The Nigeria Labour Congress said the government must accede to its demands on minimum wage based on practical realities in the country.

The NLC also faulted a statement by President Bola Tinubu during a meeting with some governors and members of the National Assembly on the occasion of the nation’s 25th Democracy Day anniversary.

Tinubu had said that the government would only be able to pay its workers what the country can afford.

“Senate president, deputy senate president, you will get a notice from me if I have changed my mind on minimum wage. We are going to do it — what Nigeria can afford, what you can afford, what I can afford. They ask you to cut your coat according to your size if you have size at all,” Tinubu had said.

But in his reaction, the spokesperson of the NLC, Benson Upah, in an interview with our correspondent, described the president’s statement as a contradiction of his promise to pay a living wage.

“This will be in breach of his promise to pay a living wage which is superior to a minimum wage. Moreover, there is unanimity of opinion that government accede to the demand of Labour based on practical realities,” he stated.

Disagreements between the government, Labour, and the Organised Private Sector have continued to brew over the new minimum wage.

During his nationwide broadcast to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Nigeria’s democracy on Wednesday, June 12, Tinubu announced that a consensus had been reached on the long-debated new minimum wage between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour.

In the national broadcast, the President revealed that an executive bill would soon be sent to the National Assembly to formalise the new minimum wage agreement.

He stated, “In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with Organised Labour on a new national minimum wage. We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less.”

However, in a swift reaction, the Organised Labour stated that it had not reached any agreement with the Federal Government Tripartite Committee on the new minimum wage as claimed by the President.

In a statement on Wednesday, the acting President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Adewale Adeyanju, said there was no agreement reached by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage when negotiations ended on Friday, June 7, 2024.

Adeyanju stated that at the last meetings, the demand remained N250,000 from the Organised Labour and that anything to the contrary won’t be accepted. He said, “Our demand remains N250,000 only, and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which we consider a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.

“We are, therefore, surprised at the submission of Mr President over a supposed agreement. We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC. There was none and we must let the President, Nigerians, and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix-up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage.”

However, the state governors have vehemently opposed the offers and demands so far made by the Federal Government, OPS, and Organised Labour on the new minimum wage.

Speaking under their umbrella forum, the governors had maintained that compelling them to pay the minimum wage proposed by both the Federal Government and Labour would have adverse consequences on their delivery of critical infrastructural projects for their states.

Rwanda head coach, Thorsten Frannk Splitter, says he will be relying on Gernot Rohr for essential information to claim the scalp of the Super Eagles in their 2026 World Cup CAF Qualifying Group C match day 5 fixture on March 17, 2025, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

After four rounds of matches, Rwanda are surprisingly topping the group with seven points, the same as South Africa in second place due to an inferior goal difference, and the East Africans can now fancy their chances at maiden World Cup qualification by adding Nigeria to their conquest list.

Rohr led Benin to a historic 2-1 win over Nigeria at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, on June 10, and Splitter feels the Franco-German, who coached Nigeria for almost six years before being appointed by Benin, is the right man to advise him on how to beat Nigeria.

“I am very sure we (me and Gernot Rohr) will have a phone call before; it may be two or three, and if he can tell me something, I will be stupid not to take it. For that, we will try to be in contact; if possible, we can help each other; for sure, we will do it,” the Belgian tactician told Brila FM on Saturday.

Rohr was carried shoulder-high by Cheetahs players after Jodel Dossou scored on 37 minutes to cancel out Raphael Onyedika’s 27th-minute opener for Nigeria, and Steve Mounié scored the decider three minutes into added time of the first half to give Benin their first victory against their illustrious neighbours in Ivory Coast.

Nigeria are stuck in fifth spot on the log with miserly three points in for matches, and the three-time African champions will look to revive qualification hopes when the series resumes early next year, which will see them host Zimbabwe on March 24 on the back of the Rwanda trip.

This will be under a new coach following the resignation of Finidi George on Saturday, June 15, shortly after the Nigeria Football Federation announced its decision to hire an expatriate technical adviser to boss him.

Operatives of the Abia State Police Command have rescued three abducted children from their abductors in Anambra and Delta States.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, adding that the rescue mission led to the arrest of five suspects, including a Reverend Sister.

The statement read, “On May 10, 2024, the Abia State Police Command received a report that three male children, namely: Gideon Osinachi (eight years old), Obioma Divine Osinachi (six years old), and Israel Osinachi (four years old), were abducted by an unknown cyclist from Amoba Okoro village in Ikwuanno LGA of Abia State.

“The children were taken away by the cyclist who was hired by their grandmother to take them to their home after the children had visited her.”

It added that Obioma was later rescued on May 21 at Ekwulobia in Anambra State, and Gideon was rescued at Nkpor in Anambra State on May 23.

Israel was reported to have been rescued in Warri, Delta State, on June 13.

“We are happy to announce that all three children have been rescued and reunited with their family,” it added. 

The statement added that during the period of investigation and rescue efforts which lasted from May 10 to June 13, four female suspects and one male suspect were arrested in connection with the crime.

It read, “The suspects were arrested variously at Amawbia and Nkpor in Anambra State, as well as Warri in Delta State. They include Reverend Sister Pauline Alozie (female), Chizoba DJ (female), Glory Umuna (female), Mrs. Georgina Nonye Okoye (female), and Philip Ibe (male). They are in custody and will be charged in court very soon.”

In the statement, the command appreciated the collaboration of various stakeholders towards the rescue of the children.

PUNCH reported in April that the Ebonyi State Police Command  dismantled a child abduction ring, culminating in the rescue of six kidnapped children.

A former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, on Saturday, berated the extravagant lifestyle of Nigeria’s President, Governors and National Assembly members in the country.

Recall the president had said in his Democracy Day speech that the N62,000 proposed was negotiated in good faith.

However Ezekwesili on a Saturday In a post on X formerly twitter, said their financial extravagance was a provocative approach and an insult to citizens.

Ezekwesili who is also the Founder of the School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG) said, “It appears like the latest hobby of the #nassnigeria and the #NGRPresident and #NigeriaGov is to engage in the serial provocation of hard-pressed citizens who are barely managing to keep heads above water in this crisis-economy.

“In a season of famine and leanness when public officials should set the example of fiscal prudence, the sensibilities of our citizens are daily assaulted with the self-indulgent lives of politicians- many of whom were in fact not credibly elected into office.

“As they say in my place, ‘use your tongue to count your teeth’ because a day shall soon come when at the rate you’re all going with public resources, ‘water go totally pass garri’. He who has ears…..”.

She added, “This democracy belongs to the Nigerian People and not to an insignificant percentage of our population known as politicians.

“One day soon, the people will stare down at you all that think Nigeria exists to give you a luxurious life at the expense of the country.

“The tone deafness towards the pain and anger in this land is not normal and can never sustain. That’s for sure”.

Nigeria's inflation rate increased to 33.95% in May, driven primarily by surging prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Saturday. This marks a slight rise from April's inflation rate of 33.69%.

"Comparing month-over-month data, the headline inflation rate in May 2024 increased by 0.26 percentage points from April 2024," stated the NBS. "Year-over-year, the headline inflation rate was 11.54 percentage points higher than the 22.41% recorded in May 2023."

The report further highlighted that on a month-to-month basis, May's headline inflation rate was 2.14%, a slight decrease from April's 2.29%. This indicates that while prices are still rising, the pace of increase slowed compared to the previous month.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages were the top contributors to headline inflation, accounting for 17.59%. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels followed with 5.68%, while clothing and footwear (2.60%), transport (2.21%), and furnishings, household equipment, and maintenance (1.71%) rounded out the top five contributors.

The NBS reported that urban inflation rose to 36.34% in May, up 12.61 percentage points from 23.74% in May 2023. Month-to-month, urban inflation was 2.35% in May, down 0.32 percentage points from April’s 2.67%.

Rural inflation was reported at 31.82% year-over-year in May, an increase of 10.63 percentage points from the 21.19% recorded in May 2023.

Food inflation specifically soared to 40.66% in May, up from 24.82% in the same month last year—a rise of 15.84 percentage points. The NBS attributed this increase to higher prices of staple foods such as semovita, oatflake, yam flour, garri, beans, Irish potatoes, yam, water yam, palm oil, vegetable oil, stockfish, mudfish, crayfish, beef head, live chicken, pork head, and bush meat.

On a month-to-month basis, food inflation was 2.28% in May, down from 2.50% in April.

Businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, recently granted an interview to BBC Igbo, where he spoke about the insecurity in the South-East region of the country where he hails from. According to him, that was what led to his relocation to Lagos State NAOMI CHIMA brings excerpts

What can be blamed for the killings and insecurity in the South-East?

It is jealousy and envy that caused everything that is happening in the South-East. If you say you do not like a particular government, do you go and kill your brother because of that? No! You should rather wait for when it is time for election, then you can vote that person out. You should not about hating or killing your brother, because you don’t like him, or because he is supporting a particular government, or the police. How can you kill your brother, because he is a policeman or a soldier? In a state without the police and military, who will maintain peace and order there?

Why did you relocate your business to Lagos State from Owerri (Imo State)?

I left the South-East, and relocated to Lagos State because some of our wealthy Igbo brothers are now scared of coming home. Usually, whenever they came home, my business was always flourishing. That is because those who live in Owerri usually buy just beer and little champagne. But, when the big boys who live in Lagos and Abuja come home during the weekends, they usually buy lots of drinks; and I will ultimately make so much money.

For instance, after Christmas in those days when business was booming in the South-East, after every Christmas sale, I would usually buy a new car or start a new business (because of the huge profit recorded). But, business has now become so slow. And, just like the Igbo saying, you will have to move around with your wares to be able to make sales. That was why I packed my bags and relocated.

It is also a way of bringing the things that those who travel home come to enjoy at my place in Owerri here to them in Lagos State.

How has the rising insecurity in the South-East affected the drive of Igbo people?

All the bad Igbo people and kidnappers who are working to spoil Igboland are just foolish. In the area of real estate, things are no longer how they used to be. Before we started having insecurity issues in the South-East, people like Kennedy Okonkwo, the billionaire founder and CEO of Nedcomoaks Limited; and socialite, Emeka Okonkwo, aka E-Money, had mansions in their hometown, and that caused a lot of competition among us. Everyone was ‘pushed’, and there was a hunger in our hearts to go home and erect those kinds of edifice in our father’s compound. The Igbos like competition; we are each other’s inspiration.

What is the impact of the situation on the wealthy people who usually visit their hometowns?

What these evil people have succeeded in doing is to make sure that we no longer see the wealthy people at home (in the South-East).  When they see a wealthy person, they would kill him, and say he was a bad person. And, that has caused wealthy people to stay away from home. This has caused hunger in the land. There is great hunger in the South-East now.

What is your advice to people in the Diaspora on how to curb the tension in the South-East?

My appeal to my brothers (in the Diaspora) is this, “Let us not forget our home. We cannot run away from the evil people; they should run from us instead. You people should be coming home”. And, to our brothers at home, “You people are expected to protect the home, because it is the rat inside the house that tells the one in the bush or outside that there is fish in the kitchen”. So, it is some of those at home who burn down their brothers’ houses because of envy. We know that some people are not good, just like it is everywhere; even outside the country. But, it is something we should treat and approach with wisdom. It is not something that requires us to carry guns and machetes.

Our heritage is getting destroyed. We have our own culture, but we cannot project it from afar.

What are some of the things that used to make going home interesting?

Sometime ago, in my village, there was a festival called ‘Ofeke Day’, observed on January 1. It was the most interesting festival at that time. But, things like that no longer exist. We need to come together, and agree to bring the South-East back. There are a lot of great things in the South-East. You can imagine that people now host traditional marriages in event centres in Lagos State, or Owerri town. Is that good?  When there is a funeral, the dead would be buried like a thief, in a hurry, and the people will run to somewhere safe for the reception. That is not how we used to live. Before, whenever the corpse of a popular or wealthy person was coming home, there would be a lot of festivities, including gunshot salutes, and masquerade parades, with so much excitement. But, those days are gone and dead. We are gradually losing our heritage and culture.

What approach do you think can end these problems?

Let us go back to our roots and repair our states. Whatever is spoilt can be repaired. We should stop running, because running will not help us. Rather, running will spoil everything completely.

A couple has been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after being convicted of human trafficking and operating a brothel.

The 34-year-old Nigerian national, Jude Ikenna Ijegulu, and his 29-year-old partner, Elizabeth Botes, from Centurion in Pretoria, received their sentences in the Pretoria High Court.

In addition, Ijegulu was sentenced to two life terms for two counts of rape and an additional two years for being in the country illegally.

This was according to South Africa Broadcasting Corporation.

SABC news on Saturday reported that the court ordered that his name be added to the National Register of Sexual Offenders.

National Prosecuting Authority’s Gauteng spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana says they welcome the sentences.

He said, “From November 2016 to September 2017 the two ran a brothel in Centurion where they kept two women. The man raped the two women, supplied them with drugs as well as physically and sexually assaulting them.

The couple would also instruct the two victims to render sexual services to clients. The Judge found that the two violated the Human Trafficking Act. The man enslaved the two victims and fed them drugs.”

Says N40,000 in 2015 now equivalent to N500,000

A former member of the National Assembly, Dr Farah Dagogo, has lamented the value of the Nigerian currency saying, “the value of ₦40, 000 in 2015 is equivalent to over ₦500, 000 in today’s Nigeria.”

He also charged the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, to come up with workable economic policies that will ameliorate the sufferings and hardships the majority of Nigerians are experiencing.

Dagogo described the current living standards and situations in the country as ‘grim’, raising concerns that all indicators point to ‘ further pains for the citizenry’

Dagogo who represented Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives while in office.

In a special Eid-ul-Adha message to Muslims faithful across the country, the former Federal Lawmaker wondered why the people would continue to languish and wallow in so much misery amid the country’s abundant natural resources.

He said this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday morning by his media aide, Ibrahim Lawal, and sent to newsmen.

The statement reads, “Today, yesterday and especially in the past year, the people’s purchasing powers have reduced drastically. Never has this country witnessed this level of hyperinflation in its history, not even during our civil war. It is a grim reality.

“The value of ₦40, 000 in 2015 is equivalent to over ₦500, 000 in today’s Nigeria in 2024. Crisss-cross the costs of goods and services during this period and vis-a-vis the reality of today and we all will come to that sad realisation. That was why labour was justifiably demanding for a living wage.

“The inconsolable unavoidable truth is that the value of the money most people are getting or earning in 2024 is not too different from that of 2015, but the purchasing powers have practically gone out the window.”

He added, “Anti-people and inhuman economic policies have helped put the people in a terrible state. Money that could comfortably procure over 10 50kg bags of rice in 2015 can only buy one now, yet no improvement in the real money in the hands of the people.

“Something has to give way, this cannot continue. These sufferings and hardships have to be remedied. Unfortunately, optics point to further pains for the citizenry.”

While taking a cue from the central message of Eid-ul-Adha, which also means festival of sacrifice, Dr Dagogo salutes Nigerians for their sacrifices and resilience over these difficult periods, especially in the past one year.

The ex-federal legislator, however, challenged the government to be above board and “walk the talk of renewing the citizenry’s hope.

“The government promises, pledges and policies, as of now, are mere cosmetics without any corresponding positivities on the majority of Nigerians. 

“It behooves this government to walk the talk of renewing the citizenry’s hope. The much-touted renewed hope should reflect its literary meaning and not renew hardships and suffering as being experienced all across the country, ” Dagogo added.

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-cultural Association and the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, have disagreed on the bill on ranching, which just passed the second reading in the National Assembly.

The Senate, on Thursday, passed for a Second Reading ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation, and Control of Ranches throughout Nigeria; and for Connected Purposes, 2024’.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Titus Zam, generated contentious debates among the lawmakers.

Zam argued that the bill when passed, would help resolve the farmer-herder crisis across the country. Some lawmakers also argued that the farmer-herder crisis was responsible for food scarcity across the nation.

Some northern senators, including the Deputy Senate President, argued that the bill would infringe on the rights of certain individuals, making it unconstitutional.

Responding to the survival of the bill, the Senate spokesperson said that no single senator or group of senators could unilaterally ensure that a bill was passed or not.

He said, “Every bill in the Senate is passed through a vote after it has been thoroughly considered and debated based on its merits and demerits.

“The ‘Bill for an Act to Establish the National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation, and Control of Ranches throughout Nigeria; and for Connected Purposes, 2024’ is no exception to this legislative process.

“The passage of a bill involves multiple stages and the participation of various individuals and bodies, ensuring a democratic and thorough evaluation. No single senator can unilaterally decide the success of a bill due to the structured and collaborative nature of this process.”

Adaramodu added, “This particular bill has already passed through the second reading and has been referred to the committees on agriculture, trade and investment, and judiciary and legal matters.

“These committees will examine its details thoroughly, potentially holding public hearings and inviting experts, stakeholders, and the public to provide input. All those interest groups will come and make their presentations. The committee will, thereafter, adopt all the contributions.”

The Senate spokesperson explained further that the committee could propose amendments to the bill, considering each clause and making necessary modifications.

He stated, “After its examination, the committee reports to the Senate with its findings and recommendations. The Senate will then consider the committee’s report. If there are proposed amendments, they will be debated, and members may accept, reject, or further amend them.

“During the third reading, the bill will be debated for the last time. This discussion is usually brief and focuses on the final content of the bill. A vote is then taken on the bill in its entirety. If it passes, it moves to concurrence, and is transmitted for the President’s assent, after which it becomes law.”

“As you can see, no aspect of this process is left in the hands of a few individuals. The passage of law involves the collaborative effort of all 109 senators,” Adaramodu noted.

‘Herders will resist bill’

Miyetti Allah said its members would resist the bill to abolish open grazing and promote ranching.

Its National Secretary-General, Saleh Alhassan, speaking to our correspondent, said the bill, if passed into law, may lead to rebellion from herders.

He said, “Laws are meant to promote love, peace, harmony and development. The law will not work. No one will respect such a law because you can’t come overnight and destroy our economy through a pronouncement.

“How many laws have they enacted, and how many are working in this country? They want to create a crisis. They want to push us, herders, into rebellion, and we are saying they will fail.”

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Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum has asked the Federal Government to initiate policies and programmes that will successfully transition open grazing into ranching in a way that will safeguard the interests of the herdsmen and address security challenges associated with their activities.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, NEF spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said the forum wants the Federal Government to identify suitable lands across the country and create grazing reserves and cattle routes for pastoral activities.

He said, “NEF had declared an earlier position on the ongoing debate in the National Assembly over the proposed law to end open grazing in the country and establish ranching agencies, which has brought to light differing views among legislators.

“NEF recognises the importance of addressing the challenges posed by open grazing and the need for a more sustainable and modern approach to livestock management. However, the forum is aware of the concerns raised by some northern senators regarding the potential impact of the proposed law on the livelihoods of pastoralists in the region.”

Afenifere supports bill

The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said Afenifere strongly advocates modernising cattle rearing practices across the country, noting the obsolescence of open grazing.

He said, “Afenifere’s position is that in the modern-day, livestock do not graze in the open, roam on the streets, or go to people’s farms to destroy crops.

“Today, open grazing has become anachronistic and obsolete. Ranching is the vehicle whereby whoever wants to go into cattle rearing, just like a person who wants to rear fowls would build a poultry.

“The same thing should be done for those who want to rear cattle. There must be ranching, which will be maintained in a manner that will not be detrimental or create problems for other people. That’s how we feel.”

Renowned Nigerian pastor and philanthropist, Pastor Ademola Amusan, known as Agbala Gabriel, has finally broken his silence to address the swirling reports that the family of the recently deceased actor, Sule Suebebe, refused to accept his corpse from him.

Recall that on Wednesday that Sule Suebebe died in the early hours of June 12th at an undisclosed hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The announcement of his death came from Ibadan-based cleric who had been tending to the actor during his prolonged illness.

Just hours after the tragic news broke, a social media user stirred up a storm by claiming that the actor’s family had refused to accept his corpse from the clergyman.

“Breaking news: We hear that Baba Suebebe’s family refused to take his corpse from Agbala Gabriel; they rejected his corpse. So what is going to happen now?”.

SEE POST BELOW 

This shocking revelation set the internet abuzz, leading to a flurry of heated debates and rampant speculation about the circumstances surrounding the family’s decision.

In response to these allegations, Pastor Agbala firmly denied that any such event took place, asserting that the rumors of the late actor’s family rejecting his corpse are unfounded and malicious attempts to damage his reputation.

He explained that after Sule Suebebe’s death, he immediately notified the actor’s family, who then arrived without delay.

Pastor Agbala further disclosed that, upon conversing with the family, he discovered that their lack of contact during Suebebe’s illness was due to the actor’s explicit request for them to stay away while he was alive.

The cleric expressed his happiness that the late actor repented and drew closer to God during his final days. He conveyed his confidence that Sule Suebebe is now resting in the bosom of the Lord.