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Niger Govt Reaches Agreement With Striking Workers
Niger State Government and the organised labour have reached an agreement on all issues that led to industrial action embarked upon by the Labour Union in the State.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago stated this while addressing Journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting between the State Government and organised labour at the Government House, Minna.
The Governor revealed that all pending issues have been resolved, pointing out that most of the issues were inherited from previous Governments.
He said there was a mutual understanding during the meeting and resolutions were reached leading to the signing of agreement by the parties involved.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Abdulkareem Lafene who also addressed journalists corroborated what the State Government said.
He disclosed that a Tripartite Committee comprising representatives from the State government, State House of Assembly, and organised labour has been set up to look at the laws on the issue of appointments of Executive Directors among others with the view to finding lasting solutions to the issue.
The NLC Chairman said his team will report the outcome of the meeting back to other leaders of the Council for further and necessary actions.
The agreement reached by both parties centred on some appointments made by the Farmer Governor, wage award, 2019 leave grant, liability of third-party deductions, and consequential adjustments among others.
While the State Head of Service, Salisu Abubakar, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Abubakar Aliyu signed on behalf of the State Government, the NLC State Chairman Abdulkareem Idrees Lafene, TUC State Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Gana, JPSNC State Secretary, Comrade Anna Simon and State Chairman JAC, Comrade Aminu Mahmud signed for the Organized Labour with the condition that the industrial action would be suspended while discussions continue.
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Speaker Abbas expresses sorrow over Niger tanker explosion, multiple fatalities
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Fear as Trump’s deportation raids in US to start in Chicago immediately afte inauguration
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
US President-elect, Donald Trump’s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants after his inauguration.
Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.
The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.
Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.
Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.
“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.
Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.
In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.
Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, in an inauguration that will take place indoors.
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Hajj: CSO lauds NAHCON’s selection of new Saudi-based service provider
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A faith-based civil society organization, CSO that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for selecting a different Saudi-based Hajj service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.
It said the decision would create healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently, qualitatively, and satisfactorily serving Nigerian pilgrims.
The CSO, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, said the quest for improved Hajj services has been a major challenge for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services.
”We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater for the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” he said
The national coordinator, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-Hajj arrangements, said available information shows that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced provider that has served top-rated Hajj countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, and ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
“The company served 249 706 which is the largest number of Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 hajj. They were awarded as the Best Hajj Service Providers during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,” he stated.
IHR said it further understood that NAHCON is planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for very important personalities, VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, which is also a desired step forward.
It, however, urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage, advising that such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms.
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