EVENTS
Minimum wage: NLC strike may fail as states pull out
There are strong indications that the planned December 1 strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress may suffer a setback following the declaration by some state chapters of the union that they will not be part of the proposed industrial action.
President Bola Tinubu had in July approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for Nigerian workers, including civil servants, and pledged to review the wage every three years.
Many states agreed to pay above the N70,000 minimum, with Lagos and Rivers states offering the highest pay of N85,000.
However, 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory have yet to begin the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Some of the affected states include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Katsina.
Others are Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Enugu states, and the FCT.
But less than 24 hours to the planned strike, some state chapters of the NLC withdrew and distanced themselves from the industrial action.
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Some of the affected states include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Katsina.
Others are Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Enugu states, and the FCT.
But less than 24 hours to the planned strike, some state chapters of the NLC withdrew and distanced themselves from the industrial action.
Imo
In Imo State, the NLC Chairman, Uche Chigaemezu, said on Saturday that there was no plan to embark on any strike.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Chigaemezu said, “We cannot think of embarking on any strike because we have reached an agreement with the state government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma.
“He has shown commitment to the payment of N70,000 minimum wage to Imo workers. We have communicated our position to the national body, and they are aware of the decision of the government to pay the minimum wage soon.”
A civil servant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that there was no plan to embark on strike in the state.
Sokoto
In Sokoto State, following the approval of N70,000 minimum wage for state workers by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, the NLC opted out of the planned national strike of the union.
Recall that the state governor, while presenting the 2025 appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly on Friday, announced that his administration was ready to adopt N70,000 as the new minimum wage.
The governor, however, disclosed that the implementation of the new wage would commence in January 2025.
Speaking with our correspondent on the next line of action, the secretary of the NLC in the state, on Saturday, said the union had withdrawn from the proposed strike action.
He said, “We are not joining the strike action; representatives of the labour union and the state government have signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the new minimum wage.”
Oyo
Similarly, organised labour in Oyo State dissociated itself from the strike.
The NLC state chairman and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Kayode Martins and Bosun Olabiyi, respectively, in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH in Ibadan, the state capital, said labour would not participate in the strike.
Martins said, “We have liaised with the national secretariat, and we let them realise the stage we are. Already, we have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the conclusion of everything.
“We wrote in our press release that we have a good rapport with the government.”
In his submission, Olabiyi said, “We are dissociating ourselves totally from the strike in the state. We have an understanding with the state government; we are not going on strike because everything is fine in this state.”
Katsina
The NLC Chairman in Katsina State, Hussaini Danduna, was also part of the withdrawal spree, saying workers in the state would not join the planned December 1st industrial action.
He said, “We have signed an agreement with the Katsina State Government, and based on this, we are not going to join the strike action declared by the national executive council of our union.”
Also, the TUC Chairman, Katsina State chapter, Mukhtar Abdu-Ruma, said workers would not join the action following the agreement reached with the state government on Saturday.
“The new minimum wage will be implemented in December, and we have agreed on the minimum wage and consequential adjustment,” he stated.
Akwa Ibom
Meanwhile, the TUC Chairman in Akwa Ibom State, Dominic Abang, said public civil servants would not participate in the planned industrial action by the NLC over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage.
Though the state NLC Chairman, Sunny James, could not be reached on the phone, Abang told one of our correspondents in Uyo, the state capital, that the TUC had gone far at the committee level, hence there was no need to join the strike.
Kaduna, Nasarawa, Zamfara, FCT confirm participation
The Kaduna State chapter of the NLC on Saturday confirmed its participation in the planned nationwide strike scheduled for December 1, 2024.
The Chairman of the Kaduna State NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, confirmed the state’s participation to Sunday PUNCH on Saturday.
When asked if the NLC was prepared to embark on the nationwide strike, Suleiman replied, “Yes, we are set for the strike.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Friday participated in a wreath-laying ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the death of the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, GCFR.
The event was attended by notable dignitaries, including Senator Daisy Danjuma, wife of retired Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma; Dr Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, daughter of the late General and CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation; her husband, Gbenga Oyebode; and Hon. Bola Oladunjoye, Chairman of Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, among other officials and guests.
Wreaths were laid at the cenotaph in honour of General Muhammed, celebrating his life, leadership, and enduring contributions to Nigeria.
General Murtala Ramat Muhammed served as Nigeria’s Head of State from July 1975 until his assassination on February 13, 1976.
His leadership was abruptly ended when his convoy was ambushed in Ikoyi, Lagos, during a failed coup attempt, resulting in his death alongside his driver and aide-de-camp.
Following his assassination, leadership passed to his deputy, Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo, who continued the transition to civilian governance.
Fifty years later, commemorative activities are being held throughout February 2026, including exhibitions, policy dialogues, memorial gatherings, and wreath-laying ceremonies, highlighting General Muhammed’s legacy and enduring impact on Nigeria’s history.
EVENTS
GOVERNOR SOLUDO’S ULTIMATUM AND THE BATTLE FOR ANAMBRA’S MONDAYS, SHUTS DOWN ONITSHA MAIN MARKET FOR A WEEK
By Christian ABURIME
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo has ordered the immediate shut down of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, following defiance of the market leadership to open, against government directive.
Governor Soludo’s order for a one-week shutdown of the sprawling market is more than an administrative penalty. It is the latest, and perhaps most drastic, salvo in a protracted war over who controls time and economic life in Southeast Nigeria on mondays. The enemy is the long-standing, fear-enforced Monday sit-at-home order, a ghostly mandate from non-state actors that has strangled businesses and normalized weekly monday sit-at-home for years.
The Governor’s move is a direct response to what the government sees as baffling defiance. Despite repeated assurances of enhanced security and appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders at the iconic market again chose to keep their stalls locked. Their absence was a quiet rebellion, but one that spoke volumes about the lingering climate of apprehension.
“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy, this is plain economic sabotage. We are not going to allow this”, Governor Soludo stated, framing the closure as a protective measure for the “law-abiding citizen.” But his subsequent warning carried the weight of an escalating ultimatum: if the market does not reopen for business after this one-week shutdown, it will be sealed for a month. “And so on and so forth,” he added, drawing a line in the sand.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this”, the Governor insisted.
The scene at the market was one of tense enforcement. A joint task force of police, army, and other security personnel moved swiftly to secure the perimeter, turning away the few hopefuls who approached.
For the Soludo administration, the solution is unwavering enforcement to break a psychological barrier. The strategy is clear: make the cost of compliance with the illegal sit-at-home order higher than the fear that drives it. By targeting the economic heart of the region, the government aims to trigger a collective shift in behavior, betting that the traders’ desire to trade will ultimately outweigh their fear.
As the gates remain locked this week, the standoff in Onitsha encapsulates the broader struggle in the Southeast. It is a fight over normalcy, authority, and the fragile psyche of a populace caught between enforced directives and imposed orders. When the gates are scheduled to reopen next Monday, all eyes will be on the traders. Will they return to their stalls, emboldened by the state’s show of force? Or will the silent, empty aisles deliver a different verdict?
The answer will determine not just the fate of a market, but the rhythm of life in Anambra for Mondays to come.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT-PAX-DIAi/?igsh=bzVxOGgzcTF0OG5k
A Nigerian man has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) after sharing throwback photos of himself and his wife from when they were both still children.
In the post, @Sadeeq_Malo revealed that he has loved his wife for 17 years, describing her as his uncle’s daughter, a statement that immediately caught the attention of social media users.
Sharing the photos, he wrote:
“17 years of love. I fell in love with her from the day she was born — my uncle’s daughter, now my bride. Allahummah Barik.”
The old photos, which show the couple as children, were shared alongside recent pictures of them as a married couple, sparking massive engagement online.
The post has since divided opinions on social media. While some users defended the union noting that cousin marriages are culturally acceptable in some communities, others focused on the unusual wording of his declaration.
Reacting, one user wrote, “Fell in love from the day she was born? That sentence alone is wild.” Another commented, “People should calm down. Cousin marriage is normal in many cultures.”
Despite the mixed reactions, the man appears unfazed, celebrating what he describes as a 17-year journey of love that eventually led to marriage.
Check post below….
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