Over two weeks after the Central Bank of Nigeria promised to clear over $10bn foreign exchange debts owed Deposit Money Bank, the apex bank has yet to do so.

This came as the naira was sold between 990/$ and 995/$ by Bureau De Change operators on Friday and Saturday in Lagos, Abuja and Kano.

On the Investor & Exporter forex window, the naira however appreciated to 747.76/$ on Friday, from 772.98/$ on Thursday.

The immediate past acting CBN Governor, Folashodun Shonubi, on September 6, 2023, said the apex bank had concluded negotiation on dollar debts with commercial banks, disclosing that all forex exchange backlogs would be cleared within one to two weeks.

According to him, deposit money banks have assisted the apex bank to clear the majority of its overdue FX forward contracts at maturity.

As such, he said the CBN had reached an agreement to reimburse the lenders within one or two weeks following extensive debt restructuring talks that lasted over a long period of time.

“In response to questions about the backlogs, the banks have been working with the CBN on various structures to clear them. So, what happens is that at maturity, they make the foreign exchange available to those that need it.

“We are discussing with them so we can structure their own. So, we are working towards clearing them in the next one or two weeks. It is something we have been discussing for a while,” Shonubi had told audience at a forum in Lagos

However, multiple top bank executives told The PUNCH on Sunday that almost three weeks after the promise, the apex bank had yet to make good its promise.

They said the development had put banks in a very tight FX liquidity position, a situation that has made many lenders to temporarily suspend several FX transactions including school fees and Personal Travel Allowance applications.

Findings show the situation has also worsened dollar liquidity at the parallel market as bank customers shift to the black market to meet their forex needs.

“The FX backlogs have not been cleared. The promise has not been made good. We are hoping that the new CBN governor will begin a discussion with banks on it or clear them immediately,” the executive director of a commercial bank told one of correspondents on condition of anonymity.

Also, a top official of Tier-2 bank privy to the development, said, “We have yet to see the FX backlogs cleared including the overdue forward contract obligations. We don’t know when this will be cleared. Unfortunately, the situation has worsened our FX position, making many banks to put some FX demands of their customers on hold.”

A report by JPMorgan, a United States-based lender put the total amount of forward contract debt owed by the CBN at $6.84bn. The CBN has however dismissed the report.

Reports had put forward contracts and dollar swap deals between the apex bank and banks at over $10bn.

The CBN could not be reached for immediate comments as of Sunday.

 

Punch

Forty million children are living in extremely poor households, the World Bank has disclosed.

The bank noted that most children in extreme poverty lived in middle-income countries, with the total number of poor children amounting to 179.4 million.

It said, “Economies by income: In absolute numbers, most children living in extreme poverty live in middle-income countries, 179.4 million children (14.9 per cent in lower middle and 2.2 percent in upper middle income in extreme poverty) – including 52.2 million children in India (11.5 per cent) and 40 million children in Nigeria (37.9 per cent) living in extremely poor households.”

World Bank disclosed this in its ‘Global Trends in Child Monetary Poverty According to International Poverty Lines,’ report in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund which was released in September.

According to the Washington-based bank, extreme child poverty is more prevalent in fragile and conflict-prone settings. About 38.6 per cent of children (164.7 million) who live in countries affected by conflict and fragility live in extremely poor households, compared to 10.1 per cent of children in non-fragile states (168.7 million), the bank highlighted.

However, the number of children living in extreme poverty decreased by an estimated 63.3 million between 2013 and 2019, from 383 million to 319 million, with the slow pace of recorded decrease between 2013 and 2016 in the absolute numbers of children in poverty caused by rapid population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It explained that the poverty estimates for 2020, 2021 and 2022 were ‘nowcasted’—that is, gross domestic product growth rates were used to forecast household incomes, assuming all households experience equal growth in percentage terms in per capita consumption or income.

 

Punch

Gunmen in Nigeria killed eight people on Sunday and abducted at least 60 others in two communities of Zamfara state, residents and a local traditional leader said, two days after armed men kidnapped dozens from a university in the state.

Elsewhere, in the northeast of the country suspected Islamist insurgents ambushed a convoy of vehicles under military escort, killing two soldiers and four civilians, said a police source and a motorist who witnessed the attack.

The attackers set fire to five vehicles and drove off with one truck, the witness said.

President Bola Tinubu is yet to spell out how he will tackle widespread insecurity. His economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and floating the naira, have increased the cost of living, angering citizens.

Residents said gunmen early on Sunday tried to attack a forward army base in a rural Magami community of Zamfara, but were repelled. Zamfara is one of the states worst affected by kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs known locally as bandits.

The gunmen in three groups attacked the army base and the communities of Magami and Kabasa, said a traditional leader who declined to be named for security reasons.

He said 60 people, mostly women and children, were kidnapped.

"The bandits rode many motorcycles with guns and other weapons (and) were shooting sporadically," Shuaibu Haruna, a resident of Magami, told Reuters by telephone.

Four people were killed during the attack, said Haruna, who attended their burial.

Isa Mohd from Kabasa community said four people were also killed and dozens of others kidnapped.

Police and army did not respond to requests for comment.

Attacks in the northwest are part of widespread insecurity in Nigeria. Islamist fighters still carry out deadly attacks in the northeast, gangs and separatists attack security forces and government buildings in the southeast, and clashes involving farmers and herders continue to claim lives.

 

Reuters

France is to end its military cooperation with Niger and withdraw its 1,500 troops tasked with battling Islamist rebels in the Sahel region following a July coup in the West African country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.

Macron said the troops would pull out by the end of the year, a move that deals a hammer blow to France's counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel and France's influence in the region.

Nonetheless, Macron said France, the former colonial power in Niger, would "not be held hostage by the putchists" who he has refused to recognise as the legitimate authority in the country.

"We will consult with the putschists because we want things to happen calmly," Macron said in an interview with France's TF1 and France 2 television stations.

France's ambassador was also being pulled out and would arrive back in the country in the next few hours, Macron added.

French influence over its former colonies has waned in West Africa in recent years, just as popular vitriol has grown. Its forces have been kicked out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso since coups in those countries, reducing its role in a region-wide fight against deadly Islamist insurgencies.

Until the coup, Niger had remained a key security partner of France and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region.

France's military base in Niger's capital, Niamey, had become the epicentre of anti-French protests since the July 26 coup.

Groups have regularly gathered on the street outside to call for the exit of troops stationed in the capital. On one Saturday this month, tens of thousands rallied against France, slitting the throat of a goat dressed in French colours and carrying coffins draped in French flags.

At the same event, some people carried pro-Russian signs.

Macron said he still regarded democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as the country's legitimate leader and had informed him of his decision.

 

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia's air attack on Odesa injures one, damages infrastructure - Ukraine official

One woman was injured and port infrastructure was damaged in Russia's overnight missile and drone attack, Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, said early on Monday.

A fire broke out in a non-residential high-rise in the city of Odesa, the administrative centre of the Odesa region, as a result of the attack, but was promptly extinguished, Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. The scale of the attack and the full extent of the damage were not immediately known.

** Russia dodges G7 price cap sanctions on most of its oil exports, Financial Times reports

Russian crude oil supplies increased 50% this spring despite the G7 countries imposing sanctions due to war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Sunday citing data from analytics company Kpler.

The European Union, G7 countries and Australia introduced a price cap of $60 a barrel on Russian oil in last December, aiming to curb Russia's ability to finance the conflict in Ukraine.

However, Russian oil revenues are likely to increase due to constant increases in crude prices and a reduction in the discount on its own oil, the FT report said, citing Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) estimates.

Almost three-quarters of all the seaborne Russian crude flows travelled without western insurance in August, according to an analysis of shipping and insurance records by the Financial Times.

Russia cut its seaborne diesel and gasoil exports by nearly 30% to about 1.7 million metric tons in the first 20 days of September from the same time in August. Russia's temporary ban on exports of gasoline and diesel to most countries, announced last week, was expected to further tighten supplies.

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Conflict in Ukraine to last until 2035 – ex-Zelensky aide

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine could continue for more than a decade, Aleksey Arestovich, a former adviser to President Vladimir Zelensky, has said, predicting that the two neighbors are unlikely to resolve their differences in the near future.

“That will last until 2035, that’s for sure,” he said in an interview on September 17, published on his YouTube channel. According to Arestovich, Russia is “seeking a new form of empire,” which will never come into existence without Ukraine.

The former presidential aide then doubled down on his forecast, saying that the “acute phase of the standoff will continue until 2035.” However, he argued that the standoff does not have to be a military one. The two sides might reach a ceasefire or end the hostilities altogether, but the conflict would then continue “on diplomatic, intelligence, economic, and information fronts.”

Ukraine has to get used to living in a situation of constant military threat and maintain an “advanced alert status,” Arestovich said, suggesting that Kiev should follow Israel’s example if it wants to adapt to such circumstances. “A war can break out or a border incident might [happen]”at any moment, even after the current fighting ends.

Arestovich also noted that he first made such a forecast in April 2022, just two months into the conflict. His words shocked people at that time, he added.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that seven of the world’s leading developed economies, known as the G7, believe the Russia-Ukraine conflict could extend for another six to seven years. The timeline has been stretched due to the apparent lack of progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive, the news agency reported, citing multiple officials.

One such official told Bloomberg that Kiev is likely to struggle with insufficient Western arms supplies and rising personnel losses. Regardless of such forecasts, Ukraine and its Western backers still oppose the idea of negotiations with Russia, and have rejected any resolution to the conflict that involves Ukraine ceding territory that it claims as its own, the article added.

Moscow has repeatedly said it is ready for peace talks, but insisted that they must take into account Russia’s interests and “the reality on the ground,” which saw four former Ukrainian territories join Russia following a series of referendums in 2022.

On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session that Russia was willing to engage in peace negotiations, but would not consider any ceasefire proposals, since it has already been “deceived” before.

** Russia says its air defenses shot down Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter in DPR

Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"Air defense systems near the Kleshcheyevka settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter," the ministry said.

Also, three HARM anti-radar missiles were intercepted, along with eight HIMARS rockets. In other events, 15 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the areas of Gorlovka and Stepnoye in the Donetsk People's Republic; Kuzemovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, Samoilovka; Chervonogorka, Lyubimovka and Ocheretovatoye in the Zaporozhye Region; and Kazachy Lagerya in the Kherson Region.

 

Reuters/RT/Tass

The United States dragged Ukraine into an armed conflict with Russia promising it accelerated entry into NATO as a “bonus” before changing the goal posts by delaying Kiev’s entry into the military alliance.

People who have no legal responsibility are advocating for the country's immediate entry into NATO.

For example Tom Malinowski, a former congressman, believes that Ukraine should have been included in the alliance yesterday without any additional conditions.

Malinowski understands very well the prospects of a war with Russia, but “democratic Ukraine” is much more important to him.

However, Malinowski's rhetoric is not completely clear - either his Polish roots boil his blood or he just wants to become famous.

Be that as it may, NATO is trying not to listen to such voices.

Washington and Brussels are completely satisfied with the current situation - on the very edge of Eastern Europe, Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are dying and the rest are just throwing wood into the conflict so that it does not stop.

And the latest NATO “meeting” in Vilnius once again confirmed this.

In the final document, everything is done on purpose without specifics - “partners will provide more defense equipment, increase and accelerate intelligence sharing, strengthen support for defence against cyber threats and other challenges, increase training programmes and military exercises as well as to develop Ukraine’s industrial base.”

The summit in the Baltics could not have been held at a better time- Zelensky now “vitally needs” protection from cyber threats, military exercises and updated intelligence.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot break through the first line of defence in Zaporozhye and NATO members are playing with abstract categories.

In this regard Zelensky’s hysteria in Vilnius is completely justified.

Just last year, Kiev could potentially count on at least a tactical defeat of Russia like what happened in the Kharkov retreat.

The events of the summer of 2023 say the opposite - Ukraine is not able to turn the tide of the conflict on its own.

This requires a lot of time to retrain personnel and form new strike groups or direct NATO intervention.

Ukraine, shot far and wide by Russian missiles will not wait for either the first or the second option.

Zelensky was made to understand this quite clearly in Vilnius after which he called the final communiqué a “technical signal.”

That's where we parted ways.

The alliance now includes 31 countries.

Small players such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are now hypothetically ready to approve Ukraine's membership in NATO.

Purely hypothetically we repeat. In any scenario of a conflict at the global level, the Baltics will be in trouble - so why not play the role of a caring neighbour of Ukraine.

The Poles can still present themselves as brothers forever.

They are still trying in every possible way to force Biden to agree to Ukraine’s early entry into the alliance.

Radoslaw Vogel, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Polish Parliament said: “We want to start giving our American partners the idea that Ukraine as a NATO member is something inevitable in the future.”

Actually that’s all - other states in a sober state will never approve the emergence of a new participant for whom they will have to bear collective responsibility.

At least until the Russian special operation is completed.

At the same time Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan confused everyone when he said: “In the end, we stated at NATO very simply: the future of Ukraine is in NATO.

“This is non-negotiable. This is what was agreed upon."

Indeed, the doors of the alliance are open to Kyiv. There's just one catch: you have to defeat Russia.

It is interesting that until February last year such conditions did not exist in NATO - Ukraine would sooner or later be accepted into the alliance.

Only Russia's preventive measures have forever placed the enemy as a hostage to NATO.

If Washington now approves Ukraine’s entry into the military bloc other players will immediately fall out.

Will Hungary or Türkiye wait for a nuclear war with Russia? The question is rhetorical.

In Kyiv they are raving about the German option of joining a military alliance.

We are talking about 1955 when the Federal Republic of Germany was admitted into NATO in defiance of the demand “to resolve the territorial dispute.”

Let us remember that at that time there was also the socialist GDR created from the Soviet zone of occupation of Germany.

Formally Germany was divided into two parts. But this in no way prevented Washington from including the western part in the military alliance.

Following the events at Vilnius 2023 Ukraine did not get a signal of the “German scenario” and now there is not even talk about the Israeli case.

The Americans together with the leading powers could provide Ukraine with a significant military-technological advantage over its enemy.

By analogy with how Israel is supplied now.

The most balanced point of view is conveyed by The National Interest, which proves the fadedness of attempts to admit Ukraine to NATO.

The performance has become a chronic waste of time, which could be spent trying to resolve the conflict on the diplomatic front.

• Here are 10 popular jobs with skills most replicable by AI, according to ChatGPT itself.
• The jobs site Indeed analyzed GPT-4's ability to perform skills required for these common jobs.
• Though GPT-4 is able to perform some skills, others — like driving a car — still require a human touch.

In a new report, the jobs site Indeed's economic research team analyzed over 55 million job postings published between August 2022 and July 2023 and identified more than 2,600 skills employers were seeking.

The researchers then studied how well the GPT-4 version of the generative-AI tool ChatGPT could perform these skills. Their methodology included asking the chatbot itself what it was capable of — and then conducting an extensive human check of GPT's answers. Cory Stahle, an Indeed economist, told Insider the expertise of both humans and AI was incorporated. 

"A lot of the research that has been done on this subject starts with the expert judgment and ends there," Stahle said. "But in this one, we used the generative AI tools, and then we used that human element and the expert judgment afterward to just make sure that things made sense."

The researchers concluded that every job on Indeed's platform had at least some exposure to generative AI. Roughly two-thirds of jobs were at least moderately exposed, the researchers found, meaning ChatGPT could perform at least half of the skills listed in the job posting. About 20% of jobs were highly exposed — meaning the AI could perform at least 80% of the skills.

Particularly in the most highly exposed jobs, workers could be at risk. In July, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that some jobs were "definitely going to go away" because of the expansion of generative AI.

But the major catch is that while GPT can perform at least some of the skills required for these jobs, like business operation and language, others still require a human touch, such as driving a car and hospitality.

In addition, Stahle said there were some limitations to the study that affected how the researchers interpreted their findings for all the roles analyzed. The main takeaway: Some theoretical AI skills don't translate well when it comes to actually doing a job.

"Ultimately ChatGPT says it can do a fair amount of skills OK," he said. "But even though it says it can do well at communicating, it's not necessarily going to do well at communicating if it's referring to communication at somebody's doorstep."

Which jobs were most and least at risk of being affected by AI? The Indeed researchers looked at the 25 most common jobs posted on Indeed over the period — which accounted for 22% of the platform's total job postings — and compiled the percentage of skills for each role that, per their analysis, ChatGPT could perform at excellent, good, fair, and poor levels.

The good news for workers: "Jobs with the most postings tend to be the least exposed," Stahle said.

The bad news: The report found ChatGPT could already perform many of the job skills in these roles — with room for improvement down the road.

Among the 25 most common jobs, here are the 10 roles that were most exposed to generative AI, per Indeed.

Skills most at risk: The report found ChatGPT to be good or excellent at roughly half of the job skills associated with being a delivery driver, such as business operation, communication, math, and language. Business operation encompasses skills related to operating a business, including business development and time management.  The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 40% of the skills, the major one being vehicle operation, which was mentioned in over 75% of analyzed postings."When you look at the skills within delivery driver, it was more of those in-person, the actual driving of the truck or vehicle type skills, that were poor," Indeed's Stahle said. "Whereas a lot of the good or excellent would come down to more of the communication skills, the soft skills that would be required for a delivery driver."In the future, however, advancements like drone delivery and autonomous vehicles combined with AI could put delivery drivers' jobs at risk.

Skills most at risk: The report found ChatGPT to be good or excellent at roughly half of the job skills associated with being a delivery driver, such as business operation, communication, math, and language. Business operation encompasses skills related to operating a business, including business development and time management.  The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 40% of the skills, the major one being vehicle operation, which was mentioned in over 75% of analyzed postings."When you look at the skills within delivery driver, it was more of those in-person, the actual driving of the truck or vehicle type skills, that were poor," Indeed's Stahle said. "Whereas a lot of the good or excellent would come down to more of the communication skills, the soft skills that would be required for a delivery driver."In the future, however, advancements like drone delivery and autonomous vehicles combined with AI could put delivery drivers' jobs at risk.

Skills most at risk: The report found ChatGPT to be good or excellent at roughly half of the job skills associated with being a cashier, such as business operation, language, and communication. Business operation was the most commonly sought skill, mentioned in about 24% of job postings.The catch: Generative AI is poor at about 25% of the other skills measured, the major one being hospitality. It was only fair at retail skills, which are found in 65% of retail job postings. "Essentially, GenAI says it can help with retail strategy, but cannot perform the person-person skills necessary for retail success," the Indeed report said.Some cashier jobs have already been automated through the introduction of self-checkout machines.

Skills most at risk: Per the report, ChatGPT is good or excellent at roughly half of the total skills associated with being a medical assistant, including business operation, technology, language, and communication. The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 40% of the skills, the major one being healthcare and caregiving. This was the most common skill sought in medical-assistant job postings — mentioned in about 36% of them. "The overall finding of this research was that ChatGPT and Gen AI tools can do a lot of different things fairly well, but they're not necessarily great at everything," Indeed's Stahle said. "And especially when it comes down to human skills, that's something that ChatGPT and Gen AI tools are not as good at."AI tools could threaten some administrative jobs in the healthcare field in the future. Doctors are already using AI to help them document conversations with patients and simplify their paperwork.

Skills most at risk: Per the report, ChatGPT is good or excellent at roughly half of the skills associated with being a shift leader, including business operation, finance, and language. The most common skill sought was business operation, mentioned in about 15% of shift-leader job postings.The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 25% of the job skills, the major one being food and beverage skills. It's only fair at leadership. In jobs that value leadership abilities, humans could continue to retain an edge over AI."High-demand roles that see less exposure to GenAI than the average job on Indeed tend to require specific skills such as 'vehicle operation,' 'healthcare and caregiving,' 'food and beverage,' and 'leadership,'" said Indeed's Stahle. "GenAI's performance in these skills is rated as only 'poor' or 'fair.'"

Skills most at risk: Per the report, ChatGPT is good or excellent at roughly half of the skills associated with being a technician, including technology, business operation, communication, and language. The most common skill sought in technician job postings was technology, mentioned in about 21% of job postings.The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 33% of the job skills, the major one being health and caregiving. There are a variety of technician jobs, but per Indeed, those roles typically involve inspecting and troubleshooting equipment, tasks AI may be able to help with in the years ahead. But AI won't impact every type of technician role in the same way, and per Indeed's analysis, it clearly has limitations.

Skills most at risk: Per the report, ChatGPT is good or excellent at roughly 60% of the skills associated with being a customer-service representative, including business operation, technology, and language. The most common skill sought was business operation, mentioned in about 29% of customer-service-representative job postings.Many customer-service jobs can be done remotely, and the researchers found that ChatGPT tended to score well for positions that are often associated with remote work. "The higher the likelihood that a job can be done remotely, the greater its potential exposure is to GenAI-driven change," the report said. The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 25% of the job skills, the major one being hospitality, and was only fair at the retail skill. Even if more companies roll out customer-service chatbots, they will likely still need human representatives to handle more complicated issues.

Skills most at risk: Among the common jobs analyzed, administrative assistant was the most exposed role to generative AI. Per the report, ChatGPT is good or excellent at roughly 90% of the skills associated with being an administrative assistant, including business operation, technology, communication, finance, and language. The most common skill sought was business operation, mentioned in about 34% of administrative-assistant job postings."Among administrative assistant roles with the highest exposure to GenAI in the high-demand category, we observe a dominance of 'business operations' and 'technology' skills, where GenAI performs well with a rating of 'good,'" Stahle said. "Additionally, these roles require 'communication skills,' 'finance skills,' and 'language skills,' in which GenAI excels, performing at an 'excellent' level."The catch: Generative AI is poor at roughly 5% of the job skills. Regardless of how many skills generative AI like ChatGPT develop, many people will continue to place their trust in humans — and perhaps for good reason.

 

Business Insider

State chapters and affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress are already gearing up for a possible declaration of a nationwide strike following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum given the Federal Government to provide palliatives to cushion the pains associated with the recent fuel subsidy removal.

The organised labour had earlier embarked on a two-day warning strike to press home its demands.

After the warning strike, the NLC gave the government a 21-day ultimatum within which to meet its demands.

With the expiration of the ultimatum on Friday, NLC has scheduled an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council for Tuesday at noon.

The council’s next line of action is expected to be decided at the virtual meeting.

In a notice of the meeting dated September 22, 2023, the congress’ General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, told the Presidents, General Secretaries and Treasurers of its affiliates that “Your attendance (at the meeting) will be of utmost importance.”

Ahead of the meeting, however, state chapters of the NLC told our correspondent that they were ready to mobilise full participation if the NEC declared a strike on Tuesday.

As part of its last-minute moves to prevent a strike, the Federal Government may meet with labour leaders again this week.

“Yes, the government delegation will meet with them maybe on Monday. The idea is to ensure that we prevent the strike. The nation cannot afford a shutdown of its economy at this time,” a government source said.

Another source said: “The government has just increased the salaries of junior lecturers by 23.5 per cent. There is the need for an understanding,” the source said.

When contacted, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said, “I am not yet back, I am airborne now to London. No update yet.”

Ekiti

Ekiti State Chairman of the NLC, Kolapo Olatunde, told one of our correspondents that workers in the state would participate fully if the NEC resolved to declare a strike.

Olatunde said “NLC NEC’s decision supersedes any other decision. If the decision up there in NEC is that we should go on strike, we have no option.

“We will also come down and decide the State Executive Council level, but the decision of the NEC supersedes any other decision.

“If the NEC says we are going on strike, everybody will go on strike, that is the implication.”

Gombe

The situation is the same in Gombe State where the state Secretary of NLC, Ibrahim Fika, said the chapter would comply fully with the industrial action should the NEC order such.

Fika said, “We will comply 100 per cent by God’s grace. There is no doubt about that.

“It’s after the Tuesday meeting that we will know when to proceed, and whether the people will be given time to prepare but Gombe NLC is fully ready 100 per cent.”

Sokoto

A similar scenario is playing out in Sokoto State where the state chapter said it would join the strike whenever the national headquarters decides.

The state chairman, Abdullahi Jungle, confirmed this while speaking with one of our correspondents.

He said, “We are waiting for the decision of the national headquarters. Once a decision is taken on the strike, we will join.”

 Plateau

Also in Plateau State, members of the NLC vowed to comply if the union decides to go strike.

The state chairman, Eugene Manji, said, “We are a democratic union. Our NEC meeting scheduled for Tuesday is going to be via Zoom. So, if the majority decides that the union is going on strike, workers in Plateau State cannot disobey the decision of NEC but will comply.”

Benue

The matter is not different in Benue State where the chairman, Terungwa Igbe, said the chapter would comply with any directive from the national secretariat.

 “If it’s a national directive to go on strike, we will surely join,” he said.

Kano

Kano State is not different as the state chapter expressed its readiness to comply with any directive from the national headquarters.

The state chairman, Kabiru Inuwa, said, “The NEC may decide to go on strike and may decide not to go. But whatever decision is taken, the Kano State chapter will abide by it.

“So, we have to wait and see what will be the outcome of the meeting.”

Niger

The Niger State chapter also said it was ready to comply with any directive from the national leadership of the NLC.

The state chairman, Idrees Lafena, said, “We don’t have an option than to comply with the directive of our parent body. The Federal Government has been given enough time to rethink and retrace its steps but it is adamant. It is not finding a lasting solution and does not want to do the needful.

“The two-day warning strike which was hugely successful in Niger State and Nigeria at large was an opportunity for the Bola Tinubu administration to do serious thinking and retrace his steps. Nigerian workers can no longer bear the hardship when there is no termination point for the hardship. We don’t have an option.

“We will ensure that the Federal Government is compelled to do the right thing. Niger State will be shut down by the strike once we get the directive from our national leaders.”

Zamfara

The Zamfara State chapter of the NLC also said it was ready to embark on a strike action if the national body of the union gave a directive to that effect.

The state chairman, Sani Halliru, said, “We in Zamfara State are only waiting for the directive and I am assuring you that, as soon as we receive it, we will join the strike.

“We will shut down the state as soon as we are given the go-ahead to embark on strike action.

“I was part of the meeting and I came back on Friday. So, I see no reason why I should not join the strike if I receive a directive from the national body of our great union.”

Yobe

Workers in Yobe State have also expressed readiness to embark on strike if the national headquarters of the NLC calls for the action after its Tuesday meeting.

“We are ever ready to participate in the strike if the national body of NLC directs all states to do so.

“We will join the strike because all the issues at stake concern every worker in Nigeria, including you, journalists. We will comply with whatever decision is taken at the Tuesday meeting,” the state chairman of NLC, Mukhtar Tarbutu, said.

Rivers

The Rivers State chairman, Alex Agwanwor, said the state chapter would comply fully with the national directive in the event of a declaration of strike.

When our correspondent asked Agwanwor if the state chapter would comply fully if a strike was declared, he simply replied, “Yes.”

Bayelsa

The Bayelsa State chapter said it would mobilise its members to participate in any strike action declared by the national leadership of the body.

The state chairman, Simon Barnabas, said, “NLC anywhere is NLC, so we will not do anything different. That’s how other state councils will be part of the event.

“The strike is not targeted at the state government but the Federal Government. What we are doing is to attract the attention of President Bola Tinubu and the need for something to be done to get us out of this untold hardship meted out to us as a result of fuel subsidy removal.

“The only thing we see that he can do now is he can revamp our refineries to functional status so that the Naira will have value. Otherwise the one-one naira they think they want to give to people will not go anywhere.”

Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom State chairman of the NLC, Sunny James, said there was no way the chapter would shun the strike.

“There’s going to be an official meeting to determine that but if there is going to be a strike, there is no way we will not join. Are we not the state council of NLC?” he asked.

Adamawa

The Adamawa State chairman of NLC, Emmanuel Fashe, said, “If we are not comfortable with the system, we should give support to labour leaders so that whatever that is being decided, we as Nigerians will comply and give them all the necessary support.

“You can see people suffering but when you call them out to join forces, to demonstrate and cry out to the government, they will shy away from it. This unfortunately is the Nigerian reality for you as we speak today.

“Things are hard but even for people within the community to organise themselves to come out and cry against the repressive economic policies of government is very hard. Labour leaders don’t have separate markets, we all go to the same market and it is the support of the public that we require to be successful in our agitations for a responsive system.”

Kaduna

Kaduna NLC chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, said, “We are not outside the NLC. We shall be part of the NEC and every decision taken is binding on all state councils.”

Abia

The NLC in Abia State said its members would join the strike.

The state chairman, Pascal Nweke, said, “We are under them. If they decide to go on strike after Tuesday’s NEC meeting, the Abia State chapter will join them.”

Kebbi

Kebbi State chairman, Murtala Usman, said, “I am sure that no state chapter of NLC will refuse to join the strike if the decision is reached by the national headquarters of the union.

“We are the ones that called for the meeting and by the time NEC briefs us on the outcome, the decision will be taken and we shall abide by it.”

Taraba

Taraba State Chairman, Peter Jediel, said, “Yes, we are ready to join the strike but we are waiting for an official communication.

“I just returned from a meeting of the union where the issue of the strike was discussed and we are willing to comply with the directive if the national union sends us a notice of strike.

“We are expecting that notice between tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday and we will fully comply.”

Oyo

However, the Oyo State chapter said it would not pre-empt the outcome of the Tuesday meeting.

The state Chairman, Kayode Martins, said, “We have not heard from the national secretariat of the NLC so we can’t pre-empt them. Let’s see the outcome of the NEC meeting, then we will call our state meeting as well.”

Ondo

Ondo State secretary of the NLC, Akin Sunday, said, “I cannot say anything much about the strike because my chairman is preparing to go to Abuja for the NEC meeting. The decision of the NEC at the meeting would determine what would happen next.”

Katsina

Katsina State Chairman of the NLC, Hussaini Hamisu, said, “We should not jump the gun. The NEC of the union is meeting on Tuesday. We would rather wait for its decision on the strike. Let us await the decision of the NEC. “

Lagos

Chairman of the NLC in Lagos State, FunmI Sessi, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, also said the outcome of the meeting scheduled for Tuesday will determine if the congress in the state will join the strike.

“They have called us for a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, so it’s on that day that we will know our stance. Let us leave everything till that Tuesday. We will know the outcome then,” she said.

Edo

Edo State chairman of the NLC, Odion Olaye, said he was yet to receive a directive on the matter.

 “I am yet to receive any directive concerning the strike action,” he said

Delta

Delta State chairman of the NLC, Goodluck Ofobruku, also said the council would comply with the decision of the NEC.

 “Yes, but there’s a NEC meeting on Thursday where a decision will be taken,” he said.

 

Punch

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Ghanaian capital Accra on Saturday for a third day of anti-government protests linked to economic hardship that have led to dozens of arrests.

Protesters, some waving placards or the Ghanaian flag, decried the high cost of living and a lack of jobs as they marched under the watch of riot police. The gold-, oil- and cocoa-producing nation has been battling its worst economic crisis in a generation brought on by spiralling public debt.

"The average Ghanaian can't afford three square meals (per day) ... the government doesn't care," said 24-year-old unemployed protester Romeo, who like others at the demonstration was wearing a red beret.

Police blocked the road to prevent protesters approaching Jubilee House, the seat of the presidency, which organisers Democracy Hub have vowed to occupy.

On Thursday, police said 49 people had been detained for unlawful assembly and violating the public order act on the first day of the three-day action. There was no sign of further arrests and the situation appeared calm on Saturday.

Last year, protests over soaring prices and other economic challenges led to clashes with police.

The government sealed a $3 billion, three-year loan programme with the International Monetary Fund in May, but detractors say the authorities have done too little to help those struggling to make ends meet amid the protracted downturn.

Economic growth is forecast to slow to 1.5% this year from 3.1% in 2022.

 

Reuters

The US Department of State has advised Americans to reconsider travelling to Nigeria “due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed gangs.”
Following its travel advisory update done on Wednesday, the US noted that some areas “have increased risk”.

It advised its citizens against travelling to Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and Adamawa states due to terrorism and kidnapping; Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states due to kidnapping; Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers states (with the exception of Port Harcourt) due to crime, kidnapping, and armed gangs.

It further noted that “violent crime – such as armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage taking, roadside banditry, and rape – is common throughout the country.”

The Department, however, advised citizens who still choose to travel to Nigeria to: “Carry proper identification, including a U.S. passport with a current Nigerian visa, if needed. Regarding Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and Northern Adamawa states, the US insisted that the security situation in the states was “fluid and unpredictable due to widespread terrorist activity, inter-communal violence, and kidnapping. Security operations to counter these threats may occur without warning.”

 

Vanguard