News

Backlogged Unremitted Pension: Former Nation Staff Petition PenCom, Want Fund Paid

Published

4 years ago

October 9, 2020

Editor

Former staff of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation newspapers have petitioned the Director General National Pension Commission (PenCom) over backlog of unremitted pension due to workers.

They want the unremitted funds be paid with the outstanding interests to the workers by The Nation Newspapers.

In a statement signed by Musa Odoshimokhe, former chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, The Nation chapel, said the management had violated the extant laws that sought to protect workers future by ensuring that workers and their employers set part of their earning aside against the rainy day.

He said, “Unfortunately while workers part of the bargain had been deducted from source, the management of The Nation failed to remit such funds to (Pension Fund Administrator (PFA).”

Odoshimokhe, who is a member of the Lagos State Executive Council of NUJ, added that all that should have accrued to workers in term of interests from the unremitted fund had found itself in private pockets at the detriment of workers future savings.

“This petition has the backing of Lagos NUJ because we are talking of workers welfare in the first place. The workers have been cheated over the years because if the money had been remitted as when due it would have be been increased in term of financial gains.

” It has become habitual by The Nation management to hold on to workers contributory pension only to add up the sum of money owed disengaged workers and pay them the money without interests, thereby denying such workers what they should have earned.

“Incidentally, the unremitted fund by management is being used for business without due consideration to how it affects its staff. For instance, the management quickly shed over 100 of its staff away during Covid 19 just a few weeks after the lockdown was announced.

“It is the same company that had lost money close to one billion naira to fraudulent activities without one single person arrested or prosecuted. Most of the perpetrators of the fraudulent activities were recruited into the system by many top management staff, and were granted soft landing after they succeeded in pilfering the company’s resources. There is no guarantee that the trend will end as long as it remain under the command of same structure.

“Our members are demanding for their money with due interests on what was deducted from their legitimate earnings.”

Odoshimokhe also lamented that many of his colleagues who were recently disengaged were only given stipend ranging from between N70,000 to N150,000 as severances packages after putting between five and eight years or more into the system.

“This simply shows that we have a heartless management in the saddle. Many of our remembers were sacked at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic and after about four months were given a pittance. How do you expect such people to restart their lives and even move on? That attests to the poor salary and welfare structure by the management.

“This is place where workers were stagnated or even never get promoted for over 12 years and more simply because management does not like your face.

“All we want now is adequate remittance of our pension with interest accrued paid. Our severance packages is like a drop in the ocean. However, with our pension, many of us can start life again on a new note.”

News

AAC Guber Candidate Takes Swipe On Edo Speaker Over Suspension Of 3 Lawmakers

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Editor

Dr Udoh Oberaifo, the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the forthcoming election in Edo State, has condemned the suspension of three members of the state house of assembly by the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku.

The Speaker had on Monday suspended the three lawmakers over an alleged plot to impeach.

The three suspended lawmakers are: Mr Donald Okogbe( PDP Akoko-Edo 11) Bright Iyamu(PDP Orihonmwon South) and Adeh Isibor, (Esan North East 1)

Reacting to the incident in Benin, Oberaifo described the suspension of the three lawmakers as illegal and unconstitutional.

He stated that the speaker lacks the legal power and right to suspend a lawmaker democratically elected by the people.

“So what will now happen to the lawmaking, representation and the constituents of this suspended members,” he asked.

He noted that the “tyranny of the speaker” clearly infringes on the rights of the good people of Edo, the suspended members and their constituents.

” Our courts have consistently held that disciplinary powers of legislative houses like Edo State House of Assembly do not extend to reckless suspension.

” The court of appeal in BAUCHI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY & ORS v. GUYABA agreed with the trial court in holding that the suspension of a then house of assembly member, Hon. Gubaya for three months was illegal.

“Recently, the court also took a similar view in case of Akinribido v Ondo State House of Assembly.

” The point I wish to state here is that the clear malicious suspension of this members of Edo House of Assembly for whatever reasons by the speaker, is laughable, unjustifiable, illegal and clearly unconstitutional.

“It clearly shows the directionless lawmaking powers; offside decision making of the PDP-led house of assembly, and lack of respect for democratic institutions, “ he said.

Oberaifo, therefore, called for the recall of the suspended members in line with clear court precedents in similar matters.

According to him, the above shows that Edo people can no longer continue with the status quo of the PDP governance and law making in the state.

He urged the people to reject the PDP in the forthcoming governorship elections and vote the candidate of the AAC as a better alternative and for credible governance.

News

Edo Police Arrest Two Minors, Others For Allegedly Up Uploading Woman’s Nude Video Online

Published

3 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Editor

Two minors and three others have been arrested by operatives of the Edo State Police Command for allegedly stripping one Christabel Akhigbe naked over alleged phone theft.

They were said to have made a video of her nakedness and uploaded it on social media.

The suspects, Blessing Lucky 15, Jennifer Eboigbe 30, Iziegbe Ogbodu 39, Naomi Ekhonetomwan 17, and Lucky Endurance 16 were arrested for indecent assault and cyber stalking on a female.

The state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adeboye, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters in Benin, the state capital, said the suspects accused the victim of stealing an android phone belonging to one Lucky and called her to return the said phone.

Adeboye said after Christabel had returned the phone to the owner, they lured her into Blessing Lucky’s mother’s house, beat and stripped her naked and threatened to put pepper in her private parts.

He added that the suspects made a video of the scene which has gone viral on social media.

Adeboye said that on receiving the report, police operatives arrested the suspects who confessed to the crime.

He added that they will soon be charged in court.

The CP said, “The Edo Police Command have arrested five females for stripping a woman for allegedly stealing an android phone. They then made a video of the victims while naked and posted it online.

“They have now become suspects in a case they should have been the complaints.”

While warning the citizens not to take laws into their own hands, noting that those who should have been the complainants have turned themselves into suspects in the case.

He said the police would cooperate with human rights organisations to make sure that the suspects pay for the crime.

“I will advise residents not to take law into their own hands and to report cases of this nature to the police,” he said.

One of the suspects, Eboigbe, said she is ashamed of what they did to the victim.

She said, “My daughter came to tell me that her phone was stolen and after some days, we retrieved the phone from the person who stole the phone. The girl begged me that they shouldn’t beat her, but despite her plea, they went ahead to strip her naked.

“I am ashamed of what they did because I am a mother.”

News

[BREAKING] ‘Juju’ Scare: Edo Speaker Suspends Shaibu’s Ally, Two Others

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Editor

The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, on Monday suspended three lawmakers over an alleged plot to impeach him and other principal officers of the Assembly.

One of the suspended lawmakers, Donald Okogbe, PDP, Akoko-Edo II, is an ally of the impeached deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, and was the only lawmaker who did not sign the petition that led to Shaibu’s impeachment.

The two others are Addeh Emankhu Isibor, APC, Esan North-East I, and Iyamu Bright, PDP, Orhionnwon II.

Agbebaku also accused the trio of bringing native doctors to the House on May 1 at around 1am to perform a sacrifice.

Agbebaku said the three lawmakers were suspended indefinitely, alleging that external forces were influencing them to cause chaos and remove the house’s leadership.

The suspension of the lawmakers, however, created tension in the House as the affected lawmakers kicked against their suspension.

In a rowdy session, the three suspended lawmakers were seen screaming, “Mr Speaker, you do not have the right to unilaterally suspend any member(s) of the house.

“You must call for votes. Allow members vote on the matter.”

The Speaker, thereafter, adjourned the plenary abruptly.