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Telecom Services Risk Disruption As 800 Workers Begin Strike Over “Precarious Working Conditions”

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Nigeria’s telecom services are at risk of nationwide disruption as approximately 800 workers from the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association began a strike on Monday.

The union, primarily comprising contract staff, has warned that failure to meet its demands will result in significant disruptions to telecom operations, potentially leaving millions of subscribers without service.

The union’s key demands include:

– Reinstatement of sacked workers

– Recognition of the union

– Improved working conditions

– Remittance of membership dues

The strike has become inevitable because of the prevalent precarious working conditions our members are enduring in the sector, the refusal of the employers to recognise and respect the constitutional right of these workers to freely associate with the union, and the unjust sack of three members of the union,” it stated in its seven-day strike notice.

The union’s Secretary-General, Okonu Abdullahi, said the association’s 800 workers play a significant role in managing critical infrastructure like base stations for infrastructure companies such as IHS, Huawei, etc.

“The implications of the strike will be massive because we have told all our members not to respond to any service outage from our employers. The fact remains that there are outages every day, and if our engineers do not respond to those outages, subscribers in those areas will be affected,” he said.

He said members of the union include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff working for telecom service companies.

The culpable companies include among others, Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, Tylium Nigeria Limited, Specific Tools & Techniques, CPNL (Chinese Pacific Networks Limited) and CITCC (China International Telecommunications Construction Corporation), JUSPARTNER.

Telcos like MTN, Globacom, Airtel, 9mobile own base stations and fibre infrastructure but often outsource management to servicing companies.

These companies, in turn, sometimes subcontract the work to smaller contractors, who employ the striking workers. This complex web of outsourcing has led to concerns about worker welfare and job security.

The telecom union had in April embarked on a similar strike over a similar situation, which was resolved through a reconciliatory meeting convened by the Ministry of Labour between the union and the telecom servicing companies.

According to the PTECSSAN secretary, “The labour ministry had intervened in our previous industrial action, but unfortunately, the companies are still repeating the same issues, which have now escalated because we have more members participating in this strike.”

When asked if the Federal Government or the companies have engaged with the union on the current industrial action, he said, “We have given them ample opportunity to address our demands, but they have chosen to ignore us. If they continue to neglect our grievances, we will have no choice but to take more drastic measures.”

The officer in charge of the telecoms sector at the Ministry of Labour, Princess Powei, acknowledged the workers’ concerns and assured that the government is committed to resolving the issues promptly.

Powei who was part of the team that resolved the previous strike by the workers in April, stated, “One thing I can assure you is that the strike will not linger. I will start making calls now to see what we can do to ensure that the grievances are addressed.”

In a phone conversation with our correspondent, a top Huawei official from China, identified only as Bruce, denied that any of his team members were participating in the ongoing strike by the PTECSSAN.

Bruce stated that all employees were working in the office and had not received any notification about the strike.

“As far as I know, everyone is working, and I don’t think anyone is involved in this,” Bruce said. “However, I will verify the situation with my team.”

When questioned about field workers, the Huawei representative acknowledged that they might be impacted by the strike, but clarified that they were not directly employed by Huawei. Instead, they were part of subcontracting teams.

In April, when the union embarked on a similar strike, The Punch reached out to Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, for comments. He stated that the union was unknown to mobile operators, saying:

“This group is not known to us in ALTON, and the companies mentioned are not members of ALTON. ALTON subscribes to freedom of association, and we are open to dialogue for the greater good,” he said in a chat.

The union was asked if it had any recognition or affiliation with the telcos; Abdullahi responded, “We’ve tried to contact ALTON, but they’ve never made themselves available to discuss issues with us.

“We wrote to them in 2020 and 2021, sent reminders, and even followed up with calls, but they always had excuses, such as their chairman being out of the country. We’re wondering why they’re ignoring us, especially since they’re aware of our existence,” he said.

According to The Punch, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, said that he was not aware of the matter regarding the potential strike by telecom workers, as the union is not affiliated with the association.

However, Emoekpere emphasized the critical importance of protecting the telecom sector, saying, “Telecom services have become a critical infrastructure that must be safeguarded at all costs.”

He further stressed that the telecom industry is a vital asset to the country, adding, “Anything that jeopardizes its functionality must be protected. We cannot afford to compromise the stability of this essential sector.”

 

Credit: The Punch

BIG STORY

Obasa Redeems N100,000 Cash Promise To 500 Secondary School Students

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For 500 students from public schools across Lagos’ six education districts, Christmas arrived early. During events marking his birthday in November, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, promised a cash gift of ₦100,000 to each student who attended to celebrate with him, sparking waves of excitement among them. Speaker Obasa has redeemed his promise, giving the students a December to remember.

Dr. (Mrs.) Sherifat Abiodun Adedoyin, a member of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), announced the redemption of the cash gift. “Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has graciously redeemed his promise of ₦100,000 each for 500 students across Lagos State. This generous commitment was made during his recent birthday celebration on November 11, 2025, and it truly highlights his steadfast dedication to enhancing education and the well-being of children in Lagos State.”

Adedoyin stated further, “We deeply appreciate this wonderful gesture, which will significantly help meet the educational needs of the students and promote academic excellence. May this act of kindness continue to inspire hope and create a positive impact in our community.”

The ₦50 Million Educational Support, according to the Speaker, is an investment in the future of the public secondary school students, representing invaluable opportunities for education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship.

Indeed, at the pre-birthday event, themed “The Youth: Striving to Greater Heights,” which brought together students from across the state, Speaker Obasa’s empowerment initiative turned a personal milestone into a defining moment for youth development in the state.

He also seized the opportunity to inspire and challenge the youth, reminding them that challenges harbour lots of opportunities and that it takes laser-like focus, perseverance, and a steadfast faith in God to pull through.

“This personal journey is not just my story; it is a message to every young person here and those watching across various platforms. It is a wake-up call- a call to rise, to believe in yourself, and pursue your dreams with passion and determination.

“The sky is not the limit; it is only the beginning when you choose to unlock your potential and embrace the opportunities that abound in our great nation.”

Speaker Obasa capped the day with the announcement of a structured mentorship program to pair young talents with seasoned professionals, which he described as a pathway to sustained growth and impact. “This isn’t just inspiration, it’s a pathway to greatness,” he affirmed.

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BIG STORY

Peter Obi Is A ‘Character-In-Chief’, I Know The Junction Where Madman Who Advised Him Stayed In Anambra —- Bwala

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Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, has mocked Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, describing him as a “character-in-chief”.

Speaking in an interview on The Clarity Zone Podcast anchored by Chinedu Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu, Bwala said Obi was engaging in theatrics.

He was responding to a claim that the former governor of Anambra described him as a ‘character’.

“In the movie, the actor is a character. He is actually the character-in-chief, because what he’s playing is what we call theatrics,” Bwala said.

“You are demonstrating a fictitious picture of a reality that will never exist. I think that is the hope he sold to his people.

“So, after the election, when they saw reality dawn, and he lost the election, they couldn’t manage the picture of the fantasy that was painted in their mind, and they ran berserk.”

“They are all over the media now… they don’t have a particular platform where they stay. They migrate and abuse people. And that is because leadership is not easy.

“Leadership is a sacrifice. All these politicians you see, from President Bola Tinubu, and some other politicians who are not up to him, do a lot of sacrifice to build a base; a base that can resonate with them.”

Bwala also responded to Obi’s claim that he has never been to Anambra, saying he could even describe the road leading to the former LP presidential candidate’s house in the state.

The presidential aide further joked that he knew where the mentally unstable man, whom Obi said gave him advice while he was governor of the state, stayed.

Bwala’s remarks followed a statement Obi made in the build-up to the 2023 elections, in which he recounted how a piece of advice from a mentally unstable man helped him resolve a major security challenge during his tenure as governor of Anambra.

“And he also said, I have never been to Anambra; I can tell you the road that leads to his house. Peter Obi is from Agulu,” he said.

“From Nnewi, you have Umudim, Nnewichi, Uruagu, and Otolo. I can take you to places in the east. I even know the junction where the madman that used to advise him used to stay, very close to Upper Iweka.

“How can he say I have never been to Anambra?”

 

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BIG STORY

Fubara’s Impeachment Process On Course, Not Suspended —– Rivers Assembly

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The Rivers House of Assembly says the impeachment process against Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy, is on course.

On Thursday, the state parliament commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.

The lawmakers launched the process after Major Jack, Leader of the assembly, read gross misconduct charges against Fubara, signed by 26 members of the house.

On Friday, reports claimed that the Rivers State House of Assembly had suspended the impeachment process against the governor.

Responding to the reports in a statement, Enemi George, chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions, and Complaints, said notices of gross misconduct have been forwarded to Fubara and Odu, noting that lawmakers are awaiting their responses.

George maintained that the process has not been suspended or discontinued, describing the reports as false narratives aimed at misleading the public and causing disaffection.

“We are aware that certain persons and media platforms are at it again to misinform the public, particularly to the effect that the process has been halted or discontinued,” the statement reads.

“Some are trending false narratives to cause disaffection between the House and well-meaning Nigerians. Therefore, with the leave of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule DSSRS.

“I call on all and sundry to disregard their antics, as their actions have already failed. We remain committed to our constitutional duties and will not be dissuaded by cheap blackmail or threats from those who do not have our country’s nascent democracy at heart.

George asked the public to disregard what he described as antics, saying the house would not be deterred by “cheap blackmail or threats” and remains committed to its constitutional duties.

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