Nigeria
AUPCTRE: Nigerian government’s disregard to implement agreements responsible for ASUP, PASAN, JUSUN strike
The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, has accused the Federal Government of being responsible for the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN. AUPCTRE accused the government of being in the habit of reneging from the implementation of collective bargaining agreements it entered willingly with unions. The General Secretary of AUPCTRE, Comrade Sikiru Waheed, stated this in a goodwill message on the occasion of the 2021 May Day celebration. He said his union was in support of the efforts of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in all its struggles. According to the state...
Two persons abducted in Ogun community
Two persons have been abducted in Omu, a community near Ofada town in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state. The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Sunday. He explained that the abducted persons – a man and a woman – were on a visit to a farm in the area on Saturday when the incident occurred. Oyeyemi noted that following the incident, the command has launched a manhunt to track the perpetrators and rescue the victims from their abductors. He, however, stressed that no ransom has so far been demanded by the abductors to release their victims. The abduction occurred three days after the police arrested some suspects in connection with the abduction of a community leader, Tajudeen Omotayo, and two students of the Olabisi Ona...
Yoruba monarchs ask Nigerian government to beef-up security in South-West
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, have expressed displeasure over the dimension insecurity has taken in Nigeria. They spoke at the 51st birthday celebration of Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, on Saturday. Alaafin regretted that bandits and kidnappers now have a monopoly of violence. The first-class monarch, however, charged the Federal Government to be proactive in ensuring that the southwest is safe for residents “The monopoly of violence must be concentrated in government but regrettably we are not having that now. Bandits and kidnappers now have a monopoly of violence than the government which is the reason why we are in this current situation,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by Adams’ media aide, Kehinde Aderemi. Ad...
May Day: Governor Masari lists gains of Katsina workers
Apart from various housing schemes for civil servants in the area, Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, on Saturday listed various other programmes designed for workers. As part of measures to reduce accommodation problems of workers, Governor Masari said that government had entered into partnership with some private developers through public private partnership with a view to providing affordable houses to workers. The governor spoke in a message he sent at a symposium as part of activities marking the 2021 May Day celebrations in Katsina. According to him, ‘under the owner-occupier housing scheme, government has identified 503 of the state houses accommodating serving civil servants and those who retired and approved the sale of the houses to them at subsidised and affordable rates...
May Day: President Buhari promises workers better packages
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured workers of better packages to cushion economic effects of COVID-19 on their resources. The President said his administration has put in place some socio-economic policies to alleviate poverty. Buhari said the Federal Government has expanded the Conditional Cash Transfer for the vulnerable poor from 2.6 million households to 7.6 million. He also noted COVID-19 Rapid Response Register has been expanded for urban poor to 4.8 million households, which included urban poor and working class. The President spoke during this year’s May Day celebration at the Eagle Square on Saturday in Abuja. This year’s celebration had as its theme: “COVID-19 pandemic, social and economic crisis: challenges for decent jobs, social protection and people’s welfare”. Buhari, wh...
Kebbi governor: Why we can’t pay leave grant, gratuities
Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, on Saturday, thanked the organised labour in the state for their patience, understanding and maintaining very good relationship with the government. The governor, who spoke during activities organised to mark the 2021 Workers Day in Birnin Kebbi, however, said his administration would not be able to pay the 2020 leave grant of workers and outstanding gratuities. “NLC is aware of the burden of gratuities the government inherited and how far we have gone in trying to clear the debts. “In spite of the dwindling resources, the state government still pays salaries, runs the government and puts in some infrastructure in the state. “The union should liaise with the Ministry of Finance for a way out. “On the 2020 leave grants, the state cannot afford to pay but you shou...
Segun Adeniyi: Devolution of power alone can’t solve Nigeria’s problems
Nigerian Monitor The chairman of THISDAY editorial board, Olusegun Adeniyi, says devolution of power is not the only solution to Nigeria’s problems. Adeniyi said for it to be effective, devolution of power must come with accountability at all levels especially at the local government where administration “has been castrated”. He was speaking at ‘The Platform’, an annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, which was held in Lagos on Saturday. The seasoned journalist added that from past experience, closer government does not necessarily translate to better governance. “Today, there is hardly anybody in our country who is not angry about the situation in which we find ourselves. But nobody is accepting responsibility because the other person or the other ethnic group is to blam...
Lagos: Seven die in auto crash on Lekki-Epe Express road
At least seven people have been confirmed dead in an accident that occurred on Saturday afternoon at the Lekki-Epe Express Road, Lagos. The crash involved a Lexus SUV with registration number: AGL953GQ, which ran into a moving Howo truck with registration number ICT-15E-025, killing all occupants in the Lexus SUV. A total of seven adults, comprising two males, five female, lost their lives in the crash. The Lagos Sector Commander of The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Corps Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide, confirmed the death in a statement. He said that auto crash occurred on the Lekki-Epe Expressway at Shapati (Fragend) around 1 pm and claimed the lives of seven youths. Mr Ogungbemide, who blamed the accident on drunkenness, advised motorists to drive safe and avoid drunk driving. In th...
May Day: Minister donates bus to staff union
The Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, on Saturday, donated a 28- seater bus to the ministry’s staff union. The gesture was in commemoration of the 2021 Workers’ Day. Abdullahi disclosed this in a message he posted on his Twitter handle, @MohdHAbdullahi. He said the gesture was meant to show appreciation for the workers’ dedication and to ease their movement to and from work. He wrote, “As part of our modest efforts in supporting our dedicated staff, I just provided a 28-seater bus to the staff union to ease their mobility to and from work amongst other efforts. “I wish them a happy Workers’ Day.” The minister also promised that his ministry will continue to promote labour-friendly policies to make the workplace conducive for workers. He also vowed to ensu...
Workers Day: Senate president urges labour to consider higher national interest always
Ahead of the May 1 Workers Day celebration, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Friday, Senator urged organised labour to always look at the larger picture and consider higher national interest in their responses to government policies and actions. Lawan stated this on Friday, while commemorating this year’s workers day celebration coming up today (May 1). In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President assured workers that “the National Assembly believes in the well-being and welfare of the workers and will always provide legislative support for every effort to tackle their challenges and improve the work environment.” Recalling that the Nigerian workers across the generations have continued to drive economic productivity, nation-building and democra...
Oyo governor unveils agriculture electronic centre in Ibadan
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has inaugurated Africa’s first agricultural electronic centre, an innovation provided by Farm Konnect Agribusiness Nigeria Plc in Ibadan. A lot of dignitaries in and outside the state were in attendance at the epoch event, which took place at the Basorun area of Ibadan. Amongst the dignitaries include the Oyo State Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka, the Director-General Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency, Dr Debo Akande, Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, and his Osun State counterpart, the representatives of the federal government, bank officials, investors and others. Speaking at the event, Governor Makinde commended FarmKonnect for bringing such an innovation that will change the face of agriculture in the country and Africa as a whole to ...
Niger: Bandits kill two, kidnap assemblyman’s mother
The mother of the one of longest serving members of the Niger State house of Assembly, Alhaji Bello Ahmed Agwara, has been kidnapped. The 78-year-old Hajia Salamatu Ahmadu was abducted at about 9p.m. on Thursday night when some heavily armed gunmen riding on four motorcycles raided the country home of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) member in Agwara town. This is coming on the heels of the killing of two people and kidnap of several others at Tegina in the Rafi local government also on Thursday. According to eyewitnesses the bandits were armed with different types of weapons, among them AK-47. Immediately they stormed the town they started shooting sporadically making members of the community to scamper for safety. In the confusion it was learnt that the bandits went straight into the ...
