Nigerian Eye

Borno cancels holiday to mark Sambisa’s fall

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Borno State Government has shelved its plan to declare Friday (today) as a public holiday to mark the capture of Sambisa Forest from the Boko Haram insurgents. 
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The state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Mohammed Bulama, in a statement issued on Thursday in Maiduguri explained that the holiday was cancelled “on the grounds that since 22ndDecember of this year falls on a Friday which coincidentally dovetails into a four-day work-free period occasioned by the Christmas festivities, a declaration of the day as a public holiday will invariably deny Nigerian workers resident in Borno State, especially those who will observe and celebrate Christmas, the opportunity to withdraw their December salaries from the banks”. 
 
He noted, however, that the holiday would be observed from 2018. 
 
The commissioner recalled that Governor Kashim Shettima had in March, 2017 declared December 22 every year as a public holiday, saying, “The purpose of this declaration is not only to give us a special opportunity to remember the victims of the Boko Haram terrorism as well as the members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, members of other security agencies and volunteers who lost their lives in the fight against the insurgents, but also to celebrate the strength and the victory of our gallant Armed Forces.” 
 
Bulama added, “The decision to reconsider the declaration of the public holiday this year is singularly dictated by the desire of the Borno State Government not to impose avoidable and unnecessary hardship on workers and considering the importance of workers’ salaries to the economy of the state, the general citizenry by extension. 
 
“While the government sincerely regrets whatever inconvenience this decision might have caused members of the general public, it wishes to assure Bornolites that this public holiday will be strictly observed from next year, 2018 Insha Allah.”</div>

Latest-News Borno cancels holiday to mark Sambisa’s fall

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PDP Reps celebrate colleague’s defection to APC

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There was drama on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday when the Peoples Democratic Party members celebrated the defection of one of their colleagues to the All Progressives Congress. 
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The defector, Mr. Johnson Agbonayinma, hails from Edo State. 
 
Unlike in previous cases where the PDP lawmakers protested against the defection of their members, the lawmakers jubilated as they wished Agbonayinma well. 
 
Agbonayinma became the eighth member of the PDP to defect this year and the second this week. 
 
He described the PDP as “darkness”, where he could no longer belong because he had seen the “light” in the APC. 
 
“The PDP has shut the door against me”, he told the House in his letter read by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara. 
 
PDP members, including the Minority Whip, Mr. Yakubu Barde; Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Chukwuka Onyema; Deputy Minority Whip, Mrs. Binta Bello; Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Relations, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje; and the Chairman, Committee on Public Petitions, Mr. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, danced as they bade Agbonayinma goodbye. 
 
They chorused, “Agbonayinma, bye-bye; Agbonayinma, bye-bye; we wish you luck.” 
 
Onyema raised a point of order to give the position of the caucus on the defection. 
 
He said, “Even though we oppose defection; in the case of Agbonayinma, we are actually happy that he is leaving. 
 
“He is like a tumour. You know when you have cancer and it is cured, you feel happy because it has left you. 
 
“The PDP house will be better without Agbonayinma being with us. So, Agbonayinma, bye-bye.” 
 
The lawmakers danced and sang again amid laughter. 
 
Agbonayinma was a member of the Ali Modu Sheriff-faction of the party before the Supreme Court recognised the then Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction as the authentic leader of the party. 
 
The Edo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Phillip Shuaibu, witnessed the defection. 
 
Agbonayinma later addressed journalists in company with the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, at the National Assembly. 
 
Agbonayinma said he had observed that in spite of efforts being made to rescue the PDP, it appeared to be set on “dying, dying, and will be dead.” 
 
He cited the recent national convention of the party as another “wasted opportunity to check the reign of impunity in the PDP.” 
 
“PDP is totally factionalised and a house that is divided against itself will not stand. I decided to leave because I couldn’t face the heat in the dark house. 
 
“I left darkness for light. The so-called unity list that produced the current leaders of PDP only brought more disunity to the party.” 
 
On his part, Gbajabiamila said he was elated that Agbonayinma joined the APC, saying he had always known him to be a man with a “progressive mind.” 
 
He added, “If you know Agbonayinma, he is the kind of person that should be in the APC, not in the PDP. I knew that it was only a matter of time he would join the APC.” 
 
Only on Tuesday, a member from Imo State, Mr. Raphael Igbokwe, defected to the APC from the PDP. 
 
His defection cut the numerical strength of the PDP to about 119. Agbonayinma’s exit further brought it down to 118.</div>

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BREAKING: Osun workers declare strike over half salary

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Workers in Osun State have declared their intention to begin an indefinite strike following  the refusal of the state government to revert to paying them  full salary and arrears despite the receipt of the third tranche of N6.3 billion Paris Club loan refund. 
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The workers under the umbrella of the Osun State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council gave the strike notice  in a statement issued on Friday following an emergency meeting of labour leaders on Thursday. 
 
The notice of strike was signed by the Chairman JPSNC, Bayo Adejumo; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Tunde Adekomi and the Trade Union Congress Chairman, Bowale Adekola and leaders of various affiliate unions. 
 
The notice read in part, “Consequent upon the refusal of the government of Osun State to accede to the demands of the workers and pensioners as contained in our letter of Tuesday, December 5, 2017, the workers of Osun State will be proceeding on an indefinite strike by 27th December , 2017.” 
 
The labour leaders enjoined the workers to stay at home until they received another directive from them concerning the strike. 
 
The labour leaders had on Tuesday disagreed with Governor Rauf Aregbesola over his insistence on paying November salary with the modulated scheme which makes workers from grade level 08 and above collect between 75 and 50 per cent of their salaries. 
 
The workers had insisted that the state had the financial ability to pay them full salaries, saying  most of them  had been collecting half salaries since September 2015. But the governor in a statement issued by his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, pleaded that they should exercise more patience till the state was able to revert to paying full salary. 
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NFF disappointed as American rejects Falcons

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The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed its disappointment that Randy Waldrum has rejected the chance to become coach of the Super Falcons. 
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Waldrum and the NFF failed to agree terms for the American to succeed Florence Omagbemi in the role, despite an announcement from the federation in October. 
 
Earlier this week the 61-year-old opted to accept a new role as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh women’s team. 
 
“I’m quite disappointed that Randy Waldrum was appointed and he decided not to come,” NFF official Chris Green told BBC Sport on Thursday. 
 
“I’m actually disappointed in the fact that I thought we had a good coach in him.” 
 
“He said in his letter (to us) that from when the (NFF) president gave him the job, they did not do anything or contact him any further,” Green added. 
 
“There are other things that are required like signing the contract itself, working conditions and all the basics that parties have to agree to – nothing was done. 
 
“He was left in limbo and said he has to feed his family, but (we’re) extremely disappointed that we’ve lost out on another coach.” 
 
It is the second time in 18 months that a foreign manager has rejected a coaching offer from the NFF, after Frenchman Paul Le Guen rebuffed the chance to handle the Super Eagles in July 2016. 
 
This latest setback comes as a big blow to  the  Falcons, who have not played or trained since lifting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations a year ago. 
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