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Gov Ambode to flag off LLTC 2016 Walk for Life

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode is to flag off the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club 2016 Walk for Life progrmme this Saturday, May 21 in Onikan.

Briefing reporters yesterday on plans for a grand event, Chairman, Planning Committee, Bala Yesufu said participation was not restricted to members of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, urging members of the society to turn out en masse to  walk for a better life.

 

Participation cuts across everybody in the country. Members, non-members, friends, well-wishers, youths, members of other recreation clubs in Lagos and the general public are invited to join us in our 2016 Walk for Life . It is open to virtually everybody and our target is to have over 300 persons participating in the event.

“We want people to have a healthy lifestyle and enhance their wellness through their participation in the Walk for Life, which will be flagged-off by the number one sports man o f the State of Aquatic Splendour and Executive Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode”,added Yesufu.

He assured that adequate security would be provided by the combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, LASTMA and other security groups, who have pledged to deploy their men to maintain law and order on the evet day.

Yesufu noted that the point of convergence and take-off is the LLTC car park directly opposite the Tafawa Balewa Square BRT Bus Terminal, Onikan, The walk will be on a 15km stretch, covering Outer Marina, Bonny Camp, Ozumba Mbadiwe, law School to the Interchange Bridge on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi and then back to LLTC, where an aerobics session on the Centre Court will hold.

Speaking on their involvement in the event, Sterling Bank’s Sina Atilola said “as a bank, we believe strongly in a healthy body and love to identify with any initiative that promotes a sound and healthy body, which the Walk for Life programm does.”

“And since this is the world hypertension week, our sponsorship of the 2016 Walk for Life programme goes to show how committed we are to promoting a healthier and stress-free Nigerian society because the people who participate in the event are precious to us”, added Atilola.

Militants shift attack to Bayelsa, bomb Agip gas pipeline; demand release of Kanu, Dasuki

Demand release of Nnamdi Kanu, Dasuki, defreeze of Tompolo’s bank accounts

YENAGOA- A new militant group, Red Egbesu Water Lions, has surfaced in the Niger Delta region, just as suspected militants, Tuesday night, blew up the Sagbama-Tuomo gas line, belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, at Egbembiri, Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State .

A security source, who confirmed the explosion, said: “Egbembiri is a border town between Bayelsa and Delta states. They destroyed the Ayama section of the Ogboinbiri-Tuomo gas pipeline with dynamites at about 9.00 pm on Tuesday. That line was earlier repaired, last week and again vandalized.”

“We, however, suspect that dispute over the surveillance contract led to the attack. The Agip pipeline links major oil facilities in Delta and Bayelsa States,” he added.

The new militant group in a statement by its Creek Network Coordinator, “General” Torunanawei Latei, said it was teaming up with the Niger Delta Avengers and Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

“It issued the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to release Nnamdi Kanu, former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and direct EFCC to defreeze the bank accounts of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupol, alias Tompolo,

Threatening to shut down all oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta at the expiration of the ultimatum, the group also demanded “unconditional immediate payment to victims of the Bonga Oil Spill and Chevron gas explosion in Koluama, Bayelsa state.”

“It is extremely important to note that the engine room of the national interest is the executive obedience to court orders, protection and preservation of citizens’ constitutional liberties. Justification of executive disobedience to court orders as a protection of national interest is abominable.

“This is a deliberate ploy to bend the law and suspend the 1999 Constitution. We ask, does President Muhammadu Buhari have any legal capacity to declare anyone as a criminal? Disobedience to court orders is an act of executive rascality in the country,” the group added.

Nasarawa Govt. reverses decision on plan to cut workers’ salaries

The Nasarawa State Government has reversed its decision to cut salaries of the state civil servants by 35 per cent.

Mr Joseph Anchor, the state’s Head of Service (HoS), announced the reversal following a meeting with the organised labour in Lafia, on Wednesday.

Anchor said the reversal was in the interest of industrial peace and harmony in the state.

“As you can see, we are just coming out of a meeting with the organised labour based on the issue of the 35 per cent cut in workers’ salaries as contribution to the development of the state.

“We all agreed to continue the negotiations until a lasting solution is found. However, we have all resolved that government, for now, should suspend further action on the issue at stake,“ Anchor said.

He described the meeting as a success noting that workers in the state would resume work and receive their normal salaries while negotiation continues.

Sule Odeh, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Negotiating Council arm of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), affirmed the council’s agreement to the reversal and called on workers to resume work.

“On behalf of the state NLC, having heard from the government to revert its earlier decision on the 35 per cent salary cut, I hereby direct that the 48-hour ultimatum be suspended.

“Workers should continue with their normal duties as the decision by the State Government to suspend its action will now pave way for continued negotiation,“ he said.

The state chapter of the NLC had , on May 16, gave the state government a 48-hour ultimatum to reverse its decision to cut workers salaries by 35 per cent or face an industrial action.

The ultimatum issued by Abdullahi Adeka, the state Chairman of the NLC was the outcome of an executive council meeting of the union.

SSANU joins NLC strike

SENIOR Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU yesterday joined in the nation-wide strike organised by the Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

Though, SSANU was in a capacity building workshop for its members and National Executive Council, NEC, meeting with the theme, “Trade union leadership skills in a challenging environs” at Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin, Kwara state, the union said as an affiliate of the NLC it has to abide by the directives of the union.

National President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke had before joining the strike said that workshop was geared towards equipping members with the required union solidarity and cohesion in the face of challenges.

Ugwoke who was represented by the Deputy President of SSANU, Comrade Moses Adeniyi-Aogo, further said that the capacity building workshop was to equip members more on how o improve their capacity for negotiation.

“The training will help members on how to maintain peace and order, to be current with labour leaders and capacity to survive in challenging situations. SSANU considers training as a continuous process.”

On joining the strike, SSANU noted that other unions in the universities including the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, have had peaceful solidarity on campuses.

NLC strike records success in Taraba

The nation wide strike embarked on by the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC gained success in Taraba state as all ministries in the state and public schools were closed.

The state university, Taraba state University non academic staff comply with the strike

Vanguard watch in the state revealed that the leadership of NLC in the state under the chairmanship Mr. Peter Gembo were picketing some offices that were open at the early hours of the day.

Some banks within Jalingo Taraba state capital were also closed.

Although market activities were wildly open without any hinderance from any group.

The streets of Jalingo were silent as many people remain indoor.

Breaking: One of the missing Chibok girls found in Sambisa

One of the missing Chibok girls has been found in Nigeria, activists say – the first since they were taken by Boko Haram militants two years ago.

 

The 276 girls were taken from their secondary school in north-east Nigeria by the Islamist fighters in April 2014.

Activists confirmed to the BBC that Amina Ali was found by a vigilante group on Tuesday in the Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.

She was reportedly identified by a civilian fighter.

Fuel price hike: Oil workers shun strike

True to their promise, workers in the oil and gas industry, under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, shunned the ongoing strike action called by organized labour to protest the hike in the price of petrol to between N135 and N145 per litre.

Specifically, at the head office of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Abuja, things were going on as usual, same for‎ the office of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA.

The Chairman of PENGASSAN, PP‎PRA Abuja Chapter, Mr. Victor Ononokpono, told Vanguard that PPPRA staff nationwide did not participate in the strike in line with the directive from their national body.

At the DPR, staffers were seen going about their normal duties; same situation was also recorded at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

An official in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who chose not to be named, stated that the withdrawal of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, from the strike action, had exempted workers of the Ministry from the strike.

‎Also, almost all petrol stations in Abuja were opened, with majority of them selling fuel to motorists. Some of the attendants told Vanguard that they are not part of the ongoing strike, as their national body had chosen to support the Federal Government’s decision.

Workers complied with strike order in Kwara

The strike commenced across the nooks and crannies of Kwara state Wednesday as workers and teachers in both primary and post primary schools complied with the directive of the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) to embark on the strike over the alleged refusal of the federal government to reduce the pump price of petrol from N145 per liter to N86 per liter despite the court order that stopped the union from embarking on the strike.

Vanguard’s visit to the state secretariat along Ahmadu Bello way, Ilorin and other ministries, indicated that workers that arrived early enough for their duties were prevented by the labour leaders in the state from getting into their various duty posts.

 

Consequently,some stayed by the road sides discussing the development in groups while others went home.

Also at bank road, along Unity and Taiwo area of Ilorin, some banks were seen running skeletal business for customers while some closed their offices for fear of being hijacked by some unscrupulous elements.

Furthermore, some of the schools visited by our correspondent showed that, gates of some schools were closed against the students while the students were seen returning back to their different homes.

Some fuel stations owned by independent marketers were still under locked and key in Ilorin and other major towns in the state over the alleged rumour that the federal government may acede to the ‎demand of labour leaders to reduce petrol pump price of N145 per litre.‎

There were vehicular movements within and outside the state as taxi and Okada operators were seen operating their business without any hindrance.

Speaking with journalists on the development , the state chairman of NLC, Comrade Yekeen Agunbiade said that,”the strike was in line with the directive of the national secretariat of the NLC to go on strike over the non readiness of the government to ‎acede to the labour demand to reduce pump price of petrol.

He explained that,”‎the workers are co-operating with NLC and the strike will continue until the government acede to the NLC demands”.

Agunbiade added,”it is disheartening that this government of APC led federal government promised positive change and now trying to bring hardship to us and workers would not support the move at all cost”.

He therefore urged the workers to continue to support the protest so as to ‎force the government to reduce the pump price of petrol.

Also, the state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT) Alhaji Musa Abubakar said that the teachers are compling with the strike order.

He noted that , “though, the leadership of the NUT got the information on strike late but we have compelled all our teachers in all the 16 local government councils to stay away from schools with immediate effect”.

“I can assure you that as from tomorrow,all the teachers across the state would have been duly informed and fully complied with the strike order and stay at home” he added.

The state commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ajeikigbe in his reaction said that, “it was disturbing that the labour leaders in the state are preventing workers from entering their offices in the name of joining the strike action despite the court injunction”.

He added that, “Strike is not the last option on this issue, the labour leaders should continue to engage in dialogue in order to resolve the impasse”.

Ajeigbe however appealed to the labour leaders to call off their strike so as to move the nation forward.

Recall that the state NLC and TUC on Tuesday issued a joint press statement ‎in Ilorin that workers should stay at home on Wednesday as they would not be allowed to their duty posts in line with the directive of the national leadership of NLC to go on strike over the non refusal of the federal government to acede to the NLC demand to reduce the pump price of petrol from N145 per liter to N86 per liter.

Fire guts 40 lock-up shops at Ladipo Auto-Market

 No fewer than 40 lock-up shops with different auto spare parts worth millions of naira were, on Wednesday morning, destroyed by early morning fire at the Ladipo Auto-Market in Mushin, Lagos State.

The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe, who confirmed this said that the fire started at about 1 a.m.

On April 20, more than 50 shops with assorted vehicle spare parts were burnt at the Osoro Section of the market.

Fadipe said that when his office got information about the inferno, his fire fighters were unable to access the scene of fire due to a clash that happened in the area during the night.

“We got a call at about 1.20 a.m., but we could not move into the complex at Odushina Street, Papa-Ajao, Mushin, scene of the fire due to a fight going on in the area.

“The Divisional Police Officer at Olosan Police Station, Mushin, led us with his patrol vehicles to the scene before we were able to put out the fire at about 4.46 a.m.

“There were no cases of death or injuries recorded from the inferno.

“My men, however, saw some people with blood all over their bodies, which they suspected were injuries from the fight, “ he said.

Mr Nkire Ezeigbo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the auto-market, told NAN that the clash was caused by alleged collection of illegal fees.

Ezeigbo said that some hoodlums were allegedly collecting illegal parking fees from traders on Odushina and Olapeju Streets.

“The traders with shops in these streets are the people parking their cars in front of their shops, but some area boys came and started collecting money for parking.

“It was when the traders resisted them (hoodlums) that the fight broke out. The hoodlums destroyed the windscreens of some of the vehicles parked in the two streets and set others ablaze.

“Fire from some of the vehicles set ablaze by the hoodlums may have spread to the complex where shops and goods were burnt.

“The leadership of the market would meet this morning to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the clash and the fire incident,“ Ezeigbo said.

President Buhari presides over FEC meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Statehouse on 18th May 2016.


 

  President Buhari with L-R: Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh, Minister of State, Agriculture Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of Budget & National Planning Udo Udoma Udo and Minister of State Budget & National Planning Zainab Ahmed as President Buhari presides over the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Statehouse on 18th May 2016

Troops clear Njima camp in Sambis, kill 15 terrorists

In continuation of the Nigerian Military’s special clearance and rescue operations otherwise known as Operation Crackdown, troops of 7 Division have on Tuesday, cleared Boko Haram terrorists out of their Njimia camp within Sambisa forest.

While advancing earlier in the morning on the same day, the troops also cleared Boko Haram terrorist’s camps at Alafa, where they encountered heavy resistance from Boko Haram terrorists and killed 15 of them.

A statement signed by Col Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations said, “The troops continued their advance through Alafa Main, Alafa Extension and Alafa Yaga-yaga, where they cleared remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists hibernating there before arriving at their main objective, Njimia.

“Apart from destroying the camps, the troops rescued 41 hostages who were mostly women and children. The troops also recovered 2 Dane Guns, several vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles belonging to the terrorists.

“One significant aspect of this feat today was the combination of ground forces assault, Nigerian Air Force Jets provision for combat air support and monitoring of the operation directly by the Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu on board Air Force reconnaissance aircraft.

“It is gratifying to note that no casualty was recorded by own troops through the conduct of this operation” he said.

Similarly, Col Usman said, “On Tuesday 17th May 2016, troops of 1 Brigade Nigerian Army operating under the auspices of Operation MESA in Zamfara State, raided suspected cattle rustlers and armed bandits camp at Yan Mangu forest, near Dandindin village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

“The troops also arrested 2 bandits and recovered 1 AK-47 rifle, 1 AK-47 rifle magazine loaded with 7 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunitions, 3 locally made guns and 1 motorcycle.

“The two suspects were arrested while attempting to flee from the camps.

“Nevertheless, the troops have destroyed all the bandits’ camps in the forest and are further dominating the general area and other flash points with raids and patrols.”

Fuel Price Hike: TUC, NLC faction hailed for backing out of strike

The Stand Up Nigeria (SUN), a coalition of 50 other civil society organizations has commended Nigerian workers for shunning the strike being called upon by a faction of NLC, describing it as a needless venture that was arranged to service the interest of a few minority.

 

National Cordinator of (SUN), Comrade Philip Agbese while reacting to the outcome of the meeting between the federal government and labour said it is obvious that patriotic Nigerians have resolved to support the current administration deregulation policy.

He said the action of the Federal Government at the first instance is in the best interest of the larger population of the people and no amount of intimidation should cow President Muhammadu Buhari into submission.

According to Agbese, Nigerians have since realised that a strike action is not in their best interest, adding that the anti-deregulation supporters are economic saboteurs who are working against the interest of the generality of Nigerians.

Agbese said by standing on the side of the people and supporting the deregulation, the factional NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero has shown that he is a true leader of the NLC and should lead the labour movement in Nigeria.

He accused the Ayuba Wabba faction of not doing anything to protect workers rights, saying “workers are being owed several months salaries and the NLC did not go on strike.”

He argued that subsidy only enriches a few and impoverish the larger population.

According to him, the N1.2 trillion paid out as subsidy in 2015 budget, if properly invested in other sectors should have built more infrastructures and created jobs.

He said, “As I speak, we have received the casket that signifies the final death of “subsidy” which has been used to milk the resources of this country by a certain minute minority and it shall be formally interned by 2pm today in the full glare of the Nigerian media for all to see that this epidemic will never visit us again in the nearest future.”

He also commended the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) who he said saw reasons and pulled out of the strike.

According to him, more Nigerians trust the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to judiciously use the funds realised from removal of the corrupt subsidy regime to improve their welfare.

He however urged the federal government to quickly ensure that the palliatives put in place to cushion the effect of the price increment are disbused transparently so as to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

Wabba’s NLC, TUC insist on strike; say court order is black market injunction

The National Industrial Court, NIC, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, stopped the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Unions Congress, TUC, from embarking on strike  today.

This came as Organised Labour and its civil society allies, yesterday, vowed to go ahead with the planned indefinite strike from today to make government reverse the N145 per litre pump price of petrol, despite the restraining order by the court.

Meanwhile, Senate, yesterday, threw its weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s hike in the price of fuel to N145 per litre from N86.50

Organised Labour’s position came on a day president of a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and others would not join the strike.

Consequently, the Wabba faction and the Federal Government, yesterday, agreed to set up a joint technical committee to review the new fuel pump price template of N135-N145 within the next two weeks and also work towards reviewing the current national minimum wage of N18, 000.

President of the National Industrial Court, NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, in a ruling, yesterday, restrained the labour unions from going on strike, pending the determination of a suit the federal government lodged before it.

Justice Adejumo further ordered all the parties to maintain status quo until the legal dispute was settled.

The order followed an ex-parte application filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Determined to abort the planned strike action, the AGF approached the NIC, begging it to restrain the labour unions from “shutting down the nation”.

Relying on Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Federal Government insisted that it would not be “in the national interest” for the NLC and TUC to proceed on nationwide strike over the fuel price increase.

Malami argued that no amount of damages could serve as compensation, if the labour unions were allowed to shut down the economy.

Contending that the balance of convenience was in favour of the government, the AGF prayed the court to determine “whether the respondents (NLC, TUC) have complied with the laid-down condition precedent for embarking on strike.”

The AGF also prayed the court to determine “whether, indeed, there exists in law and, in fact, the basis of which the respondents’ total closure of the economy can be justified”.

He told the court that the respondents met on Saturday and issued a communique wherein they gave government a three-day ultimatum to reverse the decision increasing fuel price.

He said the respondents, aside from threatening to shut down the country, if government failed to reverse the fuel price increase, also threatened to close down all government offices, seaports, airports and markets.

The AGF argued that ordinary and law-abiding citizens would be subjected to hardship, if the respondents were allowed to go ahead with their threat.

He said the government was left with no alternative but to seek the intervention of the court.

Besides, Malami told the court that he got notice of the communique on Sunday and quickly filed an originating summons, a motion on notice and an ex-parte application to determine whether NLC’s decision was justified in the circumstance.

He insisted that “great and irreparable damage” would be done against the nation and “ordinary and law-abiding citizens”, should the court refuse the ex-parte application.

Though neither NLC nor TUC was represented in court, Justice Adejumo granted the ex-parte motion, even as he ordered the service of all the relevant court processes on the respondents.

The restraining order against the respondents will lapse after seven days.

However, Organised Labour and its civil society allies, incensed by government’s decision to seek rederess at the NIC in the midst of a negotiation, yesterday, vowed to go ahead with the planned indefinite strike from today to make government reverse the N145 per litre pump price of petrol.

Senate backs fuel price hike

The Senate, while sympathizing with Nigerians over the hardship caused by the increase in the price of petrol, however, urged government to urgently begin implementation of palliatives contained in the 2016 Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly in the overall interest of Nigerians.

The Senate also asked Buhari’s government not to relent in its continued dialogue with organised labour and other stakeholders as a way of resolving issues around the increase to avoid grounding the system as well as impose more hardship on the people.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over yesterday’s plenary, said: “The Senate in a closed session deliberated on the increase in the pump price of PMS by the Federal Government and the threats by Organised Labour to embark on a nationwide strike over the matter and resolved as follows: “That we sympathise with ordinary people of Nigeria on the hardships they are going through.

“The Senate will engage the Federal Government to find sustainable ways of improving the welfare of the people of Nigeria.

“That we call on government to continue to engage organised labour and other stakeholders to resolve issues in order not to ground the system and impose more hardships on our people.

“That government should immediately start to implement palliatives or palliative measures contained in the 2016 appropriation act passed by the National Assembly.”

It’s black market injunction —Wabba’s NLC, TUC

Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, faction, led by Ayuba Wabba, alongside TUC, and Joint Action Front, JAF, at separate meetings in Abuja and Lagos, described the restraining order by  NIC as a black market injunction.

Leaders of Wabba faction of NLC and TUC, at their emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, insisted that once the strike commences today, only the joint NEC of NLC and TUC could call it off.

Although newsmen waited anxiously to be briefed on the outcome of the NEC meeting amid the court order, leaders of both bodies left the Labour House, Abuja, venue of the meeting without talking to journalists.

However, Vanguard sources at the meeting said NLC and TUC were infuriated that, while government was on one hand negotiating with them, its officials were on the other hand, seeking a black market injunction, and threatened to use the strike to make a statement to the government.

One of the leaders, who attended the meeting but spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Our decision not to suspend the strike was further fuelled by today’s (yesterday’s) injunction by the Industrial Court, restraining us from proceeding on the strike expected to begin tomorrow (today).”

Corroborating the position of Wabba-led NLC and TUC, Pro-Labour Civil Society Groups, Joint Action Front, JAF, vowed to disregard the restraining order.

According to the Secretary of JAF, Abiodun Aremu: ‘’The mass action is on! Let them come with the injunction, we would disobey whatever injunction they are coming up with.”

No strike — Ajaero

Meanwhile, Factional President of  NLC, Joe Ajaero, yesterday, faulted the restraining order by NIC stopping the planned strike and mass protest.

Ajaero, while reacting to the restraining order by the President of NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, contended that it was wrong for the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to have gone to court over a matter that parties were already on a negotiation table.

He equally wondered why the President of NIC would give an order on an ex-parte application without putting the other party on notice as was the practice.

Ajaero said:  “This was not the first time a court would try to stop labour action. If you could recall, when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was the president of NLC, there was a court order against planned strike by NLC and TUC, which Oshiomhole described as a black market injunction.

“It was very wrong for the Attorney General of the Federation to have gone to court while parties in this case, the federal government and Labour, were already on the negotiation table.”

Ajaero restated his earlier position that labour could not have mobilised sufficiently enough for today’s strike without exhausting all avenues for settlement.

“When we spoke with you yesterday (Monday), we insisted that there was no way we could mobilize, sensitize and even start an action  tomorrow  (Wednesday).

‘’That we would rather negotiate and it is only when the negotiations might have collapsed that we take the option of going through any action.

“On the basis of that, we agreed that a committee should be set up to, among other things, look at the issue of minimum wage; look at the issue of N500bn social investment; look at the issue of setting up or reconstituting the PPPRA board and review the N145 new pump price of petroleum product.

‘’The committee is to report back  in two weeks  time. I won’t like to drag it more than this than to say this is the summary of the agreement reached.,” he stated.

Ajaero, however, insisted that his faction, including NUPENG, PENGASSAN, NUEE, among others, would not go on strike over fuel price hike by the Federal Government.

He spoke after his faction’s meeting with federal government officials ended early , yesterday morning.  This was a few hours after the meeting with Ayuba Wabba’s faction ended.

The meetings, which ended without conclusion, were in session at press time last night.  They started late yesterday evening.

Egbeda murder: Autopsy report inconclusive

So far, autopsy report on late Ronke Shonde, who was allegedly killed by her husband , Lekan , two weeks ago at their Egbeda residence in Lagos was inconclusive as at yesterday.

However, reliable sources told Vanguard that pathologists at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH had not been able to relate the death of the mother of two to the bruises on her face.

Besides, it was also learnt that the autopsy was inconclusive as the major pathologist was not in town.

 Sources disclosed that “ The major pathologist traveled. He will return soon to perfect the autopsy. Ordinarily, it takes between two to three days to get an autopsy report. Though, the bruises on the corpse did not establish that it led to her death. That is all we can say for now, until the boss returns any moment from now”.

Recall that Lekan, who initially went into hiding, gave himself in to the Police in Lagos, where he denied culpability over his wife’s death. He has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and intelligence Department ,SCIID, Yaba

FG ‘fires’ Immigration boss, as Prisons CG bows out

ABUJA—There were indications in Abuja, yesterday, to the effect that the Federal Government may have sacked the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service NIS, Martin Abeshi.

Although reasons for his sack were not immediately known, Vanguard learned that government’s decision may be connected with his handling of the recent replacement in the service.

Staff of the Service were seen jubilating when the news filtered into their headquarters.

The replacement, which was terribly abused by power brokers in the country, saw the CG allegedly employing his third wife and his eldest son into the service.  Both recruits were said to be under-going training in Kano.

At the time he was appointed in September last year, Abeshi had already been slated to proceed on a three-month terminal leave beginning from October 2015.

It was gathered, yesterday, that Abeshi had been having running battle with some of his deputies and assistants,DCGs, and ACGs, who were not happy that the Comptroller General was still in office when he ought to have retired from the service since December 2015.

FG, CBN to create N750bn agric intervention fund

The Federal Government, yesterday, said it will collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to create N750 billion agriculture fund as part of its commitment to making agriculture the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, just as it is committed to tackling the smuggling of poultry products into the country.

 

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, who disclosed this at the 2016 National Summit of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, with the theme : “The Role of Poultry Industry in the Economic Revival of Nigeria” stated that the Federal Government is committed to diversifying the economy away from oil and revive the agricultural sector to boost the economy.”

According to him “Access to credit is one of the biggest challenges farmers are facing, this government is trying to create N750 billion agriculture fund as this will go a long way to boost agricultural sector in the country. In addition the federal government is also talking with Islamic Bank which has approach us to provide about $ 2.5 million. This will be rooted through Bank of Agriculture and Commerce Bank and at a single digit rate to finance different agric programme. We are also talking with Africa Development Bank that will also provide funding to the sector”

“The present administration is committed to make agriculture attractive by making funds accessible and affordable as no business can survive with high interest rate charged by commercial banks. Already, there exist some funding from CBN that even the poultry farmers can access at an affordable interest rate of nine per cent but the contention is that nine percent is too high. We are trying to make credit not only accessible but available and affordable,” Lokpobiri emphasised.

Speaking further, he said: “Also, the immediate challenge now is raw materials. In the poultry industry getting raw materials is very difficult because of lacck of foreign exchange. The president has directed that we release about 7,500 tonnes of grains to the poultry farmers, though this is not enough but we have to start from somewhere.

“We are aware that smuggling is a major challenge and this is beyond the ministry of agriculture, we do not police the border, we are talking with customs to bring about the desired change and we create the enabling environment within Nigeria to produce enough chickens and eggs.

As at today we are producing 300,000 while we need 2 million metric tonnes, what we are producing is far below and that is why smuggling is a big business but by the time we are producing enough here , smuggling will stop. This is one sector that will create the desired numbers of jobs.

In his address at the summit, National President of PAN, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan said “We are particularly elated to hear and understand that the focus of the Government is Agriculture – though we have not seen a clearly spelt out road map and Action Plan to a rejuvenated Agricultural revolution. We say this with all sense of humility, since we have not been contacted or involved in any strategic road map to a sustained and robust poultry development plan.

“However, the good news to farmers is that the Minister of Agriculture at our meeting with him in March this year assured the Association that the Economic Partnership Agreement will not be signed and that all efforts will be made by the government despite current challenges, that farmers affected by Avian Influenza are paid their compensations. He also promised to use all channels of dialogue and communication with his colleagues in the cabinet to ensure that no neighboring countries land or sea borders is used to threaten the economy of Nigeria by means of dumping of products through smuggling.”

In addition, he also promised to use all means at his disposal to ensure that the recurrent issue of multiple and obnoxious taxations are tackled, and all taxes on farms are harmonized – and that since poultry products are food items, they should not be taxed.”