By David Owei

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, on Thursday, revealed his disagreement with the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

Governor Diri also disclosed the position of the South-South governors on the project, insisting that they were unanimous in their support for the coastal road and against its re-alignment with the East-West road.

The Bayelsa governor was however unsparing in his response to the comments of a former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, who he described as a jester, a pretender and a politician without a base.G

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said he spoke during the 200th session of the state executive council in Government House, Yenagoa.

His words: “I read, like everyone else, that there would be a realignment and that the coastal road would be merged with the East-West Road, which I do not believe is the same project. That should be a South-South road.

“I privately called the Minister of Works and said, “Honourable Minister, that is a no, no, no for us. These are two different projects.

“I agree with you that the East-West Road should be reconstructed. It is called the East-West Road, but its reconstruction should not take the place of the coastal road.

“While you reconstruct the East-West Road, the coastal road must continue because you have already won the hearts of all the coastal states.”

He stated that the discussion got to the point that they disagreed.

“I told him that, for me and my state, the coastal road must continue. He kept mentioning Mr President’s name, and I felt that he was the implementer, and was the one who addressed the media. So, go back and tell Mr President that this is the position of the governors of the South-South, because I also speak as chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum.”

On Donald Duke, the Bayelsa governor said he was perplexed watching a video clip of the former Cross River State governor speak on the project on a television programme.

Diri expressed shock that a son of the South-South could describe the project as not feasible because, according to him, Bayelsa was a swamp.

“When I watched the video and listened to everything he said about the coastal road, what actually made me respond was the example he gave using my state, Bayelsa. He said the coastal road was not feasible, and his reason was that even the state capital of Bayelsa is a swamp. According to him, for the coastal road to pass through Bayelsa, 100 to 200 bridges would have to be constructed.”

The Bayelsa helmsman, who described Duke, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate as a pretender, said he did nothing as governor when the Bakassi Peninsula was ceded from Nigeria to Cameroon.

“You pretend to be a presidential candidate of PRP. There is not even a councillor from PRP in Cross River. Not even in your own ward. Yet, you pretend to be a presidential candidate so that at the end of the day you can be rehabilitated.

“You can continue to be your national and international champion without a nucleus, without a base.

“I advise you to go back and settle the huge debts hanging over the heads of generations yet unborn, debts that you incurred and passed on to successive governments in your state.

“Do not use Bayelsa State as an example of a place where roads cannot be built. You were in office when Bakassi was ceded out of Nigeria. But because you were not a local champion, you did nothing about it.

“Above all, Donald Duke, you embarked on a white-elephant called Tinapa. You took loans and incurred debts that you placed a huge burden on the people of Cross River State and every governor and government that succeeded you. That is because you were not a local champion.

“I believe you are more of a jester and a pretender. You pretend to be a presidential candidate, even though you have been out of government for over a decade — almost two decades.”

Diri explained that it was not in his character to engage in public disagreement or fight with people.

“I am not one of those who insult people. I do not insult leaders or elders. But what you have done is not just about me. It is about my environment and my people. I will always stand tall to defend this environment and the people of Bayelsa State.

“With our limited resources as a state government, we are building bridges and roads in the same swamp that he says cannot be developed. We are inviting him to come to Bayelsa since he has used our state as an example.”

He said that in his earlier response, he reminded Duke that it was the same swamps that produced the golden egg that fuelled the entire Nigerian economy.

“Yet, after that press statement, which I asked my Chief Press Secretary to issue, the former governor of Cross River State went back to say what I saw as more of an insult to my person. He started by saying, “That fellow.”

“Donald Duke, I am not that fellow. I am the sitting governor of Bayelsa State.

“He also said, I don not even know that fellow. But I do not want you to know me from Adam, and I don not know you just as you do not know me.

“Hear me well: I am not that fellow. I am an elected, sitting governor of Bayelsa State, and I am very surprised that this is coming from a son of the Niger Delta and, more importantly, a former governor who should respect the office of a governor at all times.

“He did not stop there. He went on to say that, since I do not know him, he is a local champion.

“Yes, I am a local champion because that is where I was raised. I was elected to defend the local people. I was elected to champion their cause. I was elected to see possibilities where there seem to be impossibilities.”

According to Diri, it was time to end the difficult terrain narrative about Bayelsa in relation to its development.

“Enough of this narrative that the Bayelsa environment cannot be developed. Oil and gas resources can be taken away from our land, but the land itself cannot be developed? That is a fat lie from the pit of hell, and we reject it.”

Diri praised President Bola Tinubu for the coastal highway project and that it holds much significance for the Niger Delta people and the Ijaw nation in particular.

“The coastal road is a very important, relevant and impactful project for every state along the coastline, particularly for us in the South-South and Bayelsa State.

“If you recall, on the day we were all crossing over from PDP to APC, I brought out a document containing the demands of the Ijaw National Congress (INC). One of the major demands, dating back to the military era, was the construction of the coastal road. These were some of the relevant issues that made some of us decide to say, “okay, let us go.”

“I like to seize this opportunity to thank Mr President. The very thought of it alone — that these coastal people should not continue to wallow in poverty and be dehumanised, and that they should not be seen as second-class citizens of this country — is commendable.

“If we can have roads in the North and other parts of the country, then the coastal road should also be built. The very idea of it is a big plus for Mr President and his administration. I welcome it with both hands.”

By Our Correspondent

In an affort to force FCT workers on strike end the ongoing strike ,Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate enforcement of a “no work, no pay” policy against workers participating in the ongoing strike declared by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Wike, who described the industrial action as unnecessary, politically driven and unacceptable, said the FCT Administration would not be pressured through what he termed political blackmail.

The minister gave the directive on Friday after an executive meeting, where he said all issues raised by the labour union had already been addressed and were being implemented by the administration.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, Wike directed the chairmen of the six Area Councils in the territory to ensure compliance with the policy, particularly among teachers and civil servants who fail to resume their duties.

“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it. We will not accept it because there is no basis for anybody to call for a strike,” Wike said.

He maintained that the FCT Administration had no outstanding dispute with local government areas, local education authorities or primary schools.

According to him, major stakeholders in the education sector, including senior primary school teachers and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), had rejected the strike because the concerns being raised had already been resolved.

“The body of senior primary school teachers have said no, they cannot be party to this strike, that it is uncalled for. All the things they are talking about have been agreed and are being implemented, so why do we go on strike?” he said.

Wike explained that issues relating to promotion were already receiving attention, while matters concerning directors remained establishment issues beyond the authority of the FCT Administration to alter.

“I have directed the area councils to go back and call their teachers and civil servants. If anybody does this, we’ll implement ‘no work, no pay.’ Enough is enough; we can’t continue with this,” the minister stated.

The FCT Minister also accused the leadership of the NLC FCT Council of pursuing political interests, alleging that the union chairman previously contested an Area Council election under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

He claimed the strike was being used as a tool to create instability in the territory ahead of future elections.

“If you ask who is the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, he was a former Area Council candidate of the ADC in the last election,” Wike alleged.

He warned that anyone interested in partisan politics should leave union leadership positions to avoid politicising labour organisations.

“If you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free to do so, but excuse yourself from being the leadership of the union, so you don’t politicise it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Wike announced a fresh security crackdown on unauthorised commercial activities along the Gwagwalada-Asokoro axis of the FCT.

The minister said the administration had received reports of attempts by some individuals to establish illegal beer parlours, motor parks and other businesses without government approval.

“We have been told of some issues of security threats extending from certain areas of Gwagwalada to Asokoro, where some people are trying to open up beer parlour businesses, motor parks and all of that. There are no such approvals, and we will not allow that,” he warned.

He directed the Department of Development Control, working with relevant security agencies, to remove illegal structures and operators from the affected areas.

Wike said the move was aimed at preventing potential security challenges and maintaining order within the nation’s capital.

By Our Correspondent

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has said, if the federal government is committed to the plight of workers, it does not need to wait for a new minimum wage agreement before increasing the salaries of workers.

TUC President Festus Osifo who stated this at a press briefing with newsmen after the congress’s National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting in Abuja, said government could independently review workers’ salaries in response to the prevailing economic realities.

Osifo further disclosed that the congress had commenced preparations for negotiations on a new minimum wage, saying the process should begin about six months before the expiration of the current wage agreement in August 2027.

He noted that, based on the experience of the last minimum wage negotiation, which took about three to four months, the government should constitute a committee around February 2027 to commence discussions.

Osifo said, this would give the parties enough time to conclude negotiations by May or June, ahead of the expiration of the current minimum wage.

The TUC boss explained that the minimum wage was only a wage floor and that government could decide to pay workers above the statutory minimum without waiting for a new minimum wage law.

He said workers in several sectors, including banking, food and beverages, and oil and gas, were already earning substantially above the minimum wage.

The TUC president also urged the government to address the welfare of its workers immediately, particularly those on the lower levels of the federal payroll.

On the lingering dispute with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Osifo gave the Federal Ministry of Health a few days to resolve outstanding issues contained in the communique that led to the suspension of the union’s strike.

He said TUC would write the Minister of Health to draw his attention to the unresolved issues and was also engaging its sister labour centre on the matter. Osifo warned that the two labour centres would intervene if the issues were not resolved following the latest engagements with the ministry.

The TUC president also called for increased funding for the fight against insecurity, saying persistent kidnappings and killings had affected farming, investment and economic activities across the country.

He said the government must prioritise the protection of lives and property, noting that citizens needed to be alive and secure to enjoy the benefits of infrastructure and other government projects.

On the economy, Osifo said the naira remained undervalued and urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strengthen the currency, arguing that a stronger naira would reduce pressure on fuel, food and other commodities with foreign exchange components.

He also called for the revival of the textile industry, citing high energy and production costs, layoffs and declining employment in the sector.

Osifo urged the Ministry of Labour to enforce decent working conditions across workplaces and tackle excessive casualisation, poor remuneration and unsafe working environments.

On the 2027 general elections, he called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the electoral process was transparent, open and credible.

“We have mentioned several times that allowances do not need a minimum wage conversation. And even salaries, government on its own can actually push the salaries of workers up, even without a minimum wage conversation.

“Minimum wage is minimum. Government can decide to pay whatever it wants to take care of its employees. Employers can decide to do way above what is there at the minimum threshold.

“So, if the committee can be inaugurated in February, we can start work, so that by the end of May or June, we could have a new minimum wage.

“Government does not even need to wait for a new minimum wage Act to be signed before government will take care of its workers.”

“We are going to send a letter to the Minister of Health, draw his attention to that communique once again. By the time we draw his attention, we wait for his response.

“But it is when those issues are not resolved, because in the communique, it is stated that the two labour centres are going to intervene should there not be conclusions before the end of April.”