NFSS: Senate Vows Quick Passage Of Forest Security Service Bill

NFSS: Senate vows quick passage of forest security service bill. He commended the leadership of NFSS under Mr Osatimehin for successes its operatives had recorded across the country.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, says the upper chamber will address the issue of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) Bill to ensure its passage into law without further delay.

Mr Jibrin stated this when the commander-general of NFSS, Joshua Osatimehin, and a team of top officers of the service  visited him in Abuja.

He said that Nigeria urgently needed the services of NFSS in its efforts to rid the country of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and related crimes usually perpetrated within the forests.

He commended the leadership of NFSS under Mr Osatimehin for successes its operatives had recorded across the country.

Mr Jibrin said the bill, when passed into law,  would enable NFSS to fully complement other security agencies like the military, police, office of the national security adviser and the State Security Service in tackling insecurity.

“We want to appreciate you and your officers and men for what you are doing so far.
“The contributions you are making in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and related crimes, has helped the country a lot.

“It is, therefore, easy to understand that signing of the Nigeria Forest Security Service Bill into law will enable you to do more.” he said.

He said it is important to have a fully funded and well-equipped service dedicated to manning the forests which would not allow criminals to operate within them.

The deputy senate president said that  activities of the NFSS would benefit Nigeria, and pledged to ensure the bill establishing the service was signed soonest before the Senate’s recess.

Earlier, the  NFSS commander-general said the visit was to consult and brief the deputy senate president on the need for the bill to be signed into law soonest.

Mr Osatimehin said NFSS operatives had begun complimenting other security agencies,  especially in intelligence gathering and sharing with security agencies as well as arrest and handover of criminals.
He said the service had contributed immensely to the successes recorded in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.

According to him, NFSS has established functional command and control offices in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with thousands of operatives recruited and deployed.
Mr Osatimehin said  the NFSS law would boost the morale of its officers and men.

He said the staff had already been proving their capacity to execute their responsibilities, with the training received from several security agencies.

Senate

The deputy commander-general in charge of Intelligence, John Metchie, in his remarks, thanked Mr Jibrin for pledging to  ensure quick passage of the NFSS bill.

Mr Metchie, also the African director, International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), commended the National Assembly for supporting the NFSS bill.

He urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other critical stakeholders to collaborate and ensure that President Bola Tinubu signed the NFSS bill.

He said it would add value to the collective efforts to secure the forested and ungoverned areas of Nigeria.

Judiciary Approves One-Week Easter Break For Workers In Lagos

Judiciary approves one-week Easter break for workers in Lagos. The Lagos state judiciary has approved a one-week break for its workers  for the celebration of the 2025 Easter vacation.

This is contained in a statement by Tajudeen Elias, acting chief registrar on Sunday in Lagos.

According to the statement, Kazeem Alogba, Chief Judge of the state, approved April 18 to April 25, as holiday for judicial workers, for the celebration.

The statement noted that workers were expected to resume work on April 28.
“Arrangements for dealing with urgent causes  during the break are that each judge will deal with all urgent applications,  related to any substantive cause already assigned to them.

Lagos

“In any urgent application, the substantive cause of which has not already been assigned, will be dealt with by the judge to whom the application is specifically assigned.”

The statement added that notwithstanding, the provision of Order 49, Rule 4, stipulates that any cause or matter, may be heard by a judge during the period of the vacation, where such a cause or matter was urgent.

”This, is provided that the condition prescribed by Order 49 Rule 5, shall be observed and complied with.”

Government Reaffirms Commitment To Welfare Of Doctors, Tertiary Institution Workers In Bayelsa

Government reaffirms commitment to welfare of doctors, tertiary institution workers in Bayelsa. “This administration will not play with workers’ welfare. We will continue to treat them fairly,” he said.

Bayelsa deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has assured members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and workers of state-owned tertiary institutions of the state government’s continued commitment to their welfare.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo gave the assurance at separate meetings with the executives of the state’s  branch of the NMA and representatives of the various state-owned tertiary institutions, in Yenagoa on Sunday.

The deputy governor said that the Gov. Douye Diri-led administration had never treated issues concerning workers with levity right from its inception in 2020.

He said that the Bayelsa government was among the first few states that approved and immediately implemented the current minimum wage, because it believed every worker was worthy of a fair wage.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo assured the NMA and workers in the state-owned tertiary institutions that the present administration would continue to ensure that no worker was deprived of his or her legitimate entitlement.

On the issue of upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) for medical doctors, he clarified that it would be addressed through the Minimum Wage Implementation Committee and directed the NMA to nominate two of its members to be part of the committee.

He decried the situation where some labour unions issue ultimatums for strike in the midst of negotiations, describing such practice as illegal and alien to the extant labour laws of the country.

He said: “first of all, I want to state this. I am not too sure that any labour law states that while negotiations are going on you give an ultimatum or warning for going on strike. It is never done anywhere.

“There are conditions or precedents leading to strike. One of them is that there is a complete breakdown of negotiations. Our negotiations are still ongoing, so your notice of warning strike is not justified.

“Our high-powered Committee on the Review of Implementation of the New Minimum Wage is working round the clock to address all the issues arising from the implementation in the state.

“This administration will not play with workers’ welfare. We will continue to treat them fairly.

“It would interest you to know that Bayelsa is one of the few states in the country that have implemented the new National Minimum Wage so far,” he said.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo directed all state-owned tertiary institutions to pay revenues from registration and school fees to a dedicated bank account.

He added that the move would, among other benefits, help to improve the internally generated revenue of the state.

Douye Diri-led

The deputy governor urged academics not to rest on their oars to produce quality graduates for industry, leadership and academia.
Earlier, the chairman of the NMA, Bayelsa Branch, Wilcox Izibeya, lamented the avoidable exodus of qualified medical personnel from Bayelsa.

He called on the government to quickly address the issue of reviewing CONMESS and the payment of the accruable arrears.

Also, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Niger Delta University,  Allen Agih, and his counterpart  in The University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Solomon Ebobrah, welcomed the policy initiative and called on government to create opportunities to meet more frequently.