers and micro-businesses as well as providing the enabling environment for business in Nigeria, our people will be liberated from the shackles of poverty.
“We will try to create 10 million jobs yearly to continue to boost our economy and make life better for our people.
“Our government will continue to improve on our New Development Plans and initiatives. We will concentrate on Agriculture, Education, Power and other infrastructure, manufacturing and social intervention schemes. We will promote good governance and fight corruption to a stand still.
“This government will continue to build institutions and machineries to fight corruption. If we don’t kill corruption now, we will not have a country to handover to our unborn generation. Hence the need for everyone to be involved in this fight to finish.
“My administration believes in the welfare of workers and that is why we have signed the Minimum Wage bill into law and implementation is underway. l employ both the state governments and the private sector to give their workers a decent living wage to encourage workers to contribute more to our economy.
“The Federal Government acknowledges the collaborative support it has received from the Labour Union, especially the TUC, since the inception of this administration. Members of this Union participated actively in developing the drafting of the various policy documents that have led to the development of roadmaps in the country.
“Members of the Union are also involved in several aspects of the implementation of the road maps. It is the belief of government that the synergy and collaboration will be strengthened as we move forward.
“The Executive arm of government is committed to having a smooth and good working relationship with the Labour Unions in Nigeria as we go higher.”
He expressed concern over the level of insecurity in the country, but assured that the government was working hard to defeat all acts of insecurity in the country including terrorism, kidnapping as well as farmer/herders clashes.
The President who stated that the security challenges in the country was not insurmountable, assured that his government remained committed to making Nigeria a better place and is “mapping out policies, measures and laws to maintain our unity and at the same time lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and on the road to prosperity.
“The security challenges we are currently facing are not unsurmountable. I can report that we are meeting these challenges with much greater support to the security forces in terms of funding equipment and improved local intellegence.
“We are meeting these challenges with superior strategy, firepower and resolve. I can assure you that we will win the war against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and farmers-headers clashes.”
In his address, President of the TUC, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama said the story of Nigeria has degenerated to the level of anarchy and absurdity as hardly a day passes without new killings through assassination, kidnapping, and suicide bombing.
Kaigama said the level of insecurity appeared to have overwhelmed the nation’s security forces, adding that “nowhere is safe now including the home state of the President and the Minister of Defence.”
The TUC boss called on leaders in the country to do the needful, stressing that their primary responsibility was to protect lives and secure property of the citizens.
He lamented that the Nigerian economy was in dire strait, adding, “regrettably, those who should manage it are not showing promising signs on how to fix it. Nigeria’s debt profile is over N24.3 trillion. It was reported recently that government wants to borrow more.
“Borrowing in itself is not a bad thing, the issue is what do you borrow for? Countries borrow for capital projects and not to pay salaries. If we cannot bequeath to our children why burden them with crazy debt? It is irresponsible of any parent to do such.
“Comrades, why can’t we know the number of barrels of crude we refine? Is it a rocket science to publish how much we make from oil, why should individuals mine our solid minerals in Zamfara, Plateau etc? With what the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, NIPOST, NNPC, NIMASA, NAPIMS and the monies recovered by EFCC and ICPC, Nigeria should not be borrowing.”
On unemployment, he said,” Comrades, the danger posed by unemployment and poverty to our peaceful existence and development is glaring by everyone to see.”
Kaigama also expressed concern over the level of corruption in the country, pointing out that perpetrators of corruption were divising new tactics daily to evade being caught while cronyism, ethnicity and religion has deflated efforts to redeem the country.
He said, “The history of corruption in our country is absurd. The more you fight, the more perpetrators device new means. They can divert anything but cannot ‘divert’ the country out of poverty.
“Cronyism, ethnicity and religion most times deflate the effort to redeem the country. There is no sincerity of purpose in the struggles. The best form of governance would abhor corruption same way a corrupt administration would not be interested in promoting good governance. “
He asked government to improve on the nation’s operating environment to ensure the smooth running of the economy, pointing out that the manufacturing sector has not made any significant progress in the first quarters of 2019.
He maintained that further decline in the components that makes economies viable can lead to further job losses and increase poverty in the country, adding that the country cannot continue to watch politicians midwife the nation’s national development planning into extinction.
According to him, “How can we talk about development when national budgets are passed in the middle of the year? It will definitely have a consequential effect on the national economy and investors’ interest. If we cannot follow laudable policies, then we cannot be said to have begun our pursuit for a better society. The delegates’ conference is expected to produce a new leadership for the congress.
Meanwhile, Bobboi Kaigama, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has expressed worry over the increasing rate of inflation and the country’s debt profile.
At the opening of its Triennial National Delegates Conference in Abuja, Kaigama said it was a matter for regret that little efforts were being made to solve the issue.
According to him, with the country’s current debt profile still at N24.3 trillion, efforts must be geared towards ending borrowing and looking inwards for self-sufficiency.
“Our economy is in dire strait, regrettably, those who should manage it are not showing promising signs on how to fix it. Nigeria’s debt profile is over N24.3 trillion, it was reported recently that government wants to borrow more.
“Borrowing in itself is not a bad thing; the issue is what do you borrow for. Countries borrow for capital projects, and not to pay salaries if we cannot bequeath wealth to our children, why burden them with debts.’’
Kaigama said with the rate of inflation standing between 11.28 and 11.44 per cent for goods and services, there was an adverse effect on purchasing power for citizens, calling on the CBN and the federal government to ensure smooth running of the economy.
He also decried the secrecy surrounding crude oil refinery in the country, noting that adequate information should be available to Nigerians on both the internally and externally generated earnings.
He said with revenues generated from the Federal Inland Revenue service, NIPOST, NNPC, NIMASA, and those recovered by the EFCC and the ICPC, the country has no business borrowing.
The Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, while commending the TUC and its affiliates at promoting the rights of workers, urged them to continue in unity and solidarity.
Mohammed, who delivered a lecture with the theme, “Labour and Nation Building, The Place of Labour in National Politics’’, said the role of the organisedlabour cannot be over flogged with an overall goal to unsettle the ruling class.
According to him, the political and elected leaders in all tiers of government have continued to use the instruments of the state to disempower workers, calling for more political consciousness to promote their rights.
While commending labour unions for playing a monumental role in nation building, the vice chancellor said they must continue to promote industrial justice and fight for the protection of workers’ interest in all tiers of government.
He also called for the involvement of workers in policy formulation and implementation, calling for strengthened collaboration and unity to promote significant roles in checking and influencing government policies and programmes.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Williams Alo, commended the support of the organisedlabour in improving lives of Nigerian workers, expressing hope that the new leadership of the union would strengthen the already existing partnership.
Alo pledged the commitment of the federal government to continue to be a dependable ally towards improving the welfare of workers and other Nigerians.
He said various government social intervention programmes targeted at reducing youth unemployment and eradicating poverty have been implemented by the administration.
NLC President, Dr AyubaWabba, stressed the need to address the global imbalance where more people live below poverty line in spite of the growing global wealth, saying it was more worrisome in Nigeria.
Wabba said the role of unity of purpose cannot be overemphasised in trade unionism, saying it was only through this that workers’ demands are met.
“The rules cannot be changed through wishful thinking, our leaders must be instigated to promote the rights of Nigerian workers.’’

News

SERAP Drags FG To ECOWAS Court Over N78.8bn Cash Transfer

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over alleged diversion, irregular expenditure and failure to account for N78.8bn allocated to cash-transfer and social-protection programmes.

SERAP, in a statement released by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, yesterday, said the allegations involved the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office.

The allegations were documented in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026.

According to the report, the findings covered various periods between January 2023 and December 31, 2024.

In the suit, marked ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26 and filed last week, SERAP is seeking a declaration that the government’s failure to account for the funds violates Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.

The organisation is also asking the court to order the government to provide a comprehensive account of the questioned funds, investigate the alleged irregularities, recover any money improperly spent or diverted where established, and strengthen financial oversight of social-protection programmes.

SERAP argued that the alleged financial irregularities could undermine the rights of vulnerable Nigerians to social security and an adequate standard of living, including access to food, clothing and housing.

The statement party read, “The funds were intended to benefit over 3.2 million households across 35 states, whose access to financial assistance has been affected by the allegations made by the Auditor-General.”

The suit, filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi, stated that the government’s failure to investigate the allegations and recover any improperly spent funds violated its obligations to protect vulnerable households.

“The failure to investigate the N78.8 billion cash-transfer scandal, account for the questioned funds and recover any unlawfully spent amounts violates Nigeria’s obligations to protect the human rights of vulnerable households,” the suit partly read.

The organisation said it instituted the case to protect affected households and ensure accountability for public funds allocated for their benefit.

“SERAP brings this public-interest case to protect the interests of affected households and ensure accountability for public funds allocated for their benefit,” it stated.

The organisation maintained that cash-transfer programmes could help address extreme poverty and enable vulnerable people to meet their basic needs, but argued that the government had a duty to ensure the funds were properly managed.

“The right to social security cannot be effectively realised merely by establishing a formal cash-transfer programme where the State fails to maintain reasonable systems for identifying beneficiaries, maintaining records, reconciling disbursements, monitoring expenditure, investigating irregularities and remedying losses,” the statement further stated.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General questioned approximately N33.751bn reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023, noting that adequate records to verify the payments and reconcile beneficiary records were not provided.

The report also identified N36.744bn in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits, N4.616bn in unsupported expenditures, N350.182m for enrolment, N89.511m for store purchases and N17.422m in diesel advances.

SERAP said the suit was brought under Article 9(4) of the ECOWAS Court Protocol to protect affected households and ensure accountability for public funds intended for social protection.

“The issue is whether the government has discharged its obligations under applicable human-rights treaties to safeguard resources allocated for social protection, investigate documented financial irregularities, provide effective remedies and ensure that those resources are applied for their intended purposes,” it stated.

The organisation also cited the constitutional responsibility of the Auditor-General to audit and report on the public accounts of the Federation and the offices and agencies of the Federal Government, describing the findings in the annual report as important official records of public expenditure.

It relied on Articles 1 and 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arguing that the government had obligations to give effect to protected rights and ensure that failures in administering social-protection programmes did not result in discriminatory exclusion or unequal access to benefits.

“The Nigerian government has the obligation to take effective measures to prevent and address corruption and related misuse of public resources. The government has failed to take appropriate measures in response to the allegations made by the Auditor-General”, the statement added.

SERAP said it had previously urged President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities to account for the questioned funds, publish audit records, investigate irregular expenditures, recover any funds unlawfully spent or diverted and take appropriate action against those responsible.

Following the publication of the Auditor-General’s report, the organisation issued a public statement and sent a letter dated September 5, 2026, requesting action on the findings. It also sought payment and beneficiary records, verification documents and an explanation for the missing REMITA records.

“The deadline given to the government to address the Auditor-General’s findings had elapsed without adequate action,” it stated.

The organisation further cited Articles 1 and 21 of the African Charter, alongside Article 9 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, as requiring effective measures to protect rights and resources, promote transparent public financial management, investigate irregularities and recover public funds where losses or improper expenditure were established.

SERAP also relied on the works of legal scholar Kolawole Olaniyan, including Corruption and Human Rights Law in Africa, published by Hart Publishing in 2014, and Ownership of Proceeds of Corruption in International Law, published by Oxford University Press in 2023. It said the publications provided persuasive academic authority on corruption’s effects on human rights, public resources, accountability and international legal remedies.

“SERAP accordingly submits that the Auditor-General’s findings cannot be treated merely as administrative irregularities where public funds allocated for social protection may have been lost, improperly spent or left unaccounted for, and the government fails to take effective corrective action,” the statement added.

SERAP is asking the court to direct the government to conduct an independent, prompt and effective investigation into the identified irregularities, recover public funds improperly spent, diverted or lost where established, and take appropriate legal or administrative action against those found responsible, in accordance with due process.

It also wants the government to strengthen financial accountability, beneficiary verification, auditing, reconciliation and oversight mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the alleged irregularities and ensure that eligible vulnerable households receive their intended benefits.

The organisation is further seeking an order restraining the government from administering or disbursing cash-transfer and social-protection funds without adequate accountability and oversight mechanisms, as well as appropriate remedies for any established adverse effects on beneficiaries’ protected rights.

No date has, however, been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

News

FG releases N38.93bn to upgrade 166 tertiary institutions

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has released N38.93bn to 166 public tertiary institutions nationwide under the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund to address infrastructure deficits and improve teaching and learning facilities.

The intervention covers 79 universities, 46 polytechnics and 41 colleges of education, with universities receiving the largest share of the allocation.

The Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Media, Efe Ovuakporie, explaining that the funds would support approved projects in beneficiary institutions.

The statement read, “The Federal Government has disbursed N38.93bn to 166 public tertiary institutions nationwide under the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund.”

According to the ministry, the university component accounts for N28.5bn, while N5.8bn has been allocated to polytechnics and N4.7bn to colleges of education.

An analysis of the allocations by PUNCH Online showed that universities would receive approximately 73.2 per cent of the announced N38.93bn intervention, making them the largest beneficiaries.

Polytechnics would account for about 14.9 per cent, while colleges of education would receive approximately 12.1 per cent.

The ministry explained that the intervention was intended to address longstanding infrastructure challenges in public tertiary institutions and support the implementation of agreements reached between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

It stated, “The intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address the needs of public universities and support the implementation of agreed measures under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.”

The Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund is designed to support improvements in institutional infrastructure and other identified needs, particularly in public universities, where inadequate facilities have remained a recurring concern in negotiations between the government and academic unions.

The ministry said the latest disbursement would enable beneficiary institutions to begin new projects or continue previously approved interventions aimed at improving their operational capacity.

“The funds are expected to enable beneficiary institutions to commence or advance approved projects addressing critical infrastructure and other identified institutional needs, with the overall objective of strengthening the quality of tertiary education in Nigeria,” it added.

The government also emphasised the need for coordination among the Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Education and beneficiary institutions to ensure that the released funds produced measurable improvements.

It noted that effective collaboration would be necessary to translate the financial intervention into improved infrastructure, institutional capacity and learning conditions.

News

Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of Federal University Of Agriculture In Rivers

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The bill to approve the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture, Emughan, Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State has passed third reading.

The Bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Federal Universities of Agriculture Act, Cap. F22, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2024” was sponsored by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo representing Rivers West Senatorial District.

The bill seeks to amend the existing Federal Universities of Agriculture Act to provide for the establishment of the proposed institution in Emughan community in Rivers State.

The passage of the bill by the Senate marks a significant legislative milestone towards the establishment of the proposed university.

When established, the institution is expected to expand access to higher education, promote agricultural research and innovation, develop skilled manpower, and contribute to the economic growth of Rivers State and Nigeria at large.

According to a statement made available to The Tide, the bill, having passed the Third Reading in the Senate, will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence as part of the legislative process towards its enactment into law.

The bill underscores Senator Banigo’s commitment to advancing educational opportunities and strengthening agricultural development in Rivers State.

By: Kevin Nengia