Nigerian banks, including the United Bank of Africa (UBA) and Access Bank, among others, have jointly announced their intention to initiate a nationwide strike lasting for two days. They have stated that financial services will be unavailable on September 5 and 6, 2023.

This decision follows a directive issued by the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institution Employees, as conveyed in a memorandum dated September 2, 2023, and signed by the union’s General Secretary, Mohammed I. Sheikh. The memo explicitly referenced the strike notice previously issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress on August 31.

NUBIFIE additionally voiced allegations against the federal government, accusing it of interfering in trade union affairs rather than concentrating on addressing economic challenges.

The notice read; “In line with the communique issued after the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) held on Thursday, August 31 2023, all affiliates should direct all its members to commence two days’ withdrawal of services from Tuesday & Wednesday the 5th & 6th September 2023.

“The directives is imperative to get the needed attention of government and warn it of its newfound love of meddling in the internal affairs of unions rather than address the punishing economic circumstances in which we find ourselves.

“We hereby direct all our organs to comply with this directive by ensuring all our members stay off duty for two days. Your cooperation in this regard will be appreciated.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in an effort to avert the Nigeria Labour Congress’ warning strike scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, has shown interest in resuming talks with the organised labours.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known in an interview with PUNCH on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

According to him, the government would meet with leaders of the union to avert the looming strike.

He said; “Definitely, we are hoping the warning strike can be averted. They are still engaged in discussions and have started to understand each other’s position more. They will meet again on Monday, but the gaps are being closed.

“You know the new minister just came in and has just begun to engage with the NLC. Going forward, you will see more expeditious engagement with the labour union. So far, tension has reduced but work is still in progress. By Monday, they will meet again and hopefully find an amicable resolution on the issue.”

On what the Federal Government plans to do concerning the 21-day strike scheduled to commence later in the month if the parties fail to reach an agreement, the minister expressed conviction that the matter would be resolved before then.

He stated, “This is why I said we are trying to find a common ground to avert the impending strike. Once this is achieved, the other one would have been taken care of.”

The suspended Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Hon Wale Adedayo, detained since last Friday by the Department of State Security Services has regained his freedom.

Adedayo, who spoke with our correspondent in Abeokuta shortly after he was released, disclosed that he was summoned by the DSS based on a petition written against him that he was making inciting comments that could jeopardize public peace.

The suspended LG boss, however, said he had told the DSS that he had never uttered any inciting comments other than his allegation of local governments getting zero allocation from the state government in the last two years.

He said he remained unshaken over his travails so far and that he would definitely challenge what he called his illegal suspension from office last week Thursday.

Adedayo disclosed that the letter written to report Governor Dapo Abiodun to the former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, was with the support of other chairmen in the state but he was surprised they could all back out of the struggle which is to primarily ensure good governance at the grassroots.

Recalled that the suspended chairman had written a letter to a former governor in the state, Osoba, alleging that the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, had hijacked public funds, while also forwarding a petition to the anti-graft agencies over the same allegations.

The Joint Account and Allocation Committee in the state saddled with the responsibility of managing the local government federal allocations has however dismissed the allegation, affirming that every fund approved by the Committee passed through the various Local Council Accounts.

Israel prime minister Benjamin Nentanyahu has announced the immediate deportation of at least 25,000 African migrants after the Eritrean violent clash in Tel Aviv, which left dozens of persons injured.

Eritrea has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and migrants in Israel and elsewhere said they feared death if they were to return.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who announced the decision on Sunday, also ordered a plan to evacuate all African migrants in the country following the bloody protest by rival groups of Eritreans in south Tel Aviv.

“We want harsh measures against the rioters, including the immediate deportation of those who took part,” Mr Netanyahu said in a special ministerial meeting to deal with the aftermath of the violence.

Mr Netanyahu, however, requested the ministers present him with plans “for the removal of all the other illegal infiltrators.”

Under international law, Israel cannot forcibly send migrants back to a country where their life or liberty may be at risk.

Ahead of an official visit to Cyprus, Mr Netanyahu said the ministerial team was seeking to deport 1,000 supporters of the Eritrean government involved in the violence.

“They have no claim to refugee status. They support this regime,” Mr Netanyahu said. “If they support the regime so much, they would do well to return to their country of origin.”

African migrants living in Israel, about 25,000 mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, allegedly claimed they fled their country due to conflict or repression.

Israel had tried a variety of tactics to force the migrants out, including sending some to a remote prison, holding part of their wages until they agreed to leave the country or offering cash payments to those who agreed to move to another country, somewhere in Africa.

Some critics had accused the Israeli government of trying to coerce the migrants into leaving. However, many claimed migrants had brought crime to the low-income southern Tel Aviv neighbourhoods where they have settled.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, visited the site of the unrest and demanded that those who broke the law be detained until they are deported.

“They don’t need to be here. It’s not their place,” Mr Ben-Gvir said.

Saturday’s clashes came as Eritrean government supporters marked the 30th anniversary of the current ruler’s rise to power, an event held near the Eritrean embassy in south Tel Aviv.

Similar protests involving rival Eritrean groups had also been popping up in other countries.

Gabon’s coup leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, vowed, after being sworn in as interim president on Monday, to restore civilian rule through “free, transparent and credible elections” after a transition and amnesty prisoners of conscience.

In a speech after taking the oath of office, Nguema said the elections would be the stepping stone to “handing power back to the civilians,” although he did not give a timeline.

Nguema said he was seeking the participation of all of Gabon’s “core groups” to draft a new constitution, which “will be adopted by referendum.”

He also said he would be instructing “the future government… to consider ways of amnestying prisoners of conscience” and “facilitating the return of all exiles” from abroad.

Nguema, 48, who is head of the elite Republican Guard, led a coup that brought the curtain down on 55 years of dynastic rule by President Ali Bongo Ondimba and his father Omar, who died in 2009.

Bongo’s ouster came just moments after he had been proclaimed victor in presidential elections last month — a result branded a fraud by the opposition.

Nguema said he was “surprised” at foreign criticism of the coup.

The military had been prompted by a desire to avoid bloodshed following “an electoral process that was obviously loaded,” he said.

“We are greatly surprised to hear certain international organisations condemn the act taken by soldiers who were simply upholding their oath to the flag — to save their country at the risk of their lives,” he said.

Five other countries in Africa — Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Niger — have undergone coups in the last three years, although their circumstances are different from Gabon’s.

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory finds itself entangled in a crisis marked by allegations of corruption and personnel grievances, with profound implications for the administration of justice in the nation’s capital.

In an unusual move, several judges have revealed to People’s Gazette the distressing experiences they endured under the leadership of Chief Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf.

During discreet interviews conducted over a span of seven weeks, five judges from the court expressed deep concerns about the mismanagement of resources within their division, which has left judicial officers struggling in the midst of widespread hardship exacerbated by President Bola Tinubu’s decision to eliminate petrol subsidies in an attempt to prevent a broader economic crisis.

These judges further accused Mr. Baba-Yusuf of exploiting their meager allowances, resulting in their courtrooms lacking essential support personnel and equipment. They described the Chief Justice’s management style as akin to treating the court as his personal estate, and they felt generally disregarded and disrespected, likening their treatment to that of “secondary school boys.”

Accounts gathered by The Gazette indicate that the judges are alarmed that this neglect could increase their vulnerability to bribery, even though they vehemently asserted their commitment to upholding justice and their willingness to resign rather than compromise their principles.

Since 2007 when President Umar Yar’Adua raised the salaries of FCT judges from N200,000 to N530,000 monthly (roughly $600), no reviews have been conducted, much less approved, they said.

Consequently, the judges said their struggle to work effectively, feed or provide quality education for their children has made it difficult for them to administer justice for millions in the district and even tempted their sacrosanct allegiance to rectitude.

“We regularly sit on cases involving individuals and companies accused of stealing billions, and most of them have agents that usually try to bribe judges in order to influence court decisions,” one of the judges said. “Yet we cannot even feed ourselves or compromise our constitutional oath to guarantee a decent living.”

The judges’ grievances against Chief Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf mirror concerns previously raised by Supreme Court justices in 2022. The Supreme Court justices had accused their then-chief justice, Tanko Muhammad, of irresponsibility and moral decay for withholding utility and data allowances. Tanko Muhammad resigned following these accusations. It remains uncertain whether Baba-Yusuf will face a similar fate.

Additionally, Baba-Yusuf faces allegations of not providing judges with the necessary equipment and personnel, resulting in a significant backlog of unresolved cases. According to judges, over the last quarter, more than 1,000 cases have made no progress on the court’s docket.

The Federal Government has appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress to shelve its planned two-day warning strike slated to commence on Tuesday.

The appeal was made on Monday by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, in Abuja.

He identified the reverse of the gains already made by FG, among others as the reason for the appeal while promising to attend to the contending issues raised by the NLC holistically if given some time to settle into the office.

Lalong said, “It has become pertinent to appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its intended two-day warning strike, as such action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our course to securing a greater future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large.

“Furthermore, I would request that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress gives this government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground holistically.

“It should be realised that the cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr. President and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs.

“Therefore, the issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon. In the next few weeks, we intend to address them holistically.

“Consequently, I use this opportunity to reassure Nigerian workers that this government would never take them for granted nor fail to appreciate their support and understanding.

We shall continue to pursue policies aimed at massive employment generation in all sectors of the economy as well as look into immediate challenges that have emerged from the policies of the government. We cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace,” he added.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that although the ministry was yet to get a notification of the planned strike as required by law from the NLC, the ministry would be having a meeting with the labour leaders by 3 p.m. on Monday with a view to stopping the planned strike.

Three individuals lost their lives in a tragic incident when a three-story building under construction collapsed in the Anambra community on Sunday.

The unfortunate event unfolded in Egbu Umuenem, Otolo Nnewi community, within the Nnewi North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The collapse occurred at approximately 1:00 p.m. while workers were preparing to commence plastering work.

Regrettably, the deceased, including a man and his two children who had arrived for their day’s work, tragically perished on the spot. They were swiftly transported to St. Felix Hospital in Nnewi, where their demise was confirmed.

Several other workers were fortunate enough to be rescued from the rubble, though they sustained varying degrees of injuries. These injured individuals were also promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention.

Victor Meju, the Chairman of the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Anambra chapter, along with state officials, visited the scene. Mr. Meju attributed the incident to a combination of factors, including a weak foundation, substandard concrete mixture, low-quality materials, and a lack of approval from relevant regulatory bodies. As a consequence, the building is slated for closure, and the owner, Chukwunafu Anamanjo, will be summoned for questioning.

Furthermore, Chris Obiora, the Transition Committee Chairman of Nnewi North LGA, urged the public to engage certified engineers and other qualified professionals within the construction sector for their building projects.

Inquiries made to the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, regarding the incident yielded no information as of yet.

“I don’t have any information on it yet, but I will escalate the information to the Divisional Police Officer in the area for necessary action,” Mr Ikenga said.

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday announced that the agency has uncovered plans by politicians to recruit students, youths and aggrieved groups to stage violent protests across the country.

The DSS disclosed this in a terse statement signed by its spokesperson, Peter Afunnaya.

The DSS noted that the plan by the organisers is aimed at discrediting the Federal Government and security agencies over sundry socio-economic matters.

“Intelligence reports have indicated that the plotters include certain politicians who are desperately mobilising unsuspecting student leaders, ethnic-based associations, youth and disgruntled groups for the planned action.

“Meanwhile, the Service has identified the ring leaders of the plot as well as sustained monitoring around them in order to deter them from plunging the country into anarchy,” the DSS said.

Consequently, the agency urged University Vice-Chancellors and Heads of Tertiary Institutions to discourage their students from engaging in acts capable of derailing public peace.

It also advised parents and guardians to admonish their children and wards to shun the lure of participating in inimical behaviours or conduct against law and order.

“While the DSS is aware of the Government’s efforts and determination to resolve some of the challenges confronting the nation, it warns those desirous of subverting national security to retrace their steps.

“This is more so that it will not hesitate to legally come against persons and groups behind the devious plans,” it added.

The Presidential Election Petition Court, sitting in Abuja, has granted permission for live telecast of its judgement on the three petitions that are seeking to remove President Bola Tinubu from office.

The court, in a statement that was signed by its Chief Registrar, Mr. Umar Bangari, said the decision was to ensure transparency and openness in its proceedings.

It, however, warned that only accredited individuals would be granted access into the court room on Wednesday which it has slated for the judgements.

“In a bid to promote transparency and openness, these judgements will be televised live by interested Television Stations for the public to follow.

“Access to the court premises will be strictly on accreditation. Only accredited individuals, including counsel and representatives of political parties will be granted access into the courtroom.

“Interested members of the public are advised to watch proceedings from their television sets,” the statement read.

The three petitions marked: CA/PEPC/03/2023, CA/PEPC/05/2023 and CA/PEPC/04/2023, were lodged before the court by the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, a former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as well as the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, respectively.

The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the court had on August 1, okayed the cases for judgement, after all the parties adopted their final briefs of argument.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has flagged off commercial operations of the Blue Line rail in the state.

The governor who arrived at the Marina train station at about 9.55 am, is currently onboard the train heading to Mile 2.

For the first four weeks, the rain will run only twelve trips with the locomotive system.

After one month, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) will commence electric-powered train operation with 76 trips, with an estimated passengers between 150,000 and 175,000, from 5.30 am to 11 pm on a daily basis.