In the evening of August 17, 2023, twelve Akwa Ibom persons were abducted along Sokoto-Zamfara expressway as they travelled to Sokoto. Eleven of them were young men and women reporting for their NYSC camp for the mandatory one-year service, while one was the driver of the Akwa Ibom Transport company-branded bus in which they were travelling. Months passed, and one by one, the captives were released as the abductors received huge sums of ransoms from the families of the abductees. By the middle of June, 11 abductees have been released. I have followed this story with the keenness of a brain surgeon. On November 27, I wrote a piece titled, ‘’100 days in captivity: the story of the abducted corps members’’. I followed it up with another one on December 23. I asked the authorities, including the NYSC management, to do all in their power to get them out. I argued that the government of Akwa Ibom State had a moral responsibility to intervene and facilitate their release since they were only going to serve their motherland. I also made efforts to reach the NYSC DG and hear from him on what the agency has been doing.

Last week, I met with one of the abducted girls. It was facilitated by one of her professors. Outwardly, she looks like any other young Akwa Ibom lady, but inside, she carries a scar, an emotional wound. She sobbed intermittently as she recalled the traumatic experience in vivid details. For obvious reasons, I will conceal her identity. Her story:

‘’I graduated in business administration in 2021 and was called up in 2023 for the NYSC scheme. I was posted to Sokoto State and I really looked forward to serving the country. I love the NYSC scheme; the khaki trousers and white vest; the parades; the drills; the opportunity to travel to other parts of the country, meet other Nigerians and see the vastness of the country and all that. We boarded the bus at the AKTC terminus in Uyo in the morning of August 16. We were all would-be corps members; some of us were heading to Abuja and Kano, but 11 of us were going to Sokoto. We arrived Abuja in the evening and spent the night at the AKTC terminus there. Early the following morning, August 17, we set off to Kano where some people disembarked; and eleven of us proceeded to Sokoto.

‘’Around 7.40 pm, on the Sokoto-Zamfara expressway, we ran into a roadblock mounted by kidnappers, on both sides of the expressway. They fired sporadically into the air and ordered all 12 of us (11 would-be corps members and the driver) out of the vehicle. As we were being marched into the bush, three of us escaped, leaving nine of us (four men and five women) with the captors. We walked all night in the bush till we got to their camp where there was a hut, but we slept in the open, on the ground, in the bush, in the rain and sunshine, day and night. I was released on December 7, after spending three months and two weeks with the kidnappers in captivity. I turned 27 in captivity on Friday, December 1. It was the worst experience of my life. We were beaten every day, mostly in the mornings, with iron rod; fed once in two or three days with rice which we cooked without ingredients – just white rice no salt; no pepper; nothing. We slept on the bare ground in the bush, in the same clothes that we had on when we were captured. We had our baths once in two or three weeks in a stream about a kilometer away. A lot of us fell sick and nearly died. I was very sick too.

On December 7, I was released with another girl - two of us. They led us back to the expressway. I was very sick and could barely walk. On the road, NYSC officials and military personnel were waiting for us. They came in armoured military vehicles, picked us and took us to a hospital in a nearby town where we spent two days before we were taken to a military hospital in Kaduna where we spent about three weeks.

 I enrolled in the NYSC scheme after I left the hospital and I am now serving at (name withheld). I understand that the bus driver was released early this year.

My father is late, but my mother is alive, dealing in petty business. My elder brother raised money, sold things and borrowed money to pay for the ransom. He travelled to Zamfara twice, bringing the money to designated point along the expressway for the abductors. We were released randomly as the kidnappers did not even identify the abductee on whose behalf ransoms were paid.

I thank God for keeping us alive and rescuing us from captivity. I still suffer from trauma. I feel unsafe and I’m always afraid, anxious and apprehensive. I salute the NGOs, activists and journalists like you who worked for our release. I have not been contacted by any official of Akwa Ibom State government, but I am grateful to the management of the NYSC for doing all they could to rescue us. I pray for the remaining person in captivity’’.

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, congratulates fellow Muslim faithful on the celebration of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival, calling it, “a celebration of God’s love and mercy to mankind.”

The former Vice President, who is also the Waziri Adamawa sent his goodwill message to Muslims through a press statement on Saturday from his media office.

Atiku noted that the celebration of Eid, as stated in the scriptures, is not merely a fanfare but an admonition to the people to have forbearance and show compassion in every situation.

“The message of Eid al-Adha is to remind ourselves about the commandment of God to show love to one another and uphold peaceful interpersonal relationships.

“The essential purpose of that message is that we must put our trust in God almighty at all times.

“Even in the face of current hard times that many Nigerians are passing through, we must never fail to put trust in God and, more importantly, extend compassion and safety to the vulnerable people around us.

“What this means is that as we go about celebrating today, we must ensure that we extend good tidings of support and charity to one another, especially those in difficulties.”

The former Vice President equally sizes the opportunity of the Eid celebration to call on governments at all levels to be deliberate in initiating measures that will ease the hardship that confronts Nigerians on a basis.

“As we know that the essence of the celebration today is about a restoration of God’s mercy, it is thus incumbent on government at all levels to take a cue from the divine instruction and make sure that the hardships of the people are minimised,” Atiku said.

He also reminds Muslims in Nigeria and across the world to remember their responsibility of being good ambassadors of the religion by living their lives according to the practices and teachings of the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

“The festivities that we are undertaking today is borne out of the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim and as also exemplified by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is thus our responsibility as Muslims to reflect on their examples in our lives by upholding the threshold of peace at all times, "Atiku also added.

He wishes every Muslim family a happy Eid celebration and prays for God’s protection and safety for everyone during and after the celebration.

Signed:

Atiku Media Office

Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has directed the resignation of Mr. Mamman Ahmadu from office as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

This is part of a larger reorganization effort in the public procurement system to reposition the agency for greater efficiency and transparency.

The Director-General is to hand over to the most senior officer in the Bureau, pending the appointment of a new Director-General.

The President thanks Mr. Ahmadu for his services and wishes him success in his future endeavours.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Nigeria Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George has resigned from his post as Super Eagles’ coach, two days after the Nigeria Football Federation announced it was going to employ a foreign technical adviser.

A source close to Finidi told Sports Village Square that Finidi sent his resignation letter to Ibrahim Gusau “3o minutes ago.”

 Finidi was said to be livid that the NFF leadership met with the sports minister two days ago, but failed to mention that players reported late to the camp and that they didi nothing to mobilise Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire to come out to support the Super Eagles in last Monday’s match with Benin Republic.

“He complained that the NFF heaped all the blames on him”, said the source.

 Calls to NFF officials to verify the information were not answered.

[sportsvillagesquare]

President Bola Tinubu celebrates with the Muslim Ummah on the joyous occasion of Eid-el-Kabir, an event that denotes sacrifice, faith, and obedience to the will of the Almighty.

The President congratulates the Muslim faithful and prays that Allah accepts their supplications and acts of obedience.

President Tinubu enjoins Nigerians to reflect on the essence of the occasion, which bears strong meaning and significance for the nation.

The President emphasizes that sacrifice and duty are essential ingredients to nation-building, noting that it takes collective purpose, will, and action to bring about great change. 

President Tinubu calls on citizens to spare a prayer for the nation for continuous peace and stability while working according to purpose in promoting unity, peace, and progress.

The President acknowledges the sacrifices that Nigerians have made in the past one year as his administration sets the nation on a firm pedestal of growth and development.

President Tinubu affirms that the sacrifices and great expectations of citizens will not come to nought as already propitious outcomes are beginning to manifest with the economy strengthening and vibrancy returning to critical sectors.

The President reassures Nigerians that his administration is prioritizing their physical, social, and economic security and will not relent on this noble endeavour.

President Tinubu wishes Nigerians happy Sallah celebrations.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Dr. Mitchell Obi

(African President of the International Sports Press Association)

Topic: "NFF, the Super Eagles and 2026 World Cup Qualifiers"

Date: 15th June, 2024

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92877141732?pwd=VEJWb29OL2VVekZUTHRpdWYxK0xxZz09

Meeting ID: 928 7714 1732
Passcode: 600206

The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has expressed an absolute preference for the democratic system of government over military rule.

The royal father expressed that if it were to be under military rule, he would have been killed or imprisoned without being tried in court.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Kano, Sanusi said no matter how faulty a democratic system of government is, it is still better than military rule.

While submitting that there is no perfect system, the Emir said it is important for the people to be true to themselves and work towards having functional systems.

According to him, “I still have memories of Nigeria during military rule. As bad or as faulty as democracy is, I would rather have that than military rule.

“For example, I was suspended by President Jonathan as CBN governor, and I was removed by Ganduje.

“If it was a military government, I would have been shot. Or they could have carried me and put me under Decree 2 in prison without allowing me to go to court. Democracy is flawed but is better than what we have. There is no perfect system, but we can at least be perfect with ourselves and respect what we have agreed on a constitution and work on it.”

[NaijaNews]

At least three shipping companies, acting as collection agents for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), have allegedly colluded with some management staff of the agency to evade the payment of over $79.9 million in revenue, equivalent to over N119 billion (at exchange rate of N1,505) to the federal government, an investigation and analysis of credible documents by the Daily Trust Saturday have revealed.

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has identified Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, as one of the smartest players he has coached in his career.

Guardiola coached the Germany international at Man City before the player left for Barca.

They both won several trophies, including the Champions League and the Premier League.

“İlkay didn’t talk much, but when he did, everyone listened to him, including me as a coach,” Guardiola said (via Barca Blaugranes).

“It was clear and direct. He is a very intelligent player, one of the smartest I have ever coached. He was the key to our success.”

[DailyPost]

• Senate will give Tinubu’s proposed Bill swift passage – Spokesman

Organised labour appears to have backed down on its demand for N250,000 as minimum wage.

Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo said yesterday that there was nothing sacrosanct about the N250,000, adding that labour was receptive to adjustments.

There was no immediate response from the federal government last night on the latest stance of organised labour, although the Senate yesterday pledged to grant accelerated consideration and passage of the new minimum wage bill from President Bola Tinubu.

Only last Wednesday, the acting President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Prince Adewale Adeyanju, said labour’s demand “remains N250,000, 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.”

Adeyanju was responding to the Democracy Day broadcast of President Bola Tinubu in which he said an agreement had been reached on the new national minimum wage.

Osifo himself in his first reaction to the FG and OPS agreement on N62,000 as minimum wage penultimate Friday had said  “for us (labour), we felt that with the current economic hardship and the difficulty in the land, the sum of N250,000 should be what will be okay as the minimum wage.

But speaking yesterday on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, he said there was  “no figure that is sacrosanct; there is no figure that is cast in stone that both parties will be fixated on it.”

He added: “What we said is that for us, when we give figures, there is always a room to meander; there is always a room for us to do some adjustment here and there.

 “One of the reasons that we went on industrial action the last time was because when it got to N60,000, they told us that a kobo could not even join the N60,000; that they could not even add one naira to it.

“So that was one of the reasons that led to that industrial action beyond the fact that there were also delays.”

President Tinubu is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly on the new minimum wage for legislative action.

The TUC President said that they are not going to pre-empt the President, but they are making all efforts to justify why Tinubu should tilt towards the figure presented by the labour instead of the one by the organised private sector and the government.

He said that if the President sends a figure that is not favourable to the labour to the National Assembly, they will still approach the lawmakers and push them to do much more.

Osifo vowed that the work of the labour leaders will not end until the Minimum Wage Act 2024 becomes law. He said it is premature to predict what labour will do if what is passed is not acceptable to them at the end of the day.

The FG and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) had on Friday, May 31 reached an agreement to pay N62,000 to their  least paid worker; an increase of N2,000 on the N60,000 rejected two weeks ago by labour.

The 36 states, which were represented on the Tripartite Committee on the minimum wage, said on the same day that they could not afford to pay even N60,000 while the NLC and the TUC disagreed with government and the OPS.

They said the minimum they would accept was N250,000, which is N244,000 less than the N494,000 they initially demanded.

The Tripartite Committee has already submitted its report and recommendation to the President, who is expected to take a decision on the final figure to be sent by way of an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for consideration.

The TUC President said while labour was not disposed to pre-empting the President on his decision, the unions were keen on ensuring that Tinubu tilts toward the figure presented by labour instead of the N62,000 by government and OPS.

He said should the President decide on a figure labour finds unfavourable, it will take its struggle to the lawmakers to convince them for an increase.

He said it was premature to predict labour’s reaction if the action of the executive and the legislature turns out to be unfavourable.

Tinubu, at a state dinner to mark Democracy Day on Wednesday had declared that his planned minimum wage is “what Nigerians can afford, what you can afford and what I can afford.”

He added: “Cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all.”

Apart from the state governments which have expressed their inability to pay even the N60,000 which labour had rejected prior to the June 3 and 4 strike, signals from the local governments also suggest that they cannot pay N62,000.

National President of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Aminu Muazu-Maifata, said on Thursday that the LGs could not pay that amount.

Muazu-Maifata said some local governments have not even been paying their workers the ₦30,000 approved as minimum wage in 2019.

He said an affordable minimum wage should be set and not something unsustainable.

Senate will give Tinubu’s proposed Bill expeditious passage, says spokesman

Speaking yesterday ahead of the expected arrival of the executive bill on the new minimum wage, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, promised that it would be given  accelerated consideration and passage.

But he said it would be subjected to accepted legislative processes.

He spoke to reporters in Abuja.

Adaramodu said the Senate would pass the Bill without compromising on standard legislative procedures in lawmaking.

Asked if the Senate would pass the minimum wage bill like it passed the New National Anthem Bill within a few days, Adaramodu said: “Yes, if immediately after Sallah the Bill is brought by Mr. President to the National Assembly, it’s going to be dealt with at the speed of lightning.

“We are going to pass it because it is for the benefit of Nigerian workers. Even if it is possible within 30 minutes, we will do that.

“But it depends on the content of the Bill because the bill will go through the crucibles of the passage of a bill.

“We are not going to sit down and just say that the Bill has been passed. We will go through the crucibles. So within the time, if there is no opposition from outside, if there is no opposition from within, there can never be opposition from within because it’s going to be a kind of agreement between Labour, government and organised private sector.

“So once that one is there and then it comes to us, we will go through the processes without delay and make sure that Nigerian workers get their deal.”

On whether the Senate would take into consideration the position of the State Governments that they cannot afford to pay the N62,000 proposed by the Federal Government, Adaramodu said: “Since they are all meeting, we know that at the end of the day, all of them will agree on the figure, because when it’s an executive bill, an executive bill means state executive, federal executive and even local government executive.

“So definitely there is going to be an agreement. So once there’s an agreement, the bill will come and I don’t think any of the components of the negotiating bodies will oppose the agreed figure at the end of the day.

“So we don’t have any fear about that. You know when you are negotiating, you negotiate from various parameters and parallels. So at the end of the day, all the lines will converge and meet at a concentric point.

So that’s where we now come in. We come in at the end of the tunnel and then we’ll pick it from there and make it into law so that we can have a better deal for Nigerian workers.”