Metro
August protest: PTD- NUPENG raises alarm of infiltration
***Dismisses rumour of leadership crisis
Ahead of August 1 planned protest by Nigerian Youths, the national secretriat of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) has raised alarm of move to infiltrate its ranks by individuals bent on making themselves available to promote the protest.
National Chairman of the PTD- NUPENG,
Comrades Augustine Egbon raised the alarm in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Egbon’s declaration was on the heels of an online report attributed to a member of the Union, Comrade Olaitan Idris, who vowed that an industrial crisis was imminent as the recent special delegates conference held in Lagos, where Comrades Augustine Egbon and Oluchi Chinagorom were elected as the national chairman and national secretary, respectively along with fifteen others did not enjoy the support of majority of the members of the Union.
He also demanded for a fresh election to forestall a major industrial crisis.
But the National Chairman of the PTD- NUPENG, Comrade Augustine Egbon maintained that the declaration of impending crisis was not true and a wild claim.
Egbon declared that members across the Zones and the 150 units of the PTD- NUPENG were fully represented in the election held in Lagos with representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour in attendance.
He alerted the security agencies to invite Comrade Olaitan whom he alleged was being used by forces bent on collaborating with masterminds of the August protest for interrogation.
He said: ” There was no truth in the claim made by the so called Comrade Idris who claimed to be a member of the Union. We don’t even know him in any of our units.
“Nigerians should disregard rumours of strike by our Union. Those saying that are people planning for August protest.
” The PTD- NUPENG under my leadership are not going on strike as there was no reason for it.
” We are not going to partake in any August protest. I urge the Federal Government to fish out those issuing threat of strike at this critical period in our industry.
The PTD-NUPENG chairman restated that the election held in Lagos was done in compliance with due process..
” Duly accredited delegates voted freely voted without any molestation and they elected candidates of their choice.
We recall that those who decided to boycott the election at the last minutes actually picked Forms which they submitted to the electoral Committee. They had earlier run to the Industrial Court in Abuja seeking for an injunction to stop the election but they were not granted.
” If they have any genuine case, they should seek redress before the National Industrial Court rather than creating panic in the industry.
“We restate that the special delegates exercise conducted in Lagos where I was elected returned as National Chairman along with fifteen others as national officers was in full compliance with the judgment of the NIC under its Lordship, Justice O Y Anuwe of the National Industrial Court,( NIC) in Abuja which on May 29, 2024, annulled previous election of the union held in Ibadan and Abuja last October.”
“The election conducted in Lagos was done with strict compliance with the NUPENG Constitution and the PTD Bye Laws.
“Nigerians should ignore the jesters parading themselves as members of our Union. They are being used by fifth columnist desperate to create panic in the country.”
Metro
Deji Adeyanju fires back at Wike over Comments, Labels Him a “Bully and a Coward”
Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has issued a scathing response to comments made against him by Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former Rivers State governor. Wike had recently accused Adeyanju of being jobless, noting that the activist once sought his support in a bid to become the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Adeyanju didn’t hold back, describing Wike as “a bully and a coward.”
He went on to criticize Wike’s character and political approach, saying, “Wike has never worked anywhere in his life. He is a serial betrayer. The only difference between Wike and Portable is that Portable does not betray people who have helped him.”
Adeyanju praised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his recent actions against Wike, saying, “I commend Governor Fubara for dealing decisively with him. That’s how to deal with tyrants. Wike is nothing without politics.”
He further expressed his concerns over Wike’s influence, stating, “The reason why he is making so much noise and constituting a nuisance all over the place is because of our political patrimony that he loots. Clowns and charlatans like Nyesom Wike will open their mouths and criticize true activists.”
Adeyanju also highlighted the importance of citizens participating in politics, saying, “Wike wants everyone to leave politics to rogues like him. His idea of nation-building is where people like him control everything. All citizens of conscience should get involved in politics.”
The back-and-forth between Adeyanju and Wike highlights ongoing tensions within Nigerian political circles and has sparked discussions about the role of activists and the nature of leadership in the country.
Metro
Late COAS Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja Laid to Rest in Abuja Amid Tears, Tributes
***Emotional Farewell as Nigeria Mourns a Dedicated Military Leader
Amid deep sorrow and heartfelt tributes, the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest on Friday at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
His burial concluded two days of solemn funeral rites that began in Lagos, marking the end of an impactful military career.
The casket bearing Lagbaja, draped in Nigeria’s green and white, arrived at the cemetery around 3 pm following a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
His body was lowered into the earth at 4:41 pm after a ceremony lasting over two hours.
The event was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Acting Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, and other high-ranking officials.
President Tinubu, paying tribute, called Lagbaja’s appointment one of his most significant decisions and announced a posthumous national honor of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the late COAS. He urged the military not to lose hope: “Please, do not let death defeat us, and as Commander-in-Chief, I renew my pledge that the country will always support you and your families.”
General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, echoed this sentiment, calling Lagbaja’s passing a call to strengthen the military’s resolve.
“Let us ensure his sacrifice continues to guide us as we defend this nation. We are resolved to defeat all enemies of the state, whether within or outside,” he stated.
Acting COAS Oluyede expressed personal gratitude for Lagbaja’s mentorship, sharing that he had nominated him for a national honor even while facing illness.
Lagbaja’s funeral rites began with a service of songs at the Army Headquarters Garrison Parade Ground, Mogadishu Cantonment, on Thursday, following the arrival of his body at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Lagos.
Lt. General Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff for over a year, having been appointed by President Tinubu in June 2023. He passed away on November 5 after a brief illness, leaving a legacy of dedication and patriotism.
Metro
Group Raises Alarm Over Lagos Task Force’s Invasion of Ex-Minister’s Lekki Property
A civil society group, Good Governance Alliance – Nigeria (GGA-N), has condemned the Lagos State government following an alleged invasion of former Transportation Minister Admiral Festus Porbeni’s Lekki property by state officials on Friday morning.
They called for immediate action against alleged breach of court order on Admiral Festus Porbeni’s property.
According to the group, the invasion is in direct violation of a Federal High Court order and sets a dangerous precedent for lawlessness.
In a statement issued by GGA-N representative Nathaniel Obasi, the group reported that officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force forcefully entered Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent around 7:30 am, accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen.
Obasi noted that the task force allegedly beat, arrested, and detained several individuals on the premises, placing them in a police vehicle known as ‘Black Maria.’
The statement emphasized that this raid contradicts a Federal High Court injunction prohibiting any disruption at the property and disregards a recent Supreme Court ruling granting federal control over inland waterways and adjacent lands within 100 meters.
Despite Porbeni’s possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy, the Lagos State Task Force allegedly threatened to bulldoze structures on the property, sparking concerns over escalating conflicts between state and federal jurisdiction.
GGA-N therefore urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and federal agencies overseeing waterways to intervene, asserting that the Lagos State government’s actions could lead to “lawlessness and chaos.”
According to him, the disputed property was previously invaded in 2021.
Obasi claimed that at about 7:30am this Friday, officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force, illegally forced their way into Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki, despite the Federal High Court order, which barred any agent from entering the premises or harassing any person at the premises.
It added the Lagos State Special Task Force accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen, beat up, arrested and threw staff and other people met on the property into a police vehicle called ‘Black Maria’, which they brought “for the illegal raid”.
“The officials who cordoned off the area are now threatening to bulldoze all structures on the property, in brazen breach of the Federal High Court order (FHC/L/CS/1384/21).
“The actions of the Task Force is also in disregard of the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court in January which affirmed the federal government’s exclusive control of the country’s inland waterways and all lands within 100 meters of all declared federal waterways in Nigeria.
“The question is despite Admiral Porbeni being in possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), how is the Lagos State Government allowed to flout not only an injunction from the Federal High Court but also a ruling from the Supreme Court?
“The Lagos state government’s brazen disobedience of court orders is a recipe for lawlessness and chaos. We draw the urgent attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Lagos State and relevant federal government agencies in charge of federal waterways in the country to the illegal raid and occupation by the Lagos State Special Task Force,” Obasi stated
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