In the next two weeks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intends to inject $10 billion into the foreign exchange market to clear the forex backlog as scarcity persists.

This is according to the Acting Governor of the CBN, Folashodun Shonubi, who said the financial regulator will work with Nigerian deposit money banks (DMBs) to disburse the forex.

He made this known on Tuesday in Lagos, where he said the banks will be vital in clearing the backlogs, considering the DMBs control 75 per cent of forex transactions.

The backlogs pertain to different structures within the foreign exchange market, as requests for forex cut across businesses and education and personal needs.

Breaking down the applications that will be sorted after being stalled for years due to a drop in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPIs) inflows and international reserves, the apex bank chief mentioned manufacturers and importers of raw material inputs.

Other applicants listed are requests for dollars to pay international school fees, and medical bills abroad, as well as Business Travel Allowances (BTAs) and Personal Travel Allowances (PTAs).

Explaining the situation around the forex backlog, Shonubi said: “As matter of fact, there is a large amount of the obligations that the banks in Nigeria have already taken on. So, what happened was that at maturity, they actually make the foreign exchange available for those who needed to use them like importers and what have you.

“There are some customers who still have their obligations and part of the restructuring with the banks in Nigeria, is also to clear that backlog. That is something we have been discussing for a while. I expect that we will do that, within the next one or two weeks.

“What that means, therefore, is that this obligation that people keep on talking about will not be left. Today, we still intervene in the market, so it is not as if it has affected our ability to make monies available to banks in the Investors and Exporters foreign exchange market.

“When we look at the volumes, the Central Bank of Nigeria today contributes less than 25 per cent into the forex market. And the aim if you remember about a year and a half ago, was that the Central Bank did not want to be a regular player, but more of intervening to stabilise the rates and that is where we are going.

“There are so much more foreign exchange that people don’t talk about, that is being made available through the banking system and banks are selling to their customers. It doesn’t come to the Central Bank, it doesn’t appear as part of the demand that comes to us. And it is significant. It is almost three times what we as a Central Bank make available.”

[RipplesNigeria]

The international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos was gutted by fire on Wednesday morning, September 6.

It was gathered that the fire outbreak occurred in some part of the baggage hall at the number one gateway airport..

Details later

[NationalDaily]

Reno Omokri, a socio-political activist, has identified those who may emerge victorious at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

Omokri said either President Bola Tinubu or the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would smile at the tribunal.

He noted that the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate Peter Obi and his followers should accept the election outcome.

Tweeting, Omokri wrote: “Either Waziri Atiku or President Bola Tinubu will smile today.

“As for Peter Obi and his Obidients, my counsel to all Nigerians and all those who have endured their cyberbullying, insults and threats, is to buy straws, cups and buckets, for you shall drink their tears in large quantities today!”

On Wednesday, the tribunal will decide the petitions against Tinubu.

Obi and Atiku are challenging Tinubu’s victory during the last presidential election.

The tribunal is currently deciding the petitions.

[DailyPost]

Military coups became the norm in several African countries shortly after independence until the 1990s when the current ‘wave’ of democracy began. The contagion effect from the 13 January 1963 coup in Togo, the first in Africa, in which President Sylvanus Olympio was assassinated, soon spread like wild fire across the continent. There were over 200 attempted coups in Africa since the 1950s, with about half of these succeeding. Out of the 54 countries in Africa, 45 have had at least one coup attempt since 1950. Sudan has has the most number of military coups – 17, out of which six succeeded. Burkina Faso is the most adept in planning and executing a military coup, with nine successful military takeovers and only one failed attempt.

After a period of relative democratic stability in the current ‘wave’ of liberal democracy in the continent, military coups are making a fast comeback, with the recent takeover in Gabon coming just one month after soldiers seized power in Niger Republic. In 2021, there were six coup attempts in the continent, four of them successful. Of the 18 coups recorded globally between 2017 and 2022, all but one – Myanmar in 2021 – took place in Africa. This probably prompted the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to warn in 2021 that “military coups are back.”

What does the resurgence of military coups in Africa tell us about the fate of liberal democracy in the continent?

There are several observations:

One, the democratic space tends to be elastic. It can expand or contract without democracy necessarily being under a mortal threat. American political scientist Samuel Huntington who called the current round of liberal democracy in “the modern world”, a “third wave”, noted that each of the two earlier waves was followed by reversals.  He pointed out that the first “‘long” wave of democratization, which began in the 1820s, with the widening of the suffrage to a large proportion of the male population in the United States and continued for almost a century until 1926, leading to 29 countries in Europe and America becoming democracies, was followed by a ‘reverse wave’. This was when Mussolini came to power in Italy such that by 1942, the number of democratic states in the world had reduced to 12. Again the second wave of democracy, which started with the triumph of the Allies in World War II and reached its zenith in 1962 (when 36 countries became democracies) was followed by a reverse wave from 1960 to 1975, which brought the number of democracies down to 30. In essence, it can be argued that liberal democracy oscillates between surge and reversals in accordance with the boom and bust cycles of capitalism. Even within national governments in contemporary Western world, we see often an oscillation between right-wing authoritarians (Trump for example) and those on the left of the political spectrum (Joe Biden for instance). This raises a fundamental question of whether the current surge in military coups in Africa is the normal ‘reversal wave’ that follows a period of democratic surge.

Two, it must be pointed out that military coup – forceful seizure of political power by the military – is not the only threat to liberal democracies in Africa.  We also have constitutional coup making whereby those elected to office change the constitutions of their country to elongate their tenure. Though 33 out of about 48 new constitutions in Africa enacted in the 1990s provided for term limits of two terms for the office of the president, nearly 30 countries contemplated the removal of term limits since 1998, with many succeeding. Electoral manipulations and rigging such that electoral outcomes are not believed to represent the wishes of the electorate also alienate voters from the electoral process and thus equally constitutes a threat to democracy. In several French African countries, anti-French sentiments and the inability of governments to deal with some developmental challenges (such as defeating Jihadism) is yet another source of disillusionment which provides an ammunition for the military to strike.

Three, a major difference between the practice of democracy in the advanced states of Europe and the USA and its practice in Africa is that while the basis of nationhood is already settled in the former, in the latter, even the basis of statehood remains contested in many countries.  This poses severe challenges to especially two key components of democracy – freedom of speech and conduct of elections.  Precisely because most of the states in the continent are just emerging from a prolonged period of dictatorship, the free speech guarantees of liberal democracy tends to facilitate the unleashing of bottled up feelings from the authoritarian era. This aggravates the structures of conflict in the society, exacerbates inter-ethnic tensions and suspicions and complicates the nation-building process. In essence, while democratic reversals in the West do not strictly speaking  threaten democracy or the nation-state, in Africa, military coups could threaten the state system because it could be construed as an attempt by one or more  ethnic groups (who share ethnic identities with the coup leaders) to gain undue advantage for their ethnic groups. The consequent   resentment is bottled up but unleashed in several ways, including separatist agitations, whenever an opportunity presents itself.

There is a similar challenge with the conduct of elections. In virtually all  parts of Africa, politicians take literally the injunction by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President, to “seek first the political kingdom and every other thing will be added unto you”. There are two major explanations for this: the first is that political power is seen as a veritable instrument of wealth accumulation. The second is a pervasive fear that any group that captures state power will use it to privilege its in-group and disadvantage the others. Elections therefore tend to be very anarchic, almost a warfare. Losing the presidential election could mean your ethnic group will be excluded from the dining table by the triumphant winning group or coalition. This alienates the others from both the democratic process and the state system they feel marginalizes them.

Four, democracy in the continent suffers from an expectation crisis. Take for instance what Nigerians call ‘democracy dividend’. There is a presupposition that democracy will lead to economic development and an improvement in the standard of living of the people. The truth however is that there is no conclusive evidence in the literature that liberal democracy could offer such.  On the contrary, many of the countries in Asia whose economies grew exponentially including China, Malaysia and Singapore, did so under benevolent dictatorships. People are also frustrated about the quality of leaders they get under democracy. Again democracy only promises to allow people to choose from those who presented themselves to be elected. Given that it is mostly  those who have the financial wherewithal and the necessary rough edges  to compete  that present themselves for election, people often do not feel that the leaders they get  are the best available. This, coupled with the manipulation of the electoral system, and generalized feeling that the costs of running the democracy is not worth it, lead to a further aggravation of the disillusionment with democracy.

Five, what will be the option for Africa? In the immediate post-independence period, many African leaders – Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, Nyerere in Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia and a host of others instituted a one party state. Their basic argument was that political parties signified the institution of divisions, and therefore un-African. They also argued that Africa was in a state of emergency and therefore could not afford the luxury of institutionalizing divisions. Others like Museveni, who came to power in 1986, claimed he was running a ‘no party democracy’. Then came the period of military rule in which the military was extolled as a modernizing institution that hated the corruption, indiscipline and politicization of primordial identities by the politicians. Unfortunately unlike in some Asian countries where benevolent dictatorship led to economic development and improvement in general welfare, African autocracy of various hues proved incapable of being engines of economic development or nation-building.  Frustrations with governance were in some cases transferred to frustrations with the state, with some groups clamouring to de-link from the state system while others seem to be  in perpetual search for a political messiah to turn things around.  It seems a more realistic option open to Africans is to engage in robust conversations about how to adapt   liberal democracy to its unique environment because it seems obvious that while Africans cherish the freedoms that democracy offers, they are generally disappointed   by the  governance systems in the continent.

Adibe is professor of political science and international relations at Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Extraordinary Professor of Government Studies at North Western University, Mafikeng South Africa. He is also the founder of Adonis & Abbey Publishers and can be reached at 0705 807 8841(Text or WhatsApp only).

Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), says there is need for a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) annual finance facility for developing countries. 

Speaking at the ongoing Africa Climate Summit (ACS) in Nairobi, Kenya, Guterres said at least $500 billion annually will help vulnerable countries make investments that will benefit their people.

He said African countries embody great potential that remains untapped due to injustice like the climate crisis.

He said Africa is set to become a “renewable energy superpower” if provided with essential support, adding that it is time to forge an alliance and create a new global financial system.

“Africa can be a renewable energy superpower. Now is the time to bring together African countries with developed countries financial institutions and technology companies to create a true African Renewable Energy Alliance,” he said.

“And all of that requires addressing another injustice: an outdated, unfair and dysfunctional global financial system.

“On average, African countries pay four times more for borrowing than the United States — and eight times more than the wealthiest European countries.

“I have called for an SDG stimulus of at least $500 billion a year to help developing countries invest in their people and the systems they need.”

He added that accelerating a just and equitable green transition requires a dramatic course correction which includes “ensuring an effective debt-relief mechanism that supports payment suspensions, longer lending terms, and lower rates”.

“It means re-capitalizing and changing the business model of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) so they can massively leverage private finance at affordable rates to help developing countries build truly sustainable economies,” Guterres said.

AFRICAN NATIONS SHOULD COME TO COP28 LEADING IN ACTION

On his part, Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN climate change, said there is a need to stabilise the climate change agenda and build resilient societies in Africa and globally.

He said the world needs to develop, but not in a carbon intensive way, and that is why there needs to be a global responsibility on how that is achieved.

“And that’s exactly what we’re here to do. So that African nations can come to COP28 leading in action and ambition,” Stiell said.

“The discussions taking place here will inform the global stock-take about the challenges, barriers, solutions and opportunities for climate action and support within the context of Africa.”

He added that Africa Climate Week will usher in action that must enable governments to amplify their commitments, strengthen regional collaboration and empower local transformation.

He said this will enable African nations “come to COP28 — less than 100 days away — leading on action and ambition”.

He assured that the UN framework convention on climate change will work with Africa to identify the solutions to attain those opportunities.

[TheCable]

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has explained why he set up the 2014 National Conference, saying that it was to make Nigeria work.

Jonathan, who was the nation’s leader from 2010 to 2015, on March 17, 2014, inaugurated the national conference chaired by the late Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, a former chief justice of Nigeria.

Speaking on the topic, “How to Make Nigeria Work,” in Abuja yesterday at the 60th birthday of Prof. Udenta O Udenta in Abuja, Jonathan said: “When I set up the 2014 National Dialogue, the key thing was how to make Nigeria work, though we did not emphasise that so that people will really discuss the country.”

Udenta was the founding national secretary of the Alliance for Democracy, AD and now fellow, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought.

Jonathan said when the North and South were amalgamated in 1914 by Lord Lugard, there was the failure to integrate Nigerians into a proper nation.

He described Udenta as a true democrat, a nation builder, a man with passion, who has demonstrated his capacity towards achieving national unity and the development of Nigeria.

He said, “I must commend Udenta for presenting 21 books. Even writing one book is a problem. People have been asking me when are you going to write your biography, I said wait but here today someone has written 21 books. These books are different and divergent that can solve national problems.

“These books can also make our children understand us better and prepare us for leadership in all sectors whether in public sector, private, political positions in the country.”

According to him when he set up a national dialogue committee in 2014, the topic was ‘How to make Nigeria work.’

He said right from when the Northern and the Southern protectorates was amalgamated in 1914 by Lord Lugard till date, and all through party elections and independent struggle Nigeria has not gotten it right. “But I’m not blaming our forefathers but we fail to integrate into a proper nation.

“Individual interest, if you read some of the comments by our former leaders, of course Sir Awolowo, made it clear that there is not a nation called Nigeria. Yes, it is a geophysical state entity and the country was so polarized, especially during political formation and regional politics.

“There was no sense of commitment as a country to integrate Nigeria into an entity where we can say yes, we have a nation with a common interest,” he said.

At the event, former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, admitted that the protest which trailed the 2012 fuel subsidy removal during the administration of Jonathan was largely for political interests.

“What we need is alternative politics and my own notion of alternative politics is that you can’t have 35 per cent of the vote and take 100 per cent. It won’t work! We must look at proportional representation so that the party that is said to have won 21 per cent of the votes will have 21 per cent of the government. Adversary politics bring division and enmity.

“All political parties in the country agreed and they even put in their manifesto that subsidy must be removed. We all said subsidy must be removed. But we in ACN at the time, in 2012, we know the truth Sir, but it is all politics.

“That is why we must ensure that everybody is a crucial stakeholder by stopping all these. Let the manifesto of PDP, APC and Labour Party, be put on the table and select all those who will pilot the programme from all parties,” Fayemi added.

The strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress to protest the failure of the Federal Government to provide palliatives following the fuel subsidy removal Tuesday grounded economic and commercial activities in several states but workers in Lagos, Sokoto, and Katsina states snubbed the labour action.

Banks and other financial institutions and the civil service in the three states as well as Delta, Bayelsa, and Ogun did not comply with the NLC directive to shut down services as they attended to their customers.

But the two-day strike, which commenced on Tuesday paralysed activities in the Federal Capital Territory and some states with banks, ministries, agencies, and departments shut to the public.

Also, workers in various power firms, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Tuesday, joined the industrial action as their action disrupted the supply of electricity across the country. Power distribution companies however begged their customers for the disruption.

The NLC leadership had said the two-day warning strike was in preparation for a total shutdown which would start in 21 days.

The decision was taken at the end of its National Executive Council meeting which was held last Friday. 

A communiqué released by the labour centre and jointly signed by its National President, Joe Ajaero, and Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, said it decided to take the decision following the failure of the Bola Tinubu government to enter into dialogue and engage stakeholders within the organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol on the masses.

A move to stop the strike by the Federal Government on Monday failed as the NLC leaders did not turn up at a meeting with the Minister of Information, Mallam Mohammed Idiris, and his labour ministry counterpart, Simeon Lalong.

Though the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees said its members would join the strike due to the punishing economic situation in the country, visits to several branches of banks on Lagos Island confirmed that they did not join the industrial action.

Bank workers

Branches of First Bank Plc including its head office, a branch of Union Bank, Wema Bank, and Polaris Bank attended to their customers.

The First Bank head office and its Abibu Oki branch along Marina were open to the public.

However, a security guard at a First Bank branch on Customs Street, Lagos Island, opposite the Lagos office of the Central Bank of Nigeria, initially prevented customers from entering the banking hall saying, “We are not operating because of the strike.”

As the customers insisted on carrying out their transactions, he went inside the hall and later returned to let the customers in.

At the Polaris bank branch along Broad Street, a bank worker said that they were still waiting for directives on the strike but until then, they would be working.

The bank worker who didn’t want his name in print said, “We are not on strike. We are working until they tell us that we should go home.”

Similarly, operations at the Broad Street branch of Wema Bank were uninterrupted, the same as the Union Bank branch at Tinubu Square.

Like their colleagues in the banks, the aviation workers at the Lagos airport shunned the strike as activities at the nation’s flagship airport continued as normal.

The aviation union said the representatives of the United Nations agency and the International Civil Aviation Authority were due to arrive in Nigeria to audit the nation’s aviation sector and it would be insensitive to down tolls at this time.

The General Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Abdulrazak Saidu said, “We will not participate 100 percent because of the ongoing International Civil Aviation Organization audit. We cannot afford to allow ICAO to punish Nigeria because of this (strike) and we made this known to them at the last NLC meeting.’’ 

However, the NLC directive was fully implemented at the Lagos Ports as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria shut down port operations.

The PUNCH reports that the MWUN in a letter on Monday titled, ‘Compliance to the Nigerian Labour Congress directive on a nationwide two-day warning strike’, signed by the Head of Media, MWUN, John Ikemefuna, said it was backing the two-day strike.

However, our correspondent on Tuesday gathered that the Apapa and Tincan Island Ports gates were all locked.

Also, the Mile 2 expressway was locked down as commercial vehicles refused to transport commuters, leading to disruptions in some offices in the Apapa area.

Giving an update on the strike, the National Deputy President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Nnadi Ugochukwu, said that some containers that were cleared early Tuesday morning could not leave the ports because the main gate of Tincan Island Port had been locked.

Also speaking, a former Apapa Chapter Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Frank Obiejesi said, “There are no activities at Apapa ports, it is shut down.”

But, normal day-to-day activities at the Lagos State secretariat, Alausa were in progress when our correspondent visited the place on Tuesday.

An official at the secretariat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The PUNCH that civil servants in the state had no reason to join the strike.

Lagos civil servants

He said, “Most of the things that the NLC is demanding had been done by the state government even before the labour union began its agitation.

“For example, the NLC is demanding an increase in salary for workers. Lagos State already did this long before the demand.

“The demand for palliatives has also been fulfilled by the state government. Bus fares have been slashed by 50 percent, buses are provided to convey workers to and from work, and just on Sunday, the governor flagged off the distribution of food palliatives.

“So, why should civil servants in the state join the strike? There is no reason to join the strike.”

Another civil servant, who also spoke under the condition of anonymity, simply said, “We don’t have any reason to join the strike.” 

When contacted, the Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the NLC, Mrs Agnes Sessi, said members of the union in the civil service were part of the strike.

“Our members in the civil service joined the strike. Those you saw maybe management staff and others who may be members of the TUC.

“The TUC is not part of this struggle.”

In Sokoto, the majority of civil servants shunned the strike and turned up for work.

Our correspondent who monitored the level of compliance observed that almost all the banks within the metropolis opened for business.

 A trip to the Federal secretariat in the state confirmed workers in their offices.

Also, the state workers were resumed for work at both the Usmanu Farouk and Gingiya secretariats.

But later at 2 pm on Tuesday, union leaders stormed banks and government offices to enforce compliance.

A union leader, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, stated, “We have to storm those banks to ensure they comply with the warning strike as directed by the labour union.

The state NLC chairman, Abdullahi Jungle, could not be reached for comment as he did not respond to calls and messages.

In Katsina, the workers equally did not observe the strike as they reported for work.

The state secretariat, general hospital, and Federal Teaching Hospitals were all busy attending to people when our correspondent visited the facilities.

The strike was said to have failed because the senior civil servants were affiliated to the Trade Union Congress which was opposed to the strike action called by its counterpart.

A mild drama was recorded at the main gate of the state secretariat when the police officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps prevented workers from entering the complex. 

 On receiving the report of the development, the TUC state chairman, Muntari Ruma, stormed the gate with his members and directed the security personnel to grant all senior officers on Grade Level 07 and above access to their offices.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Musa, who also visited the scene, explained that the operatives were drafted there to protect the government property.

He directed that all the senior officials who were earlier barred should be allowed into the complex.

 The state NLC Chairman, Hussaini Hamisu could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report as he did not respond to calls and messages.

Some commercial banks opened their gates to customers in Ilorin, Kwara state capital early on Tuesday but later shut their gates and drove back the customers in compliance with the NLC directive.

It was a mixed grill in Kwara State as the strike recorded partial compliance.

Some of the banks visited by our correspondent early on Tuesday did not join the strike, claiming that they had yet to receive directives from their respective head offices to that effect. 

However, some of the branches of UBA, Union Bank, and First Bank later complied with the strike directive.

 A security guard at the Taiwo branch of UBA told our correspondent at about 1 pm that the workers had just received the directive to join the strike.

However, checks at the Kwara State Civil Service Secretariat located along the High Court Area of the state revealed workers at their duty stations.

The state Chairman of the National Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees, David Ehindero described the strike as a success.

In Abuja, the nation’s capital, several MDAs were shut down in observance of the warning strike.

Our correspondent who visited the Federal Secretariat and the popular Radio House which houses some agencies under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation observed that the offices were deserted as the workers stayed away.

Banks in the areas were also under lock and key. 

Lawyers and litigants who were at the Federal High Court were shocked when they were asked to vacate the courts at 2 pm by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria official.

The union shut the entrance gates of the court and hung a banner with the inscription,

The situation was the same in Jos, Plateau State where the industrial action recorded full compliance.

The PUNCH correspondent who visited the Federal Secretariat learnt that NLC officials locked the gates around 5 am and prevented workers from accessing their offices.

A security officer said, ‘’No work today. Workers are obeying the two-day warning strike declared by the NLC. In fact, their officials came very early around 5 a.m., and locked the gates. As you can see, no worker can go inside and there is nothing we can do because the strike is just one and we support it one hundred percent “

Many banks in Jos and other parts of the state did not open their doors to customers in compliance with the warning strike.

Warri port blocked 

Officials of the NLC enforced the strike in Delta State and prevented workers from going to their offices.

The NPA workers in Warri were blocked from accessing their offices by the union officials sporting white polo shirts and face caps.

The NPA workers in Warri were blocked from accessing their offices by the union officials sporting white polo shirts and face caps.

The strike partly paralysed commercial activities in the Enugu metropolis as only a few businesses were open to the public.

Public offices locked up included the courts, banks, and other financial institutions.

But senior officials were seen going about their duties at the Federal and Enugu State Secretariats.

However, there was ongoing vehicular movement and traders were seen going about their daily activities. 

 Workers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, stayed away from office even as public schools were shut but a few banks opened for business.

The same scenario was observed in Minna, Niger State where the public workers down tools in protest over the alleged failure of the government to distribute palliatives.

Notwithstanding the strike, GTB, Access Bank, and other banks recorded huge customers who trooped into their banking halls to carry out transactions.

“We are not part of the warning strike. That is why you can see us working,’’ a bank worker explained.

The state NLC Chairman, Idrees Lafene declared, “There is compliance by the banks. We are just coming from some of the banks. But if you say some banks did not comply, we are going to compel them to comply.”

In Osogbo, Osun State, members of the National Union of Electricity Employees also joined the warning strike.

Some workers of Osogbo Region Transmission Company of Nigeria were locked out of the premises while some banks were firmly shut. 

Vice President West, NUEE Sodiq Adewale, said, ‘’Presently, in compliance with the NLC directive, we are mandated to embark on a warning strike which started today and will continue tomorrow. As you can see, the whole place is under lock. Nobody is coming in and as time goes on, we are going to be reviewing our activities at the level of our actions.

 “So far from our end, we have total compliance. Nobody is saying there is going to be a disruption of power, but our men are out. We are not tampering with anything.’’

In Ondo State, the NLC and the Head of Service engaged in a verbal exchange over a directive by the Head of Service, Mr Kayode Ogundele, directing workers to ignore the strike.

Ogundele had during a routine inspection of the MDAs in Akure noted that the state NLC was yet to inform the state government of its intention to go on strike.

But the chairman of the state NLC, Victor Amoko, in a statement, expressed displeasure over the alleged directive of the HoS.

“The Labour unions under NLC shall take on the HoS and call on the Acting Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the SA on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr Dare Aragbaiye to call Mr Ogundele to order before he truncates the existing labour harmony in the state,’’ it read.

Academic activities were grounded at the Bayero University Kano as the Academic Staff Union of Universities branch of the university joined the industrial action. 

Checks showed that the lecture halls were deserted by both lecturers and students as a result of the strike.

It was the same story at the two state-owned universities, Maitama Sule University and Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil.

In Benin City, commercial banks, fuel stations, and government parastatals including hospitals complied with the warning strike which paralysed activities in the city.

On Akpapava Road, Wema Bank, Access Bank, and First Bank on Ring Road were closed to customers but the Automated Teller Machines were dispensing money to customers.

 The NNPC Limited and Raptors fuel stations on Sapele Road were locked as customers.

Other companies like Guinness, the 7Up bottling plant, and the Central Park in Benin City were shut down by the protesting NLC members led by the state Chairman, Odion Olaye.

Commercial activities in Port Harcourt and its environs were grounded. Courts along the stretch of Azikiwe and Bank Roads were not open, while Access Bank, UBA, First Bank, and Polaris Bank along Ikwerre Road were also closed to customers. 

The same situation was recorded in Kaduna as the strike crippled socio-economic activities across the metropolis.

The strike recorded full compliance as government offices, banks, and other financial institutions, especially along the ever-busy Ahmadu Bello Way, Yakubu Gowon Way as well Kachia Road, were shut.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the National Assistant Secretary General of Nigeria Labour Congress, Christopher Onyeka, said, the report that he got indicated that the strike was successful.

He stated, ‘’In a situation like this, we expect one or two defaulters either because of communication issues but towards the end of the day, all those issues were resolved, and the strike proceeded as expected.’’

‘’In fact, our expectations were exceeded in all ramifications, and NLC knows that the right message has been sent to the government and we have achieved all of the objectives on the first day of the warning strike.’’

The Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party and the Labour Party have slammed the performance of President Bola Tinubu as he clocked 100 days in office.

The parties noted that the Tinubu-led Federal Government has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians. They also flayed the claim of the FG that it inherited a battered economy.

Recall that the Federal Government earlier on Tuesday said that President Bola Tinubu inherited a battered economy but has changed the narrative within 100 days in office.

While describing the fuel subsidy that was removed as “A Sword of Damocles that hung over Nigeria for decades”, the FG said that although the challenges had been tough, the President had planted the seeds of national transformation.

“This period may be challenging, but the President has planted the seeds of national transformation, growth, and all-round development. Our appeal to Nigerians and the labour unions are to continue to support the government and show more understanding. We must continue to work hard and confidently press forward to the glory of a greater Nigeria,” the government said.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris stated these in a statement titled, “President Tinubu’s 100 days of steady progress and national rejuvenation.”

Idris said, “Since May 29, President Tinubu has been at his duty post, working assiduously to deliver on his campaign promises as enunciated in his Renewed Hope Agenda for a better and
greater Nigeria.

“The President began the journey to rebuild our battered economy, realising that our country was in a difficult situation with our public debts – both local and foreign – coupled with an unsustainable fuel subsidy regime that created, for several decades, a galling hole in our public finance, rendering the three tiers of government insolvent and incapable of meeting the needs of the citizens.

“President Tinubu took a bold and courageous decision to remove the fuel subsidy to avert a national economic catastrophe of epic proportions. Fuel subsidy was a Sword of Damocles that hung over Nigeria for decades. It stunted growth and set the country a-borrowing.

“In addition to subsidy removal, President Tinubu took further steps to unify the multiple foreign exchange markets. While these two vital steps to save the country from hitting the rocks brought momentary discomfort to Nigerians, President Tinubu has never failed in his appeal to Nigerians to see the current inconveniences as a price we must all pay to save our country from disappearing.

“Considering the people’s pains, the government rolled out intervention programmes to help cushion the unintended negative impacts of the reforms. These interventions include working out a minimum wage and salary increase, supporting states and local governments to enable them to cater to the most vulnerable among us, and providing fertilisers to farmers, grains to households, and cash transfers to people with low incomes. In addition to these, there are plans to roll out over 11,000 CNG buses for affordable public transportation among others.

“While striving to reduce the impact of the high cost of living for the citizens, President Tinubu has focused on redirecting our economy and removing the impediments to productivity and competitiveness so that the real sector can grow and create millions of decent jobs that are essential for long-term economic growth.”

However, speaking with our correspondent, the Deputy Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Timothy Osadolor slammed the comment credited to the information and finance ministers on the state of the economy.

Recall that Finance Minister, Wale Edun recently stated that President Tinubu inherited a battered economy, adding that the last time the country witnessed economic development was during the administration of ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Although PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba and his deputy, Ibrahim Abdullahi were unavailable for comment, Osadolor said Mr Edun’s comment is a veiled excuse that the Tinubu-led government is already offering reasons for nonperformance.

He said, “President Tinubu should bury his head in shame. He was the national leader of the All Progressives Congress that brought about the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari which turned out to be a monumental failure.

“Like Buhari, Tinubu has started cluelessly, subjecting millions of Nigerians to untold hardship. They have sent Edun to make excuses for them but Nigerians should be aware that the man who asked them to blame him if Buhari failed is already out to tell them that he has nothing to offer.

“He campaigned for Buhari twice and today he is telling us that his predecessor handed him a battered economy. This is a shameful admission but Nigerians are not fooled.

“If Edun does not know what to do, he can as well resign his appointment. Nigerians are tired of excuses from leaders who promised heaven on earth but are already overwhelmed by the task of governance.”

Also, speaking with our correspondent, the National Auditor of the NNPP, Barrister Ladipo Johnson flayed the claim of the APC-led FG that it inherited a battered economy.

Johnson noted that the APC could not have inherited a battered economy, noting that the party should stop giving untenable excuses.

Johnson said what Nigerians want to hear are solutions that will bring stability to the economy in the medium and long, adding that the twin policies of floating the naira happening at the end of the fuel subsidy have led to instant difficulties for the common man.

“We wish them well for the sake of the country and the people,” he said.

In his reaction, the National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun slammed the FG over claims that President Bola Tinubu took a ‘bold and courageous decision’ to remove the contentious fuel subsidy to avert national catastrophe.

The LP chieftain while reacting to Tuesday’s statement issued by the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, titled “President Tinubu’s 100 days of steady progress and national rejuvenation” said there was nothing courageous about the decision of the president.

The minister had stated in the statement that Tinubu inherited a battered economy but noted that the president had courageously changed the narrative in his first 100 days in office.

But Edun slammed the claim, saying there was nothing courageous in the pains and agony the president’s hasty decision has brought on the masses.

“What is courageous in the harsh decision he took that is bringing pain to Nigerians all over the country? And it appears like they were prepared for it. Obviously, it wasn’t a well-thought-out decision. It was taken in a rush and, of course, they were at a loss when they realised their mistake. Nigerians can now see they were not even prepared for the fallout or consequence of that action. They simply cannot defend it.