News
JUSUN shuts down court gates in Ogun, begins warning strike
Judicial workers in Ogun have shut down court gates in the state following the commencement of a five-day warning strike over non-payment of the 40 percent peculiar allowance.
The workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, Ogun State chapter, were stationed before the state high court and magistrate court in Isabo, Abeokuta, ensuring that the gates remained locked.
On Monday, litigants and lawyers were seen loitering as judges were also prevented from accessing the premises and performing their duties.
Speaking on the issue on ground, the state chairman of JUSUN, Olarenwaju Ajiboye noted that the workers were forced to embark on the strike following the refusal of the state government to accede to their demands.
According to Ajiboye, the union embarked on the strike following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the state government.
Ajiboye said, “Today, Ogun State judicial workers commenced a five-day warning strike to protest non-payment of 40 percent peculiar allowance of judicial workers by the state government.
“After the warning strike if the Ogun State government fails to do the needful, the union will proceed on indefinite strike come 18th March 2024.
“In August 2023, the government commenced the payment of a non-peculiar allowance to core civil servants. Immediately we became aware of this, we informed our national body, which wrote three letters – one to the head of service and two to the governor directly on the matter.
“The head of service called a meeting with the union and other stakeholders to discuss the way forward. The reasons given to the union for the government not paying the money were not tenable and not acceptable to the union, that is why we proceeded on this five-day warning strike.
“The union held its congress where a 21-day ultimatum was issued to the state government to do the needful failure of which will need a five-day warning strike after which we will proceed on indefinite strike.”
By Gloria Ikibah
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has hailed his Deputy, Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, as a rising force in Nigeria’s political landscape, describing him as a man whose journey is only just beginning.
Abbas gave the remarks on Tuesday inside the chamber, shortly after plenary, as members of the House gathered to celebrate Kalu’s 54th birthday with a brief ceremony and a cake-cutting session.
Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, turned 54 on Monday.
A lawyer by training and former spokesperson for the House, he has grown into a familiar face not just within Nigeria’s legislature but also across international parliamentary networks.
In recent times, Kalu has taken on significant continental and global responsibilities. He chairs the Finance and Administrative Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament and leads the African Union Parliament’s Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs. He is also an active member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and sits on the steering committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization.
His colleagues describe him as strategic, forward-looking, and quietly ambitious, a lawmaker whose blend of eloquence and diplomacy has made him a respected voice both at home and abroad.
Speaking to journalists after the brief celebration, Abbas said, “Benjamin Kalu is not just a Deputy Speaker. He is a man with vision, poise, and the kind of political maturity that Nigeria will need even more in the years to come. His future is very bright.
Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is working towards consensus candidates for the upcoming primary election scheduled for Saturday.
The move is part of the party’s efforts to maintain unity and reduce internal frictions.
Five aspirants emerged unopposed following the screening organised by the party.
The incumbent Chairman of Surulere Local Government, Sulaimon Yusuf; his counterpart in Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Jubril Yisa; Motunrayo Alogba of Ijede LCDA and Kasali Bamidele in Lekki LCDA emerged unopposed. A new aspirant, Azeez Kareem, was the only person cleared to contest in Oto-Awori LCDA.
Chairman of the APC Lagos State Electoral Committee, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, in an interview with The Nation, disclosed that more aspirants had emerged unopposed following interventions from the party leaders.
He expressed optimism that many more aspirants would step down before the Saturday primary election.
“We are hoping to have at least 70 per cent consensus candidates going into the primary election. If we can achieve that, it will leave us with only 30 per cent to conduct primaries for,” he said.
According to him, the appeal committee, headed by Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, has been sitting for the past two days and has received over 100 petitions.
Ogala said the committee had treated over 70 of the petitions and would conclude their assignment today (Wednesday).
He explained that while the party had prepared for indirect primaries, involving delegates drawn from local government executives, efforts were ongoing at various levels to arrive at consensus candidacies in many wards.
He said electoral materials were being finalised for distribution by Saturday, with electoral officers already appointed to oversee the process in all 57 local councils.
Ogala said security had been fully arranged in collaboration with the police, DSS, civil defence and Lagos traffic officials to ensure order and smooth movement at the secretariats where the primaries were expected to take place.
According to him, the party is also scheduled to hold a key stakeholders’ meeting today with senior officials and aspirants to finalise agreements and chart the way forward.
President of Inner Galaxy Group, Mr. Li Shuang, yesterday, disclosed that his company was ready to set up a $400 million hot rolled coiled steel factory with the capacity to employ about 6,500 direct and indirect workers in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
He made this known while leading a delegation of principal officials of the organization at the Governor’s Office located at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He added that the company is expected to commence operations in April 2026, saying the organization, a multinational company with vast investments in Asia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and some African countries like Ghana and Angola, entered the Nigerian market in 2005, producing iron rods for the building industry.
Governor Dapo Abiodun expressed delight in the huge investment, as he ascribed the success to his administration’s deliberate and intentional move to make the state the leading industrial hub in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region.
“This is a $400 million investment; this aligns with the President’s vision to ensure that we grow this economy to a trillion dollars, and I think that you will be contributing your quota in achieving that. We are excited that you will also be employing people.
“I will be commissioning a multimillion-dollar diagnostic equipment facility during the week. This administration has managed to attract quite a lot of industries in the last six years,”
Abiodun noted that the state is blessed with abundant human and natural resources, adding that alluvial gold had been discovered in large quantities, just as the state has the highest quality of lithium.
-
Opinion20 hours agoRIVERS, WIKE, FUBARA, AND THE WAY FORWARD
-
Politics19 hours agoJust in: Delta PDP Reps members defect to APC
-
News21 hours agoNANS Barricades Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Over Alleged NELFUND Mismanagement
-
News17 hours agoTension As Lawmakers Warns of Public Revolt Over Insecurity
-
News21 hours agoCourt bans Nnamdi Kanu’s in-law from 3 proceedings over live streaming
-
News16 hours agoEdo Speaker, Two Other Lawmakers, Formally Join APC
-
News17 hours agoRep Raises Alarm After Deadly Attacks In Borno, Says Boko Haram Is Returning Stronger
-
News6 hours agoTinubu presents N1.78 trillion FCT budget to NASS