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Furniture Association Begs Wike to Resolve Dispute with Air Force
The United Furniture Association has called on FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the alleged encroachment of the Kugbo commercial layout by the Nigerian Air Force.
At a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the association’s President, Ambassador Prince Emeka Egwuekwe, explained that in 2003, they (the association) applied for land based on the rapid development of Abuja.
The then Minister, Muhammed Abba Gana, approved the Kugbo commercial area for them.
According to him, the association received this approval individually as there were about 200 members then. Others applied later and also received approval.
When they began development through their contractor in 2003, they discovered that some Fulani people residing there claimed ownership of the land since the colonial era, presenting documents allegedly issued in 1914.
However, Ambassador Emeka explained that the press conference was crucial because the Air Force had recently started encroaching on their sites. When questioned about the specific land, they claimed the current FCT Minister, Wike, had given them the area within the furniture market’s jurisdiction.
“We have a common boundary with you (the Air Force) since 2003, during which both of us have been in court against the Fulani. We have been paying all court fees to ensure a favorable judgment for both parties.
“How can you suddenly decide that our land is the best for you to develop after developing and selling yours? We are not selling; we are here to build and employ Nigerians.
“We are complaining about you coming into our furniture market area to ask for land. We know that military personnel have guns, but we carpenters only have hammers and we don’t fight.
“We are law-abiding citizens who have contributed to the nation by employing youths in carpentry. No nation can grow without industries and vocational skills.
“We are crying out because we don’t want to fight anyone; we are simply exercising our fundamental rights,” he said.
Shaibu Mathew, former Secretary of the United Furniture Association, added, “We are calling on Minister Nyesom Wike to come to our rescue regarding this recent encroachment.
“We have ministerial approval for this place since the Aba Gana administration, and we have revalidated it with subsequent ministers.
“We want the minister to demarcate the boundaries between the Air Force and the furniture market so we can each focus on our own areas.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Aisha Achimugu.
The managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Felak Concept Group was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Achimugu was taken in around 5am on Tuesday after arriving in Nigeria from London.
More to follow…
The Federal Government has revealed its intention to begin disbursing the outstanding five months’ wage award arrears, amounting to N35,000, to workers immediately after the April 2025 salary payments. The arrears will be paid in monthly instalments until fully settled.
This information was shared in a statement on Monday by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mokwa clarified that while the Federal Government had previously paid five months of the wage award in instalments, an additional five months remained unpaid. He confirmed that the outstanding arrears would now be addressed through equal monthly payments of N35,000.
He stated that the first payment will be made right after the distribution of April 2025 salaries, with additional payments following each month until the total arrears are cleared.
“The Federal Government is set to pay the outstanding five months’ N35,000 wage award arrears to workers,” he noted.
According to the report from NAN, Mokwa emphasized that the arrears would be paid in monthly instalments of N35,000 over a five-month period, with the initial payment occurring post-April 2025 salary disbursement.
This wage award is part of the Federal Government’s initiative to mitigate the effects of economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and other fiscal adjustments.
Mokwa reiterated the government’s dedication to fulfilling all agreements related to employee compensation and welfare, describing these actions as essential for enhancing productivity and efficiency within the public sector.
### Key Information
In 2023, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) proposed a wage award to support federal workers amid the challenges posed by fuel subsidy removal. In response, the Federal Government introduced a N35,000 wage award in September 2023 as a temporary relief measure for employees on lower salary scales, addressing the economic pressures from subsidy removal and currency reforms.
While partial payments were made between late 2023 and early 2024, delays in later months raised concerns among labor unions. In 2024, after further negotiations, the Federal Government approved an increase in the national minimum wage to N70,000, as part of broader strategies to tackle rising living costs.
The recent announcement regarding the resumption of outstanding wage award payments is expected to honor the Federal Government’s previous commitments.
A group of lawyers under the banner of the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law staged a massive protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday, demanding a judicial inquiry into the tenure of Mele Kolo Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
The protesters, led by Barrister Benjamin Theophilus, submitted a petition alleging widespread corruption, tax evasion, abuse of office, and misappropriation of public funds during Kyari’s leadership.
The petition highlighted several contentious issues, including inflated costs of refinery rehabilitation contracts, fraudulent crude oil allocations, mismanagement of the AKK Gas Pipeline Project, fuel subsidy fraud, and questionable crude-backed loans.
According to the petition, NNPCL under Kyari spent over $4 billion on rehabilitating the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, far exceeding an initial private-sector proposal of $1 billion for all three facilities.
“Kyari is alleged to have collaborated with consultants and contractors to conceal the actual cost of contracts and evade taxes,” the petition stated, noting that the refineries remain inefficient despite the expenditure.
The lawyers also accused Kyari of overseeing the diversion of crude oil allocations under the pretext of “pipeline security” at a rate of 80,000 barrels per day, with no transparent accountability mechanisms.
The $5 billion AKK Gas Pipeline Project was similarly flagged for irregularities in contract awards and execution, with little progress despite significant funding.
Further allegations include fuel subsidy fraud, with NNPCL reportedly increasing petroleum imports in 2020 during a global decline in fuel consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The petition also criticised crude-backed loans totalling $21.565 billion since 2019, which it claimed disadvantaged Nigeria by ceding trading profits to international traders.
The protesters called for a judicial commission to investigate Kyari’s tenure, probe payments to refinery contractors, and examine past audit failures.
They also urged the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to investigate suspected tax evasion and fraudulent declarations, while advocating for the recovery of any misappropriated public funds.
The Federal Ministry of Finance has yet to respond to the petition, and NNPCL officials were unavailable for comment at the time of reporting.