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Avoid political opinion, focus on responsibilities, Oshiomhole urges labour unions

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6 months ago

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Adams Oshiomhole

Avoid political opinion, focus on responsibilities, Oshiomhole urges labour unions

SEN. Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday cautioned labour unions not to mix political opinion with their primary responsibilities.

Oshiomhole stated this while fielding questions from the State House Correspondents shortly after he paid a solidarity visit to the Vice President Kashim Shettima at the presidential villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Trade Union Congress(TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had on Nov. 13, directed all affiliates to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.

The strike was called to press home their demands, especially the “non comment by the Federal Government over the brutalising of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero by security agents and hoodlums in Imo”.

Reacting to the strike, Oshiomhole said ” unfortunately, this strike is not about those issues affecting the Nigerian workers.

” And I think we have to be careful not to mix our political opinion with our responsibilities, because the issues confronting workers are so many that they should become the priority.

” Labour cannot be apolitical because politics is about the people. And I have argued when I was in NLC that nobody has a right to be partisan, much more than those who turn the will of our industrial progress.

” But in saying that, we must recognise that however how hard you try, when it comes to politics, people are going to have different reasons for supporting different candidates. ”

The lawmaker also cautioned labour unions to be careful and avoid doing the bidding of a particular candidate or a political party.

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” As a worker in the Senate, I don’t pretend over the fact that my first constituency, my permanent constituency, is labour.

” I can be removed as Chairman of APC as I was removed. But I couldn’t have been removed as a labourer. I remain labour in heart and labour in views, and labour in my aspirations.

” I will expect that even as we speak now that the issues that will appeal to me will be the fact that as we speak, we have states that are not paying N30,000. And those states are not being mobilised to go on strike.

” The Federal Government had granted N35,000 increase and those discussions were supposed to be for and on behalf of not only the federal government, but on behalf of all workers in Nigeria.

” Including those employed by the Local and State governments. And the additional revenue accruing from the withdrawal of subsidy trickles down to the state and to the local government.

” Now, I would have wished that the NLC recognise that the hunger in the stomach of federal employees is not any worse than the hunger in the stomach of those state employees, nor local government employees.

” If these are the issues on the table, even as a senator I will publicly support an action against any government that thinks that we should lament away our hunger and while the people do what they do. ”

He, however, declared that he doesn’t support the brutalisation of any Nigerian, including a journalist, the unemployed and a labour leader.

” But I’m saying in terms of what you might call the hierarchy of needs and challenges that we face.

” I think that NLC should robustly engage all the state governors or the state governments, who are not implementing the agreement that was midwived courtesy of a national strike, not a federal government’s employees strike.

” So if you mobilise private sector workers, state employees workers, local government workers, and now there is an agreement on N35,000 across the board.

” I want to see NLC saying there will be no sleep in any state where this is not being implemented. That is all I can say.”

Avoid political opinion, focus on responsibilities, Oshiomhole urges labour unions

(NAN)

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Detained reporter Daniel Ojukwu regains freedom after public outcry

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21 mins ago

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May 10, 2024

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Daniel Ojukwu

Detained reporter Daniel Ojukwu regains freedom after public outcry

Daniel Ojukwu, a dedicated journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has regained his freedom after enduring a harrowing period in police custody. Ojukwu’s ordeal began on May 1 when he was taken by police officers in Lagos under unclear circumstances.

For two days, his family and the FIJ were left in the dark about his location, until it was discovered that he had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja. The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police later moved him to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).

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The conditions for Ojukwu’s bail were initially stringent, but the tide turned when civil society organizations rallied at the Force Headquarters, demanding his immediate release. Their collective voice was heard, and Ojukwu was released on Friday.

Abimbola Ojenike, representing FIJ legally, expressed deep concern over the incident, labeling it “one of the most egregious cases of human rights violation and an abuse of police authority against members of the press.”

Detained reporter Daniel Ojukwu regains freedom after public outcry

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Rivers Assembly speaker says house leadership intact

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33 mins ago

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May 10, 2024

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Rivers State House of Assembly

Rivers Assembly speaker says house leadership intact

The Rivers house of assembly says there are no change in the leadership of the state legislature.

Emeka Amadi, clerk of the house of assembly, in a statement said Martin Amaewhule is the recognised speaker of the assembly.

On Wednesday, Victor Jumbo, the lawmaker representing the Bonny constituency, was elected as speaker by the lawmakers loyal to Fubara.

On Thursday, Martin Amaewhule, a factional speaker of the assembly, alleged that the governor is planning to demolish the assembly quarters.

The comment was made following the visit of the governor to the assembly quarters on Thursday.

Amaewhule while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Thursday, said the assembly quarters do not require any form of renovation.

But the Rivers governor said he came to the assembly quarters to see if there would be some work to be carried out there after the election of a new speaker.

The lawmakers maintained that there was no change in leadership structure of the house as Martin Amaewhule, Dumle Maol, and Major Jack remain speaker, deputy speaker, and majority leader respectively.

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“The attention of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been drawn to reports in the electronic and print media that there was a leadership change in the Rivers State House of Assembly today, the 8th day of May 2024. As the Clerk of the Rivers State House and one who administered the Oath of membership and office to all members and a custodian of all records of the House, I write to state the following,” the statement reads.

“That there was no change in the leadership of the House today and Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule DSSRS remains the Speaker of the House while Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol DSSRS and Hon. Major Jack DSSRS remains Deputy Speaker and Majority Leader respectively.

“That apart from the seat of Khana Constituency Il which was declared vacant because of death of the member who represented the constituency, no other seat has been declared vacant.

“That there is a subsisting judgement of a court of competent jurisdiction in Suit no FHC/ABI/CS/1613/2023 in which the Court among other orders “granted an ORDER OF INJUNCTION restraining the Governor of Rivers State (11th Defendant) whether by himself or by his agents and or hirelings or in any manner howsoever from impeding or frustrating the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of the 2nd Plaintiff as the Speaker of the said House in the performance of their functions including holding of meetings and the transacting of the business of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“That Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari and Hon. Adolphus Orubimie Timothy were suspended on the 30th of October 2023 pursuant to the Rules of the House and their suspension is yet to be liftedand they cannot lay claim to be officers of the House.

“That the House is still conducting legislative business in line with the Standing Orders of the House and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered.

“That the good people of Rivers State and the Nigerian Federation should discountenance any media report purporting any recent change in leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

Rivers Assembly speaker says house leadership intact

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Fubara not peacemaker, wants feud with Wike to continue – Ex-Rivers commissioner

Published

36 mins ago

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May 10, 2024

By

Siminalayi Fubara, Nyesom Wike

Fubara not peacemaker, wants feud with Wike to continue – Ex-Rivers commissioner

A former Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Zacchaeus Adangor, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara is not interested in having peace and tranquility in the State.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adangor said Fubara wants his rift with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, to drag on for as long as possible, stating that the governor is not interested in reconciliation.

He said, “He (Fubara) is not the person people think he is, he is not a peacemaker.”

Adangor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said he resigned from Fubara’s cabinet in April because he refused to obey the governor when he allegedly asked him to file a suits to challenge the legality of the Presidential Peace Pact by President Bola Tinubu on the feud between Fubara and Wike.

The former commissioner said his travails with the governor started on December 18, 2023 after the Presidential Peace Pact in Abuja.

He said the governor did not reach out to him before he was transferring from the justice ministry to the Ministry of Special Duties.

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Adangor stated that his redeployment by Fubara was a consequence of his stance on the rule of law, adding that he felt his redeployment was ridiculous and uncalled for hence his resignation.

The former justice commissioner said it was misleading that Fubara claimed that he (Adangor) sabotaged his administration while in office as attorney general.

Adangor said, “Politically, I am loyal to Wike, there is no doubt about that. I wouldn’t know whether he was angered by that or not.

“But as far as I remember, he (Fubara) was angry that I insisted on conducting a matter in accordance with the understanding of the law.”

The former attorney general said, “I never applied to work for Governor Fubara; I was invited to serve under him. Even after my first resignation on 14th of November, I never wanted to come back as a person but the President asked us to go back.”

He said the governor had not shown any genuine desire to have the feud between himself and his predecessor resolved.

Fubara not peacemaker, wants feud with Wike to continue – Ex-Rivers commissioner

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