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  • Strike not an option, ll increase hardship ,LP tells labour

     

    Strike not an option, ll exacerbate hardship — LP tells labour

    Strike
    By Adeyemi Adeleye

    Lagos, June 3, 2024 (NAN) The Labour Party (LP) in Nigeria has urged workers’ unions to  re-negotiate with the government  on new minimum wage rather than embarking on industrial action.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr Obiora Ifoh, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

    He was reacting to the strike declared nationwide  by the organised labour over its demand for a new minimum wage .

    Ifoh said that strike was not an option because it would cause more hardship and sufferings.

    “Our immediate reaction is that the organised labour should not throw Nigerians into more hardship.

    “Nigerians are already grappling with a lot of challenges and we do not need to exacerbate the situation.

    “I think the demand for N494,000 minimum wage is unrealistic. It is really unrealistic.

    “It is a figure that cannot be sustained because it will imply that Nigeria will take all that money it has to pay the civil servants,” Ifoh said.

    Ifoh said that the labour union should continue to engage  the Federal Government on a figure that would be acceptable to both parties.

    “Negotiation should continue until they get something better.

    “Asking Nigerian workers to stay at home will affect everything ,including the cost of living and Nigerians cannot afford that now.

    “Negotiation is not a one-off thing.

    “If the Federal Government is not willing to go above N60,000 minimum wage , I think that the Organised Labour should work with what is available while it continues to negotiate.

    “We know this government has not gotten it right. It is still trying to test the waters,” the LP spokesman said.

    He said that the party would not want any action  that could further cause hardship.

    NAN reports that despite earlier pleas by the Federal Government for consideration, the organised labour on Monday commenced an indefinite strike  to push for a new national minimum wage for workers.

    The industrial action followed a series of unsuccessful negotiations involving both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and  government’s  representatives .

    Representatives of labour had  on May 28 walked out of the Tripartite Committee meeting on minimum wage after the government increased its offer from N57,000 to N60,000.

    Recall that the government and the Organised Private Sector  had initially proposed ₦48,000, then  ₦54,000 and N57,000, which were all rejected by  labour.

    The organised labour had also proposed  ₦615,000 as new minimum wage, but later came down to  ₦497,000 and then to ₦494,000, to reflect the current rising cost of living. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    AYO/BHB

    Edited by Buhari Bolaji

     

  • CBN revokes licence of Heritage Bank

     

    Licence

    By Kadiri Abdulrahman

    Abuja, June 3, 2024 (NAN) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has announced revocation of the licence of Heritage Bank Plc with immediate effect.

    This is according to a statement issued by Hakama Sidi-Ali, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department on Monday in Abuja.

    Sidi-Ali said that the action was in accordance with the apex bank’s mandate to promote a sound financial system in Nigeria and in exercise of its powers under Section 12 of the Banks and Other Financial Act.

    This action became necessary due to the bank’s breach of Section 12 (1) of BOFIA.

    “The Board and Management of the bank have not been able to improve the bank’s financial performance, a situation which constitutes a threat to financial stability.

    “This follows a period during which the CBN engaged with the bank and prescribed various supervisory steps intended to stem the decline.

    “Regrettably, the bank has continued to suffer and has no reasonable prospects of recovery, thereby, making the revocation of the licence the next necessary step,’’ she said.

    According to her, the CBN took the action to strengthen public confidence in the banking system and ensure that the soundness of the financial system is not impaired.

    “The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) is hereby appointed as the Liquidator of the bank in accordance with Section 12 (2) of BOFIA, 2020.

    “We wish to assure the public that the Nigerian financial system remains on a solid footing.

    “The action we are taking today reflects our continued commitment to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and soundness of our financial system,’’ she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    KAE/EEE

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    Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

     

  • Downpour: Farmers in Dutse begin planting 

    Planting

    By Muhammad Nasir Bashir

    Dutse, June 3, 2024 (NAN) Some farmers in parts of Dutse Local Government area of Jigawa have started planting their crops following heavy rainfall recorded in the area, a check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reveals.

    A NAN correspondent, who visited some of the farming communities on Sunday, found that farmers were busy tilling and planting crops on their farms at the same time.

    The farmers were seen planting assorted crops on their farms after a downpour on Saturday which lasted for about two hours in the area.

    The farmers had earlier cleared and applied local manure on the farms.

    Malam Amadu Abubakar, a farmer in Gandu village, told NAN that he was planting groundnut, millet and sorghum.

    Other farmers, Muhammad Umar Abdullahi Abdussalam and Tunga Abdussalam, were also seen planting the same crops on their respective farmers.

    The farmers said people in the area were encouraged by the level of rainfall recorded in the area.

    Another farmer at Shaiskawa village, Hussain Abdulkadir Hussaini, said himself and other farmers in the area were motivated to start planting by the volume of rain recorded.

    Malam Shahudi Garba, a farmer in Baranda village, said majority of farmers in the area had planted on their farms due to the volume of rain recorded on Saturday.

    Garba added that farmers in the area had planted seasame, millet and sorghum, saying that that all farmers in the community area were ready for this year’s cropping season.

    “In fact, some farmers here in Baranda village had already planted since last two weeks, while other planted after Saturday’s rainfall,’’ he said.

    However, some of the farmers, Bashir Ahmad and Malam Ilyasu Muhammad, said they were ready to plant but had to wait for bull cart owners to till their farms before they could plant.

    “Our major challenge now is that most of bull cart owners are not readily available as they have to finish with their farms before ours, even though we pay them,” they said.

    NAN reports that despite the volume of rainfall recorded, majority of the farmlands have yet to be prepared by their owners for planting. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

     

    MNB/CJ/

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    Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

     

     

     

  • Blackout-Labour unions shutdown national grid -TCN 

    Blackout
    By Constance Athekame
    Abuja, June 3, 2024 (NAN) The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), says that the Labour Unions have shut down the national grid, resulting in black out  nationwide.
    Mrs Ndi Mbah, TCN’S General Public Affairs Manager, said this in a statement in Abuha on Monday.
    Mbah said that the national grid shut down occured at about 2.19 a. m this morning.
    She said at about 1:15 a. m, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN reported that all operators were driven away from the control room.
    Mbah said that members of staff that resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room and without any form of control or supervision, the Benin Area Control Centre was brought to zero.
    ”Other transmission substations that were shut down by the Labour Unions include the Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba and Osogbo Transmission Substations.
    ”Some transmission lines were equally opened due to the ongoing activities of the labour unions,” she said.
    Mbah said that power generating units from different generating stations were forced to shut down some units of their generating plants.
    She said that the Jebba Generating Station was forced to shut down one of its generating units while three others in the same substation subsequently shut down on very high frequency.
    Mbah said that the sudden forced load cuts led to high frequency and system instability, which eventually shut down the national grid at 2:19 a. m.
    ”At about 3.23 am, however, TCN commenced grid recovery, using the Shiroro Substation to attempt to feed the transmission lines supplying bulk electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation.
    ”The situation is such that the labour Union is still obstructing grid recovery nationwide.
    ”We will continue to make effort to recover and stabilise the grid to enable the restoration of normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide,”she said. (NAN)(www.nannews ng)
    COA/EEE
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    Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

  • Remaining 8 kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued – Govt

    Remaining 8 kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued – Govt

    Rescue

    By Stephen Adeleye

    Lokoja, June 3, 2024 (NAN) The Kogi Government has announced the rescue of the remaining eight kidnapped students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.

    The Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja.

    Fanwo said that Gov. Ahmed Ododo, has directed full support towards the recovery of the students and their parents, while modalities were being put in place to make Kogi safer for all.

    “The government expresses profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for directing the mobilisation of resources to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students.

    “We also thank the National Security Adviser for his immense commitment to the release of the students and the general security of the State.

    “The governor thanked all the Security Chiefs, the Director General of DSS, the Inspector General of Police, all officers and men of the Armed Forces including the Pilots, who put in their best to support us in reuniting the kidnapped students with their families.

    “The Kogi State Command of all the security agencies, Police, DSS, NSCDC and our local hunters are also highly appreciated for their efforts towards this feat,” Fanwo said.

    “The governor also expressed immense gratitude to his Kwara State counterpart, Gov. AbdulRahmam AbdulRazak, for his personal commitment, cooperation and support towards the success of the operation that led to the rescue of the remaining kidnapped students.

    “The Kwara governor showed the reason he is effectively leading the Nigerian Governors Forum. His actions have also reinforced the Kogi/Kwara cooperation and unity of purpose,” Fanwo said.

    He reaffirmed the commitment of Ododo’s administration to continue the drive to re calibrate the security architecture and pay an uncompromising attention to the Safe School Initiative.

    He added: “As the State with the lowest out of school children in the North, we have put structures in place to keep our schools safe to ensure every child is not deprived of his or her right to education.

    “Kogi has domesticated the Child Rights Act and we will defend the right of our children to quality education.

    “In Kogi, education is free up to the Secondary School level.

    “We also pay the registration fees for our students to write all internal and external examinations with a budgetary allocation that is way above the UNESCO benchmark for education.

    “We do all of these to educate our children and make them responsible contributors to the economy of Nigeria”.

    The commissioner urged citizens to always volunteer intelligence to security agencies to enable them to prevent crime. This is safer, cheaper and better for us all.

    “All of us must come together to defeat banditry, kidnapping and any form of criminality in our society,” Fanwo said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    ASA/EBI/SH

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    Edited by Benson Iziama/Sadiya Hamza

  • Maldives to ban Israeli passport holders from visiting over Gaza war

    Maldives to ban Israeli passport holders from visiting over Gaza war

    Passport

    New Dehli/Tel Aviv, June 3, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The government of the Maldives said plans were on to bar Israeli nationals from entering the archipelago due to the ongoing Gaza war.

    The cabinet had recommended amending “necessary laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives,” the office of President Mohamed Muizzu said on Sunday.

    Muizzu had decided to follow the proposal, it said.

    The ban would be enforced as soon as possible, Interior Minister Ali Ihusaan told journalists.

    “Additionally, in the case of Palestine and Israel, the President decided to appoint a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs,” the statement continued.

    “The President further decided to set up a fundraising campaign to assist our brothers and sisters in Palestine with the help of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.”

    The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by recommending that Israeli citizens refrain from travelling to the Maldives, a high-end holiday destination known for its white beaches, coral reefs, and crystal waters.

    The ministry said those already in the country should consider returning to Israel.

    Israel issued a travel warning for the Maldives in December, citing anti-Israeli sentiments over the Gaza war in the Muslim-majority country where Islam is the state religion.

    The two nations don’t maintain full diplomatic ties, but Israelis have so far been able to holiday in the Maldives.

    Last year, some 11,000 Israeli tourists visited the archipelago, according to Maldives officials. (dpa/NAN) (www.nan.ng)

    YEE

    ===

    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Woman diagnosed with rare condition that makes her appear drunk

    Woman diagnosed with rare condition that makes her appear drunk

    Diagnosis

    London, June 3, 2024 (PA Media/dpa/NAN) A 50-year-old woman who visited hospital seven times with slurred speech and extreme tiredness, only to be discharged with a diagnosis of being drunk, had a rare condition that gave her the appearance of being intoxicated.

    This happened even after saying she had not been drinking.

    Called auto-brewery syndrome, the condition sees fungi in the gut create alcohol through fermentation.

    Researchers say awareness of this syndrome – which has social, legal, and medical consequences – is essential for proper diagnosis and management.

    Over two years the woman visited the emergency department complaining of extreme daytime sleepiness and slurred speech.

    She had been on several antibiotic courses for recurrent urinary tract infections alongside a proton pump inhibitor to reduce the amount of acid in her stomach.

    Despite not drinking alcohol, she also had elevated blood alcohol levels and alcohol on her breath.

    After each hospital visit the woman was discharged with the diagnosis of alcohol intoxication, despite her reports of no alcohol intake, which her family confirmed.

    The patient needed up to two weeks off work after each episode and during this time she ate very little.

    Her symptoms would improve after one to two weeks but would return every one to two months.

    On the third visit, the mother was even certificated under the Mental Health Act, as the doctor had concerns about self-neglect when she discharged herself before psychiatric assessment.

    However, on her seventh visit the emergency doctor considered a diagnosis of auto-brewery syndrome, and after being prescribed some medication, she was referred to a specialist.

    A dietitian suggested a low-carbohydrate diet, and after completing a one-month course of antifungal medication and the diet, the woman’s symptoms went away and remained absent for four months.

    The woman slowly started to eat carbohydrates again, but one month after doing this she had a recurrence of slurred speech and drowsiness, which led to a fall.

    She was advised to restart the low-carbohydrate diet again, and her symptoms resolved.

    Writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr Rahel Zewude, University of Toronto, and her co-authors, said: “Auto-brewery syndrome carries substantial social, legal, and medical consequences for patients and their loved ones.

    “Our patient had several (emergency department) visits was assessed by internists and psychiatrists, and was certified under the Mental Health Act before receiving a diagnosis of the auto-brewery syndrome, reinforcing how awareness of this syndrome is essential for clinical diagnosis and management.” (dpa/NAN) (www.nan.ng)

    YEE

    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Several killed by suspected Israeli strikes in Syria – Reports

    Several killed by suspected Israeli strikes in Syria – Report

    Strikes

    Beirut, June 3, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Several people were killed in a suspected Israeli attack near Aleppo in north-western Syria, state media reported early Monday citing a military source.

    The area around Aleppo was targeted by airstrikes overnight, it said.

    The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported missiles had hit the positions of a pro-Iranian militia in the Hayan area north of Aleppo.

    The information could not initially be independently verified.

    There was initially no comment from the Israeli side.

    Israel’s air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighbouring Syria, to prevent its arch-enemy Iran and militias allied with Tehran from expanding their military influence in the region.

    Iran is one of Syria’s most important allies.

    Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip almost eight months ago, Israeli attacks, most of which are not officially confirmed by Israel, have increased. (dpa/NAN) (www.nan.ng)

    YEE

    ===

    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Organisation distributes food items worth N15m to FCT communities

    t

     

    Organisation distributes food items worth N15m to FCT communities

    Food

    By Justina Auta

    Abuja, June 2, 2024 (NAN) A group known as Emmanuel TV Partners, on Sunday, distributed food items worth over N15 million in FCT communities.

    Mrs Ogechi Tagbo, Coordinator of the group, said that the food items were distributed in commemoration of the third anniversary of the passing of Temitope Joshua (TB Joshua), Founder of the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Emmanuel TV is the media arm of SCOAN

    According to Tagbo, the initiative is to honour the legacy of the late Joshua and support to the less privileged in the society.

    She recalled his humanitarian services and it’s impact both within and outside Nigeria, especially during natural disasters and conflicts.

    “Emmanuel TV Partners Abuja made a vow to continue spreading the love and teachings of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by TB Joshua.

    “Our outreach today is a testament to his selfless and generous spirit of our late Prophet. We aim to continue his legacy of love, faith, and support for the less privileged,” she said.

    She said that the essential items including 350 tubers of yam, 300 bags of rice, 350 cartons of noodles, wrappers, mobile phones for the elderly, bread, and beverages, drinks, toiletries and cash gifts were distributed.

    Tagbo said these would support the elderly, widows, and other vulnerable members in the community, especially with the economic challenges bedeviling the nation.

    Tagbo said that the group would also visit the Gifted and Talented Orphanage in Trademore and the FCT School of the Blind in Jabi to support the vulnerable groups as part of the evangelical outreach.

    She revealed that similar gestures would also be replicated by Emmanuel TV partners all over the world, where food items and livelihood support would be distributed to support the less privileged.

    Eno Ekanem, one of the partners, said that the outreach was to show love and give back to the community to show God’s blessing.

    “Our goal is to reach out to those who can not provide for themselves, especially the elderly and the downtrodden,” he said.

    Similarly, Nneka Mba, another member, commended the substantial nature of the donations in spite of the current economic situation.

    “Considering the current economic situation, we have managed to gather significant quantities of rice, beans, noodles, and other essentials.

    “Our contributions are valued between N15 million to N16 million,” she said.

    Japhet Akawu, traditional ruler of Tasha Village Jiwa Chiefdom, expressed appreciation for the gesture.

    “Today’s generosity from Emmanuel TV Partners signifies a turning point for our community. This act of kindness brings hope and is a blessing for us all,” he remarked. (NAN)

    JAD/SH

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    edited by Sadiya Hamza

     

     

  • FRSC Corps Marshal Commiserates with Bauchi state Governor

    The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Malam Shehu Mohammed

    FRSC Corps Marshal commiserates with Bauchi state Governor

    Death
    By Ibironke Ariyo
    Abuja, June 2, 2024(NAN)The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Malam Shehu Mohammed has commiserated with the Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State over the death of the Commissioner For Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Ahmad Jalam.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the FRSC Spokesman, Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide stated this on Sunday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Victim was involved in a ghastly road crash which on Saturday, June, 1.

    The Corps Marshal however, expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

    He vowed to intensify the safer road campaign to avert such incidents in the future.

    He said “the unfortunate incident was another sad reminder of the need for us at the FRSC to increase the tempo of our campaign on the nation’s highways which the Corps is committed to doing.

    Mohammed prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and enjoined the Governor and people of Bauchi State to have the fortitude to bear the great and irreparable loss.

    “We therefore pray Allah’s for forgiveness for his shortcomings while on the earth and for him to be granted Aljanah Firdaus,” the Corps Marshal added.

    The FRSC boss reiterated the commitment of the FRSC to dealing with the menace of road traffic crashes in collaboration with relevant stakeholders at the various levels.(NAN) (http://www.nannews.ng)

    ICA/SH

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    edited by Sadiya Hamza