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Federal Workers Give Federal Government A 14 Days Utimtum On Wage Increase

Published

6 months ago

December 13, 2022

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The Federal Workers Forum, FWF has appealed to the Federal Government for immediate intervention in the face of rising cost of living.

This is contained in a letter to the Federal Government titlted, “WORKERS ARE SUFFERING IN SILENCE ,WE NEED HELP : PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI PAY COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE NOW ELSE MASS PROTEST IN FOURTEEN DAYS.” and signed by Comrade Andrew Emelieze

The letter said, “”Sir, we are compelled to write you and seek your immediate interventions to the deplorable living conditions of the federal workers and the nation’s workforce at large. We bring you greetings and our best wishes.It is our wish that this letter finds you in the best of mind. Hope is a great thing, we have been living on hope that things will get better but present day Nigeria has been a surprise, dashing our hopes. We will however not stop hoping and a strong believe that things will get better. It is part of this hope that has made us to write you, hoping that you will rise up to the occasion.

“Your Excellency, we need not emphasize further, it is evident to us all that the economy is daily making live difficult for federal workers. Inflation and daily devaluation of our naira has added to reducing the purchasing power of the Nigerian workers. Cost of living crisis has confronted the Nigerian workers and hardship has become the order of the day. Considering the fact that Nigeria is a low wage country, the ₦30,000 minimum wage will no doubt make Nigeria workers count among the 133 million multi dimensionally poor people as proposed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).”

“Most workers had gone borrowing on killer loans inorder to survive , households have been badly affected and workers are gradually getting more and more frustrated. As a matter of facts, federal workers are suffering in silence and we know that other workers in Nigeria share similar fate. This condition gets worse with the pensioners who also share similar conditions of a fixed income in the face of the present crippling economy confronting Nigeria. The suffering is getting to the level that federal workers cant cope again. We just wonder what the lots of the unemployed will be if workers are going through this unprecedented hardship.”

“Mr President Sir , what is our hope ? We had expected that by now our employers would have rolled out a stimulus plan for a cost of living allowance #COLA to mitigate against the #CostOfLivingCrisis in Nigeria as done in other countries. Sir, better late than never. It is time the Nigerian government immediately address the cost of living crisis facing our people as a matter of justice and fairness;Nigerian workers must not be treated like slaves.”

“On our part as federal workers, we have tried to have understanding with the system and as said before , we have been suffering in silence. Our families are badly affected and there is no way we can continue in this condition without the help of our government. Really Sir, it should be an embarrassment that we the federal workers are crying out ; We do not in anyway want to embarrass government but most sincerely we must also state that federal workers have been financially embarrassed. As the engine room of governance, we definitely need proper fuelling to keep the wheel moving.We need urgent help to escape this hardship.”

“We therefore call on government to come to our rescue and bring forth a cost of living allowance package for all federal workers and by extension the Nigerian society within the next fourteen days else federal workers nationwide will be compelled to begin a permanent nationwide protest immediately this ultimatum elapses. “

“We believe that our country has what it takes to help her workers out of hardship.”

“We are proposing the payment of 30% of the workers salary as stimulus payment to all federal workers and that our government should generate stimulus package for households.”

“Our attention is also drawn to the stoppage of salaries of some federal workers in Nigeria as a result of over borrowing, We call on the federal government to as a matter of urgency jettison that idea . Mr President please also look into the delay in the payment of pensions and gratuities to retired federal staff as our retirees sometimes wait up to three years before getting their entitlements.”

“We are also calling on government to revisit the idea of half salaries to the university workers, this is not the best of time to contemplate such a gesture .By implication, we are in solidarity with the moves by our universities Unions (ASUU, SSANU, NAAT, NASU etc ) towards the wellbeing of the university workers. We therefore call on all hands to be on the deck and prepare for mass actions in the next fourteen day if government refuse to do the needful. All workers, Labour activist and trade Unions are called upon to start mobilizing for protest and mass struggle. We cannot afford to fail ourselves, this is a fight for our survival.If on 27th December, our request are not met, then let the protest begin. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) , with this letter is called upon to impress upon Mr President that Nigerian workers are really going through tough times.”

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Abdulrahman Obaje

Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.

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Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu, Wife, Doctor Sentenced To Various Prison Terms

Published

1 month ago

May 6, 2023

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The duo of Ekweremadu, former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and Doctor Obinna Obeta has been senenced to various jail terms for bringing a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.

A judge at The Central Criminal Court, [ Old Bailey], announced the sentence friday.

At a sentencing hearing on Friday, Ekweremadu was jailed for nine years and eight months, his wife Beatrice was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment while Obeta received a 10-year prison term.

The sentencing follows their conviction in March for organ trafficking, The Ekweremadus’sick daughter, Sonia was cleared of any wrongdoing.

1rem;">The three were found guilty after arranging or facilitating a young Nigerian man’s travel into the United Kingdom in a bid to obtain his kidney on behalf of Sonia.

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The jury said Ekweremadu, his wife and their doctor criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.

The conviction is the first under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The sentencing comes after pleas from multiple prominent personalities and institutions, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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Other petitioners included both chambers of the National Assembly, the Chairman/CEO, Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Erewa Dabiri, and the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC).

The charges were preferred on the Ekweremadus on June 23, 2022, when their arrest was announced. Obeta was later arraigned on July 13, 2022. While his wife was granted bail, the senator was refused.

After months of a pre-trial, the trial commenced on January 31, 2023 and lasted about six weeks, culminating in a guilty verdict against Ekweremadu, Beatrice, and Obeta.

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Reps Seek UK Government Clemency for Ekweremadu

Published

1 month ago

May 3, 2023

Abdulrahman Obaje

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The House of Representatives has write to the government of the United Kingdom seeking mercy in sentencing the embattled Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

This is contained in a resolution reached following a motion moved by Toby Okechukwu, a lawmaker from Enugu State.

A UK court found the duo guilty of conspiracy of organ harvesting of another Nigerian. The Ekweremadu couple will be sentenced in the coming days.

Moving the motion, Okechukwu said diplomatic intervention in this kind of case is normal.

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“It is a common practice in international relations for nations, including the UK, to seek relief for their citizens involved in situations such as that of the Ekweremadus,” he said.

Speaking on the motion, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House, said intervention by the House is not a justification for the charges against the Ekweremadus. He urged the UK government to consider Ekweremadu’s years of public service.

Consequently, the House resolved to urge the UK government and the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing Ekweremadu, his wife and the doctor.

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Also, they urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to take all diplomatic steps and other necessary interventions regarding the travails of the Ekweremadu family.

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HYPPDEC Donates Food Stuff, Clothing to Locals in Kogi to Tackle Cashless Policy Effect

Published

3 months ago

March 8, 2023

Joseph Amedu

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By Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPDEC), on Tuesday, donated 400 bags of rice, 250 gallons of vegetable oil and some packaged women rappers to ten Local Government Areas in Kogi State under the agency to cushion the effect associated with the new cashless policy.

Making the presentation to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State at the Lugard House, Lokoja on Tuesday, a Board Member of HYPPDEC, Alhaji Isah Ozi Salami, said that the gesture is part of the agency’s intervention in times of natural disaster or any hardship situation on citizens.

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Salami expressed the commitment of HYPPDEC in tackling the prevailing economic hardship on Nigerians as a result of the Cashless Policy.

“We owe it as a duty to take adquate care of the people in the 10 Local Government Areas belonging to HYPPDEC communities in Kogi

“Our concern under the present economic hardship is to alleviate the sufferings of the people within HYPPDEC communities in Kogi” Ozi Salami told Governor Bello.

He commended Governor Yahaya Bello for the provision of logistic supports that have facilitated smooth operation of the agency in Kogi.

He also told the Governor that HYPPDEC will soon begin the construction of 50 housing units in Kogi for resettlement of last year’s flood victims in riverine communities.

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“I appreciate Governor Bello’s magnanimity in providing land for the housing project. The Governor is expected to perform the foundation laying ceremony of the project” Ozi Salami disclosed.

The Chief of Staff to Governor Bello, Jamiu Asuku who received the food stuff on behalf of his boss, hinted that Kogi will key into HYPPDEC’s intervention initiative in the areas of provision of food and security of lives and property for citizens.

Governor Yahaya Bello appealed to HYPPDEC to focus more on Ibaji Local Government Area in its intervention programme as a result of the bad terrain of the area.