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Wabba-Led NLC Faction Walks Out Of Meeting With FG, Vows To Commence Strike Today.

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The Aliyu Wabba-led faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday walked out of the meeting held with the representatives of the Federal Government, vowing to go ahead with its scheduled nationwide strike on Wednesday (today).

Representatives of the Trade Union Congress, who also attended the meeting, however, said the TUC would not join the strike.

NLC President, Aliyu Wabba, led the labour delegation while the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, led the Federal Government delegation at the talks held in the SGF’s office in Abuja on Tuesday night.

After the meeting, Lawal said, “The National Industrial Court has given an injunction that no strike by NLC and TUC should hold tomorrow (Wednesday). It is therefore clear that anyone embarking on strike tomorrow (Wednesday) is doing so illegally and government is assuring all Nigerians to come out and do their jobs tomorrow (Wednesday).

“It the duty of government to provide security for her citizens and anyone who tries to coerce any worker to do their bidding would be made to face the law of the land. We had full cooperation with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and they said they are not going on strike. For them, it is a complete return to work tomorrow (Wednesday). It is not the same with the NLC however. They have two factions, one agreed completely with the position of the TUC.”

Briefing journalists, Wabba said his team arrived at its decision to proceed on strike following the inability of the Federal Government to meet up with its demand to revert to the N86.50K old pump price of fuel.

Officials of NLC, who pleaded not to be named, said they were angered by the decision of the Federal Government to proceed to court, despite existing negotiation which was at the instance of the government.

The Joe Ajaero faction of the NLC had initially on Tuesday said it would not join the strike while the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers as well as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Association of Nigeria had last week also dissociated the associations from the strike.

The action of the NLC followed the failure of the parties to resolve the dispute over the increase of the pump price of petroleum by the Federal Government from N86.50 to N145 per litre.

But the Federal Government has threatened to apply the ‘no-work-no-pay’ rule against workers who join the NLC strike.

The SGF, Babachir Lawal, in a statement on Tuesday, directed all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to invoke the provision of rule against errant workers.

Lawal advised civil servants to shun the exercise in their own interest, which, he said, was called by the NLC despite a ruling of the National Industrial Court, which restrained labour from going on strike on Wednesday.

The SGF added, “This notice is regrettably given in spite of an order by the industrial court against the strike. Government, therefore, calls upon and advises all workers to respect the laws of the land and to desist from participating in an illegal action.

“Government undertakes to guarantee the safety of workers and their workplaces, and expects that normal work will continue in the interest of the nation. Accordingly, security agencies have been directed to ensure unimpeded access to offices, workplaces and markets.

“Accordingly, all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies are hereby directed to invoke the provision of ‘no work no pay’ in respect of any staff member who absents himself or herself from work to join the strike.”

“Attendance registers are required to be opened in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”

There were indications on Tuesday that organised labour would defy the ruling of the National Industrial Court on the strike called to protest the fuel price increase.

While the Nigeria Labour Congress said it was not aware of the court order stopping the strike, the Trade Union Congress flayed the Federal Government for obtaining it.

The General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, said, “I am not aware of any court injunction. As far as I am concerned, I am not aware of any court injunction.”

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Reps Reject Bill Seeking Single Six-Year Term, Zonal Rotation For President, Governors

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The House of Representatives on Thursday, November 21, rejected a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at instituting a single six-year term for the president, governors, and local government chairmen across the federation.

The bill, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and 33 co-sponsors, also sought to divide the country into six geopolitical zones and establish a rotational system for the presidency and governorship within these zones.

Additionally, the bill proposed that all elections be conducted on a single day.

It aimed to amend Section 132 of the Constitution by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4), and renumbering the entire section accordingly. The proposed amendment would have stipulated that elections to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be rotated between the North and South regions every six years.

The bill also sought to amend Section 180 of the Constitution, replacing “four years” with “six years.”

Furthermore, it proposed altering Section 76 by inserting a new subsection (3), which would read: “(3) For the purpose of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

When the bill, which was scheduled for a second reading, was put to a vote, the majority of lawmakers voted against it. This is not the first time the House has rejected a bill seeking a six-year single term for the president and governors.

In 2019, a similar bill, sponsored by John Dyegh from Benue State, also failed to progress to the second reading.

Dyegh’s bill had also proposed a six-year term for Members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. He argued that a six-year term would allow members of the National Assembly to gain more experience, as opposed to the current four-year term.

According to Dyegh, re-election for the president and governors costs three times more than the first election and is often marked by violence. He believes a single term of five years would help curb the irregularities associated with re-election.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had also proposed a further amendment to the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, advocating for a six-year single term for the president for each of the six geopolitical zones.

He added that the law must mandate electronic voting and the collation of results, and require the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to verify the credentials of candidates, among other reforms.

The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, also backed calls in June this year for a single term for elected politicians.

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I Appointed Aides On Garden Egg, Yam, Pepper To Boost Food Production — Enugu LG Chairman

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Eric Odo, chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA in Enugu state, has defended the appointment of aides for yam, pepper, and garden egg.

On Tuesday, Odo announced the appointments of Ezeugwu Ogbonna as senior special assistant on agriculture (yam and pepper) and Nwodo Ugonna as special adviser on garden egg and pepper.

The appointments attracted criticism from many Nigerians, who viewed the positions as an anomaly.

In his defense on Wednesday, Odo explained that the appointments were designed to increase the production of these crops in large quantities, aiming to meet local demands and support export.

The chairman emphasized that the Igbo-Etiti area is particularly well-suited to cultivating these crops and holds a significant comparative advantage.

“Their appointments are to ensure that local farmers receive adequate attention, needed resources, support, and expertise to enhance production, improve market access, and increase income for farmers,” NAN quoted Odo as saying.

“In essence, the appointment, which is wrongly misunderstood by disgruntled individuals, bad losers, and opposition, reinforces my determination to create a thriving local economy based on the strengths and potentials of Igbo-Etiti’s agricultural landscape.”

Odo explained that the decision was part of a carefully considered plan aimed at boosting productivity, creating jobs, and improving the livelihoods of farmers within the LGA’s communities.

He called on the public to disregard any online or offline comments intended to discredit the appointments, asserting that the council is committed to massive food production and sustainable development.

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JUST IN: Simon Ekpa, Four Others Arrested In Finland Over Terror-Related Activities

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Finnish-Nigerian separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, and four other individuals have been arrested in Finland over terror-related activities.

A local report in Finland stated that Ekpa, the self-declared “Prime Minister of Biafra Republic Government In-Exile,” was remanded in custody by the district court of Päijät-Häme on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.

In a Thursday statement published on its website, the Central Criminal Police in Finland said it had arrested five people on suspicion of terrorist crimes.

The police said the main suspect was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent,” while four others were arrested “for financing a terrorist crime.”

The police added: “Claims will be heard in Päijät-Häme district court today, November 21.”

The statement reads: “The detention demands are related to the preliminary investigation, in which a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, born in the 1980s, is suspected of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.”

“The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland by means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-Eastern Nigeria.”

The statement quoted the head of the investigation, Crime Commissioner Otto Hiltunen from the Central Crime Police, as saying that “the man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels.

“Four other persons are suspected of financing the aforementioned activity. All five suspects of the crime have been arrested during the beginning of the week.”

“International cooperation has been carried out during the preliminary investigation,” the statement added.

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