Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 11th June, 2024

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 11th June 2024

1. Tinubu Appoints New Leadership For PSC And Nigeria Police Trust Fund

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd) as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement to newsmen on Monday evening.

The President has also approved the appointment of Chief Onyemuche Nnamani as Secretary and DIG Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd) as Member of the Commission.

The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Other members of the Police Service Commission will be appointed in due course.

Furthermore, the President has approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed Sheidu as the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) with immediate effect.

2. Minimum Wage: We Are Not Going On Strike – NLC Declares

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has declared that organized labour would not go on strike tomorrow regarding the current new minimum wage dispute with the government.

Giving the reason for the decision, Ajaero said labour would not go on strike yet because the figures are currently on the table of President Bola Tinubu and a feedback is being expected.

Naija News reports the NLC president made the decision known while speaking on Monday at the International Labour Conference taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

Citing examples of previous administrations, Ajaero said it is still possible for the President to increase the proposed figure before him.

However, he called out Governors who have declared they can’t pay the proposed N62,000 new minimum wage, which is currently what the federal government is offering, and labelled them as lazy.

3. CBN Denies Licence Revocation For Fidelity, Polaris, Wema, Unity Banks

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has officially denied rumours that it plans to revoke the operating licences of Fidelity Bank, Polaris Bank, Wema Bank, and Unity Bank.

These speculations stirred anxieties among the public concerning the stability of these financial institutions, especially following the recent licence revocation of Heritage Bank Plc.

In a statement issued on Monday, June 10, the acting director of the Corporate Communications Department at CBN, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, affirmed the robustness of the Nigerian banking sector and reassured depositors that their funds remain secure.

“The Nigerian banking industry remains resilient. Key financial soundness indicators remain within current regulatory thresholds,” she explained.

The clarification was prompted by the widespread misinterpretation of a January 10, 2024 circular detailing the dissolution of the Boards of Union, Keystone, and Polaris Banks.

Misconceptions arose that the circular was a new directive issued on June 10, 2024, suggesting impending actions against more banks.

Mrs. Sidi Ali emphasized that the January circular was solely focused on specific administrative changes and should not be misconstrued as a precursor to additional licence revocations.

4. Minimum Wage: SGF Receives Tripartite Committee Report

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has officially received the recommendations of the 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage.

The report, aimed at revising the wage standards for Nigerian workers, is set to be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu shortly.

This update was provided by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the SGF, Segun Imohiosen, who issued a statement in Abuja on Monday.

The committee, led by Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, was inaugurated by President Tinubu on January 30, following the guidelines set by the Minimum Wage Act of 2019.

The primary objective of the Tripartite Committee has been to evaluate and recommend a new national minimum wage for workers across both the public and private sectors.

The president is expected to look at the report and arrive at a middle ground, following its proposal of a N62,000 minimum wage and the rejection by organized labour.

5. ‘Our Claims Are Verifiable’ – NNPCL Denies Involvement In ₦3.3tr Subsidy Fraud

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) says media reports that it inflated petrol subsidy claims by ₦3.3 trillion naira are untrue.

The position of the NNPCL was made known in a statement on Monday by its chief corporate communications officer, Olufemi Soneye.

He argued that all records of subsidy transactions and claims by the NNPCL in dealings with the federal government are transparent and verifiable. He also added that the businesses of the company are guided by international best practices.

Naija News reports the NNPCL spokesperson made the submission in reaction to claims that a forensic investigation revealed a notable inconsistency in the fuel subsidy claims filed by the company.

The audit was said to have uncovered that NNPCL had inflated its fuel subsidy claims by a staggering ₦3.3 trillion.

However, Soneye said NNPC Ltd is neither aware of any audit of its subsidy claims nor probe and, therefore, designates the claims as ridiculous and products of the reporters and their respective media houses’ imagination.

6. Reps Seek Six-Year Tenure For President, Rotation Among Zones

A group of lawmakers in Nigeria’s House of Representatives has put forward a proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution to introduce the rotation of the presidency among the six geo-political zones of the country.

The group is advocating for significant constitutional reforms, including establishing a single six-year tenure for the President and Governors.

The proposed amendments aim to foster national unity and ensure an equitable distribution of political power across Nigeria’s diverse regions.

Members of the House, led by Representative Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP-Imo), have proposed a constitutional amendment that would introduce a six-year single term for both the President and Governors across the nation.

The proposal was presented during a press conference held at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday.

Under the proposed bill, the lawmakers argue that the current system of governance allows for excessive expenditure and inefficiency, which they believe can be curtailed by limiting the President and Governors to a single six-year term.

7. Court Dismisses Suit Seeking To Declare 25 Rivers Assembly Seats Vacant

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to vacate the seats of 25 lawmakers who allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court’s verdict on Thursday reaffirmed the lawmakers’ positions, citing insufficient evidence of their purported defection.

The judgment, presided over by Justice Okogbule Gbasam, concluded that the legislators remained members of the PDP after the claimants failed to substantiate their claims that the lawmakers had officially joined the APC. The ruling effectively reverses an earlier interim order issued by the same court.

According to the court, a defection can only be established through the party membership register, a membership card and such members fulfilling all requirements of their membership in the party.

Recall that on May 30, the court had initially declared the lawmakers’ seats vacant pending the resolution of the ongoing legal challenge.

This preliminary order also restrained Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule from acting as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and barred the 24 other lawmakers, all opponents of Governor Seminalayi Fubara, from performing legislative functions.

8. Court Restrains EFCC From Arresting Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima, Five NNPP Leaders

A Kano High Court, under Justice Yusuf Ubale Mohammed, has issued an interim order preventing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting or inviting the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and several of his associates.

The court’s decision also applies to Buba Galadima, a prominent pro-Kwankwaso chieftain, and five other loyal party leaders.

The court action restrains the EFCC, along with its agents or any representatives acting on its behalf, from engaging in activities such as arresting, detaining, harassing, or intimidating the mentioned party leaders or infringing on their fundamental human rights.

This order remains effective until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

This legal move comes in the wake of a reported investigation by the EFCC into the handling of ₦2.5 billion in election campaign funds by the NNPP’s National Working Committee led by Kwankwaso.

The court granted the interim order following an ex-parte motion filed on June 5th, 2024 by the applicants’ counsels, Robert Hon Esq. and Y. Y Dan Suleiman Esq.

9. Details Of S’West Governors’ Meeting On Minimum Wage Emerges

The Southwest governors have said that the negotiations on minimum wage between the Federal Government and organised labour should reflect fiscal federalism.

Naija News reports that the chairman of the forum, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, made this known on Monday after a meeting of the Southwest governors in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, in the post via his X handle, said the governors would support whatever outcome of the negotiation on the minimum wage.

He added that various issues affecting the Southwest states were also discussed at the meeting.

10. We Cannot Afford ₦62,000 ‘New’ Minimum Wage – ALGON

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has stated that local councils cannot afford the proposed ₦62,000 as the new minimum wage.

They attribute this to the meagre allocation received from the federation account, which is a major factor contributing to their rejection of the proposal.

The National President of ALGON, Alh Aminu Muazu-Maifata, told journalists in Lafia on Monday that all 774 Local Government Councils in the country receive a little over 18% of the monthly allocation from the Federation Account.

He argued that this grossly inadequate funding is the reason they cannot meet the ₦62,000 minimum wage.

Naija News reports that ALGON’s argument over the new minimum wage is coming amid unsettled deliberations between the federal government and organized labour.

It is worth noting that the Federal Government and private sector representatives in the tripartite committee for negotiating the new minimum wage had suggested ₦62,000, while the organized labour shifted from ₦494,000 to ₦250,000.

Commenting on the deliberations so far, Muazu-Maifata states that even if the local government executives choose to allocate their entire monthly funds for salaries, ALGON will still lack the means to implement the new minimum wage.

That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.