FG Okays Six-Month Jail & N50,000 Fine For Public Smokers

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the draft of the National Tobacco Control Bill 2004 that would be sent to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill for promulgation into law.

The bill recommends a minimum of six months imprisonment or N50,000 or both for individuals that smoke outside public places designated as smoking areas.

The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, and the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Chukwu said the penalties for corporate offenders varied from N1m to N5m and one year to two years imprisonment for the chief executives of such firms.

The minister added that all forms of advertisements of tobacco were totally banned under the proposed law.

Nigerian Sex Workers Demand Recognition From Government

The world marks the 14th International Sex Worker’s Rights Day, Nigerian sex workers have joined their counterparts in some countries to demand for legal recognition of their trade as a job.

Some of the prostitutes say that the time had come for the Nigerian government to grant them their due recognition and further recognize that as human beings trying to keep body and soul going, the ‘profession’ should be considered legitimate enough to put a stop to its discrimination and stigmatization.

Though many of them did not realize that a day like this was set aside for them until they were told, they also called on rights activists to assist them gain the desired recognition.

FG Erects Fresh Security Hurdles at Nigerian Airports

Visitors to the Nigerian Airports across the country, shall, beginning from February, 2014 have fresh stiffer security hurdles to battle with, after the Federal Government on Monday approved stringent new security measures at the airports.
 
Political Economist gathered exclusively from a member of the Airport security committee, that henceforth, vehicles, no matter their occupants, will never be allowed to get 10 meters close to the undesignated areas in and around the airports. This is against present arrangement where some government officials or top politicians are driven or escorted by their aides almost to the tarmac of the airports.
 
Similarly, unauthorized security operatives, “even if such an operatives is an orderly to senior Military, Police or Political office holders, shall not be allowed to go with his or her boss beyond the ticketing hall.”

It was also gathered that both American, Chinese and British governments have donated modern passenger screening equipment to the authority of the airport, to assist in the newly introduced 100 per cent security screening of both passengers and baggage.

FG gives ASUU 1 Week Ultimatum To Call Off Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has been given one week ultimatum to call off the ongoing strike. The directive was given today, in Abuja by the acting Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike while speaking with journalists. The union has been on strike since July 1 over the non-Implementation of a 2009 agreement with the federal government.

According to reports, the lecturers at their NEC meeting last week in Kano, demanded that government should pay the four-month salary arrears being owed varsity lecturers while there should be immediate implementation of the N1.2tn offerred by the goverment to public varsities, starting with the release of N100bn this year, before the strike can be called off. A demand the acting Minister Wike had described as ,”outrageous.”

Meantime, ASUU had said it would meet with President Jonathan on the decisions reached at its NEC meeting before any announcement will be made concerning the 5months old strike. Follow Me On Twitter & Instagram: @effiongeton