Yari gave the challenge on Sunday at his home in Talata Mafara when he received leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

“I challenge anyone who says I personalised government property or funds within and outside the country while as governor to come forward and expose me.

“As a governor, my business was to spend money which is what I did, but that was in line with the development of the state and for the benefit of the good people of the state.

“We as true believers know that any action that comes for or against us is from Allah and those who think they can neutralize, break or bring us down cannot succeed.

“When we first won elections in 2011, we had no government at either federal, state or local government levels and we consolidated this with our second term in office, so l know that hope cannot be lost now that we have government at the center, at the local government and at the wards levels.

“I prayed to Allah in 2011 not to support me if my administration will not benefit my people, having served two successful terms means that Allah has been with us; that is why l want to assure you that we shall come out stronger than before,” Yari maintained.

Many speakers at the event reassured the former governor of their continuous loyalty.

The ex-governor returned to the state on Saturday after performing this year’s Hajj.

He was received at the Sokoto International Airport and escorted to Talata Mafara by a large crowd of party loyalists, local government council chairmen, APC leaders, including the state Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman and many admirers.

Source:  NAN

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Justice Nkeonye Maha, who made the order after listening to the arguments canvassed in a motion exparte by counsel to Yari, Mahmud Magaji, SAN, adjourned the matter till August 30.

The motion ex parte, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/948/2019, was brought pursuant to section 46(1) and (3) of the 1999 constitution and order 4 rule 3 and 4 of the fundamental rights (enforcement procedure) rules 2009.

The AGF is the first respondent while the EFCC is the second respondent in the suit.

Justice Maha equally ordered that the respondents be served with the court processes within 48 hours before he adjourned further proceedings.

Source:  NAN

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The two officers emerged through a consensus arrangement.

Fayemi succeeds the Governor of Zamfara State,  Abdul’aziz Yari, and will lead the group until 2021.

Speaking shortly after a meeting of the group, Yari disclosed that Fayemi was nominated by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and seconded by the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, before he was unanimously elected by the governors to lead the forum.

Tambuwal, Yari also stated, was nominated by the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode, and  seconded by his Ondo State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

In his acceptance speech, Fayemi said the forum would work with the Federal Government in the interest of the country.

“We will build on commitment with strong partnership with the Federal Government as federating unit and trash out issues as amicably as possible, in the over all interest of the country,” he said.

He added:  “Whatever we are going to do will be in the overall interest of the nation in ensuring that our states are continuously strengthened.

“Our country derives the benefit of strong, dedicated states to our citizens and the partnership with all arms of government, development partners working with us in the over all interest of Nigeria.”

While reading the communiqué of the meeting of the forum, the outgoing chairman expressed concern over the recent guidelines of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

Said he:  “The new guidelines have no legal basis under the NFIU Act and are contrary to constitutional provisions which put the State Joint Local Government Account under the legislation of the State Houses of Assembly.

“The guidelines will also be detrimental to the interest of states and local governments by crippling programmes such as the Universal Basic Education programme, Primary Health Care Under One Roof, as well as the payment of the salaries of teachers, medical doctor and health workers among others which are primarily funded by state governments.”

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Speaking with journalists, shortly after a meeting between the governors of the 36 states of the federation and the president, he said the president stressed the need for them to come together and think of a way out.

He however did not state what they discussed with the president over the situation surrounding the new minimum wage.

Shortly after their meeting on Thursday, the governors disclosed that they were going to meet with the president over the new minimum wage.

It would be recalled that the tripartite committee led by Ama Pepple had recommended N30,000 minimum wage, but the governors said they could only afford N22, 500.

The difference has been the source of a crisis between workers and the government.

Yari said speaking on the poor situation of the economy, the president complained about the amount of neglect that took place under the previous administration.

“He wondered about what happened in the past; that for the 16 years of the now opposition party, the PDP in power and with oil at 2.1 barrels per day at an average of $100, many infrastructure are in bad shape,” the governor said.

He said the president said he would make the amount of rot perpetrated under the previous governments known so that Nigerians “can weigh their choices.”

Disclosing that they also came to thank the president, Yari praised him for bailing the states out of the problem of inability to pay salaries when he came to power.

Said he:  “So we came here today to thank Mr. President because in bailing out states he did not discriminate along party lines unlike in those days when you can only get audience with Mr. President if you have long leg before the issue will be raised with minister of finance. He knew that Nigerians were going to be beneficiaries of the bailout, not governors. We believe without this mindset, it would have been difficult for us to govern.”

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This was made known on Thursday by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF,  Mr. Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, when he spoke with journalists in Abuja.

According to him, the new minimum wage issue would likely be resolved before the end of the year.

His words:  “The meeting resolved to meet the president on the issue of the minimum wage which hopefully will be resolved before the end of the year.”

He added that the meeting with the president would also be to thank him for the way he had handled the economy.

Describing the governors’ meeting as a short one, he said  it “welcomed the newest governor in its midst, the Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.”

It would be recalled that the governors met with the president last month over the new minimum wage.

The meeting bordered on the N30,000 suggested by the tripartite committee set up on the new minimum wage.

The Ama Pepple-led tripartite committee set up by the Federal Government to determine the new minimum wage had suggested N30,000, an amount which governors had said they would not be able to pay.

The president, while receiving the report of the committee, had indicated that he would work on it and pass it to the Legislature for the necessary approval.

But the governors insisted that most of the states did not have the resources to pay the amount.

Rising from an emergency meeting last month, the governors said they would set up a committee to meet with Buhari.

They argued that the states would go bankrupt if they had to pay N30,000.

According to the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, only Lagos State government could afford to pay such amount.

After the meeting with the president, the governors refused to state the outcome of the meeting with the president.

In the same development, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, has called for the implementation of the new minimum wage in January.

He said the implementation would boost economic activities in the country.

According to the president of the association, Mr Muhammed Yunusa, who spoke after its meeting on Thursday in Lagos, all formalities should be concluded latest December 31 so that implementation would start January 1.

“Payment of the agreed new minimum wage will increase total demand and ultimately stimulate economic activities.

“Government should be focused on how to broaden the nation’s revenue base, ensure the viability of the states of the federation and curb or eliminate wastages,” he said.

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This amount is against the N30,000 demanded by the labour unions in the country led by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

The unions said that was the amount agreed on by the tripartite committee set up by the government to consider the appropriate amount for the minimum wage.

It also stated that failure to implement the N30,000 by the government would lead to an indefinite strike which has already been slated to commence on November 6.

But announcing the decision of the governors on Tuesday, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State said the governors gave thought to the ability and capacity to pay.

The governors, he said also considered the need for the developmental needs in each state.

Yari’s full statement reads:

Following a meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum where we deliberated on the National Minimum Wage after a briefing from our representatives at the Tripartite Committee, we submit as follows:

The welfare of all Nigerians is our ultimate concern. In all our States, we are concerned about the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of our population.

In agreeing to a National Minimum Wage, however, the Forum is even more concerned about development, particularly in the health, education and infrastructure spheres.

It is, therefore, our considered position that since the percentage of salaried workers is not more than five per cent of the total working population, our position must not just reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on ability and capacity to pay, as well as reflective of all our developmental needs in each State.

Afterall, Section 3 of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission Act provides that “the Commission shall recommend a proposition of income growth which should be initiated for wage increase and also examined the salary structure in public and private sector with reasonable features of relativity and maximum levels which are in consonance with the national economy.”

It is in this sense that we feel strongly that our acceptable minimum wage must be done in such a way that total personnel cost does not exceed 50 per cent of the revenue available to each State.

Governors, therefore, agreed to pay a national minimum wage of N22,500.

Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar

Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum

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Despite several meetings by the committee set up and made up of key stakeholders, there has not been any consensus over the new minimum wage.

Although the labour unions that have been part of the committee said it was decided that N30,000 should be paid, representatives of the government have claimed that the agreement was N24,000.

Claiming that the government was not saying the truth, labour unions have threatened to commence an indefinite strike on November 6 if the N30,000 is not paid.

But speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja shortly after an Economic Management Team meeting on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State said governors would meet on Tuesday over the matter and take a position.

Yari is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.

He explained that the governors had never been unwilling to pay the amount stated.

The problem he said, however, was whether or not the states had the ability to pay.

His words:  “Tomorrow, we are going to discuss with governors and say: look at what labour is sending.

“Look at the bill that was directed by the minister of labour and employment to be sent to the NGF’s secretariat so that we can digest the content of the bill; discuss it and come up with our position as governors because we are critical partners on this.’’

Speaking on whether or not the states would be able to pay, he said, “we are willing to pay the amount but the issue is the capacity– the muscle to pay.

“We discussed that government has some numbers and eventually the committee has given some proposals but the governors have not come out with any amount.”

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