News
Nigerian Embassay Staff In Washington, US Protest Non-Payment Of Salaries
The Nigerian Embassy in Washington is open and fully operational, acting ambassador, Hakeem Balogun, has said.
“The embassy works as normal; as we’re talking now, I’m still at the office working. So it is not correct for anybody to say that the embassy is shut down; there was nothing like that.”
“But there was a sit-in by some local staff who said they would not work over some arrears but it wasn’t as if the embassy was shut down. Even some of those who were supposed to embark on sit-in were still working and did not join their colleagues.”
“They have been paid up till March 2017 but there were some arrears of October to December 2016 that were yet to be paid. It was just an agitation to draw attention to the three months arrears owed them but not only them, some ministry staff were also affected. But what they have done was to cry out about the arrears for everybody to hear and everybody has now heard,” Balogun said.
The Nigerian envoy explained that the Federal Government was making efforts to clear the arrears and ensure that salaries and allowances were up-to-date.
According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the issue and other challenges facing the embassy and is gradually addressing them. “The ministry is making every effort to ensure the arrears are paid and you will recall that the virement was sent to the National Assembly for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari. “Now the virement has been approved. As soon as the money is released, all arrears will be paid,” Balogun said.
News
‘Betty Akeredolu dumped me after I served for 7 years on N45k monthly pay’ — makeup artist cries out
Folashade Anu, the beauty expert, has lamented that she was paid N45,000 monthly while working for seven years as a makeup artist for Betty Akeredolu, the former first lady of Ondo.
Anu, in a recent interview with Olujimi Adekanle, the news presenter in Ondo, also said she sometimes worked as a personal assistant to the wife of the late Rotimi Akeredolu, former Ondo governor.
The makeup artiste claimed she was paid N50,000 per month but 10 percent of her salary was automatically deducted as a contribution to the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), an organisation founded by Betty.
“I worked for Her Excellency (Mrs Betty Akeredolu) for over seven years. When I was going, she did not give me anything,” said Anu as she broke down in tears.
“I worked with her for seven years as her makeup artist. I used to make her hair and do her pedicure when she was still making her hair.
“I was paid N50,000 then, but I usually gave back N5,000 to BRECAN. They would have deducted the N5,000 before the salary was paid. They called it ‘give back to BRECAN’.
“Another N100 was also usually deducted as charges.”
This is Folashade Adu the makeup artist for the former First Lady of Ondo State for 7 years who was placed on N45k salary a month, she was discarded after the demise of the former Governor without nothing, listen to her story.
— Olóyè T.D Esq (@BolanleCole) April 24, 2024
By Olujimi Adekanle JAF. pic.twitter.com/9bZs3ib0r1
The makeup artist said she stopped working for Betty after her husband was buried.
Anu claimed that after Akeredolu’s burial, she solicited help from the former first lady but Betty refused, adding “I was no longer in office”.
“I texted Betty Akeredolu that I needed help and that she was my last hope, that she should render help to me, but she said there was no help she could render because she was now out of the office,” she added.
“I usually reach out to her to help me. She once told me that since I have a passport, she would take me out of the country, but till now, nothing.”
News
LG polls: Oyo declares today as half-work day for civil servants
The Oyo state government has declared Friday as a half-work day for all civil and public servants in the state ahead of the LGAs election on Saturday.
In a statement on Thursday, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, special adviser on media to Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, said the declaration of the half-work day was to enable workers to participate in the election.
Olanrewaju said government offices would close by noon, noting that workers on essential services are expected to remain at their duty posts.
He said the state government enjoined all civil and public servants to go out and exercise their civic rights on Saturday.
The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has assured that the LGAs polls would be hitch-free and credible.
Speaking recently during a radio programme, Isiaka Olagunju, OYSIEC Chairman, said only citizens with voter cards are eligible to vote.
He added that no other form of identification would be recognised, noting that additional polling units have been created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a smooth exercise.
He also said electoral violence would be prevented, assuring that all LGAs would receive election materials before Friday to guide against incidence of late arrival.
News
FAAN diverts flights as fire breaks out at Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Flight operations at terminal one of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have been diverted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the D Wing following a fire outbreak at the facility.
Obiageli Orah, director, public affairs and consumer protection, FAAN, said the incident happened in the early hours of Thursday.
In a statement, Orah said at “05:29 hrs, smoke was detected billowing from the E54 Bridge, leading electrical engineers to immediately cut off power to the entire E Wing”.
“The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 05:30 hrs. Initial suspicions point to sparks from an electrical unit as the cause, but a thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire,” she said.
“The incident, which had escalated into a fire, was brought under control by 06:41 hrs. Efforts to ventilate the smoke from the building are in progress.”
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