News

Unpaid Salary: Kogi Workers Turn Beggars

Published

3 years ago

December 22, 2022

Editor

Workers under Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State are crying for help over the failure of the State Government to pay their November salary.

DAILY POST in this special report takes a look at how the crisis in Bassa land has caused pensioners and workers in the Local Government pains.

Bassa Local Government has been enmeshed in crisis since 2016, with several people killed, houses destroyed and many indigenes displaced. The crisis is between Bassa Komu and the Egbira Mozum. DAILY POST gathered that both tribes have been at each other over disputes over fish ponds.

The government had set up a commission of enquiry to look into the crisis but nothing had been done. This development further compounded the problem of the people working in Bassa Local Government.

DAILY POST learnt that Local Government workers and pensioners have been collecting percentage salaries. Some Local Government workers, including pensioners allegedly take 20 percent, while some workers’ take home pay on a monthly basis is N1,200.

Speaking to DAILY POST, a Local Government Worker in Bassa, LGA identified as Mohammed described the action of the Government as wicked and unacceptable.

According to him, the State Government allegedly withheld their salaries because of the communal crisis in the Local Government.

He maintained that the Government should come out clean on the reasons for withholding their salaries.

Explaining further, Mohammed said, “How will a Government say they are not paying Local Government workers in Bassa salaries because of the pocket crisis in some part of the Local Government. As I speak to you, we are now begging for food.

“They said if they pay us, we will use the money to finance the crisis. How on earth will they come up with such a flimsy excuse? How much are they paying us? What of the innocent people who know nothing about the crisis ravaging our Local Government?

“The Government should come up with another excuse. Let us talk of Borno State that Boko Haram has been causing mayhem for many years. Why didn’t Governor Zulum seize Local Government workers’ salaries? This is corruption in the highest order. This is our money.

“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to help us intervene. Christmas is around the corner. We don’t have anything to buy food or clothes for our children”.

A lawmaker in Bassa Local Government, who never wanted his name mentioned, told DAILY POST that councillors were affected by the non-payment of November salaries by the Government.

“I can’t imagine myself as a lawmaker here in Bassa suffering and smiling. It is not as if the Government is doing any road here or providing relief material for the people. The relief materials we received are from NEMA. This money they are hoarding, are they saying when the crisis stops, they will pay us our outstanding salaries.

“Every other Local Government in Kogi State has collected their salaries, why is Bassa LGA different? We can’t continue like this. Some people in this Government are allegedly sitting on this money. They are using Local Government workers’ money and pensioners to enrich themselves. They should not forget that what goes around comes around. They won’t remain in power forever. We are just rubber stamp councillors”.

Kogi NUP reacts:

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Kogi State confirmed the failure of the Government to pay pensioners of Bassa Local Government their November salary. The State NUP Chairman, Engr. Clement Ohida told DAILY POST that he felt the pains of the pensioners, stressing that efforts were still ongoing to see that their salaries were paid.

“November pension has not been paid. My finding is that the pension board is still discussing with the government on how to pay them what they are entitled to. I will not speculate on why they have not been paid, but it is not unconnected with the security situation and in-fighting going on there. You know, if the pension board wants to pay them, the funds come from the Local Government.

“If the DLG and Treasurer are not able to function properly, it will definitely hamper the movement of funds to pay them. It is pathetic. I will appeal to the Government to look into it and ensure that they are paid promptly. Stakeholders in Bassa should also look inward and maintain peace so that all that is needed to be done to progress their lives, and facilitate the celebration of Christmas is done on time. Indigenes of Bassa both at home and outside the environment should put heads together to maintain peace,” he said.

When contacted, the Chairman of Bassa Local Government Hon. Muktar Muhammed said he had no idea why workers and pensioners in his Local Government had not been paid when other Local Governments had received theirs. He however, referred our correspondent to the Local Government DLG, Abdullahi Salihu for further enquiry.

When contacted, the DLG Bassa Local Government told DAILY POST to ask the Local Government Chairman for the delay in the payment of November salary for Local Government workers and pensioners in Bassa LGA.

His words, “Ours is just a directive to hold on. I cannot speak about the reason why only Bassa LGA salary is being withheld. All I can tell you is that we have a directive to hold on yet, but the reason we can’t give. Probably, the Executive Chairman of the Local Government might know the reason.

“Ours is a directive to DLG and Treasurers to Bassa Local Government to hold on yet. We work alongside the ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs. The directive came from there. But the reasons we can’t tell.”

All efforts to speak with the Kogi State Ministry of Local Government on the matter proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.

News

VIDEO: Why I’ve Never Tried Convincing My Christian Wife To Convert To Islam — Tinubu

Published

3 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he has never attempted to convince his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, to convert to Islam, stressing his belief in love, religious freedom, and mutual respect among people of different faiths.

Speaking on Saturday at the funeral service of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwada, Tinubu said his marriage to a Christian pastor has never created any conflict in their home.

The president, who arrived in Jos, Plateau State around 2 p.m. for the ceremony at the COCIN headquarters church, said he inherited Islam from his family and has always upheld the principle of freedom of religion.

He noted that both he and the First Lady serve the same God and would ultimately be answerable to Him, adding that what matters most are people’s deeds, character, and love for others.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace tolerance and peaceful coexistence, emphasising that hate should never have a place in the country.

He also prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Lydia Yilwada and asked God to grant comfort and blessings to those she left behind.

He said, “Hate is not an option for us. Love is what you preach, that we should love one another.

“Nobody, nobody determines what God has ordained. God’s ordained action and his promises are what matter. I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor. She prays for me.

“No conflict. And I never did at any single time try to convince her or convert her. I believe in the freedom of religion.

“We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same almighty God. We will answer to him. We will account to him. Our deeds, our character, our love for our fellow beings are what are important.

“May the almighty accept the soul of Lydia and give all that she left behind blessings and glory, so we say, may her soul rest in peace.”

News

UK Police Quiz Six After Fatal Synagogue Attack

Published

6 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

Six people arrested on suspicion of “terrorism”-linked offences after a fatal car-ramming and knife attack on a UK synagogue remained in police custody on Saturday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged people not to take part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded in Thursday’s attack in northwestern Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, within minutes of the alarm being raised.

Three men and three women are in custody.

The attack has heightened fear among Britain’s Jewish community.

Police said they were patrolling places of worship across the city “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.

The attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

The Gaza conflict has inflamed passions in Britain, with frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in cities that some critics allege have stoked antisemitism.

A “global movement for Gaza UK” protest went ahead in London late on Thursday, with police making 40 arrests.

London’s Metropolitan Police asked organisers delay another planned demonstration backing the banned Palestine Action group later on Saturday.

However, organisers Defend Our Juries rejected the calls.

A spokesman said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.

– Accidental shooting –

Starmer urged protesters not to join the pro-Palestinian rally.

“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.

During the attack, Shamie was seen “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”, synagogue chairman of trustees Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, told ITV News.

“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in,” he added.

A UK police watchdog, meanwhile, said it would look at the police shooting of Shamie.

The probe would also look at the shooting of a second victim who suffered a fatal gunshot and a third person who was shot but survived.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was no evidence anyone other than police used firearms at the scene.

“Our independent investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” it said in a statement.

“A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”

IOPC investigations are standard practice in situations where the use of force by police may have resulted in the death of a member of the public.

News

Edo Inaugurates Committee On Drug Abuse, Healthy Living

Published

9 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

L-R: ACGN, NDLEA, Fidelis Cocodia, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani during the Inauguration

Edo State Government has inaugurated Drug Control Committee for the state and local governments, aimed at curbing the menace of drug abuse in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Monday Okpehbolo said the committee was not only saddled with the responsibility of curbing the menace of illicit substances, but to promote healthier living across communities in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo described the initiative as “a vital step in our unwavering commitment to stopping the menace of drug trafficking and substance use among youths.”

The governor, who bemoaned the rising tide of drug dependency and its impact on society, pointed out that the committee’s creation aligns with the national drug master plan and represents a bold stride toward protecting Edo future generations.

On his part, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, represented by ACGN, Fidelis Cocodia, Zonal Commander, Zone 13, emphasised grassroots interventions, awareness campaigns, and support systems as the backbone of the fight against drug abuse.

Edo State commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed that while national drug use prevalence stands at 14.4 percent, Edo state surpasses the average at 15 percent.

He noted that the state is one of the hardest-hit states in the country, warning that the trend has fueled crime and heightened youth vulnerability.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole pledged to make Edo a model in drug control through rehabilitation, youth enlightenment, and second-chance opportunities for recovering addicts.

Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, described drug abuse as a pandemic, noting that “you hardly see a crime without drugs being involved.”

She added that women’s empathy and influence must be harnessed in the campaign against drug abuse.