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Civil servants in Niger to begin strike Wednesday

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By Francesca Hangeior

Civil servants in Niger State have declared an indefinite strike over the failure of the government to meet their demands.

The civil servants, acting under the umbrella of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, had presented some demands to the state government which the NLC said the state reneged upon.

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It, however, said its doors were still open for negotiation.

The congress in a letter to Governor Mohammed Bago, dated February 19 and signed by the Chairman, Idrees Lafene, and the chairman of the Trade Union Congress,l, Ibrahim Gana, said the strike would begin 8am on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.

The letter was made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

It read in part “We are writing in furtherance to our earlier letter of ultimatum Ref no. OL/NS/040/GEN/Vol 4/29 dated 20/12/23 and the deadlock on settlement of issues as a result of negotiations with Niger State Government Committee.

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“We wish to formally inform the Government that effective 8am on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 that Niger State workers shall commence an indefinite strike action until our demands are comprehensively met.

“Meanwhile, we wish to reiterate that our doors are open for negotiation subject to: Conveyance of formal invitation, reversal of all appointments in dispute ie, Executive Directors Finance, Executive Directors Admin and Executive Directors Operations, Chairman, members and permanent commissioners of local Government Service Commission and Civil Service Commission, Directors General DGs of some agencies

“A clear statement by the government on payment of wage award.

“We also wish to stress that the idea of appointing Permanent Secretaries who are not eligible and within the service will no longer be tolerated by the Organised Labour.

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“Accordingly we call on the government to withdraw the recent appointment of a Vice Principal on secondment as a Permanent Secretary to allow for career progression from within.

“We also call on the government to desist from victimising teachers and members from the educational sector as a result of the recent debate by some primary school pupils in Agaie LGA.”

The organised labour reiterated its commitment to the governor’s New Niger Agenda, noting that there was no response to previous correspondence.

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“I am not happy Iran, Israel violated ceasefire deal -Trump declares

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US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was holding, shortly after he lashed out at both countries and cursed as he accused them of violating the truce.

In a fast-moving series of declarations, the 79-year-old Republican, who was on his way to attend a NATO summit in The Hague, posted on his Truth Social app that “the Ceasefire is in effect!”

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt,” Trump wrote.

Minutes earlier, he had castigated Iran and also close US ally Israel for violating a ceasefire he had originally announced late Monday.

The two countries have been “fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing, do you understand that?” the president told reporters at the White House.

Iran violated the ceasefire, “but Israel violated it too,” Trump told reporters on the White House’s South Lawn as he departed for the NATO summit.

“So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.”

“I’ve got to get Israel to calm down,” he said. “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before.”

Trump’s unusually public display of anger at Israel saw the US leader apparently trying to cajole his ally to call off warplanes in real time.

A man looks at items found in the rubble of a destroyed home in the northern Arab-Israeli city of Tamra, on June 24, 2025, days after an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into the neighbourhood. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

Earlier the same morning, he had posted on Truth Social: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS” — without it being clear which bombs he was referring to.

“IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

If it holds, the truce would be a big political win for Trump in the wake of his risky decision to send US bombers over the weekend to attack three nuclear facilities in Iran that Israel and the United States say were being used to build an atomic bomb in secret.

The US leader had said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

Israel has been bombing Iran in an offensive that began June 13. The United States joined the attack with a mission starting overnight Friday to Saturday against the deeply buried Fordow complex and two other sites.

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Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump insisted that the US bombing mission was a success.

“I think it’s been completely demolished,” he said, savaging US journalists for “fake news” and calling two networks “scum” for reporting that it remains unclear whether the Iranian nuclear infrastructure was truly dismantled.

“IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!” he posted separately on Truth Social.

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Just in: Senate extends 2024 budget cycle to December 2025

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A bill for an Act to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act to further extend deadline for the capital component of the Act and for other related matters 2025 was passed into law by the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday.

The bill was passed into law by the Senate after it passed third reading, following a motion moved by Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, that was seconded by Minority Leader, Abba Moro.

The Nigerian Senate, during a plenary session presided over by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, amended the 2024 budget and further extended the deadline set for implementation of the capital component from 30 June 2025 to 31 December 2025.

A bill for an act to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act to further extend the capital component of the Act from 30th June 2025 to 31st December 2025 and for other related matters 2025; third reading taken and passed,” the Deputy Senate President declared.

The Nigerian Senate, during a plenary session presided over by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, amended the 2024 budget and further extended the deadline set for implementation of the capital component from 30 June 2025 to 31 December 2025.

A bill for an act to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act to further extend the capital component of the Act from 30th June 2025 to 31st December 2025 and for other related matters 2025; third reading taken and passed,” the Deputy Senate President declared.

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Thugs invade SDP headquarters over chairman, others’ suspension

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Violence erupted at the national headquarters of the Social Democratic Party in Abuja on Tuesday as a group of armed thugs dressed in black outfits stormed the premises, unleashing violence on journalists and party staff.

The attack comes amid a deepening crisis within the party, triggered by the suspension of key national officers, including the National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam.

The party’s National Working Committee had announced the suspension of Gabam, National Auditor, Nnadi Clarkson, and National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Uchechukwu.

They were accused of gross financial misconduct, including embezzlement, misappropriation, and unauthorised diversion of party funds running into hundreds of millions of naira.

Journalists who had gathered at the party office for a press briefing were caught in the fray as hoodlums descended on the premises.

Cameras and phones were seized while some reporters, including our correspondent, were physically assaulted, before security agents intervened.

The violence became public knowledge after the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, released a statement announcing the suspensions.

“The decision followed resolutions made by members of the NWC, where overwhelming evidence was presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorised financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and movement of funds from the party’s accounts without the committee’s approval,” the statement read.

According to the party’s leadership, the situation escalated when Gabam allegedly submitted an unauthorised financial statement to the Independent National Electoral Commission and caused a summary of the accounts to be published in the media.

This, insiders say, prompted alarm within the party’s inner circle.

“The NWC resolved to alert law enforcement agencies and commence a full-scale internal investigation,” Aiyenigba revealed, emphasising that the party “has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.”

In the wake of the crisis, the NWC has appointed Dr. Sadiq Abubakar, Deputy National Chairman (North), as Acting National Chairman, pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.

Aiyenigba also disclosed that an interim investigative panel has been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend possible legal action against those found culpable.

The committee is expected to scrutinise all transactions, especially those related to the proceeds from nomination forms sold ahead of the 2023 general elections, funds believed to have been misappropriated.

“The party will not shield any individual found guilty.

“Our goal is to restore public confidence in the SDP as a credible alternative for national leadership,” Aiyenigba added.

The suspensions have already been formally communicated to INEC and other relevant agencies.

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