National
May Day: President Bola Tinubu’s Speech Solidarity In Action: Collaborative Governance, Empowered Workers
By President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
Being a speech by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the occasion of the 2024 May Day celebration, held on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Protocols…
My dear compatriots and fellow workers in the service of our great country,
Today, I join you to share in the essence of this day and to express my deepest gratitude and admiration for the invaluable contributions each and every one of you makes to keep our nation afloat in its times of greatest need.
Today, I stand before you to tell a fundamental truth: you, the workers of our great nation, are its very backbone. But I’m not here merely to echo familiar praises of the labour force. Rather, I want to assure you that we appreciate and celebrate your hard work, sacrifices, and contributions to the prosperity and stability of our great nation every day. I am equally thrilled that this event, the first since we took office, is organised by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress under the leadership of Comrades Joseph Ajaero and Festus Osifo.
Great Nigerian workers, your role as an indispensable component of the nation’s engine cannot be overstated by any government if the quest for a just and progressive society is to be realised. Therefore, I extend my most heartfelt congratulations to you on this very important celebration.
I do not take for granted the understanding, patience, commitment, and support you have shown throughout the implementation of this government’s policies and programmes aimed at positively transforming our great nation. Your contributions have played a significant role in our efforts to rescue the economy since we came on board.
Fellow Comrades, your choice of the theme “People First” for this year’s May Day celebration is both instructive and commendable. The thoughtful selection by the leadership of both the NLC and TUC resonates with my government’s agenda and demonstrates that the working class holds a central position in the affairs of this nation. It also reflects the commitment of Organised Labour to collaborate with the government for the benefit of all citizens. I appreciate your efforts to prioritise the people in governance.
I recognise that the theme “People First” aligns with both the “Human-cantered Agenda for the Future of Work” and the Centenary Declaration of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which the government is committed to implementing. This commitment ensures alignment of Nigeria’s Labour Administration System with international best practices. While the three pillars of the agenda seek to drive growth, equity, and sustainability for present and future generations, they require us to prioritise investment in people’s capabilities, enhance investment in work institutions, and promote decent and sustainable work.
We took office at the time many nations, including ours, were experiencing daunting socio-political and developmental challenges. Yet, we are resolute in confronting these obstacles head-on. The scourge of criminality, from banditry to kidnapping and the farmer-herder crises, alongside terrorism, continues to afflict our nation despite the tireless efforts of our armed forces. We are aware of the toll this takes on our economy. I assure you: we are fully committed to tackling these security challenges.
You would recall that on January 30th, 2024, the Federal Government convened a 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage. The committee’s mandate was to provide counsel and suggest a national minimum wage that aligns with our current economic conditions. Since then, the committee, in collaboration with labour leaders, has been diligently working towards proposing a new National Minimum Wage. Unfortunately, despite concerted efforts, the committee was unable to reach a consensus at its last meeting. This shall be resolved soon and I assure you that your days of worrying are over.
Indeed, this government is open to the committee’s suggestion of not just a minimum wage but a living wage.
Great Nigerian Workers, we cannot achieve a just and equitable society that caters to the needs of every member, including the strong and the weak, without fostering peace and unity. Our shared vision for national growth and development can only be realised in an atmosphere of industrial harmony and peaceful coexistence in every segment of our country. The dividends we have promised the nation, and which you work tirelessly to ensure, can only be achieved when we all unite for progress.
On this momentous day, I urge you and all our fellow citizens to place your trust in this administration. The seeds of greatness planted in our nation are beginning to bear fruit, and they promise a future filled with hope and bound by prosperity.
Let me assure you, with the utmost sincerity, that every initiative undertaken by this administration is geared towards transforming Nigeria into a nation that can truly provide for its people.
So, I call upon each and every one of you, as I have consistently done, to join hands in shaping the destiny of our nation towards greatness. Our allegiance and patriotism are the bedrock upon which our beloved country thrives. The success of our government’s policies and programmes hinges on the willingness of the workers, as the backbone of our workforce, to embrace them wholeheartedly. I appeal to you to continue using the power of the labour movement for the greater good of our nation, fostering harmony and cooperation.
Once more, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on this successful Workers’ Day celebration, and I wish you all joyous festivities.
May God continue to bless our country.
=======
Gunmen have abducted some female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi, Benue state.
The students, reportedly numbering up to four, were abducted on Tuesday evening at the university’s North Core campus.
The students were said to have been headed for “night class”, a practice of late-night studying in Nigerian campuses.
The gunmen were said to have invaded the hotel area of the campus before abducting the four students.
Some moments after the incident, operatives of the Nigerian army arrived at the school.
Sewuese Anene, Benue police spokesperson, told TheCable on Wednesday that a report received by the police indicated that only two students were kidnapped during the incident.
Anene added that the police have launched an investigation into the matter.
The Markurdi incident is the latest in a series of abductions targeted at Nigeria’s tertiary school students in recent years.
In August 2024, at least 20 medical and dental students were kidnapped in Benue State while travelling to a convention in Enugu.
In September 2023, gunmen abducted approximately 20 students from a university in Zamfara state.
At Greenfield University in Kaduna State, at least 20 students and two staff members were kidnapped in April 2021.
Tragically, five students were killed during captivity before the remaining hostages were released after a month.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Jude Okoye, the elder brother and former manager of Paul and Peter Okoye of the defunct music group, P-Square, on charges of laundering ₦1.38billion, $ 1 million and £34,537.59.
Jude was arraigned alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd, before Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a seven-count charge
One of the counts read: “That you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly acquire a landed property known as No 5, Tony Eromosele Street Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos worth ₦850,000,000.00 (Eight hundred and fifty million naira) only, which money you knew or reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Another count read: “That you, Jude Okoye Chigozie and Northside Music Ltd sometime in 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did indirectly using bureau de change convert the sum of $1,019,762.87 (One million nineteen thousand, seven hundred and six-two dollars eighty-seven cents), domiciled in Access Bank Plc operated by Northside Music Lid to the naira equivalent and remitted into various bank accounts with the intention of concealing that the said fund form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Larry Peters Aso, applied for a date for hearing as well as for the remand of the defendant in the correctional facility pending trial.
The defendant’s counsel, Inibehe Effiong, informed the court of a pending bail application. He asked for a short date for the hearing. Effiong also asked that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s custody pending the hearing of the application.
Aso objected to the request for the defendant to be remanded in the EFCC custody. He argued that the EFCC custody was already congested with suspects awaiting arraignment. He urged the court to remand the defendant to the correctional facility since he had taken his plea.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter till February 28 for bail hearing and April 14 for trial.
He also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional facility.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Kogi-born political activist and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Austin Okai, in Abuja.
The arrest, which took place on Wednesday morning, was reportedly carried out on the directive of Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Video footage obtained by Elanza shows heavily armed security operatives storming Okai’s residence in the Federal Capital Territory before taking him away.
While no official reason has been given for his arrest, sources suggest it may be connected to his outspoken criticism of the Kogi State government.
Okai, a well-known opposition figure, has frequently condemned the administration’s policies and governance.
His wife, speaking to reporters, claimed that the DSS operatives did not present an arrest warrant before detaining him.
“They came to arrest him at our home in Abuja without a warrant,” she said.
“They ransacked our house, forced their way inside, and took him away. I asked for a warrant, but they had none.”
She further alleged that Okai’s personal gadgets were confiscated during the operation.
As of the time of this report, the DSS has not issued any official statement regarding Okai’s detention.