The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has expressed concerns regarding the ability of Local Governments (LGs) to pay the newly proposed minimum wage of N70,000 to primary school teachers. This worry arises from the fact that many LGs have yet to implement the previous N30,000 minimum wage.

In several states, including Nasarawa, Enugu, Zamfara, Borno, Yobe, and Kogi, local government employees have not received a pay increase since 2011, when the N18,000 minimum wage was introduced.

Mike Ene, the NUT’s General Secretary, pointed out that some states have not implemented the N18,000 minimum wage for local-level teachers, with some governors arguing that teachers are employed by the local governments. Ene stressed the need for a uniform implementation of the minimum wage, emphasizing that there should be no differentiation.

Regarding the new minimum wage, Hakeem Ambali, President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), reassured that once Local Government autonomy is realized, the wage will be fully implemented. He pointed out that governors had previously claimed that local governments were autonomous, which hindered negotiations for LG workers’ wages. However, with the implementation of LG autonomy, this issue would be resolved.

Additionally, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set a December deadline for all states to implement the new minimum wage, which is expected to increase pressure on state governments to comply. In Kwara State, the Speaker of the House of Assembly has suggested removing primary school teachers’ salaries from the local government budget to ensure timely payment.

States that did not implement the previous N18,000 minimum wage include:

– Abia
– Adamawa
– Bauchi
– Nasarawa
– Kogi
– Sokoto
– Taraba
– Yobe
– Zamfara
– Imo
– Gombe

In other news, the federal government is preparing to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments. Hakeem Ambali, the NULGE president, stated that the committee formed by federal, state, and local authorities had completed their discussions and signed the technical document. He added that President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the document, and the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) will begin disbursing funds in line with the Supreme Court’s decision.

The Chairman of Aguiyi Ironsi International Market Association, Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma, is currently facing serious legal trouble over his alleged attempt to rig the upcoming market election. The Lagos State High Court has extended an earlier order barring him from conducting the election on November 16, 2024, due to concerns over his appointment of biased electoral committee members.

On October 8, 2024, Justice A.M. Lawal issued a ruling against Onyebinanma, prohibiting him from proceeding with the election. The court extended the order by another 21 days, as part of an interlocutory injunction filed under suit number ID/8580GCM/2024. This extension comes in response to claims that Onyebinanma has been actively campaigning and appointing electoral committee members in defiance of the court’s original ruling.

In addition to being barred from conducting the election, Onyebinanma is now facing possible jail time for contempt of court, after forms 48 and 49 were filed for his committal due to his alleged disregard for the court’s injunction.

The suit, filed by Kelechi Oputa, Emeka Ifeora, and Chimezie Eke, seeks to prevent Onyebinanma from proceeding with the election. The court’s restraining order explicitly prohibits any actions by Onyebinanma or his associates that could affect the election or be detrimental to the interests of the applicants.

The court’s ruling has paved the way for the Mushin Local Government to organize a peaceful election, and it has invalidated Onyebinanma’s appointed electoral committee. The order was issued to prevent any potential disorder in the market, where traders were concerned that Onyebinanma’s election would be manipulated in his favor.

Despite the court order, Onyebinanma allegedly ignored the injunction, continued appointing committee members, and distributed election forms to candidates, as his opponents stayed away due to the legal restriction. This has sparked celebrations among traders, who were aware that Onyebinanma’s actions were designed to secure a victory for himself.

Onyebinanma and his supporters were reportedly taken aback by the latest legal developments and were said to have planned to push forward with the election, allegedly even arranging for thugs to disrupt the market proceedings.

Security agencies, including the Police and DSS, have intervened, summoning the parties involved and urging them to adhere to the rule of law. It remains uncertain whether Onyebinanma will comply with the latest court order.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Nigeria on Saturday, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the country in 17 years.

This visit comes at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

During his trip, Prime Minister Modi will engage in talks aimed at enhancing the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria and identifying new opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation.

He is also expected to address the Indian community in Nigeria.

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shri G. Balasubramanian, emphasized the long-standing strategic ties between the two nations, which have strengthened since 2007, with growing collaboration in energy, defense, and economic sectors.

He added that over 200 Indian companies have invested more than $27 billion in critical sectors within Nigeria.

India and Nigeria share a strong development cooperation relationship, and Prime Minister Modi has prioritized Africa, with Nigeria being a central focus of India’s engagement in West Africa. This will be his first visit to the region, starting with Nigeria.

In a recent briefing, Periasamy Kumaran, the Special Secretary of Economic Relations and Development Partners Administration at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, discussed India’s commitment to the Global South, representing 85% of the world’s population.

He highlighted that India’s trade volume with Africa is valued at $100 billion, with cumulative investments exceeding $75 billion.

Kumaran also described India’s development partnerships as people-centered, tailored to specific needs, and expressed the country’s readiness to share its expertise across various developmental sectors.