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Federal Government Meets Labour Leaders As Nationwide Strike Begins

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The Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Simon Lalong, has convened a meeting with labour leaders as the nationwide strike begins.

Report has it that leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress are expected at the meeting holding on Tuesday (today).

A source, according to The Punch, said “The minister has convened a meeting with the Labour leaders for Tuesday”.

The labour unions had, on Monday, ordered their affiliates to withdraw their services nationwide from midnight on November 14, 2023.

TUC President, Festus Osifo, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja..

Osifo said the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

The strike is also to protest the battering of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and some other executives of the congress in Owerri, Imo State, on November 1, as well as the pending labour issues in Imo State.

Ajaero was arrested by the police ahead of a state-wide protest in Imo, as disclosed by the NLC’s Head of Information, Benson Upah.

Although the police denied arresting Ajaero, stating that he was merely taken into protective custody to prevent a mob attack, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, accused the labour leader of meddling in the political affairs of the state.

The NLC and TUC later wrote their affiliates such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, National Union of Electricity Employees, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics among others ahead of the nationwide strike.

The letter to the affiliates was jointly signed by the National Secretary, NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja and the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress, Nuhu Toro.

The letter read, “In furtherance to the decision of the Joint National Executive Council of NLC and TUC, all workers in Nigeria are hereby directed to withdraw their services effective 12 midnight today, November 13, 2023.

“Consequently, all affiliates and state councils of NLC/TUC are directed to issue circulars for maximum compliance and these circulars be made available to the National Secretariats or posted to the NEC and WC Whatsapp platforms.

“While we shall update you with developments as they unfold, do remain assured of our commitment to Nigerian workers and people.”

Meanwhile, the Presidency has described the planned strike as an attempt to blackmail the government.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Monday said the planned action is an abuse of privilege and one that contravenes a restraining order by the Industrial Court against the strike.

He noted that Ajaero’s assault in Imo though condemnable is a personal issue that shouldn’t force the whole country into punishment.

The statement read, “This decision by the NLC and TUC other than being an ego-tripping move is clearly unwarranted. It is an attempt to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC.

“We are still at a loss as to why the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike.

“While the Federal government does not condone any form of violence and assault on any citizen of Nigeria regardless of his or her social and economic status, it is on record that the Inspector General of Police has ordered an investigation into what happened to Ajaero while the Commissioner of Police in Imo State under whose watch the incident happened has been transferred out of the state.

“Calling out workers on a national strike over a personal issue of a labour leader despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege. Power at any level should never be used to settle personal scores. Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance national interest.”

The statement added that the strike action is a sinister move to cause further hardship on the masses, noting that the labour movement should not be seen as one that shows disdain against the rule of law.

“Our national economy and social activities should not suffer because of the personal interest of any labour leader.

“This flagrant disobedience to a court order and lack of respect for the judiciary should not be what the organised Labour would champion.

“The labour movement has always been a champion of the rule of law and respect for the judiciary. It is a sad irony that the current labour leaders have shown disdain and utter disregard for the court orders.

“We reiterate that this strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible. What the strike notice issued Monday night after official hours suggests is it’s designed for a sinister and hidden agenda to cause undue hardship and civil disturbance in our country. This is unacceptable,” it concluded.

 

Credit: The Punch

BIG STORY

Police To Resume Nationwide Tinted Glass Permit Enforcement January 2, 2026

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The Nigeria Police Force has announced that it will resume the nationwide enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy from January 2, 2026, citing growing security concerns linked to the misuse of unauthorized tinted vehicle glass.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Benjamin Hundeyin.

The police said the decision followed a review of emerging security threats and the need to enhance public safety, pending the final determination of a related matter currently before the court.

The Force clarified that there was no court order restraining it from enforcing the law regulating the use of tinted glass on vehicles.

It explained that enforcement was earlier suspended in the interest of transparency and public convenience, to allow motorists sufficient time to regularize their documentation and complete the permit application process without pressure.

According to the statement, recent security trends have revealed a rise in criminal activities carried out with the aid of vehicles fitted with unauthorized tinted glass.

Such vehicles, the police noted, have been used by criminals to conceal their identities while committing offences including armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

In view of these developments, the police said the resumption of enforcement had become necessary and urgent as a proactive step to safeguard lives and property across the country.

“Recent trends, however, reveal a disturbing rise in criminal activities perpetrated with the aid of vehicles fitted with unauthorized tinted glass.

“Some individuals and organized criminal groups have exploited this gap to conceal their identities and facilitate crimes ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping and other violent crimes.

“In view of this, the Nigeria Police Force has found it both necessary and urgent to resume full enforcement as a proactive measure to safeguard our communities. Consequently, enforcement of Tinted Glass Permit will resume on 2nd January, 2026,” the statement read.

 

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BIG STORY

Buhari Believed Aso Rock Gossip I Planned Killing Him, Began Locking His Room —— Aisha

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Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has narrated how her husband, the late President Muhammadu Buhari “began locking his room” following gossip in Aso Rock that she (Aisha) planned to kill him.

The ex-First Lady also said the health crisis that forced Buhari, to take 154 days of medical leave in 2017 began with a broken feeding routine and mismanaged nutrition.

She argued that Buhari’s illness was not a mysterious ailment or poisoning.

Her account of the health crisis appeared in a new 600-page biography, ’From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, authored by Dr. Charles Omole, launched at the State House on Monday.

It read, “According to Aisha Buhari, her husband’s 2017 health crisis did not originate as a mysterious ailment or a covert plot. It started, she says, with the loss of a routine; ‘my nutrition,’ she describes it, a pattern of meals and supplements she had long overseen in Kaduna before they moved into Aso Villa.”

The former First Lady convened a meeting with close staff, including the physician, Suhayb Rafindadi; the CSO, Bashir Abubakar; the housekeeper, and the SSS DG to explain the plan.

She said, “Daily, cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders and oils, a touch of protein here, a change to cereals there.”

“When the Presidency’s machinery took over our private lives, she explained the plan: daily, at specific hours, cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders and oil, a touch of protein here, a change to cereals there. Elderly bodies require gentle, consistent support,” Omole narrated.

However, the routine frayed.

“Then came the gossip and the fearmongering. They said I wanted to kill him,” the book quotes her as saying.

“My husband believed them for a week or so,” she said, revealing that the President began locking his room, changed small habits, and crucially, “meals were delayed or missed; the supplements were stopped.”

“For a year, he did not have lunch. They mismanaged his meals,” she added.

The deterioration culminated in Buhari’s two extended medical trips to the United Kingdom, totalling 154 days in 2017, during which he ceded authority to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Upon return, he admitted to being “never so ill” and having received blood transfusions.

Buhari’s absences “sparked rumours, speculation, and even conspiracy theories,” Omole wrote.

Mrs Buhari debunked stories of plots to poison her husband.

Her contention, Omole noted, is that “loss of a routine, ‘my nutrition,’ was the genesis of the crisis.”

In London, doctors prescribed an even stronger regimen of supplements, he explained.

Initially, Buhari “was frightened and not taking them as prescribed. So she took charge of his welfare, slipping hospital-issued supplements into his juice and oats,” it read.

The former First Lady described the turnaround as swift, noting, “After just three days, he threw away the stick he was walking with. After a week, he was receiving relatives.”

“‘That,’ she says, ‘was the genesis, and also the reversal of his sickness,’” the book stated.

According to Omole, critics said Buhari’s reliance on UK hospitals exposed the failure of Nigeria’s health system.

A “more compassionate perspective,” he wrote, recognises that a man in his 70s may require specialised care “not readily available in Nigeria” after “decades of underinvestment.”

He also noted Buhari’s habit of handing power to his deputy during absences, which, he said, ensured “institutional propriety, even during personal health crises.”

The book also revealed a climate of mistrust around the Presidency.

Mrs Buhari alleged surveillance, the bugging of the President’s office with listening devices and playback of private conversations, saying, fear and conscience “contributed to taking his life.”

She refuted the long-held rumour that Buhari had a body double, popularly known as “Jibril of Sudan,” as absurd, arguing that poor strategic communication in government allowed simple, banal developments to metastasise into conspiracies.

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BIG STORY

Dangote Releases Details of ‘$5m Spent By NMDPRA CEO’ On His Children’s Secondary School Education In Switzerland [PHOTO]

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Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, says Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), spent about $5 million on the secondary school education of his children in Switzerland.

In a paid newspaper advert on Tuesday, the billionaire said Ahmed paid the said amount for four of his children, covering a period of six years.

On Monday, Dangote had alleged that Ahmed Farouk “paid $5 million” to a Swiss secondary school for his children’s education, describing the act as “economic sabotage and corruption”.

Releasing details of his allegations, in the newspaper advert, Dangote listed the four children as Faisal Farouk, Farouk Jr., Ashraf Farouk, and Farhana Farouk.

According to the billionaire entrepreneur, the secondary schools the children attended for a duration of six years were Montreux School, Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, and La Garenne International School.

Dangoted also presented estimated annual tuition, living expenses, air travel, and upkeep, which were multiplied across four children and several years of study.

He said the annual cost of tuition, airfare, and upkeep per child was $200,000, which totals $800,000 per year for his four children.

The businessman further explained that the total living expenses and air tickets per child over six years was $1.2 million, amounting to $4.8 million for all four children.

Overall, Dangote estimated that the combined cost of tuition and upkeep for all the children reached $5 million.

He also listed the tertiary education expenses for Ahmed’s children, noting that tuition, upkeep, airfare, and other costs average approximately $125,000 per year over a four-year period.

According to the billionaire, this adds up to $500,000 for four years per child, totaling $2 million for all of them.

“Faisal just finished the 2025 Harvard MBA at $150,000 and $60,000 for upkeep, tickets and other incidentals. Total =$210,000 spent in 2025 for Faisal’s MBA,” he added.

Dangote said Nigerians deserve to know the source of the money “paid by a public officer while many parents in his home state of Sokoto cannot afford to pay N10,000 school fees for their children and wards”.

 

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