Nelson Ugwuagbo

As public workers embark on a nationwide indefinite strike action on Tuesday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has denied a report by an online newspaper of an imminent national blackout.

TCN, in a statement signed by its Management, a copy of which was obtained by Leading Reporters said the nation’s power grid was intact and supplying bulk electricity to distribution load centers nationwide.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby states that the publication by Daily Post alleging that the Head of Public Affairs of TCN said that there will be a national blackout is false and totally misleading.

“The statement is mischievous and baseless as TCN, through the Public Affairs Head, did not make such statement.

“We hereby note that the nation’s grid is intact and supplying bulk electricity to distribution load centers nationwide.

“As at when issuing this statement, the TCN National Control Centre Osogbo which controls bulk power transmission nationwide, is actively operational.

“We would appreciate that reports are made with a sense of responsibility not just to cause panic,” TCN stated

The Kano State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has joined the nationwide strike in compliance with the directives of the national body of the union.

Leading Reporters gathered that primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions, have also joined the strike.

It was observed that primary and day secondary school pupils who went to school as early as 7.30 am were compelled to return home as they did not meet teachers in the schools.

It was gathered that the strike has also affected operations in banks, hospitals, and other public places in the state.

Similarly, the Audu Bako State Secretariat, which houses most of the ministries, was also closed following the commencement of the strike, even though some workers who were not aware of the strike reported to work in the morning but had to return home later.

Students in Bayero University Kano who are currently sitting for their first semester examination are also affected by the strike as a number of them who went to the examination halls  had to return to their respective hostels.

“Many students who were to sit for exams in the morning returned to their hostels disappointed because they could not see anybody in the examination halls,” a female student told The news corespondants

Meanwhile, the Kano State Ministry of Education has suspended the 2023 Secondary Schools Qualifying Examination scheduled to take place today, until further notice.

A statement signed by the Director of Public Enlightenment of the Ministry, Balarabe Kiru, revealed that the suspension is compelled by the industrial action embarked upon by the NLC and TUC nationwide.

The statement, however, appealed to the people concerned, especially students and parents or guardians, to bear with any inconvenience that may be caused by the suspension.

The TUC President, Festus Osifo, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday directed their members to commence a national strike from midnight.

The TUC President, Festus Osifo, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday.

Mr Osifo noted that the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

The unions had on Tuesday last week, said they will embark on a national strike from Tuesday, 14 November.

The leadership of the two unions reached the resolution after an extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

The action of the unions followed the brutalisation of the NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, last week in Imo State.

According to Channels TV, the labour unions in a joint statement on Monday said “In furtherance to the decision of the Joint National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC and TUC, all workers in Nigeria are hereby directed to withdraw their services effective 12:00 midnight today, 13th November 2023.

“Consequently, all affiliates and state councils of NLC/TUC are directed to issue circulars for maximum compliance and these circulars be made available to the National Secretariats or posted to the NEC and CWC Whatsapp Platforms.”

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, on Friday last week, restrained the labour unions from embarking on strike.

Benedict Kanyip, the judge, who is also the president of the court, ordered Nigeria’s two major labour unions, to stop their industrial action scheduled to commence 14 November.

The interim order followed an ex-parte request by the Nigerian government through the office Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, following the Labour unions’ threat to embark on strike.

The NLC had called on workers in Imo State to embark on a state-wide strike on 1 November.

While declaring the strike, Mr Ajaero said the industrial action was in protest against “the persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers in Imo State by the state government.”

“Despite our repeated efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and reach amicable agreements, the Imo State Government has become a habitual and serial breaker of these agreements, continuing to trample on the rights of workers in the state.

“As a result, we are left with no choice but to embark on mass protests and industrial actions beginning on the 1st day of November 2023,” Mr Ajaero said.

Earlier in the month, there was violence in the state as some thugs and police officers reportedly attacked Mr Ajaero and other members of the NLC who had assembled at the union’s council secretariat ahead of their planned protest in the state.

The national leadership of the NLC later said that Mr Ajaero was arrested by police operatives in the state.

The union also accused the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, of mobilising the thugs and the police officers to attack and arrest the NLC president to frustrate the planned protest in the state.

But the police later denied arresting Mr Ajaero, saying they only placed him in protective custody to shield him from attack by the thugs.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday, performed by Lesser Hajj (Umrah) in Makkah, during which he prayed for God’s divine guidance in leading Nigeria.

The president had embarked on the Islamic rite after the completion of his official duties in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, where he participated in the Saudi-African Summit.

President Tinubu’s mission to the holy land for the Umrah was disclosed Sunday evening by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, on his verified X handle.

According to him, during this spiritual journey, the President offered prayers for the prosperity of Nigeria and sought divine guidance for to lead the country.

“His Excellency President Bola Tinubu took time off at the end of his official engagements in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) earlier today in Makkah. He used the opportunity to pray for Nigeria’s greatness and divine guidance for him”, Abdulaziz said.

Dino Melaye, the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged plots by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate election result sheets in the Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi state.

The PDP candidate, in a video posted on his verified X page on Saturday, alleged that INEC refused to present plain results sheets to agents in Ogori-Magongo, adding that the sheets have been filled and tampered with.

Melaye claimed that INEC’s action has created tension and sparked protests in polling units across the LGA.

He further said that if INEC fails to present plain results sheets in all polling units, PDP agents and supporters should withdraw from partaking in the electoral process.

“INEC has refused to show our agents results sheets and that results sheets have been written. There’s a massive protest in all polling units in the Ogori-Magongo local government of Kogi state right now.

“The results sheets have been filled and tampered with already, and people are refusing to accredit, people are refusing to vote, and they are insisting that plain results sheets must be shown to agents in accordance with electoral law.

“If they refuse to show you results sheets in all polling units across the state, don’t accredit, don’t vote, protest, and resist it.

“This is a democracy, we must protect our votes, we must protect the process, and we must make sure that all the regulations are being observed and respected.

“I call on all my agents, all across the state, that once plain results sheets are not shown to you before the commencement of accreditation, don’t accredit, don’t vote, resist it and protest, record it, video it, show the faces of this compromised INEC staff and security agents and post it on all platform of social media,” the PDP candidate said, adding “This election is a must-win for us. Thank you.”