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Updated: NLC planned strike politically motivated, says MURIC

Published

11 months ago

June 5, 2023

MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola

NLC planned strike politically motivated, says MURIC

The Muslim Rights Concern has said the planned strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress over the removal of fuel subsidy is politically motivated.

The Islamic human rights organisation spoke on the development in a statement it issued on Sunday in Lagos.

MURIC therefore called on NLC to change its stance on the issue.

In the statement by its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, MURIC said, “We are in possession of the video clip of a press conference addressed by the National Publicity Secretary of a faction of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, in which he revealed that the same NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had supported the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, when he pledged to remove oil subsidy if elected president.

“It amounts to double standard for the same Peter Obi and his party to support the workers’ union in its planned strike over oil subsidy. It smirks of high level immorality, undisguised deceit and hypocrisy of the highest order. Peter Obi had described oil subsidy as organised crime during the campaigns. It has to remain so. Obi’s sudden volte-face on oil subsidy is illogical. It is inexplicable.

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“Nigerians must open their eyes very wide to be able to understand what is happening. The difference between LP as a political party and the NLC which is a workers’ union is like the difference between six and half a dozen. Peter Obi is trying to get through the bends what it could not achieve through the straights. It is an attempt to hijack the workers’ union for a personal ambition.

“NLC has lost its credibility by opposing the withdrawal of oil subsidy. We advise its president, Joe Ajaero, to retrace his steps before it is too late. Nigerians know where the shoe pinches them.

“Oil subsidy is a cancerous tumour in the nation’s anatomy which must be removed before it destroys all parts of its body. No competent surgeon will hesitate to amputate a rotten limb in order to save the rest of the body. That rotten limb in the body of the Nigerian economy is oil subsidy. It must go if the economy has to survive.

“We cannot continue like this. We cannot allow the wolves among us who masquerade as oil marketers to come under the guise of oil subsidy to arrogate all the milk and honey in the land to themselves. The time to stop oil subsidy is now.

“We charge Nigerians of all political divides to join hands with the new administration in ensuring that oil subsidy is killed permanently. It must not be allowed to rise again.

“All other sectors are suffering because of oil subsidy. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) revealed in February 2023 that oil subsidy now consumes N400 billion monthly (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/582724-fuel-subsidy-now-above-n400bn-monthly-nnpcl.html). That is a humongous amount of money that should have gone to education, health, security, etc.

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“Because of oil subsidy, 7,256 nurses trained by Nigeria left for Britain in one year alone (https://punchng.com/7256-nigerian-nurses-left-for-uk-in-one-year-report/). 5,000 medical doctors also took the brain drain train to Britain within eight years (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/560511-brain-drain-over-5000-nigerian-doctors-move-to-uk-in-eight-years.html?tztc=1).

“As a result of this oil-subsidy-induced neglect of the health sector, one million Nigerians are blind, 300,000 Nigerians die of malaria annually, 30 million are hypertensive, four million suffer from diabetes, 400,000 have tuberculosis, 32 million have river blindness, 130,000 die of pneumonia and 4,500 pregnant women die every year. Yet the calamities are avoidable if we drop oil subsidy.

“Because of oil subsidy, power and education sectors are in comatose and the subsidy cabal smiles to the bank. 55 million Nigerians have no access to education. It is on record that the education sector received a meagre N4.6 trillion in seven years from 2016 to 2022.

“The percentages of budgetary allocations to education from 2016 to 2022 were 7.6%, 6.1%, 7.1%, 8.4%, 6.5%, 5.7% and 5.4% in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. This was in spite of the recommendation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) of 26% budgetary allocation to education.

“Nigerians must summon the courage to give subsidy thieves the fight of their lives. We cannot wait for tomorrow to begin the struggle. Tomorrow will definitely be too late. We must frontally confront the monster now. Oil subsidy must go and, like a frightened dog, NLC must put its tail between its legs and run back to the drawing board. This politically motivated plan to go on strike has failed.”

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Anambra: Vigilante arrested for torturing 60-year-old man to death

Published

8 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Trends Admin

Anambra State Police command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga

Anambra: Vigilante arrested for torturing 60-year-old man to death

Two persons have been apprehended in Anambra State over their alleged involvement in the death of a 60-year-old man.

The incident happened in Nza Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the south east state, according to the police.

The deceased, identified as Mr. Kenneth, was tortured to death by some of his kinsmen, including members of the vigilante operatives over a property dispute.

He was said to have sold a water tank in the family house to resolve some family issues, an act that allegedly prompted his younger brother to arrest him with the help of a vigilante group.

The victim was said to have been subjected to corporal punishment as he was continuously flogged by members of the vigilante operatives engaged by his younger brother.

The wife and children of the deceased have continued to face intimidation and threat over their quest for justice, a source familiar with the development disclosed.

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The source in the community said, “The incident happened some days ago, the man was accused of selling their family water tank. His younger brother went to engage about five vigilante operatives who came to flog him.

“They tied his two hands and continuously flogged him with sticks and other weapons until he became unconscious. They left him after they had seen that he was no longer breathing.

“His wife and children have been subjected to fear and intimidation as they have vowed to deal with them if they continue to seek justice for the death of their father.”

The state police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the incident on Friday said one vigilante operative and a relative of the deceased have been arrested.

Ikenga said, “Yes, the incident happened. We have two suspects, one vigilante operative and a relative of the deceased in our custody and they are at the state criminal investigation department at the headquarters.

“Investigation is still ongoing on the matter and we assure you that nothing will be swept under the carpet. More details will be communicated please.”

Anambra: Vigilante arrested for torturing 60-year-old man to death

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Friends swap wives for sex weekend in Lekki, activist claims

Published

18 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Trends Admin

Friends swap wives for sex weekend in Lekki, activist claims

Nigerian activist, Comrade Israel Joe, has shaken the table again as he claimed that friends now swap their wives for sex in some parts of Lagos State, Lekki to be precise.

He said this abominable act is not only limited to men as some married women in this same Lekki area of Lagos State, bring in their unmarried friends for three some sex romp just to satisfy their husbands sexual urge and propably keep their marriage.

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The activist who has been a prominent advocate for social justice and moral integrity said on his social media handle that in some parts of Lagos, (Lekki), friends now exchange their wives during weekends based on mutual agreement and this needs to stop.

He wrote: “In some parts of Lagos (Lekki), friends now exchange their wives during weekends. #TableBreaker”

“Some wives now bring their unmarried friends to do 3-sum with their husband to satisfy his urge”

Friends swap wives for sex weekend in Lekki, activist claims

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Bandit leader who forced community to give him chieftaincy title, 2 other kingpins killed in Zamfara

Published

18 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Trends Admin

Bandit leader who forced community to give him chieftaincy title, 2 other kingpins killed in Zamfara

Three bandit kingpins terrorizing Zamfara State, along with some of their fighters, have been killed by a joint security taskforce operating in the state.

According to security expert and counter insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, the bandit kingpins included Kachalla Mati, Jammo Baki, and a former police officer, Kachalla Yada.

In a post on X handle Saturday morning, Zagazola Makama said: “Update: Security Intelligence, in joint efforts with the Militia Joint Task Force, have neutralized 3 bandit kingpins in the North West on April 26, 2024.

The kingpins included Kachillaha Mati, Jammo Baki, and one other ex-police personnel, Kachallah Yada, as well as several other fighters in Tidibale in Gangara villages of ISA and Sabon Birnin LG Zamfara State.

Jammo was very dangerous and ruthless, to the extent that he forced the community to give him a chieftaincy title.

On the other hand, Kachallah Yadda, who was an ex-police officer, is in charge of training the bandit on weapons handling as well as illicit arms trafficking.

The ‘suyanization” of the three terrorists was a huge blow to the bandits in Zamfara State and a relief to the people of the North West.

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This also got to show that the initiative of the Zamfara state government in collaboration with the security forces since it vowed to never negotiate with bandits but to crush them by any means is yielding positive results.

The recruitment of the Civilian Joint Task Force, popularly known as Askarawa, to go after the bandits in their enclaves and their hideouts was a major game changer.

Just like in the case of the North East, the worst nightmare of the bandits are the “Askarawa,” or Yansakai, as they are popularly called. This was because they have knowledge of the terrain and know the bandits who have in the past operated openly with impunity.

Within the past few months, the Askarawas have captured and killed hundreds of bandits, their informants, and collaborators. They have also recovered thousands of livestock rustled by the bandits, as well as rescued dozens of abducted victims.

This was why the pressure mounted on the bandits in both military, air, and ground offensives is forcing them to beg for “negotiations” through several videos on social media.”

Attempts by PlatinumPost reporters to confirm the killings of the terrorists by relevant security bodies have not yielded the desired results as of the time of filing this report.