As a move to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has assured Nigerian workers of readiness of government to review salaries of its workers.
He gave the assurance when he received Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji and members of the National Assembly from the state at the National Assembly.
Akpabio also noted that the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration was to address corruption in the petroleum sector. He said the removal was the beginning of fighting corruption in the system.
“Nigeria as a country would not have survived the next few years if the fuel subsidy had not been removed, adding, salaries and wages of workers would be reviewed in order to ensure that Nigerians have a living wage.”
He told the governor that “the Senate is very proud of your representatives in the 10th National Assembly. They are committed and dedicated members of the legislature and that means the people of Ekiti, the “Land of Knowledge” have a lot to offer this country particularly, the Senate. We will work with Ekiti State for the overall benefit of Nigerians”, he declared
•COEASU directs members to work 2 days in a week
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has directed its members nationwide to go to work two days weekly until the Federal Government yields to its demand of 200 per cent increase in salary.
In a statement by COEASU National President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, said the decision was reached at the union’s extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday, amidst the difficulty of its members to get to work as a result of hike in the price of petrol.
According to him, the implementation of removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government two months ago raised the price of a litre of petrol by 250 per cent.
“This worsened the inflationary rate on the cost of transportation, food and other essential commodities and impoverished the Nigerian people.
“Workers, including staff of colleges of education, kept faith with government and chose to endure the untold hardship thinking it would be only for a while as government promised to roll out palliative measures.
“Alas! while our capabilities to sustain hope were already exhausted, the price of petrol rose further to N650 per litre.
“Now, the leadership of the union has been inundated by members’ complaints that they could no longer go to work as a result of hike in the price of petrol and resultant high cost of transportation.”
Olugbeko explained that it became inevitable for the union to direct members to go to work only two days weekly.
He added that an emergency NEC meeting would be convened to ratify the decision to decide the specific days of the week members were to go to work.
• Diri unveils 106 vehicles
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has unveiled a new transport scheme in a bid to alleviate the suffering of commuters in the state occasioned.
Governor Diri, who inaugurated 100 cabs and six luxury buses at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall premises said the initiative was his administration’s palliative to boost the transportation sector.
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, acknowledged the hardship on Bayelsans due to the removal of the subsidy on petrol.
He also reaffirmed that the restriction on commercial tricycles at night was still in force and that the taxis and buses were an effective replacement.
Governor Diri, who said his Prosperity Administration had completed and inaugurated the Bayelsa State Transport Terminal started by his predecessor, stressed that the launch of the transport scheme will make the terminal functional.
His words: “This is another historic day as we launch this fleet of transport vehicles to alleviate the suffering of our people.
“For those who have been crying over the ban on commercial tricycles at night, this is an effective replacement. The ban is however still in force.
“Now, we have taxis that will run within the city of Yenagoa and environs to the Niger Delta University at Amassoma, to the airport and the Federal University, Otuoke and other towns.
“I appreciate all Bayelsans for their patience. You know that your government has your welfare at heart.”
The Bayelsa helmsman called on youths of the state to take full advantage of the initiative to empower themselves just as he projected that over 100 youths would be engaged as drivers in the intra-state and intra-city transport scheme.
While handing over the keys of the vehicles to General Manager of the Bayelsa State Transport Company, (BSTC), Chief Timi Fanama, the governor stressed that the new arrangement will be different from previous government’s transport initiatives in the state and urged the management to make good use of the vehicles to enhance the transport system.
Commissioner for Transport, Grace Ekiotene, thanked the governor for inaugurating the scheme to cushion the effect of the hardship faced by Bayelsans as a result of the subsidy removal.
•Niger assembly urges reduction of working days
The Niger State House of Assembly has urged the State government to reduce the number of working days for civil servants to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal. The Assembly made the call in a resolution following a matter of urgent public importance raised by Mr Nasir Umar, member representing Paiko Constituency during plenary .
Speaker of the House, Mr Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, while reading the resolution, called on government to as a matter of urgency, reduce numbers of working days for civil servants. He also urged the executive arm to put in place necessary measures that would cushion the hardship experienced by residents of the state as result of removal of fuel subsidy.
Earlier, Umar explained that the removal of fuel subsidy had brought untold hardship on residents especially civil servants.
The lawmaker urged the state government to emulate some states that had come up with measures to alleviate the sufferings of people.
Umar also moved a motion calling on the house to direct the state Ministry for Education and the state Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) take measures to avert the collapse of UK Bello Memorial Primary School in Paiko.
He said that the one storey building primary school, which comprised of eight classrooms was poorly constructed and was at a verge of collapse.
Umar noted that if nothing was done to avert the impending disaster, the lives of about 2, 300 pupils and 84 teachers were at stake.
He stated that the head teacher of the school had raised several compliant to NSUBEB through the education secretary over the deplorable condition of the building to no avail.
He, however, urged the house to direct the concerned authorities to act with immediate effect in order to avert collapse of the building.