The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kebbi State Council, has rejected claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Abubakar Malami, concerning the welfare of workers in the state.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Malami had alleged in an Independence Day message that Kebbi workers were facing hardship due to the government’s failure to pay pensions, implement promotions and what he described as unlawful deductions from workers’ salaries.

However, speaking to journalists on Monday in Birnin Kebbi, NLC Chairman Murtala Usman dismissed the claims, insisting that allegations concerning workers’ welfare must be backed by facts and evidence.

“Trade unionism is not conducted through rumour. It is conducted through evidence, negotiation, collective action where necessary, and institutional engagement,” Usman said.

The labour leader explained that the NLC had maintained regular discussions with the Kebbi State Government since Governor Nasir Idris assumed office in 2023, particularly on matters affecting workers.

According to him, the engagements have been based on collective bargaining, social dialogue, consultation and negotiated resolution of industrial disputes.

Usman said the union had presented several demands to the government, noting that while some issues had been resolved, others were still being discussed.

He highlighted the state government’s approval and implementation of a ₦75,000 minimum wage, which he said was higher than the ₦70,000 national minimum wage benchmark.

The NLC chairman described the development as an important response to workers’ demands but stressed that it did not mean the struggle for better welfare and improved purchasing power had ended.

“With inflation and the rising cost of living, the NLC will continue to demand further improvements in workers’ purchasing power and conditions of service,” he said.

Usman also acknowledged Malami’s campaign promise to increase the minimum wage for Kebbi workers to ₦110,000 if elected governor in 2027.

However, he said such political promises should be examined based on their cost, available funding, sustainability, implementation plans and proposed timelines.

“Announcing a higher figure during an election campaign is easy. But the real test is the capacity and willingness to negotiate, fund, implement and sustain such commitments when in government,” he stated.

The labour leader maintained that workers needed policies capable of being implemented rather than “merely attractive figures and campaign rhetoric.”

He assured that the NLC would continue to push for improved workers’ welfare while also recognising government interventions that had positively addressed some of the union’s demands.

A senior Air Traffic Controller familiar with the military aircraft crash in Ondo State has described the aircraft’s sudden disappearance from radar and the loss of communication shortly after take-off as suspicious.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The aircraft, identified by tail number NGR 931, was reportedly travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. It later crashed into a swampy area in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Speaking to Punch, the Air Traffic Controller, who asked not to be identified, said communication with the aircraft was established shortly after take-off but was later lost. Attempts to restore contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful.

The source added that personnel stationed at nearby reporting points in Okitipupa subsequently reported hearing a loud bang, which was believed to have been the sound of the aircraft crashing.

According to the controller, the exact circumstances surrounding the incident may become clearer once the ongoing search-and-rescue and recovery operations are completed.

“I must tell you that this is looking somehow shoddy. When the aircraft took off, we were in touch with it shortly afterward, but it disappeared from the radar. Efforts to reach it were unsuccessful.

“But it was strange. Almost immediately after it took off, we lost communication with it. There was no communication, nothing. And that makes it suspicious. The aircraft just vanished until the crash.

“Even as we speak, the search-and-rescue operation is still ongoing, and when that is concluded, I should be able to get more information.

“The loss of communication is very suspicious, but God will help us anyway. It is very possible for us to get clearer information as things unfold,” the source said.

A resident of Ondo State identified simply as Sola told the publication that the crash occurred while it was drizzling.

“It happened this (Monday) morning, when it was drizzling. We heard a very loud sound at the area where the incident happened, but we couldn’t get there because the place is a swampy area inside the creek. We were just looking at it from afar.

“However, the police and the military people later came around for rescue, but the occupants of the aircraft may have died inside because up till this time I’m speaking with you, nobody has been removed from there, dead or alive. Initially, we thought it was a helicopter, but later we learnt that it is an aircraft,” Sola said.

Another eyewitness said military personnel were seen at the scene alongside local fishermen who joined the rescue efforts.

“I could see the military men in the area while some local fishermen too were helping out, but it seems difficult to remove the wreckage because the plane forcefully entered into the swampy area,” the eyewitness added.

The factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Interim National Working Committee, Kabiru Turaki, has called on Nigerians to reject vote-buying and other forms of inducement during the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Turaki made the call on Monday in Bauchi while speaking at a colloquium organised to mark the 68th birthday of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

The PDP chieftain urged voters to approach the 2027 elections with greater awareness, stressing that the quality of candidates elected would have a significant impact on the country’s governance over the following four years.

He also described young Nigerians as key stakeholders in the nation’s political process and encouraged them to take a more active role in politics and governance.

Turaki noted that citizens play an important role in determining the quality of leadership that emerges through elections.

“It is often said that a country has the leaders it deserves. That is true because they don’t become leaders except when we choose them or acquiesce to their emergence.

“Some actively vote for bad leaders while others refuse to vote at all, thereby still allowing the emergence of bad leadership. We must not vote in exchange for spaghetti, rice, money or any other inducements. We must vote according to the capacity of the candidates to offer quality representation and contribute to national development,” he said.

Turaki also reflected on the performance of past legislators, saying some lawmakers previously provided effective and responsible representation, unlike what he described as the current “rubber-stamp legislature.”

He warned that a weak legislature could undermine the country’s democratic system by limiting effective checks and balances.

“A weak legislature is not good for our country, as there will be no effective checks and balances. I commend the organisers of this event for providing an opportunity for the meeting of minds to x-ray the past and plan the future,” he said.

The PDP chieftain further challenged the popular notion that young people are merely the “leaders of tomorrow,” questioning when that much-promised future would arrive.

“We must stop saying that youths are the leaders of tomorrow; when will that tomorrow come? Young people are the greatest stakeholders of the future, and that future cannot be discussed or planned in their absence,” Turaki added.