Updated: NLC planned strike politically motivated, says MURIC  – Newstrends
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Updated: NLC planned strike politically motivated, says MURIC 

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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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Breaking: Military releases FirstNews editor, Segun Olatunji

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Breaking: Military releases FirstNews editor, Segun Olatunji

The military has finally released Segun Olatunji, editor of FirstNews, who has been in their custody since March 15.

Olatunji was released on Thursday to Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) General Secretary Iyobosa Uwugiaren and The Nation Deputy Editor Yomi Odunuga under a bridge in Asokoro, Abuja.

It was also learnt that the documents for his release were signed inside a security vehicle with heavily armed operatives.

The security agents were said to be masked and the number plates of their vehicles covered up.

The editor was abducted by armed men in his home in Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos, on March 15.

His family members were kept in the dark on his whereabouts and why he was arrested.

Several groups, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors, almost daily mounted pressure on the government for Olatunji’s release.

On Wednesday, the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute said the journalist was in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

A Federal High Court in Borno State has ordered the release of at least 313 suspected terrorists detained by the military.

The court ordered their release due to a lack of evidence to charge the suspects after the investigation.

Maj. Gen. Buba Edward, the Director of Defence Media Operations, announced this during the operational briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

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He said, “The court ordered the release for want of evidence after the conclusion of investigation and other ancillary matters.

“Accordingly, they would be handed over to the Borno State Government for further action.”

BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

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Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

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Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

One David Ojonugwa has been remanded for allegedly stealing his boss’ N54,142,000 in Lagos State.

An Ebute-Metta Magistrates’ Court ordered the remand of the 25-year-old defendant on Wednesday.

Ojonugwa was arraigned by the police on three counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful interference with property, and stealing.

He pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him by the police.

Consequently, magistrate Adedayo Tella remanded Ojonugwa at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till April 24, 2024 for the review of facts and sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Francisca Job, informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences sometime in January 2024 at Lorange Water Factory, located at No 3, Olajubu Street, Ilupeju area of Lagos State.

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According to Job, Ojonugwa unlawfully disconnected, removed, tampered, and meddled with one 10KVA generator valued at N250,000, a 12 HP submersible pump machine valued at N200,000, an electric motor for a water line, N1.8m, and bottled water machine, N1m.

Others are one injection machine module at N12m, injection machine module, N14m, one set of four cavity module bottles (150CL) at N9m, one set of four cavity module bottles (75CL), valued at N8m, one set of four cavity module bottles (25CL), valued at N5m, one electric for motor shrink wrapper (75KW) valued at N110,000, two floating switches for the bottled water line valued at N20,000, 200 stainless bolts and nuts for installation valued at N92,000, six stainless rods for the installation of the water line valued at N200,000 and 1,000 pieces of medium-sized catfishes valued at N40,000, items that were stolen by the defendant.

She said that the total value of the items stolen was N54,142,000, properties of one Mrs Teju Adeleke.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 340, and 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

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