In this report, PUNCH Online highlights this week’s biggest news stories from across the country.
The Federal Government retracted an official statement and suspended another announced policy. The continent has mourned the loss of a Nollywood icon, John Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu. and the bandits made a devastating comeback, raiding two schools in Kaduna and kidnapping students and teachers.
Here are highlights from the week’s biggest news stories from March 3 to 9, 2024.
- Mr. Ibu was mourned across Africa
![Mr. Ibu](https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/18222222/mr-ibu-e1631996541796.jpg)
![Mr. Ibu](https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/18222222/mr-ibu-e1631996541796.jpg)
Famous Nollywood actor John Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu has died at the age of 62.
He died on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at a Lagos hospital. The news of his death came shortly after the death of another actor, Quadri Oyebamiji aka Sisi Quadri.
Tributes have poured in from various quarters, with the Actors Guild of Nigeria and other actors expressing their condolences. Mr Ibu had suffered health problems, which led to the amputation of his legs, and his last years were marked by controversy and family feuds. It was widely mourned by the local media in Ghana, South Africa and other African countries. He leaves behind a legacy of laughter and memorable performances in Nollywood.
Attacks on warehouses and food trucks were reported in some parts of the country. Following the looting of warehouses in Abuja by suspected hoodlums, security has been tightened at National Emergency Management Agency warehouses across the country.
Police commands in various states have deployed personnel to protect warehouses and food outlets. The government has stressed the importance of maintaining social harmony and urged Nigerians to protest responsibly amid economic challenges.
In addition, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission intercepted 141 trucks attempting to smuggle grain and staples to neighboring countries. President Bola Tinubu directed that the intercepted trucks be diverted to local markets to stabilize prices.
![](https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/06031644/WhatsApp-Image-2024-03-05-at-7.59.25-PM.jpeg)
![](https://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/06031644/WhatsApp-Image-2024-03-05-at-7.59.25-PM.jpeg)
Meanwhile, truck drivers, facing frequent attacks by hoodlums, have threatened to strike if the situation continues. Attacks on trucks and warehouses have escalated amid rising food prices and cost-of-living challenges. Truck owners warned that continued attacks on their vehicles could lead to disruption of food and fuel transport. They called for enhanced security measures and urged state governments to address the issue to avoid further disruptions to supply chains.
The government aims to address food shortages through long-term measures, including partnerships with organizations such as the World Food Program and initiatives to boost agricultural productivity.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, attributes the food shortage to factors such as smuggling, floods and political decisions.
The Federal Government has threatened to revoke the licenses of electricity distribution companies that deliberately fail to supply electricity to consumers, leading to widespread blackouts across Nigeria.
Despite the efforts of the Ministry of Power and power generation companies, many DisCos are failing to distribute power supplied to them by the Transmission Corporation of Nigeria.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, expressed dismay at the reduction in power supply and warned of serious consequences, including license revocation, for willful non-performance by Disco.
The government aims to prioritize repair work on damaged transmission infrastructure to improve power supply in affected areas.
Recent figures showed that DisCos failed to distribute about 1,769.91 megawatts of electricity between February 1 and 14, 2024. Adelabu called on DisCos and TCN to address the poor state of power supply and reiterated plans to settle outstanding debts to generation companies electricity and natural gas. He urged electricity consumers to remain patient as efforts are made to improve the power supply situation in Nigeria.
In Kaduna State, over 280 students and teachers from the Government Secondary and LEA Primary School in Kuriga have been abducted by bandits.
The attack came shortly after insurgents kidnapped 200 internally displaced women in Borno State.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has assured the community that efforts are underway to rescue the abductees, while Amnesty International and other groups have called for immediate action from the government to ensure the safe return of the students and teachers.
Negotiations for the release of the abducted students and teachers have begun, PUNCH Online reported on Saturday. The state government has hired a prominent negotiator with a track record of facilitating such releases. At the same time, the army has launched search operations in the forests to locate the victims.
- Minimum wage and regional inequality
It’s been a week all about the minimum wage as workers in different states have come up with different numbers for the new minimum wage. In the South West, the Nigeria Labor Congress proposed a minimum wage of N794,000 while the Trade Union suggested N447,000. In the Federal Capital Territory and North-Central region, workers demanded N709,000 as the minimum wage. In contrast, in the North West, the workers demanded N485,000.
The North East saw varied proposals, with Taraba and Gombe states proposing N60,000, Bauchi and Adamawa states demanding a 50% increase in the current salary and Borno and Yobe states agreeing to accept the final proposal of the presidential tripartite committee.
In the South-South, the workers proposed N850,000, while the South-East proposed N540,000, with the Enugu State TUC proposing N447,000. These different proposals highlight the complexities of setting a uniform minimum wage that addresses the varying economic realities and cost of living in Nigeria’s regions.
- Reversal I: Homogeneous Employment Contribution
The Federal Government’s introduction of the Expatriate Employment Levy has faced a sudden setback as it has suspended its implementation barely a week after it was launched by President Bola Tinubu. The levy is a financial contribution imposed on employers who hire foreign workers. Companies are required to pay $15,000 for expatriate directors and $10,000 for other categories.
Offenses such as failure to submit EEL, failure to register an employee, providing false information or failure to renew EEL within 30 days can attract fines of up to N3 million per offence.
The abrupt suspension came amid widespread criticism from private sector groups, citing concerns over possible negative effects on Foreign Direct Investment and economic stability, particularly the devaluation of the naira.
- Reversal II: UAE visa Reversal
The announcement of the lifting of visa restrictions for Nigerian travelers from the United Arab Emirates initially made headlines, only to be quickly retracted. Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, shared a document online saying the suspension had been lifted, sparking widespread attention.
However, shortly after, Onanuga clarified that the UAE had not resumed issuing visas to Nigerians and dismissed the circulated document as not authorized by either government.
This sequence of events left many wondering and questioning the credibility of official communications.
Moreover, the setback reflects a broader pattern of diplomatic uncertainty between Nigeria and the UAE.
The UAE has banned citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations from entering its borders in 2022.