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Electricity Workers Meet Gbajabiamila, Call-off Strike

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House of Rep Speaker-Femi Gbajabiamila
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By Orkula Shaagee, Abuja

The Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday said the leadership of the House of Representatives will ensure the implementation of the agreement between the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the Federal Ministry of Power to address the grievances that led to a recent strike action.

Gbajabiamila also said the House would make sure that members of the union were henceforth treated rightly by the government to avoid the strike action they embarked upon on Wednesday, which paralysed economic activities in the country.

In a bid to intervene in the matter and find a lasting solution, the House cut short the day’s plenary session and the leadership of the House immediately went into a meeting with all the concerned parties.

At the meeting between the leadership of the House and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of State for Power, Mr Goddy Jedy Agba, officials of BPE and leadership of the NUEE.

Gbajabiamila appealed to the union to “exercise higher tolerance” before thinking of embarking on strike as their action could affect lives negatively.

Although the agreement was signed at a meeting held between the ministry of power and the NUEE, the leadership of the House said it should be included as a witness to it so that it would ensure that all issues agreed on are implemented.

“From all indications, this matter will be resolved permanently. This matter was discussed on the floor of the House yesterday (Wednesday), and we decided that it will be addressed by the leadership, not by any committee, not because the committee doesn’t have competence, but because of the seriousness.

“This issue has unintended consequences on Nigerians. Within the hours you were on strike, a lot of things may have happened. But they may not be reported.

“Let me plead with the electricity workers that your power of tolerance should be higher than any of us because your work and what you do or fail to do can affect lives. You should be able to sacrifice more.

“We want to make that agreement a tripartite agreement and include the House of Representatives as part of it. We want to be part of the agreement as witnesses so that you can hold us accountable. That way, we’ll ensure that the government meets its part,” the Speaker said.

Gbajabiamila further pleaded with the leadership of the electricity workers to henceforth communicate to the House whenever there are issues that would lead them to embark on strike.

The Speaker also said the House would look at the possibility of amending the Labour Law so that the ministry of labour could be given powers to sanction erring employers of labour.

“We’ll see how you can work with committees on power and labour to see how we can amend the labour law to suit the issues you canvassed.

Earlier, the Minister of Labour told the House leadership that he was disturbed by the strike, saying the union did not duly notify his ministry about its planned action.

“I want to register my great displeasure at what has happened. This is because electricity is an essential service after the hospital. In fact, if you shut down electricity, you will end up killing people.

“It was unfortunate that they had to go on strike without involving us much on the issue. I didn’t find it funny that the whole economy was thrown into a gargantuan loss,” he said.

On his part, the Minister of State for Power, Agba said an agreement was reached with the electricity workers, which led to the suspension of the strike.

“We’ve sat and thrashed out the issues from 8.pm to about 2.am. We signed the papers and they suspended the strike. I assure you that this matter has been resolved and communique has been signed.”

Also speaking, the general secretary of the union, Comrade Joe Ajaero, noted that they informed the ministry of labour about the 21-day ultimatum and that no action was taken, saying they were left with no option than to embark on the strike.

“Ministry of labour has teeth, but it can’t bite. We want a situation where the labour law will be amended so that the ministry will have teeth to bite. The ministry will write employers of labour, but if they fail to obey, they can’t be sanctioned.”

Ajaero expressed doubts on government’s readiness to respect the agreement, but the Speaker assured that the House would do everything within its powers to see to the implementation of the agreement within the agreed stipulated time frame.

Electricity workers strike

Electricity workers in the country began an indefinite strike, plunging the whole country into total darkness.

The industrial action was declared under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).

The union said the decision to down tools remained the only option since there was no dialogue with the Federal Government to resolve the lingering industrial crisis in the sector.

Assistant Secretary General of NUEE Anthony Sule said the 21-day ultimatum given to the Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman expired at midnight on Tuesday.

Sule, in a statement issued in Jos, the Plateau State capital, said the union had no option but to commence an indefinite strike.

“The ministry of power has failed to resolve some issues affecting members of the union since 2013 when the power sector was privatised, especially issues that with the over 2,000 disengaged former PHCN workers and their pay off,” the statement said.

Some of the unresolved issues are illegal transfer of union properties to power investors and the alleged refusal by some distribution companies (DisCos) to remit deducted contributory pension of their members of staff to pension managers.

He added that these issues were contained in a memo to the minister, dated 7th November, 2019.

Also, the General Secretary of NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero said it was regrettable that the ministry of power failed to respond positively to the strike notice.

Ajaero said the only response from the ministry was the letter sent to the union on the November 18.

He said in the letter, the minister assured the union that something would be done immediately he settled down.

He said after waiting, the union again wrote the minister on the December 6 but up till Tuesday, nothing was done.

“The strike letter was sent to the Ministry of Power and there was one letter they wrote, saying the minister is not in the country and that he is still studying the situation. They said the minister would look into everything, that is all,” he added.

He said the union made sure that it sent its letter to all the relevant authorities in the power sector, including security agencies.

He also told The Nation that the strike notice was published in one of the national dailies to ensure that no one would claim not to have seen it.

“I can assure you, the strike will commence any time from now,” he vowed.

Ajaero said the union had given more than enough opportunity for dialogue on the issues but that nothing was forthcoming from the government.

Ajero said notwithstanding the efforts of the Eko DisCo, its services would still be affected since generation companies supply electricity to DisCos.

A power sector consultant, who pleaded anonymity, said that the GenCos and DisCos were in dire need of N1.2 billion bailout to improve services.

He also said one of the stakeholders, the Eko Distribution Company, had reached out to the union showing areas it had complied with its workers’ demands.

In Abuja, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said the reason for total blackout in some parts of Abuja was as a result of ‘grid system outage’ not based on strike by electricity workers, assuring that work is in progress to restore power supply to Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The loss of power supply in Abuja is due to a grid system outage. We sincerely regret this and hope for quick restoration.

“We will keep you updated as time goes by. We appreciate your understanding.”

In a press release made available yesterday, AEDC said it is experiencing some challenges with power supply as a result of fluctuation leading occasionally to a grid system outage but efforts are being made to rectify it.

“This is to inform you that we are currently experiencing some challenges with power supply as a result of fluctuation leading occasionally to a grid system outage.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience this may be causing our customers.

“While we are optimistic that the challenge will be speedily resolved, we promise to continue to update you from time to time. We appreciate your understanding.”

But yesterday, a day after the nationwide indefinite strike commenced, the aggrieved workers suspended the industrial action.

The General Secretary of the Union, Joe Ajaero, who confirmed suspension of the strike, said the action was called off in the early hours of yesterday following a tripartite meeting between the leaders of the union, BPE and the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo.

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Tinubu Makes Numerous Promises at Slain Soldiers Burial

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President Bola Tinubu has directed the military to within the next 90 days ensure that all the benefits of the 17 officers and men of the army killed in Okuama on March 14 be paid to their families.

Tinubu said that government would provide a house in any part of the country to each of the families of the four officers and 13 soldiers.

He said that all the children of the deceased would enjoy a Federal Government scholarship up to University level.

He described the officers and soldiers as patriotic, brave and gallant Nigerians.

The president said that the deceased gave their lives to defend and protect the Nation against internal and external threats.

At the burial ceremony of the officers and soldiers on Wednesday in Abuja, Tinubu said that their death serves as a rallying point for Nigerians to condemn crime and criminality.

“They went as peacemakers and peacekeepers, seeking to bring an end to the hostilities between the two communities.“They didn’t go with tanks, machine guns and other weapons. They were on a mission of peace.“The officers and soldiers who lost their lives that day were patriots, brave and noble men who gave their lives to defend and protect our nation against internal and external threats,” he said.The 17 military personnel killed included Lt.-Col. Ali, Maj. D.E Obi, Maj. S.D. Ashafa, Capt. U. Zakari, Staff Sgt. Yahaya Saidu, Corporal Danbaba Yahaya, Corporal Kabir Bashir, Lance Corporal Abdullahi Ibrahim, Lance Corporal Bulus Haruna, Lance Corporal Sole Opeyemi, and Lance Corporal Bello Anas.The rest were Private Alhaji Isah, Private Clement Francis, Private Abubakar Ali, Private Adamu Ibrahim, Private Hamman Peter, and Private Ibrahim Adamu.Tinubu said that the deceased have all been awarded posthumous national honours.“The four gallant Officers have been awarded Member of the Order of Niger (MON). And the 13 courageous soldiers who also lost their lives have been Awarded Officer of the Federal Republic Medals.“As Commander-In-Chief, I do not take the contributions of members of our Armed Forces for granted. I recognise your valour and bravery.

“I honour your unflinching commitment to making our country safe from criminals, bandits, kidnappers and insurrectionists.”The President urged the officers and men of the military not to be deterred by these setbacks and be prepared to continue to work for peace and harmony.Tinubu also called on Nigerians to rededicate themselves to rebuilding communities and making them places where love, tolerance and harmony reigns.“Leaders at all levels, especially community leaders and traditional rulers, must work to strengthen the bonds that unite us. We must end the cycle of violence and bloodletting.“I want to make it clear, once more, that those who committed this heinous crime will not go unpunished. We will find them and our departed heroes will get justice.“The elders and chiefs of Okuoma also have a duty to help the military in fishing out the gunmen who committed the barbaric crime against our men.”The president commended the Armed Forces for their restraint in choosing not to carry out any reprisal attacks in Okuoma or its neighbouring communities.“We must all ensure that the innocent people of Okuoma are not made to bear the punishment of the guilty and wicked among them.”

On his part, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, said the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army who were gruesomely murdered in Okuama Community in Delta on March 14, left behind 10 widows three of whom are pregnant and 21 orphans.Lagbaja made this known at the burial of the 17 personnel comprising one Lieutenant Colonel, two Majors, one Captain and 13 soldiers, on Wednesday at the National Cemetery in Abuja.According to him, the Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian army and, by extension, the Nigeria state, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, including parents.“While commiserating with the families of these gallant soldiers, I assure them that the Nigerian army and the good people of this country will not leave them in the cold.“We shall do all within our power to provide succour to them and preserve the memories of their departed loved ones,” he said.Lagbaja said he considered his toughest job to be putting fine men and women in harm’s way, sometimes knowing that they might not return to their families and loved ones.He added that his men, correspondingly and intriguingly, know that in spite of the equipment, training, and other forms of preparations, sometimes some may not make it back alive, while some may return handicapped.According to him, “when soldiers die in the hands of the enemies of the State, we take it as dying for what the nation has considered a just cause; we celebrate them as gallant heroes.“But when they are gruesomely murdered by the very people they are trained, equipped, and took an oath to protect, it is highly demoralizing.“It is no longer news that 17 of the Nigerian Army’s finest men, whom we have come to bury, were murdered in a reprehensible manner on March 14 in the Okuama community of Delta State while they went on a legitimate peace-making mission.

“It grieves my heart that it took our search and recovery effort over 72 hours to recover some vital organs of the decapitated and disembowell bodies of my men that were scattered all over the Okuama community by the community youths and their friends.“I consider it the most barbaric act any citizen or community can commit against the authority of the state, and I must place on record that a lot of restraints have been exercised so far in our search and recovery efforts for missing arms, ammunition, other equipment, and body parts.“I assure the President and all Nigerians that the Nigerian Army remains committed to its constitutional responsibilities and will not be deterred by setbacks such as witnessed in the Okuama community.“As tasked by the President and Commander-In-Chief of our Armed Forces, the Nigerian Army, with the assistance of its sister services and other security agencies, is committed to bringing the perpetrators of the Okuama murder to book and recover all service and personal belongings taken from the murdered troops.“The Nigerian Army will continue to seek the cooperation of all well-meaning Nigerians, particularly in the affected area, towards swift and successful conduct of our search and recovery operations,” he said.The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, said the fallen heroes exemplified the very best of service to nation and love for country.Musa said they were the vanguards of peace, the guardians of freedom, and the sentinels of security, adding that their selflessness and unwavering dedication to duty would forever be etched in their hearts and memories.He assured the families of the deceased officers of the support of the nation and the armed forces in every way possible, urging them to find solace in the knowledge that their loved ones made an indelible mark on the nation’s history.The defence chief said the military would honour their memory by continuing the fight against those who sought to undermine the peace and security of the nation.

“We will remain steadfast in our resolve to build a nation worthy of your sacrifice.“The loss we feel today is immeasurable, but we must not allow it to dim the light of hope within us.“Instead, let us use this moment as a rallying cry to come together as a nation, to support our armed forces, and to work tirelessly towards a Nigeria free from the grip of violence and insecurity.“We owe it to these fallen heroes to honour their memory by redoubling our efforts to create a safer and more prosperous nation for all.“Let us build a nation where every citizen can live without fear, where communities can thrive, and where our children can grow up knowing the true meaning of security and stability.“To the men and women who continue to serve in the armed forces, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your dedication to duty.“Your commitment to defending our nation, even in the face of great peril, is truly commendable,” he said.Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and governors of Delta, Bayelsa, Kano, Kogi and Imo states amongst others attended the burial ceremony.

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Dangote, Elumelu Make Economic Planning System List

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By Lubem Myaornyi, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has in a strategic move to bolster the nation’s economic governance frameworks and ensure robust and coordinated economic planning and implementation, approved the establishment of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) and the creation of the Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce (EET).

PECC comprises leaders and key government officials like: President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Chairman of the PECC; Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Vice-Chairman of the PECC / NEC Chairman; President of the Nigerian Senate; Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Minister of Budget and Economic Planning.
Others are: Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Minister of Labour and Employment; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy; Minister of Power; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources; Minister of State, Gas; Minister of Transportation; and Minister of Works.Tinubu also included 13 members of the organized private sector to drive the nation’s economy.The PECC will also comprise key members of the organized private sector, with the following members joining for a period not exceeding one year, subject to the President’s directive: Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Mr. Tony Elumelu; Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu; Ms. Amina Maina; Mr. Begun Ajayi-Kadir; Mrs. Funke Okpeke; and Dr. Doyin Salami.The rest members are: Mr. Patrick Okigbo; Mr. Kola Adesina; Mr. Segun Agbaje; Mr. Chidi Ajaere; Mr. Abdulkadir Aliu; and Mr. Rasheed Sarumi.

In the president’s determination to address immediate economic challenges and ensure the streamlined execution of economic strategies, President Bola Tinubu has established the Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce (EET) with a mandate to formulate and implement a consolidated emergency economic plan. The taskforce comprises key government officials and industry leaders in furtherance of the President’s collaborative approach toward achieving economic resilience and growth. The EET is now mandated to submit a comprehensive plan of economic interventions for 2024 to the PECC, covering the next six months, for immediate implementation within two weeks of its inauguration.The EET will meet twice weekly and is composed of the following members: Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance (Chairman of the EET); Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; Minister of Power; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.Others include: Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; National Security Adviser; Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Governor of Anambra State; Governor of Ogun State; Governor of Niger State; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service; Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation; GCEO, NNPC Limited; Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group; Special Adviser to the President on Energy; Dr. Bismarck Rewane, Economist; and Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, Economist.The Economic Management Team, established in October 2023, and chaired by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, serves as the working group under the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), playing a crucial role in the economic governance structure established by the President. The EMT traditionally meets monthly or as required, but will now suspend its meetings for the duration of the EET’s mandate (six months).The EMT is composed of the following officials: Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance (EMT Chairman); Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Minister of Works; Minister of Labour and Employment; and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.Other officials include: Minister of State, Petroleum Resources; Minister of State, Gas; Minister of Power; Minister of Transportation; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development; and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.The Chairman of the EMT may, as needed, call on any Federal Minister or Head of Agency to brief the EMT on key programmes and developments affecting the economy.The President’s formation of the PECC, under his Chairmanship, alongside the creation of the EET, led by the Chairman of the EMT, and the EMT itself, is the manifestation of a unified strategy aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s economic management architecture for verifiably improved performance. The formation of these teams will complement existing economic governance structures, including the National Economic Council (NEC), which is chaired by the Vice-President.Over the next six months EET will focus on the rapid implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of critical initiatives, strengthening the Tinubu-led administration’s collective approach to advancing Nigeria’s economic objectives.

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North-East Region Loses  $6.7bn to Insurgency — Zulum

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By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum has revealed that the North Eastern states lost $6.7billion to insurgency.

He stated this during a visit to the Director-General, Nigeria Country Department of African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Lamin Barrow in Abuja.

Zulum made the assertion while commending AfDB on the implementation of its $65.

75million Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) to ameliorate insurgency.

Currently, IBSDLEIP is implemented in the North East states of Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba.

Zulum said the root driver of insurgency in the state was hunger and the initiative focuses on providing basic amenities that would reintegrate the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into the society.

He said, “First and foremost, I want to commend the bank on the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme in Borno State.

“The insurgency in Borno has triggered acute humanitarian and livelihood crises, devastating the economic activities of our populace, with the root cause to be poverty and lack of basic infrastructure.

“An outcome of the recovery and peacebuilding assessment of the impact of insurgency revealed that over 6.7 billion dollars were lost to insurgency, out of which Borno state accounted for two-thirds of the amount.

“The implementation of the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme has helped us in addressing some of the humanitarian, livelihood and infrastructural problems arising from Boko Haram Insurgency in the State.”

Zulum expressed the state’s readiness to abide by the set rules and regulations of the bank, adding that, “We are ready to abide by the project procurement processes and implementation guidelines of the bank and we are also committed to working with the bank’s team and other stakeholders to ensure the completion of the project.”

Responding, AfDB’s Director-General expressed the continued commitment of the bank to support the reintegration of the displaced population in the state and improve the livelihoods of the people.

Barrow said, “We want to commend the Governor for his visionary and hands-on leadership style. We reassure him and the state of the commitment and continued support of the bank in improving the livelihoods and quality of life of the people of Borno State.”

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