News

Terrorism: Why Nigeria’s Insecurity Will Never End Soon — Unionist

Published

3 years ago

July 28, 2022

Veteran trade unionist, Peter Esele has warned the Federal Government that the pervading insecurity in the country will never end unless public universities are re-opened.

Mr Esele, a former President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, gave the warning while commenting on the solidarity protest embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

He was speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin.

The NLC called up the protest on July 26 to show solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has been on strike for over five months.

The academic body has been at loggerheads with the Federal Government over the years for the apparent inability of the government to meet the terms of its agreements with the union.

According to Esele, the NLC ought to have staged the protest a long time ago to show its displeasure but “better late than never.’’

He pointed out that the current strike could hurt the upcoming general elections, advising the government to take steps to resolve the issues with ASUU, to save the future of democracy in the country.

The former TUC chief noted that the latest ASUU strike could have been avoided if the Federal Government had kept faith and respected the terms of agreements reached with ASUU.

“If you ask why ASUU is on strike right now, it is because they had negotiations with the Federal Government in 2009 and there was an agreement.

“That agreement was supposed to have been implemented by the government but they didn’t implement it.

“In 2014, the government paid N200 billion out of the N1.2 trillion ASUU demanded and in 2019, the government paid only N20 billion.

“So when the government has gone ahead not to fulfil the terms of agreements reached, what you have naturally is for ASUU to go on strike to press its demands,” he said.

Esele said that the solidarity protest by the NLC nationwide was to make everybody know that the continuous closure of public universities in the country was dangerous for the nation and the education sector in particular.

He pointed out that from 1999 till date, the nation’s universities had been shut cumulatively for about six years.

“Yet, we express surprise over the current insecurity. You have millions of Nigerian youths sitting at home and doing nothing.

“More so, infrastructure in the universities are decaying because nobody is there to manage them. You have an economy around universities, right now that economy is nil.

“Workers in that environment, real estate and even parents in the universities’ environment are all at home, so why are you surprised about insecurity.

“An idle mind, they say, is the devil’s workshop,” he warned.

Esele stressed that if the government had been committed to honouring agreements reached with ASUU and paid N200 billion yearly since the agreement was reached, it would have long completed the payment and forestalled the strike by ASUU.

News

DSS Issues Warning, Arrests Man For Circulating Fake Recruitment Materials

Published

15 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) has disclosed the arrest of one Mr. Eze Ezenwa Benard, who was recently apprehended for circulating fake DSS recruitment past questions and answers on Facebook.

The agency, while warning the public in a statement on Saturday, said the suspect operated through a page known as “Jobs and Education”, where he advertised the fraudulent materials and charged unsuspecting members of the public one thousand naira (N1,000) for access.

“The public is hereby cautioned to disregard any materials, as the DSS does not sell or distribute recruitment questions, answers, or examination guides through private individuals or social media pages. Recruitment into the Service, when necessary, follows specialised procedure in accordance with extant laws and due process,” the statement reads.

News

‘Na Only People You Gave Work Love You,’ Singer Speed Darlington Tells Tinubu

Published

15 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Singer Speed Darlington has told President Bola Tinubu that public admiration cannot be bought, warning that only those who received appointments or jobs from the government truly support him.

In a video posted on Saturday, August 23, the singer said, “Everything isn’t about the economy! There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you.”

Darlington, an Igbo man, urged Tinubu to focus on police reform and respect for human rights. “The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.

“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate. Please, before you leave office, please speak to your Yoruba brother IGP man,” he added.

News

Before You Leave Office, Reform The Police — Speed Darlington Urges Tinubu

Published

15 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Popular controversial singer Speed Darlington has called on President Bola Tinubu to reform the Nigerian Police Force, urging the government to prioritise citizens’ rights alongside economic growth.

In a video posted on Saturday, the entertainer criticised what he described as the police’s systemic human rights violations and oppressive practices.

“Mr President, before you leave office, whether you secure a second term or not, try your best to improve Nigeria. Everything isn’t about the economy!

“There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you,” he said.

The singer, who identifies as Igbo, urged Tinubu to engage with the Inspector-General of Police and implement reforms.

“As an Igbo man, the advice I can give you so people will know your name and remember you for something good is to reform the police. Reform the police.

“The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.

“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate,” he added.

Darlington also recounted his personal ordeal with law enforcement, highlighting the system’s abuse of power.

“I was held for two months after the judge had ordered my release. FID held me for two months. According to my lawyer, the Nigerian law gives only 28 days for investigation.

“They held me for two months. What is the extra month for? Because they can. If you give them money, they oppress your enemy. I have experienced it,” he said.