‘It’s embarrassing’ — Atiku’s aide chides presidency over UAE visa ban lift claim

Phrank Shaibu, an aide to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, says the claim by the presidency that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had lifted a visa ban on Nigerians – when it had not – embarrassed the country. Last week, Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, said the Middle Eastern country had lifted the ban after President Bola Tinubu met with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

However, a UAE official contradicted the claims by the federal government. In a statement on Sunday, Shaibu said the “false” claim by Tinubu’s government announcing that UAE had lifted the visa ban imposed on Nigerians is “just the tip of the iceberg”. “Last month, the NNPC claimed to have obtained a loan of $3bn with which it would help stabilise the naira,” he said.

“We raised the alarm that it was all a ruse to deceive Nigerians. Now, we have been justified as the naira is now approaching $1/N1,000 on the black market. “After his trip to the UAE, Tinubu claimed the visa ban had been lifted immediately. Now, they have shifted the goalpost after the UAE authorities revealed that the news was false. “This is the sort of embarrassment Nigeria will continue to attract in this season of balablu.

“The report by FTSE revealed that Tinubu’s so-called FX unification policy was failing and Nigeria was degraded from frontier market to unclassified.” Shaibu said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government has not put adequate relief in place since the removal of the petrol subsidy. “Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy without any plan whatsoever and decided to hand over a few bags of rice to millions of poor Nigerians,” he said. “Till date, the minimum wage remains N30,000 or $31 per month based on the parallel market exchange rate.”

 

SOURCE: The Cable

 

 

Nigeria Labour Congress to Resume Talks with Federal Government Over Strike

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is set to engage in discussions with the Federal Government (FG) today in Abuja over palliatives for workers. POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the meeting was confirmed by NLC’s General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja. Its outcome will determine whether or not the NLC will proceed with its planned indefinite strike after the expiration of its 21-day ultimatum to the government to meet its demands. The deadline ends on Thursday.

The NLC’s demands include the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the FG, including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salaries of university teachers and workers as well as the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).

The meeting was convened at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong. The minister had on September 4 invited the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for talks to avert a two-day warning strike which held September 5 and 6. The NLC shunned the meeting.

According to the NLC, the decision of the congress followed the “failure of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to dialogue and engage stakeholders within the organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol on the poor masses.”

 

SOURCE: Politics Nigeria