Speaking at the Nigerian Economic Summit, Vice President Kashim Shettima criticized the recent nationwide strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over the alleged dismissal of workers by the Dangote Refinery, calling it a minor labour dispute that held the nation to ransom.
He defended the Chairman and Founder, Aliko Dangote, calling him an institution and pillar of the Nigerian economy.
Online, some users cautioned that a government should not sound like it’s defending one businessman personally, but should instead uphold the rule of law and fair competition for all.
Concurrently, a large peaceful protest in Kaduna organized by the Partners for National Economic Progress called on the government to protect the Dangote Refinery.
Similarly, recent conversations around Nigeria’s unions have resurrected archival footage online of General Sani Abacha dissolving NUPENG and PENGASSAN in 1994.
In politics, the Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu declared his bid for the 2027 Oyo State Governorship election, invoking President Tinubu’s famous political slogan, ‘Emi Lokan’. The Minister cited his previous two electoral losses to Governor Seyi Makinde as proof of having paid his dues.
Pastor Tunde Bakare revealed that he is under immense pressure to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) opposition but rejected the idea.
In Jos, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for religious harmony during the funeral service of Lydia Yilwatda. The President used his own interfaith marriage to the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as an example of their individual faiths not causing conflict.
In Kano State, the Government inaugurated a new security initiative, deploying the first batch of 380 “Anti-Phone Snatching Marshals” who recently completed two weeks of rigorous training. This move is aimed at tackling the rising menace of street crime, especially phone theft.
In our Good News report, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received the inaugural Felix Jud Prize for Defiant Thinking in Germany, an honor recognizing her significant literary contributions and public advocacy that champion resistant thinking, human rights, and challenging the status quo.
In our Milestone, we highlight Professor Benedict Oramah, the President of the African Export Import Bank (AFREXIM). At an evening in his honour, the bank recognized his visionary leadership and transformative impact on Africa’s economy after a remarkable decade at the helm of the institution.
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