News

JUST IN: Call NLC To Order, LP Petitions SGF, Labour Ministry

Published

2 months ago

March 22, 2024

Editor

Following Wednesday’s invasion of its secretariats, the leadership of Labour Party has formally petitioned relevant government institutions requesting that an urgent intervention be taken to protect the party against further aggression from the Nigeria Labour Congress.

In four separate letters written to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; Ministry of Labour and Employment and Registrar of Trade Unions, Falonipe Amos, the party also called for disciplinary action to be taken against the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and other union leaders who spearheaded the alleged vandalisation of its property.

The demand comes barely 24 hours after the embattled National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, lamented that they lost property worth millions of naira and some staff salaries to the siege.

The ongoing conflict between the NLC and the leadership of LP escalated on Wednesday when members of the union picketed the party’s secretariats across the country.

The move was to press home their demand for Abure’s resignation.

The protesting workers were spotted laying siege to LP national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners that read ‘Abure must go’ among others.

They were, however, prevented from gaining access into the party secretariat by security operatives posted to the area to maintain order.

But the LP national chairman insisted that the union members broke into their offices where they destroyed properties worth millions of naira and also made away with some money meant for staff salaries.

But on Friday, the party petitioned the Federal Government, demanding that sanctions be meted out to Ajaero and his loyalists for intimidating their members and vandalizing its properties.

A statement released in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, also debunked reports describing the NLC as owner of Labour party.

According to him, the Federal Government being the regulatory agency for trade unions should define the role of the NLC, particularly on its alleged claim of owning LP for which it has continually harass and interfere in the party’s activities.

He said, “Ajaero has over reached himself by using workers funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters, an action which amounts to an abuse of office and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned. It has become unavoidably necessary to request your urgent intervention, being the regulatory agency for trade unions, including the NLC.

“It is our arguments that using workers funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters and its legitimate leadership is an abuse of office by the Presidents of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned. Similarly, the NLC has no right to picket an organisation where there is no trade dispute. The Labour Party has no staff members who are members of the NLC.

“The action of the NLC is a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Trade Union Act, and other relevant laws. NLC members are not card-carrying members of the Labour Party. The Labour Party cannot be owned by any association. Membership of the party is on an individual basis. The Labour Party’s Constitution says the party is open to all Nigerians who accept its ideology, programmes, and the constitution, irrespective of their religion, ethnic, gender, social, and economic status.

“As lawful citizens, we didn’t want to confront them in an uncivilised manner in order to avoid breakdown of law and order. We had the option of also mobilising party faithful to confront them.

“Doing that at this point where the harsh economic climate is having its toll on the Nigerian people will result to anarchy. Thus, the urgent need to call the NLC and its leadership led by Joe Ajaero to order, educate them on the limit of their power, condemn their rascality, abuse of office and discipline them as appropriate.”

News

Labour Party Crisis: Edo Deputy Gov Tackles Akpata

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Marvellous Omobayo, has reacted to the allegation of being the sponsor of the crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of Labour Party, LP.

State Youth Leader of the LP, Ken Omusi, alongside some youths of the party had last week Thursday invaded the secretariat of the LP, Benin, declared the state executive sacked and pronounced himself as the acting state chairman of the party.

Reacting to the incident, during a press briefing last Saturday, May 11, 2024, governorship candidate of the LP, Barrister Olumide Akpata, accused the deputy governor of sponsoring the youth leader to cause crisis in the party particularly the invasion of the secretariat.

But reacting to the allegation, the deputy governor in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Victor Adefemi, and made to INFO DAILY, “disclaimed the spurious allegations of the Labour Party governorship candidate.”

According to the statement, the deputy governor has no place for violence and hatred in his style of politics, urging the LP , governorship candidate to go and verify.

“During the run up to the Labour Party Primaries earlier this year, he showed exemplary leadership by refusing to be part of all the violent intrigues and ‘monetary melodramas’ that led to the emergence of Olumide Akpata as LP’s governorship candidate,” the statement added.

Adefemi, while unequivocally stating that the allegations are “unfounded and baseless,” urged Akpata to “show decorum when making public statements.”

“Barrister Olumide Akpata is hereby urged to excuse the Deputy Governor from Labour Party’s crises. Omobayo has no place for violence and hatred in his style of politics, the Labour Party’s candidate should go and verify this,” the statement added.

News

PHOTOS: NECO Releases 2024 Internal Exam Timetable

Published

3 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The 2024 National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal Examinations timetable has been released, the release marked the commencement of a crucial period for secondary school students across Nigeria.

With the release of the schedule, candidates and educators alike are gearing up for the rigorous assessments ahead.

This is disclosed in a Monday post on its X platform, @Neconigeria.

The indigenous examination body disclosed that the exam begins Wednesday, June 19, 2024, and ends Friday, July 26, 2024.

Here are the photos of the NECO 2024 timetable below:

News

VIDEO: Lady Laments As Lagos Issues Demolition Notice Two Months After Property Purchase

Published

4 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

A viral video circulating on social media shows a woman lamenting the demolition notice served on her property in Lagos State allegedly just two months after moving in.

In the video that surfaced online on Monday, the yet-to-be-identified woman cried as she recounted the ordeal. A picture of a demolition notice dated May 7, 2024, was also attached to the video.

She said, “We bought that property in February, and we’ve only been there for two months. All the hard work, all the sleepless nights, everything… If you’re in Lagos, you’ll know how much property in Eti Osa costs.

“Each time my son sees me crying, he will always ask me why I am crying. How do I explain this to our son? What do I tell my children? I’m trying so hard to be strong, but this is very painful.

“I don’t wish for anybody to work so hard and face something like this. I don’t.”

The video, which was shared on X.com on Monday by Spotlight Abby, tweeting with the handle #Spotlight_Abby, has garnered reactions from netizens, with some sympathising with the couple and others criticising the decision to invest in Lagos real estate citing recent incidents of demolitions.

It also raised concerns about the need for thorough due diligence before investing in real estate in the state.

One Nneka Busy Body tweeting as #Nnekabusybody wrote, “While this is sad I’m a bit confused. With the uncertain investment landscape of Lagos and everything we see and read about, you still went and bought property in Lagos in 2024? How? Why?”

Another user tweeting anonymously as #ideniyor wrote, “She and her husband deserve it. They bought a land without lawyers and due diligence. Cry me a river. The seller landed a fast one on them.”

This is not the first time property demolitions in Lagos have sparked controversy.

PUNCH reported last week that residents of Mende Estate Villa in the Maryland area of Lagos State decried the demolition of their multimillion-naira houses in the area by the state government while seeking compensation for a new shelter.

Speaking on the incident, the state commissioner for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that the government issued the residents of Mende Villa Estate two demolition notices in 2021 and 2023.

On Wednesday, Wahab, in a post on X.com, also hinted that illegal builders whose houses are demolished may soon be asked to pay for the demolition.

Watch video courtesy The PUNCH

𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨: 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞
A viral video circulating on social media shows a woman lamenting the demolition notice served on her… pic.twitter.com/ILHxPGgCJV
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) May 13, 2024