National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has called off its nationwide strike.
The decision followed an emergency meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige on Wednesday.
The minister’s spokesman Olajide Oshundun, announced that Ngige intervened in the industrial action.
NUEE Secretary General, Joe Ajaero, assured that electricity would be restored across the country tonight.
The workers shut down all Transmission Companies of Nigeria (TCN) offices earlier today.
The meeting between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the negotiation team of the Federal Government on tuesday ended in a deadlock
The ASUU president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, had on Monday confirmed to Channels Television that the union would meet the Federal Government’s team.
Osodeke had assured Nigerians that the union would call off its strike if the Federal Government presented a decent proposal.
The meeting took place at the National Universities Commission, was headed by the Emeritus Professor, Nimi-Briggs.
“The meeting ended with no end in sight. There were no new matters to discuss”, a highly reliable source within the ASUU NEC told.
When contacted, Osodeke did not immediately reply to inquiries by newsmen.
The spokesperson of the ministry of education, Ben Goong, said the minister would brief the press on Thursday.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is scheduled to meet with Federal Government representatives on Tuesday over its prolonged strike.
President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who disclosed this on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the meeting was to discuss one of seven issues ASUU is protesting over.
“That’s the issue of renegotiation,” Osodeke said.
“The renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“It’s not just about wages. It has to do with the system, funding, the structure, the autonomy and other issues and how to fund universities.
“The government has reduced it to just salaries alone. But if they had looked at the whole agreement and implemented it, we would not be talking about funding.”
Osodeke also suggested that if Tuesday’s meeting goes well, the strike action may be called off.
“We are willing to sign,” he added.
Recall that ASUU, on February 14, shut down public universities over the inability of the Federal Government to implement previous agreements both parties entered into.
The lecturers’ agitations include funding for the revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution, promotion arrears and others.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is scheduled to meet with Federal Government representatives on Tuesday over its prolonged strike.
President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who disclosed this on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the meeting was to discuss one of seven issues ASUU is protesting over.
“That’s the issue of renegotiation,” Osodeke said.
“The renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“It’s not just about wages. It has to do with the system, funding, the structure, the autonomy and other issues and how to fund universities.
“The government has reduced it to just salaries alone. But if they had looked at the whole agreement and implemented it, we would not be talking about funding.”
Osodeke also suggested that if Tuesday’s meeting goes well, the strike action may be called off.
“We are willing to sign,” he added.
Recall that ASUU, on February 14, shut down public universities over the inability of the Federal Government to implement previous agreements both parties entered into.
The lecturers’ agitations include funding for the revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution, promotion arrears and others.
A student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, Ogun state has been killed.
According to Channels TV, the victim, who doubled as a model, has been identified as Happiness Odeh.
Sodiq Ajani, president of the MAPOLY students union government (SUG), was quoted as saying on Sunday that the student was kidnapped on Tuesday evening.
He said she was abducted while going to visit a movie location in Ipara, Ode Remo area of the state.
Odeh is a national diploma (ND) II mass communication student of the institution. It is understood that she won a campus beauty contest on August 3.
In the statement, the SUG president said the kidnappers took away the victim’s phone.
“Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Students Union (MAPSU) announces the untimely death of Miss Happiness Odeh, a Mass Communication student of MAPOLY,” the statement reads.
“According to reports, she was abducted along Iperu road to her destination. The deceased left Abeokuta three days ago to visit a movie location at Ipara, Ode-Remo, with the consent of her parents.
“Her death is not related to her status as the new Miss MAPOLY. She won the award on the 3rd of August and the movie location she attended has nothing to do with the beauty pageantry on campus.”
In a statement by Kunle Somorin, Ogun state chief press secretary, Dapo Abiodun, the governor, condemned Odeh’s murder.
The governor also described it as “barbaric and wicked”.
“Abiodun, who vowed that his administration would do everything within the law to ensure Odeh’s killers are brought to book, said he had given the police and other security agencies in the state marching order to fish out the perpetrators of the devilish act,” the statement reads.
“While commiserating with the family of the late student, Gov. Abiodun assured her relatives that those responsible for the murder of the promising lady would be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, who wrote a letter to a private university in Oyo town and told the management of his plan to abduct three students of the institution.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Williams, while parading the suspected kidnappers and other suspects on Monday, noted that the suspects were arrested at different times by men of the command.
The CP said the suspected kidnapper asked the university to pay N10 million to stop him from striking. He was also said to have written a bank in the town to notify the management of his intention to attack the place.
He, however, said the arrests of the suspects were made possible by the crime tackling approach “premised upon improved communal partnerships and technology-aided inquiries.”
He said, “The command’s monitoring unit has intercepted a kidnap mastermind whose mode of operation is to run detailed background checks on unsuspected victims and then inform them through writing of his intentions to abduct them unless a stipulated amount of money could be sourced and paid to him.
“Preliminary investigations revealed on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at about 8am, members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate sent a ‘’hand-written” note to the management of a private university in Oyo town wherein they threatened to abduct three of its students should the management fail to pay up N10,000,000 within a stipulated period.
Read Also: Two Nollywood Actors Kidnapped
“The threat, as expected, disrupted academic activities within the university, stirring up panic and uncertainty among the university community.
“Basking under the euphoria of what they presumed was a successful scheme, and blinded with greed, they decided to extend a similar (hand-written) notification to a branch office of a new generation bank within Owode area, Oyo, with the intentions of invading it later in the week.
“Consequent upon the above, discreet forensic based investigations were carried out and this led to the arrest of one Azeez Mufutau ‘M’ whose phone numbers were inscribed on the ‘’hand-written notes’’ sent to the both the school management and bank.
“Upon questioning, the suspect confirmed that the phone number on the note was his but denied being the author of the document.
“The investigation further led to the arrest of one Olarinde Adekunle ‘M’ age 37 years, who confessed to being the author the hand-written notes under scrutiny and added that Azeez Mufutau ‘m’ was used as a decoy for the purpose of concealing his direct involvement.”
According to him, a Tecno phone was recovered from the suspect who some said might not be mentally okay.
Despite state government’s warning against drinking water from Osun River during the grand finale of the Osun Osogbo festival due to contamination, many devotees and visitors were sighted on Friday defying the warning.
Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the grove reports that some of the worshippers, who fetched the water in different sizes of Jerry Cans, were seen drinking the water on their way out of the grove.
Devotees and visitors, who had trooped out to the river side in their white attires and beads, were seen singing traditional songs and dancing.
One of the worshippers, Abidoye Osungbenro, told NAN that she has a strong faith that nothing would happen to her inspite of the fact that the water is contaminated .
She said the state government’s warning against drinking the water would not be beneficial to those who believe in the efficacy of the water.
Another devotee, Adeoye Ifadayo, who also spoke with NAN, described the Osun River as divine, adding that it could heal and protect.
Mr Ifadayo said goverment warning would not stop them from drinking the water even if contaminated.
Also speaking, Sadiq Adeoso, another devotee, said with the divine power in the river, nothing would happen to those who drink the water because of its sacred powers.
NAN reports that those selling the Jerry cans made brisk business at the entrance of the grove.
Prices of the Jerry cans ranged from N150 to N350, depending on size.
During the festival, tourists, visitors and devotees usually drink from the Osun River for its perceived divine healing properties while some take the water home to bathe with.
NAN reports that government on Thursday had advised tourists and devotees to the grand finale of the festival to refrain from drinking the water because of contamination.
The Commissioner for Health, Rafiu Isamotu, gave the advice in an interview with NAN.
He said government embarked on sensitisation to discourage people from drinking the water during the festival as it had been contaminated by the activities of artisanal miners.
Mr Isamotu said public health officials would be at the grove during the festival to further sensitise people on the dangers of drinking the water.
According to the Curator and Site Manager of Osun Osogbo Grove, Adekunle Fatai, no fewer than 60,000 devotees and tourists are expected at the grand finale.
The river is said to have been heavily contaminated with mercury, lead, cyanide and other injurious elements that are poisonous to human health.
A Geographical Information Analysis and Laboratory Tests carried out by a Non-governmental Organisation, Urban Alert, also affirmed the presence of heavy elements in the water.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a suspected kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala (alias Wadume) and two others convicted to seven years imprisonment.
The trial Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, in a judgement delivered on July 22 convicted Wadume on counts two and 10 of the 13-count charge brought against him and six others by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal Government.
In the judgement, sighted in Abuja, Wadume was specifically convicted for escaping from lawful custody and unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms.
Other defendants in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/30/2020 are: Aliyu Dadje (a police inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka omo razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu), Bashir Wazlri (aka baba runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul.
Justice Nyako also convicted and sentenced Inspector Dadje to three years on count seven, in which he was accused of tampering with Police record to conceal a crime.
Dadje, who was a Station Officer at the Ibi Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibi Local Government Area, Taraba State was said to have, in August 2019 willfully, “Tampered with the entry made by the leader of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IGP IRT), Insp. Felix Adolije, by tearing off the entry page to cover up for Captain Tijani Ahmed Balarabe and his team”,
when he knew that an offence of terrorism had been committed by Capt. Balarabe and his team, who attacked and killed three members of the team and two civilians who were in Ibi, Taraba State to make lawful arrest.
The Judge equally convicted and sentenced Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu) and Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) to seven years each on counts three, four, five, six and 11. The duo was, in the four counts, charged with illegal possession and unlawful dealing in prohibited firearms and ammunition.
Justice Nyako also convicted and sentenced Abdul to three years for harbouring Wadume in his house in Kano after Wadume’s escape from police custody in Ibi and struck out count one, in which Wadume was charged with kidnaping Usman Garba (aka Mayo) and collecting N106 million before releasing him.
Nigerian singer, Kizz Daniel has gone back to his old habit which he has a few months ago publicly denounced.
Sharing a video of himself smoking a stick of cigarette said “e no easy’.
Kizz Daniel had openly admitted his addiction to smoking, as well as condemned the act and vowed to stop.
Kizz Daniel also said that he decided to quit the addiction, because of his newborn kids, Jelani and Jalil.
Taking to his Instagram feed, on May 1, he emptied a pack of cigarettes and solemnly said, “To celebrate my birthday and for the sake of my kids, I quit smoking. Most of you that are still struggling with this addiction… it is not cool and it is not good. Trust me, it is not. May God save us all.”
Kizz Daniel, who broke out back in 2013 with his hit song dubbed, Woju, is one act of the most intriguing musicians of his generation.
After parting ways with his former G-worldwide label, also flipped on his label executive hat with his Flyboi Inc label, signing two other acts – the soundwhiz Philkeys, as well as the fast-rising singer Demmie Vee.
His current record, Buga (featuring Tekno), is also among the most listened to records in the country presently.
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, attends the 70th annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the Redemption City for the first time.
Welcoming Obi to the convention, the announcer said, “We welcome to the Redemption Camp for the first time Mr. Peter Obi.”
His introduction was greeted with loud cheers from participants of the event, which is tagged ‘Perfect Jubilee’.
Others welcomed and introduced are: the Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries and President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Wale Oke; the National Superintendent of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria and National Treasurer of the PFN, Reverend Sam Aboyeji; the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; and the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who is represented by his wife.
