Nation

Oyo Owes Me N1.2bn, Olubadan Insists

Published

15 years ago

August 14, 2009

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, yesterday faulted the Oyo State government’s claim that it does not owe the Olubadan-in-council over N1.2 billion salary arrears.
Oba Obulana insisted that he is being owed N1.2 billion.
The money, which, he said, covers January 2008 till May, this year, represents five percent due to the council from the 11 local government areas that make up Ibadan.
In an August 10 letter to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Hosea Agboola, which was signed by the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Omowale Kuye, Oba Odulana said by the virtue of circular issued on January 6, 1997, the five per cent ought to the council on which he presides as chairman.
He said the experience in recent times is that the government only pays any amount it deemed fit after making some deductions.
The Olubadan insisted that the payment of any amount other than the five per cent of the gross allocation to the councils violates the law.
He said the council was owed N978,022,000 last year. This is besides, the N246,584, it is owed from January till May , this year, bringing the total amount to N1.244 billion.
The letter reads: “The experience in Ibadan is that from the time of the previous civilian governors and the present governor, the traditional councils in Ibadanland are only paid any amount left after a lot of deductions have been made by the state government.
“The payment of any amount other than the five per cent of the gross allocation to the local government council violates the directives of circular FGHMFCT of No. 619 on 6th January 1997 and adopted with circular CB211/Vol.IV/362 on 8th February 1999.”
Oba Odulana challenged Agboola to tell the people whether the local government councils in Ibadanland have fulfilled the law.
He said the councils have been the custodians of the traditional council’s accounts, contrary to the directive that the Olubadan should be the accounting officer.
“It is also necessary to state that the accounts of the traditional council in Ibadanland are kept by the local government, contrary to the directitve that the Royal Majesty should be accounting officer.”
“As at the moment, the Kabiyesi does not have information as to how the account of the traditional councils are kept, the balances in the account and the amount paid into the account from the Federation Allocation.”
“In the circumstances, the Kabiyesi and/or his acting chairman have no knowledge of the traditional accounts of the 11 local government traditional councils,” the letter said.

Nation

Bizman Alleges Threat To Life …Seeks Police ,Govt’s Intervention

Published

34 mins ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Delta Technology and Property Limited, Engr Stephen Nyegwa, has raised an alarm over attempt by some unknown men to eliminate him, alleging that his life is in serious danger.

Engr Nyegwa, therefore, called on the police and the Rivers State Government to save his life from the men of the underworld.

The Managing Director, who gave the indication in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the call has become necessary following several attacks on his life.

He narrated how he narrowly escaped death at two different occasions, and pointed accusing fingers to one Mike Oyaghiri, whom he accused of land grabbing, and allegedly working for one Eze Bekwele Attam.

The Rumuaghulo-born business merchant hinted that the first attempt on his life occurred at Eligbarada in Emohua Local Government Area,on his way to Zone 16 to honour an invitation by the AIG ,along the East- West Road, where he was allegedly double- crossed by a hilux van, allegedly owned by the said Mike Oyaghiri.

He revealed that he managed to escape through the assistance of the villagers, which resulted to the recovery of the attackers’ arms by the police.

Engr Nyegwa further disclosed that the second attempt took place a few days ago, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, after returning from an invitation by the Zone 7, Abuja, an invitation, which he alleged the said Mike Oyaghiri refused to honour.

He alleged that on arrival at the airport, some unknown police officers accosted him, with the intention to arrest him, but that they were resisted by some policemen attached to him.

He, therefore,appealed to the police authorities and the Rivers State Government to intervene on the matter, to avoid the breakdown of law and order .

When contacted, the accused, Mike Oyaghiri denied all the allegations levelled against him, saying he had a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Rumuagholu Community on land recovery which 30 percent of it will go to him.

He alleged that Engr Stephen Nyegwa’s late father was part of the Memorandum of Understanding, and urged the police to investigate to unravel the truth.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was not aware of the matter, as she did not have such a report.

She, however, promised to find out, and get back to the press.

Nation

UNIZIK Lecturers Protest Non-Payment Of Salaries For Five Years

Published

6 days ago

January 30, 2025

The Tide

About 1,000 lecturers of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka have protested non-payment of their salaries after five years of employment.
The protesting lecturers said a total of 12 of their colleagues, who were employed at the same period have died while waiting to be paid their emoluments.
Wielding placards with inscriptions to tell their stories, the lecturers appealed for payment of their salaries, saying that the current economic hardship in the country bites more on them and their families.
One of the affected lecturers, Mr Ibezim Echezona, said, “Our members are dying and we have buried 12 members so far, the last one was this year and this is someone that we saw last December and today she is no more and that is to tell you what we are going through due to non payment of our salaries for five to six years now.
“This problem is in the hands of the university because the IPPIS is no more. We demand an explanation. They should tell us if it is Abuja or the school management that is holding our salaries.”
Another staff who works at the Center for Disabilities And Special Needs Research, Mr Chukwuebuka Emmanuel said since his employment in 2019, he has not received any remuneration, yet he has been delivering services.
Emmanuel, a blind staff said: “We were employed since 2019 and till date we have not received any salary and initially we were told that the problem is with the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System IPPIS. Later the then Governing Council came on board and approved our payments and capturing, yet nothing came out of it.
“This has been affecting us generally not to talk of people with disabilities and it has not been easy as a family man taking care of his wife and children.
“If I remove my spectacle you can see that I am crying and we are owing our landlords and there is a limit at which the landlord can assist you and what do I tell my children when they demand school fees and other needs?
“We do not know those that are holding our salaries we do not know if it is the Federal government or the Ministry of Education or the University,” he said.

Nation

50% Telecom Tariff Hike: NLC Fixes Date For Nationwide Protest

Published

6 days ago

January 30, 2025

The Tide

Nigerian workers have announced February 4, 2025, as the date to embark on a nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications services tariff hike in the country.
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
This comes as the Nigerian Communications Commission on January 20, 2025, announced the approval for telecom companies to hike services tariffs by 50 percent.
The approval has sparked a wide tide of rejection by Nigerians, including the NLC.
In an update to press home their opposition against the telecom tariff hike, the NLC vowed to shut down the country through a nationwide protest.
This is part of its mobilisation against the planned 50 percent telecom tariff hike.
The Tide’s source noted that the nationwide protest was agreed on at the National Admini-strative Council, NAC, of the labour union.
The protest aims at sounding a note of warning to the government that workers would resist the planned hike as it would worsen the poverty level across the country.
Recall that NLC had, on January 22, rejected the 50 percent telecommunication tariffs hike approved by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.
The NLC said that the 50 percent tariff hike approval, at a time Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats.
“This decision, coming at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats,” the statement by NLC president, Joe Ajaero partly reads.
Earlier, Nigerians under the aegis of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers vowed to drag the Nigerian government and telcos to court over the 50 percent telecoms service tariff hike.
Meanwhile, the government had repeatedly justified the latest telecom tariff hike on rising inflation which stood at 34.80 percent in December.