Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has said that military coups cannot take place without the assistance of politicians and civilians.

Abdulsalami stated this in an interview with Sun Newspaper on Sunday. He noted that it is the political field that allows any military man to take over power.

In his words: “You see, whatever happens, it must be the political field that allows any military man to take over. When you are in government and there is no equity and justice, certainly this brings problem.

MAY DAY: Labour gives FG May 31 deadline on Minimum Wage0:00 / 1:00
“You have a political party and even in the political party one belongs to, there is no democracy. So, certainly, you will expect some quivers, some quarrels to come out and if they are not handled amicably, certainly, this will result to military takeover.

“Remember there is no military man that takes over without the connivance and assistance of politicians and civilians”.

The Kogi State Government has announced the rescue of the remaining eight kidnapped students of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara (CUSTECH) Bringing the numbers of rescued students to 30.

Recall 32 students were abducted inside the school premises early last month while preparing for the commencement of their exams. Four of the abducted students were first rescued, followed by another 16, and two students who escaped on his own, before the latest 8 that were rescued.

Two of the abducted students were however killed last week by the abductors following the state government decision not to pay ransom for the victims, but rather embarked on ‘kinetic and non kinetic” onslaught against the kidnappers.

This latest development was revealed on Sunday in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo.

“The Kogi State Government has announced the rescue of the remaining eight kidnapped students of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara.

“The Governor has directed full support towards the recovery of the students and their parents, while modalities are being put in place to make Kogi safer for all.

“The Government of Kogi State expresses profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the mobilization of resources to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students.

“We also thank the National Security Adviser immensely for his commitment to the release of the students and the general security of the State.

“The Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Director General of DSS, the Inspector General of Police and all the officers and men of the Armed Forces that put in their best as well as the Pilots, did a wonderful job to support us in reuniting the kidnapped students with their families.

“The Kogi State Command of all the security agencies, Police, DSS, NSCDC and our local hunters are also highly appreciated for their efforts towards this feat.

“Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo also expresses immense gratitude to his Kwara State counterpart, Governor AbdulRahmam AbdulRazak for his personal commitment, cooperation and support towards the success of the operation that led to the rescue of the remaining kidnapped students.

“The Kwara State Governor showed the reason he is effectively leading the Nigerian Governors Forum. His actions have also reinforced the Kogi/Kwara cooperation and unity of purpose.

“Now that the remaining students have been rescued, our administration will continue the drive to recalibrate our security architecture and pay an uncompromising attention to the Safe School Initiative.

“As the State with the lowest out of school children in the North, we have put structures in place to keep our schools safe to ensure every child is not deprived of his or her right to education.

“Kogi has domesticated the Child Rights Act and we will defend the right of our children to quality education. In Kogi State, education is free up to the Secondary School level.

“We also pay the registration fees for our students to write all internal and external examinations with a budgetary allocation that is way above the UNESCO benchmark for education. We do all of these to educate our children and make them responsible contributors to the economy of Nigeria.

“We urge our citizens to always volunteer intelligence to security agencies to enable them to prevent crime. This is safer, cheaper and better for us all.

“All of us must come together to defeat banditry, kidnapping and any form of criminality in our society.”

It appears taking a girl on date without any string attached has gone with the wind. At least, this is the view of a depression and mental health coach, Evelyn Motiga aka Evesoal, who slammed young Nigerian girls for making all sorts of demands before going on a date with a guy.

In a video posted on her page, she said it now causes a guy an arm and a leg just to take a girl out on a date as he would have to be responsible for almost everything the girl wears to honour the date.

She noted that the situation has driven some guys to depression and mental health issues.

“What’s wrong with our Nigerian girls these days? Why are you putting our men under pressure? Why are you making dating as if it is a transaction. This morning, I saw somebody on Facebook saying if a man wants to take her out on a date he must buy her clothes and he must pay her first.

Hey, are these girls aware that there are young men in Nigeria that are very hard working and putting them under pressure for me is not the way to go,” she says in the video.

She counsels that the act would not add any value to them but rather belittle them.

“You are bringing down your value. As if that is not enough, you are stressing our men. These men are going through a lot of mental issues and depression because they feel they are not good enough. Stop this nonsense,” she said.

The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has announced its complete endorsement of the indefinite nationwide industrial action declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), set to begin on Monday.

The NLC and TUC have vowed to commence an indefinite strike Monday to protest against the government’s failure to conclude and pass into law a new National Minimum Wage Act and reverse the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kWh.

The workers’ forum gave its full backing to the industrial action in a communique issued at the end of an online meeting of federal workers nationwide on Saturday and released to the media on Sunday.

Titled ‘President Tinubu: pay up three months wage award arrears, federal workers will ensure full compliance with the indefinite national strike, resign now if you cannot pay a living wage, don't plunge Nigeria into chaos,’ the communique was signed by its National Coordinator (FWF), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

Describing the disposition of the government towards the workers as very disappointing, the forum said: "It is obvious government is playing games on the new national minimum wage, this is truly very mindless and most insensitive."

The communique reads in part "We the federal workers are particularly surprised that the federal government is treating us this way. As the federal workforce and the engine room of governance, if truly government cares; federal workers should not be passing through the hardship and ordeal we are currently subjected to.

"As patriotic citizens, the federal workers have tried coping with the situation but it has been very difficult surviving the harsh economy orchestrated by the unilateral removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Prices of goods and services have increased by over 300%. Our national currency has been badly devalued. Federal workers now find it very difficult to feed and survive in Nigeria.

"Most unfortunately, government has stopped the payment of the ₦35,000 wage award in the month of February to the federal workers. It is shameful that government now owes the federal government workers three months’ wage award. Government is also owing several arrears of allowances, promotion arrears and several other monies owed the federal workers.”

The forum, however, declared that federal workers “cannot continue suffering unnecessarily, we have endured this hardship enough”.

It said, "The federal government should pay up three months wage award and other arrears of payment owed the federal workers.

"That the federal government is not permitted to borrow any amount from our contributory pension fund.

"We are in total support of the indefinite national strike action called by labour. Federal workers should ensure full compliance and complete shutdown of all federal government secretariats nationwide.

"That Mr President and any state governor who cannot pay a living wage should resign.

"That if after five working days from the commencement of the indefinite strike, and government is not bulging, labour should lead the workers to occupy the three arms zone and state government houses nationwide.

"We call for solidarity and support from the Nigerian people."

Police officers engaged in counter-insurgency operations in North-East Nigeria have voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the non-payment of their allowances for the past six months.

The officers were selected from various states and taken to the region for security operations in collaboration with other security forces to fight Boko Haram insurgents and other criminalities in the region.

The affected officers complained that the non-payment of their allowances has placed them in a challenging predicament.

One of the soldiers said, “We are mobile policemen working with the Nigerian Army under the special forces (SF) joint task force in Maiduguri. We are working day and night tirelessly in the rain and the sun.

“Some of us were deployed to various locations here in Maiduguri after two weeks of training in the Nigerian Army special forces training ground, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, but we have not received our allowances for a period of six months now.

“We have been sending complaints to the Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai (OHK) Maimalari Army Barrack through our unit commanders but all efforts made to get paid our six months' operational allowances have failed.”

“The police authorities should please look into the matter. We are all men with families; we left them at home for a good six months to come here to the Borno State for peacekeeping but look at how we are suffering without our allowances for God's sake. Even now as I’m talking to you, I’m in the bush. We need help, please,” another policeman told SaharaReporters.

Efforts made by SaharaReporters to reach the spokesman for the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, on his mobile phone to find out why the allowances had not been paid were unsuccessful. 

Nigeria has been battling with insurgency in the North-East region for over one decade.

Islamic terrorists have killed thousands of people and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.

Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) have initiated the mobilization of their members in preparation for the nationwide protest declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

This was contained in a press statement issued on Saturday by Comrade M. J Akwashiki, JUSUN General Secretary and obtained by SaharaReporters.

The statement reads: “Following a declaration of industrial action by NLC and TUC, beginning from Monday 3rd June 2024 due to the inability of government to conclude the negotiation of the new National Minimum Wage and refusal to reverse the increase in electricity tariff, I am directed to inform you to commence mobilisation ahead of the action.

“The action will start midnight on Sunday nationwide, so all branches /chapters chairmen and secretaries of JUSUN are expected to ensure strict compliance to this directive.

“All vice presidents of our great unions are to monitor their respective zones to ensure compliance with the total shut down of all Courts and Judicial Institutes across Nigeria.

“NOTE that the nationwide action is to ensure governments (a) Agree on a new national minimum wage and subsequently pass it into law before the end of this month as they were notified (b). Reverse the hike in electricity tariff without consulting the stakeholders as required by the Law to N225/kwh back to N66/kwh. (C) Stop the apartheid categorization of Nigerian electricity consumers into bands.”

SaharaReporters had reported how the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared a nationwide strike beginning from Monday, June 3, 2024 over the tripartite committee’s inability to agree on a new minimum wage.

The President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, had announced the strike at a joint news conference with the leadership of the NLC in Abuja on Friday.

According to the labour leaders, the decision follows the expiration of an earlier request to the Federal Government to conclude all negotiations for a new minimum wage before the end of May.

Fire razes an electronic shop in Port Harcourt as residents struggle to put out the inferno.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the storey building which is used by LG as a showroom and warehouse at Rumuosi Junction along Rumuokoro- Choba axis of the East-West Road went up in flames after a power surge.

The incident happened at about 12:30 pm on Sunday afternoon and residents at the time of filing this report are still fighting to put out the raving fire.

The building is sandwiched in between a church and another storey which residents feared would be a chain effect if help did not come soon.

A few minutes past 1 pm there is still no presence of firefighters nor security agencies to guard against loot.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has once again warned Nigerians against the use of dichlorvos (sniper) and other dangerous chemicals to safeguard food from spoilage.

The agency said that the use of sniper and other dangerous chemicals for food preservation can cause cancer and even death.

According to NAFDAC, the sale of small volume dichlorvos (100 ml or less) has been banned since 2019 while the sale of the large volume (one litre) is limited to certified agrochemicals outlets.

The warning is in response to a viral video showing individuals using dangerous chemicals to preserve food items like beans, stockfish, and crayfish.

The misuse of dichlorvos, NAFDAC said, poses significant risks to human health, manifesting in both short-term and long-term consequences. The agency explained that the long-term exposure can result in severe health implications, including developmental abnormalities in offspring, memory loss, reduced fertility, and potential carcinogenic effects. These adverse effects, it said, highlight the importance of adhering to safety guidelines to mitigate the risks associated with dichlorvos exposure.

In a statement on Sunday by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, the Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, urged traders and merchants to desist from using unauthorized chemicals on food meant for human consumption.

Adeyeye emphasized alternative methods for preserving food, mentioning the use of bio-pesticides as a safer option compared to dichlorvos. She noted that food remaining unspoiled for an extended period might indicate pesticide contamination rather than freshness, unless stored in the refrigerator.

While acknowledging the challenges faced by farmers due to bans on various chemicals, she stressed the importance of transitioning to safer alternatives.

The Director of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Products (VMAP), Dr. Rametu Momodu, reiterated that using certain chemicals, especially pesticides, to protect grains and prevent beans from having weevils is not an approved practice. She explained that there are approved pesticides for use as fumigants, which should be used according to the manufacturer’s specifications on the product label. She stressed that these products should not be applied directly to food due to their inherent dangers to human health.

Momodu stated that consuming food contaminated with dichlorvos can cause dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, and convulsions, and in some cases, can lead to coma and death. She warned that once used, pesticide residues remain on or in the food, posing significant health risks.

She advised consumers to avoid buying from vendors known to use such practices and to report them to the nearest NAFDAC office for appropriate sanctions.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the sum of N494,000 national minimum wage being demanded by organized labour, which cumulatively amounts to the sum of N9.5tn, is capable of destabilizing the economy and jeopardizing the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians.

Idris stated this in Abuja in response to the threat by the organized labor to embark on strike if their demands were not met.

He said the offer of N60,000 minimum wage by the Federal Government, which translates to a 100 per cent increase on the existing minimum wage of 2019, has been accepted by the organized private sector, which is a member of the tripartite committee of the negotiations team.

“The Federal Government’s New Minimum Wage proposal amounts to a 100 per cent increase on the existing minimum wage 2019. Labour, however, wanted N494,000, which would increase by 1,547 per cent on the existing wage.

“The sum of N494,000 national minimum wage which Labour is seeking would cumulatively amount to the sum N9.5tn bill to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Nigerians need to understand that whereas the FG is desirous of ample remuneration for Nigerian workers, what is most critical is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not encourage any action that could lead to massive job loss, especially in the private sector, who may not be able to pay the wage demanded by the Organised Labour,” he said.

The Minister said even though Labour is keen on the take-home pay of about 1.2 million workers, the Federal Government is concerned with the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians based on its Guiding Principle of Affordability, Sustainability, and the overall health of the nation’s economy.

Idris appealed to the Organised Labour to return to the negotiating table and embrace reasonable and realistic wages for their members.

He said because of the commitment of the Tinubu administration to the welfare of workers, the wage award of N35,000 for Federal workers would continue until a new national minimum wage is introduced.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has stated that democracy’s survival hinges on adherence to the rule of law and that Nigeria needs good governance rather than a change in its system of governance.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration of Yusuf Ali & Co (Ghalib Chambers) in Ilọrin on Saturday, Shettima addressed calls for a switch to parliamentary system.

Shettima said, “Democracy can only survive by adherence to rule of law and quality of governance, not by parliamentary system as being canvassed by some people.”

According to him, many nations have collapsed due to lack of access to truth and justice.

“Many nations that collapsed did so because of lack of access to truth and justice; their access to justice was frustrated and denied,” he said.

The vice president added, “President Bola Tinubu never influenced the electoral process and we (presidency) never used instruments of office to hunt or hound perceived opponents standing trial.”

On his part, the former Minister of Works, Raji Fashola (SAN), recalled Nigeria’s past experience with the parliamentary system.

He questioned its failure and the country’s readiness to address those reasons now.

“Let’s think deeply about why the parliamentary system failed us and have we overcome those reasons?” Fashola urged.