The Federal Government has declared Thursday as a public holiday to mark the 2025 Workers Day.This is contained in a statement by the Ministry of Interior’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani in Abuja.The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo , reiterated the need for peace to drive industrialisation and economic growth.

Tunji-Ojo commended workers for their diligence and sacrifice, noting that workers’ efforts are largely responsible for the greatness of the country and the respect Nigeria commands in the comity of nations. “There is dignity in labour; the dedication and commitment to the work we do, is vital to nation-building so I hereby urge you to imbibe the culture of innovation and productivity,” he said.He encouraged workers to raise the bar of their trade to drive and upgrade the bar of governance and make all the people of Nigeria derive maximum benefit from the nation’s wealth.The minister assured Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s full commitment to the security of lives and property of every citizen and foreigners in the country.Tunji-Ojo wished all workers in Nigeria a happy workers’ day celebration.(NAN)

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

Enugu State House of Assembly members have decided to summon telecom operators in Enugu State including; MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile for allegedly robbing the consumers through drop calls and to explain how they will reimburse their customers.This followed a motion moved on the floor of the House at a plenary yesterday by the member representing Igbo-Eze South State Constituency, Hon.

Harrison Ogara over what he considered arbitrary fleecing of telecom consumers who pay for services not rendered. Ogara while moving the motion lamented that over 219 million Nigerians, including Enugu State indigenes subscribe to the telecom operators who suffer undue interference of their calls yet pay for services not rendered.He therefore prayed the House to invite the telecom operators in Enugu State to appear before the Hallowed Chambers to explain why they should not be mandated to refund all subscribers from the state that lost their funds through drops, adding that they should present accurate figure of all the network subscribers in the state with detailed data of all those who suffered loss of funds as a result of drop calls.He also prayed that the operators should appear before the Hallowed Chambers with all the evidence that they have regularized their tax payment with the Enugu State Government, including that Accountant General, Auditor General, Attorney General and the House Committee on Information, Communication and Innovation to set up a committee to jointly look into the activities of all the telecom network providers with a view to know his much the people of the state have lost as a result of the dropped calls.Ogara requested that the outcome of the inquiry be made public where all those who lost money due to the inefficiencies of the network providers are refunded accordingly.”Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleagues, I raise your attention to the current epileptic services of the telecoms services providers in Enugu State which has resulted in huge loss of funds by our citizens. Not minding being a late entrant in the global system for mobile (GSM) market, Nigeria has obviously outpaced many countries across when we take into consideration the market size and telephone usage.”It is quite absurd and preposterous that even with the rapid growth of the sector and its consequential growth in consumer size, users of telecom services in Enugu State have continued to groan under the scorching pressure of abysmal performance in services,” he lamented.Members, who contributed to the motion, backed Hon. Ogara said the activities of the telecom operators run short of expectations whereas they rob the unsuspecting consumers with high tariff and drop calls.The member representing Nsukka West, Hon. Malachy Onyechi likened the telecom operators to EEDC that give consumer’s exorbitant estimated billing without rendering commensurate services.On his part, while supporting the motion, Hon. Clifford One, representing Igbo-Eze North 2, said that the activities of telecom operators are like the banking services where one is debited yet transaction does not go through.Earlier the House of Assembly passed into law the Enugu State Land Use Charge Second Amendment, House Bill 6, 2025 presented by Hon. Iloabuchi Aniagu, member representing Nkanu West Constituency into law.To give room for accelerated passage of the bill, the Enugu State House of Assembly suspended Order 14, Rule 102 sub section 1 of the House Standing Order.

From Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

Suspected gunmen invaded the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and killed a doctor simply identified as Dr. Alex in the physiotherapy department inside the tertiary health facility.It was learnt that the gunmen stormed the hospital on Friday, leaving the said physiotherapist dead while patients and other health workers scampered for safety.

The development led to some health workers protesting the gruesome killing of their colleague inside the hospital facility. The health workers were seen in a viral video protesting and brandishing various placards to register their displeasure over the incident at the hospital.Reacting, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Public Relations Officer (PRO), Joshua Uwaila in a telephone interview with newsmen, confirmed the killing.He said the deceased allegedly fell by a stray bullet.Uwaila said that the authority of the hospital has reported the matter to the security agencies and are awaiting the outcome of their findings.”A physiotherapist with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital was shot dead on Friday. “he said.Meanwhile, at least two members of the vigilantes group, whose identity could not be ascertained were on Tuesday crushed to death by an articulated truck on the busy Ugbowo-Lagos road by the University of Benin (UNIBEN) axis.The cause of the accident could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.However, eyewitnesses said the accident occurred about 12 noon on Tuesday when the two vigilantes who were riding on a motorbike were hit by a truck, and their heads crushed beyond recognition.An eyewitness who craved anonymity said the two vigilantes died on the spot and disclosed that their remains have been taken to an undisclosed mortuary.”The two bodies have been deposited in the mortuary. The accident occurred right in front of the UNIBEN maingate just a few minutes past 12 noon.”The two men were vigilantes riding on motorbikes on the Ugbowo-Lagos highway when the accident occurred,” he said.