Breaking News: Edo to verify, pay arrears of batch 40 pensioners from Jan 24

In continuation of the phased payment of pension arrears in the state, the Edo State Government has called on pensioners in batch 40 to present themselves for physical and documentary verification from January 23 to 24 at Imaguero School Hall, Benin City.

In a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary/Chairman, Pensions Bureau, I.D.S Juwobor, the state government said the exercise will also afford pensioners in batches 37, 38 and 39, who missed previous verification exercises, the opportunity to be screened and get their records taken to facilitate payment of their arrears.

According to him, “Affected pensioners are advised to check the list of pensioners in the batches at the office of the Head of Service on January 22 and 23. They are to come to the venue of the verification exercise with the following: pension authority, retirement letter, letter of first appointment, pension identity card, biometric slip and bank details including bank name and account number.”

He said upon conclusion of the verification exercise, outstanding pension arrears will be credited into each pensioner’s account, “without delay after due process and documentation by relevant agencies involved in the payment process.

Recall that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration opted for the phased payment of pension arrears after it met a backlog of about N10 billion. The phased payment of the arrears has reduced the arrears by about N6 billion, providing succour to pensioners whose arrears accrued from 1996 to 2000.

BREAKING NEWS: Nigerians react as popular media alleges that Buhari is suffering speech impairment in London

- According to unconfirmed sources, President Buhari might be unable to speak as a result of his illness - The news report says he might also be suffering from memory lapses as he stays back in London to manage his ill health - 

The president who has been away for 45 days is said to be out of touch with the aides who traveled with him If reports from Sahara Reporters are to be believed, President Muhammad Buhari has developed speech difficulties, although the report is yet to be confirmed or corroborated. The president left Nigeria 45 days ago in order to resume treatment for an undisclosed medical condition and has not been heard from since then. The report went further to say he is also suffering memory lapses as a result of his ill health. 

Southern Leaders Demand Withdrawal Of Igbo Quit Notice

Some leaders of the South-West, South-East and South-South on Sunday, June 18, demanded the withdrawal of the three-month ultimatum issued Ndigbo residing in the North by a coalition of northern youth groups.

The southern leaders who met behind closed door at the Lekki home of Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo berated the Federal Government for not employing the country’s constitution in addressing the inciting position of the northern groups.

The southern leaders said the failure of the Federal Government to move against the Arewa groups suggested that the youths were not acting alone but had the backing of the northern leadership.

The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, which was endorsed by Adebanjo (South-West), retired Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (South-East) and Chief Albert Horsfall (South-South), was later read to newsmen by the spokesperson for the Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin.

‘Arewa Youths Asking Igbos To Leave The North Is The End Of Nigeria’

The southern leaders said they viewed the ultimatum as a product of the country’s unresolved nationality problem and expressed displeasure at what they described as the attempt by the Federal Government to narrow the issue down to a problem between the North and the South with the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, holding meetings with the leaders from the two regions.

They argued that unless the problem of the country’s federalism was addressed, there were bound to be increased sectional agitations.

The southern leaders said, “We reject the attempt to reduce the current crisis in Nigeria flowing from the unresolved nationality question to an Igbo and North affair with the patterns of the meetings being held by the acting President to resolve the matter. Any further discussions on this crisis should be between the entire South and the North of Nigeria and the South-East is advised not to consider any further meeting where the South-South and the South-West are not involved because the issues involved affect all of us.

“We also demand that the Arewa youths and their sponsors must withdraw the quit notice given to the people of South-East as failure to do so will be taken as an ultimatum to the entire South to quit their region and any attack on any section of the South will be considered as an attack against the entire southern Nigeria.

2019: ‘It Is Igbo Presidency Or Nothing’ – Ohanaeze Youths Warn

“We, therefore, advise the Federal Government to take it seriously and live up to the primary responsibility of any government which is to protect the live and property of every citizen of Nigeria wherever he or she may reside.”

The southern leaders also gave the Federal Government the ultimatum to revisit the report of the 2014 National Conference before October 1, 2017.

“We reaffirm our resolve in the implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference aimed at a complete transformation and restructuring of our country and to build and consolidate Nigeria’s unity through national solidarity, peaceful and harmonious coexistence, progress and genuine developments.