TUC demand Increase in Minimum Wage for Workers to N200,000

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) Rivers State chapter has called for a significant increase in the minimum wage of civil servants in the state.

The demand was made on Monday by the state TUC chairman, Samuel Ogan, when a civil society organisation, Defence for Human Rights and Democracy, paid a visit to the TUC Centre in Port Harcourt.

Ogan urged the Rivers State Government to approve a 150 per cent salary increment for workers, a move that would raise the state’s current minimum wage from N80,000 to N200,000 per month.

According to him, the proposed increase has become necessary due to the difficult economic conditions in the country and the wide gap between the earnings of civil servants and workers in the private sector.

Speaking on the issue, the TUC chairman said: “If you walk into some of these offices that you call private sector, they don’t earn, get revenue as much as the states. But if you go there, you have cleaners earning a hundred thousand. Some two hundred thousand.

“The states can do better. And together with us, we can do better. There’s money in Rivers State and we’ll help the government channel this money rightly, for the residents and the citizens of Rivers State”.

Ogan, who heads a faction of the TUC in the state, also appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to recognise and engage with his leadership.

He explained that efforts had already been made at the national level to formally notify the governor about the union’s position.

Ogan stated: “work” with his group, adding “immediately after the election of this council that held on 30th of October, the national (executive) has formally written to the governor of Rivers State.

“All we require is for the governor to respond to that letter. And once he does that response, we shouldn’t be where we are.

“Yes, we understand that the governor is a civil servant, and it’s only necessary that he would have some sympathy for his colleagues on the other side. But he should be aware. that trade union is not politics, and when we are doing trade unionism, we don’t involve politics in it,” he stated.

The TUC chairman maintained that improving workers’ welfare should be a priority for the state government, stressing that Rivers State has enough resources to meet the demands of its workforce.

Amotekun wives seek Ooni’s intervention over detained husbands in Police custody

Wives of detained operatives of Osun Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to the Ooni of Ife’s palace in Osun, seeking intervention for the release of their detained husbands.
The protesters, seeking Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi’s intervention, carried placards with inscriptions like: “Children of Detained Innocent Amotekun are Fenied School; “Oonirisa Please Intervene as Head of Yoruba Race, among others”.
The women described their action as a desperate plea for justice, asking the state government and those in the position of authority to intervene, so that their husbands could regain their freedom.
One of the protesters, Mrs. Omolola Adedokun, who addressed journalists, appealed to the Ooni to use his moral authority and influence to secure the release of their husbands.
Adedokun disclosed that the women had earlier submitted petitions to the Osun House of Assembly and other relevant authorities, while no concrete resolution was achieved so far.
Mrs Oroniyan Fatima, another protester, said the continuous detention of her husband had brought about untold hardship to her and her four children.
She maintained that her husband, Oroniyan Damilare, was innocent, adding that he was not on duty when the alleged Akinlalu incident happened.
“My husband is always crying anytime I speak with him on phone and he is also in need of medical care because he is not feeling well,” she said.
Similarly, Mrs Oyewole Oluwaseyi, said the Akinlalu incident led to the razing down of her husband’s father’s house.
She said her husband, Oyewole Ebenezer, from Akinlalu village, was picked up by the police, while the villagers, in the process burnt down his father’s house.
Oluwaseyi claimed that her husband had nothing to do with the killings in Akinlalu village, adding that he and his family were just being punished for a crime they knew nothing about.
She appealed to the Federal Government and the Police to look into the matter again and do the needful, so that her husband and others could regain their freedom.
The Arode of Ife, High Chief Kayode Awofiranye, who spoke on behalf of the Ooni’s Palace, informed the protesters that Ogunwusi was out of the town.
He assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to the Ooni and urged them to return at a later date.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 25 Osun Amotekun operatives were arrested and taken to Abuja in October by the Police, following the alleged killings of three persons in Akinlalu village by Amotekun operatives. (NAN)

Three Suspects arrested allegedly while Recruiting Youths for ISWAP

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have reportedly arrested three individuals suspected of recruiting youths for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Banki, Borno State.

Security-focused outlet Zagazola Makama reported that the arrests occurred on Saturday following intelligence provided by the district head of Banki.

According to sources cited by the outlet, security operatives carried out a targeted operation that led to the detention of the suspects as they allegedly attempted to enlist young people and facilitate their movement for terrorist training.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Gajibo Kayama, 23; Tahiru Modu, 22; and Bulama Modu, 24.

Sources said the trio were reportedly recruiting youths between 17 and 20 years old from Banki town to support ISWAP fighters operating in Adamawa State. Initial findings indicate that all three were previously affiliated with ISWAP and had claimed to renounce the group about five years ago, but are now accused of returning to recruitment activities.

The suspects have been transferred to a military intelligence unit for detailed questioning and further investigation into their activities.