The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reacted to the Democracy Day Speech by the President, Bola Tinubu, where he gave assurance of a new minimum wage for the workforce, saying he failed to give them the much expected gift on June 12.

Ag. President of NLC, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju who reacted on behalf of the union said the President may have accurately recounted parts of our democratic journey’s history, but that it is evident that he has been misinformed regarding the outcome of the wage negotiation process.

He said they expected the President to harmonize the two figures submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee in favour of workers and masses, stating that it would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift.

Quoting Mr. President; “As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you.

In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with organized labour on a new national minimum wage. We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less.

In the face of labour’s call for a national strike, we did not seek to oppress or crack down on the workers as a dictatorial government would have done. We chose the path of cooperation over conflict.

No one was arrested or threatened. Instead, the labour leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution”

Adeyanju said the organised Labour appreciate the President’s commitment to those fine democratic ideals which allowed the work of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to proceed unhindered despite some hiccups.

He said Labour had expected Mr. President to have used this understanding as one of those who was in the vanguard of the struggle with us around the nation to rescue Nigeria from the hands of the military to harmonize the two figures submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee in favour of workers and masses. It would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift.

According to the Acting NLC President, the NLC would have expected that the advisers of the President would have told him that we neither reached any agreement with the federal government and the employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage nor on its other components. Our demand still remains N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Naira) only and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which we consider a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.

“We are therefore surprised at the submission of Mr. President over a supposed agreement. We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC.

“There was none and it is important that we let the President, Nigerians and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage. We have also not seen a copy of the document submitted to him and will not accept any doctored document.

“However, we want to reaffirm our belief that the President on whose table the Tripartite Committee’s report presently resides would prepare an Executive Bill which content will reflect the true demand of Nigerian workers. We think that this is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his love for Nigerian workers and masses by shunning the pieces of advise that may be coming from those whose intentions are continuously focused on hurting the poor and struggling workers of Nigeria. Mr. President should not allow these individuals and groups to sabotage his promise of lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty.

“President’s advisers obviously did not tell him the truth that the leaders of the trade unions were intimidated and harassed. It is therefore important that Mr. President understands that we were threatened severally by his operatives perhaps without his consent.

“Series of media Propaganda calculated to intimidate and harass us were, and, are still being waged against the trade unions by senior officials of this government. Fully armed soldiers surrounded us while we were in a negotiation with the Government and despite denials, recent statements by senior officials of the Government reaffirmed our fears contrary to the assurances by the Government. However, we remain assured that the President’s democratic credentials will come to the fore in favour of Nigerian workers and masses.

“It is also important that Mr. President should know that most of his officers are working round the clock to set up the leadership of congress and the trade unions. We never agreed on a 5-year duration of the minimum wage Act though we acknowledge that the President mentioned 5 years or less. We also agreed that inflation should be pegged at a level for certain amount to be agreed as minimum wage. This is to bring clarity to what the report should contain.

“Once again, we reiterate that it will be extremely difficult for Nigerian workers to accept any national minimum wage figure that approximates to a starvation Wage. We cannot be working and yet remain in abject poverty. We seek justice, equity and fairness for all Nigerians and this we hope would also drive the actions of Mr. President who promised a Living Wage to Nigerian workers. This is an opportunity to show that he listens to Nigerians as he promised!

“Together, we can build a stronger democratic nation based on equity which guarantees prosperity to the majority of the citizenry and not one where few individuals monopolize our collective resources. That is the only way to build a sustainable democracy. It is the true democracy that we all yearn for as a people!

Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has opened up on the profound changes in his life following the tragic demise of his wife, Henrietta.

Speaking exclusively to Punch, Jide Kosoko disclosed how his home transformed into what he described as a “hotel” in the aftermath of his wife’s demise.

The actor, shared the emotional toll of losing his spouse and the unexpected consequences it brought to his household.

“After Henrietta passed away, my home gradually turned into a hotel,”  Jide Kosoko said.

Kosoko, reflecting on the challenges he faced after the loss, admitted to feeling compelled to remarry to restore order and stability in his home.

“I was tempted to take a second wife,” he added.

The actor, who has faced his share of controversies and false accusations, also addressed the hurtful labels that have been unfairly attached to him.

“I have been blackmailed many times,” Jide Kosoko stated, referring to accusations of involvement in money rituals and other baseless claims.

Reflecting on his upbringing and personal beliefs against polygamy, Jide Kosoko acknowledged the advice of his doctor, a woman who encouraged him to consider remarriage for his well-being.

This counsel eventually led him to marry two wives again, Henrietta and Alhaja Bimbo.

In his words;

 have been blackmailed many times, but I sailed through. They have called me a ‘ritualist’ before, which means I am a murderer.

Initially, as a human being, I felt bad. But my skin is too thick for all that rubbish. Instead of feeling bad, I will go on my knees and pray to God to give His judgment.

“And I always see these people get their judgment. I don’t want to mention names. I don’t know anything about what is happening to Kemi Olunloyo and I don’t follow her on social media. Apart from her, there are other people who have rubbished my name in the past

“Becoming a polygamist wasn’t my design. With my upbringing, I am not supposed to be a polygamist.

Though my father was a polygamist, he didn’t marry the number of women I have married.

“My first wife, Sola’s mother, was working with the Nigerian Customs Service. She was not involved in my industry and then I would travel for two months.

“So, I was tempted to take a second wife. But unfortunately for me, in the circumstances I cannot explain till today, I lost two wives within a year.

You can imagine that! So, I decided not to remarry again, though I had girlfriends; I was a ladies ’ man.
“Two of my girlfriends were very close to the house and my friends too would come with their girlfriends.

“So, we were almost turning the house into a brothel. Later, my doctor, a lady, visited me and advised me to remarry.

“She said it was the best for me, insisting that I was too young to be without a woman. I lost my two wives in 1992 and 1993 respectively, and I was not up to 40 then.

“I agreed to take a wife in the long run, but I had two women who were intimate with me – Henrietta and Alhaja Bimbo. Since I couldn’t say no to either of them, I married two wives again.”

Kasim Balarabe Musa, son of the Second Republic Governor of old Kaduna State and leader of the Peoples Redemption Party( PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa has asked President Bola Tinubu to resign over the current economic hardship Nigerians are facing.

Recall that Balarabe Musa was a Nigerian left-wing politician who was elected Governor of Kaduna State during the Nigerian Second Republic, holding office from October 1979 until he was impeached on 23 June 1981.

During the Nigerian Fourth Republic he was leader of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), a coalition of opposition parties. He died November 11, 2020.

Kasim, while leading a peaceful protest to mark the June 12 Democracy Day in Kaduna on Tuesday, noted that Nigeria has retrogressed under Tinubu’s administration.

Addressing teeming PRP members, he maintained that there was nothing to celebrate on Democracy Day at the moment.

He added that his late father and other pro Democracy Activists like late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Senator Shehu Sani and a hosts of others, sacrificed a lot for the enthronement of the nation’s fledgling democracy in the country while regretting the current sorry state the country had found itself today.

According to him, things have deteriorated in the country such that citizens are disturbed due to the high cost of essential items like food stuffs, adding that ” poor Nigerians can no longer feed despite the wealth Nigeria is endowed with.”

He urged the President to re-strategies with a view to bringing an end to the problems debilitating the country, adding that if the President was overwhelmed, he should resign.

Kasim said, “the military which we fought against before 1999 cannot allow this kind of killing and maiming of citizens, abuse of citizens. They won’t allow it.

“Nigeria has seen its darkest period since the country got her independence from 1960 to date.

“Nigeria has seen her worst and darkest period while there are so many killings and food is so expensive.

“No good schools and the medical situation is appalling. If the president has been overwhelmed by challenges confronting the country, he should resign.”

In the spirit of the June 12 Democracy Day celebration, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has granted pardon to 41 inmates serving in different correctional centres across the state.

The governor also commuted the death sentence of 45 condemned prisoners to prison terms.

Speaking at the 2024 Democracy Day in Abeokuta, Abiodun said the decision was in exercising his prerogative of mercy as the governor of the state.

“Government has a duty to uphold democratic values by consistently applying principles of mercy, justice, and the rule of law. In this vein, the Nigerian Constitution empowers me to exercise a prerogative of mercy to anyone convicted of an offense in Ogun State.

“Having received the guidance of the Ogun State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, I have signed the appropriate warrants ordering the release of 41 convicts currently imprisoned across different correctional facilities in Ogun State. I have also signed warrants converting the death sentences of 45 inmates to prison sentences.

“This gesture signals a break from past grievances and a move towards a more inclusive and compassionate society where merciful second chances are granted to deserving offenders.

“All convicts who have received this gesture have shown remorse for their crimes, acquired skills and certifications in prison, with several of them receiving university degrees from the National Open University of Nigeria. They have also demonstrated verified good conduct during their imprisonment,” he said.

Emphasizing on the significance of the celebration, Abiodun said it marks the triumph of democracy.

Late Moshood Kasimawo Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the military. This was despite the election being adjudged as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.

“June 12, 1993, stands as a watershed moment in this journey. On that particular day, Nigerians transcended differences of tribe, gender, and even the unique joint Muslim-Muslim ticket to speak unanimously through the ballot.

“They elected the late Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola and Babagana Kingibe of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) as President and Vice-President, respectively,” Abiodun stated.

According to the governor, “That election remains a pivotal moment in our country’s democratic history. It has become the benchmark against which the successes of subsequent elections are measured. For all its import, it reminds us of the power of unity, resilience, and the collective determination to uphold the principles of democracy.

“It is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Nigerian people, who have shown unwavering commitment to democracy and the belief in a better future.”

…Expert Cites Data Management Issues

It has been 48 days since over 115 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State, following a downpour on the night of April 25, 2024.

However, the Federal Government has yet to release the identities of the escapes, thereby raising concerns about the data management capabilities of Nigeria’s correctional services.

The incident occurred when the heavy downpour caused damage to the custodial centre’s infrastructure, including a breach in the perimeter fence, which facilitated the inmates’ escape.

During an inspection on May 9, 2024, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, confirmed that several escapees had been recaptured but refrained from disclosing specific details to avoid “compromising” ongoing efforts.

“Yes, we have recaptured a lot of people and work is actually going on. We are working with other sister agencies but the details of that I won’t be able to disclose in public to avoid jeopardizing the hard work of the agencies. We want to re-emphasize that it is no longer business as usual but business unusual,” he had said.

Unlike the Kuje Jailbreak in July 2022, where the identities of 573 escapees were promptly published on the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) website, the identities of the Suleja escapees have not been uploaded to the website, checks by THE WHISTLER show.

Since the Suleja jailbreak, there have been over 10 reported attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring states like Nasarawa and Niger, with at least 50 people being kidnapped. .

The delay in releasing the identities of the escaped inmates has raised questions about the correctional service’s data management capabilities.

Expert Cites Data Management Issues

A security expert, who spoke to THE WHISTLER on the condition of anonymity, attributed the delay in releasing the identities to poor data management in Nigeria.

The expert identified the lack of digitisation in the correctional services and issues with the National Identification Number (NIN), passport numbers, and different security numbers, among others, for the inability to identify the escapees.

The expert said, “It’s a problem with National Identification Number (NIN), with passport numbers, and different security numbers. I think the minister of information technology is trying to address this. So, at the heart of all this is just a data problem. It’s a bit of a misnomer because the correctional service should be able to digitize their record, it just shows some of the analogue problems. It is a problem that the correctional service has, perhaps the minister of interior should be about efforts to digitize the correctional system.

“I know he has a strong background in technology and then we should press on what they are doing about digitisation of the systems that we have across the correctional service, that should be of interest.

“Clearly, if they had the data, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be published. One should expect that their biometrics should be captured at the point of incarceration. Those small shots should be taken and then warehoused. This issue arises from a manual system and it highlights a technological gap in our criminal justice system.”c

NCoS Promises To Release Identities Of Escapees Soon When contacted, the spokesperson for the NCoS, Umar Abubakar, assured that information on the escapees would be released soon. He cited technical issues and the need for thorough verification as reasons for the delay.

“We have been able to get a lot of their identities, which we are trying to verify because for everyone’s admission as an offender or suspect charged to court, first is a suspect. It is when the case is heard and sentenced that the person becomes an offender, then an inmate upon admission to our facility,” Abubakar explained.

He confirmed that 23 inmates have been recaptured so far and emphasised the need for a thorough verification process to avoid publishing incorrect information.

“We are also working with NIMC and NIS. We don’t want a situation whereby innocent people’s pictures are uploaded to the public space. So, we want to do our work thoroughly,” he said.

As Nigeria celebrates 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) warns leaders they will be held accountable for their actions.

In a statement signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN acknowledged the country’s democratic journey but emphasized that the government still faces significant challenges.

“Insecurity, economic hardship, and social injustice continue to afflict our citizens. We urge the government to prioritize the common good, address these pressing issues, and ensure that our democracy serves the people, not just the interests of a few,” the statement said.

The statement also stressed the importance of unity and inclusivity, valuing Nigeria’s diverse backgrounds.

“We emphasize the importance of integrity, transparency, and accountability in governance. Our leaders must recognize that power is a sacred trust, and they will be held accountable for their actions,” the CAN president added.

CAN called on leaders to work together to build a stronger, more just Nigeria where everyone has a voice and equal opportunities.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Lamuwa, has denied accusations of sexual harassment leveled against him by a married ministry employee, Mrs. Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi.

Mrs. Ajayi, through a petition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, filed by her lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), outlined alleged instances of harassment.

In a document seen by THE WHISTLER, Lamuwa through his lawyers, denied the allegations stating:

“We are legal representatives of Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and have been authorised to make the following statement on his behalf, in response to allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by Mrs Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, an aide to the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“The media, particularly the social media has been inundated with the digital copy of a petition written by legal representatives of Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi against Amb. Lamuwa. This petition was clearly leaked in order to generate sympathy for her unsubstantiated claims.

“We wish to state categorically that our client has never made any sexual advances towards Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who he is aware is a married woman, neither has he ever made suggestive comments or innuendos that requested any form of untoward relationship between himself and her.

“Our client distinctly recalls the events that took place at the ministry’s retreat on October 7th 2023 where Mrs Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi claims that he invited her to his room. Our client states categorically that, he never made such an invitation and that his only communication with Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi, which was an overt one, was where he checked on her, like he did to all participants on whether they had been well-lodged in their hotels.

“He further recalls that the instance where he spoke of her as a nursing mother, during the same retreat was in a colloquial conversation they were having with other participants, where one participant even responded jokingly that when a woman says ‘her baby’ it could mean either her husband or one of her children, of which he innocuously joked asking “how big is the baby?” Our client maintains that those conversations were made jokingly and sees their misinterpretation as malicious and with ill-intent.

“Our client also maintains that it is an absurdity for Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi to claim that he invited her to Hong Kong, given that the conversation they were both having was on how Honk Kong had digitised its work processes as far back as 1999. Our client wonders how such a conversation became interpreted as an invitation for her to travel alongside himself knowing fully well that she is an aide to the minister. How can she possibly leave the minister to follow the permanent secretary, on a vacation? Would that not be the height of delusion for the one requesting, as well as the one heeding to the request?

“It is clear that the minister’s aide has misinterpreted ordinary conversations, made openly and in the presence of other participants, for untoward intentions. We believe that these allegations are directly tied to our client’s firm objections raised regarding improper requests that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi made, particularly to financial matters in the ministry.

“For example, Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi made a trip to the World Economic Forum (Davos), of which she sought a reimbursement from the ministry for. Our client firmly explained to her that while the ministry may look at avenues to refund her expenses, it is not the appropriate process for a trip to be made without an approval, and then funded with taxpayers money. after the fact.

“Further to this, is the fact of Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi’s unfamiliarity with civil service rules and processes where she had requested from our client access to policy files and even financial records of high-level activities of the ministry. By no means, should the permanent secretary, as chief accounting officer of the ministry provide such sensitive documents to an aide of the minister, worse via a WhatsApp chat. There are due processes in government, and they must be followed.

“We must emphasise that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi is a political appointee, and not a civil servant. Thus, matters of finance and policy are out of bounds for her in this instance.

“It is crucial to mention that our client, in all his 32 years of service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, never received a query nor a report against him bordering on harassment, let alone, sexual harassment. In the course of this period, our client has served in Hong Kong, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Syria and more recently, Senegal, and there has never been a negative report on his conduct in any of these countries.

“Ambassador Lamuwa has also served for nine years in the State House. From the office of the vice president, to the office of the chief of staff to the president, and to the office of the president, and no negative report or allegation of any kind has ever been raised against him.”

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has called out the nation’s leadership, urging a focus on development and criticizing a culture of self-service.

Bishop Kukah stated this on Wednesday as Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day.

In his address, “Democracy and the Free Market Economy,” Bishop Kukah argued that Nigeria’s democracy is faltering because it hasn’t been adapted to the country’s context.

“Our democracy is in recession, in decline, precisely because it is evident to us that what we are working with is not something that has come from our own historical, cultural or even anthropological experiences.

“The only way democracy can work is that democracy has to be an instrument of development,’ Bishop Kukah said.

The Bishop emphasized the need for clear national goals, a strong moral foundation, and financial discipline.

“The legislators are preoccupied with determining their salaries, fringe benefits, and unnecessary foreign travels.

“As a result of our inability to cultivate the financial discipline and prudent management of our economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects.

“The corrupt, inept, and insensitive leadership in the last years have been a source of immorality and impropriety in our society,” he added.

He argued that greed is a major obstacle, not just among the political elite, but among ordinary Nigerians as well.

He said: “The challenge for many countries in Africa, beginning with Nigeria, is how to restrain the greed of the political elite.

“Not only the political elite, but the greed and the appetite of ordinary Nigerians, because it is feeding this beast that has made it impossible for this country to grow.

“We cannot talk about people being corrupt when it is clear to us that the incentives for doing the right thing doesn’t exist.”

Bishop Kukah urged a return to core constitutional principles, including religious freedom and national unity.

He said Nigerians need to “redefine what it is to be a Nigerian. But we must also make sure that the elite claim this argument and claim this space.”

The former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has withdrawn his membership of the party.

Lukman disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Lukman, his resignation from the party stems from what he describes as a “lack of internal democracy” and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged failure to implement necessary reforms within the party.

The APC chieftain had been a critic of the party’s leadership, and accused it of straying from the founding vision of the party and ignoring calls for reform.

He said, “It is possible to remain in APC if at all President Asiwaju Tinubu will allow internal reform in the party to return it to its founding vision, which as it is, is very remote.

“But my reality now in the party is that my membership has been rendered useless and there is no need for me to continue to impose myself.”

While expressing future plans he said, “I have therefore gone back to the trenches and will try to work with all committed Nigerians who agree and subscribe to the goal of actively campaigning for the survival and development of democracy in Nigeria.

“We must grow our democracy to the point whereby elected representatives at all levels are accountable to the party and it is possible for Nigerians represented by various interests to develop strong relationship with political parties and elected governments based on which policies of governments can be made to reflect wider interests of Nigerians.

“I am confident that a strong democracy with functional political parties is possible in Nigeria. I am also confident that in our lifetime we can produce governments that are truly capable of making the lives of Nigerians better.“

Lukman acknowledged that his decision might not be well-received by party leaders, adding that he remains hopeful for the unity among all who are dedicated to advancing democracy in Nigeria.

“I don’t expect party leaders will agree with my decision. I believe that eventually, we will be united will all party leaders and other Nigerians who are committed to developing Nigerian democracy,” he added.

Former international Victor Ikpeba has challenged Super Eagles players to step up their fight to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles have endured a stuttering start to their campaign, failing to record a win in four matches.

Finidi George’s side currently occupy fifth position in Group C with a paltry three points from four games. 

Ikpeba, who represented Nigeria at two World Cups, said the players must up their game.

“The players have become too comfortable, they now have to step up and take full responsibility,” he was quoted by SCORENigeria.

“The talent is there in the team for them to turn things around next year.

“History will be kind to them when they fight back and qualify Nigeria.

“We missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and it was a special tournament.”