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Police tactically withdraws original reasons for inviting NLC President, Ajaero

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Maxwell Opara, a lawyer to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says the Police have retracted their earlier reasons for summoning the labour leader.

Opara disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, shortly after the labour leader in company with his lawyers returned from honouring the invitation by the Police.

The Police had on Aug. 20, invited Ajaero, for interrogation on charges related to alleged “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cyber crime”

However, the legal counsel to the NLC, Mr Femi Falana had pleaded for more time through a letter to the Police with the assurances that the NLC president would honour the invitation on Aug. 29.

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Addressing newsmen and workers of affiliates unions after honouring the invitation, Opara said the reasons as contained in the invitation letter from the Police was quite different from what they were told.

“Just to correct an impression; what we heard from the Police when we got there, was quite different from the content of the invitation letter.

“They said that Ajaero was invited to be questioned in respect of a tenant occupying one of the offices in Labour House.

“So, Ajaero told them what he knew about the tenant and that was it.

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“This does not mean that we are going to relent, because we do not know what will come up next.

“We must get ourselves prepared,” he said.

Opara also called on the Police to release those arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protest, or charge them to court

For his part, Ajaero commended workers and affiliates nationwide for their support on the travails.

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It would be recalled that the NLC directed its members nationwide to embark on a peaceful procession and prayer session on Aug. 29, in solidarity with their president.

“I want to thank everyone and those in the states that have been praying and fasting since morning. They can now can break their fast.

“The labour movement is worth dying for, because of the patriotism and commitment of our members

“Our patriotism from the days of colonial government to the period of the military is unshakeable. We are more patriotic than any other institutions you can think of in this country and we will continue to be that

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“I just want to confirm to you that as a citizen I have gone there and I am back and you can not do this kind of job without hazards,” he said.

On the new national minimum wage, Ajaero noted that since the Bill was passed into law, workers were yet to see the implementation..

He assured that the organised labour would press harder for its implementation, as soon as possible.

Ajaero said the union would not be distracted in the struggle to ensure that the welfare of workers is worthwhile and given to them promptly.

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(NAN)

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Guinea Woos Nigerian Investors to Join $20bn Projects

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By Gloria IkibahGuinea’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Siaka Cissoko, has said that his country has ongoing projects worth about $20 billion, and Nigerian companies are welcome to take part.He shared this during a visit by members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) to the Guinean Embassy in Abuja.Cissoko spoke about the long-standing ties between Nigeria and Guinea, and said it was time both countries did more together, especially in business.He also pointed out that many Guinean businesspeople tend to overlook Nigeria when looking for partners, and he hopes that will change going forward.
He said: “As I speak to you, there is an ongoing mega multibillion-dollar project in Guinea, about $20bn that could be handled by Nigerian companies.
 
“I know, with this new partnership, Nigerians will be aware of the projects and key into it.”
 
“Our businessmen always go to India, Pakistan, and other Asian countries to look for $5m to $10m business opportunities that could be gotten in Nigeria because they don’t have comprehensive information,” he said.
 
He emphasised the need to deepen ties between Guinea and Nigeria by working closely with the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria.
According to the ambassador, the association can play a key role in helping people from both countries understand each other better. He also pointed out that Nigerian banks like Access Bank, UBA, First Bank, and Polaris are already operating in Guinea. Cissoko added that both countries, being rich in minerals, have great potential to work together in the mining sector.“In Guinea, many people form their views of Nigeria mainly through Nollywood films. But with this kind of partnership, they can learn more about the country beyond what they see on screen.
“Guinea and Nigeria have a long-lasting bilateral relationship. “It is a good thing that a credible association like yours, the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria, is paying us a courtesy visit.
 
“We are great mining countries, which Nigerian investors could leverage on the opportunity to invest in our country,” he said. 
 
The ambassador pledged Guinea’s readiness to work with the association in various areas, including information exchange, sponsorship, training, and charity work.
 
“We will support your charity work to ensure that you affect the lives of the less privileged in society,” Cissoko said. He also extending an invitation for the association to explore and report on the Guinean community in Nigeria. 
 
In response, the Chairman of DICAN, Comrade Fredrick Idehai, pledged the association’s commitment to partnering with the Guinean Embassy in Nigeria.
 
“DICAN is ready to share information on their business investments and development as part of the partnership.
 
“We will be available to support the embassy at all times”, he asserted.
 
Guinea and Nigeria have historically maintained generally strong diplomatic relations, particularly since Guinea’s independence in 1958. Both nations share close ties within the West African region, and both countries have been actively supporting each other’s development and played key roles in regional initiatives.
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Nigeria’s inflation jumps to 24.23% in March 2025

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Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 24.23% in March 2025, according to the official government data source, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The rise in the country’s inflation rate, from 23.18% back in February 2025 to 24.23% in March 2025, reflected a major increase in the rising commodity and energy costs in the last few weeks.

According to the March 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) Report which measures the inflation rate released by the government agency on Tuesday, the country’s food inflation rate was 21.79% year-on-year in March 2025.
The food inflation rate, however, showed a decrease compared to the food inflation rate of 23.51% recorded in February 2025.

Economists had predicted that the country’s inflation rate which decreased minimally in February would rise when the Dangote Refinery and the state-run NNPCL got entangled in a petrol price war that culminated in the temporary termination of a naira-for crude agreement between the two oil companies and the subsequent increase in the pump price of petrol.

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Some observers had also said the minimal reduction in the prices of food commodities experienced earlier in February was not sustainable, attributing the temporary decline in the prices of food to the importation intervention of the Federal Government.

Food and commodity inflation have skyrocketed as Nigerians battle what can pass for the worst cost of living crisis since the country’s independence over six decades ago, a development that economic wizards have attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of the forex rates.

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Plateau 51: Mutfwang mourns, says “we failed you”, begs affected community

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Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has apologised to the people of Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) for the failure of government and security agencies to protect lives and properties.

Fifty-one persons were gunned down early Monday in the Zikke community of the LGA, with houses razed and many displaced about two weeks after a similar attack led to the killing of scores of persons in Bokkos Local Government Area.

Less than two days after the most recent assault, Governor Mutfwang apologised for the government’s inability to protect the people.

Fifty-one persons were gunned down early Monday in the Zikke community of the LGA, with houses razed and many displaced about two weeks after a similar attack led to the killing of scores of persons in Bokkos Local Government Area.

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Less than two days after the most recent assault, Governor Mutfwang apologised for the government’s inability to protect the people.

The governor said this on Tuesday at the palace of the Paramount Ruler in Miango.

“I will tell you the truth: I have been crying since yesterday because I had trusted God that all the arrangements were put in place, that this will not happen again. We have made investments in security,” he said.

But like all human arrangements, sometimes they fail. I want to admit that on Sunday night into Monday morning, we failed you. Please, forgive me.”

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He urged the people not to relent in their efforts to secure their communities and ensure that they complement security agencies’ efforts by providing vital information for intelligence gathering and expose the antics of the criminals.

Governor Mutfwang, in the company of security chiefs and members of the state executive council, was in Zikke community to commiserate with the people on the death of over fifty persons killed in Monday’s attacks.

The Paramount Ruler of Irigwe land, Ronku Aka, who is the Brangwe of Irigwe, urged the government to come to the aid of the communities with the provision of social amenities in the area.

The governor and the entourage also went to see some of the families who lost their loved ones in the attack. The victims have been buried just as members of the community demanded action to stem the rising wave of insecurity in the state.

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Plateau State has been a hotbed of attacks, but the renewed spate of attacks adds a fresh layer of twist to the decades-long crisis rocking the North-Central state.

After the most recent assaults, President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to fish out the masterminds, describing the attacks as condemnable.

While experts have linked the lingering Plateau crisis to farmers-herders tussle for resources, Governor Muftwang said it was sponsored and genocidal.

According to him, over 64 communities in the state have been taken over by gunmen.

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