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NLC Threatens Showdown Over N70,000 Minimum Wage Default

Published

4 months ago

January 30, 2025

The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned state governments and other employers of labour, threatening decisive action against those who fail to implement the N70,000 national minimum wage and the corresponding salary adjustments by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

The warning was made by the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Mohammed Ibrahim, during the association’s National Leadership Retreat in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ibrahim, who also serves as the National Internal Auditor of the NLC, emphasised that state governments and institutions delaying or manipulating wage payments would face serious consequences.

Addressing journalists, Ibrahim criticised what he called the insincerity of some state governments and employers, accusing them of merely treating the wage increase as an “award” without proper implementation.

“The national minimum wage has been signed into law, and payments should have commenced nationwide. However, in most institutions and states, what they did was just to announce a figure without truly implementing it,” he said.

He noted that the intervention of the NLC had already forced some state governments to rush into agreements—many of which, he described, as “kangaroo agreements that have not seen the light of day.”

He said, “But I am happy that the NLC is not sleeping on this matter and that we have been engaging. And you can see that it was only when the NLC gave the directive that any state government that refused to implement the national minimum wage should face a strike, that you started seeing different state governors rushing to sign.

“Most of them are even kangaroo agreements that have not seen the light of day. “

Ibrahim assured Nigerian workers that the NLC would not relent in its fight for full compliance.

“But going forward, I can assure you, because I am the National Internal Auditor of the NLC and at the level of leadership, we are taking very stringent measures to ensure that between now and the end of this first quarter, any state or employer of labour that refuses to implement the national minimum wage and refuses to adjust workers’ salaries accordingly will face the consequences. The labour laws are there, and we have all that it takes to enforce our rights against those employers,” he said.

Reacting to allegations that members of the National Assembly were demanding N8 million from university Vice Chancellors before approving their institutions’ budgets, Ibrahim said if the claims were true, SSANU and other labour unions would resist such corrupt practices.

He stated, “Well, number one, I am not a Vice Chancellor, and therefore I cannot speak on behalf of Vice Chancellors. But when too much of rumours, naturally metamorphose into a reality, before the budget defence, we didn’t hear about this allegation.

“Now that the budget defence is going on, we have heard the allegations, and we have not seen anybody from the Senate or from the House of Representatives coming out to deny it. We just pray that that is not true. Our unions will also look at this very passionately as we resume this year.

“And I’m telling you, the National Assembly is not too big for us to fight. We will fight them because all of them belong to our constituencies and we will chase them out without further delay, we will only work with progressives.”

He lamented that many universities in Nigeria are unable to afford their electricity bills and questioned where they would find money for bribes.

“If our leaders in the National Assembly are the ones demanding such payments, then our unions will take a stand. The National Assembly is not too big for us to fight. We will resist them because they are representatives of our constituencies,” he vowed.

On the challenges faced by labour unions, Ibrahim admitted that strike actions have lost their effectiveness due to government indifference and worker fatigue.

“Some of our own members sabotage our collective struggle by engaging in blackmail and underhand dealings to derail strikes. But this happens in every sector,” he noted.

While acknowledging the limitations of industrial actions, he stressed that SSANU and other unions were exploring alternative strategies for negotiation.

He also emphasised the importance of capacity-building and continuous training for university staff to ensure that Nigerian universities remain centres of excellence.

“SSANU is an affiliate of the NLC, and we have benefited from international training programs. It is important that we bring this knowledge home and share it with our members,” he said.
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Immigration Officer Gets N5m For Arresting Fleeing Ritualist

Published

4 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

An immigration officer, Ugochukwu Orji, who arrested a fleeing Enugu State-based native doctor accused of killing and kidnapping people for rituals, has been rewarded with N5 million for his efforts by an industrialist, Ebuka Onunkwo.

Onunkwo, who is also a senatorial aspirant for the Anambra South senatorial by-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, hosted the immigration officer at his residence in Ihembosi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to a press statement released by his media team on Tuesday.

Orji was at his duty post along the Seme Border area last month when the fleeing native doctor, popularly known as “Ichie Billion” attempted to use a motorcycle to cross over to the Benin Republic from Nigeria at Seme Border, but having seen his face on the internet, he quickly intercepted him.

Recall that “Ichie Billion”, who hails from Umuojor village in the Isiagu Community of Enugu State, had been on the run after being declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force in connection with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl and alleged multiple ritual killings.

The native doctor was thereafter intercepted by the Nigerian Immigration Service and subsequently handed over to the Lagos State Police Command following his arrest at the border by the immigration officers.

Onunkwo, an industrialist, while presenting a cheque of ₦5 million to the immigration officer at his residence, said the gesture was part of his company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and encouragement for moral renaissance in the society.

News

Tariff Hikes Won’t Solve Nigeria’s Power Crisis, Expert Tells Tinubu

Published

4 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

Attempts by the current administration to rely on increased electricity tariffs to resolve Nigeria’s chronic power supply issues are unlikely to succeed, according to energy expert Nick Agu.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Agu argued for a fundamental restructuring of the power sector, prioritising infrastructure over tariff hikes.

Responding to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s optimism and recent celebration of Nigeria reaching a new peak generation of over 5,000 megawatts, Agu acknowledged the incremental increase as “a good thing, is good news.”

However, he quickly added, “But should we celebrate? The answer is probably not.”

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

He noted that while Nigeria, with over 200 million people, struggles with around 5,000 megawatts, South Africa (65 million people) boasts 55,000 megawatts, Brazil (200 million people) supplies 150,000 megawatts, and even Qatar (3 million people) provides 8,000 megawatts.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

News

From 158 To 351: Lagos Teen Excels In UTME After Initial Glitch

Published

5 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

A 16-year-old student, Oyindamola Apampa, has achieved a remarkable aggregate score of 351 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with 65 in English Language, 98 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics, and 90 in Chemistry.

Apampa, a student of Lagoon Secondary School in Lagos, described the feat as the result of determination, strategic preparation, and divine favour.

A statement on Tuesday revealed that it was her second attempt at the UTME, explaining that her initial score of 158 was later invalidated due to technical issues experienced at her exam centre.

She said, “In my first UTME attempt, I scored 158. However, the results were widely criticised and later acknowledged by the authorities as inaccurate due to technical glitches affecting several examination centres, including mine.

“Consequently, the examination body authorised a resit to address these irregularities. In the resit, I achieved a score of 351.”

She added that her parents played a crucial role in supporting her academic journey by fostering a learning-friendly environment at home.

“My parents made our home a positive place for studying. We have a full library in the family living room, in addition to a separate multimedia study room where the whole family often gets together to talk about different topics and help each other learn,” she shared.

Apampa also credited a learning centre in Lekki, Lagos, for providing her with additional academic support through UTME preparation classes and frequent mock examinations.

“The frequent mock exams at our learning centre were a great help in my preparation for UTME,” she said.

In his reaction to the learning centre head, Osayi Izedonmwen, stellar 98 per cent pass rate in the 2025 UTME, attributed the achievement to its hybrid learning approach.

“At Teesas, we are fully IT-equipped to seamlessly support both online and physical learning within a convenient and friendly environment. This has played a key role in helping our students excel,” Izedonmwen stated.

Apampa is no stranger to academic excellence. She was placed on her school’s Honours list after securing 10 As and one B in her Junior WAEC.

She has also represented her school in international competitions, such as the Conrad Challenge, where her team reached the final stage and earned a special mention.