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…..Assures of his presence and security during the late Monarch’s burial

The Chairman of Police Service Commission, CFR, retired Inspector General of Police and an illustrious son of the South-South Geopolitical zone of the country, Dr. Solomon Arase, has described the late Kalabari Kingdom Monarch, King Prof.TJT Princewill as a man who carried himself well and gave selfless Service to the people of the Niger Delta.

Dr Arase stated this when a delegation of eminent indigenes of Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State paid him a visit in Abuja.

Among the delegation led by the son of the late king of the kingdom, Prince Tonye Princewill were Pastor Tonye Patrick Cole; Opunabo Inko-Tariah, Chief Dr. David Briggs and His Royal Highness, Dr. Diamond Enoch Tobrin-West.

Others were His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe and Mrs. Chinwe Ezeanya.

The delegation was in Abuja to inform the PSC Chairman of the passing onto the glory of King Prof.TJT Princwill, the Amayanabo and Natural Ruler of Kalabari Kingdom, and arrangements for his burial

Princewill who spoke for the delegation officially invited Dr. Arase to the burial and requested for his assistance in ensuring adequate security during the ceremony.

Dr. Arase assured of his presence at the burial and noted that the late King lived a distinguished life and also positively touched many lives.

According to him, “he carried himself well and gave selfless Service to the people of the Niger Delta.”

He promised to do the needful and ensure that there would be adequate security during the ceremonies of the burial.

Dozens of Kogi indigenes loyal to Muritala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in Saturday’s governorship election have stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

The supporters are demanding the immediate resignation of INEC chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, over the conduct and outcome of the election.

Defying the scorching Abuja sun, the supporters trooped out in the numbers armed with placards and chanting solidarity songs.

Politics Nigeria gathered that Ajaka was also at the INEC headquarters to air his grievances amid heavy security in the area.

Recall that INEC had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Usman Ododo, as winner of the election with 446,237 votes.

INEC said Ajaka came second in the exercise with a total of 259,052 votes and that the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Dino Melaye came third with a total of 46,362 votes.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), on Tuesday, shutdown economic activities at both Apapa and Tin-Can Island seaports in Lagos State.

The workers picketed offices and restrained people from accessing their offices, thereby grounding economic activities at the ports.

The picketing of the ports is in compliance with the directive given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a total shutdown of the country’s economy.

However, while maritime workers complied with the directive, commercial banks and schools visited by our correspondent in the Agbado area of the state did not comply.

Recall that the leadership of NLC and TUC had on Monday insisted that its November 14 (today) strike was still going to hold despite the National Industrial Court restraining organised labour from going on with the strike.

The decision to commence the strike was unanimously agreed after their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which was held in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the President of TUC, Festus Osifo, had said the strike was going to hold.

“Until the government at all levels wake up to their responsibility,” Osifo had said.

The directive by the organised labour to shutdown the country’s economy was in reaction to an alleged assault and kidnapping of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero in Imo State on October 31.

This prompted the organised labour to declare a total shutdown of the state on November 8 and subsequently directed nationwide shutdown on November 14, if their listed demands were not met.

Out of the six demands listed by the organised labour, only the removal of the Imo State Commissioner of Police CP Ahmed Barde has been implemented

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.

Electricity workers across Nigeria have shut down the national grid, leading to a nationwide blackout.

The strike was called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in protest of the assault on Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, on November 1, 2023, in Imo State.

Ndidi Mbah, the spokesperson for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), confirmed the strike on Tuesday. She said that electricity workers, members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), followed directives of the NLC to withdraw their services around 11:20 am on Monday.

“Electricity workers are NLC members; they’ve followed the directive by organised labour to withdraw their services from Tuesday”, she stated.

Currently, the Federal Capital Territory and its environs are experiencing a blackout.

Recall that the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) announced a nationwide indefinite strike starting Tuesday despite a court order restraining the unions from doing so.

The Nigerian Union of Railway Workers has directed its members to withdraw services as it plans to join the indefinite strike.

The development is in compliance with the directive of the Nigerian Labour Congress to its associated unions to commence indefinite strike by 12:00am on Tuesday.

The union communicated to its members in a circular signed by the Secretary-General, Comrade Segun Esan.

He said, “This is a critical moment that we all must rise in strong and indivisible unison to salvage the credibility and integrity of the Nigerian workers who have for long been seized in the jugular by the State and its coercive instruments.”

The union served the circular to NRC’s Managing Director; Commissioner of Police, NRC Police Command; Commandant, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps among others.

Esan directed the union members to join the nationwide strike action from 12:00am on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

Recall that last week, aviation unions withdrew all services to all Owerri flights both inwards and outwards from any airport in Nigeria with effect from midnight November 8 over the assault on the NLC president, Joe Ajaero in Imo State.

Ajaero and the NLC had stormed Imo State to protest the non-payment of salaries and other entitlements of workers but the NLC president was manhandled by the Nigerian Police.

Ajaero accused the State Governor, Hope Uzodinma of masterminding the assault.

The NLC and TUC consequently issued a 5-day ultimatum to the federal government to remove the police boss over his alleged involvement in the attack.

The Federal Government has urged workers to shun the directive by the Nigeria Labour Congress (TUC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to embark on strike even as it also warned the two unions that proceeding with the industrial action will violate existing court orders.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, said this in a statement issued in response to notice by the unions to workers across the country to embark on a nationwide strike at midnight, on Tuesday.

The unions had called for the strike over alleged brutalisation of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Imo State.

But in a statement late Monday, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the Special Assistant Communication & Publicity to the AGF & Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, reminded the unions that there is an existing court order barring them from going on strike.

“We wish to remind the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress that there is a subsisting court order stopping the unions and their affiliates from embarking on the strike,” the statement read.

The interim order was granted on November 10 by the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice B. B. Kanyip.

“The unions have been served the court order and, therefore, must surrender themselves to the authority of the court which is already seized with the facts of the case. Any action taken contrary to the order will be tantamount to contempt of court.

The Attorney General therefore asked the unions to “respect the court order and adhere to the principle of the rule of law. There is no need to resort to self-help.

“We urge workers to report for duties and not to entertain any fear as their safety is guaranteed and will be protected within the ambit of law.”

Vehicle owners in Abuja have begun to throng filling stations even as fuel stations have hiked the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), checks by Daily Trust have shown.

Daily Trust reports that the price of PMS, popularly known as petroleum has been jacked up to N640 in some private filling stations in the capital city, up from the N617 it was formerly sold.

Investigation revealed that some filling stations observed long queues, especially in NNPC retail stations who still maintain the old price.

The queue led to traffic gridlock along Olusegun Obasanjo Way at Wuse as the two NNPC stations along the route had long queues of cars waiting to fill their tanks.

While Total Energies’ station at Wuse Zone 6 was closed when our reporter visited, the one at Wuse Zone 2 was opened with a fairly long vehicle queues but not as much as the ones at NNPC stations.

The Mobil Filling Station at Utako also had vehicles waiting to purchase fuel even though it was sold at N640 per litre while ETERNA fuel station in Jabi was closed.

The situation was the same on Airport Road with long queues in stations like BOVAS, SALBAS OIL, AA Rano and SHEMA.

At AA Rano located at Jabi, only one fuel pump was dispensing the product from the 30 fuel pumps in the station.

Few cars were allowed into the station with the main gate to the station locked to prevent other cars from coming in.

A taxi driver, Salisu Ibrahim, who spoke with our reporter in one of the stations said the queue started on Friday with some selling at N630 and others at N640.

Naira scarcity is biting harder across the country as banks have limited cash withdrawals, findings by Daily Trust have shown.

Residents of Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Adamawa and in other parts of the country are expressing concerns over their inability to withdraw huge cash in their banks, raising fears of scarcity as experienced during the naira swap.

This has also affected business transactions in local markets, especially in the northern part of Nigeria where buyers and sellers prefer to deal in cash instead of bank transfers.

Daily Trust had, on November 1, reported that cash scarcity had resurfaced in Borno and Kano states as the December 31 deadline for the use of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes draws nearer.

The report had forced the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to explained that “The seeming cash scarcity in some locations is due largely to high volume withdrawals from the CBN branches by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and panic withdrawals by customers from the Automated Teller Machines, ATMs).”

The CBN, through its Director, Corporate Communications, Isa Abdulmumin, added, “While we note the concerns of Nigerians on the availability of cash for financial transactions, we wish to assure the public that there is sufficient stock of currency notes for economic activities in the country. The branches of the CBN across the country are also working to ensure the seamless circulation of cash in their respective states of operation.”

The CBN had announced in March that in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court, banknotes remained legal tender alongside the redesigned banknotes until December 31.

Last week, the apex bank reassured that both old and new notes remained legal tender and urged Nigerians to continue transacting using them.

“For the avoidance of doubt, while reiterating that there are sufficient banknotes across the country for all normal economic activity, we wish to state unambiguously that every banknote issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) remains legal tender and should not be rejected by anyone, as stipulated in Section 20(5) of the CBN Act, 2007,” Abdulmumin had said in the statement.

He had added that branches of the CBN across the country had been directed to continue to issue different denominations of old and redesigned banknotes in adequate quantities to deposit money banks for onward circulation to bank customers.