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The senator representing Kogi east, Isah Jibrin has been seen in a viral video kneeling down to appreciate the governor of the state, Yahaya Bello for nominating Shaibu Abubakar-Audu, son of the late Abubakar Audu for a ministerial position.

In the video, Bello could be heard telling the lawmaker that the nomination of Abubakar-Audu was a reward for his late father’s sacrifice.

”For all the sacrifices, I am rewarding Prince Abubakar Audu, for all his sacrifices too (possibly pointing to Shaibu who was not visible in the video), I no loss, I gain plenty. To God be the glory!” Yayaha Bello said.

Responding to the governor’s comment, the senator said the governor is “over rewarding us”.

Late Abubakar Audu was the first civilian governor of Kogi state.

He ruled the state twice — first in the third republic and in the fourth republic.

The late politician died in 2015 shortly after the announcement of the election results on 22 November.

He was seeking re-election as governor on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it would commence a nationwide strike on August 14, 2023, if the Federal Ministry of Justice fail to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the organized labour.

The NLC made the decision during its National Executive Council meeting which was held on Thursday, August 4, in Abuja.

A statement signed by NLC’s national president, Joe Ajaero stated that the Ministry of Justice and National Industrial Court have continued to allow themselves to be used as agents of “anti-democracy.”

President said that though it agreed to suspend protests based on its meeting with the President, it would embark on a nationwide strike starting from August 14, 2023, should the government fail to withdraw the lawsuit filed against it.

Stressing the decisions of the NEC to suspend further protest on the nationwide mass protest, Ajaero said the NEC resolved to support and affirm the decision and commit to maintaining the required vigilance needed to hold government accountable on its assurances and governance in general to commit to the terminal date of August 19, 2023, within which the issues around the Petroleum price hike will be agreed given the assurances of the President and the National Assembly.

According to Ajaero, “To go on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to court by the government through the NICN. To demand the immediate withdrawal of this litigious terrorism by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the end of work Friday, the 11th of August, 2023.

“To embark on a nationwide comprehensive strike beginning Monday, 14th of August, 2023 if this contemptuous court summons is not withdrawn by whosoever initiated it.”

The Federal Government has ordered the Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors in the Federal Tertiary Hospitals to implement the no work, no pay policy because of the incessant industrial activities of members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.

The FG also stressed the need for hospitals to maintain an attendance register for all resident doctors willing to work.

In a memo obtained by The Punch Newspaper addressed to the CMDs and MDs of all Federal Teaching Hospitals across the country.

The letter released on August 1, 2023 and titled “Re: Incessant strike action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors: Implementation of ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy of the Federal Government,” was signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Andrew Noah.

Meanwhile, NARD embarked on an indefinite strike on July 26, 2023, to press home its demands after an strike expiration of a two-week ultimatum to the government to meet its demands.

The doctors are demanding the implementation of the one-for-one replacement policy for healthcare workers; the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to discontinue the downgrading of the membership certificate issued by the West African Postgraduate Medical and Surgical Colleges; the immediate payment of all salary arrears; the implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure; a new hazard allowance; and the domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act; among others.

The government stressed that the striking doctors are insensitive.

“The various conciliatory meetings by the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with government stakeholders, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the National Assembly have proved abortive.

“I am directed to inform you that the Federal Ministry of Health has instituted the policy of ‘No work, No Pay’ against the striking resident doctors in line with circular Ref. No.58598/8.1/II/182 dated June 22, 2016.

“I am further directed to request you to maintain an attendance register for all residents willing to work and furnish the ministry of such name on a monthly basis,” the letter read in part.

Reacting to the development, the Secretary General of NARD, Dr Kelechi Chikezie, said the directive was not unexpected.

“We have seen the letter and we will meet as leaders of NARD to take a position on that.

But that policy is not new to us, and we would not say we were not expecting it. However, the position of NARD will meet and take a position on it,” Chikezie said.

Criticisms have trailed and greeted the appointment of 47 media aides by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State.

In a statement released on Thurday night, Fintiri announced the appointments on his official Twitter handle.

He tweeted, “I’m pleased to constitute my media team”The governor added that “I’m confident that this diverse and talented team will play a crucial role in enhancing our communication efforts and strengthening our public engagement, Together, we’ll work towards achieving our goals and serving the people effectively”

The statement followed the approval granted by the Adamawa State House of Assembly to the governor to appoint 50 special advisers on June 6, 2023.

Fintiri had been lying low since the announcement of Mr Humwashi Wonosikou as press secretary during his inauguration dinner on May 29

The governor’s inactivity however had been blamed on the loss of his cousin, Malama Laraba Mamman, who had died in a road crash while travelling to his inauguration.

Among those appointed are, two Special Advisers, 10 Senior Special Assistants, 34 Special Assistants on Social Media and Content Creation, and one Special Assistant and Master of Ceremonies Government Events.

Meanwhile netizens and social media users have been lambasting the governor and questioning the rationale for appointing such a large number of persons as media aides.

A tweep, Opeoluwa, described the appointment as an act of fiscal recklessness that must be stopped.He said, ‘This is why we need TRUE FISCAL FEDERALISM.

This is the fiscal recklessness we need to stop. Lagos&SS states will make money for 🇳🇬, states like Adamawa that contributes nothing will use same money to appoint over 25 members in a media team.

Allow Adamawa make&spend its own money”For Chidi Okereke, he described the appointees as incompetent fellows who couldn’t advise the governor not to make such post.

@ReneRodrig in his comment, said the appointment negates tenets of cutting cost of governance that many Nigerians have been preaching especially during this austere period.

He tweeted, “Omo cutting of cost of governance in the mud. See as special media adviser long. Is this Job creation??”

With 3.44 million poor people, Adamawa has the 18th poverty rate in Nigeria according to the 2022 data from the National Bureau of Statistics

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday dispatched a delegation to the Republic of Niger with a mandate to resolve the current political impasse occasioned by the recent coup in the country.

Tinubu, the Chairman of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), charged the delegation to ensure a robust dialogue to end the impasse.

The development was sequel to the resolution reached at the end of the extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS held in Abuja last week.

The delegation, headed by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), left for Niamey on Thursday following a briefing by President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

The former Nigerian Head of State is joined in the delegation by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray.

The President has also sent a separate delegation, led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria on the Niger crisis.

Briefing the two delegations, President Tinubu charged them to engage all stakeholders robustly with a view to doing whatever it takes to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger for the purposes of African peace and development, rather than a move to adopt the geopolitical positions of other nations.

Laolu Akande, the spokesman for the immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has said his principal was absent at the caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday because he was not in Nigeria.

In a statement released on Wednesday, August 2, Akande noted that Osinbanjo was absent for some engagements to which he had long been committed.

Stressing that former Vice President commitment to the party, he apologized for Osinbajo absence.

He said: “In a letter of apology for his absence addressed to the Acting Chairman of the party (Abubakar Kyari), the former VP explained that he was already abroad for engagements to which he had long been committed, when he received the invitation to the meeting,” the statement partly read.”

He had in fact cancelled some of his engagements abroad to be available for the two previously scheduled caucus meetings of the party which had to be postponed due to exigencies.

As well the former President, Muhammadu Buhari as absent from the meeting.

The former president through his spokesman, Garba Shehu, however, explained he was unable to attend the meeting due to commitments he earlier made.

Hundreds of Niger citizens on Thursday, August 3 has gathered for a mass rally in the capital city, Niamey to back the coup in the country.

Protesters were seen brandishing giant Russian flags and placard in support of the military government.

The demonstrators converged at Independence Square in the heart of the city, following a call by a coalition of civil society associations on a day marking the country’s 1960 independence from France.

Issiaka Hamadou, one of the demonstrators, said that it was “only security that interests us,” irrespective of whether it came from “Russia, China, Turkey, if they want to help us.”

He further alleged that the French had been looting and exploiting the natural resources of the country since 1960.

France has some 1,500 troops in Niger in a bid to fight against jihadism in the Sahel.

“I have no job after studying in this country, because of the regime (of Bazoum), which is supported by France,” said one student who only gave his first name Oumar.

“All that has to go!”The coup has triggered alarm bells in Western countries struggling to contain a jihadist insurgency that flared in northern Mali in 2012, advanced into Niger and Burkina Faso three years later, and now threatens the borders of fragile states on the Gulf of Guinea.

The Organised Labour has suspended its proposed strike action.

This is coming barely after embarking on nationwide protests against the removal of fuel subsidy,

Speaking on Arise TV on Thursday, August 3 in Abuja, the President of Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo said the Labour leaders who had earlier met with President Bola Tinubu.

Explaining the suspension of the strike was based on their meeting, he noted that Tinubu reiterated his commitment to address some of the issues raised during the meeting for immediate implementation

LEADINDREPORTERS earlier reported that in a press release issued on Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress had announced that it would proceed with the nationwide mass protest as initially planned across the country, following a meeting with the Federal Government.

The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero noted that the outcome of the meeting with the government did not yield positive any changes or concessions that would alter their course of action.