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Subject Ngige to ridicule at airports, NLC instructs workers
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers in the nation’s airports and workers in the 163 countries that are members of the International Trade Union Confederation to subject the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige to ridicule for inviting thugs against workers on a “lawful protest” to his house.
Rising from its Central Working Committee meeting on Thursday evening, Congress demand what it called unreserved apology from the Minister for his action, while asking the government to ensure that the Minister was not reappointed into the next cabinet of the President.
President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba told newsmen after the meeting that the actions of the Minister was a clear indication that he was not fit to occupy public office and should therefore not be reappoint to government.
Wabba said the Minister has no right to change the appointment made by the President on the excuse that he never recommended Chief Frank Kokori to head the NSITF board, adding that the real reason he is opposed to Chief Kokori was because the veteran labour leader cannot be compromised.
He said further that since the Minister has been talking about the issue of corruption in the NSITF, the government should putt in place a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the agency so as to unravel who the actual corrupt persons are.
Wabba said even after the EFCC investigation into the financial activities of the previous board in which a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry was charged, its representatives on the NSITF board were never found wanting, saying “who are the actual corrupt people in NSITF? Is the board that has not been inaugurated or it is the Minister?
He maintained that the NLC has sent messages to all workers in the 163 countries who are members of the ITUC to embarrass the Minister and members of his family anywhere they are seen, especially at airports where workers operates.
On criticism that has trailed the decision of congress to picket the Minister’s residence, he said “Ngige is a public officer, holding public office. Untill he leaves office, even his house is a public place. Even Presidents of the world have been picketed in their houses. In any case, we did not access his house. We were only on the street.
“In any case, he has abandoned his office and has been operating from his house. The house has been his second office for some times now and he has been avoiding any place where he will come in contact with us.
“We insist that the money in NSITF belong to workers because it is a contribution of employers to take care of the social needs of their workers. That is the only reason why Labour and NECA have two members each on the Board. Even the Ministry of Labour have only one member.
“So, we are demanding that the Board heeded by Kokori be inaugurated and all the thugs who attacked us in the full glare of security agents be investigated and prosecuted. We are actually surprised that nothing has been done so far”.
Wabba however said that the national protest will be restricted to Abuja for now and ask all affiliates and state councils to begin to mobilise their members ahead of the protest.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved major changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces, appointing new Service Chiefs in a decisive move aimed at strengthening national security architecture.
According to a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Chief Sunday Dare, the President named former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.
Major-General W. Shaibu has been appointed Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke takes over as Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position.
All appointments, the statement said, take immediate effect.
President Tinubu, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, expressed deep appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and other retired Service Chiefs for their “patriotic service and dedicated leadership” during their tenure.
He charged the newly appointed military heads to justify the confidence reposed in them by demonstrating “enhanced professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship” in the discharge of their duties.
The shake-up in the military hierarchy comes as part of ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to reposition the security sector, improve coordination among the services, and sustain momentum in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and other security challenges across the country.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a fresh application for bail filed by detained alleged terrorists negotiator, Tukur Mohammed Mamu.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling on Wednesday, noted the health complaint by Mamu and held that the detaining authority, the Department of State Services (DSS) should not release him but take him to an appropriate health facility where he would be adequately attended to.
Justice Umar noted that, by the history of the case so far, the prosecution has exhibited diligence in it handling of the case and exhibited diligence in prosecuting the case.
The judge said one of the reasons for granting bail is where the prosecution is not diligent, noting that since the prosecution in this case is diligent, the application for bail cannot be granted.
He subsequently ordered that the defence lawyer should choose the health facility comfortable to the defendant, to which he should be promptly taken.
He also asked the DSS to allow the defendant access to members of his family.
The ruling on Wednesday is the third time the court will reject his application for bail since his was arraigned on March 21, 2023 by the Federal Government on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, among others.
Mamu was arrested on September 7, 2022 by Egyptian security officials at the Cairo International Airport, on reasonable suspicion of financing Boko Haram terrorism activities.
He was alleged to have convinced the terrorists to discuss ransom payments with individual families of the hostages of the train attack instead of the Chief of Defense Staff Committee set up by the Federal Government for his personal financial gain.
He was said to have been nominated by the terrorists that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train sometime in March 2022 which took scores of persons hostage.
Mamu was alleged to have collected ransoms on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorists from families of hostages, confirmed the amount and facilitated the delivery of same to the terrorists.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has announced the suspension of its ongoing two-week warning strike.
The National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known in an ongoing press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Piwuna, the decision stemmed from the meeting of the National Executive Council meeting which was held overnight and ended by 4:00 am on Wednesday.
Piwuna noted that the union decided to embark on the strike due to the failure of the government to meet its demands on time.
“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike.
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