By George Mgbeleke

Worried by incessant spats of banditry attacks, kidnapping and killings in parts of the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will today (Wednesday 17th December) embark on nationwide protest rally against insecurity which today, has put Nigeria in a terrible state.

This is as the congress has raised alarm over plot by the Police to attack the protesters and cause mayhem, warning that any attack on the protest, would be a declation of war on Nigeria.

The Congress in a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said it had taken the decision to demand urgent and sustained action by the state to decisively address the festering insecurity situation in Nigeria.

It said the protest which will start at 7:30 a.m on Wednesday, will involve the peaceful procession of workers and civil society allies within designated routes.

Meanwhile, the congress in another statement on Tuesday, titled: “An Attack on Any Protester is an Act of Terrorism”, signed by the Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said it received credible and disturbing intelligence from the networks within the communities that there is a clandestine move by some unscrupulous agencies and desperate political hirelings, to infiltrate and violently disrupt the peaceful National Day of Protest and mourning organised by workers for Wednesday.

It said: “These protests, as every comrade or citizen knows, are a necessary and legitimate response to the escalating reign of terror unleashed upon our nation. The industrial-scale losses of lives, kidnappings, abductions, and killings in the face of a staggering government’s indifference or weakness clearly speak to the issue.

“Our action tomorrow is therefore not just a mere procession, it is a collective act of grief, a roar of despair from the oppressed, and a democratic demand for the fundamental right to life and security. We have lost count of the numbers of our members; teachers, farmers, miners and other artisans that have died to this overwhelming insecurity.

“Let this be understood by those who occupy the corridors of power and the purveyors of violence that the Congress is now officially aware of their plot to use armed thugs to attack peaceful protesters, cause mayhem, and create a pretext for violent repression.

“We name this plot for what it is, a further enabled terrorism against Nigerian citizens.

“We issue a stern and final warning to the purveyors of this act: ‘Desist Immediately. Call off your hoodlums as any attack on peacefully protesting workers will be considered a direct declaration of war on the entire Nigerian working class and its allies’.

“The Police having been informed of our protests and its dynamics must act to protect the democratic rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves. The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed.

“To all the working people of Nigeria, the unemployed, the students, the traders, and all victims of insecurity, we alert you to this insidious plot. Do not be cowed. Do not be provoked. Our protest must remain peaceful, disciplined, and massive. Solidarity is our shield.

“Here is our iron-clad resolution as passed by the National Executive Council: Should a single worker, comrade, or citizen be harmed by these thugs or through escalated repression tomorrow, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to declare an immediate, comprehensive, and indefinite nationwide strike.

“All wheels of production, all services, and every sector of the national economy will be shut down completely and indefinitely. When the ruling class moves to crush a peaceful protest against their failure, they unwittingly reveal their truly undemocratic tendencies.

“The message must be clear and without equivocation; any attack on our protest will be an attack on the very engine of Nigeria. The consequence will be an escalation and a total shutdown”.

By Our Correspondent

The Ministry of Regional Development has inaugurated the Core Working Group (CWG) on Regional Development as part of a high-level stakeholders’ engagement aimed at strengthening policy coordination, institutional effectiveness, and inclusive regional growth across Nigeria.

Declaring the event open today, 15th December 2025, in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of State, H.E. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, acknowledged the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the creation of the Ministry and the Regional Development Commissions reflects a deliberate national strategy to address long-standing regional imbalances.

“The Development Commissions represent strategic instruments for addressing long-standing regional development gaps, while responding to evolving socio-economic and security concerns across the country,” he stated.

The Minister highlighted that the key expectations of regional development must be locally grounded, secure, accountable, and sustainable. “A region-by-region approach must reflect local realities, priorities, and comparative advantages,” he noted that “the integration of security considerations must reinforce peace-building, community resilience, and long-term stability.”

He stressed that “strong governance and accountability mechanisms must provide clear indicators, monitoring systems, and transparent processes,” while “policy thrusts must align with national development plans and global best practices, ensuring continuity beyond political cycles.”

In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary A. Ogbe, described the inauguration as a major step toward institutional strengthening and improved service delivery. “This gathering marks a concrete step in our collective effort to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry to deliver on its mandate of promoting balanced, inclusive, and sustainable regional development across Nigeria,” she said.

Dr Ogbe explained that the CWG will function as the Ministry’s technical backbone, serving as a technical engine-room that provides evidence-based inputs and ensures coherence across departments. She further noted that the inauguration coincides with the commencement of a Rights and Results-Based Management (RRBM) Training aimed at transforming how regional development policies are planned, implemented, and measured.

In his keynote speech, delivered on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Chief Social Policy, Mr Hamidu Poufon, underscored the central role of the Ministry of Regional Development as the institutional anchor for achieving equitable and inclusive development across Nigeria’s regions. He noted that this role is critical to the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stated that the UNDP will serve as a technical partner to the Ministry, as a leading global development agency, and emphasized that the overarching goal of regional development efforts must be to drive balanced national progress by channelling inclusive growth across all regions, ensuring that development interventions are equitably distributed to address disparities and unlock regional potential.

The two-day event is taking place in Abuja from 15th to 16th December 2025, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with support from the European Union (EU), UNDP, and UNICEF.

By Our Correspondent

There was palpable tension in Yenagoa, the state capital of Bayelsa state on thursday, as the news of the deputy governor of Bayelsa state, senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, sudden slumped in his office and was urgently rushed to the federal medical centre (FMC), Yenagoa filtered into the air.

Daily Echoes Media gathered from sources at the government House that the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m., sending shockwaves across the state capital, noting that the deputy governor’s Aides and security personnel immediately raised alarm that led to swiftly conveying the deputy governor to the hospital.

Eye-witness account at the hospital revealed that Senator Ewhrudjakpo appeared to be in a critical condition upon arrival at the emergency unit, and was subsequently moved to the intensive care unit (ICU), where medical personnel were said to have stabilised his health.

As at the time of filing this report, no official statement has been issued regarding his state of health.

A source close to the deputy governor attributed the incident to a strenuous workload remarking “he’s a workaholic he should find time to rest.”

Security operatives have since sealed off parts of the hospital premises, while senior government officials continue to arrive in a show of solidarity.

Despite circulating rumours claiming the deputy governor had passed away, hospital insiders insist he is receiving optimal medical attention and remains in stable condition.

Meanwhile,attempts to reach the senior special assistant on media to the deputy governor, Mr. Doubara Atasi, were unsuccessful.

The government has not yet release an official statement concerning his present state of health thereby giving rise to growing rumours of his death among residents and political stakeholders in and outside Bayelsa State.