News
UK election gives hope to first-time immigrant voters
Voting for the first time in a British election, Prathesh Panjak and other immigrant voters are excited to take part in the July 4 ballot, hoping they can influence change in the country that they have chosen to call home.
The opposition Labour Party is widely expected to win by a landslide, replacing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party which has been in power for 14 years.
Refugees and immigrants from Commonwealth countries, mainly former territories of the British Empire such as Nigeria, India, and Malaysia, are eligible to vote in British elections.
Panjak, 27, who came to Britain in February, last year, said he was excited to cast his vote after missing the election in his native India.
“In my country, they don’t allow people from other countries to vote … I came here on a student visa, but they are giving us an opportunity, like British citizens,” said Panjak who works part-time as an ambassador at his university in Manchester, northwest England.
Teh Wen Sun, a 33-year-old Malaysian student from Salford, not far from Manchester, said she did not see much difference between the two main parties, but she was keen to vote for a party that is more receptive to immigrants.
Immigration is an electoral battleground in Britain, with Sunak promising to cut net migration levels if the Conservatives win, amid concern from many British voters that it was too high and put excessive pressure on the state-run National Health Service, housing, and education.
Sunak has since tightened visa rules and made international headlines for a policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Oyinkansola Dirisu, 31, a support worker from Manchester who came to Britain in 2022, said she was looking forward to voting for Labour and said she wanted whoever won the power to make it easier for people like her to move to Britain.
Others, like Esther Offem, 26, who came from Nigeria last September, are still undecided: “None (of the parties) have done much in the areas I am most interested in.
“But at the moment, I would probably go for the Conservatives … I’m not sure yet.”
The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission Hussani Ishaq Magaji, SAN, has approved the distribution of palliatives (foodstuff) to the entire Staff of the Commission nationwide.
This commendable act took place yesterday at the Commission’s Headquarters.
Presenting the items to Staff, the Director Human Resources Mrs. Olayemi Oyeniyi who represented the Registrar-General revealed that the RG’s magnanimity was in line with his promise to prioritise staff welfare as captured in his 4-Point Agenda as well as his own way of felicitating staff on the recently observed Eid-el Adha celebrations.
Staff from various Departments and Units who were elated by the gesture expressed their gratitude to the RG and wished him the very best as he continues to pilot the Commission to greater heights.
…We won’t disappoint on judicial procedures – CJN assures Tinubu
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, led the groundbreaking for the new Court of Appeal complex in Dakibiyu, Abuja, marking a milestone in Nigeria’s judicial infrastructure development.
The state-of-the-art five-storey building will house ten courtrooms and offices, greatly expanding the Court’s capacity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Ariwoola expressed profound gratitude to Minister Nyesom Wike and the Federal Capital Development Authority for their visionary leadership and support.
“We appreciate the government’s commitment to strengthening the judicial system, ensuring access to justice, and promoting the rule of law in Nigeria,” he said.
FCT Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made judicial infrastructure a top priority.
“When I presented the memo, the President’s immediate response was ‘Approved!’ That speaks volumes about his commitment to the judiciary,” Wike said.
The Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, expressed concern that the judiciary has become inaccessible to all but the wealthy, while the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, commended Wike for fulfilling his promise and noted that the edifice will facilitate swifter justice in Nigeria.
NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, thanked Tinubu and Wike for initiating the long-awaited complex, 48 years after FCT’s creation, despite 16 past ministers neglecting the judiciary’s needs.
“Justice is essential to human existence, and we urge Court Justices to remain focused and eagle-like in administering justice to citizens,” Maikyau said.
“The new facilities will greatly enhance the Court’s functionality, and the judiciary is committed to utilising them effectively to serve the nation. The project is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year, and FCDA has pledged to maintain world-class engineering standards.
“This 37-billion-naira project has already been allocated 30 billion naira in the budget. I’m committed to delivering it within the scheduled time frame, not in two years as usual. We’ll get it done as planned, thanks to Mr. President’s vision and support,” Wike pledged.
Honourable Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, expressed gratitude to Barrister Nyesom Wike, Minister of FCT, and FCDA management for their support and vision. She also thanked guests, partners, and stakeholders for their contributions, acknowledging the organising team’s hard work.
She concluded by urging everyone to remain committed to justice, fairness, and the rule of law as they look forward to the completion of the Appeal Court complex in Abuja.
Executive Secretary of FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, in his address of welcome and project overview said the project is awarded to Messrs Visible Construction Nigeria Limited and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year.
He emphasised the project’s importance in fulfilling the administration’s commitment to providing a conducive working environment for judicial officers, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The complex will feature ten courtrooms, suites for justices, administrative offices, file rooms, and conveniences, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient judicial system. FCDA has pledged to maintain world-class engineering standards, urging the contractor and supervision team to deliver high-quality work and meet the expected timeline.
By Esther Agbo
Retirees from the now-defunct Nigeria Airways have formally requested President Bola Tinubu to reinstate them into the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS), aligning their pension benefits with those of other sectors.
In a letter endorsed by Stephen Onuh and Ahmed Sulugambari, the Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively, and addressed to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the retirees outlined their appeal.
The letter argued that re-enrollment in the DBS would ensure they receive pensions comparable to other retired civil servants.
Operating under the banner of the Airways Retired Workers of Nigeria, the retirees highlighted that until the airline’s dissolution in 2004 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, they were participants in the scheme. They contended that their removal from the DBS post-liquidation was contentious.
The petition emphasised that, contrary to expectations, the pensioners were not fully compensated and should receive payments for life. The group includes those who retired before and those affected by the 2004 liquidation.
“The N45 billion paid to our members were part-payment of our accumulated pension arrears for over 10 years. We were on the monthly pension payroll before the liquidation in September 2004.
”In pursuance to make sure that the pensioners are paid monthly pension, relevant government authorities have made interventions, directing that the pensioners be pay-rolled into the monthly pension scheme of the Federal Government,” the petition read.
It further mentioned that governmental bodies have previously intervened to ensure monthly pension payments for these retirees.
The Senate conducted a public hearing on pension matters in 2012, subsequently resolving that the retirees should be immediately added to the Federal Government’s monthly pension scheme. Additionally, in 2013, the House of Representatives urged the government to integrate these retirees into the monthly pension payroll.
However, the group claims this directive has been ignored by the authorities.
Labour predicted to win as British voters go to polls
Businesswoman arraigned for alleged N1.2m palm oil fraud
