Earlier this week, I teased on my social handle about my encounter with a deity. Of course, not in the sense that one might meet a deity in the groove of a village forest.

Yet, those who have met this man – who know him – might agree that Sam Amuka, fondly called Uncle Sam, is a deity of sorts. The trail that forged the seasons of his career goes back many decades to his years at Daily Times which at its prime, was Africa’s leading journalism shrine.

On Sunday I went to see Uncle Sam, to talk about my new book, Writing for Media and Monetising It. I had dispatched a copy to him in advance, but the ritual would be incomplete without a libation.

So, I took along an extra copy and went to his Anthony Lagos residence, where he has lived like a regular Joe for many decades. As I waited for him upstairs on the balcony of his house, I glanced back and forth between the Sunday newspapers strewn on a cane table, and a silver tray with a big flask, teacups, a box of Lipton and assorted teas, a bottle of honey, skimmed milk and over a dozen of packets of Kemps cracker biscuits. 

It wasn’t long before Uncle Sam emerged from the corridor, his imminent presence announced by the barking of a puddle that first accosted me when I climbed the stairs. The puddle was not here when I visited a few years ago.

“Superstar!” Uncle Sam teased, as he came out.

I replied, smiling, that 88 was good on him. He corrected me: “I’m 89!” He then tore a packet of Kemps crackers and sat on the bed-shaped cane chair to my right, waiving the young man who had followed behind to make him some tea. 

The young man took out two Lipton tea bags, and after pouring hot water from the flask went on to add not one or two, but I think three teaspoons of honey. Then, he grabbed the tin of skimmed milk. I looked at Uncle Sam, thinking the young man was mistaken and expecting he would ask him to stop. He didn’t. Instead, he looked approvingly, even expectantly, munching his Kemps.

At 59, in my obsession to live a long, healthy life, only God knows how many things I have given up. I can’t remember the last time I used any sweetener, gluten-free or not, for my tea or pap, much less milk. I was puzzled to see an 89-year-old man having his tea not just with plenty of honey but also topping the brew with spoonsful of milk. 

Uncle Sam smiled as he took the steaming teacup from the young man, stirred it gently, and took a sip. As if to create the perfect ambience for his refreshment, he turned on music stored in a flash drive that was plugged into a player. 

“You don’t know I’m called Daddy DJ?” he joked in response to my puzzled look.

Sam Amuka, I know. Uncle Sam, I know. Who doesn’t? He is the Jimmy Breslin of Nigeria’s journalism. Writing about Breslin, who died seven years ago at 88, Tom Wolfe described him as, “The greatest columnist of my era.” And that, from Wolfe, a master of the craft in his own right, says a lot. 

In a tribute to Breslin, The Guardian wrote that he was the champion of the trials and troubles of the ordinary people in New York. “He filled his columns with gangsters and thieves, whom he knew first-hand from drinking in the same bars. He told stories that smacked of blarney behind their anger.”

And Breslin himself once said, “Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing for newspapers.” That was Sad Sam, the tempered version of which we now know as “Uncle Sam.”

But “Daddy DJ?” I was meeting him in that incarnation for the first time this Sunday morning. Yet, it made no difference. I could see a common thread of empathy and humanity binding the three persons in one man. I was happy and comfortable to share the story of my new book, in-between sips of my own tea – sugarless, milk-less – and yes, also in-between mouthfuls of Kemps cracker biscuits which I had not tasted for a very long time.

I did not start out to write a self-help book. As my career as a journalist crossed the 35-year mark and I inch closer to the sixth floor of life, it became increasingly difficult to ignore suggestions to share my experience in a more permanent form. I’ve been writing for the media since I was 22 and even managed to write a book on Nigeria’s anti-corruption war in 2008. But the urge to share more has increased. 

In yielding, I wondered what I could do differently. In recent times, I have been invited by universities and professional groups to speak on the challenges facing journalists and young writers, especially in light of the extraordinary explosion in the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, at school and at home. 

Decades after TIME magazine famously predicted that journalism could be on its death throes and it turned out that the death was exaggerated, the technology appears to have sparked the second panic wave. 

So what? I thought perhaps it might be useful to combine my speaking experiences with decades of writing a weekly column now enriched in both audio and visual formats to serve the needs of a younger generation of content providers, especially students and those in the earlier stages of their writing career, trying to find their way. And not just trying to find their way – but also, trying to earn some extra money or attract value, while doing so.

The book title clearly suggests a media bias – media here meaning traditional and social media. That is deliberate as audiences in these areas are my primary focus. Whether you are still in school, just starting out on a writing career path or are, in fact, in the middle levels of your career, you would find this book useful. 

It draws not only on my personal experience – struggles and triumphs – I also interviewed professionals across age brackets who generously shared their experiences with me.

For me, writing this was like walking back through the years of my career, beginning from when there was even no career but just the dream to become a writer someday, to my schools when I was formally introduced to the craft, through many changes along the way, a good number of which I didn’t even see coming. 

You don’t have to wear my shoes or tread my path. But this book is a good guide for common obstacles many literary content providers face in the new world as they try to find their own way.  

I set out to do an online course largely on journalistic writing for value, not to write a book, but ended up with a resource that will benefit a much larger variety of audiences than I had envisaged. 

Uncle Sam listened patiently. When I finished, he asked one question, with a worried look: “How will you get this book out, and get people to read it?”

No easy answer. Research increasingly suggests declining interest in reading, especially among younger populations. I replied that I did what I could to make the book simple, anecdotal and relatable. 

“I’m hoping,” I told Uncle Sam, “that young people would see something of themselves in my stories and the stories of others across a generational spectrum and from it, chart their own course.” 

He didn’t seem fully persuaded, but he was in earnest for me – for us – to find a way. 

How can one claim to be a journalist, for example, without reading Peter Enahoro’s You’ve Gotta Cry to Laugh, Babatunde Jose’s Walking a Tightrope or Alade Odunewu’s Allah De? Or even the more recent Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics by Olusegun Osoba, to mention a few?

What is in a book is the thing that might just change your life; but you’ll have to read it to find it. On that, deities whether in journalism, carpentry, medicine or the good old craft of fortune-telling, might agree.

Azu Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP. 

Before my appointment as a cadet inspector and got trained at the Police Academy, Kano, in 1988, I’d first served as a constable for 2 years in Lagos state command. When we passed out of the Police College Ikeja in November of 1986, CP Saminu Daura (as he then was, he later rose to DIG. He is now of blessed memory), was the CP Lagos State command. The officer who was nominated by the CP to address us at the premises of the Lagos state command Headquarters was ACP Lawrence Makama, the command’s AC (Admin). Throughout his address to us, ACPOL Makama was stressing and laying emphasis repeatedly that we all should keep it indelibly at the back of our minds, that Police job was one of selfless service, and never a money-making venture. He warned us sternly that if there was any of us whose ambition was to become a millionaire, such fellow should signify there and then, so he or she could be excused from service right away. For according to him, police job was not a place to realise such ambition. He, however, added with an ecclesiastical tone as follow….

However, I’ve just told you the ethical requirements of Policing. But don’t be despondent or dispirited. For if any of you is destined to become a millionaire in life, nothing can stop it from coming to pass. So hope in God, eschew corruption, and be diligent at work.

It was upon that philosophy that we grounded our service in the police. In fact, some of us were so loathful of money that we preferred working in postings where we were completely insulated from monetary inducement of any sort.

My very first posting was the checking point at Tin Can Island, on the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, under the command of one very old inspector, called Magnus Kayode as the team leader. As I was on duty there, here came one white M/Benz car driven by a young man, whose name I later knew as Hakeem. I flagged the car to a stop, and I requested for his car particulars. The next thing he did was to bring out a brand new five naira note and begged me to take it in place of the particulars. Upon seeing the money, Acpol Makama’s words started to ring bell in my head like a clock alarm. Fears overwhelmed me, as if taking the money would result in a fatal consequence for me.

I asked the man to keep his money, and I insisted on seeing the papers of the car. It was then he disclosed to me that he was a driver to one Ambassador EO Kolade. He explained that his boss had sent him to go and clean up the car at the car wash, because the boss was due to travel abroad later in the day and it was with the car that he would drop him off at the airport. He confessed to using the car to run his personal errands. So, in a hurry to return home to pick his boss to the airport, he forgot the car’s papers at the car wash. He said if he had to go for the papers now, his boss would miss his flight. He promised to come with the papers as soon as he dropped his boss off at the airport and he picked the papers from the car wash.

I somehow believed his story. So, out of compassion, I asked him to hurry up to go and pick his boss. But Inspector Kayode, my own boss at the duty post, was not so convinced. He insisted that the young man should leave the car there at our checking point and go back to the car wash to pick the papers and show them to us. As a novice that i was, I joined the driver to be pleading with the inspector to let him go, so his boss wouldn’t miss his flight. The inspector scolded me for blind trusting the driver, solely upon hearing his own story without more. But I followed my conviction through. So, I kept begging the inspector, who then reluctantly allowed the driver to go. In doing so, i can still remember his words very clearly. He said…

Oga (referring to me derisively as ‘oga’) has begged me to let you go. So you can go. But ‘oga’ next time, don’t come to me with this kind of stupid begging again o.

The driver left us. Not quite an hour later, the same car surfaced again at our duty point. This time, the driver was with his boss, Ambassador EO Kolade. The boss beckoned to me and said “young man, come here*. I moved close to him. He then said further, *”my driver told me you asked him to go so I wouldn’t miss my flight. He said he gave you money and you rejected it. Is that true?” I said yes sir. “Very good. Take this card (his complimentary card). Iam traveling now. But I’ll be back in the country in two weeks time. You come and see me. God bless you”

As the car was about to zoom off, my boss, Inspector Kayode, waved it to stop and he asked the big man.”*gentleman. Iam the boss here at this duty post. What did you give my boy?” The man said I didn’t give your boy anything other than my complimentary card sir. And the inspector requested him to give him his card also. The man obliged and gave the inspector his card, after which the car zoomed off and left us. One day, I’ll tell the full story of how my encounter with Ambassador EO Kolade had helped to shape my career positively in the Force. Suffice it to say now that since that 1986 till today, I am still relating with the old man. He is now a 93-year old great grandfather, residing with his wife in the United Kingdom. But we still relate like father and son till today!

In 1994, I was already an old Inspector of Police. I was shortlisted for pre-posting examination, the success in which was a requirement for posting to work as a detective in the prestigious Force CID, Alagbon close, Lagos. The examination panel was chaired by CP Jolade Ojomo (as she then was. Now DIG rtd). But my paper was marked by SP Adamu Mohammed (as he then was. Now IGP rtd). I was subsequently posted to the Force CID, following my success in the examination. But before our deployment to sections, we had to pass through a month’s induction training in which we were tutored by seasoned officers on the ethics of detectives at that level of criminal investigation. One of the very senior officers who came to lecture us was DIG Achimbong Nkana, the then head of Force CID. In his lecture, he laid much emphasis on the need for police officers to eschew flamboyant and ostentatious lifestyles or open display of wealth. He said such lifestyles were inconsistent with policing ethics, particularly as detectives. Quoting a short aphorism which he attributed to Abraham Maslow, DIG Nkana said as follow….

“Hire a banker, and pay him maximally. Also use him maximally. If he is disposed to ostentatious lifestyle, sack him. Even if your inquiry about him revealed that his earnings were legitimate, still sack him and let him leave the fold of your work force”

When the DIG got to that point, all of us the course participants rented the hall with murmuring, saying that was too harsh. For how could he be sacked, even when he was funding his glamorous lifestyle with his legitimate earnings without stealing from the bank? When the DIG noticed our displeasure, the then dropped the following aphorism to justify his proposition. He said…

“The banker with an ostentatious lifestyle deserves to be sacked, irrespective of the fact that was living on his legitimate earnings. This is because extravagancy, if not a crime in itself, can lead others into crime. Same goes with any police officer that lives an extravagant lifestyle. He too should be sacked like the banker”

Those were the morals that we were taken through in our days in police service. But due to the nature of human beings as a dynamic creature, things seem to have changed drastically between our days and now. Not only in the police force, but generally in virtually all areas of human endeavors.

It is only in this attribute of human dynamism that I think one can possibly find explanation for the impudence of CP Aderemi Adeoye, the retiring CP of Anambra state command. In his valedictory speech, the retiring CP was quoted as throwing down the gauntlet to challenge Dangote into a duel of wealth, boasting that his own business concern had geometrically risen to 20 billion Naira within the six years of its floating with just 54 milliion Naira.

To say the least, this presumptuous outburst of the CP was in my view, an act of gross manifestation of unethical disposition that was quite unbecoming of a public officer of his status. If the officer had drank, even in very small quantity, to that aphorism of DIG Nkana, he would have realised that his act of indiscretion could cause an incalculable damage to the integrity and selfless attributes of Police service in Nigeria. In a service where the pension of a retired CP is not up to a 100k, what message was CP Adeoye sending to those still in service? Wasn’t for  them to embark on a rabid pursuit of money at all costs in order to secure their post service life? And in that case, how wouldn’t these officers then compromise the sacred policing ethics by monetizing their services to the detriment of the masses and the security of the nation?

I think retiring senior officers need to now be compelled to submit their valedictory addresses to the police authorities for vetting and possible censorship of any damaging content thereof, in order to prevent the recurrence of an embarrassing absurdity of this nature. A stitch in time, saves nine!

My name remains Dauda Adesina Joki-Lasisi Esq

Authorities in Lagos State have uncovered a network of makeshift apartments beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in the highbrow area of Ikoyi.

Tenants were reportedly paying N250,000 per annum for accommodation in the apartments.

A total of 86 partitioned rooms, varying in size from 10×10 to 12×10, were discovered beneath the bridge, according to the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.

These rooms, along with a container used for illicit activities, were removed by the enforcement team of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

Wahab disclosed this in a post via X alongside videos documenting the eviction and dismantling of structures beneath the bridge.

“A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphin Estate Bridge,” Wahab wrote.

Meanwhile, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, confirmed the eviction of squatters from beneath the bridge.

Rotimi-Akodu highlighted the environmental violations and illegal settlement that prompted the eviction, which was carried out by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), commonly known as KAI.

“Squatters dwelling under the bridge leading from inward Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi were evicted today Tuesday, 30th of April, 2024 by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps LAGESC (aka KAI),” Rotimi-Akodu stated.

He further disclosed that 23 individuals were arrested during the eviction process, emphasizing that the law would be enforced to address such violations.

[DailyTrust]

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has clarified that the 25 per cent and 35 per cent increase in workers’ salaries announced by the federal government is not the minimum wage.

The president of the association, Mr Tommy Okon, clarified while fielding questions from newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

Okon, who is also the Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, said that the approval of the salary increase was to close the salary gap that existed in some ministries, departments and agencies.

“Other sectors have benefitted from these increases; it is only the core Federal Civil Service. So, it is a good development, no doubt, but the people need to be informed.

“Some even saw it as if the government had ambushed the labour unions and then come out unilaterally to increase the minimum wage to that amount. Whereas, it is not the minimum wage.

“The minimum wage is ongoing, what the government did was to correct some gaps that existed among the pay of those in those sectors listed,” he said.

Okon said the clarification was important for the generality of workers and the masses at large because the salary increase was to bridge the wage gap in the civil service.

NAN reported that the Federal Government on Tuesday announced an increase of between 25 per cent and 35 per cent in the salary of civil servants on the remaining six consolidated salary structures.

They included Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure, CONPSS, Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, CONRAISS and Consolidated Police Salary Structure, CONPOSS.

Others were Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure, CONPASS, Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure, CONICCS and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure, CONAFSS.

[DailyPost]

Nigeria is a nation of many nationalities who although are at different levels of cultural development but none the less share so many parallels. Among her three dominant groups who always ensure no one else gets what any of them cannot get, mischief is a common trait. Speaking of his Yoruba people, the late Herbert Ogunde, a foremost Nigerian performing artist, describes them as a people who would invite a thief to come and steal and also invite the owner of the farm to catch him. (Yoruba pe ole ko wa ja, o tun pe oloko ko wa mu) With Igbira of Kogi, their distant cousins, it is worse. From the travails of Yaya Bello this past one week, we can see how easy it is for yesterday’s saint to become today’s Satan.  In just one week, Yahaya Bello, the white lion of Kogi, who secured the governorship seat on a platter of gold transited from   an angel to a haunted evil spirit.

Yahaya Bello was a resourceful and successful business man with a lot of drive. In him the people of Kogi found no flaw. It was on account of all this, that Nigeria ruling hegemonic class that decides who rules and  who does not rule in Nigeria in collaboration with leading light of Kogi foisted him as a governor.

It is on record that it was the joint ticket of Abubakar Audu and James Faleke that won the 2015 election. Audu however died mysteriously before he could be crowned, while James Faleke declared himself governor-elect. Many observers of Kogi politics had expected Faleke to step into Audu’s shoes, but Kogi kingmakers settled for Yahaya Bello, an outsider who was literarily dragged from his ‘kata kara”(buying and selling business) to the governor’s seat of power after the battle had been fought and won.

As a governor, Yahaya Bello was true to himself. He did what he knew how to do best – trading.  This is why I think Bello does not owe detractors today accusing him of trading with Kogi State’s money instead of paying workers’ salaries or addressing infrastructural decay in Kogi State apologies. Those who had expected Bello to give what he did not have only lived in fool’s paradise. It is said that a man cannot suddenly become a left handed man at the middle age. If you ask me, I will say Yahaya Bello was a victim of those who had dressed him in borrowed robes to spite James Faleke, the rejected corner stone.

Now, what are the charges against Yahaya Bello by EFCC and his other detractors?

EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede, who vowed to prosecute Bello or resign, alleged that the embattled ex-governor withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his children school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024. But as it turned out, the sum of $845,852 said to have been paid to American International School, Abuja (AISA) between September 2021 and October 2022 as advanced school fees for Yahaya Bello’s five children was not paid by Yayaha Bello but by Alli Bello, his generous nephew.

Intimidated by EFCC, the American International School, Abuja, was forced to pay the sum of $760,910 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as refund for an advanced school fees paid to the school. But upset by the development, Yahaya Bello’s generous nephew took American International School Abuja to court for breach of contract and he won. His victory was all Yahaya Bello’s supporters needed to support the claim their principal is being unfairly persecuted because he has a generous nephew.

But Yahaya Bello’s traducers have done more to allow Yahaya Bello’s sympathisers consolidate their otherwise unassailable position. They have continued to slander him. They are even now claiming albeit without proof that Alli Bello, his generous nephew, was a son he fathered while in secondary school and raised by his sister. They tried to link Yaya Bello to the arraignment of Alli Bello on 18 count charges of money laundering and misappropriation of $3b by EFCC, claiming again without proof that it was Yahaya Bello who paid N550m to secure the release Alli Bello from EFCC’s incarceration. And as if Usman Dodo, the new sheriff in town did not have a mind of his own, they have also alleged, Yahaya Bello, influenced the emergence of Alli Bello as his chief of staff.

But if one may ask, when has it become a crime for a generous nephew to pay the school fees for his uncle’s children or for an uncle to use his position to secure appointment for his generous nephew?

Indeed, if you ask me, I will say Yahaya Bello who as a Muslim is entitled to four wives but chose to settle for only three with just five children for now, is a very modest man. We have witnessed lawmakers who came to the National Assembly floor to show off their four wives and twenty children. We have seen other politicians celebrated the graduation of their wards from foreign universities on the social media. I am not aware anyone has asked how much governors, lawmakers and other politicians who celebrated the graduation of their children from foreign universities on the pages of newspapers spent on their children.

Other mischief makers have wondered why the close to $1m dollar Yahaya Bello’s nephew paid to AISA as school fees for  his uncle’s children was not deployed towards building a similar school for the children of the poor in Kogi State. Again, I am not aware of any governor including those who earn from the federation account in one month what Kogi state earns in a year that has built such a legacy school for the children of the poor in their states.

Perhaps mischief makers and Bello traducers needed to be reminded that our current military-baked new-breed politicians are different from the likes of Obafemi Awolowo, then premier of western Nigeria, whose daughter, Tokunbo Awolowo was seen on the queue along with the children of ordinary Nigerians including Hausa children from Sabon Gari quarters of Ibadan marching to their classes under Awolowo free and compulsory primary school in the 1950s.

My advice to Yahaya Bello, however is to ignore his detractors, those taunting him on the pages of newspapers and those who weep louder than the bereaved including some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain who linked his current political travails and that  of Nasir El-Rufai the former Governor of Kaduna State, to President Tinubu. He should  hearken to the immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom’s call, to come out of his hiding and answer the N80 billion money laundering case the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed against him.

He will survive his current travails like many of his predecessors including Ayo Fayose, Alamieyeseigha who was chased from France to London where he had ‘accumulated properties, bank accounts, investments and cash exceeding £10m in value’, Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), the late Audu Abubakar (Kogi), Timipreye Sylva (Bayelsa), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Adebayo  Alao-Akala (Oyo), Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Aliyu Akwe Doma (Nasarawa), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa).

Just as the white lion of Kogi has vowed not to be intimidated by any amount of blackmail, one basic fact is that in an empire of maggots, (apologies to Nuru Ribadu) a part cannot claim to be holier than the whole.

Rather than keep asking for wage increase for its members, organised Labour should engage governments on deliberate policies that will stimulate industrialisation, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule and Senator Adams Oshiomhole counselled yesterday.

The duo also urged the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to make its New Minimum Wage demand realistic and affordable.

They gave the advice yesterday while featuring on television programme.

Their counsel followed NLC President Joe Ajaero’s demand for N615, 000 as the acceptable living wage for workers.

President Bola Tinubu, who was represented at May Day anniversary by his deputy Kashim Shettima at the Eagle Square in Abuja, said the Federal Government will soon unveil a new “living wage”.

Hailing workers for their fidelity to peace, progress and development of the country, the President said the tripartite committee on a new minimum wage was unable to reach a consensus at its last meeting before the May Day celebration.

Commending the president for enhancing workers’ welfare, Sule and Oshiomhole described the NLC demand for pay rise as a just cause.

Sule, who said many of the states should be able to pay whatever the federal government comes up with, said he has implemented some welfare policies in his state.

He said: “Let me commend Mr. President for some of the policies he has been unveiling.  There’s no state in the nation today, including Nasarawa that can say it has not seen improved revenue.

“Though Nasarawa is number 33 out of 36 states of the federation on revenue allocation, what has happened is that last month we had paid all our medical workers hazard allowance.

“We didn’t have to wait for the federal government.  We could do this because of the increased federal allocation.

“In view of inflation, the Nigerian workers deserve more and every state can afford to pay a little more than what we are paying now.

“If we are going to pay more, we are more than willing to implement that.

“If the number I’m seeing on social media on what the federal government is offering is correct, I don’t think there should be any state that should have a serious problem in doing that, to be honest with you.

“I don’t think it is a debatable matter at all. Every state has to look into how it can generate more income. But whatever we can pay has to be something realistic and affordable.

“Let other employers make their offers and justification for such offers.”

Oshiomhole, a one-time NLC president and former Edo governor, agreed with Labour on need for pay rise.

The senator said: “There’s a need to increase the purchasing power of workers. With the inflation rate, the workers’ purchasing power has drastically decreased.  Everybody needs the pay rise.

“There’s a shared commitment that wages should go up when prices of things and commodities have gone up.

“All in production sector have marked up to protect themselves from the rising inflation.

“Two, the government is making more money and it is just reasonable that pay should rise.

“The step the government has taken is commendable and it should be paid retroactively. But the speech of the president did not address the announced 35 per cent salary increment.

“The NLC has done the right thing to explain the rationale for its demand for workers and I believe the employers will respond

“Organised private, local, state and federal governments should sit down to work out the details of the agreement.

“What the federal government has done is to relieve the workers while negotiation is still ongoing. This is neither to prejudice the position of the workers nor an alternative.

“But NLC should make realistic and affordable demand. organised Labour should not just centre on minimum wage, it must engage the government on appropriate industrial policies that will enhance the manufacturing industry.

“We need a level of protection of Nigerian industries,” Oshiomhole said.

[TheNation]

Anti-graft agency Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is taunting us with another emotional roller-coaster. They are asking us to join them in navel-gazing over another sensational case of thievery by a politician. We will do that for weeks (or months) and nothing else. Meanwhile, the said politician will be rehabilitated—probably appointed to a crucial position—in contempt of their ongoing case with the EFCC. One needs not be clairvoyant to say the latest graft case, involving ex-Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, is another ploy by the EFCC to titillate a public that still allows itself to be amused by jokes that lack a punchline. We have been here before (many times) and we know how this ruse ends: they will siphon emotion out of the public and eventually leave everyone hanging. No closure, nothing!

The most sensational of the allegations against Bello says he grifted almost a million dollars of public funds to pay his children’s school fees. Virtually every commentator has made this revelation the focus of their outrage. Bello, of course, stridently denies the accusation. What he failed to explain was how he managed to procure that much money and why he felt the urgency to pay for the length of his children’s school years. Who does that if not a man who wanted to exploit an unaccountable source of funds while he still had access to it?

Like other Nigerian politicians who dish out photos of their children graduating from schools abroad for poor Nigerians to gawk at, Bello also took his children out of the disaster zone called the Kogi State public schools and tucked them where the Nigerian decay has not touched. Despite claiming to be a poor herdsman with a mere 150 cows, former President Muhammadu Buhari too educated his children abroad. His mendacious yet witless aide, Femi Adesina, claimed Buhari sold his houses to afford the expense. Those children will grow up holding up their noses at the poor Nigerian masses, conveniently forgetting those were the same people their parasitic parents robbed to give them their lives.

That said, I struggled to understand the sensation around Bello’s case. Why did his case excite anyone, given that his actions are pretty standard? What is the difference between what he allegedly did and the “Bola Tinubu model” of using the state legislature to pass a bill that will pay an ex-governor humongous pension? Tinubu was the first governor who got the state legislature to grant him hefty amounts of money as pension, effectively tying the state’s destiny to his pockets. That model has been replicated by other greedy ex-governors without intentions of weaning themselves from the public purse. Bello too could have used the state Assembly to pass a bill paying his children’s school fees but he chose to be savage. The cynical part of me thinks that is the only sin he committed. If, after all these years, he did not learn to eat public funds with the finesse with which the old masters do it, he deserves to be disgraced.

The difference between Bello’s alleged crime and his ex-governor counterparts who granted themselves stupendous pension is the gap between eating oily yam with your fingers and using silverware. One makes you look primitive, while the other allows you the illusion of being civilised. I am sincerely confused by the morality of Tinubu’s supporters yelling at Bello. Would your opinion of him have been any different if he had instead set up a company called AlphaDelta Gamma and used it to achieve the same purpose? Sincerely, Bello’s only sin is his barbarity.

Despite the bold handwriting of ordinances written against him, the truth is that Bello is going nowhere. Not only does he know it, but even EFCC chairperson Ola Olukoyede must know it too. He cannot be so naïve to believe otherwise. During a recent press conference, Olukoyede grandiosely declared, ‘If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the EFCC Chairman.” Yinmu! He must think he is the first EFCC chairperson in history to spot a potential politician-thief. If Bello’s case is truly his dealbreaker, he had better resign right away because Yahaya is going nowhere. He might be disgraced for a while but that is the extent of what constitutes justice for corrupt politicians in Nigeria. No one goes to jail for corruption unless they fall out of reckoning with the powers that be. When you have passed your sell-by date and can no longer secure electoral victory, you will be conveniently discarded. That is when they sacrifice you to the EFCC.

Luckily for Bello, he helped the All Progressives Congress retain power in Kogi State. His peers in the Governor’s Forum who ran the same errand of “delivering” their constituency have been rewarded with “juicy” offices. The APC still needs him for the 2027 elections, so why sacrifice him now? Besides, he is also an APC member, the ruling party where virtually every single person within the ruling party has dirt on their hands. Jailing him for committing a popular sin will open the door to the possibility of other party members being similarly treated. That will ultimately demystify the party as a formidable redoubt for politicians. If that happens, the fraternal code of honour held by the thieves of public wealth will lose meaning, and the incentive for venal but powerful politicians to join the party will be lost.

There is no other reason people join a party in Nigeria than self-service. No party in Nigeria has a coherent ideology; nobody defects to them based on principles. It is to seek protection and access resources. Key Peoples Democratic Party members like Godswill Akpabio and Nyesom Wike had no qualms about joining the APC to be rebranded. Akpabio’s case with the EFCC has been momentarily forgotten and Wike’s own will never come up with the EFCC unless he costs APC the 2027 election. If Bello too waits this out, the EFCC will return to their original vocation of running after crossdressers, Bureau De Change operators, and money sprayers at Saturday afternoon owambes!

Olukoyede is not the first EFCC chairperson—nor will be the last—who thinks making noise in the media is akin to convicting an accused looter. His prosecutorial zeal notwithstanding, the court case will probably be botched by a lack of meticulousness. Here is why: Olukoyede alleged that Bello paid $720,000 out of the state coffers to the American International School for his child’s tuition before leaving office. In their response, the school disclosed that the sum was $845,852 and was paid in 2021 and for five children. Please note the wild difference between what the EFCC announced and what the school revealed. Good. Those discrepancies are why the EFCC’s case will eventually be thrown out of court based on some technicality.

Finally, the truth is also that there is a lack of will to pursue corruption. The present administration is aware (too acutely, in fact) of its own lack of moral legitimacy and can hardly confront graft without buckling under the weight of its own hypocrisies. Even under Buhari, the man who got into power by flexing anti-corruption muscles, two court convictions witnessed (Joshua Dayiye and Jolly Nyame) were reversed with presidential pardons. When they asked Buhari about ex-Kano governor Abdullahi Ganduje who was caught on video stashing his pockets with dollars, he pretended he had hearing problems. If Buhari who supposedly hated corruption could fail so grandly, is it Tinubu that will now muster the resolve? The person who recently announced he would fight corruption with technology? Why did “technology” not stop the lawmakers who approved his grand pension? The person who cedes to machines the duty that humans with a working conscience ought to confront cannot be taken seriously. Dey play!

The organised labour in Kogi State has demanded the immediate implementation of N35,000 wage award for workers in the state.

Addressing the May Day rally on Wednesday in Lokoja, the Kogi State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress,  Gabriel Amari, said the current N30,000 national minimum wage fell short of meeting workers’ basic needs in view of the current economic realities.

He cited the March report of the  National Bureau for Statistics indicating that inflation in the country had climbed up to 33.4 per cent.

“We advocate the immediate implementation of the N35,000 Wage award as directed by the Federal government. This adjustment is not only fair but also urgent, given the rising costs of goods and services, which continuously erode the purchasing power of Workers.

“Until the long-awaited negotiations for a new minimum wage are concluded and put into effect, the wage award would serve as a temporary relief for workers grappling with the current economic hardships,” Amari said.

He urged the Kogi State government to align itself with other states that had complied with President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the payment of wage awards to workers across the country.

“By doing so, Kogi would demonstrate its commitment to the welfare and well-being of its workforce,” the NLC chairman said.

[Punch]

The organised labour, yesterday, gave the Federal Government, May 31, the deadline to conclude the minimum wage negotiation or face a nationwide industrial action.

This came as President Bola Tinubu, promised that his administration was working on a new minimum and living wage to improve the welfare of workers in the country.

The organised labour during the May Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja, also insisted on N615,000 minimum wage, even as it placed an 18-point demand before the government, threatening to shut down the country if the Federal Government failed to accede to their requests by May 31.

This came as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, congratulated Nigerian workers on this Year’s International Workers’ Day and charged them to resist all anti-people tendencies seeking to compromise and undermine the democratic tenets of freedom, rule of law, accountability and probity in the country.

Also, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi greeted Nigerian workers, saying he stands with them in solidarity for their resilience and doggedness to ensure a better Nigeria.

President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero and his Trade Union Congress, TUC, counterpart, Festus Osifo, lamented the excruciating living conditions of the Nigerian masses and especially of workers in the last year.

They said: “The last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18 and we should be in the regime of new minimum wage as of today. Discussions were supposed to have been concluded.

“The Federal Government through the National Assembly legislated on it. But we saw that the discussion entered voice mail because the Federal Government refused to reconvene the meeting that was adjourned.

“We think the announcement now appears mischievous because there is no agreed minimum wage that the government is announcing. For them to announce it now, is an issue we are worried about at the NLC and the TUC.”

According to the labour leaders, though robust engagement with all stakeholders has been on, labour was pressing for a two-year lifespan for the new National Minimum Wage Act, with automatic adjustments triggered by inflation surpassing 7.5 per cent.

Insist on N615,000 wage demand

They said: “The battle for a new national minimum wage rages on. Our demand of N615,000 stands firm, rooted in the grim reality of workers’ lives across the nation. Through rigorous engagement with all stakeholders, we’ve pressed for a two-year lifespan for the new act, with automatic adjustments triggered by inflation surpassing 7.5 per cent.

“Every employer with five employees and above must comply. We demand robust monitoring and strict penalties for non-compliant state governments. We have based our figures on real data gathered from your responses nationwide, ensuring that our demand reflects the true cost of living for an average family.

“Our message is clear: anything less than a living wage condemns workers to poverty. We urge vigilance as we near the finish line, determined not to let other interests derail our pursuit of economic justice. Together, we will ensure that President Tinubu’s promise of a living wage becomes a reality for every worker in Nigeria.

Threatens total shutdown if …

“If, however, the negotiation of the National Minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May, the Trade Union Movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country.”

Energy Crisis

Decrying the current energy crisis in the country, they said: “Our nation is crippled by this very incompetence and selfishness, leaving our citizens and economy vulnerable. Power, regardless of its origin, fuels economic growth. Oil and gas are lifelines for energy success worldwide. The government must collaborate with the people to ensure energy benefits all Nigerians, not just a privileged few.

“We demand action on our refineries. Promises remain unfulfilled, while operational ones in the private sector fail to ease the people’s suffering. There is suspicion of sabotage to profit from importing, at the expense of our economy. The recent refinery agreement lacks transparency, echoing past exploitation in other sectors.

“Claims of trillions spent on PMS subsidies baffle us. We demand clarity from the government on who benefits and who consumes the 40 million litres of projected daily consumption.

Condemn electricity tariff hike, demands reversal within one week

“The power sector’s plight persists a decade after privatization. Conflict of interest hampers progress, and higher tariffs for nonexistent electricity are unjust. We reject unilateral and illegal tariff hikes and demand adherence to due process.
“A 300 per cent tariff hike would devastate domestic manufacturers. Consumer classification perpetuates inequality, akin to apartheid, endangering field workers’ lives.

“Reassessing privatization is crucial for progress. Despite billions invested, grid collapses persist, and generation remains stagnant. Tanzania’s recent action underscores the need for change. The government must reclaim control and account for revenue from its stake.

“We commend states pursuing independent power generation and urge swift action to break monopolies and empower consumers nationwide. Let us unite to ensure energy serves all Nigerians, driving our nation’s prosperity.

“The NLC and TUC hereby advise NERC and power sector operators to reverse the last increase in electricity tariff within the next one week.”

Insecurity

Ajaero and Osifo also lamented the state of insecurity, saying “Our nation is bleeding. In just the past year, over 4,800 lives have been lost to violence, with over 400 kidnappings reported in a mere two weeks earlier this year. We’re ranked among the top 10 most terrorised nations globally, and it’s unacceptable.

“Banditry and terrorism have made life unsafe for farmers and communities nationwide. Travelling is a nightmare, economic activities suffer, and food shortage looms as farmlands are ransacked or abandoned.

“Despite billions allocated to security annually, the situation worsens. We must rethink our security approach, involving communities for greater safety. Security is communal, it starts with the people.

“A nation unable to secure itself isn’t ready for development. Economic growth hinges on security. We can’t ignore this existential issue. Investing in people secures the nation. It’s time to prioritize the people for a secure and prosperous nation.”

Responsible leadership

The NLC and TUC reminded the President that true leadership prioritises the people above all else.

They said: “Success is not measured by promises or control, but by how well we meet the people’s needs, ensure their security, and provide essential services. Good governance means accountability and prioritizing citizens.

“To achieve this, we must address corruption, insecurity, and the brain drain. Fair treatment of workers isn’t charity, it’s smart economics. We demand fair wages that motivate and inspire productivity.

“Our leaders must serve the nation, not exploit it. We reject greed and call for patriotism and commitment. Let’s build a nation we’re proud of.

“We insist on genuine dialogue and respect for democratic freedoms. Investigate attacks on journalists and communities impartially.

“Security starts with prioritising people. Let’s put Nigerians first for the sake of our nation’s future.”

Places 18-point demand before FG

The 18 other demands by NLC and TUC are:

*That the government restrains itself from the use of violence in civic engagement within the Industrial relations sphere.

• An immediate reversal of the unilateral hike in electricity tariff, enthronement of service reflective tariff and stoppage of segregation of consumers

*An expansion of NLAC’s activities and increasing its periodicity.

*The establishment of constant tripartite workplace audits at the federal, state and Enterprise levels

5. An immediate roll out of the CNG buses nationwide as agreed of the October 2, Agreement signed with the government
   *Full Implementation of Registrar of Trade Unions for Registering more unions, we demand that nee unions be registered in the informal sector. 8. We call for an urgent rethink of the Presidential system of government as practised in our country.

*We call for ane call for a review of the Electricity Privatization exercise with the view to a reversal *Once again, we demand a two-state solution to the crisis in the Middle East. The hypocrisy around international issues imperils our world.
*PTAD has been doing a good job so, do not scrap it but leave it for Pensioners.

*We call for the payment of the N25,000 palliative promised to Pensioners since last year.

*We call for a National Minimum Pension to be negotiated alongside the National Minimum Wage.

*Nigerian workers call for a one-year moratorium on all forms of taxes, levies and dues collectable from the informal economy by state and local governments.

*The immediate inclusion of workers in the Committee set up to implement the Oronsaye Report to ensure that workers’ interests are protected through the President’s actions and appointments since the assumption of office has already exacerbated the challenges the Report sought to resolve.

*We demand the implementation of the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, NSTIP, and its provisions for the National Research and Innovation Council, NRIC, for improved funding of research. We call on the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the NRIC Bill and on Mr President to give assent thereafter.

*The resurrection of fuel queues around the nation should be nipped in the bud immediately
*The forwarding of the reviewed Labour Administration Laws in Nigeria to the National Assembly for passage into law.

Tinubu assures of pay rise, better working conditions

Meanwhile, President Tinubu assured Nigerian workers of a new minimum wage and a living wage, as well as improved working conditions.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President said: “You, the workers of our great nation, are its very backbone. I want to assure you that we appreciate and celebrate your hard work, sacrifices, and contributions to the prosperity and stability of our great nation every day.”

On the new minimum wage, President Tinubu said, “We took office at a time when many nations, including ours, were experiencing daunting socio-political and developmental challenges. Yet, we are resolute in confronting these obstacles head-on.

“The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage has been working diligently, and I assure you that your days of worrying are over. Indeed, this government is open to the committee’s suggestion of not just a minimum wage but a living wage.”

Emphasizing the importance of industrial harmony, the President praised the workers, saying, “Your role as an indispensable component of the nation’s engine cannot be overstated by any government if the quest for a just and progressive society is to be realised.

“Our shared vision for national growth and development can only be realised in an atmosphere of industrial harmony and peaceful coexistence in every segment of our country.”

Tinubu appealed to workers to continue to use the power of the labour movement for the greater good of the nation, fostering harmony and cooperation.

He said: “I call upon every one of you to join hands in shaping the destiny of our nation towards greatness. Our allegiance and patriotism are the bedrock upon which our beloved country thrives.”
The president in a statement by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, said: “The President salutes Nigerian workers for their fidelity to the peace, progress, and development of the nation evident in their tireless efforts and patriotic zeal to keep the national engine running.

“President Tinubu celebrates Nigerian workers across all spheres, from the clerical officer who ensures the proper documentation and distribution of correspondence; the security officer who remains ever dutiful through all seasons; the teacher who secures the future of our nation by imparting knowledge to the next generation; the doctor who works relentlessly to save precious lives, and to all Nigerian workers who keep the candle aflame.

“The President affirms that his administration remains committed to improving the welfare of all workers, noting the various relief programmes, including the wage award and the imminent minimum wage review.

“President Tinubu strongly believes that the custodians of the nation’s machinery deserve a fair wage and enhanced welfare and that a labourer is deserving of not just any reward but fair and commensurate wages.”

PDP charges Nigerian workers to resist anti-people tendencies

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, said: “We salute Nigerian workers for remaining steadfast as real drivers of the national economy despite the asphyxiating and life-discounting conditions occasioned by the ill-implemented economic and fiscal policies of the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration.

“Our party is deeply distraught that Nigerian workers and indeed millions of other citizens have, in the last nine years been subjected to misery, harrowing economic hardship and worsening insecurity by the rudderless and insensitive APC administrations, which have wrecked the nation’s productive sectors and brought distress to our national life.

“The PDP particularly condemns the continuing increase in electricity tariff and price of petroleum products with petrol now selling at over N1000 per litre in various parts of the country; a situation that has resulted in an astronomical increase in the cost of living and worsened the economic hardship in the country.

“As the Party of the people, the PDP demands that the APC-led Federal Government ends its insensitivity towards Nigerians and use the occasion of the Workers’ Day to review all its retrogressive policies and take urgent action towards addressing issues that have direct bearing on the welfare of the citizens.

“The PDP however, urges Nigerian workers and indeed all citizens not to give up hope but remain steadfast in their commitment towards a stable, united and prosperous nation, especially at this challenging time.
“The Party celebrates the workers and wishes them a happy Workers’ Day celebration.”

I stand with workers in solidarity- Peter Obi

Obi, in a letter he addressed to the workers, said: “As we come together to celebrate Workers’ Day, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and admiration for every one of you who continue to stand tall and steadfast in your commitment to building our great nation, even in the face of adversity and challenges.

“As we honour the hard work, dedication, and resilience of workers across the country and beyond, I am reminded of the incredible strength and spirit that defines us as a people.

“Despite the countless obstacles and hurdles that may stand in our way, you, the backbone of our society, remain unwavering in your resolve to contribute to the growth and development of our beloved nation.

“From the bustling streets of Lagos to the serene villages of the North, from the bustling markets of Onitsha to the bustling ports of Port Harcourt, your labour forms the foundation upon which our nation stands.

“Whether you are toiling in the fields under the scorching sun or labouring in factories amidst the hum of machinery, your efforts are the lifeblood of our economy and the driving force behind our progress.

“But beyond the tangible contributions you daily make to our nation’s development, it is your unwavering patriotism, resilience, and determination that truly inspire us all.

“In the face of economic hardships, political uncertainties, and social injustices, you continue to stand your ground, holding fast to your belief in a brighter future for our country.

‘I stand with you in solidarity, championing your cause and advocating for your rights. I recognize the sacrifices you make every day to provide for your families, support your communities, and contribute to the collective well-being of our nation.

“Today, as we celebrate Workers’ Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to one another and to the ideals of unity, justice, and equality for all. Let us take pride in our achievements, draw strength from our collective resilience, and rededicate ourselves to the noble cause of building a better, more prosperous Nigeria for generations to come.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude and admiration to every one of you for your unwavering dedication, patriotism, and sacrifice. Your labour is the cornerstone of our nation’s prosperity, and your contributions will forever be cherished and celebrated.

“Truly, as our anthem reaffirms, the labour of you, our perpetual heroes, shall indeed never be in vain.”

Akpabio assures workers of better welfare

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in a message to mark Workers Day, by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, said: “A Nigerian worker is noted for his patriotism, hard work, resilience, and dedication to duty.

“I am happy to be associated with the Nigerian worker in the last more than 25 years and I can attest to the fact that everywhere you go, the Nigerian worker’s spirit resonates profoundly.

“No Nigerian worker will again be allowed to work under inhuman conditions. We will do everything to give you the best because you deserve the best.”

Akpabio who reiterated that the theme for this year’s celebration was apt and in tune with the international best practices, assuring that Nigeria will never be left behind, said that the 10th National Assembly was fully committed to providing the required legislative enablement aimed at protecting the interest of the Nigerian worker, creating a befitting workplace environment and a pay that takes them home.

He said: “On behalf of the Senate and the entire National Assembly and indeed, my family, I wish to join the world in wishing the Nigerian worker a happy International Labour Day.

“We are celebrating patriotism, hard work, commitment and dedication. And I want to assure you that your sacrifices can never go in vain. The tough times will never last forever and in fact, they will soon be over,” he added.

Vanguard News Nigeria

David Umahi, minister of works, has accused Paul Onwuanibe, chief executive officer (CEO) of Landmark Africa Group, of politicising issues arising from the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.

Umahi spoke on Monday while supervising the demolition of structures at the Landmark Beach in  Lagos.

Recently, the federal government commenced the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, which is expected to run through the shoreline of beach resorts in  Lagos, while traversing eight other states.

The project has generated controversy and concerns about funding and the businesses that would be affected during construction.

On April 18, Onwuanibe said the government had not formally contacted the resort on the impact the project would have on the beach business.

Speaking during the demolition exercise, Umahi said the federal government only destroyed shanties at the beach on its 250-metre right of way.

The minister said the Landmark CEO is “seeking attention”, adding that he has no claim to make in the demolition of shanties on the right of way.

“No claim for Landmark. We spared all his infrastructure. We don’t pay for shanties. Shanties were on our right of way — 250 metres from the shoreline,” Umahi said.

“He has no claim. We make all the efforts to spare all his infrastructure. That is why I said he is a politician and I’m an engineer.

“While he plays politics, I do the engineering work. I don’t know the attention he is seeking for when things are very practical.”

 [TheCable]