Troops of the Nigerian Army have eliminated two terrorists and rescued five kidnap victims in Zamfara and Katsina states.

The Nigerian Army announced this on its official X handle (formerly Twitter), saying troops deployed in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State responded to a distress call on the attack of some farmers by terrorists along Gidan Shaho Road.

The terrorists on sighting troops, fled and abandoned the kidnap victims who were subsequently rescued, the statement said.

Nigerian Army further disclosed that the victims who had been inflicted with gunshot wounds were also promptly evacuated them to the General Hospital for medical attention.

In another development, troops responded to a kidnap incident along Road Fangaltama-Mayanchi in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, trailing and engaged the fleeing criminals in a firefight where two of the kidnappers were killed.

Five commuters were similarly rescued and two AK-47 rifles, 8 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition and two mobile phones were recovered from the terrorists.

In another joint clearance operation with the Kastina State Civilian Joint Task Force, troops successfully cleared suspected terrorists’ hideouts at Shawu, Dugun Fakwu, and Tafki Villages in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

One fabricated gun and other dangerous weapons were recovered by the troops during the operation.

[Leadership]

Following the Enugu State Electricity Law signed by Governor Peter Mbah and the recent constitution of the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission, ESERC, by the Mbah Administration, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has, in a historic move, formerly transferred the regulatory oversight of the Enugu State electricity market to the state agency effective May 1, 2024.

This is a landmark development in the nation’s power sector, being the first time NERC would be ceding such regulatory authority to any state electricity regulatory agency.

The transfer was made known by NERC on Monday in an April 22, 2024 Order No. NERC/2024/039 signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and the Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.

The transfer is sequel to the amendments of the Paragraph 14 (b) of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution by the 9th National Assembly in 2023 as well as the Electricity Act 2023, both of which effectively devolved power generation, transmission, and distribution from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List and also empowered the states to manage and regulate their electricity markets within their jurisdictions.

It is recalled that the Mbah Administration initiated the Enugu State Electricity Bill 2023, which the governor signed into Law in September the same year and also set the pace in March 2024 by constituting the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ESERC) led by Chijioke Okonkwo as the Chairman/CEO.

The Electricity Act 2023 provides that within 45 days of receiving formal notification of the enactment of the law under subsection (1), the commission (NERC) shall draw and deliver to the state regulator a draft order setting out a plan and timeline for the transition of regulatory responsibilities from the commission to the state regulator, which transition shall be completed not later than 6 months from the date on which the formal notification in subsection (1) was delivered to the commission.

Explaining further, NERC says the ESERC now holds the exclusive power to set and adopt end-user electricity tariffs within Enugu State, tailoring charges to local conditions and requirements.

Also, while ESERC manages local tariff methodologies, any electricity sourced from grid-connected plants and the related tariffs for generation and transmission services must still receive approval from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), ensuring alignment with national energy policies.

Furthermore, the final tariffs approved by ESERC for consumers in Enugu State will be definitive for the state, with the Enugu State Government responsible for supporting and implementing tariff-related policies, ensuring that electricity pricing is both fair and attuned to the specific needs of the state’s residents.

Consequently, NERC ordered that: “Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC, EEDC, is hereby directed to incorporate a subsidiary EEDC SubCo under the Companies and Allied Matters Act for the assumption of responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Enugu State from EEDC.

“EEDC shall complete the incorporation of EEDC SubCo within 60 days from the effective date of this Order and, EEDC SubCo shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from EERC.

“EEDC shall identify the actual geographic boundaries of Enugu State and carve out its network in Enugu State as a standalone network with the installation of boundary meters at all border points where the network crosses from Enugu State into another state.

“EEDC shall create an Asset Register of all its power infrastructure located within Enugu State.

“Evaluate and apportion contractual obligations and liabilities attributable to EEDC’s operations of its subsidiary in Enugu State.

“Identify all the applicable trading points for energy offtake for the operations of EEDC SubCo in Enugu State

“Confirm the number of employees that are required to provide service to Enugu State as a standalone public utility; and transfer the identified assets for operations in Enugu State, contractual obligations, liabilities and employees to EEDC Subco.”

[ThisDay]

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has narrated an encounter he had with the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, over a probe by the agency.

Speaking with select Editors in Abuja on Tuesday, the anti-graft czar said he decided to speak personally with Bello to honour him as a former governor.

He said Bello initially gave the excuse that one of his political opponents had sent pressmen to the commission’s head office so as to embarrass him when he arrived there.

According to Olukoyede, when he gave Bello the option of using an entrance that is exclusively meant for him as chairman, the narrative changed.

“I didn’t initiate the case against Yahaya Bello; when I assumed office, I inherited the case file and I said there are issues here. Do you know that on my own, on my honour, I put a call across to him, which I am not supposed to ordinarily do. Just to honour him a serving governor. I said, ‘Sir, there are issues. I have seen this case file, Can you just come to clarify these issues?’ And he said, I thank you my brother, but you see I can’t come. There’s one lady, a senator, who has surrounded EFCC with over 100 journalists to embarrass him.

“I said ok if that’s the case, I would pass you through my gate and you will be interrogated on my floor. I will invite the interrogators to my office to interview with you. What could be more honourable than that? ‘But do you know what he said?’ He said, can’t then come to my village? Imagine that’s what he told me.”

Narrating what happened on the day EFCC officials laid siege to Bello’s house in Wuse, Zone 4, Abuja, the anti-graft Czar said, “As early as 7 am, my men were there. Over 50 of them. They mounted surveillance. We met over 30 armed policemen there. We would have exchanged fire and there would have been casualties. My men were about to move in when the governor of Kogi drove in and they later changed the narrative.”

['DailyTrust]

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday, said the Commission has discovered another worse scheme other than crypto trading platform, Binance and its system.

Olukoyede said EFCC has frozen about 300 accounts to ensure the safety of the foreign exchange market.

The scheme popularly called the “P to P” peer- peer financial trading scheme has operated outside the official banking and financial corridors and there was a looming disaster that could further crashed the Naira value that has continued to gain.

“There are people in this country doing worse than Binance,” he said.

He added that over $15bn passed through one of the platforms in the last one year, outside the financial regulations.

[DailyPost]

The Federal Government has launched a new platform aimed at strengthening the efficiency and transparency of its import duty exemption programme.

The Incentive Monitoring and Evaluation Platform (IMEP) will be integrated into the existing Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) programme, according to Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun.

The IDEC programme offers strategic import duty reductions for priority sectors critical to national development, such as manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare.

The introduction of IMEP signifies the government’s commitment to ensuring these exemptions are used effectively to stimulate economic growth.

“The newly launched IMEP ensures that only eligible entities benefit from the IDEC program,” Edun explained in Abuja on Tuesday.

“This rigorous enforcement will optimise tax expenditures by reducing waste, blocking leakages, and ultimately fostering a more equitable economic environment,” he added.

The IMEP offers a suite of features designed to enhance transparency and accountability within the IDEC program. These features include: automated claw-back mechanism which ensures that any entity found to be misusing exemptions will be required to repay the import duties they avoided.

Others include real-time e-reporting where stakeholders will benefit from immediate access to electronic reports, streamlining the verification process and a centralized database with a comprehensive database designed to improve efficiency and provide a clear picture of how exemptions are being utilized.

The government sees the IMEP as a critical tool for ensuring tax breaks are strategically allocated to maximise their economic impact. “IMEP’s precise monitoring capabilities will allow for a more strategic allocation of exemptions,” Edun noted. “This will ultimately support the government’s objective of reducing tax expenditures overall.”

To acquaint stakeholders with the upgraded IDEC framework, the Ministry of Finance will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 25th, 2024, at noon WAT.

This session will provide key industry participants, including manufacturers, importers, representatives from relevant government ministries, and NGOs, with an opportunity to learn more about the IMEP’s features and the benefits it offers.

Those interested in attending the webinar can find registration details on the Ministry of Finance’s website and the IDEC YouTube channel.

The launch of the IMEP signifies the government’s ongoing efforts to promote a more efficient and equitable business environment in Nigeria.

By ensuring that import duty exemptions are used strategically and effectively, the government aims to bolster economic growth while minimizing wasteful spending.

[TheNation]

A businessman, known as AIS_Savita on an X post on Tuesday, lodged a complaint against Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, alleging the restriction of his account holding a credit balance of N700m.

He called on the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to intervene promptly.

In a video shared on Tuesday, AIS_Savita highlighted that he had conducted transactions totalling nearly N700m with Moniepoint MFB within four months before his account was inexplicably restricted.

He stated that several attempts to ascertain the reason for the restriction were unsuccessful.

Presenting evidence from his transaction history, AIS_Savita emphasised the absence of any irregular transaction as claimed by Moniepoint MFB.

He expressed concerns that such actions by the bank could adversely affect his business operations and demanded transparency and accountability.

AIS_Savita urged the CBN and EFCC to investigate the matter thoroughly, asserting that Moniepoint MFB’s actions could constitute financial fraud.

He cautioned other account holders to remain vigilant and called for greater scrutiny of the bank’s practices to prevent similar incidents.

“I have transacted almost N700m in less than four months with Moniepoint Nigeria, but my account was suddenly restricted without any reason given.

“I believe this is a case of massive financial fraud and I demand that the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigate. MoneyPoint Nigeria has been rolling down business accounts, restricting them without any justifiable reason, and I am not alone in this experience”, he tweeted.

Speaking in the video evidence seen and monitored by PUNCH Online, he said, “Dear CBN, dear EFCC, it’s time you look at Moniepoint and what they have been doing with businesses. They have been running down businesses and restricting business accounts.

“I woke up on Sunday, suddenly around 1:57 a.m. on the 14th of April when Moniepoint restricted my account and sent me a message that my account was restricted.

“It was on a Sunday morning and I waited till Monday. I called them. Why did you restrict my account? They couldn’t give me any reason for restricting my account. I reached out to them again many times they could not give me a reason. They only told me that I should wait until the investigation was going on. I waited for so long. I have to write them on X right here.

“Here is the Moniepoint chat trend. They said that “an erroneous transaction of 965,000 445 occurred in my account on the 9th of April”. I said all right. Is there any information you need me to provide for you to unrestrict my account so that I can continue my business? They did not give me any feedback. They only said that I should wait. I said Okay. I have to check my account statements.”

Efforts by our correspondent to get the reactions of the CBN remained unsuccessful as both calls and messages sent to the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, CBN, Hakama Sidi-Ali; and the Assistant Director, Lekan Ajayi, were not successful.

Punch Online checks on @moneypoint Nigeria showed that the lender responded to AIS_Savita, apologising, ”for the inconvenience caused.”

“Hello there, we are sorry about the experience with your account and for the inconvenience caused.

“As discussed via DM, your account was flagged for a transaction. The lien will be reviewed after the reconciliation and feedback provided. Thank you for your patience”, Moniepoint wrote on his X handle at @Moniepoint Nigeria.

[Punch]

Ola Olukoyede, chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says he will tender his resignation if he does not prosecute Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, to a logical conclusion. 

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during an interactive session with media executives.

“If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the EFCC chair,” he said.

The EFCC boss also vowed that everyone involved in obstructing Bello’s arrest from his Abuja residence will face the full wrath of the law.

He also said he invited Bello to his office for a more respectful and dignified interrogation, but that the ex-governor wanted EFCC operatives to grill him in his village instead.

“I called Yahaya Bello, as a serving governor, to come to my office to clear himself. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

“But he said because a certain senator has planted over 100 journalists in my office, he would not come.

“I told him that he would be allowed to use my private gate to give him a cover, but he said my men should come to his village to interrogate him.”

Olukoyede said the EFCC did not violate any law while trying to arrest the former governor from his residence.

“Rather, we have obeyed the law. I inherited the case and I didn’t create it. Why has he not submitted himself to the law?” he asked.

“I have arraigned two past governors who have been granted bail now — Willie Obiano and Abdulfatah Ahmed.

“We would have gone after Bello since January but we waited for the court order.

“As early as 7 am, my gallant men were there. Over 50 of them. They mounted surveillance.

“We met over 30 armed policemen there. We would have exchanged fire and there would have been casualties.

“My men were about to move in when the governor of Kogi drove in and they later changed the narrative.”

He vowed that all those who have dipped their hands into the public till would be investigated and prosecuted.

“If I can do Obiano, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Chief Olu Agunloye, my kinsman, why not Yahaya Bello?” Olukoyede said.

The EFCC is prosecuting Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

[TheCable]

The Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, signed off tens of millions of Abia State funds to travel to Washington DC, USA, ostensibly to malign his predecessor, HE Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who was not present at that forum to defend himself and indeed has not seen the so called “forensic audit” referenced by Otti. During his address, Otti falsely claimed, among others, that Dr Ikpeazu’s administration paid N10bn to contractors for the Abia Airport Project. Note that Otti failed to mention the concerned contractors.

I was a member of the state executive council when approval was given to spend N10bn to start the Abia airport project and in my capacity as then Commissioner for Information, I announced it to the public.

However thereafter, members of Abia State Traditional Rulers Council led by HRM Eze Joseph Nwabekee (Eze Amara), visited Governor Ikpeazu in his Government House Umuahia residence and advised that since the state was surrounded by at least four airports, the project should be suspended and the resources deployed to fix more roads.

Governor Ikpeazu accepted their recommendation and I also announced same to the public.

It is important to note that in the 8 years he was in office, Dr Ikpeazu fixed more than 200 roads including many urban roads that were bad for more than 30 years prior, and rural access roads across the state.

I will make public the list of road projects executed by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu while in office in another publication for verification by all and sundry.

Governor Alex Otti who supposedly worked at management level in a bank claimed that he hired an unnamed forensic auditor that made the false findings he had to take all the way to United States of America to make public. Unfortunately, he forgot a key element of auditing which is the response of the Auditee. To date, neither former Governor Ikpeazu nor anyone in his team has seen the report and he was never allowed to review it or state his own side. Yet, a supposedly responsible man chose to malign him in USA on the basis of same flawed, and possibly non-existent report.

Permit me to ask those expecting detailed response from Dr Ikpeazu what exactly he is supposed to respond to? Is he expected to say what we already know that Governor Otti is a liar in government house, or tackle the issues raised in an audit document he is yet to see and was not part of its making?

Are we not talking about same Governor Otti that lied publicly that he was not aware of any investment in the Aba IPP project by the Ikpeazu administration whereas Prof Barth Nnaji already advised him in writing that Abia under Ikpeazu invested the sum of $3.56m representing 3.5% shares in the project? Where is the fake 24/7 power supply in Aba that Otti gleefully claimed and for which Ikpeazu was unjustly vilified?

Is Governor Alex Otti not the same man that claimed that he has “cleared pension arrears of 9 years” whereas he only paid pensioners what his administration was owing them in 9 months and declared the rest forfeited? The same Governor Otti that told the world that he awarded Port Harcourt road Aba to Julius Berger at N32bn and the company gave him N2bn discount possibly as a groundnut seller that does not understand the public sector procurement process.

Anybody who believes whatever comes from Governor Otti is doing so at his own peril because time has proved that he is incapable of telling the truth at any point in time. He is a man consumed by hate and bitterness against his predecessor and will do anything to malign him even if it means demarketing Abia State in faraway USA.

As a citizen of Abia State and someone who served in Ikpeazu’s administration, I wish to recommend the following to enable the public get to the truth in this matter:

1. Governor Alex Otti should hand over a copy of the the so-called forensic audit report to Dr Okezie Ikpeazu for his factual response or alternatively publish it verbatim for the former Governor to read and respond to the issues with facts.

2. Publish the list of all contractors that allegedly received money from the Ikpeazu administration, with the amount involved, and did nothing. Such contractors and their accomplices deserve to go to jail if proven to be true. Yet, I know for a fact that many contractors that worked with Ikpeazu administration are still working with Otti or are his personal buddies. Unless Governor Otti is now stealing with them he should have no problem publishing their names and relevant contract details.

3. Governor Alex Otti should accept the setting up of a joint audit team with reputable audit firms nominated by Otti and Ikpeazu to review Abia finances from May 2015 to date. What that means is that the team will look into the finances of the Otti era in addition to that of Ikpeazu and publish the report for the world to see.

Let Otti bring his Ernst & Young or whoever that concludes and publish forensic audit report without response or input from the auditee while Ikpeazu brings a reputable local audit firm for the proposed exercise.

In his short story titled “The Small Man”, Michael Mayr noted as follows: “the small man was…small. Not a midget nor a dwarf…just small.”

Continuing, Mayr wrote: “Only once did I hear the Small Man speak, and I thank God it wasn’t to me. I cannot remember what he said and that is good, because all I know is that I will do anything not to hear that voice again. A voice that sounded like an avalanche of maggots eating their way through still living flesh…”

Obviously, Governor Alex Otti wishes to be the small man of Abia State hounding and harassing his predecessor out of personal bitterness arising from losing twice to him in previous elections. But he must know that he has only one term of 4 years with a maximum of possible extension to 8 years. After that, he will become like every other citizen and if his successor has the small man mentality like him, he will also proceed to do forensic audit on how Signature Bank suddenly bounced back to life, opened new branches across the country and with healthy balance sheet ten months after its owner became Governor of Abia State. He might also choose to track up certain investment in crypto currencies made from June 2023 to date and publish the report at Chatham House London without allowing Otti to see and defend himself.

May be Governor Otti needs to read Abiodun Fajabi who wrote “Don’t look down on others, lest you take your eyes off the ball and lose your bearing. For every ‘little man’ is put on your path for you to lift up, not to pull down; for you to include, not to exclude. He deserves not pity but love. And, don’t look up gratuitously to others, lest you sprain your neck and lose your sense of gratitude. Every ‘big man’ is put on your path for you to respect, not idolize; for you to honour, not resent. He deserves not envy but love. Love: that’s one debt you owe all men – the small and the big.”

As per former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, my advice to you, Sir, is to remove your gloves and fight back like a man. Do not allow the small man continue to hound and harass you at every platform available to him. You have enough facts to take the battle to him and nobody will blame you if you do so because he obviously does not understand the true value of golden silence. Give him ten times whatever negative energy he gives you because time will prove that he was never prepared for governance, had no agenda and is only using your name to divert attention from his own many failings and weaknesses.

His administration has only one narrative “what Ikpeazu did and not do!” This narrative is a deliberate ploy adopted by Otti to dorminate his tenure, inundate and keep the public busy with so that at the end questions will not be asked of his administration’s near zero-achievement as the public is preoccupied listening to his manufactured horror fables to the extent that they will forget to ask for his own achievements.

Ler me end this piece with the words of a psychologist, Darius Cikanavicius, “People with strong narcissistic tendencies and other dark personality traits tend to blame others for their own bad behavior. If they are lying, then they will accuse others of lying. If they are cruel, they will say that others are cruel. If they are stealing and scamming, then they will accuse others of stealing and scamming. They never take responsibility, and it’s always someone else’s fault.”

Need I say more about Governor Otti?

Chief John Okiyi Kalu
(Nwandugbom JOK)
Former Commissioner for Information, Trade & Investment, Abia State

“If we are going to get equality, if we are going to get adequate wages, we are going to have to struggle for them.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the great tragedies of Nigeria’s political history is that, when they become the nation’s President, former military dictators pretend to be born again democrats while former democrats pretend to be courageous military dictators. PBAT threw an unprovoked vicious jab at the labour unions. He said,  “ You are not the only voice of Nigerians.” This is like poking lions in the chests and declaring that their roars are not the only voice in the jungle. It is politically unwise to throw jabs at labour unions in an inflationary economy. The last time a Nigerian government threw such an unprovoked jab at labour was in 1945 when the colonial government insisted that Nigerian labour was not  the only voice in Nigeria in the midst of a raging WWII inflationary economy. Labour responded with a national general strike of 1945. We will examine the 1945 national general strike in order to learn what labour must do now.

On May 19, 1945, Nigerian waged workers held a mass meeting at the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos. The workers established a Joint Executive consisting of trade union leaders. They demanded a 50% COLAs and a minimum daily wage of 2s. 6d. for unskilled public sector workers. In a letter forwarded to the colonial government, the workers promised to go on strike, if their demands were not met by June 21, 1945. In the midst of this potential industrial conflict, Mr. Michael Imoudu returned to Lagos. The Defence Regulation, under which Imoudu had been banished to Auchi, had expired with the end of WWII. Hence, the colonial government had to release him. The workers used the occasion to mobilize for the proposed strike. A massive workers' march and rally was arranged for June 2nd to give Imoudu a hero’s welcome. In the June 2nd welcome rally, Herbert Macaulay, the president of the NCNC and Nnamdi Azikiwe, the NCNC secretary, both spoke in favour of the proposed general strike and Imoudu's leadership. So also did Madam Alimotu Pelewura, the Alaga of Ereko market and president of the Lagos Market Women Association. The colonial government was concerned about the turbulent marriage of nationalist politics and industrial struggle. Hence, it immediately made an official response to the workers' demands. 

In a June 11th letter, the colonial government argued that it could not grant the workers' demand for a COLAs revision and minimum daily wage because such wage awards would lead to wage-push inflation. The colonial government proposed instead that unemployed workers should return back to the rural farms to increase food production. Workers were advised to cooperate with the government's price reduction measures and concentrate on making the Pullen market scheme a success. Finally, the colonial government argued that its revenue was small and therefore, it could not afford to pay increased wages and COLAs to public sector workers unless it also increased taxes. The workers did not accept the colonial government's arguments. Therefore, they began to agitate for higher wages. 

The colonial government reminded the Joint Executive that the proposed general strike was illegal under the Defence Regulation banning strikes before all arbitration procedures had been exhausted. The Labour department threatened that the law would be followed to the letter if an illegal general strike occurred on June 21st.  In the face of this threat, the Joint Executive proposed the postponement of the general strike to the workers. A militant group led by Imoudu refused to postpone the planned strike action. The rank-and-file workers supported this militant position. In a mass workers' meeting on June 21st, the workers decided to execute the general strike action as planned. On June 22nd, they organized a mass rally in the railway locomotive workshop. The general strike began as Imoudu and the militant trade unionists consolidated the rank-and-file workers. The workers independently moved to ensure the success of the general strike action. The colonial government declared a No work No Pay policy and promised to sack workers who went on strike. The workers ignored the government. The general strike spread throughout the nation, starting from Lagos. The news was carried along the railway line by locomotive drivers. In the provincial centers, railway workers also led the general strike. All the members of the Joint Executive resigned to avoid arrest as the general strike began. The strike lasted for 44 days from June 21st to August 15th of 1945.

The 1945 general strike brought about the temporary unity of all labouring classes. The Daily Comet and the West African Pilot supported the strike and were later banned by the colonial government. The NCNC also supported the striking workers as did the market women and other unwaged workers. In Eastern Nigeria, the landlords refused to collect any rent and the market women sold food at reduced prices. A strike fund was organized and market women donated to it generously. In northern Nigeria, the market women also donated to a strike fund. Lagos market women reduced their food prices and attended the mass workers meetings to give moral and political support to the workers during the duration of the strike.

The colonial government did not take the general strike lying down. It employed tactics of misinformation with the aid of the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM). Dr. Akintola Maja, the NYM President, set up a “Maja Peace Committee” to convince workers to end the strike. Trade union leaders were arrested. When this failed to stop the strike, the colonial government reaffirmed its decision to sack all striking workers after August 1, 1945. A mass workers meeting was called to discuss the government’s latest threat. The ex-Joint Executive members and their supporters who wanted to terminate the strike action were a minority. Hence, it was determined that the strike would continue despite the government's threat of dismissal. However, the actions of the moderate trade union leaders was leading to disunity among the workers.  Hence, on August 4th, the general strike was terminated in Lagos. Workers in the provincial cities refused to believe that the strike action had been terminated by Lagos workers because of the prior misinformation by the colonial government. In Zaria, the workers refused to go back to work until Michael Imoudu traveled down there himself to inform the workers that news of the termination of the strike action was not just another government propaganda  designed to make them capitulate. The general strike finally ended in all parts of the country on August 15, 1945 and resulted in more than 2 million mandays lost.

In the negotiation following the general strike, the colonial government rejected the workers' demand for 50% COLAs. Instead, the government offered a 20% increase in COLAs to Lagos public sector workers, smaller COLAs increases to public sector workers in the provincial cities and a minimum daily wage of 2s. 3d. for unskilled public sector workers. It told the workers' representatives that if they rejected this offer, then it would withdraw the offer and refer the matter to a commission of enquiry. The workers' representatives rejected the offer after consultations with trade union leaders and rank and file workers. The colonial government therefore established a commission of enquiry in October of 1945. This commission became known as the Tudor-Davies Commission. The government did not withdraw its initial offer after the workers' representatives rejected it. Rather, it granted the workers a 20% increase in COLAs and a minimum wage of 2s. 3d. backdated to August 1, 1945. The mandays lost during the strike were discarded as leave days without pay by the colonial government. Thus, the workers won a COLAs and wage increase after the general strike. These gains increased after the Tudor-Davies Commission finished its enquiry into the effects of the war inflation.

The terms of reference of the Tudor-Davies Commission were: “To consider the representation made by the Nigerian Government and Native Authority employees concerning an increase in the Cost of Living and, having regard to the present cost of living and all other factors, to make recommendations as to whether any action should be taken by the Nigerian Government, whether by variation of the Cost of Living Allowance or  by controlling the cost of living or any other way, and to make recommendations as to the future compilation and computation of cost of living indices in Nigeria.”

In its report, the Tudor Davies commission stated that the colonial government should have kept its 1942 promise to review the cost of living. It rejected the government's arguments of wage-push inflation and limited government revenue. It decided that the limited nature of the government revenue did not negate the validity of the workers' claim for increased COLAs. It advised the government to change its priorities with regards to the allocation of government revenue so that it could pay the increased COLAs without raising taxes. It pointed out that the government has paid COLA to European workers. The commission recommended a 50% increase in COLAs for all public sector workers (African Staff) with annual wages of less than £220 and a review of COLAs every two years. Finally, the commission concluded that “It is apparent that the influence and power of the Nigerian Trade Unions for good or ill should not be underestimated, for if their organizational strength - financial and numerical - is small, what may be termed their operational strength is great.” 

The colonial government accepted the recommendations and implemented them. It also established Wage Councils to determine future wage awards and a National Negotiating Committee to settle industrial disputes in the public sector by arbitration. Rent Assessment Boards were given more powers to enforce stricter rent control measures. The government appointed a Registrar of Trade Unions to supervise the growth of the trade unions and hired a former British TUC member as a labor officer. The 1945 general strike thus brought economic gains to the Nigerian working class. The initial 20% increase in existing COLAs and a minimum daily wage of 2s. 3d. were followed by a 50% increase in COLAs. The income of workers increased and this gave them the means to actualize their economic self-development at a higher level. 

A national general strike as a weapon in the arsenal of Nigerian workers in struggle. It is the historical response of labour to unprovoked jabs from the Nigerian government in the midst of an inflationary economy. Given the prevailing harsh economic conditions facing workers in the country, Nigerian workers should be organized to do the needful.