No fewer than 32 bloggers and social media producers across Nigeria will participate in a two day media awareness training on countering hate speech and fake news.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina , on Sunday, taunted those who have been criticising labour unions for suspending the industrial action earlier declared to protest the recent increase in fuel price and electricity tariff .

He said the critics became disgruntled because they had apparently perfected plans to use the strike by the labour unions as a smokescreen to unleash anarchy on the land .

Adesina made the claim in a statement titled “ Beware of people smarting from suspended labour strike for selfish reasons -Presidency. ”

Labour unions had planned an industrial action scheduled to commence last week Monday over the increase.

The action was however suspended after a meeting they had with Federal Government on Sunday and lasted early hours of Monday .

Their action attracted criticisms from stakeholders, especially activists , who felt the labour leaders sold out .

But Adesina claimed that some people had wanted to use the suspended strike as an opportunity for a pound of flesh , which they calculated would weaken the government so much , and influence the 2023 elections .

While commending the organised labour unions for putting the country first by suspending the action, the presidential spokesman urged Nigerians to beware of those he claimed are sponsoring and encouraging discord and anarchy , either for selfish ends or as revenge for perceived injuries .

He described those who fall under the category as enemies of the country.

The statement read , “ Since organised labour toed the path of sense and sensibility last week , seeing reason with the imperatives of fuel price adjustment , and opening a further window of dialogue on the service based electricity tariff, some groups of Nigerians have been dolorous , disgruntled , and disconsolate.

“ They had apparently perfected plans to use the strike by the labour unions as smokescreen to unleash anarchy on the land, fomenting mayhem and civil disobedience . But the plan blew up in their faces, and they have been in severe pains since then . They have launched series of tirades against organized labour .

“ For some interest groups , their intention was to use the umbrella of the strike to further their whimsical and pie- in- the-sky dream of a revolution in the country. It went bust in their faces .

“ For some others , Bitter -Enders , who have remained entrenched in pre - 2015 and 2019 elections mode , it was opportunity to avenge the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protests, which they believe largely devalued the government of the day, and led to its eventual ouster in 2015.

“ The strike that was to have come up last week , they wanted to use as opportunity for a pound of flesh, which they calculated would weaken the government so much , and influence the 2023 elections . For them , it was all about hanker for power , its trappings and appurtenances. Nothing about love of country. They have since then been calling organised labour all sorts of names, claiming they deceived Nigerians.

“ The times in which we live - with severe security, economic and social challenges- call for all hands to be on deck, and goodwill and support for government , as it strives to put the nation on an even keel . We commend organised labour for putting the country first .

“ Those sponsoring and encouraging discord and anarchy , either for selfish ends , or as revenge for perceived injuries , are enemies of the country . Nigerians are urged to beware of them , as the Muhammadu Buhari government is only interested in engendering better quality of life for the citizenry . Nothing more. ”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu, on Thursday said Nigeria was not building any rail line to Niger Republic .

He said the plan was to construct the rail line up to the border Nigeria shares with the neighbouring country and not into the country itself .

The Minister of Transportation , Rotimi Amaechi, had told State House correspondents on Wednesday that the Federal Executive Council approved $1. 96bn for the construction of a rail line to link Kano, Dutse , Katsina and Maradi in Niger Republic .

“ The second one ( approval) is the award of contract for the development of the proposed Kano -Katsina -Jibia to Matadi rail line in Niger Republic and to Dutse , the capital of Jigawa , for a total cost of $1, 959, 744, 723. 71, inclusive of 7. 5% VAT, ” Amaechi had told reporters .

The announcement generated reactions from stakeholders and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party that accused the government of misplaced priority .

But Shehu , in a series of tweets posted on his Twitter handle , @ GarShehu , on Thursday, claimed that Nigeria would only construct the rail line to the border it shares with Niger Republic in Maradi .

The presidential aide wrote, “ Nigeria isn’ t building rail line into Niger but , only to the designated border point.

“ An agreement between Nigeria and Niger in 2015, coordinated by the Nigeria -Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation has a plan for Kano-Katsina- Maradi Corridor Master Plan, K2M as it is called.

“ Going by this , the two nations would each build a rail track to meet at the border town of Maradi.

“ Nigerian delegates to that meeting comprised officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Boundaries Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment , Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources as well as those of Kano and Katsina states .

“ The objective of the rail is the harnessing of raw materials , mineral resources and agricultural produce.

“ When completed, it will serve domestic industries and play the role of a viable transportation backbone to the West African subregion , starting with the neighbouring Niger Republic for their export and import logistic chain. ”

The National Industrial Court in Abuja , on Thursday, issued an interim order restraining the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress from embarking on their strike planned to start on Monday , September 28, 2020.

Justice Ibrahim Galadima issued the interim order following an ex - parte application filed by a group , Peace and Unity Ambassadors Association through their counsel , Sunusi Musa .

The NLC and TUC had threatened to embark on the planned strike to press for the reversal of the hike in electricity tariff and petrol pump price .

But Justice Galadima ordered the labour unions, their officers , and affiliate groups to halt the plan to embark on the strike pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicant .

The judge also granted an order of interim injunction restraining the unions from disrupting, restraining , picketing or preventing the workers or ordinary Nigerians from accessing their offices to carry out their legitimate duties on September 28, 2020, or any other date .

The court also granted an order compelling the Inspector General of Police and the Director -General Department of State Services to provide protection for workers engaged in their legitimate duties from any form of harassment, intimidation and bullying by the officers , agents or privies of the unions pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice .

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , on Thursday, said the Companies and Allied Matters Act , 2020 which he recently signed into law would enhance transparency and corporate accountability and help the fight against corruption.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina , disclosed this in a statement titled “ CAMA Act will help us fight corruption, President Buhari explains at UNGA high- level summit. ”

The presidential spokesman said Buhari spoke in a video message presented at the Open Government Partnership 2020 Virtual Leaders ’ Summit on the sidelines of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York , United States .

The President spoke at a time stakeholders, including the Christian Association of Nigeria , are faulting some provisions of the law.

Adesina quoted the President as saying that “ Since the inception of our administration in 2015, the government has been committed to changing international and domestic perceptions regarding Nigeria ’ s commitment to fight corruption and foster good governance .

“ We focused on the task of dealing head -on with this destructive monster , which led to us joining the Open Government Partnership and making reform commitments such as to establish a public central register of beneficial owners of corporate entities.

“ Since then , we have made significant progress in implementing tougher anti -corruption measures, including my recent assent to the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

“ The Act provides a legal framework for the implementation of Beneficial Ownership Information Disclosure in Nigeria .

” Being an OGP member- country has helped Nigeria learn from other countries tackling similar challenges , and to build a coalition to support these reforms across the private sector and civil society . It has also aided our journey towards building citizens ’ trust in government . ”

On the COVID - 19 pandemic , Buhari said it had become clear that governments cannot solve all the challenges of the pandemic alone . He argued that it is only through open governance and working with citizens that nations can succeed .

” We face a significant contraction in the global economy in 2020; the world is facing the unprecedented twin challenges of managing the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. ”

In these times, citizens worldwide are seeking more information , engagement , and support from their governments , ” he added .

Buhari promised that his administration would continue to use its OGP membership to ensure that open government approaches strengthen pandemic management .

He added that the Nigerian government will sustain consultations and engagements with citizens through Civil Society Organisations and the Organised Private Sector on COVID -19 response and recovery plan .

He said , “ These consultations are in line with the effort of our administration to encourage public participation in government policies and programmes

” Our recovery package includes support to businesses, to vulnerable communities and an expansion of public works . Our aim is to make all these efforts more effective by making them open .

” President Buhari recounted that soon after joining this partnership , Nigeria had the privilege of being elected to the OGP Global Steering Committee. As a leader in the OGP Steering Committee, President Buhari acknowledged that Nigeria has learnt from both government and non -government counterparts on international best practices.

” I am also glad that Nigeria ’ s pioneering sub-national Open Government Partnership Model has become one of the leading examples driving the expansion of the Open Government Partnership Local Programme .

” Nigeria will also champion the tenets of the Open Government Partnership through our leadership role in regional institutions.

” We aim to expand the partnership on the African Continent by continuing to play a leading role in the International Steering Committee.

” As we look forward to celebrating 10 years of the existence of the Open Government Partnership next year , it is my earnest wish that all countries in the world will adopt Open Government principles and help democracy live up to the expectations of citizens having a voice at and beyond the ballot box, ” he said . Buhari encouraged Nigerians to get involved in the OGP and help shape and sustain the country’ s democracy now and in the future .

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , Mohammed Abbah, has disclosed that the commission has recovered over N 4. 16 billion unpaid revenue from lottery companies.

He noted that the lottery firms operating in the country were not forthcoming in remitting revenues that were due to the government , hence the intervention by the EFCC .

Speaking while hosting a delegation of the Ministerial Task Force for recovery of unpaid revenues from lottery businesses, led by its chairman , Williams Alo , on Wednesday, the EFCC boss said , “ We mapped out strategies which resulted in the recovery of over N 4. 16bn from lottery companies, operating in Abuja with over N 3b from their counterparts , operating in Lagos State . ”

A statement on Thursday by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren , entitled , ‘ EFCC recovers over N 4. 16b unpaid lottery revenue, ’ noted that Abbah further assured the task force of the EFCC’ s unwavering support.

“ We are willing and ready to partner with you to ensure that lottery companies that have continuously shortchanged the government are made to cough out all the revenues they had deprived the government over the years, ” he pledged .

Alo , who is also the Permanent Secretary , Ministry of Special Duties and Inter - governmental Affairs , commended the EFCC for its effort in recovering the funds .

He stated, “ Let me acknowledge the efforts of this commission for the assistance it has rendered not only to the Federal Government of Nigeria but specifically to the lottery industry .

“ It is in our record that the EFCC has assisted the lottery business in no small way because a lot of recoveries have been made for us by the EFCC and the money recovered has always been handed over to the lottery trust fund . ”

Alo , however , solicited more support and collaboration of the commission in the fund recovery drive of the task force.

The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Wednesday that the President , Major -General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd ) , acted in contravention of the law when he sent the names of 11 candidates recommended to him by the National Judicial Council for appointment as judges of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to the Senate for screening and confirmation .

Justice Inyang Ekwo made the pronouncement in a suit filed by an Abuja -based lawyer , Oladimeji Ekengba , contending that the forwarding of the names of the 11 nominees by Buhari to the Senate was in breach of section 256( 2) of the Nigerian Constitution .

Buhari had, without explanation, picked 11 names from among the 33 recommended to him in April this year by the NJC for appointment as FCT High Court judges.

He forwarded the 11 names to the Senate for screening , but the upper legislative chamber had declined to act on the President ’ s list having admitted that it had no role to play in the appointment of FCT judges.

The 11 judges have since been sworn in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria , Justice Tanko Muhammad.

Aside from faulting the sending of the names of 11 of the candidates to the Senate, Ekengba , in his suit , also contended that the President lacked the power to pick and choose whom among the candidates to appoint as judges recommended by the NJC.

He sought among other prayers , an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Senate from screening and confirming the candidates as judges of the FCT High Court .

In his judgment on Wednesday , Justice Inyag Ekwo agreed with the plaintiff that Buhari acted in contravention of the provision of Section 256( 2) of the Constitution by forwarding the 11 names to the Senate .

The judge also agreed with the plaintiff that only the appointment of a head of court , like the Chief Judge, required Senate confirmation .

He , however , ruled that the contravention of the law by Buhari did not affect the judges’ inauguration.

The suit had the Senate and the Senate President joined as the 3rd and 4th defendants respectively .

Also joined as defendants are Buhari , the Attorney- General of the Federation , Abubakar Malami, the Clerk of the Senate, the Chief Justice of Nigeria , Justice Tanko Muhammad , and the National Judicial Council , as the 1st , 2nd, 5th , 6th , and 7th defendants , respectively .

 The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , on Wednesday, said he was disturbed by the petroleum tanker explosion that claimed 23 lives earlier in the day in Lokoja, Kogi State .

Most of the victims of the tanker explosion, which occurred in the Felele area of Lokoja, along the Lokoja /Abuja Highway, were schoolchildren and students of the state-owned polytechnic located a short distance away from the scene.

A man from Okene was said to have lost six children to the inferno, while a family of five was wiped out in the accident that some referred to as the worst in the year so far .

The victims included five students of the Kogi State Polytechnic and three nursery pupils, who were on their way to school.

Also , pupils from the Baptist Academy , whose number had yet to be ascertained, were among those killed.

Also killed was a businessman, identified simply as Samson, alongside his wife and three children .

Samson was said that be dealing in sewing machines and wanted to drop off his children at school as had become his daily routine before opening his shop.

The 33, 000- litre tanker, which was laden with Premium Motor Spirit and belonged to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, was said to have suffered brake failure around 8am and rammed into five cars, two motorcycles and three tricycles, killing all the occupants.

Buhari said the tragedy represented “ another disturbing and saddening incident in the litany of tragedies that have befallen our country. ”

Buhari’ s position was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu, titled: ‘ President Buhari mourns victims of Lokoja tanker explosion ’ .

Shehu quoted the President as expressing worry over the frequency of what he called “ large -scale tragedies” in the country.

Buhari was also said to have regretted that the frequent incidents, which he described as a national scandal , were mostly caused by people ’ s indifference to safety standards .

The President was quoted to have said , “ I am seriously worried about the frequency of these unfortunate and large- scale tragedies in the country, which cause needless deaths.

“ These frequent incidents that result in loss of lives and property are a national scandal caused by our indifference to safety standards .

“ Many accidents are preventable if proper proactive and precautionary measures are put in place or properly observed as routine policies .

“ Ours is a country where we move on whenever tragedies occur instead of taking preventive safety measures to forestall future calamities . ”

The President therefore called on the county’ s transport authorities, traffic and road management agencies as well as law enforcement officials to sit up and enforce safety standards with more seriousness.

He added , “ Refusal to do the right thing can cause potential tragic problems that harm innocent people.

“ Nigeria is not having a shortage of laws and regulations, but our problem is lack of zeal to enforce those laws and regulations for the sake of public safety. ”

He condoled with the state government and the bereaved families.

“ I was about crossing the road when I noticed the driver of the tanker signalling of the impending danger due to brake failure , and before one could say Jack Robinson , the 33, 000- litre tanker conveying Premium Motor Spirit fell on its side and started spilling the content , which caught fire and burnt all vehicles in the vicinity , ” an eyewitness , who spoke on condition anonymity said.

One of our correspondents, who got to the scene a few minutes after the explosion, counted five burnt cars, three tricycles and two motorcycles .

Although the Sector Commander of the Federal Road safety Corps in the state, Idris Fika Ali, said 23 persons lost their lives, sources said close to 40 casualties might have been recorded.

It was gathered that FRSC personnel , who got to the scene around 10am , came with an ambulance from the Rescue /Rehabilitation Team to evacuate the corpses , while residents made efforts to identify some of the victims.

Meanwhile, the state governor , Yahaya Bello, has expressed shock and sorrow over the fatal tanker explosion .

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor , Onogwu Mohammed, read in part, “ Governor Bello is very sad to learn of the tragic loss of lives , many vehicles , property and other valuables in the petrol tanker fire , while expressing his deepest condolences to the families of those affected by the ugly occurrence.

“ He said this is sadly the greatest tragedy the state has witnessed in recent times , while describing the unfortunate accident as a sad development and shares the feeling of those who lost their loved ones in this incident. ”

The governor also urged the students of Kogi State Polytechnic to remain calm and peaceful , stating that he equally shared in their grieving moment over the death of some of their colleagues in the disaster .

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications , Kingsley Fanwo , who also visited the scene, said the state government would not tolerate reckless driving on its roads .

According to him , the state government “ will stop at nothing to protect the lives of the citizens from needless deaths resulting from reckless road use . ”

He described the incident as unfortunate as the victims were burnt beyond recognition.

“ This is sad and unacceptable , ” he said while insisting that all road users must begin to act responsibly .

Fanwo stated , “ This is one accident too many and we lost many of our citizens . The governor is clearly and understandably sad about this and has directed that we intensify campaign against reckless driving , especially on the ever-busy NATACO - Felele Expressway.

“ The Ministry of Transportation is coming up with a collaboration programme with the Ministry of Information and Communications to enlighten and educate road users about their responsibly .

“ Some of those who died today were young people, who were destroyed in their prime. We cannot continue like this . ”

Fanwo said truck drivers must desist from using drugs and urged the FRSC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to clamp down on truck drivers, who drive under the influence of drugs

The Corps Commander , Ekiti State Security Network , otherwise known as Amotekun Corps , Brig . Gen Joe Komolafe, said on Wednesday that training for successful candidates for the outfit would begin on Sunday.

Komolafe said the 325 successful candidates shortlisted out of the 3, 261 applicants invited for the just concluded screening would participate in the three -week training beginning on Sunday at the Ekiti State University , Ifaki - Ekiti campus.

The Amotekun commander said , “ With the recruitment of the corps, the spate of insecurity will be reduced to the barest minimum . Criminal -minded elements should steer clear of Ekiti State or meet their Waterloo ” .

Komolafe urged the successful candidates to resume to camp within the stipulated period , warning that “ there would be no further registration after the cut -off date of the midnight Wednesday, 30 September , 2020.

“ Only successful candidates whose name appears on the Amotekun website are to come to the training camp with two white T - shirts, two white shorts , two pairs of white canvas shoes, hand sanitizers , face masks , toiletries and other items, ” he said .

Komolafe said the exercise had been transparent with personnel from the Amotekun agency and certified security experts involved in the process .

“ The recruits will be posted to strategic places across the state to work in collaboration with conventional security agencies in keeping criminal activities at bay, ” he said .

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have eliminated several top commanders and fighters of the Boko Haram terrorist group in their various camps at the fringes of Lake Chad in Kukawa Local Government Area ( LGA) of Borno.

The Coordinator , Defence Media Operations, Maj . - Gen . John Enenche , disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja .

Enenche said that the troops also destroyed several camps used by the terrorists located at Tunbun Gini, Tunbun Nbororo, Tunbun Kayoma , Tunbun Kaza , and Tunbun Fulani during the operation .

He said that some of the top Boko Haram /ISWAP commanders killed during the operation were- Abu Usman , Alhaji Shettima , Modu Mainok , Bukar Gana, Abu Summayya , Amir Taam, and Amir Kuraish .

He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria in collaboration with other security agencies were committed to ending terrorism and other security challenges in the country .

“ While the good people of the North-East are once again assured of troop’ s commitment to the safety of lives and property within the zone , they are also encouraged to continue to avail the troops timely and credible information that will assist them in the conduct of their operations , ” he said .

( NAN)

The Federal Government on Wednesday approved $1, 959, 744, 723. 71 for the construction of a rail line that will link Nigeria to Niger Republic .

The approval was given at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) .

The Minister of Transportation , Rotimi Amaechi, told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting that the sum approved for the development of the proposed rail line linking Kano- Dutse -Katsina -Jibia and to Maradi in Niger Republic is inclusive of Value Added Tax .

Amaechi said apart from that, the council also approved the award of a contract worth N 3. 049 bilion for the design , manufacture, supply , testing , and commissioning of one railway crane for the purposes of clearing rail tracks in situations of accidents.

Thirteen members of the House of Lords, United Kingdom , have expressed concern over the killings by Boko Haram insurgents in the North -East and Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt region.

The upper house of parliament members said the failure of the Federal Government to protect Nigerians was a breach of the Commonwealth Charter.

They requested the Commonwealth to raise the killings with its Ministerial Action Group.

This was contained in a letter to the Secretary -General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, dated September 14, co -signed by Baroness Cox, Baroness Kennedy , Jim Shannon , Fiona Bruce, former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams and 14 others .

They cited a report by the UK All- Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief , which accused unnamed officials of being complicit in the bloodshed in the country.

The referenced report was titled , ‘ Nigeria : Unfolding genocide ?’ .

According to the parliamentarians , the APPG ’ s concerns reflected the findings of a report by Amnesty International , ‘ We dried our tears : Addressing the toll on children of Northeast Nigeria ’ s conflict’ , which concludes that the Nigerian armed forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during their operations .

The lawmakers wrote , “ The Nigerian army ’ s former Chief of Staff , Lt . Gen . Theophilus Danjuma , whom some of us have met and spoken to , says the armed forces are “ not neutral; they collude ” in the “ ethnic cleansing in… riverine states . ”

“ The state’ s failure to protect the citizens is a clear breach of its obligations under the Commonwealth Charter in respect of human rights, ” the Lords submitted .

The letter added , “ There is now an urgent need to ensure adequate protection and aid for those suffering the loss of family members and the destruction of their homes and livelihoods, and to end impunity by ensuring that complaints related to human rights violations are promptly , independently and impartially investigated, and those responsible are held to account after fair trials . ”

The group requested the Commonwealth scribe to raise the urgent concerns with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.

“ We would be very willing to meet in person ( or perhaps more practically , online via zoom) to discuss how we might proceed, ” they said .

Mrs Regina Fani- Kayode ( nee Hanson -Amonoo) , the legal wife of a former Minister of Aviation , Chief Femi Fani -Kayode, says the ex - minister has never abused her in their 23 years of marriage.

She said this during a telephone interview on Monday in reaction to allegations that Fani - Kayode abused his estranged wife , Precious Chikwendu.

Regina , who is a Ghanaian, said she got married to Fani - Kayode based on Ghanaian customs in 1997 and they subsequently tied the knot at the Apapa Registry in Lagos in 2002.

She said , “ We have a beautiful daughter called Oluwaremilekun and both she and I are very proud of him . He has been a wonderful father and caring husband and he has never subjected me to any form of domestic abuse or treated me badly.

“ Reports in the media that we are divorced are fake and suggestions that I was treated in a bad way by him or subjected to any form of abuse at any time in the 23 years that we have been married are malicious and false . ”

When asked if she was aware of Fani -Kayode’ s relationship with Precious that produced four sons , she responded in the affirmative , adding that she approved of it.

Regina stated that she had relocated to Ghana and that a monogamous relationship would have been difficult for her husband hence she gave him her blessing to take another wife .

She, however , said her husband did not commit bigamy as he did not marry Precious legally but traditionally.

Precious, who is a beauty queen , recently separated from Fani - Kayode amid rumours of domestic violence.

However , neither Precious nor Fani -Kayode has agreed to speak to the media on the matter .

Negotiations on the N 30, 000 minimum wage, which were suspended in some states in the wake of COVID - 19 outbreak in March , would resume this week.

It was gathered on Monday that workers in no fewer than eight states had yet to be paid the minimum wage nine months after the deadline the Nigeria Labour Congress gave state governments .

Labour leaders told newsmen that Osun, Kwara , Ekiti , Imo , Gombe , Kogi , Zamfara and Ebonyi state governments had not started the minimum wage implementation.

Findings indicated in states , where minimum wage negotiations had been concluded , workers were demanding fresh talks in view of the hikes in the fuel price and electricity tariff .

The Trade Union Congress said together with the NLC it would stage street protests in states where implementation of the minimum wage had not started .

It said such protests were held in Rivers and Ogun states , a few days ago , adding that workers would storm Imo State soon for the minimum wage protests.

Although the new minimum wage bill was signed by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , into law on April 18, 2019, both labour and the Federal Government did not agree on consequential adjustment of workers’ salaries until October 17, 2019.

In October , the Federal Government and the NLC agreed on 23. 2 percentage increase for workers at grade level 07; 20 per cent for those at grade level 08; 19 per cent for workers at grade level 09; 16 per cent for those on levels 10 to 14; and 14 per cent for workers at grade levels 15 to 17.

In a communiqué issued after its meeting on December 11, 2019, the NLC gave state governments a December 31 deadline to conclude negotiations on the minimum wage .

It was learnt that the fuel price hike had brought to the fore the issue of minimum wage in states , where it had not been implemented .

In Osun State , the Chairman of the NLC , Jacob Adekomi , told one of our correspondents that labour leaders and the state government would resume minimum wage negotiations on Thursday.

According to him , the state Governor , Gboyega Oyetola , during a meeting on Sunday told the labour leaders to work out the financial implications of their demands and submit them to the state government .

Adekomi explained that in December , a committee consisting of government and Labour representatives was set up.

He stated , “ Recently, we met with the commissioner for finance and Mr Governor on the need to go back to the negotiation table and finalise the agreement we reached before. But with what is on the ground now , we have to start all over again because of the hikes in electricity tariff and petroleum price .

In Kogi State , the NLC Chairman , Onu Edoka in a chat with one of our correspondents on the telephone , said negotiations would resume this week.

Edoka said activities of a 17- man negotiating committee set up by the state government were stalled because of COVID -19 pandemic in March .

On its part, the Chief of Staff to the state governor , Asuku Jamiu , in an interview said labour leaders were part of the negotiations .

The Chairman of the Kwara State Joint Negotiating Council , Saliu Sulaiman , said that workers in the state had written the state Governor , Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq , asking him to sign the minimum wage bill and begin its implementation.

He said although labour leaders and the state government had agreed on modalities for implementing the new minimum, he said the payment was suspended as a result of outbreak of COVID -19 pandemic .

Sulaiman stated, “ Apart from COVID - 19, hikes in electricity tariff and fuel pump price have also made the current salary earned by workers in the state to be meaningless . ”

“ We met last week and one of the issues we discussed was the minimum wage which the government has yet to implement. We have written a letter to the governor to sign the collective agreement . ”

In Sokoto State , the NLC Chairman , Ahmed Umar, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Sokoto said the state government began the payment of the new minimum wage in January.

He , however , said the payment had not started in local government areas because of the bloated “ staff strength” in the LGAs.

Also , the NLC in Ekiti State said the state government had not concluded talks with workers on the minimum wage.

The NLC Secretary in the state, Taiwo Akinyemi, in an interview , said negotiations would soon resume in the state.

Akinyemi said since COVID - 19 infection , which was the reason the negotiation was suspended was already thinning out, the NLC would write the government on the need to conclude the negotiation.

The Enugu State Chairman of the NLC , Virginus Nwobodo , on his part, said the minimum wage implementation in the state had started.

He , however , said inflation had made a mess of it. “ Enugu State Government has started minimum wage implementation. ” He , however , noted that the minimum wage had been greatly affected by inflation

But in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, the Bauchi State Chairman of the NLC , Danjuma Saleh , said negotiations with the state government had not been concluded before the COVID - 19 lockdown .

He stated , “ We reached an agreement six to seven months ago and workers from level six down have been getting the minimum wage . It is only salaries of senior staff from level seven upwards that we have not agreed on . We will soon resume the negotiations . ”

The Gombe State Chairman of the NLC , Mohammed Adamu, said , “ We have resumed talks but we have yet to conclude them . We have not reached the stage to plot a strike as we hope to conclude discussion on resumption of payment before the end of this month.”

Recall that Gombe is one of the few states that adopted the 30, 000 minimum wage, but suspended its implementation due to the impact of COVID - 19.

In Oyo State , the acting Chairman of the NLC , Mr Kayode Martins, said that the majority of the workers were being paid the new minimum wage.

He , however , said some departments , higher institutions and agencies were still taking the old salaries.

But the NLC in Ebonyi State is divided . The NLC Chairman , Ikechukwu Nwafor , who is recognised by the national leadership of the congress , said the state government had not negotiated with the state chapter .

Nwafor, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abakaliki, said efforts of the NLC to negotiate with the state government failed .

Nwafor said , “ I didn ’ t negotiate with the Ebonyi State Government . They didn ’ t allow negotiations . They called some people and made them to sign some documents.

“ The people negotiated with them and agreed on a table that they have been using to pay people . They went and did it as a hidden thing when I was writing the governor to come up with a negotiation team and all of a sudden they said they had paid the minimum wage.

“ The minimum wage is not being implemented in this state. We have the table and we can make it available for you ; what Ebonyi has been paying before now , what it is paying now and what it should be paying after now .

But the factional Chairman , Mr Leonard Nkah , said that “ the negotiation on the national minimum wage was concluded about one year ago . We are enjoying the national minimum wage in Ebonyi State , and workers are not just happy with it . ”

The Zamfara State Chairman of the congress , Bashir Mafara , said negotiations on the minimum wage had been concluded but implementation had not begun .

The chairman said the committee set up by the state government had submitted its report to state Governor , Bello Matawalle .

Also , the Kano State Government has yet to refund salaries of workers it deducted for three months after it started the implementation of the minimum in December 2019.

A reliable source said that the state government promised to refund the deductions before the end of August 2020, but it had yet to fulfil the promise .

Recall that the state chapter of NLC , had on Wednesday , May 27, 2020 threatened to embark on a strike over the May salary pay cut .

A source said , “ The state government deducted the workers ’ salaries in May , June and July . It was only in August the deduction was not made . ”

Following the dwindling revenues arising from the COVID - 19 pandemic , the state government slashed workers ’ salaries which the state NLC kicked against.

The state NLC while reacting on the development, had described the state government ’ s action as a violation of the existing minimum wage law 2019.

However, following an agreement between the union and the Kano State Government , the workers suspended their planned strike.

However, all efforts to contact the state NLC chairman , Kabiru Ado -Minjibir , to comment on the situation failed as did not pick phone calls.

But a competent source at the state ministry of finance said it was the labour union that was supposed to know when the workers’ money would be refunded.

Meanwhile, the TUC and the NLC have concluded plans to hold a massive protest in Imo State to compel the state government to implement the minimum wage.

The TUC President , Mr Quadri Olaleye , said the organised labour would soon arrive in the state in solidarity with the workers who he said were being denied their rights and benefits by the government .

Speaking to one of our correspondents on Monday on the refusal of about eight states to implement the minimum wage , the union leader said the TUC and NLC would deal with the errant states .

He stated that the unions had addressed the delay in implementing the bill in Rivers and Ogun States , noting that the former would start paying the minimum wage this month.

The TUC and NLC had planned a major street protest in Port Harcourt , the state capital, but it was shelved following calls for dialogue by the state government .

The meeting subsequently agreed on the implementation of the minimum wage , prompting the organised labour to shelve the rally .

Olaleye said , “ I ’ m sure you are aware of what happened in Rivers State and Ogun states last week. We are taking it one by one. We have resolved that of Rivers state, they would start paying this month. The remaining five or six states , we are going to deal with them jointly with the NLC . Imo State is next , that is where the action would be. ”

He further explained that the failure of some states to pay the minimum wage was part of the demands presented to the Federal Government during their meeting with the FG team on the hikes in the prices of petroleum products and electricity tariffs , in Abuja last Tuesday.

He added , “ We already reported to the Federal Government in the letter of ultimatum we gave them that they should mandate all states that have not paid the minimum wage to implement it immediately. ”

The TUC disclosed that the labour movement would again meet with the FG officials to further discuss the hikes in electricity tariffs and fuel pump price .

It said the government was expected to unfold its plans and palliatives to address the socio - economic impact of the increase on Nigerians.

The TUC leader stated , “ We have not discussed those who have not been paying the minimum wage issue with the Federal Government , we only mentioned it during our presentation . So , at the meeting , they would give us their plan . I think we should be meeting by Friday this week . ”

PUNCH

A former governor of Ekiti State , Ayodele Fayose , has announced the death of his elder sister , Mrs Moji Ladeji .

He made this known in a tweet on Monday .

Fayose described the deceased as “ God - fearing” .

He said , “ On behalf of my family, I announce the death of my immediate elder sister , Mrs Moji Ladeji . She died today, after a brief illness.

“ We are pained by your departure, but consoled by the God - fearing and exemplary life that you lived . May the soul of Sister Moji rest in peace . ”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had in November 2016 said it was looking for Ladeji over a N 200m house located at 44 Osun Crescent , Maitama , Abuja , a highbrow area in the nation ’ s capital.

According to court documents , the building, which has since been sealed off by the EFCC, was allegedly bought by Fayose from proceeds of corrupt practices but the title documents of the house bear the name of Fayose ’ s sister , a move the commission claimed was to cover the governor ’ s track .

Detectives had told our correspondent that Ladeji , who is based in the United Kingdom, would need to explain her role in the alleged scam .

The Christian Association of Nigeria , Lagos State , has commended the decision of Governor Babajide Sanwo -Olu to fully reopen churches, saying it is the right thing to do .

But the Nigerian Medical Association , Lagos chapter , described the decision to fully open worship centres in the state as hasty .

The Chairman of CAN , Apostle Alexander Bamgbola , told The PUNCH that prayers were responsible for the minimal effects of the virus in the state.

He said a minimum of 30 million Nigerians were expected to die from the COVID -19 pandemic , but God prevented it.

Bamgbola said , “ By the end of February and early March when this thing started, I had access to privileged information from America that a minimum of 40 million Africans would die from this virus and 30 million of them will be Nigerians . But we serve a living God .

“ Those who say Nigeria is the most corrupt nation always conclude that ‘ one thing they do is to pray’ . They have seen that we serve a living God . We thank the governor for listening to us . He has done well after looking at all the variables. ”

The cleric , however , added that CAN would ask worship centres to keep to all safety measures to prevent further spread of COVID - 19.

But, speaking to one of our correspondents, the Chairman , Lagos NMA Committee on COVID - 19 Response , Dr Japhet Olugbodi , said the state should have waited awhile before the full reopening of churches.

He said , “ I think we should have tarried a little bit and see what comes out of the reopening of the airports. The strain of COVID -19 in Nigeria is different from the one in some countries , and since we ’ ve opened the airport , we may have people bringing in another strain of the virus that is different and deadlier than the one in the country.

“ We should have seen how that goes first before reopening the economy fully. I understand that people are hard-pressed , but there is a popular saying that goes thus, ‘ safety first . ’ I think we could have tarried a bit till about another month after reopening of the airports before the full reopening of the economy. ”

A yet -to -be- identified supporter of Governor Godwin Obaseki has fallen from a speeding vehicle.

The young man was part of the youths , in a vehicle, jubilating over results announced in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate Obaseki.

The incident happened in front of Ugbekun Primary School in Ikpoba - Okha Local Government Area around 4:05 pm.

The youth fell from the vehicle and hit his head on the tarred road.

The vehicle moved on but some of the PDP supporters alighted and rushed the victim to a clinic near the scene of the accident.

It was not clear if he was revived at the clinic but he was motionless immediately he fell and banged his head on the road.