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FG declares Monday, Tuesday public holiday

The Federal Government has declared Monday and Tuesday a public holiday in Nigeria to mark the Eid-al Fitr celebration.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this in a statement by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mohammed Manga, on Thursday.
Aregbesola felicitated with all Muslim faithful for the successful completion of the Ramadan fast.
The Minister urged the Muslim faithful to replicate the life of kindness, love, tolerance, peace and good neighbourliness, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).
The Minister also lamented the spate of ethnic conflicts that have resurfaced in some parts of Northern Nigeria in recent times.
He appealed to Nigerians to see themselves as a single entity and learn to tolerate one another despite ethnic and religious differences.
The Minister further urged Muslims to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines and health regulations as they celebrate.
FG declares Monday public holiday
FG declares Friday, Monday public holidays
FG declares public holidays for Christmas, New year celebrations

Trump threatens to pull U.S. membership from the WHO and make funding cut permanent

President Trump threatened Monday to permanently withhold U.S. funding for the World Health Organization and “reconsider” U.S. membership in the United Nations body charged with monitoring global health and highlighting pandemics such as the novel coronavirus.

In a late-night tweet, Trump blamed the health agency for fumbling early responses to the outbreak and being too deferential to China, where the virus emerged and began spreading last year. Trump said he would make his temporary suspension of U.S. aid permanent if the WHO does not “commit to major substantive improvements in the next 30 days.”

Trump did not specify the changes he wants, but in a letter to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump said discussions between the United States and the WHO are underway.

Still, he said he could not wait for the outcome to formally cite “repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic,” which he said had been “extremely costly for the world.”

“The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” Trump wrote.

His letter, a copy of which he released on Twitter, does not change anything right away. In April, Trump had placed a 60-day freeze on the approximately $400 million annual U.S. funding for the health body as part of a larger administration effort to highlight what Trump calls the failings of China, while shifting blame from his own early handling of the crisis.

Earlier Monday, Trump had said an announcement on the WHO was coming soon, and he suggested he might slash U.S. funding to around $40 million, or about commensurate with the Chinese contribution.

Trump said he chose not to address the WHO’s annual meeting on Monday, held virtually this year, although Chinese President Xi Jinping had done so.

Trump threatens to pull out of WHO, announces he is taking drug not proven to prevent covid-19

President Trump announced late Monday that the United States might permanently withhold all of its funding from the World Health Organization if “major substantive improvements” weren’t made in the next 30 days.

Trump blames the U.N. organization tasked with monitoring global health for bungling the early response to the pandemic and being too deferential to China. Without specifying exact reforms, Trump said the organization must “actually demonstrate independence from China.”

Trump also revealed that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine for about a week and a half to protect against the coronavirus, even though the drug can have deadly side effects and is not proven to prevent covid-19. The Food and Drug Administration warned last month that hydroxychloroquine should not be taken outside of hospitals or clinical trials because it could lead to heart problems.

Here are some significant developments:

• Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to cooperate with an independent probe led by the World Health Organization — but only once the pandemic is over.

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) criticized the president’s decision to take hydroxychloroquine, “something that has not been approved by the scientists,” saying that he needed to be especially careful given his age and weight group, which she categorized as “morbidly obese.”

• The head of Florida’s coronavirus database says she was removed from her role because she refused to alter data “to drum up support for the plan to reopen.”

• People in nursing homes account for 81 percent of Canada’s coronavirus deaths.

• About 4 million stimulus payments will be sent to Americans on prepaid debit cards instead of as paper checks, the IRS and Treasury Department announced Monday.

• A new Congressional Oversight Commission report found that the Treasury Department has barely spent any of the $500 billion set aside to help businesses and local governments.

Liverpool FC eye move to sign former Man United winger – report

French media outlet L’Equipe, as quoted by the Daily Mail, is reporting that the Reds are interested in the Lyon star ahead of the summer transfer window. The same reports states that Netherlands international Depay is ready to leave the Ligue 1 side following two seasons at Lyon.

According to the same story, the 25-year-old feels ready to prove himself in the Premier League following his underwhelming spell at Manchester United. Liverpool FC would have to pay around £26m to lure Depay from the French club at the end of the Premier League season, the reports goes on to add. The French media outlet suggest Liverpool FC are lining up Depay as a potential replacement for Sadio Mane, who has been linked with Real Madrid.

Depay scored seven goals in 53 games in all competitions during a two-season spell at Manchester United after Louis van Gaal signed his compatriot in a £25m fee from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. Manchester United sold the Netherlands international to Lyon in 2017 in a cut-price deal. Depay has 30 goals in 80 games in Ligue 1 since his move to Lyon, although his critics will point out that the Premier League is a superior league.

Singer Simi raises concerns over plight of women in decision making

Popular Nigerian singer, Simisola Ogunleye a.k.a Simi as expressed concern over the plight of women attaining their optimum goals especially in decision making processes. She said via her Twitter account @Simplysimi on Monday that women have to sweat to gain spots in policies and decision making processes in the country.

She wrote,

“I woke up angry today cos of a conversation I had before bed.

“Women are so strong. So obviously strong. You sweat blood for a spot at a table that disrespects a sweat.

“Then you spend every single day convincing people you belong there. And the damn table isn’t even all that.

“And when you say “F…. it. My life, my rules.” They ask why. It’s because it never ends. Nothing is ever enough. And complaining is a waste of time.

This is why most of the women that STAY winning have to win on their own terms. Ass-kissing is exhausting.’’ The bubbly expectant mother said that, her tweets were triggered by a discussion she had before going to bed the previous night.
She noted that although I have women are so strong but they have to struggle twice as hard to get a spot at the table, and when they get a table, they are still disrespected.
Angry at the situation of things, Simi said women have to spend every single day of their lives trying to convince people that they belong where they are.The 32 year old singer stated that when women finally decide to be in charge of their lives and make their own rules, they are still questioned.

Simi said that she still has a lot to say about the subject matter, but noted that it is not yet the right time. According to her, if she does not spill out what was in her mind, she may stay angry all day. Simi, recently took to her Instagram account to share a similar story saying that feminism makes men vulnerable. The singer stated that feminism makes many men feel vulnerable because the same society that makes them feel superior wants women to become better. Simi explained that life would actually be easier for everyone if men also support feminism.
The singer and her husband Adekunle Gold are expecting their first child as revealed in the music video for Simi’s latest song “Duduke”.

With lines such as “I cannot wait to see you, you are the treasure I have been waiting for… I am waiting for the day I finally get to kiss you,” a heavily pregnant Simi sings to her unborn child.
Released under her own record label, Studio Brat, “Duduke” is Simi’s first official single in 2020.

You underpaid PAYE tax, FG slams ASUU

The war of words between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the Integrated Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is getting hotter.

The Federal Government has revealed that members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) underpaid Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax running into billions over the years.

Reacting to criticisms from ASUU over discrepancies on recent salary payments, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) disclosed that “the rate of tax being applied by tertiary institutions was not correct, leading to underpayment of PAYE Tax.”



The OAGF noted that because of the underpayment “states governments of the federation made claims on the federal government to pay the differential arising from underpayment of tax by these institutions.”

Bowing to pressure from the state governments, the OAGF stated that the “federal government has paid several billions on behalf of these institutions because of their underpayment of the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax.”

The OAGF categorically to ASUU that “the request by the tertiary institution unions to formalize tax evasion through Integrated Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is not only untenable, but unpatriotic request to violate extant laws on tax.”

Regarding the demand for Bank Verification Number (BVN) from asuu members before they can be paid, the OAGF revealed that about 1,180 ASUU members “failed the BVN test and details have been forwarded to the universities for the necessary correction and update.”

According to the OAGF, “BVN as a way of confirming all account numbers of the tertiary institutions that are sent to IPPIS were forwarded to the relevant agencies for validation and confirmation” but over a thousand ASUU bungled their information.



With regards to non receipt of salaries after others have been paid, the Accountant General stated that “this arose because the names on the payroll are not in uniformity with the names in the bank. Employees are expected to update their bank details in conformity with names on the payroll as efforts to change payroll names in the banks is not allowed, except where there is a change of name as a result of marriage.”

The IPPIS platform the Office said “does not recognize joint accounts operated by two or more persons. Every salary payment is personal.”

On the alleged payment to dead university staff, the OAGF noted that “the Institutions deliberately forwarded to IPPIS the list containing dead ASUU members as being part of their personnel, to get more personnel fund.”

According to the OAGF: “It is the responsibility of the Institutions or Agencies to inform the IPPIS office about death, resignation or exit from service before due date. We sent payroll analysis to the tertiary institution Bursars for review of any omission or names to be excluded.”

On payment of allowances and salaries, the OAGF argued that “any other salaries and allowances approved by any other agency in Nigeria which are not formalized by the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (SIWC) will amount to illegal payment.”

Therefore, the OAGF urged ASUU and other unions to understand this. “The fact that they arm-twisted their institutions to pay them these allowances does not translate to legality.”

Commenting on payments for sabbatical visits and adjunct lecturers the OAGF stated that “payment of sabbatical aid visiting lecturers is duly recognized by IPPIS, but it is dependent on furnishing the IPPIS with the particulars of such lecturers, including his IPPIS number, his primary institution, the start date of the sabbatical or the visiting and the end date.”

Government it said “recognizes the fact that all staff on sabbatical are entitled to 100% of their salaries as sabbatical allowances, while visiting and adjunct lecturers will enjoy 50% of their salaries as visiting allowance.”

The OAGF warned ASUU that “government will no longer incur unnecessary expenditure on pension, NHIS or such allowances that are not part of universities pensionable salaries.”