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Nigerians fault labour’s reason for the strike, “NLC attempted to blackmail Federal government,” Says Bayo Onanuga
..AGF: respect court order.
Organised Labour yesterday declared the commencement of a nationwide strike from midnight yesterday.
This is despite Friday’s interim injunction by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) restraining the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliates from embarking on the strike.
The court’s president, Justice Benedict Kanyip, granted the order while ruling on an ex-parte application brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal Government and argued by Tijani Gazali (SAN), Acting Director (Civil Appeals), Federal Ministry of Justice.
The two labour centres directed workers to stay off work from today.
But the presidency and AGF Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) reminded Labour that the restraining order was still in force.
Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy Bayo Onanuga said in a statement: “We notice with dismay the decision by the NLC and the TUC to call out workers to commence a strike action from midnight, despite a restraining order issued last week by Justice Kanyip of the National Industrial Court.
“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 decide to punish a whole country of over 200 million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to an 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 Mr. 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.
“Our national economy and social activities should not suffer because of the personal interest of any labour leader.
“This flagrant disobedience to 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 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 cause civil disturbance in our country. This is unacceptable.”
Fagbemi, in a statement by his Special Assistant Communication & Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, said embarking on industrial action despite a court order against strike, would be contemptuous.
The statement reads: “We wish to remind the NLC and the TUC that there is a subsisting court order stopping the unions and their affiliates from embarking on the strike.
“The interim order was granted on November 10 by Justice Kanyip.
“The unions have been served the court order and, therefore, must surrender themselves to the authority of the court which is already seized with the facts of the case.
“Any action taken contrary to the order will be tantamount to contempt of court.
“We use this medium to urge the unions to respect the court order and adhere to the principle of the rule of law. There is no need to resort to self-help.
“We urge workers to report for duties and not to entertain any fear as their safety is guaranteed and will be protected within the ambit of the law.”
The strike is over the beating of NLC President Ajaero in Owerri, the Imo State capital, last week.
He was not seen in public for one week. When he emerged, he claimed that the police arrested and handed him over to hoodlums.
The redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in Imo was one of Labour’s demands.
After a joint National Executive Council meeting yesterday, TUC President Festus Osifo said all affiliates of the two labour centres had been mobilised to ensure the success of the strike.
According to him, the strike would remain until “governments at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”
Osifo said: “We demanded that the Area Commander that led the Police to carry out the brutalisation should be relieved of his duties and prosecuted.
“We asked also that Governor Hope Uzodimma’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, who everyone knew led the touts should also be arrested and prosecuted. Our list of demands is in the public domain.
“We gave an ultimatum that initially expired Wednesday last week. But on the eve of that expiration, we had a joint session of the NLC and the TUC.
“We looked at the time we gave and felt as responsible pan – Nigeria organisations, that we should give an additional one week to see if the government will be responsive.
“And in order to further draw the attention of the government we had the picketing session last week Thursday but instead of the government to come out strongly to condemn this criminality, to speak and stand on the side of justice, some people in government were rather running their mouth and making all kinds of statements.
“So the two labour centres have resolved to stand firmly by the decision of the joint NEC meeting that was held last Tuesday that effective from midnight on the 14th of November, we shall declare a nationwide strike.
“So effective midnight today, a nationwide strike is going to commence.
“All affiliates of TUC and NLC, all state councils of the two labour centres have been mobilised adequately.
“And this is going to be indefinite until government at all levels wake up to their responsibility. This is the decision of the joint NEC of NLC and TUC and we are to carry it out to the latter.”
Some of Labour’s demands are the redeployment and investigation of the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command and the sacking of the Area Commander and all other officers and men in Owerri through whom the Police Commissioner supervised the brutalisation and humiliation of Ajaero and other workers.
Labour also demanded the arrest and prosecution of Mr Chinasa, who allegedly supervised the terror on workers and “bestial brutality” meted out to Ajaero.
Benbruce In a tweet via his X handle @benmurraybruce, he said: “A nationwide strike now because of an isolated incident in just one state that is already being addressed is not in Nigeria’s interest.
“It may further a personal interest, but it will harm the national interest. Power must not be used to settle scores.
“Instead, it must be used to promote the shores of our economic and democratic progress. I call on the NLC to be rational and put the national interest and let peace reign.”
…….Tegbe, REA MD Commend Lawal as Zamfara Unveils Electricity Policy today
The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, have joined the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, to launch the state’s Electricity Policy and inaugurate renewable energy projects aimed at enhancing electricity supply across the state.
The event, held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in Zamfara State, was themed “Enhancing Power Supply” and attracted key stakeholders in the electricity and renewable energy sectors.
A major highlight of the occasion was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Zamfara State Government, the Rural Electrification Agency and other stakeholders, in the presence of the Minister of Power, to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the development of renewable energy infrastructure in the state.
Speaking at the event, Tegbe and the REA Managing Director emphasised the importance of renewable energy, particularly solar power generation, as a sustainable solution to the country’s electricity challenges.
They highlighted the need to harness Zamfara State’s abundant solar energy potential to expand electricity access, strengthen power generation capacity and provide reliable and affordable electricity to residents, businesses and industries.
The officials also commended Governor Dauda Lawal for his commitment and initiative towards developing solar-powered electricity infrastructure, describing the state’s efforts as a significant step towards achieving sustainable energy development and improving the living conditions of the people.
They further highlighted the ambition to upgrade solar power generation capacity to 200 megawatts (MW), noting that increased investment in renewable energy would contribute significantly to the state’s economic growth and development.
The Minister and the REA Managing Director also stressed the importance of collaboration between federal and state governments, development partners and private-sector investors in achieving sustainable electricity supply.
The launch of the Zamfara State Electricity Policy, alongside the inauguration of renewable energy projects and the signing of the MoU, represents a significant step in the state’s efforts to strengthen its electricity sector and embrace cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.
The initiative is expected to improve electricity access, stimulate commercial and industrial activities, attract investment, create employment opportunities and support socio-economic development across Zamfara State.
The development also aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity access and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards sustainable and renewable energy.
The National Assembly has commenced “administrative processes” to transmit the proposed State Police Bill to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.
This followed the National Assembly’s receipt of reports of the Bill’s approval by 28 State Houses of Assembly across the country.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ogunlana said the number of state legislatures that had approved the constitutional amendment exceeded the constitutionally prescribed threshold of 24 states.
On the next stage of the process, the Clerk said the necessary administrative arrangements were being made to facilitate the transmission of the bill to President Tinubu for assent in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act.
“In view of the approvals secured from the required number of State Houses of Assembly, the necessary administrative processes are being undertaken to facilitate the transmission of the Bill to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for assent,” the statement added. NigerianNews Updates
The bill, which seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval.
Ogunlana said the 28 state approvals represented more than the two-thirds majority required under Section 9 of the Constitution for a constitutional alteration.
The statement explained that the state legislatures were initially requested to communicate their decisions to the National Assembly within 30 days, with the deadline expiring on October 15, 2026.
However, the Clerk clarified that his office would continue to receive reports from state assemblies beyond the deadline until the bill was transmitted for presidential assent.
“The stipulated period elapsed on 15 October 2026, but my Office shall continue to accept reports from the State Houses of Assembly until the bill is transmitted for assent,” Ogunlana stated.
He said the Office of the Clerk had received and verified reports from 28 state legislatures, confirming that they had approved the proposed constitutional amendment.
According to him, the number exceeded the constitutionally required minimum of 24 state assemblies, representing two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation.
The statement further disclosed that the Office of the Clerk had conducted administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to establish their authenticity and ensure that they accurately reflected the decisions of the respective state legislatures.
“The Office has also undertaken the necessary administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to establish their authenticity and ensure that the records accurately reflect the decisions taken by the respective State Houses of Assembly,” he said.
Ogunlana also clarified the legislative procedure for constitutional alteration bills, noting that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a Third Reading, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary bills.
“It is pertinent to clarify that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly prescribe a Third Reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary Bills,” he stated.
The proposed amendment is expected to provide the constitutional framework for the establishment of state police services, allowing individual states to operate police formations within their jurisdictions under the provisions of the amended Constitution.
The proposal has featured prominently in national discussions on security sector reforms, particularly amid concerns over insecurity, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities across different parts of the country.
The National Assembly said the approval process reflected the cooperation of the state legislatures in considering the constitutional amendment.
“The National Assembly appreciates the cooperation and timely response of the State Houses of Assembly in the consideration of this important constitutional amendment, which represents a significant step in the ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and deepen the country’s federal system,” Ogunlana said.
He assured Nigerians that the Office of the Clerk would continue to provide timely and accurate information on developments relating to the constitutional amendment process.
Abba Atiku Abubakar speaks during a visit to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, where he pledged 10 buses for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has pledged 10 buses to support mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abba made the pledge during a visit to the All Progressives Congress National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, according to a statement issued by the party’s Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation to the Deputy National Chairman, Yusi Buba.
He was received by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, during the visit.
Buba said Abba commended the party’s leadership and Tinubu’s administration, expressing support for the President’s continuity in office.
So This Happened (EP 378) reviews: Toluwanisings’ burial sparks dispute between wife and father0:04 / 1:01
“In a demonstration of his commitment to the political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, Hon. Abba Atiku Abubakar announced the donation of ten buses to support activities aimed at mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2027,” the statement said.
The APC aide said Dalori welcomed Abba and acknowledged his pledge of 10 buses as support for the party’s mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development followed Abba’s announcement of a nationwide mobilisation plan for Tinubu’s re-election and the unveiling of the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, a political support platform.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Abba said the organisation would begin its activities in the Federal Capital Territory before expanding to other parts of the country.
He also announced plans for a two-million-man mobilisation march across the six geopolitical zones, beginning in Abuja.
Abba had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC in January, declaring support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Abba’s father, Atiku, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 general election.
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