National
Nigerian Customs and Image Merchants Bag PR Golden World Awards in Belgrade
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has proudly received the Golden World Award for Crisis Management from the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) during a prestigious gala held at the Metropol Palace Hotel in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 15, 2024.
The award recognizes the transformative leadership of the NCS’s Comptroller General, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, whose strategic use of public relations tools in the first 100 days of his tenure significantly enhanced awareness, stakeholder collaboration, and citizen adherence to customs reforms.
In collaboration with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the NCS launched a comprehensive campaign that garnered widespread recognition and strengthened partnerships with stakeholders, resulting in enhanced border security and increased revenue generation for the country.
As a testament to its vital role in this successful initiative, Image Merchants was also honored at the awards ceremony, being recognized as the PR Agency of the Year for Crisis Management. IMPR is well-known for publishing influential platforms such as PRNigeria and Economic Confidential.
The award trophies were presented by IPRA President Nataša Pavlović Bujas, marking a significant achievement for Nigerian professionals on an international stage.
Philip Sheppard, the Secretary General of IPRA, commended Adeniyi’s visionary leadership, highlighting its crucial impact on the campaign’s success. “In just 100 days, Wale Adeniyi’s campaign not only fortified stakeholder collaboration and improved border security but also catalyzed a substantial increase in revenue, instilling renewed hope and optimism for the future,” Sheppard remarked.
Prior to his appointment as the head of the Customs Service, CGC Bashir Adeniyi served as the NCS’s longest-tenured spokesperson and held the esteemed positions of Vice President and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the regulatory body governing the field in Nigeria.
Commenting on the recognition of its clients, Yushau A. Shuaib, Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, stated, “We are thrilled that outstanding public relations campaigns, which have made a tangible positive impact, have been recognized on this global stage. We remain committed to supporting our stakeholders and clients through professionalism and excellent service delivery in public relations.”
Aside from NCS and IMPR, KFC South Africa was the only other African winner at the 2024 Golden World Awards, which featured entries from diverse countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, China, India, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Bulgaria, Singapore, Greece, Serbia, and more.
Founded in 1955, the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) serves as the premier global network for PR professionals. IPRA’s mission is to advance trusted communication and ethical practices in public relations. The association facilitates this through networking, adherence to a code of conduct, and the intellectual leadership of the profession.
Established in 1990, the annual Golden World Awards (GWA) celebrate PR excellence across various categories worldwide. GWA winners exemplify outstanding public relations efforts.
National
Court Approves Federal Government’s Request to Protect Witness Identities in Nnamdi Kanu Trial
A federal high court in Abuja has authorized the federal government’s request to keep the identities of witnesses in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu confidential.
Kanu, who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 on charges of terrorism and treasonable felony.
On Tuesday, prosecution attorney Adegboyega Awomolo informed the court that he had submitted an ex parte application on April 10 to safeguard the identities of the witnesses. He requested that the court provide screens and masks to ensure their anonymity.
“The purpose of this request is to ensure the safety and security of state officers who will serve as witnesses,” he stated.
Kanu Agabi, the defendant’s counsel, did not contest the application.
The trial is underway, with the first witness, a DSS operative, already called to testify.
Kanu was re-arraigned on March 21 before Judge James Omotosho of the federal high court in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Aisha Achimugu.
The managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Felak Concept Group was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Achimugu was taken in around 5am on Tuesday after arriving in Nigeria from London.
More to follow…
The Federal Government has revealed its intention to begin disbursing the outstanding five months’ wage award arrears, amounting to N35,000, to workers immediately after the April 2025 salary payments. The arrears will be paid in monthly instalments until fully settled.
This information was shared in a statement on Monday by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mokwa clarified that while the Federal Government had previously paid five months of the wage award in instalments, an additional five months remained unpaid. He confirmed that the outstanding arrears would now be addressed through equal monthly payments of N35,000.
He stated that the first payment will be made right after the distribution of April 2025 salaries, with additional payments following each month until the total arrears are cleared.
“The Federal Government is set to pay the outstanding five months’ N35,000 wage award arrears to workers,” he noted.
According to the report from NAN, Mokwa emphasized that the arrears would be paid in monthly instalments of N35,000 over a five-month period, with the initial payment occurring post-April 2025 salary disbursement.
This wage award is part of the Federal Government’s initiative to mitigate the effects of economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and other fiscal adjustments.
Mokwa reiterated the government’s dedication to fulfilling all agreements related to employee compensation and welfare, describing these actions as essential for enhancing productivity and efficiency within the public sector.
### Key Information
In 2023, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) proposed a wage award to support federal workers amid the challenges posed by fuel subsidy removal. In response, the Federal Government introduced a N35,000 wage award in September 2023 as a temporary relief measure for employees on lower salary scales, addressing the economic pressures from subsidy removal and currency reforms.
While partial payments were made between late 2023 and early 2024, delays in later months raised concerns among labor unions. In 2024, after further negotiations, the Federal Government approved an increase in the national minimum wage to N70,000, as part of broader strategies to tackle rising living costs.
The recent announcement regarding the resumption of outstanding wage award payments is expected to honor the Federal Government’s previous commitments.