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Reps Call For State Of Emergency On Unemployment

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L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari, during a meeting of the President with APC members of the House of Representatives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari, during a meeting of the President with APC members of the House of Representatives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.

The House of Repre
sentatives has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the labour sector to tackle growing unemployment in the country.
The call followed a motion entitled “Urgent Need to Check the High Rate of Unemployment in the Country” which was moved by Rep. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers-PDP) at plenary in Abuja on Wednesday.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members.
The House resolved that its Committee of Labour and Productivity, when constituted, would request for the review of Federal Government’s blueprint on generation of three million jobs per annum.
While stressing on the prevalent rate of unemployment in the country, Chinda said that the problem affected all age brackets.
He, however, said that the youth were most affected by the situation.
“The National Bureau of Statistics in 2011, estimated the number of unemployed persons in Nigeria to be around 24 per cent of the population, and the figure is likely to increase to around 70 per cent by the end of 2015.
“Given the large number of graduates that are churned out yearly from the universities, polytechnics, Colleges of Education, and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad, the unemployment rate is increasing rapidly.
‘’It can explode by year 2020 if pragmatic steps are not taken to check it,” he said.
The lawmaker said that though the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was established to tackle unemployment, it had been largely ineffective and unable to fulfil its core objective.
“The prevailing unemployment situation in the country, if left unchecked, will clearly have adverse consequences in the society and will also lead to increase in crime and other anti-social behaviour,” he added.
He pointed out that the country would be at a high risk of unrest and vices which could lead to breakdown of law and order if unemployment was not tackled.
Chinda commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his determination to provide at least three million jobs per annum, and the commitment of the 8th National Assembly to tackle unemployment through legislation.
The house also urged the government to urgently convoke a national summit on unemployment.

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Reps Urge FG To Pay ASUU, NASU’s Withheld Salaries

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The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to pay the withheld salaries of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU).
This followed the adoption of a Motion of Urgent Public Importance by Rep. Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa) during plenary on Wednesday.
Presenting the motion, Fulata said that the government must accede to the unions’ demands because they were genuine.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the President to direct the relevant bodies to come up with modalities for negotiation with both ASUU and NASU.
The House said this would enable them to come up with workable, implementable and final agreement to be signed by both parties.
The House urged the president to direct the Ministry of Finance, to ensure full implementation.
The House mandated its Committees on University Education, Polytechnic Education, Federal Colleges of Education, Labour and Productivity, Finance, Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.

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Bill To Prescribe Salaries, Allowances Of Judicial Officers Pass 2nd Reading

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The bill seeking to prescribe salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits of Judicial office holders in Nigeria has passed second reading at the Senate.
This followed the presentation of the general principles of the bill by the sponsor, Sen. Lola Ashiru (APC-Kwara) at plenary on Thursday.
Presenting the bill, Ashiru said the bill, an executive bill, was forwarded to the two Chambers of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, in accordance with provisions of Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
He said the bill, in a nutshell, seeks to prescribe salaries, allowances and fringe benefits for judicial officers in order to nip in the bud, the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration.
This, he said was to reflect the contemporary socio-economic realities of the time.
Ashiru said the bill intends to unify the salary structure, allowances and fringe benefits of judicial officers holders both in the Federal and at the State levels.
“This proposed legal framework, undoubtedly, will bring about significant improvement in the welfare, capacity and independence of the Judiciary, which have been contentious issues of public discourse over the years.”
He said that the intent of the bill was in conformity with the current administration’s resolve to strengthen the country’s Judiciary and the criminal justice system .
This, he said was to ensure its independence in the performance of its constitutional role, as the arbiter of the temple of justice.
He urged the senators to support the expeditious passage of the bill in view of its importance to the socio-economic and political development of this country.
Sen. Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno), who seconded the motion said it was necessary to ensure adequate remuneration of Judicial officers was in line with the current economic reality.
He said that there was the need to provide an adequate remuneration that would prevent judicial officials from being tempted for corruption.
Sen. Orji Kalu (APC- Abia ) commended the executive for presenting the bill to prescribe a remuneration for the judicial arm of government, saying that no right thinking Nigerian would want to oppose it.
He urged the officials to ensure that justice is dispensed rightly to Nigerians.
He also urged the government to improve remuneration of other sectors given the economic reality.
Deputy President of Senate, Barau Jubrin (APC-Kano) said the President has done creditably well by presenting the bill for remuneration of the judicial officials.
He said the judicial officials had suffered in silence for as they were not disposed to speaking up on the issues, just like the labour unions.
He said it was cheery and commendable for President Tinubu to have brought the bill, which was designed to enhance the salary and welfare of the judicial officials.
President of Senate, Godswill Akpiabio said presentation of the bill was a right step in the right direction by President Tinubu.
Akpabio, referred the bill to the committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative inputs and to return back to plenary in four weeks, after the bill was read for the second time.

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Court To Hear Suit Against Ganduje’s Suspension, May 28

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Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano, has fixed May 28 for hearing in the substantive application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Dr Ganduje is challenging his suspension from the party by factional ward executives led by one Basiru Nuhu Isa.
He was first suspended by APC Ganduje Ward executives led by one Haladu Gwanjo on April 15. Another faction emerged and also announced suspension of Dr Ganduje on April 20.
The Tide source reports that the secretary of the party in Kano, Zakari Sarina, said the suspension by the faction was another case of impersonation.
Dr Ganduje is seeking a declaration that his suspension from the party without giving him opportunity to defend himself amounts to violation of his fundamental right to fair hearing.
He is also seeking a declaration that his suspension by the faction was unlawful, null and void.
Counsel for the embattled APC chairman, Hadiza Ahmad, applied for service on the respondents by substituted means which the court granted.
Justice Liman adjourned to May 28 for hearing in the matter.

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