NIGERIAN NOTCH

By Declan Emelumba CYNICISM is an age-long bane of the human race, but it is often the trademark of those described by the holy book as "men of little faith." In ordinary parlance, it could be the apt definition for "men who are bereft of vision and insight." Either way, it leads to the same end: such people are often thrown away by the prospect of new ideas, particularly the ones that jolt or beat human imagination. In my days as a student of political science, one of my lecturers in foreign policy repeatedly urged us to always think of the “unthinkable”. At the time, it sounded weird, but because he kept harping on it during his lectures, it dawned on me and my classmates that the lecturer made a lot of sense. When you think of the unthinkable, nothing will shock you. Thinking of the unthinkable is actually another way of dreaming big, beyond human imagination. It is about the power of positive thinking, which can shatter all barriers to progress. This

Organised Labour last night suspended its planned nationwide strike for one month following an agreement with the Federal Government. Though details of the Memorandum of Understanding suspending the strike, were sketchy at the time of this report, the agreement, Vanguard gathered, was reached very late at night. The meeting was reconvened yesterday for both government and labour to find common ground and avert the planned strike by organized labour to force the government to address the suffering and pains of Nigerians, occasioned by the petrol subsidy removal. Earlier yesterday, the National Executive Council, NEC, of NLC and its TUC’s counterpart, had met separately to review Sunday’s meeting with the Federal Government’s offers. Vanguard gathered that at the end of the separate NEC meeting, leaders of NLC and TUC set up a committee to harmonise their resolutions to arrive at common ground. According to the sources, the joint resolution of NLC and TUC was presented to the

Officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will meet today to consider the offers made by the federal government during intensive discussions between both parties in the ongoing dispute arising from the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), it was learnt last night. During a meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, several agreements were reached. Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has approved N35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months, following further consultations with the government delegation that met with the leadership of NLC) and TUC) earlier on Sunday. It would be recalled that at the meeting between both parties, the federal government pledged its commitment to expediting the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to alleviate the public transportation challenges triggered by the removal of the PMS subsidy. There is also funding sup

As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of its opera- tions for efficiency, the man- agement of BUA Cement Plc has announced that effective October 2, 2023, it has decid- ed to bring the price reduction forward. As a result, BUA Cement would now be sold at an ex-factory price of N3,500 per bag. The company in a statement said the essence is to allow Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of the price reduction before the completion of our plants. It said, “we refer to our previous pronouncements regarding our intent to reduce cement prices upon the com- pletion of our new lines at the end of the year in order to spur development in the building materials and infrastructure sectors. “Upon completion of the ongoing construction of our new plants, which would in- crease our production vol- umes to 17 million metric tonnes per annum, BUA Cement PLC intends to review these prices further in line with our earlier pronounce- ments by the first quarter

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has predicted that Nigeria will soon rise to become one of the strongest nations in the world, even as he called on all Nigerians to strive to love the country more and make it work for everyone.  These statements were contained in the governor's independence day message to Nigerians. According to the governor "The least we can do as Nigerians is to invest our faith in our country and pray fervently for her progress".  He added, "Therefore, as we celebrate this year's Independence anniversary, we should renew faith in Nigeria. We must remain confident that this blessed country will ultimately become a great nation. I foresee a Nigeria that will sooner rather than later rise above the challenges that currently impede her march to a virile and prosperous nation.  I see in the nearest future a new Nigeria that is the bastion of democracy where the expectations of the majority will be met, where justice and equity shall

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON has congratulated Nigerians on the occasion of the nation’s 63rd Independence Anniversary. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Hon Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate President while acknowledging present challenges in the polity said that there were many landmarks in the nation’s 63 years to give a sense of optimism for a better tomorrow. While noting the particular struggles that Nigeria has passed through as a country in the last 63 years, Senator Akpabio said that each country has its unique path with unique challenges it must pass through. Affirming that the fabrics of national cohesion are increasingly being braced by the unique Nigerian struggles, Senator Akpabio said that he was confident to assert that Nigeria was now on the correct pathway to rediscovery. “As we reminiscence on our 63 years as a country it is tempting to allow present economic and security considerations becloud the tri

Nigerian labour leaders have insisted on going ahead with their indefinite nationwide strike starting on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Yesterday, aviation and electricity union leaders directed their members to join the indefinite strike to protest the mounting hardships foisted on Nigerians due to the removal of fuel subsidy by the Tinubu administration. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) deputy general secretary, Comrade Chris Onyeka, said the strike will still start on October 3 as planned. He said: “We are at an advanced stage of the planning and mobilisation of members for the strike. We have also set up a joint committee between Trade Union Congress (TUC) and NLC for proper coordination of the strike. Don’t allow anyone to mislead the general public by what the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) said. If we are going to call off the strike, then we will let the public know.” It would be recalled that that the NLC had yesterday condemned the reported statement of the

The Apex Igbo Socio-cultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, on Friday said it is making frantic efforts to secure the release of the leader of the  Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, made this known during the grand finale of the 2023 Igbo Day celebration held at Michael Okpara Square, Independent layout Enugu. Chief Iwuanyanwu also said that though he believed that there is marginalisation of Ndigbo in Nigeria, he is seeing a bright future for Ndigbo. He said that after a series of research briefly after his inauguration as PG of Ohanaeze, he saw that Ndigbo are blessed with abundant natural resources such as coal, limestone and gas. Lamenting against the prevailing insecurity in South East, Iwuanyanwu said Ohanaeze would not sit and watch somebody who is sojourning abroad to ruin Igbo land with thoughtless sit-at-home order. “The leadership of Ohanaeze and other leaders in Sou

The Office of the President of the Senate wishes to alert the public on the existence of Parody X  Handles purported to belong to Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, this was made known by an official statement from Hon Eseme Eyiboh Special Adviser, Media/Publicity and spokesperson to the President of the Senate. The offending Parody X Handles are bearing "Senate President Godswill Akpabio @ oficialGAkpabio" with various messages on the proceedings of the Senate President Godswill Akpabio at plenary sessions. For clarity, the verified X Handles of the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio are "President of the Senate @SPNigeria...Official account of the office of the President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria" and @Senator_Akpabio, which is his personal account.  The Senate President therefore denounces the Parody X Handles and urges the public to disregard them. All X Handles other tha

Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate closure of Ladipo Market, Mushin, over alleged environmental infractions including reckless waste disposal, unhygienic premises, and non-payment of waste bills, among others. The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, who ordered the closure in the early hours Friday, said the market would remain closed until the mandatory conditions of redress were met by traders and market stakeholders, adding that it was part of ongoing efforts at instilling compliance in markets around the state. Speaking on the development, Wahab underscored the critical importance of environmental hygiene in markets. He noted that, “It is imperative that markets in the state adhere strictly to environmental laws and regulations put in place for the well-being of residents. “The closure of Ladipo Market serves as a stern reminder that no entity, regardless of its size or influence, is above the law.” Wahab stated that th