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Osinbajo says civil servant deserves their own homes

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says every civil servant deserves to own a home as part of necessity to justify working and for better performance.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Friday, said the vice president spoke after receiving a briefing on the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The presentation was made by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan.

The meeting is a presidential level briefing of the reform process of the Federal Civil Service which has been on since 2017.

The reform is being led by Steering and Implementation Committees with membership drawn from the public and private sectors with the engagement of development partners.

According to Osinbajo, there is need to do something bold and big that will make a difference.

“It is evident that perhaps, for the first time in a long time, some very serious attention is being paid to all of the various issues in our civil service.

“I think that we should really do something that is bold, big and that will really make the difference in order to address some of the issues especially that of accommodation for civil servants.

“We can do much more with mass housing; we have a target now of 300,000 houses under our Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) social housing scheme.

“CBN has allocated N200 billion, but we have seen that we can provide mass housing, and we can make civil servants beneficiaries of the scheme.”

He said though the housing scheme was very modest, it was the kind of thing that could at least be done to begin to take into account, the fact that everybody who worked for the civil service deserves to live in their own home.

Osinbajo said that there must be a strategy for giving everybody a place to live in.

“It is a vital part of what we are trying to do; we must address it.

“A civil servant ought to be able to own a home, and justify to his family the reason why he went for the job,” he said.

Citing his experience while serving as Attorney General in Lagos State, Osinbajo said reforming the Lagos State Judiciary was done like fixing the welfare of federal civil servants. This was key to addressing challenges associated with productivity and corruption.

Yemi-Esan also presented a report on the implementation status of the Federal Civil Service Strategy Plan 2017-2021.

She identified staff welfare, particularly remuneration and housing, as areas that require better focus and urgent intervention by the Federal Government.

The head of service appealed for improved support, particularly in funding the implementation of successive strategy and implementation plans to overhaul the service for better productivity.

Yemi-Esan said the current reform in the Federal Civil Service had enabled government to save huge sums through the verification of personnel payroll and digitization of some operations, among others.

She said that her office would continue to lead the reform process as the 2021-2025 plan went forward to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

The meeting featured comments and observations on the proposed plan tabled on behalf of the Steering Committee, chaired by the Head of Service.

In attendance at the meeting were the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, Ministers of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed.

Others were Ministers of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem-Agba, and Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu.

The Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu, development partners, World Bank officials and the President of the Africa Initiative for Governance, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede also attended the meeting. (NAN)

 

 

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Business & Economy

Petrol Prices Rise to N1,040/Litre in Lagos, N1,080 in Abuja

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The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, has increased to as high as N1,040 per litre in Lagos and N1,080 per litre in Abuja, following a recent adjustment by fuel marketers.

The development comes a day after the Dangote Refinery raised its ex-gantry price of petrol to N995 per litre.

Checks on Saturday showed that several retail outlets across Lagos and Abuja had adjusted their prices upward.

At retail outlets operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in Ilasa, Apple Junction, and Ago Palace Way in Lagos, petrol was sold at N1,040 per litre, representing an increase of N47 from the previous price of N993 per litre.

Similarly, Emadeb Energy and PM Petroleum filling stations located along the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway were dispensing petrol at N1,040 per litre.

At a Techno Oil Limited retail outlet in Festac Town, the product was priced at N1,050 per litre, while stations operated by MRS Oil Nigeria Plc sold petrol at N1,057 per litre.

In Abuja, petrol was sold at N1,050 per litre at Gegu Oil Nigeria along the Kubwa Expressway, while Empire Energy filling stations dispensed the product at N1,080 per litre.

However, an outlet operated by Ardova Plc sold petrol at N959 per litre.

The latest increase comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have contributed to volatility in global crude oil prices.

On Friday, crude oil prices surged to $91 per barrel as the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran continued to escalate across the region.

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FG Bans Roadside Tax Collections, Orders Dismantling of Checkpoints

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The Federal Government has banned the collection of road taxes through roadside checkpoints and the use of tax stickers nationwide as part of sweeping tax reforms introduced in 2026.

The Joint Revenue Board (JRB) announced that all forms of roadside levies are now illegal, effectively ending a long-standing practice that required motorists to stop at checkpoints to make payments.

In a statement, the Board said the move is aimed at modernising tax administration, eliminating harassment of motorists, and improving transparency in revenue collection.

“This is a major win for motorists and a step toward transparent taxation,” the JRB stated, adding that security agencies have been directed to dismantle illegal checkpoints and ensure full compliance with the new law.

For years, motorists across the country were subjected to multiple levies under different designations, a situation that often created confusion and opened the door to alleged abuse and irregular collections.

Under the new framework, road tax stickers previously issued at state checkpoints are no longer valid, and motorists are not expected to make any payments related to road taxes on highways.

The government said the reform is designed to protect drivers from illegal collections, streamline tax administration under a centralised system, and promote voluntary compliance through a clearer and more accountable structure.

Security and enforcement agencies have been tasked with monitoring implementation to ensure that all roadside collections cease immediately.

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Ogun to Establish 5,000-Herd Dairy, Cattle Ranches in Ipokia, Yewa South — Abiodun

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Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans to establish what he described as the largest dairy and cattle ranches in Nigeria in Ipokia and Yewa South Local Government Areas of the state, with an initial capacity of 5,000 herds of cattle.

Abiodun made the disclosure on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) strategic stakeholders’ meeting held in Abeokuta.

He said the projects would be sited in Ogun State at the instance of President Bola Tinubu, adding that construction work would commence soon.

According to the governor, the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen food security, boost local agricultural production, and deepen value chains across the state.

“The biggest dairy and cattle ranches will soon be established in Yewa South and Ipokia Local Government Areas. This is at the instance of Mr. President. These farms will start with 5,000 herds of cattle, and work will begin very soon,” Abiodun said.

The governor commended Tinubu for what he described as bold economic reforms, noting that the policies had stabilised the foreign exchange market, eliminated multiple exchange-rate regimes, and increased Nigeria’s foreign reserves to about $45 billion.

Abiodun also acknowledged what he called the President’s goodwill towards Ogun State, citing federal interventions such as the reconstruction of the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Road, funding support for the Eba oil discovery, and the resuscitation of the OKLNG project.

“There is nothing I have asked Mr. President for Ogun State that he has not approved,” he said, adding that the President consistently directs investors to the state when they express interest in Nigeria.

The governor said the administration’s performance at the federal level had rekindled hope among Nigerians and strengthened public confidence in the ruling APC.

Highlighting achievements of his administration over the past six years and eight months, Abiodun said the state had recorded progress in education, infrastructure, job creation, youth and women empowerment, healthcare, agriculture, housing, technological innovation, industrial growth, and economic expansion.

He disclosed that over 1,700 kilometres of roads, including major highways, had been constructed across the state, more than 7,000 housing units delivered, and over 400 Primary Healthcare Centres upgraded and equipped.

Abiodun also stated that Ogun State was on the verge of becoming an oil-producing state.

He said the stakeholders’ meeting was convened to review progress and strategise ahead of emerging political challenges, urging party members to remain united as the state approaches another electioneering season.

“As we approach the upcoming congresses, they must unite us, not divide us. A united APC is an unbeatable APC,” he said.

Dignitaries at the meeting included former Governor Olusegun Osoba; Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide; Senators Solomon Adeola and Shuaib Salisu; and House of Representatives Chief Whip, Ibrahim Isiaka.

Also present were Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Isiaka Salako; State APC Chairman, Yemi Sanusi; former deputy governors; lawmakers; local government chairmen; and other party stakeholders.

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