NLC Announces Nationwide Campaign for New Minimum Wage, National Pension for Retirees

• Joe Ajaero says it is a ‘historical injustice’ for retirees to live below poverty line after years of service

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to launch a nationwide campaign for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage while also pushing for the introduction of a national minimum pension for retirees, describing the current plight of pensioners as a “historical injustice” that must be urgently addressed.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners’ Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the welfare of pensioners must receive the same level of attention as that of serving workers, stressing that organised labour would no longer advocate improved wages without demanding better living conditions for retirees.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress is currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage,” Ajaero said. “However, it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.”

Describing the current condition of many retirees as unacceptable, the labour leader said it was a “historical injustice” for citizens who devoted their productive years to national service to be left in poverty after retirement. “It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement,” he said.

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The NLC president attributed the worsening plight of pensioners to the rising cost of living, galloping inflation and the increasing prices of food, healthcare and transportation, which have made life increasingly difficult for many retirees across the country. He noted that many retirees now survive on pensions that can no longer meet their basic needs, describing the situation as one that requires urgent government intervention. “We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” Ajaero stated.

The NLC president urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepare to support the campaign for improved retirement benefits, describing the newly inaugurated Legacy House as a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity ahead of the planned campaign. He called on workers to remain united in defending their collective interests, noting that the labour movement would continue to demand the payment of outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension system that guarantees retirees’ dignity and financial security. “We will continue to demand the immediate payment of all outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension regime that guarantees every retiree a life of dignity and security,” Ajaero said.

According to the NLC president, the Congress will not only push for a new national minimum wage but will also demand the establishment of a national minimum pension to guarantee retirees a decent standard of living. He said the completion of the Legacy House should encourage workers and supporters of the labour movement to strengthen their collective efforts in ensuring that government meets its obligations to both serving workers and retirees. “Together, we shall continue to fight until every Nigerian worker and pensioner receives the justice, respect and welfare they deserve,” Ajaero stated.

The event, which took place at the NUP’s national headquarters in Abuja, also featured the inauguration of the union’s corporate headquarters, a multi-purpose hall and apartment complex commissioned by Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf. Governor Yusuf, who was honoured as the Most Pensioners-Friendly Governor of the Year 2024, announced a donation of ₦100 million to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to clearing pension liabilities in Kano State.

The NUP President, Comrade Godwin Abumisi, commended the Kano State Government for paying ₦32 billion out of the ₦48.6 billion gratuity liabilities inherited by the administration, describing the intervention as a major relief for thousands of pensioners and their families. Abumisi also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving pension increases, clearing pension arrears and settling accrued rights, which he said had significantly improved the welfare of pensioners nationwide.

NLC Announces Nationwide Campaign for New Minimum Wage, National Pension for Retirees

Oyo Grand Chief Imam Backs FRSC’s Plan to Ban Preaching in Commercial Buses

• Sheikh Bilal Akeugberu says commercial vehicles are ‘means of transportation, not places of worship’, urges National Assembly to expedite legislation

IBADAN, Nigeria – The Grand Chief Imam of Oyo Land, Sheikh Al-Imam (Barrister) Bilal Husayn Akinola Akeugberu, has thrown his weight behind the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)‘s proposed legislation seeking to prohibit preaching and hawking inside commercial buses, describing the initiative as a timely and commendable step towards safeguarding lives and ensuring public safety on Nigerian roads.

In a statement issued from his office on Monday, the respected Islamic scholar noted that the primary responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and property, stressing that any policy capable of reducing avoidable road crashes deserves the support of all well-meaning Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic or political affiliation.

“Commercial buses are means of transportation, not places of worship or religious gatherings. Passengers board vehicles to travel safely to their destinations, while drivers are expected to concentrate fully on the road. Any activity capable of distracting drivers or creating unnecessary tension among passengers should not be encouraged,” the Grand Chief Imam said.

The respected Islamic scholar observed that incessant preaching inside commercial vehicles has over the years become a source of distraction to drivers and discomfort to many passengers. He added that such practices have, in some instances, generated arguments, altercations and avoidable security concerns within public transport.

The Grand Chief Imam maintained that countries with advanced road safety cultures do not permit activities that interfere with drivers’ concentration, emphasizing that Nigeria should equally adopt policies that prioritize the sanctity of human life over practices capable of endangering road users. He therefore urged the National Assembly to give expeditious consideration to the proposed legislation in the overall interest of public safety.

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While reiterating that the constitutional right to freedom of religion remains sacrosanct, the Grand Chief Imam explained that every right must be exercised responsibly and within the limits prescribed by law, particularly where public safety is involved. He further appealed to religious leaders across all faiths to educate their followers on the need to conduct religious activities only in appropriate and designated places, rather than inside commercial vehicles where they may constitute a distraction or inconvenience to others.

The Grand Chief Imam also warned individuals or groups who may contemplate defying the proposed law, once duly enacted, to desist from taking the law into their own hands. “Nigeria is a nation governed by the rule of law. Once the legislative process is concluded and the law comes into force, every citizen and resident has a constitutional obligation to obey it. Anyone who feels aggrieved has the legitimate right to seek judicial interpretation through the courts rather than resorting to self-help or acts capable of undermining public order,” he said.

He urged security agencies and relevant enforcement authorities to implement the law professionally, fairly and without discrimination, ensuring that no individual or religious group is singled out for selective enforcement.

The Grand Chief Imam concluded by calling on Nigerians to collectively embrace every lawful measure aimed at reducing road accidents, preserving human lives and promoting peaceful coexistence, reminding citizens that the preservation of life remains one of the highest objectives recognised by both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the noble teachings of Islam.

Oyo Grand Chief Imam Backs FRSC’s Plan to Ban Preaching in Commercial Buses

Tinubu’s Appointment of Ayo Fayose Triggers Family Row as Brother Says REA Role Is Beneath Ex-Governor

President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, as Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has triggered immediate controversy, with the ex-governor’s younger brother, Isaac Fayose, declaring that the position is beneath his brother’s political stature and urging him to hand it over to his son.

Isaac, in a video posted on his Instagram page shortly after the Presidency announced the appointment on Monday, argued that a politician of Ayo Fayose’s influence deserved a far more prominent role such as a ministerial or ambassadorial appointment rather than the chairmanship of a federal agency.

“They said they gave my brother DG, not a minister, not ambassador,” Isaac said.

“They said they gave him head of a parastatal, chairman of a committee. They no give him minister, they no give him ambassador. Even Reno Omokri sef, they gave him ambassador. They couldn’t give my brother ambassador. So why just chairman of a parastatal?” he added.

He further suggested that the former governor should relinquish the appointment to his son, insisting that the position does not reflect his brother’s political standing.

The criticism followed President Tinubu’s approval of the appointment of 26 officials into the boards and leadership of 10 Federal Government agencies and commissions, with Ayo Fayose emerging as Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

The appointments were announced in a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said they take immediate effect.

At the REA, Fayose will chair the board alongside Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta as non-executive directors, while the agency’s Director-General, Abba Aliyu, and three previously appointed executive directors remain on the board.

President Tinubu also appointed Major General Junaid Bindawa (retd.) as Chairman of the National Salary and Wages Commission and approved eight additional appointments into the commission.

Former lawmaker Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas was named Secretary of the commission, while Ogbole Lilian, Oladele Olatubosun and Yakubu Barde were appointed commissioners representing Benue, Oyo and Kaduna states respectively. Other members include Mai Adamu Yau (Borno), Ginika Tor (Enugu), Lawrence Okoh (Edo) and Bello Iyabode (Kogi).

The President also reassigned Tosin Adeyanju, previously appointed Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund, as Secretary of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission.

Other appointments include Abuh Mohammed as Director-General of the National Population Commission, Akinola Odeyemi as Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Anthony Godwin as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, and Julius Oloro as Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), replacing the late A.R. Kamal.

Tinubu equally constituted the board of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission with Abdullahi Saidu as Chairman. Other members are Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Makama, Suleiman Gidado, Louis O. Ndukwe, Amaechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Onikola.

Also appointed was Shuni Dahiru as Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, replacing Shu’aibu Aliyu, who had earlier been redeployed to the Petroleum Trust Development Fund.

In addition, Gisaor Vincent Iorja was named Executive Director (Finance) of the Federal Housing Authority, replacing Mathias Byuan, who resigned to pursue the Benue State governorship.

The Presidency said all the appointments take effect immediately.