NEWS
Minimum Wage: Adeleke Advocates Federal Revenue Review
The hardship engendered negotiation of new national minimum wage between the government and organised labour has got many speaking.
In this direction, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke on Thursday called for the review of the Federation Account Revenue (FAR) sharing formula as part of efforts to address the matter.
His position was expressed in Lagos during the South West zonal public hearing on the new national minimum wage, where he also urged that solid minerals be removed from exclusive to concurrent legislative list.
Biztellers reports that Gov Adeleke represents the South West at the National Tripartite Minimum wage committee.
Addressing labour leaders and other delegates at the public hearing, Gov Adeleke pointed out that there was a consensus on the need to increase the minimum wage but noted that a review of the revenue sharing formula and amendment of legislative list are necessary to boost the capacity of the states to pay the new minimum wage.
He said, “In all our meetings and various deliberations, one thing that the committee has been able to establish is that the workers in Nigeria are due for an improved welfare package.
“There is a consensus for an upward review of the National Minimum Wage because the existing one has become unrealistic.
“It has to be reiterated that the majority of the governments at the sub−nationals can hardly sustain an improved wage and salaries for their workers without a significant adjustment in some of the narratives in the national economy.
“In tandem with the public outcry for the review of the sharing formula for the federation account, the time has come for the federal government to revisit the matter.
“There is an urgent need for the review of existing sharing formulas in favor of states and local governments.
“I call on the National Assembly through the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to urgently take decisive action to look at the ratio objectively and realistically.”
In his opinion, Nigeria must remove solid minerals from the exclusive legislative list.
His thinking was premised on the fact that each state in Nigeria has been blessed with one form of natural resources or the other. On the new minimum wage, the Governor posited that “our position from Osun State is that workers deserve improved wages and salaries. Osun state government is in support of a new and realistic minimum wage for all workers within the limit of the available resources in a very sustainable manner.
“While it would be desirable to see that a uniform minimum wage is agreed on a national basis, it would amount to self-deceit to assume that states have equal ability to pay.”
He, however, posited that individual states would have to negotiate with their workers and agree to a realistic and sustainable minimum wage in line with the available resources.
Meanwhile, frontline labour leader and the Director General of Michael Imodu Labour Institute, Comrade Mike Aremu has applauded the pro-labour and pro-worker policies of Gov Adeleke.
The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun was the Chairman of the zonal public hearing.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is intensifying its campaign against substance abuse by proposing mandatory drug integrity tests for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and individuals preparing for marriage.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), explained the rationale behind the proposal during a meeting with the NYSC leadership in Abuja on April 23, 2025.
Speaking to NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, Marwa clarified that the tests are not intended to be punitive but are part of a broader strategy to curb drug abuse and intervene early in cases of dependence.
READ ALSO: NYSC Pulls Out Corps Members From Benue Community
“It is always better to detect drug use early before it gets to addiction, which eventually could get to psychiatric problems, and it becomes a danger to the user and society,” Marwa stated.
While welcoming the new NYSC chief, Marwa commended the scheme as “a national treasure and a veritable instrument of national unity.”
He highlighted the alarming rate of drug use in the country and called for collective efforts in tackling the challenge.
“The drug scourge has continued to devastate our kids, families, and communities everywhere. There’s nowhere you go in the country that you don’t have a drug abuse problem,” he said. “One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 uses drugs.”
Marwa emphasized that while NDLEA is working hard to restrict access and availability of drugs, reducing demand is equally important.
He urged NYSC to play a more active role in this regard.
“You have mentioned our efforts to cut off access and availability of these drugs but beyond that, we have to work with all stakeholders, including NYSC to ensure drastic reduction in the demand for drugs by our youths, and one of our strategies to address this is through our drug integrity test, which we’re advocating that NYSC should embrace for corps members.”
He also praised the introduction of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) clubs in NYSC camps, describing them as a positive development, while calling for further collaboration in areas such as prevention, counseling, and rehabilitation.
“This is a major drug demand reduction effort. In the same way we said, if you are getting married, both the bride and the groom should bring a drug-free certificate,” he added.
According to Marwa, early detection remains key to managing substance abuse and preventing it from evolving into more severe health or social issues.
Residents of Istanbul were jolted by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, which struck the Marmara Sea near the city’s western fringes, prompting widespread concern but causing no immediate casualties.
The quake, which occurred at 12:49 p.m. local time (0949 GMT), originated in Silivri, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
“An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Marmara Sea, Istanbul,” he confirmed on X, formerly Twitter. Yerlikaya also noted that tremors were felt in nearby provinces.
READ ALSO: Massive 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Myanmar, Shakes Southeast Asia
Following the initial tremor, Turkey’s disaster management authority, AFAD, reported three more earthquakes ranging from 4.4 to 4.9 in magnitude.
The seismic activity sent people fleeing onto the streets, with many seen anxiously checking their phones or making calls.
“I just felt earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a decorator who dashed out of a fourth-floor apartment near Galata Tower. He declined to give his name, visibly shaken by the experience.
Despite the intensity, there were no reports of injuries or building collapses in the city of approximately 16 million people.
“Until now, we have no information about any buildings collapsing,” the governor’s office stated, urging residents to avoid entering structures that may have sustained damage.
Reassuring citizens, the Istanbul municipality also confirmed, “No serious cases have been reported so far following the earthquake in Istanbul,” in a post on X.
Tremors from the quake were reportedly felt as far as Sofia, Bulgaria, according to AFP journalists in the capital.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as aftershocks persist and damage assessments are conducted across the region.
As violent attacks and killings continue to plague parts of Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia has ruled out the need for a state of emergency, insisting instead on immediate and absolute support from the Federal Government to combat the crisis.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Governor Alia said the security situation, though dire, is not beyond the capacity of his administration to manage.
However, he emphasized that increased federal assistance is crucial to fully restoring peace to the troubled state.
READ MORE: No Safety Guarantee For Unscheduled Visitors To Benue – Gov Alia
“What we need is emergency help for now. We need absolute support,” the governor stated. “The federal government is supporting — they sent two armoured tanks that came in. Our situation had changed. We had a better narrative, but what we need to do is to get our people back home, to drive out the invaders… Calling for any emergency does not occur here.”
Alia blamed the persistent violence on armed herders, many of whom he claims are non-Nigerians. According to him, the assailants have displaced local farmers and occupied ancestral lands, creating a humanitarian and security crisis that needs urgent attention.
The governor also pointed to progress made under his administration, noting a reduction in the number of local government areas under attack from 17 to just six.
“We couldn’t have trimmed it from 17 local governments in the front lines of the attacks to nine and then now to six, which means we have the capability to do this — but we need help. And that is a fact,” he said.
Governor Alia reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the people of Benue and restoring displaced communities, but stressed that federal collaboration remains vital to achieving lasting peace in the state.
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