News

Edo Govt, NULGE Differ Over Workers’ Salary Arrears

Published

2 years ago

August 20, 2022

Editor

… Accuses Govt Of Hijacking IGR Meant For LG

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Edo chapter, says the state government was yet to pay local government workers salary arrears ranging from two to 17 months.

In a statement by Olumuyiwa Cole, Secretary, NULGE, Edo Chapter in Benin on Friday, NULGE criticised the government’s position on the payment of salary arrears to local government workers.

NULGE said “for as much as we may not be able to contest payment of salary to state workers, we can categorically say, without any iota of fear of contradiction, that Edo government is owing councils.

“We frown at the position of government on the subject matter as posited by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Project that even LGA workers are not owed any salaries.”

The statement said, “we acknowledge the fact that Local Governments are responsible for the payment of workers under them.

“But it is a fact that the funds/account from where they are paid is managed by the state government and it is from what is allocated to each local government that salaries are paid”.

The union stated further that the Internally Generated Revenue sources where Local Government could have augumented have been taken over by the state government.

“This is to state the obvious fact that the state government, irrespective of being a separate tier of government, is liable for the arrears of salaries owed local government workers.”

Meanwhile, Edo Government had in statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Projects, Mr Crusoe Osagie, criticised a report rating Edo among the states in salary indebtedness to workers.

“We hereby debunk the misleading media report by a civic-tech organization, that the Edo Government is owing workers six months’ salaries. The report is not only false and mischievous, it is disingenuous in its intentions.

“The state Government does not owe state workers salaries. On the contrary, Edo is the first state to increase the minimum wage to N40,000 above the nationally approved N30,000. It has also been consistent in paying the new wage to workers.”

News

JUST IN: US Lawmakers Order Investigation Of Shell, Eni For Allegedly Bribing Nigeria’s Ex-President Jonathan, Others

Published

4 mins ago

May 9, 2024

Editor

The United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services has asked the Department of Justice, DOJ, to reopen the Foreign Corruption Practice Act into Shell and Eni’s 2011 purchase of the rights to Oil Prospecting Licence, OPL, 245, one of Nigeria’s most lucrative oilfields.

The lawmakers said evidence available implicated Shell and Eni for bribing some Nigerian government officials, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, to the tune of $1.1 billion.

According to the lawmakers: “Available evidence implicates both companies in a scheme that resulted in the payment of $1.1billion in bribes to Nigerian government officials, including then President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Shell and Eni, both registered with the US Security and Exchange Commission, continue to profit from the deal in violation of FCPA.”

News

BREAKING: Rivers Assembly Clerk Disowns Pro-Fubara Faction, Insists Amaewhule Is Speaker

Published

29 mins ago

May 9, 2024

Editor

The clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi, has disowned the pro-Governor Sim Fubara’s faction of the Assembly.

Amadi insisted that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly remains Martin Amaewhule.

The clerk said the three members of the assembly loyal to Fubara—Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari and Hon. Adolphus Orubimie Timothy—were suspended on October 30, 2023, and they cannot lay claim to be officers of the House.

On Thursday, some lawmakers appointed Jumbo as the new Speaker of the Assembly.

News

Suspension Of Enigies: Court Grants Benin Monarch’s Prayer To Join BTC

Published

1 hour ago

May 9, 2024

Editor

An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin has granted the prayer of Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to include Benin Traditional Council as a defendant in a suit between him and some suspended Enigie (Dukes) in Benin kingdom.

Justice Peter Akhihiero granted the Benin monarch’s prayer at the resumed hearing of the suit on Thursday.

The suspended Enigie that took the Oba of Benin to court are Professor Gregory Akenzua, Enigie of Evbuobanosa, Chief Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen, Egbaen Siluko Dukedoms in Benin Kingdom, on behalf of others.

The suspended Enigies are challenging their suspension by the Oba of Benin at the Edo State High Court.

In the suit, the plaintiffs argued that only the state governor can remove them from their positions.

In his ruling, Justice Peter Akhihiero granted the Oba of Benin’s prayer to include the Benin Traditional Council as the 3rd defendant in the suit marked, B/250os/2023, while Oba Ewuare II and Edo State Government, are the 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively.

Akhihiero, however, urged the defendants’ counsel not to worry about the timing, insisting that “the race is not for the swift, or the battle for the strong”.

“If they were bringing in the Traditional Council as necessary, I don’t see this as a problem since you people have brought the Oba to court.

“I don’t think I can shut down any party. Let them come in and file their processes,” he added.

He, however, adjourned the case to July 15, 2024.