TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY FRIDAY 

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TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY FRIDAY 

1. ‘I’m Committed To A Realistic Minimum Wage’ – Tinubu Tells Organised Labour

President Bola Tinubu has said he is concerned about the welfare of Nigerian workers, and his administration is prioritizing their concerns.

Tinubu made this known while speaking with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Comrade Joe Ajaero and that of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) led by Comrade Festus Osifo, on Thursday in Abuja.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu noted that workers deserve improved welfare, better wages, as well as safe and enhanced working conditions.

However, President Tinubu called for realistic expectations regarding the minimum wage amidst the N250,000 organised labour demands from the government.

Speaking at the meeting, the NLC President, Comrade Ajaero, emphasized the need for an upward adjustment to the minimum wage.

2. LG Autonomy: 36 Governors Lose Out As Supreme Court Rules In Favour Of Federal Government

The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Thursday, ruled it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds designated for local government administrations.

The landmark judgement, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, emphasized that this practice contravenes financial autonomy rights of local governments and has persisted for over two decades.

In a resounding victory for local governance, the apex court’s decision mandates that all allocations from the Federation Account should henceforth be paid directly to the 774 local government councils across the country, rather than being filtered through state governors.

Justice Agim, dismissing preliminary objections by the state governors, ruled that local governments are entitled to manage their own funds independently.

The suit, initiated by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, sought to safeguard democratically elected councils from arbitrary dissolution by state governors, further strengthening the framework for local governance in Nigeria.

3. Akpabio, Lawan Disagree During Senate Plenary

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and his predecessor, Senator Ahmed Lawan, engaged in a heated argument during plenary on Thursday over the official sitting time of the Red Chamber.

According to Senate rules, the official commencement time for the Senate plenary is 10 am, however, it has reportedly become common practice for sessions to start much later in the 10th Senate, often around 11 am or even later, due to the lateness of the lawmakers.

On Thursday, the Senate, through a motion brought forward by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, sought to formally amend its rules to shift the official sitting time from 10 am to 11 am.

However, the move was opposed by Lawan.

The immediate past Senate President told Akpabio that the reason for changing the sitting time—to synchronise with the House of Representatives—was not convincing or “scientific” enough.

He insisted that there were no substantial reasons to shift the sitting time and highlighted that lawmakers were more energetic in the early hours, making a 10 am start more productive.

In response, the Senate President, Akpabio, reminded Lawan that the 11 am practice was inherited from Lawan’s 9th Senate.

This position was rejected by Lawan who stated that “No, that is not correct!”

Akpabio swiftly called for an emergency executive session to address the issues privately following the rising tension among the Senators.

4. ‘This Country Belongs To All Of Us’ – President Tinubu Reacts To Supreme Court Judgement On LG Autonomy

President Bola Tinubu has commended the verdict of the Supreme Court on the autonomy of the local governments in Nigeria.

The President, in a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, said the decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria is an affirmation of the spirit, intent, and purpose of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the statutory rights of local governments.

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Recall the apex court ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds designated for local government administrations.

The landmark judgement, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, emphasized that this practice contravenes the financial autonomy rights of local governments and has persisted for over two decades.

Reacting, Tinubu welcomed the verdict of the apex court, saying the country belongs to all the citizens and the Renewed Hope Agenda is about the people of the country, at all levels, irrespective of faith, tribe, gender, political affiliation, or any other artificial line they may exist.

The President added that a fundamental challenge to the nation’s advancement over the years has been ineffective local government administration, as governance at the critical cellular level of socio-political configuration is nearly absent.

The President emphasizes that the onus is now on local council leaders to ensure that the broad spectrum of Nigerians living at that level are satisfied that they are benefitting from people-oriented service delivery.

5. Senate Rejects Bill Seeking To Use Gold To Boost External Reserves

The 10th Senate-led by Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday, rejected a bill seeking to use gold to boost Nigeria’s reserves in defence of the economy.

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The bill sponsored by the lawmaker representing Niger East senatorial district, Sani Musa, titled “Foreign Exchange (Control and Monitoring) Bill, 2024 (SB. 353)” was thrown out after debates by lawmakers who opposed it.

According to the lawmaker, the bill was read for the first time on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

He noted that the bill sought to repeal the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act, Cap. F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish a Foreign Exchange Market in Nigeria, to make provisions for the control, monitoring, and supervision of transactions conducted in the Foreign Exchange Market.

Musa further stated that the objective of the bill sought to, “To establish a foreign exchange market.

6. Appeal Court Delivers Ruling On Ododo’s Election As Kogi State Governor

The Court of Appeal, on Thursday, affirmed the election of Usman Ododo as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State.

The Appellate Court sitting in Abuja, backed the verdict of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, which had affirmed Ododo’s election victory.

The tribunal had dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka.

A three-man panel of the appeal court agreed with the tribunal that Ajaka’s witnesses were incompetent because their statements did not accompany the petition in line with electoral laws.

The appeal court also held that the issue of alleged certificate forgery ought to have commenced at a Federal High Court.

Subsequently, the appeal Court held that the appellant could not prove its case “beyond reasonable doubt”, thereby upholding Ododo’s election.

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7. Terrorists Plan To Attack Critical National Infrastructures – Nigerian Military Reveals

The Nigerian Military has unveiled plans by terrorists who are members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) to attack some critical national infrastructures in the country.

This revelation was made public on Thursday during a press conference by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba.

He, however, added that relevant security agencies have been put on standby to forestall such attacks.

General Buba also called on citizens to rally support for security forces to defeat terror in Nigeria.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) image maker said the insurgents are enemies of the country who must be defeated. He emphasized the readiness of the security forces to deal with all such threats.

8. We Did Not Have A Negotiation With FG – NLC President, Joe Ajaero

The president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero has said the meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the new national minimum wage on Thursday was not a negotiation.

He stated this while addressing newsmen after the meeting.

Ajaero explained that the meeting was not a negotiation, and the two figures of ₦250,000 and ₦62,000 remain on the table.

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According to him, what they had was a discussion, and they decided to talk about the amount and agree on real terms next week.

9. Sokoto Govt Strips Sultan Of Powers To Appoint District, Village Heads

The Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has signed the amended Sokoto Local Government and Chieftaincy Law, which effectively strips the Sultan, Sa’ad Abubakar, of the powers to appoint district and village heads in the state.

The law was signed by Governor Aliyu on Thursday along with five others after they were passed by the State House of Assembly.

The Governor, however, denied insinuations that the local government and chieftaincy law was targeted at witch-hunting the Sultan, but rather to strengthen good governance in the state.

He said those spreading contrary opinions are politically motivated or simply ignorant.

10. Nigeria Governors Forum Convene Emergency Meeting To Review Supreme Court Verdict On LG Autonomy

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has announced that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has scheduled an emergency meeting to review the Supreme Court’s recent decision granting autonomy to Local Government Councils.

Recall the apex court on Thursday, ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds designated for local government administrations.

The landmark judgement, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, emphasized that this practice contravenes the financial autonomy rights of local governments and has persisted for over two decades.

Following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, Soludo praised the court’s ruling as a democratic milestone. He emphasized the importance of respecting the judiciary’s authority and the rule of law.

Soludo stressed the necessity of ensuring resources reach the grassroots level and highlighted the importance of accountability and transparency in public resource utilization. He emphasized that public funds should benefit citizens at all levels—federal, state, and local.