Confab: Delegates Reject Minimum Wage Increase

Delegates at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja has rejected a proposal by a delegate, Sergeant Awuse, that minimum wage for public servants be raised from N18,000 to not less than N40,000.

During the deliberation on the report of the Public Service Committee yesterday, the proposal thrown out by the delegates. However, a recommendation by the Committee that a new sub-section be introduced in the 1999 Constitution that would compel government to review public sector pay every five years.

In other matters, delegates resolved that henceforth, no agency of government should charge any fee, no matter how minimal, from fresh graduates before offering them employment in the public service.

Meanwhile, a motion by 33 delegates led by Ustaz Nurudeen Lemu, requesting the re-naming of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) succeeded as the conference resolved that the organization be named the Federal Character and Equal Opportunities Commission (FCEOC).

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FCT to Impose Taxes on Property Owners

The Senate on Tuesday passed a law making it compulsory for property owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to pay tax, although with the exemption of property owned by government, churches and mosques.

 

The bill provides for the founding of the FCT Internal Revenue Service and other matters connected therewith. Similarly, it makes provision for assessment, levying and collection of tax on real property within the FCT.

The board is empowered to make all taxable real property in the FCT to be appraised at least once in every five years. The property will be appraised at its market value as ofJanuary 1in the year of appraisal.

Taxable real property in the FCT would attract the following rates: (a) Residential-0.1 per cent; (b) Commercial-0.2 per cent; (c) Recreational-0.1 per cent; (d) Government and governmental agencies-0.1 per cent and (e) Others-0.3 per cent.

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Senate to Vote on Constitution Amendment Today

The Chairman Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, announced yesterday that the Senate will today vote on new amendments to the Constitution.

 

This is coming two months after the exercise was suspended as a result of controversy. The controversy arose due to a clause that sought to empower the President to initiate the Constitution amendment process.

 

Senator Ekweremadu said the Senate will vote on the other proposed amendments that were not considered before the previous withdrawal.

 

One of the proposed amendments to be voted on today include: the alteration of Section 68 and 109 to mandate the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Clerks of States Houses of Assembly to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission in writing within seven days of the existence of a vacancy arising from death, resignation or defection of a member of the National Assembly or a member of the State House of Assembly respectively.

 

Another of the proposed amendment is the alteration of Section 134 and 179 which aims to extend the time for conducting presidential and governorship re-run election  from seven days to 21 days as contained in Clause 4 and 5.

 

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FG Aims N100bn IGR for FCT

The Senate has passed for third reading the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Internal Revenue Board Bill 2014, which aims to increase the annual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the for the territory to N100bn.

 

The FCT presently has N250m statutory allocation from the Federation Account while it had proposed a N30bn budget for 2014.

 

Chairman, Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, said the bill will enable the FCT to have a revenue board, adding that it would also help to accelerate the socio-economic development of the FCT.

 

“With the coming of the board in place,” Senator Adeyemi said, “the FCT would be able to generate revenue internally and that will help to augment what is coming from the Federation Account.”

 

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President Jonathan Meets with Members of PDP Caucus

President Goodluck Jonathan last night met with members of the national caucus of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

 

The meeting was set for 8 pm at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

 

According to the PDP constitution, members of the national caucus include the National Chairman who shall preside over all the national caucus meetings of the party.

 

Other members of the national caucus include the President and Vice-President, if they are members of the party; the President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the deputy speaker, principal officers of the National Assembly, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, chairman of the BoT and the national secretary of the party, the national legal adviser and national treasurer, among other members of the party.

 

The governors of the caucus include Gov Ibrahim Shema, for the North-West, Gov Gabriel Suswam, for the North-Central, Gov Theodore Orji, for South-East, Gov Emmanuel Uduaghan, for South-South, Gov Isa Yuguda, for North-East and the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Gov Godswill Akpabio.

 

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FCT Agency, UNESCO, to Train 50,000 Women on Literacy, Skills Acquisition

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Agency for Mass Education in collaboration with UNESCO has concluded plans to train over 50, 000 women in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State in literacy and skills acquisition.

The Director of the agency, Alhaji Musa Yakubu, who made this known at the weekend in Abuja said the training would start by June and last for three years.

“They will teach them on how to read and write through the ICT. 20,000 women will be trained in the first year, 10, 000 for FCT and 10, 000 for Rivers,” he said. “They will not only be taught how to read and write, they will also be taught some basic skills such as catering services, tailoring and soap making, among others.’’

Alhaji Yakubu added that the agency would create awareness, provide facilitators and arrange for the venue of the programme while UNESCO would provide instructional materials.

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Appeal Court in Abuja Acquits Ex-M-Tel Boss

Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted a former Chief Executive Officer of M-Tel, Mr Edwin Momife, of allegedly taking bribes from German telecommunications firm, Siemens Limited.

 

Delivering the judgement, Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson, said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ought not to have subjected him to a trial because no offence known to law was established against him.

 

Justice Akomolafe-Wilson, held that the Siemens officials, with whom Momife was said to have conspired, were not charged even when they were not said to be on the run, adding that the accused could not have conspired with himself.

 

Mr Momife had been charged with a former Director of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Mr Maigada Shuaibu, former General Manager of Finance in the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), Mr Emmanuel Ossai, and former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel, Mr Mahmood Mohammed, before an Abuja High Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, for allegedly receiving bribes from Siemens Limited.

All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

 

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