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Politicians, Judges Get 114% Salary Hike
The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has called upon the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly to expedite the process of amending relevant laws.
The purpose of these amendments is to create provisions that would allow for an upward revision of the remuneration packages for political, judicial, and public officers.
Muhammadu Shehu, the Chairman of RMAFC, made this appeal during the presentation of the reviewed remuneration package reports to Dr. Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi State, in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.
Once the State Houses of Assembly complete their work, the implementation of the revised remuneration packages for political, public, and judicial officers can commence according to a report by NAN.
During a courtesy visit at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi, the report was presented to the governor by the Federal Commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, who represented the Chairman of RMAFC.
Notably, Tanko-Ayuba is originally from Kebbi State. Shehu, the Chairman, emphasized that this action was in accordance with the provision stated in Paragraph 32(d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Government, as amended.
He said, “It empowers the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Shehu highlighted that the most recent review of remuneration took place in 2007, leading to the enactment of the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2008.
He said “16 years after the last review, it is imperative that the Remuneration Packages for the categories of the office holders mentioned in relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) should be reviewed.
“Pursuant to the above, Your Excellency may please recall that on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023, the Commission held a one-day zonal public hearing on the review of the remuneration package simultaneously in all the six (6) geo-political zones of the country.
“The aim of the exercise was to harvest inputs/ideas from a broad spectrum of stakeholders,” He added.
The chairman explained that the commission had evaluated and revised the remuneration packages based on a combination of subjective and objective criteria as outlined in the reports.
He noted “The subjective criteria reflected the various expression by stakeholders through memoranda received, opinion expressed during the zonal public hearings and responses to questionnaires administered.
“The objectives of the criteria were obtained from analysis of macro-economic variables particularly the Consumer Price Index (CPI),”
Additionally, Shehu emphasized that the commission adhered to certain principles during the review process, including equity and fairness, consideration of risks and responsibilities, adherence to the national order of precedence, and the promotion of motivation and tenure of office.
Regarding the economic impact of the review, Shehu announced that the remuneration of political, public, and judicial office holders in the country had been adjusted upward by 114%.
He also mentioned that in terms of allowances and fringe benefits, the commission recommended maintaining the existing allowances at their current levels.
He listed the allowances to include, “Professional Development Assistant: This is to allow for the provision of two law clerks to all judicial officers in the country.
“Long Service Allowance: This is to guarantee seniority/hierarchy between officers who have been on the bench for a minimum of five years and those that are appointed newly.
“Restricted or Forced Lifestyle: This is to take care of the nature of the lifestyle of judicial officers while in active service.”
Shehu further informed that the commission recommended January 1, 2023, as the effective date for implementing the revised remuneration packages.
During the presentation, Governor Idris, accompanied by his deputy, Abubakar Tafida, Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammadu Ankwai, Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Umar Abubakar, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Yakubu Tafida, Head of Service, Safiyanu Bena, and Chief of Staff, Attahiru Maccido, were all present.
Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress Onyeka Onwenu passed away on Tuesday, shortly after performing at a birthday party in Lagos.
The celebrated music icon was attending a friend’s private birthday celebration when she took to the stage to perform. After returning to her seat, Onwenu suddenly collapsed, prompting immediate concern among the attendees.
Emergency responders arrived swiftly and transported her to Reddington Hospital on Victoria Island. Despite the medical team’s efforts, Onwenu was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
Sources close to the family revealed that she fell ill during the event, leading to her collapse.
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She said, “It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli of Emzor Pharmaceuticals tonight. After performing, she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital but couldn’t make it.”
The exact cause of her death is yet to be confirmed.
Born on 31 May 1952, Onwenu was a multifaceted artist whose career spanned over four decades. She was not only a renowned singer and songwriter but also an actress, journalist, and politician.
Onwenu’s music blended genres such as highlife, reggae, and pop, often addressed social and political issues. Some of her most popular songs include “One Love,” “Iyogogo,” and “Ekwe.”
Onwenu was also known for her political activism. She was chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and was appointed Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Earlier this year, Onwenu revealed she was producing a movie chronicling her experiences in the music industry spanning several decades. She expressed her excitement to share her personal story and how Nigerian music has evolved over time.
Onyeka Onwenu, known for her contributions to the Nigerian music and film industry, leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for generations.
In a significant move to ensure the stability of Nigeria’s financial system, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the immediate revocation of Heritage Bank Plc’s banking license.
The decision came after the bank breached Section 12 (1) of the Banks and Other Financial Act (BOFIA) 2020, with the bank’s Board and Management unable to improve its financial performance despite various supervisory measures prescribed by the CBN.
Biztellers reports that the CBN found that the bank’s declining financial situation posed a threat to the overall stability of Nigeria’s financial system.
Consequently, the CBN took decisive action to revoke the bank’s license and appointed the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) as the Liquidator.
This step is intended to strengthen public confidence in the banking system and ensure its continued soundness.
In a press release, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the Central Bank, assured the public that Nigeria’s financial system remains robust and stable.
The CBN’s decision to revoke Heritage Bank’s license underscores its unwavering commitment to taking all necessary measures to safeguard the financial system and protect depositors’ interests.
As the situation unfolds, the banking community and the general public are closely monitoring the ongoing developments related to Heritage Bank and the broader implications for Nigeria’s financial sector.
Precious ADELOLA
The NNPC/Aiteo Joint venture has announced the introduction of Nembe Crude Oil Grade, a new crude oil grade into the international crude oil market.
The announcement of the Nembe Crude Oil Blend, produced by Aiteo, the Operator of the NNPC/Aiteo Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 Joint Venture (JV), was made at the ongoing Argus European Crude Conference in London, on Tuesday.
OML 29, an asset located onshore Nigeria, is operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration & Production Ltd, Africa’s leading indigenous hydrocarbon producer, following a historic acquisition from Shell in 2014.
NNPCL Boss, Engr. Mele Kyari
The Nembe Crude was previously blended with the popular Bonny Light grade and exported via the Bonny Oil & Gas Terminal.
The unique selling point of the Nembe Crude Oil grade with an API gravity was highlighted by both the Aiteo E & P and NNPC Limited Leadership at the Argus Conference in London.
The Nembe Crude Oil grade also has a low sulphur content and low carbon footprint due to flare gas elimination, fitting perfectly into the required spec of major buyers in Europe.
Two cargoes of 950,000 barrels each of the Nembe Crude Oil grade have since been exported to France and the Netherlands. With its attractive Assay of API 29 and low sulphur content, the Nembe Crude Oil grade commands a premium to the global Brent benchmark.
With the NNPC-Aiteo OML 29 JV back on-stream, Nigeria now boasts of an additional crude oil export of 2 Cargoes at 950,000 barrels each per month and 1.2 Bcf of export gas monthly.
This remarkable achievement signals the commencement of activities at Nigeria’s newest crude oil terminal, the Nembe Crude Oil Export Terminal (NCOET), which was licensed in line with the extant laws and Crude Oil Terminal establishment regulations.
The terminal was conceived as a Floating Storage and Offloading Vessel (FSO) with a storage capacity of two (2) Million Barrels and the ability to offload crude oil to any export tanker from AFRAMAX to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC).
It has a loading capacity of 25,000 barrels per hour and will be exporting over 3.6 million barrels of Crude oil monthly at full scale of operation.
Currently, hydrocarbon production from OML 29, which was hitherto constrained due to evacuation challenges owing to the security issues around the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) corridor, has now been resolved through a collaborative and creative approach that led to the innovation of the Alternative Crude Oil Evacuation Solution.
The Argus European Crude Conference 2023 in London is a gathering of energy majors, refiners, NOCs, traders, financial institutions, and other representatives from across the global oil markets. The event also provides a critical opportunity for business leaders to connect, discuss, share and learn from one another.
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