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Denmark raises retirement age to the highest in Europe, sparking fury

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Critics have said 'I've paid my taxes all my life. There should also be time to be with children and grandchildren'

Denmark is set to raise the retirement age to 70 – a move that has been heavily criticised by to-be pensioners.

The Scandinavian country has tied the new retirement age to life expectancy, only affecting those who were born after 1971.

The cap will rise from the current retirement age of 67 to 68 in 2030 and then to 69 in 2025.

Tommas Jensen told Danish media ‘we’re working and working and working, but we can’t keep going’.

‘I’ve paid my taxes all my life. There should also be time to be with children and grandchildren.’

The 47-year-old roofer went on to say the move was ‘unreasonable’ and highlighted the difference between working a desk job and jobs that are demanding of the body.

The Danish government has been revising the retirement age every five years for the last two decades, with this new rule passed through their parliament yesterday 81 votes in favour to 21 against.

But the Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously said these numbers would be renegotiated.

Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously said her party believed ‘you can’t just keep saying that people have to work a year longer’

 

But the Danish government are set to raise the retirement age to 70 after passing through the new law yesterday 81 votes in favour to 21 against

 

She said: ‘We no longer believe that the retirement age should be increased automatically.’

She added that her party believed ‘you can’t just keep saying that people have to work a year longer’.

Protests have been taking place in Copenhagen over the last few weeks as trade unions stood against the new changes.

The chairman of a Danish trade union confederation, Jesper Ettrup Rasmussen, said ahead of the vote on Thursday that the proposal was ‘completely unfair’.

‘A higher retirement age means that [people will] lose the right to a dignified senior life.’

‘Denmark has a healthy economy and yet the EU’s highest retirement age,’ he added.

Retirement ages across Europe have been rising in recent years to meet budget deficits as well as the improved life expectancy.

Brits born between 6 October 1954 and 5 April 1960 can begin to receive their pension from 66 but this will raise to 67 for people born after this period.

Critics have said ‘I’ve paid my taxes all my life. There should also be time to be with children and grandchildren’

 

This could increase as the State Pension age will also be repeatedly reviewed in the UK to address longer life expectancy.

By comparison, people in Sweden can start claiming pension benefits from 63.

But for those living in Italy, they will have to wait until they are 67 to receive their pension.

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Higher fertilizer cost threatenening wet season farming – Jigawa farmers cry out

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Farmers in Jigawa State have expressed fear of inability to go back to farm due to the higher cost of fertilizer and losses recorded during dry season farming.

Some of the rice farmers disclosed this in an interview with Ekwutosblog ahead of their preparation for the wet season farming.

They explained that many farmers will not go back to farm for the wet season farming because they are unable to recover from the huge losses suffered during the last dry season farming.

 

According to Malam Musa, a farmer, “without government intervention, it will be difficult for most of us to return to our farms for the rainy season.

“The fertilizer we used to buy at N40,000 is now being sold at N60,000 and what we used to buy at N35,000 is now being sold at cost of over N45,000.

“We are therefore appealing to Governor Umar Namadi to come to our aid for timely provision of agricultural inputs,” he said.

They also urged the state government to use the previous section and distribution procedure used under the Fadama office to ensure that fertiliser and other inputs reached genuine farmers at the grassroots.

Another farmer, named Auwalu Kaci said, “It’s only through Fadama lll office our farmers at the grassroots level get access to the government’s inputs directly without any hindrance.”

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Buhari showed little respect for my grandfather – Shehu Shagari’s grandson

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Nura Muhammad Mahe, a grandson of Nigeria’s former President Shehu Shagari, has accused late former president Muhammadu Buhari of showing little respect for his grandfather even in death.
Mahe said this in a statement on Wednesday, publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the way the late Buhari handled Shagari’s death.

He, however, lauded President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a show of honour and statesmanship in organising a state burial for Buhari, who died on Sunday and was laid to rest on Tuesday in Daura with full military honours.

He described Tinubu’s attendance at the funeral as a symbol of national unity and dignity.

“This is in stark contrast to how the late President Shehu Shagari was treated during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari,” Mahe said.

According to him, when his grandfather died in 2018, Buhari neither attended the funeral nor arranged a state burial in his honour despite being in Nigeria at that time .

“Instead, a government delegation led by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who is notably a non-Muslim, was dispatched to represent him,” he said.

Mahe said the actions were a slight to Shagari’s legacy, stressing that the late leader deserved more recognition for his service as Nigeria’s first democratically elected Executive President.

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Military can defeat insurgency with locally made weapons – EIB boss, Echefu

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The Chairman and Managing Director of EIB Group, Dr. Bright Echefu, has said that the Nigerian military now has the capacity to defeat insurgency using weapons made in Nigeria.

He made this statement on Wednesday during a media tour of EIB Group’s facilities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where journalists were shown locally produced drones, bombs, and other military equipment.

Dr. Echefu said Nigeria no longer needs foreign help to fight insecurity, as local companies are now producing the tools needed to defeat terrorists.

“Nigeria has the capacity right now to end this insurgency with the amount of local companies that are investing heavily,” he said.

He added that the Nigerian military is supporting local manufacturers through partnerships, protection, and direct purchases.

“The Nigerian military strongly supports local manufacturers through research collaboration, protection, and patronage,” he stated.

The Managing director noted that this partnership is helping Nigeria become more self-reliant in terms of defense.

Echefu explained that EIB Group is already helping by monitoring drone operations in many northern states, gathering intelligence to track terrorists hiding in forests.

“Our goal is to ensure that these terrorists are completely removed from our land,” he said.

According to him, with local support, the Nigerian Air Force now has the ability to maintain and service its fleet locally.

Dr. Echefu called on the government to continue supporting local companies and expand policies that help grow the defense sector.

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