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NUJ National President Says December 4 FCT NUJ election remains sacrosanct

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The National President, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Dr Chris Isiguzo, has stated that the December 4, 2024, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, council election remains sacrosanct.
Dr. Isiguzo who stated this during a chat with some journalists who visited to make enquiries at the NUJ National Secretariat in Abuja, said the process was going on smoothly and everything to make it hold has been put in place.
He said: “The situation in the Federal Capital Territory Council of our union, I don’t think there’s any problem.
“The processes for election are going on smoothly because the FCT Council leadership, in line with the constitution of NUJ, made their nominations through their Congress and they sent the list to us.
“It is the responsibility of the National Secretary to go through the list they have sent to ensure that it complies with the relevant sections of the constitution, and that we did.
“We wrote to the FCT Council to avail us with the details of the people they nominated as electoral committee members.As we speak, two weeks after, they didn’t write to the National Secretary. And I don’t know what they were trying to achieve by that.
“However, he said the National Secretariat received some petitions from some members of the FCT NUJ Council, but all three petitions lacked merit and were dismissed.
“We, of course, subjected their petitions to the internal mechanism of the union, and we found out that the petitions lacked merit, and they were accordingly dismissed completely. So the three members of the electoral committee were revalidated.
“So I can tell you for sure that whatever they are doing in the council has the implicit endorsement of the National Secretary of the union.
“We have a constitution that has been reviewed. In the past, it was not explicitly stated that the National Secretary should be the supervisory body for councils in terms of elections, electoral committee, and all that.
“But now it is clear, it makes it a lot easier. So that has been done, and I think they are going on smoothly. Of course, the elections will still go ahead as scheduled”, he said.
According to the National President, a lawyer also wrote the National Secretariat saying all the process should be halted as the matter is now at the Industrial Court, but he (Isiguzo) said the lawyer do not have such powers to stop the election, which he pointed out that the court is yet to mention the supposed matter nor given hearing.
“Some three days ago, they brought court processes to the National Secretary, which, of course, as a law-abiding institution, we receive, we don’t decline.
“And the only thing is that when we went through, we discovered that a lawyer was writing us and asking us to stay in action. I don’t know when lawyers started doing that, playing the role of the judiciary. If you have gone to court, you also allow the court to make pronouncements.
“And as we speak, there is no court pronouncement. The date for, before hearing this, what is called mention has not even been listed. So the matter has not even been listed. When it is listed and given to a judge at the industrial court, that a date will be assigned for mention.
“After that, another date will be assigned for hearing. But the lawyer immediately wrote us and was like, don’t do anything, whatever you do will be sub-judice. I don’t know when lawyers started dispensing interlocutory or injunction or interim injunction as the case may be.
“I have never heard that before. I am not a lawyer, maybe that is the new normal. Where lawyers now write and tell you once they have instituted a matter at the court, they now tell you don’t do anything?
Then it makes no sense of the court. If a lawyer can write and say don’t do anything, that means there is no need for the court to hear the matter anymore.
“So as we speak, there is no injunction anywhere that stops the election of the FCT. But the last communication we had was that they should go ahead and do their job, and you know that the election must take place on the 4th of December”, he affirmed.
On members who drag the union to court, the National President stated that “if you go to court without exhausting the internal mechanisms, the union has spelt out what should be done. I swore to protect and defend the constitution of the NUJ and I am not going to input my own words. The constitution of the union is very clear. And I believe the union has its own way of ensuring the constitution of the Nigeria Union of Journalists is not turned to a tissue paper.”

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Don’t sabotage war on terrorism, NEYGA warns, lauds DSS

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By Francesca Hangeior

The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) has cautioned against actions that could undermine Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, expressing concern over what it described as an emerging campaign to discredit the Department of State Services (DSS) and weaken public confidence in the agency.

In a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja, NEYGA spokesperson Ibrahim Dan-Musa commended the DSS for its vital role in ensuring national stability and combating banditry and terrorism.

Dan-Musa dismissed recent reports allegedly from unidentified local hunters accusing DSS operatives of misusing advanced telephone tracking technology, describing them as baseless and part of a smear campaign.

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“The reports claimed that the technology, meant to aid in the rescue of kidnap victims, was instead being used by some operatives to extort money from criminals in exchange for concealing their locations.

“While we do not, and certainly cannot, speak officially for the DSS, we must state without fear of contradiction that such stories were fabricated to tarnish the agency’s image.

“We are not surprised that this falsehood is being spread by the same self-styled activist who falsely accused the DSS of abducting civil rights activist, Comrade Usman Okai Austin, to serve certain political interests. Comrade Austin has since disowned the said activist and publicly apologized for his unfounded allegations against the northern governor.”

The group also recalled how the same “activist,” in a viral video, falsely accused the DSS of invading the Federal High Court on the day the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned former Governor Yahaya Bello.

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“It turned out that no DSS operative was anywhere near the court on the said day,” the group pointed out.

“We cannot thank President Bola Tinubu enough for appointing a thoroughbred professional like Mr. Tosin Ajayi as Director General of the DSS. From the agency’s remarkable exploits since Ajayi assumed office, we are proud to say that President Tinubu made an excellent choice.

“We in the North are particularly pleased with the relentless efforts of the DSS to make the North and the rest of Nigeria safer. Very recently, Governors Dauda Lawal of Zamfara and Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa publicly praised the DSS—not only for seizing large caches of arms and arresting or neutralizing scores of bandits and kidnappers, but also for securing the release of kidnapped Roman Catholic priests,” the group said.

“All of these achievements poke holes in the tissue of lies being peddled by the self-styled activist,” it stressed.

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The group further highlighted an incident from 2018, when a court awarded ₦10 million in damages against the DSS over the 2016 accidental shooting in Bauchi of a businessman originally from Sokoto. 

“No Director General agreed to pay the compensation until Tosin Ajayi came into office. Not only did he pay the ₦10 million, he doubled the amount. Nothing could be more humane. We deeply commend DG Ajayi for that,” the group said.

NEYGA also recalled recent public apologies issued by several media outlets for falsely reporting that the DSS stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly. 

“The DSS’s acceptance of the apologies and decision to drop charges against the media houses is a sign of civility by the secret police, which we wholeheartedly commend,” the group added.

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“We had imagined that, as a serial contestant for the office of President, this activist would be more circumspect, lie less, and demonstrate greater patriotism in the way he speaks about Nigeria—especially if, by some chance, he ends up occupying the nation’s highest office one day. Sadly, that has not been the case,” NEYGA said.

“We commend the maturity of the DSS leadership for enduring the barrage of lies constantly thrown at it by these so-called activists. Nigerians have seen through their antics and know they do not mean well for our beloved country.

“We urge the DSS not to be distracted by these merchants of falsehood and to remain steadfast on the path of making Nigeria safer,” the group said.

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Insecurity: PDP raises alarm over ceaseless killings in Nigeria

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* Urges Aiyedatiwa to be proactive in his duties

By Francesca Hangeior

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has urged Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa to be alive to his duties of safeguarding the lives and property of residents of the state.

The party’s Director of Media and Publicity in the state, Mr Leye Igbabo, stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Akure.

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Igbabo said that the party was alarmed by the alleged ceaseless killings of hapless residents of the state by gunmen.

He said that victims of such killings were lawfully engaging in their daily activities needed to bring food to their tables.

“The party cannot, in all honesty, find reasons why such assailants could operate without any form of resistance for months running, in a state where there is said to be a valid government in place.

“Gov. Aiyedatiwa has indeed failed in his constitutional duty as enshrined in Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), in that he can no longer secure and protect lives and property of citizens of Ondo State.

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“It is heart-wrenching to note that in less than one month, about 50 persons have been gruesomely massacred in various settlements within the state,” he said.

Igbabo expressed concerned that no arrest or prosecution had been made in the wake of these incidents.

He said that the party had been wondering if a government still exists in the state in the face of what he described as unprovoked and unrestrained killings.

“These killings are one too many and indicative of helplessness, hopelessness and huge compromise of those in the corridor of power in Ondo State,” he stated.

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Igbabo urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the situation, as it appeared that the state government was incapacitated in tackling the menace.

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UK payrolled employees drop by 78,000

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By Francesca Hangeior

The number of UK payrolled workers and job vacancies slid ahead of businesses being hit by tax hikes and US tariffs, official data showed Tuesday.

Preliminary figures for March showed the number of payrolled employees dropped by 78,000 from February, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

That compared with a decrease of 8,000 in February from January, the ONS added.

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Job vacancies in the three months to March dipped below pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2021.

Wage growth, however, remained elevated, with the annual growth in employees’ average regular earning edging up to 5.9 percent in the three months to the end of February.

The figures cover the period before the introduction this month of business tax hikes laid out in the Labour government’s maiden budget in October.

It “provides some tentative evidence that businesses started to respond to rises in business taxes and the minimum wage from this month by reducing headcount”, said Capital Economics UK economist Ashley Webb.

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Businesses have in particular criticised the tax increases, warning it could lead to them holding back on hiring and limiting pay rises.

The ONS added that the unemployment rate remained at 4.4 percent in the three months to the end of February.

Webb said jobs growth could be further impacted “from the recent increase in uncertainty due to the chaotic way US tariff policy is being set”.

The UK was hit with a 10 percent levy on imports to the United States as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which also target sectors like steel, aluminium and autos.

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It creates a difficult situation for the Bank of England which has to contend with persistently high wage growth and stubborn inflation as well as the risks to the economy posed by tariffs.

“With pay growth still running above levels consistent with the inflation target, the… (BoE) will likely continue its gradual approach to cutting interest rates,” said Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK.

“However, that will be set against growing risks to the domestic economy which are likely to depress labour market activity,” she added.

The BoE recently halved its forecast for the country’s total output this year, blaming global risks amid US tariff threats and deteriorating UK business confidence.

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That came as the central bank cut in February its key interest rate by a quarter point, the third such reduction in six months.

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