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Senate moves to convoke two-day National Security summit 

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Senate chamber in Abuja

By George Mgbeleke

Disturbed by  the endless insecurity challenges rocking major parts of the country, the Nigeria Senate on Tuesday adopted a motion to convoke a two-day security summit to proffer solutions to the challenges.

The Red chambers resolution followed a  motion sponsored  Senator Jimoh Folorunsho Ibrahim representing Ondo South Senatorial District.

Senator Ibrahim in the motion attributed insecurity to the global security challenges involving Russia and Ukraine.

According to him, the insecurity has become daunting due to new order in some of the advanced countries, citing the growing impact of the tariff war in America and the rising emphasis on balance of power by various countries.

He said: “The recent events in our region have led to feelings of discomfort and insecurity which has placed the past accomplishments of our security forces at risk even though our military and its partners are striving to address these challenges.

“They do not have solutions to the global economic conflict or the effects of new American tariffs and tensions with China.

“As a result, insecurity across Nigeria has become pervasive impacting on both urban and rural areas, where banditry, ransom kidnappings and terrorism are pressing issues across the country as well as other violent crimes.”

In his contribution, Senator Abdul Ningi representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District lamented that servicemen are being lost to bandits’ attacks each day across the country, noting that the country must rise to the occasion of taming the tide.

He said: “If care is not taken, bandits that are running Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi and Sokoto and I can assure you that you cannot go to Kwali in the Federal Capital Territory without encountering bandits now.”

Senator Abdul Ningi insisted on security architecture to solve the security issues.

Senator Ennyinaya Abaribe representing Abia South Senatorial District, said there is no one among Senators that does not know what is happening in his area, calling on lawmakers to get serious and be truthful in tackling insecurity.

Minority of the Senate, Abba Moro decried daily kidnapping and abduction in Otukpo in Benue South Senatorial District, saying national security summit will afford experts to suggest solutions.

He said: “Mr President, I want to say that what is before us now is whether we want to convene a national security summit or not, and if you ask me, I will say yes.

“Security is everyone’s business and in proffering solutions, all must be carried along.

Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial District, Titus Zam revealed that bandits are hosting flags in occupied wards in Benue State and to that extent, drastic action must be taken to recover the affected areas.

Reacting to the motion, Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio upheld a two-day national summit instead of the three-day as contained in the prayer of the motion.

The Senate President expressed optimism that the proposed summit will proffer solutions even as governors, traditional rulers, Service Chiefs and security experts will participate to suggest solutions.

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Senate sets up Cttee to over see emergency rule in Rivers state

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Senate at plenary in chamber

By George Mgbeleke

Determined to checkmate undemocratic governance in Rivers state, the Senate on Tuesday set up an adhoc- committee to over see the implementation of emergency rule in Rivers State as a result of the suspension of democratic government in the state.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu declared emergency rule on March 18,2025 in Rivers state following reported explosion on oil facilities in the stste.

He also suspended the State governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy,Professor Ngozi Odu and members of the state Assembly and appointed Ibas as Sole Administrator of the state for initial six months.

Announcing the composition of the committee, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio said there is need to have a committee like the House of Representatives has done to oversight the functions of the Administrator of Rivers State and the Rivers State Government under Emergency Rule.

The chairman of the committee is Opeyemi Bamidele and the deputy chairman will be Rufai Hanga (Deputy Minority Whip).

The members are Senators Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi State), Osita Izunaso (APC Imo), The distinguished Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP Enugu State), Senator Kaka Shehu APC Borno Central), Iya Aminu Abbas (PDP Adamawa), Tokubo Abiru (APC Lagos), Adeniyi Adegbonmire, (APC Ondo), Mohamed Sani Musa, (APC Niger), Simon Lalong, (APC Plateau), Asuquo Ekpeyong, (APC Cross River), Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole (APC Edo), Ireti Kingibe, (Labour Party FCT), Onyekachi Nwaeboyi, (APC Ebonyi State, Idiat Adebule (APC Lagos State), Ede Dafinone (APC Delta), Mohamed Maidori, (APC Jigawa).

The Clerk/Secretary of the Committee is Mr. Charles Bala

Akpabio said “if there is need to review, it will be after further consultation with our colleagues. But in the meantime, they have to get to work immediately”.

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May Day: Osun Workers endorse Adeleke for 2nd term, as governor approves N4bn for pensioners …Workers bribed to support Adeleke, APC alleges 

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Gov of Osun state, Prince Ademola Adeleke
By Our Reporter
Amid May Day celebration on Thursday, Workers in Osun State have declared their support for the second term ambition of Governor Ademola Adeleke, saying “No vacancy till 2030.”
The workers, led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Christopher Arapasopo, and the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Bimbo Fasasi, announced their endorsement of the governor during the May Day celebration in Osogbo, Osun State, on Thursday.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero

The workers noted that their decision to support the Governor became necessary due to his commitment to workers’ welfare and his overwhelming positive performance.
The labour leaders, in their separate speeches, according to a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday, “listed several landmark achievements of Governor Adeleke in support of workers’ welfare to include the following: Prompt payment of full salary to date; Prompt payment of gratuities and pension to retirees; Continuous payment of outstanding salary arrears owed by the past administration to workers and retirees; full payment of all outstanding cooperative deductions; workers promotion with pay rise; free Health Insurance cover for all Osun State Pensioners; payment of N10,000.00 to pensioners under Contributory Scheme; full implementation of National Minimum Wage of N75,554.28k for all workers and N25,000.00 for all our pensioners among others.”
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke in his address announced his approval of new bond payment for pensioners which again drew wild applause from the dancing and singing workers and leaders.
According to him. “I have just approved, through the Office of the Head of Service, the payment of bonds for retirees under the contributory pension scheme worth over N4billion.
“This is across the State and Local Governments as follows: (a)State, comprising the Civil Service Parastatal, Secondary Schools, Tertiary Institutions, UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital= Two Billion, One Hundred and Seventy Five Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira (N2,175,280,322.54); Local Governments and Primary Schools retirees = Two Billion, Ninety Eight Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Six Naira (N2,098,466,528.87)
“The total is Four Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Three million, Seven Hundred and Forty Six Thousand Naira (N4,273,746,851.40)
“I have equally approved, through the Office of the Head of Service, the commencement of the promotion exercises for Year 2025 for eligible officers and staff across the entire public service, including the Local Governments.
“As I speak, the April 2025 salaries and allowances have been paid to all categories of workers across the State.
“We have continued unabated, the payment of a 30 months backlog of half salaries. As a matter of fact, we have almost completed payment of the 30 months half salaries in respect of contributory pensioners.
“We cleared all outstanding promotion arrears met on ground including cash backing of such promotions
Reacting to the endorsement, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) has accused Governor Adeleke-led administration of bribing the workers of the state to support his second term bid.
The APC in a  statement by the it’s Director of Media and Information accused the Governor of “squandering the resources of the state to fund unmerited adoption of his second term tenure by the state chapters of the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, the factionalized Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees NULGE and the Trade Union Congress TUC.”
He added“It has been scooped that the state government has made available the sum of N172 million for the factional leadership of the NULGE, the NLC and the TUC with the sharing formula of N97 million for the factionalized NULGE while both the NLC and the TUC are smiling to the bank with a sum of N75 million; meaning that the Governor Adeleke-led government coughed out N172 million as an inducement for the labour unions to adopt him for second term on the May Day.”
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May Day: Ajaero warns Edo Governor over alleged recruitment of non-workers for celebration. ….insists, we will meet him eyeball to eyeball after May Day

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President NLC, Joe Ajaero
By Our Correspondent
As the nation witnesses the celebration of workers Day today (Thursday), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the Edo state Governor, Monday Okpebholo to desist from anti workers policies in the state, stating that the congress will take position on the issues affecting it’s members in the state after May Day celebration.

Edo state governor, Monday Okpebholo

President of NLC, Joe Ajaero who stated this in a pre-May Day chat with Journalists in Abuja said the workers in the state may not be involved in May Day celebration in the state due to what he described as undemocratic activities in the state, alleging that the Governor instead of opening doors for dialogue, has recruited non workers for him to take salute on May Day.
He informed that similar situation may happen in Rivers state because of the institution of military Administrator in the state.
Ajaero said: “In Rivers state, of course, you know the situation there. The NLC will not go and allow workers in that situation. Say it anywhere in a democratic dispensation.
“If we are not in democracy, probably it will be just by the way. That is one. Two, it will even degenerate into all that,  if the workers come out of their anger.
“Even since he came into office, he has even stopped the pension, gratuity and others of people there. So we want to take control of what is happening in Rivers outside the frenzy of May Day.
“In Edo, there are complications.The state governor or state government introduce a new person who is claiming to be chairman of NLC there. And another one is claiming to be acting secretary of NLC. And we have our chairman in those states.
“They said the man was in support of the former governor and that he made political statements that the state will boil and all that under the former governor. What you are supposed to do is, you complain to us. We will go through our statute book to see if he’s found wanting.
“If he’s found wanting, we discipline him according to our rules. You can’t ask an auditor to take charge. Even if that guy is incapacitated, auditor can’t take over.
“We have our rules, we have our processes. You can’t remove any official there without writing us. When you write us, we invite you, investigate the people, set up a committee to listen to them on their issues.
“And for somebody to jump up, I can tell you that even the person in his union has suspended him. As we talked today, his union has given him a rating, this will not happen.
“But it appears that the governor there is enjoying what is happening. Maybe after May Day, we’ll see him. We’ll visit him and do eyeball to eyeball with him because that’s not how to behave. We set up a committee, the Ministry of Labour intervened. A joint committee of Ministry of Labour and NLC visited him and they met with him.
“He promised that he was going to reach out to me for us to resolve the problem. When I waited for him and I couldn’t hear from him, I called the line they gave me, he was not picking. They gave me another one that was his WhatsApp line. I called, he was not picking.
“I sent messages. Up to now, no response. But he’s busy issuing threats, trying to get people who are not workers to come to the stadium tomorrow for him to take salute.
“If he does that, if he continues that way, we’re going to relate with him directly. And secondly, Edo is not properly implementing the issue of minimum wage. Edo has been a very important state for us.
When minimum wage was 18,000, Adams started paying 25,000. It was ahead of other states. Even all these states that are paying something, Edo was paying higher than them.
Obaseke came, and minimum wage was 30,000. He was paying 40,000, higher than any other state in the country. Obaseke started paying 70,000 before negotiation.
“And he took a fare from May, or even April, April 2024. Started implementing April, May, June, July, before the federal government. And see if the federal government negotiates anything beyond this, we are going to pay.
“The governor we have there now is not interested in trying to determine for us to run May Day. It’s May Day,. so let him try this one now, and we’ll visit him.
“This is getting too much. If we decide to cancel May Day tomorrow, we’ll do it anywhere. So why would he issue orders? He’s threatening that he’s going to revoke even the seal of union offices in Edo.
“He’s going to sack workers that didn’t come, that all parliament secretaries should come. Is that how to run? Is that what happens in a democracy? We are giving him all the latitude. He’s not an organizer to organize the unions for us.
“So that’s the situation in Edo. That of Edo is different from the situation in River State. Even in Rivers State, I think even the sole administrator and others have asked for a meeting with the people there today.
e have asked them to come and listen to him. So we are open”.
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