Headline

LP, NLC Fight Dirty Over Scheduled National Convention

Published

1 month ago

March 16, 2024

Editor

…NLC passes vote of no confidence on Abure

…resign your position to contest Chairmanship, party mocks NLC President

…says Ajero desperate to replace Abure

A crisis of confidence has broken out between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the leadership of the Labour Party.

The NLC in a widely publicized letter passed a vote of no confidence on the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure and demanded his immediate resignation.

The Labour Union also dissociated itself from the national convention scheduled for March 27, 2024. It said the convention, which is being organised by the Comrade Julius Abure-led National Working Committee is illegal.

In response, the leadership of the Labour Party asked the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajero to resign his position to contest the Chairmanship position of the party since he appears desperate to replace Julius Abure.

National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, said this in a statement, in Abuja, on Saturday.

He said the party’s attention was drawn to a Press Release titled ‘A misadventure in political mischief, mismanagement and misdemeanour gone too far’ written by the NLC’s Political Commission as an agent of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

The NLC letter he said, did not come to party leaders as a surprise or a shock, because it was long expected before now, having known that the NLC was going to engage itself in this misadventure.

Ifoh said, “Nigerians will recall that in 2014, NLC has been involved in a war of blackmail and attrition against the Labour Party and its leadership.

“It was only recently, following the civil and diplomatic approach adopted by Barrister Julius Abure when he assumed leadership that he was able to get the then President of the NLC, Ayuba Waba and the then President of the Trade Union Congress, Olaleye Quadri to a truce where the NLC, TUC and Labour Party agreed to work together in harmony.

“Unfortunately, the rascality of the current president of the NLC, Joe Ajero has destroyed the successes already recorded. It must be noted that the NLC and its political commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress has written several letters to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and to the party on the need to conduct a national convention.

“In fact, the NLC has queried even the rationale behind the one year extension which was graciously granted by the NEC in session in Asaba, which is in line with the party constitution.

“The leadership of the party in its wisdom has decided to yield to their agitation for a convocation of a national convention.

“Article 14:4b of our party constitution mandates the National Secretary in consultation with the National Chairman to ‘issue notices of meetings of National Convention, NEC, NWC amongst others.

“ It is in the exercise of this power that the national chairman and national Secretary have called for the convention following the decision of the national executive council of the party.

“It is therefore ironical for the same NLC which has been agitating for a convention to now be demanding the rationale for the call for a convention.

“At this point, the leadership of the party wants to ask the NLC, what exactly do they want? If Joe Ajero is interested in the leadership of the party, he is therefore advised to resign as the President of the NLC and join in the contest for the National Chairmanship of the party that is scheduled for the convention on the 27th of March, 2024.”

He further said, “We must note that undue interference by the Nigeria Labour Congress on the affairs of the party has become worrisome and it has become needful to emphasis here the distinction that the Labour Party has a life of its own different from that of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“ In fact, the 1999 Constitution states clearly that once a political party is registered, it has a life of its own whereby it can run it’s own affairs without any interference.

“The Electoral Act and the Constitution provide that no organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation can not claim the ownership of the Labour Party.

“The constitution of the party is clear that it is only those who subscribe to the party and those who are financial members of the party are the owners of the party and therefore can have a say on the affairs of the party.

“The interference of the present leadership of the NLC on the party is really choking and we can hardly breath. It is this NLC leadership which pressured on the Party not to give His Excellency, Alex Otti the governorship ticket for the 2023 general election on the ground that he was allegedly not workers’ friendly when he was a Chief Executive of a bank.

“But today, that same Alex Otti is doing Labour Party proud with the work he is doing in Abia state.

“Again, the same NLC attempted to prevail on the leadership of the party to upload a different candidate other than Senator Athan Achonu after he won the Imo state party primaries under the Labour Party.

“It will shock Nigerians to know that members and officials of the NLC are not even card carrying members of the Labour Party. All over the country, NLC members have been found to be supporting either the APC or the PDP.

“It is again of importance to make certain clarification as to the so called judgements that were referred to by the NLC, we must indicate clearly that the Labour Party is not in default of any court judgment whatsoever.

“The agreement reached by the NLC to call for a convention is what we are following, we have fully implemented that agreement and the convention is in line with the agreement. We are therefore not in any default of court judgment as erroneously implied by the NLC.

“We therefore want to advise the NLC and its commission that it should focus only on its statutory responsibilities of defending the workers and the workers’ right.

“Today minimum wage is N30.000 while a bag of rice is N80.000. We hear about NLC talk about ethos and ethics of the Labour movement and the Labour Party, this is also an NLC that cannot call or sustain a strike for one or two days without calling it off.

“This is an NLC which cannot think of calling a protest and sustaining it in order to get the attention of the government for the interest of the workers.

“The present NLC should take a time to listen to the opinion Nigerians have formed about them. Can the NLC of today in any way be compared to NLC of the then Hassan Sumounu, Adams Oshiohmole and a few others in the past?”

The LP Spokesman said the leadership of the Trade Union Congress, TUC and it’s Political Commission under the leadership of Comrade Festus Osifo for their commitment to labour related issues and their refusal to sign the press release which the NLC issued.

The party equally advised Joe Ajero to emulate leadership of Ayuba Waba, Olaleye Quadri and Osifo in working closely with the party.

It noted that the ill-intended Press Release by the Political Commission also made a reference to spurious allegations made by the suspended National treasurer, Oluchi Opara and it attempted to give it some credence.

Adding, “This clearly exposes the mischief by the NLC to hoodwink the people. We have stated clearly that the total money received by the party was N1.3billion and no other report has contradicted it.

“So for the NLC to be quoting that spurious allegations goes to show that they are part of the challenges Labour Party has been facing.

“We are shocked that NLC which was a victim of a recent harassment, threat to life and brutalization of its president would express shock over similar treatment meted to our chairman, Barrister Julius Abure who was brutalized for political reasons and nothing more.

“We must also state clearly that our leader, Peter Obi made reference to the audit of the campaign account and not forensic audit for the Labour Party. In any case, we have stated clearly that the Labour Party is open to forensic audit of its accounts.

“We are even calling on the NLC to send its own external auditors to check our financial books. We are also calling on Peter Obi to expedite action on the auditing of our accounts. And for the NLC to be using this as a cheap blackmail is to show their high level of desperation and mischief.”
VANGUARD

Headline

Sad Story: Nigerian Who Relocated To UK In 2022 Beat Wife To Death With Skateboard

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Editor

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, Olubunmi Abodunde, has beaten his wife, Taiwo, to death with their son’s skateboard, Daily Mail reports.

The couple, who had three children, arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2022 and always clashed over alleged affairs and arguments about bills.

According to the news platform, 48-year-old Abodunde had been repeatedly investigated by Suffolk Police about domestic violence and was due to go on trial for murder but changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday after a jury had been sworn in.

During the abuse, officers heard ‘a number of bangs’ inside the house, which Abodunde had gone into, despite bail conditions imposed the day before that banned him from the property following another violent episode.

When they finally entered 25 minutes later, they found the wife, 41-year-old Taiwo, with her ‘skull smashed in’.

However, Judge Martyn Levett, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, warned him the only possible sentence was life imprisonment.

Suffolk Constabulary has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, which confirmed three officers were under investigation.

An IOPC spokesman said, “We advised two Suffolk officers that they are under investigation for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct.

“We advised another officer that they are under investigation at the level of misconduct.”

Abodunde had a history of jealousy and suspicion and accused his wife of having affairs. He had been investigated by police a number of times over alleged domestic violence incidents before his wife’s death.

He was arrested on April 27 last year when police arrived at the couple’s home in Newmarket, Suffolk, and found Mrs Abodunde with a split lip.

Later that day, he was freed on police bail with the condition that he stayed away from the marital home and didn’t approach his wife.

But after working a night shift at Tesco, he went home just after 9 am to allegedly pick up his mobile phone.

Two officers arrived at 9.20 am to take a statement from Mrs Abodunde about the previous night’s incident and heard repeated banging noises inside.

But it wasn’t until 9.55 am that they forced their way in after getting approval from senior officers and found Mrs Abodunde ‘obviously dead’ near the front door.

A post-mortem examination later showed she had been throttled until she fell unconscious, then stamped on until her ribs were broken before her husband used the skateboard to finish her off. The blows were so violent that the skateboard was damaged.

Prosecutor Simon Spence KC told the court the banging officers heard was likely to have been Abodunde continuing to attack his wife after she was unconscious or dead.

Mrs Abodunde had a job as a care home assistant in Cambridge, but her husband, who had trained as a civil engineer, was unable to find work in his profession and took shifts at Tesco and Wickes.

After his arrest for the murder, Abodunde was taken to hospital “because he appeared to have some sort of mental episode”.

He later claimed in a police statement he had acted in self-defence, saying, “My wife has subjected me to physical abuse for a number of years.

“On November 28, we got into an argument. She ran at me with a knife, I grabbed the knife and cut my hand. I was defending myself.”

But the court heard while he did have an injury to his hand, there wasn’t a knife near his wife’s body.

Nneka Akudolu KC, defending, said the level of violence was ‘completely out of character’ for her client and might have been affected by medication he was taking. But she said no medical evidence would be provided to support this claim.

Detective Inspector Dan Connick, of Suffolk Police, said after the hearing, “This was an awful attack on a woman that has had a lasting impact on the community and, most importantly, on the victim’s family.

‘We are pleased that Taiwo’s family will no longer have to go through the pain of a trial.

‘Our thoughts remain with Taiwo’s family and friends and hope this result will bring some small comfort to them.’

Taiwo Abodunde worked for Cambridge Manor Care Home, which provides dementia care and residential and respite care.

A spokesman for the facility, which is owned by TLC Care, said: ‘We are all deeply shaken and upset by the tragic death of Taiwo, who was a much-loved member of our home community.

‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family. Taiwo always cared for those we support with compassion and kindness, and she will be greatly missed by all of us and our residents.’

Abodunde was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 9.

Headline

GWR: Ghanian Student Sets New Record For Hugging 1,123 Trees In One Hour

Published

15 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Editor

A 29-year-old Ghanaian environmental activist and forestry student, Abubakar Tahiru, has etched his name in the Guinness Book of World Records by hugging 1,123 trees in one hour.

The Guinness World Record announced this on Friday, adding that Tahiru’s accomplishment not only makes him the record holder but also the first person to ever hold this title as he “easily surpassed the minimum requirement of 700.”

The event was said to have taken place at the Tuskegee National Forest in Alabama, USA, where he embraced nearly 19 trees per minute.

According to GWR, Tahiru grew up in a farming community in Tepa, Ghana, where he developed a keen interest in nature and its conservation.

After completing his undergraduate degree specialising in forestry at one of Ghana’s top universities, he moved to Alabama last year to begin his master’s degree in forestry at Auburn University.

Describing the challenge, GWR disclosed that a successful tree hug is defined as both arms wrapped around a tree in a close embrace. No tree may be hugged more than once, and no damage can be caused to any tree, or else the attempt is disqualified.

It further stated that Tahiru attempted this challenge while he was fasting during Ramadan, preventing him from drinking water despite the strenuous activity.

He also had to move quickly between trees while ensuring that each hug met the required standards.

Speaking with GWR, Tahiru said, “Not being able to drink water throughout the attempt posed a significant challenge, especially given the physical exertion required.

“However, this also proved to be helpful in a way, as there was no need to pause for water breaks, allowing me to continue the attempt uninterrupted from start to finish.

“Achieving this world record feels incredibly rewarding.”

Headline

LIST: 25 Countries Where TikTok Is Banned

Published

16 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Editor

United States President Joe Biden recently signed a bill that could potentially result in the ban of TikTok in the US if its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year.

US lawmakers are concerned about the potential national security risks associated with the app, particularly if the Chinese government were to gain access to the data it collects.

Many countries have taken action to limit or ban TikTok, citing worries about privacy, security, or ethical issues.

Different approaches have been taken by various countries, with some implementing comprehensive restrictions and others focusing on particular features of the app or a partial ban on government devices.

Here is a list of countries that have implemented various forms of restrictions:

Countries with a complete ban

China

TikTok’s international version is not accessible within China. Instead, users are required to download Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, which is subject to strict content control by the Chinese Communist Party.

Senegal

Senegal implemented a complete ban on the application following allegations that an opposition candidate had utilised the platform to disseminate “hateful and subversive messages.” The Senegalese government has declined to restore the app until a system is created that enables them to delete individual accounts.

Somalia

The Somali government officially outlawed TikTok, Telegram, and 1XBet, an online betting platform, in August 2023.

North Korea

Access to the internet is heavily restricted for the majority of North Korean citizens. While a select few websites and apps are allowed for the privileged elite, TikTok is not included in this list.

Afghanistan

In April 2022, the Taliban government decided to ban TikTok, citing concerns about its influence on young people.

India

India banned TikTok in 2020, including on personal devices, following a border clash between China and India in 2020. The ban was prompted by concerns about data theft and the government’s claim that certain apps were stealing. Many creators migrated to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

Iran

TikTok, along with other globally popular social media platforms like X and Facebook, has been banned by the Islamic Republic.

Uzbekistan

Since July 2021, TikTok has been inaccessible in Uzbekistan due to the authorities’ claim that the app does not adhere to the country’s personal data protection laws.

Countries with a partial ban on TikTok

Indonesia

In October 2023, Indonesia took action against TikTok Shop, a feature of the app that enables creators to sell products to their followers, due to its violation of the country’s e-commerce laws.

Kyrgyzstan

In August 2023, the small country, which was once part of the Soviet Union, decided to ban TikTok. The government justified this action by stating that the application harmed the growth and well-being of children.

Russia

There are limitations on the content that Russians can access on TikTok, resulting in a primary focus on videos created by Russian users. Recent reports indicate that the Russian government is planning to prohibit the use of TikTok, to promote the adoption of local social media platforms among its citizens.

Countries with bans on government-owned devices

In April 2023, the Australian government decided to ban TikTok on their devices. However, it remains accessible on devices owned by the general public.

Austria

In May 2023, TikTok was banned on all devices used by government employees in Austria.

Canada

On February 28, Canada banned the use of TikTok on all devices provided by the government because of concerns regarding privacy and security.

Denmark

In March 2023, Denmark’s Ministry of Defence decided to ban the use of the app on its employees’ work phones. Additionally, the country’s main public service broadcaster implemented specific protocols, requiring journalists to obtain special approval before using the app for reporting purposes. This action was taken in response to a warning from Denmark’s Centre for Cybersecurity.

Estonia

In March 2023, the use of TikTok on the work phones of state officials in Estonia was banned.

European Union

Employees of the European Parliament, European Commission, and E.U. Council are no longer allowed to have TikTok on their work phones, as the three main institutions of the E.U. implemented a ban.

France

In March of 2023, France banned the use of Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok on government employees’ mobile devices.

United Kingdom

In March 2023, the U.K. banned all government employees from using TikTok on government-provided mobile devices.

United States

The US military and US Congress have both taken action to block access to TikTok on all of their personnel’s devices.

Nearly half of the states have outright banned the app on state-owned devices, and in March 2023, the federal government followed suit.

Ireland

In April 2023, the Irish government implemented a ban on TikTok for use on government devices.

Belgium

The Belgian government announced in March 2024 the ban of the app on all government devices. TikTok remains accessible on devices not associated with government entities.

Taiwan

In December 2022, Taiwan implemented a ban on the usage of Chinese-made software, including TikTok, on all government devices. This decision came after a warning from the FBI.

Latvia

The Latvian Foreign Ministry banned the app from official company phones in March 2023.

Malta

In Malta, government-provided cell phones have restricted access to TikTok and other non-government applications.