Medical experts at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, are currently battling to save the eyes of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero.
Ajaero was said to have been arrested by men of the Imo State Police Command while leading a protest in the state on Wednesday.
But the command said he was only rescued from a mob and put in protective custody.
Ajaero was seen in a viral video, sitting between two men while he was being rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
In the video, the NLC boss said he didn’t have any phone on him, but had a relative in the employ of FUTHO who he hoped would be of assistance.
Meanwhile, the NLC officials condemned the incident as a heinous act of attempted murder.
The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Benson Upah, described the treatment of Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.
Upah said, “Contact has been made with Congress President, Joe Ajaero, this evening around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention.
“Thoroughly brutalised, his (Ajeoro’s) right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”
[Punch]
A presidential spokesman, Tope Ajayi said President Bola Tinubu did not ask for a yacht.
This comes amid outrage after details of the N2.1 trillion supplementary budget Tinubu submitted to the National Assembly were published.
According to the budget, N5.09 billion was allocated for the yacht, N2.9 billion for sport utility vehicles for the Presidential Villa, and another N2.9 billion for the replacement of operational vehicles for the presidency.
The yacht was listed under the Nigerian Navy’s proposed capital expenditure of N42.3 billion.
Speaking on the development, Ajayi said he doubted if his principal needed one to perform the functions of his office.
“The trending issues on social media since yesterday are two items in the 2023 supplementary budget. One is the provision for a presidential yacht in the supplementary budget by the Navy, and the other is over N6 billion for vehicles for the State House.”
“It is important to state clearly that President Bola Tinubu didn’t ask for a presidential yatch, and I doubt he needs one to perform the functions of his office. From what I know, the request for a yacht, however it is named or couched in the budget, is from the Navy, and they must have operational reasons for why it is required.
“The budget office should be in a position to also explain to the public why such expenditures should be accommodated now, considering the economic situation of the country. I must readily admit that the one reason our budgeting system has been the subject of public attack is the very simplistic way some of the line items are described by civil servants who prepare the budget.
“Examples abound. Sometimes in 2016, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project of the Ministry of Solid Minerals worth over N300 million was captured in that year’s budget as a “website”. Naturally, it generated a massive controversy as people, rightly, asked to know the type of website that would be built with N300 million.
Ajayi further stated, “It is important to say that journalism should enrich public enlightenment and not create an atmosphere of siege. It is poor reporting to always reduce State House budgetary provisions to the President and Vice President.
“When the State House makes provision for vehicles, it is reported as if it is the President that will use all the vehicles or eat all the food when a provision is made for food and catering services.
“We have had such inaccurate reporting in the past. A President and Vice President cannot, for any reason, spend N20 million naira to eat in a year if it is about the food they will eat as first and second families. How much food can a person really eat?
“Yet, we will read headlines that Tinubu, Buhari, Jonathan, or whoever the President is wants to spend N5 billion on food and catering in a year when in actual fact such budgetary provisions are made to accommodate many state events, meetings, hosting of VIPs, foreign dignitaries, and even visits by other Heads of State and bilateral and multilateral meetings that the State House will deal with in a given year,” he said.
[Vanguard]
Nigerians may experience fuel scarcity as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has condemned the attack on the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.
Naija News reports that NUPENG also threatened to down tools over the attack and brutalization of Joe Ajaero and other labour leaders by perceived agents of the Imo State government.
Recall that Ajaero and other leaders of NLC and their Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), among others including some journalists were on Wednesday attacked and brutalized by suspected thugs contracted by the state at the NLC secretariat in Owerri.
The thugs allegedly descended on Labour leaders and other protesters, smashing vehicles, inflicting injuries and dispossessing handsets, money, ATM cards among other valuables from labour leaders and others that had gathered at the NLC State secretariat to begin the scheduled protest over pending labour issues.
Speaking on the incident NUPENG’s President, Prince Williams Akporeha, threatened to call for a nationwide industrial action.
He warned that NUPENG will call a nationwide strike if the Imo state government does not release the arrested labour leaders and address the grievances of its workers.
He said “We condemn with the strongest term the arrest and brutalization of Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero and other labour leaders by the agents of Imo State Government.
“We reject the act of violence and barbarism being unleashed on labour leaders, workers and others. We cannot accept this uncivilised behaviour in a democracy.
“The workers of Imo State must be freed. We are determined to free the state workers because injury to one is to all.”
[NaijaNews]
Internet and phone networks were down across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the Palestinian telecommunications agency said, in the second such blackout in the besieged territory in less than a week.
To our good people in the beloved country, we are sorry to announce that communications and internet services have been completely cut off in Gaza,” the Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) said on X.
Global network monitor Netblocks confirmed that Gaza “is in the midst of a new internet blackout with high impact to the last remaining major operator, Paltel.
“The incident will be experienced as a total loss of telecommunications by most residents,” it said in a post on X.
An AFP journalist in Gaza confirmed the loss of communications, adding that his phone still had signal because he was using an international SIM card.
Another AFP journalist said only people with Israeli or Egyptian phone lines could still use their mobiles in the border town of Rafah.
Internet and phone networks were completely cut last week but were restored at the weekend.
AFP
•Labour alleges attempted assassination
One person was feared killed and many others injured yesterday as the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, was abducted by security agents at the ongoing Organised Labour protest in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
This is as thugs descended on Labour leaders and other protesters, smashing vehicles, inflicting injuries and dispossessing handsets, money, ATM cards among other valuables from labour leaders and others that had gathered at the NLC State secretariat to begin the scheduled protest over pending labour issues.
The NLC President, other national leaders of NLC and their Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, were at the State Secretariat in Owerri to begin the planned protest ahead of strike today (Thursday) over backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances among others perceived sins of Imo State government against workers in the State.
Among alleged sins of the Imo State government include refusal to implement previous agreements, outstanding salary arrears, unjust declaration of workers as ghost workers, destruction of NLC state secretariat, implementation of discriminatory pay and unpaid gratuity arrears.
Others are non-compliance with National Minimum Wage, intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders, use of violence and thuggery, misappropriation of union dues, declaration of pensioners as ghosts, systematic harassment and intimidation of workforce, resistance to social dialogue and collective bargaining, interference with workers’ democratic processes.
Trouble started at about 8 am when workers were trooping into the state Secretariat of the NLC for the protest, when suddenly thugs in about 10 mini-buses armed with dangerous weapons stormed the Secretariat and attacked labour leaders, workers and chased them away.
It was a rowdy sight as union leaders and Journalists scampered for safety.
However, the workers reassembled at the Secretariat but this time led by the NLC president and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja to commence the protest.
It was gathered that as Ajaero was about to address the gathering, a team of armed Policemen and hooded men in trucks stormed the venue and arrested him alongside some labour leaders and some journalists, shooting sporadically.
An unconfirmed report said a yet-to-be-identified unionist was killed while the TVC camera man was arrested and his camera smashed.
Already the TVC reporter and others who also sustained injuries went into hiding for fear of further attacks.
Speaking, NLC’s Head of Information and Publicity, Benson Upah had earlier informed of Ajaero’s arrest by the Police led by the Commissioner of Police.
He said: “The NLC President was abducted by Policemen armed to their teeth at the Imo state NLC secretariat on Wednesday as we are about to commence our lawful protest against the violation of trade Union rights of the workers.”
Also while giving account of the incident, NLC’s Assistant General Secretary and Chief of Staff to the NLC president, Chris Onyeka said he was standing with Ajaero when he was brutalized and arrested.
“As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo State and the President of NLC was about to address the workers, the Police came amidst attacks by thugs to arrest Ajaero.
“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before Police came to arrest him along with another senior official of the NLC.”
Speaking to Vanguard, NLC’s General Secretary, Emma Ugbaja, alleged that the State Commissioner of Police led the attack under the instructions of the state government.
He claimed that the government had mobilized “his thugs” as early as 6am and took over the area, noting “when they (thugs) saw the (NLC) President, the CP led the thugs into the place.
“There were about five naval personnel on duty. The Police arrested and brutalized the President and took him to their Tiger base and nobody has sighted him.”
Brutalized Ajaero rushed to FMC Owerri
However, Vanguard gathered, at the time of this report that Ajaero had been released and hospitalized as he was brutally brutalized by the police.
Confirming his release, NLC’s Information officer, Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.
He said that “contact has been made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero this evening around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he is receiving medical attention.
“He was thoroughly brutalized, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut. Ajaero, who spoke little, stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blind-folded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles. His phones, money and other personal effects were taken from him and have not been returned to him.”
Vanguard gathered, last night, that Ajaero, who has been on a neck collar with weals all over his skin, had been “referred for ophthalmic investigation, a head/brain scan, a full body scan, and cervical spine therapy, among other investigations.
NUPENG threatens nationwide strike
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has put its members on alert for a nationwide strike over the attack and brutalization of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, President, Joe Ajaero and other labour leaders by perceived agents of the Imo State government.
Speaking on the development, NUPENG’s President, Prince Williams Akporeha, said “We condemn with the strongest term the arrest and brutalization of Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero and other labour leaders by the agents of Imo State Government. We reject the act of violence and barbarism being unleashed on labour leaders, workers and others by Hope Uzodimma and his government. We cannot accept this uncivilised behaviour in a democracy.
“We have put our members across the country on alert for a nationwide strike if Uzodimma continues with this uncivilized, uncultured and barbaric attacks and brutalization of labour leaders and workers of the state. The workers of Imo State must be freed. We are determined to free the state workers because injury to one is injury to all.”
Maritime workers kick
Condemning the brutalization of NLC President and others, the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MWUN, said two of its national officials were among those injured, saying “two national officers of MWUN: Abubakar Bello (Vice President- General), and Abudu Eroje (Deputy Secretary General) were brutally attacked, sustaining grave injuries and losing valuables such as their phones, money and important documents.”
In a statement, President of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, among others, said “we strongly condemn the violent attack on the national officers of MWUN by hoodlums and miscreants at the premises of the state secretariat of the NLC Imo State chapter where they sustained grievous bodily harm and loss of their personal property including money, and phones.
MWUN also condemns the arbitrary arrest and illegal detention of the President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero by Imo State Police Command. This abuse of power is unwarranted, illegal and downright inimical to the foundational tenets of democracy and its attendant civil liberties.
It is pertinent to note that the call for a mass demonstration in Owerri by the NLC is as legitimate as it is necessary to liberate the ordinary citizens of the state who are under the bondage of the state government. As at the time of this press release, the two MWUN these officials are still in intensive care.”
JAF fumes
Similarly, the pro-labour civil society groups, the Joint Action Front, JAF, condemned the arrest of Ajaero and the alleged terror unleashed on workers and journalists by the police and thugs at the behest of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma.
Secretary of JAF, Abiodun Aremu, in a statement lamented that Ajaero was not just arrested but was also physically assaulted before being taken into custody.
“We consider the arrest of the NLC President and the repression of the protest as a brazen affront on the labour movement. We strongly hold that there must be a response with the full force of the labour.
[Vanguard]
—It was attempted murder –Labour
The brutalized President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero has been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owerri with his right eye completely shut.
The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.
He said that “contact has been made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero this evening around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention.
“Thoroughly brutalized, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”
He further said, “Ajaero, who said little stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.
“His phones, money and other personal effects were taken off him and have not been returned to him.”
The Imo State Police Command on Wednesday said they were not involved in the alleged arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero in Imo.
The Police through the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, made this known to newsmen in Owerri while commenting on the arrest of Ajaero by security operatives in Owerri on Wednesday, during the NLC strike action in the state.
Explaining further, the Police said: “The Imo State Police Command wishes to clarify some sketchy reports alleging the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Owerri. It is pertinent to state that the NLC President was in Owerri as part of arrangements of the Congress to mobilize workers for a mega protest rally in the state. In the course of their planning, it was reported that suggestions arose for the lockdown of some essential facilities particularly the airport which led to some workers and other individuals resisting the picketing process leading to scuffles heated arguments and an eventual attack on the person of the president by a mob.
“Upon receiving this report, the Imo Police Command swiftly deployed police operatives to the scene where the Officer in Charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC President into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters to ensure the protection of his life and that he was not lynched in the scuffle that followed. The Commissioner of Police thereafter directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services, Owerri, where he would be accorded medical attention as a result of the attack. He has therefore been accorded adequate security cover to proceed on his other legitimate engagements for the day.”
“It is however necessary to emphasize the existence of a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria held in Owerri with Suit No. NICN/OW/41/2023 dated 27th October 2023, barring the NLC from holding the intended protest rally in Owerri.
“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, psc (+), therefore urges all concerned parties to ensure compliance with the Court directives to avoid jeopardizing the current security arrangements on Owerri and other parts of Imo State, even as the State gears up for the forthcoming electioneering process on 11th November 2023,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu has requested the Senate to approve the sums of $7.8 billion and €100 million in his administration’s proposed 2022–2024 borrowing plan.
The president made the request in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday.
More to come…
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, challenged his 48 ministers to deliver on their responsibilities or get sacked.
Tinubu said he is determined to succeed in discharging his duties as President and charged his cabinet members to ensure they don’t become clogs in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress.
The President gave this charge while declaring open, a three-day Cabinet Retreat at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
The retreat themed, ‘Delivering On The Renewed Hope Agenda’ had ministers, permanent secretaries, presidential aides and top government officials in attendance.
The Director of Strategic Communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, on Wednesday, slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for acting as if he owned Rivers State.
Momodu that Rivers State is neither his property nor inheritance.
Momodu stated this in a post on his on X handle (formerly Twitter).
He had earlier praised the former Rivers State governor for the executions of infrastructural projects under his administration.
He, however, stated that Wike had many flaws, among which are lack of anger management, and his forgetfulness that God has been kind to him.
The tweets partly read, “Rivers is neither your property nor perpetual inheritance. There were governors long before you cut your teeth and there must be others after you.”
Momodu said that Wike had “one tragic and fatal flaw, and yours is lack of anger management. There are other flaws, like forgetting that God has been extremely kind to you and that you will never be God, and so you should beg God to grant you the spirit of humility and the wisdom of Solomon.”
He reminded Wike of his rise to prominence from being a Local Government Chairman in the state, to a Chief of Staff; a prequel to his ministerial appointment at the FCT, saying that he (Wike) was blessed with “divine favour.”
“From a Local Government Chairman in Rivers State to Chief of Staff, to Minister of State Education, to governor for eight years and now back to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory…I do not know anyone with your kind of divine favour.
“This should satisfy you but your insatiable hunger and thirst for power is driving you into believing that you must have your way all the time. It would have been nice if you were in private business and running your personal enterprise,” Momodu said.
He noted that Wike became “inconsolable” after he lost his presidential bid, adding that he “acted more like an opposition leader than a long-standing member of PDP.”
The tweets read further, “My dear brother, this now is the crux of the matter. You can’t eat your cake and still have it. You installed a new governor in the PDP. You’re a minister in APC. And you still want to maintain absolute power in PDP.”
Momodu urged Wike to allow the state governor Sim Fubara, “to grow and be a man of his own.”
He concluded, “Please, have a quiet rethink and adjust your overbearing style a bit. Sadly, you’ve allowed Fubara to demystify you.”
The PUNCH reports that the state House of Assembly had made efforts to impeach Fubara.
This has led to the arrest of 122 youths who allegedly invaded the official residence of the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, during a protest in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Tuesday.
However, on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu and governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party intervened to stop the impeachment moves against Fubara.
The President reportedly conferred with the embattled governor and his predecessor, Wike, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
More...
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has spoken about the crisis in the state.
The governor on Wednesday, stated that the issue involving himself and the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, is an internal issue which will be resolved in no time.
Fubara stated this when the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, led a military delegation to the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The governor said there is nothing wrong for a father and a son to have problems, stressing that all issues, if any, will be resolved.
He said, “For our dear state, I know everybody is wondering what’s going on, what’s not going on. We are okay, there is no problem.
“If we have an internal issue, it will be resolved and everything will go back to normal.
“There is nothing wrong if a father and a son have a problem if there is any problem but I don’t think there is anything, whatever it is, we will definitely resolve the issue.”
Fubara also restated the resolve of President Bola Tinubu for
The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Etekarnba Umoren as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State.
Umoren had served as Chief of Staff to Senate President Godswill Akpabio during his time as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
The former aide of was also a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom.
His appointment had sparked up controversies, with different groups and civic rights activists asking President Bola Tinubu to revoke it.
But the president had, in a letter read on Tuesday, asked the Senate to confirm Umoren and other nominees.
On Wednesday, Umoren was confirmed alongside Isah Shaka Ehimeakne (Edo), Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti), Abubakar Ahmed Ma’aji (Gombe), Shehu Wahab (Kwara), Aminu Kasimi Idris (Nasarawa), and Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq (Niger).
The remaining three nominees from Rivers, Zamfara and Lagos, Anugbum Onuoha, Abubakar Fawa Dambo and Bunmi Omoseyindemi were absent.
The nominees were confirmed after they were screened on the floor of the Senate Wednesday.
Tinubu said, in the letter, said his request for Senate confirmation of the nominees was in compliance with the constitutional provisions.
The confirmed RECs are to serve a five-year term each, and can only be removed by the president and a two-thirds vote from the National Assembly.
It also approved the nomination of seven persons for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
The Senate also confirmed the appointment of Mr Shaakaa Chira as the Auditor-General for the Federation.
[DailyTrust]
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Isiokpo Division, Ikwerre Local Government Area, has issued an interim order restraining the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, from carrying out any action with respect to the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Also restrained are the Deputy Speaker, the Clerk of the House and the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi.
Presiding Judge, Justice Ben Whyte, issued the order following a suit filed by the governor.
Justice Whyte directed that the parties should maintain status quo, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.
The judge adjourned the suit to 14 November, 2023, for hearing of the motion on notice.
[DailyPost]
President Bola Tinubu has requested the Senate to approve the sums of $7.8 billion and €100 million in his administration’s proposed 2022–2024 borrowing plan.
The president made the request in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday.
More to come…
[NaijaNews]