News
Minimum Wage: Tinubu’s Meeting With Labour Ends In Deadlock
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s meeting with organized Labour on Thursday, July 11, concluded without any new developments regarding the national minimum wage.
Previously, the government and the organized private sector had agreed on a N62,000 wage, while organized Labour insisted on a minimum of N250,000.
A new meeting between President Tinubu and organized Labour is scheduled for next week to continue discussions on the national minimum wage.
Labour representatives indicated that the one-week break will allow them to reflect on the issues raised during Thursday’s discussions.
Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Usifoh, affirmed that the meeting did not discuss anything in terms of naira and kobo.
The minister noted that President Tinubu only had a discussion with the leadership of organized labour as a father to children but expressed the hope that a solution will soon be found to the minimum wage issue.
READ ALSO: [JUST IN] MINIMUM WAGE: Again, Labour Leaders In Closed Session With Tinubu
“It was a meeting between father and children and… I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved. When father and children talk, you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened and it took us almost like an hour, and I believe that it’s all for good”, she said.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, President of the NLC, Comrade Ajaero said that there was nothing like negotiation at the meeting but rather a discussion on the current economic realities in the country.
According to him, “In a real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week.
“So that’s where we are because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on”, he said.
Asked whether the organized labour insisted on the N250,000 demand at the meeting, the NLC President said: “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into Naria and Kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Tinubu Invites Labour For Minimum Wage Talk
Also speaking, the President of TUC, Osifo, said that the organized Labour put all the economic indices on the table and how it was biting on Nigerians.
“In the meeting, we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bordering and biting Nigerians today, are the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, and how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market.
“So, we tried to put these before Mr President because he is the President of the country and the bulk stops at his table.
“We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today (Thursday) we said let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that Labour always makes.
READ ALSO: CAC To Cancel Certificates Of BDCs With Revoked Licences
“We made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal and monetary issues. So, we put everything forward and at the end, the President made his remark as the President and we all agreed let’s go back to internalize it, have some conversations and by one week time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting”, he said.
Speaking in an interview, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed optimism that there would be a positive result after next week’s meeting.
“Recall that already there is 62,000 naira that has been put out there from the government side and the organized private sector but the organized labour is still not accepting that but we know that they will come to the table, we know that this is something that is going to be workable for Nigerians.
“The organized labour and the government will reach an agreement. We have adjourned now for a week. The labour union has asked the government to allow them At least a week to discuss this further and we have allowed them. We’re going to reconvene in the next one week and we hope and we believe by the end of the day, we’ll have something good for all Nigerians.
READ ALSO: Ex-Accountant General Begs For Time To Refund Looted Funds
“We do hope that by the time we come together again next week, we’ll have something that we can put out for Nigerians to see and to agree with.”
However, a source privy to the meeting said that the President urged the organized labour to consider the N62,000 offer the federal government and the organized private sector made.
According to the source, President Tinubu narrated what led to the subsidy removal and how Nigeria was feeding her neighbours and was suffering.
The source said: “President Tinubu suggested that instead of waiting for five years to review the minimum wage, we can continue to dialogue and see the possibility of reviewing it every two years.
“He also said that the Organized Labour should consider the N62,000 offer because it is double of the N30,000 we were paying.”
The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that when the NLC President reminded Tinubu that it would amount to wage reduction if the organized labour accepts N62,000 as the least paid worker currently goes home with N72,000 (including wage award and 40% increase), he (President Tinubu) was just laughing.
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News
Court Restrains EDSIEC, Edo Govt From Conducting LG By-elections
Published
2 hours agoon
September 18, 2025By
Editor
An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City has restrained the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) and the state government from going ahead with planned local government by-elections across 59 wards in the state.
The Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice was also a party to the suit.
Justice Mary E. Itsueli, sitting as a vacation judge, granted the order on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, following an ex-parte motion brought to the court by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP, through its counsels, Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, Michael Ekwemuka and P. W. Akwuen, in the suit marked: B/247M/2025, had prayed the court for leave to apply for judicial review of EDSIEC’s decision to conduct by-elections to fill councillorship positions in the affected wards.
READ ALSO:Court Orders Arrest Of 2 Lawyers Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation
The party argued that the councillors’ tenures remain valid until September 2026, making any attempt to declare their seats vacant unlawful.
Justice Itsueli, who held that the applicants had shown sufficient grounds for the court to intervene, also referred the matter to the Chief Judge of Edo State for reassignment to a regular court, fixing September 30, 2025, for the return date.
In the enrolment order sighted by our correspondent, the PDP sought “an Order granting leave to the Applicant to apply for judicial review of the decision of the 1st Respondent to conduct election across 59 wards purportedly to fill vacancies to their legislative seats/offices of Councillors sponsored by the Applicant, when their respective tenures subsist until September, 2026.”
The PDP also asked the court to grant “an Order that the Respondents stay further action and be restrained from conducting the election or taking any further steps in connection with the planned Local Government by election across 59 wards in Local Government Areas of Edo State, particularly as it relates to the seats/offices of the duly elected Councillors in their respective Wards, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Motion on notice for judicial review to be filed pursuant to the grant of leave.”
READ ALSO:Men Can Take Wives’ Surnames —South Africa’s Top Court Rules
Having duly considered the application and submission of the Counsels to the PDP, the Court ordered that “the applicants are granted leave to apply for Judicial review of the decision of the 1st Respondent to conduct by elections across 59 Wards, purportedly to fill vacancies in the legislative seats/offices of Councillors sponsored by the Applicant, when their respective tenures subsist until September, 2026.”
The Court also ordered that the “respondents are to stay further actions and are restrained from conducting the election or taking any further steps in connection with the planned Local Government by-election across 59 wards in the Local Government Area of Edo State, particularly as it relates to the seats/offices of the duly elected Councillors in their respective wards, pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion on notice for Judicial review to be filed pursuant to the grant of leave.”
“This case is referred to the Honourable Chief Judge for assignment to a regular court. Return date is 30th September 2025,” Justice Mary Itsueli noted.
News
JUST IN: Kenya Airways Pays NCAA Sanction Fee For Passenger’s Rights Violations
Published
4 hours agoon
September 18, 2025By
Editor
Kenya Airways has paid the sanction fee imposed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over passenger rights violations, including the case involving Nigerian traveller Gloria Omisore.
According to a post by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, on his official X account on Thursday, the airline settled the penalty on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, following a series of meetings that included the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, airline representatives, and officials from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“Kenya Airways has, on Wednesday 17/09/2025, paid the sanction fee as a penalty for the Gloria Omisore and other consumer protection-related infractions,” Achimugu confirmed.
READ ALSO:NCAA Slams Penalty On Kenya Airways Over Gloria Omisore, Others
He stressed that NCAA sanctions are not designed to punish operators but to strengthen compliance with safety and passenger-handling standards.
“As always, NCAA sanctions are not to punish operators, but to help improve their flight operations, especially with regard to safety and passenger handling protocols,” he said.
While commending Kenya Airways for complying, Achimugu noted that payment of fines does not conclude the matter, as the timeframe for resolving the cases has already elapsed. “The payment of sanction fines does not conclude the issues. The NCAA will follow through and is assuring both passengers and airlines of its commitment to protecting their rights and responsibilities,” he added.
Achimugu also emphasised the airline’s long-standing partnership with Nigeria, noting that the penalty was case-specific and does not diminish the positive aspects of its operations.
The NCAA said it would continue to enforce regulations to safeguard passenger rights and ensure airlines adhere to international aviation standards.
READ ALSO:NCAA Petitions IGP Over KWAM 1’s Unruly Conduct In Abuja Airport
In February, Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore accused Kenya Airways of mishandling her during a disrupted trip that left her stranded at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Omisore, who had been denied boarding on her connecting flight to Paris due to a missing Schengen transit visa, claimed the airline had earlier assured her she was eligible to travel. The visa issue resulted in a 17-hour layover, followed by an additional 10-hour delay for an alternative London route offered by the airline.
During the long wait, Omisore requested accommodation and care, citing exhaustion and health concerns, but Kenya Airways declined, arguing that such provisions do not apply in visa-related denied boardings. The situation escalated into a confrontation, captured on video, where Omisore allegedly threw used sanitary pads at staff.
In response, the NCAA launched an investigation, finding Kenya Airways guilty of breaching consumer protection regulations and misleading the public in its initial statements.
On May 7, 2025, the NCAA sanctioned the airline, ordering compensation of 1,000 Special Drawing Rights for each of the three affected passengers, including Omisore, and demanding a public apology.
News
Flood: Residents Chide Edo Govt Over Failure To Show Concern
Published
4 hours agoon
September 18, 2025By
Editor
Residents of Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State have lambasted the Governor Monday Okpehbolo-led state government over failure to show concern on the tragic incident where a cocoa merchant, Frank Omoruyi, was swept away by flood.
Recall that it was reported on Tuesday that flood swept away a man earlier identified as motorcyclist.
The residents, while expressing displeasure over the state government’s failure to send any rescue team to help recover the corpse, said they paid what they termed ‘good money’ to divers from Benue State to recover Omoruyi’s corpse from a burrow pit at Uwenbo area after two days of intense search.
READ ALSO:Okpebholo Warns Companies Against Fuelling Edo–Delta Boundary Dispute
The residents who lamented that no state government or local government official joined in the rescue operation, threatened to protest and stop further construction work of the Benin-Auchi highway.
A resident, Samuel Osarenkhoe said: “Two Benue boys were hired to get the body out. We paid them handsomely. He was a cocoa merchant. He was our member and a good friend.
Another resident, Luis Ebabulu, said: “They were saddened that no government official visited the community two days after the incident occurred.
READ ALSO:Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH
“No government official has been here since the incident occurred. We have been contributing money to pay people to search for the body. We are coming out tomorrow to protest to stop the project. They cannot be doing roads and be killing us.
“Flooding and erosion problems have been worsened by the construction of the Benin-Auchi highway. The contractor channeled flood water to the borrowed pit.”
Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, said Governor l has desilted drainages across the state.
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