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Italian envoy pledges synergy with NCPC

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Blessing Wika, Abuja

The Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Ambassador Stefanor DE LEO has pledged his support and cooperation for the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, NCPC in its efforts to airlift intending pilgrims to Rome.

He disclosed this in Abuja on 23rd September, 2022 while playing host to the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

The Envoy assured the NCPC boss that he would continue to cooperate and support the activities of the Commission especially in the area of visa procurement for intending pilgrims in line with the operational guidelines of the Embassy.

He affirmed that Italy and Nigeria have robust bilateral relationship that has spanned decades.

Amb. Sefano DE LEO further reiterated that the Italian Embassy in Abuja functions separately from the Italian Consulate in Lagos which operates independently as far as visa procurement is concerned.

He stressed the need for effective collaboration between the Embassy, the Commission and the Consulate.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Rev Dr Yakubu Pam said he was at the Embassy to seek further collaboration with the Ambassador.

He thanked him for all the support the Commission had enjoyed under his leadership since he assumed duty as the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria. He promised to strengthen such mutually beneficial relationship.

The NCPC helmsman intimated his guest that the Commission plans to embark on a Pilgrimage exercise to Rome and Israel on 16th October, 2022.

He hinted that the planned Pilgrimage exercise to Rome would afford the pilgrims the opportunity to have Papal audience with the Holy SEE at the Vatican.

The NCPC boss sought the cooperation of His Excellency to facilitate visa procurement for intending pilgrims to Rome.

Rev Pam affirmed that the Commission and the Embassy have long standing relationship on pilgrimage over the years.

The NCPC boss was accompanied on the courtesy visit by the Director of Operations, Mr. Abu Okpanachi, the Head, Media and Public Relations, Mr. Celestine Toruka, the Head Consular unit, Mr. Frank Chukwurah and the Head of Protocol, Mrs. Charlene Makai.

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FAAN starts sales of E-Tags at airports

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The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it has started the sales of e-tags at airports.

FAAN confirmed this in a statement on Friday. “Following the presidential directive that all citizens are mandated to pay for e-tags at all the 24 federal airports across the country, we wish to inform the general public that the e-tags are available for sale from Friday, 17th May 2024 at the following locations,” it said.

“Lagos: Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, Terminal 1, 5th Floor) Office of HOD Commercial. Contact: 08033713796 or 08023546030.

“Abuja: Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, HOD Commercial Office (General Aviation Terminal) Contact: 08034633527 or 08137561615.”

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FG, Labour to reconvene next week over minimum wage negotiation

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The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage will reconvene on Tuesday, May 23 to further negotiate a reasonable new minimum wage for workers, after the organised labour walked out of the negotiation on May 15.

An invitation letter sent to the labour leaders by the chairman of the committee, Bukar Goni, states that the other members of the committee have agreed to shift grounds from the N48,000 proposal which was made on Wednesday.

The letter appealed to the labour leaders to speak to their members and attend the reconvened meeting next Tuesday.

The organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have proposed a new minimum wage of N615,000, which is way higher than the N48,000 proposal by the government.

The organised private sector, on the other hand, proposed an initial offer of N54,000. After dumping the talks, the labour leaders addressed a press conference where they expressed their anger over the Federal Government’s offer.

They blamed the government and the private sector for the breakdown in negotiation.

The Federal Government had failed to present a nationally acceptable minimum wage to Nigerians before the May 1 Labour Day.

The situation has forced labour to be at loggerheads with the government. In the wake of the tussle, the NLC President Joe Ajaero insisted on the N615,000 minimum wage, arguing that the amount was arrived at after an analysis of the economic situation worsened by the hike in the cost of living and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.

Ajaero and labour leaders have given the Federal Government a May 31 deadline to meet their demands.

On January 30, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the 37-member  tripartite committee to come up with a new minimum wage.

With its membership cutting across federal, and state governments, the private sector, and organised labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.

During the committee’s inauguration, the Vice President urged the members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early.

“This timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” Shettima said.

The 37-man committee is chaired by the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Goni Aji.

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Tinubu appoints governing board members for 111 tertiary institutions

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointments of at least 555 persons to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

This followed Tinubu’s assent to a list of nominees selected by the Ministry of Education.

It was signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.

“The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9:00am daily,” said Walson-Jack.

When contacted for confirmation, the Presidency said the list emanated from the Ministry of Education.

“This is from the Federal Ministry of Education…they make the nominations and forward them to the President to sign. But they are at liberty to release it from their end,” the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told our correspondent on Saturday.

The appointments come days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities had threatened to embark on another strike, potentially disrupting the academic calendar and causing further setbacks in the country’s higher education sector.

The union, on Tuesday, decried the failure of the Federal Government to appoint Governing Councils for federal universities.

The union also faulted what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to matters about academics in federal universities.

The body of academics, during a briefing at the University of Abuja, also faulted the 35 per cent salary increment for professors and the 25 per cent salary increment for other academics in the university system.

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