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The National Assembly has proposed the creation of 74 additional legislative seats for women as part of efforts to address their underrepresentation in Nigeria’s political institutions.

The proposal which is contained in a constitutional amendment bill provides for 37 additional seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives with one seat reserved for women in each state and the Federal Capital Territory.

Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed this on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Law Week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers Ekiti State Chapter in Ado-Ekiti.

Bamidele who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District said that the proposed amendment was designed to promote women’s participation in governance and ensure they had a stronger voice in decisions affecting the country.

He explained that the arrangement would not displace the existing legislative seats but would provide additional representation for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

According to him the proposal also provides for three additional seats for women in each State House of Assembly and is expected to run for 16 years covering four electoral cycles after which its impact would be reviewed.

Describing the initiative as a historic intervention rather than a partisan project the Senate Leader said a democracy that excluded a significant proportion of its population from decision-making could not be considered fully representative.

‘A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their future is at best a flawed democracy and at worst a veiled oligarchy’ he said.

The Senate Leader disclosed that the National Assembly had begun engagements with State Houses of Assembly to secure constitutionally required concurrence for the proposed amendment.

He said that the process was being pursued through consultations and consensus-building adding that the legislature was determined to address the longstanding gap in women’s political representation.

He commended the advocacy of the First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and said that the 10th National Assembly was irrevocably committed to promoting inclusive governance.

He also identified globalisation artificial intelligence digitalisation insecurity economic instability and climate change as emerging challenges that had increased the vulnerability of women and children.

He said that women continued to face gender-based violence economic exclusion discrimination and inadequate healthcare while children remained exposed to sexual abuse trafficking child labour early marriage malnutrition educational deprivation and digital exploitation.

Bamidele attributed some of the challenges to poverty inadequate social protection unemployment educational inequalities social stigma and weak enforcement of existing laws.

He noted that protecting women and children was not merely a humanitarian responsibility but a constitutional obligation and an investment in national development economic productivity and social stability.

The lawmaker also highlighted some legislative interventions of the 10th Assembly including the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025 which he said exempted sanitary products baby diapers and other essential products for women and children from Value Added Tax.

He described the measure as an intervention aimed at reducing the financial burden on low-income women and families.

Bamidele further disclosed that the National Assembly was considering the National Hospital for Women and Children Abuja (Amendment) Bill 2026 to strengthen the institution’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare services.

He however said the effectiveness of legislation depended on its implementation stressing that justice must be accessible affordable timely and effective for victims of abuse.

He called for stronger collaboration among the legislature executive judiciary security agencies social welfare institutions religious organisations traditional rulers civil society groups and the private sector to improve the protection of women and children.

The Senate Leader urged FIDA to engage the National Assembly in identifying gaps in existing laws proposing reforms and ensuring that government policies and budgetary provisions translated into tangible benefits.

He also challenged the organisation to hold the legislature accountable for the proposed special seats arrangement and adequate funding for child protection women’s healthcare and gender empowerment programmes.

The Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti Professor Smaranda Olarinde called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against emerging forms of abuse.

Olarinde warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms had created new threats including cyberstalking online harassment deepfake images impersonation and the exploitation of children.

She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions the judiciary security agencies universities religious and traditional leaders the media and civil society organisations to tackle gender-based violence and child abuse.

The vice-chancellor urged FIDA to move beyond advocacy by developing measurable interventions proposing a collaborative Women and Children Access to Justice Action Framework to improve legal protection digital safety and support for survivors.

The Chief Judge of Ekiti State Justice Lekan Ogunmoye commended FIDA for choosing Bamidele to speak on the subject describing him as well positioned to address emerging issues requiring legislative and policy reforms to protect women and children.

Oyo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has mobilised support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the party’s governorship candidate Sen. Sharafadeen Alli and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

The party at a rally in Ogbomosho organised by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication Chief Sunday Dare attracted prominent political figures party leaders and supporters.

Among the dignitaries were former Oyo State Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan; Olusegun Odebunmi; Senator Yusuf Brimmo; Olamujuwonlo Alao-Akala; and Oyo North APC senatorial candidate Mrs Hannah Ogunesan among others.

As part of the programme the organisers distributed food items including rice beans semovita garri and cooking oil to residents. Also over 1000 bags of foodstuffs were distributed.

The event equally featured distribution of tilling machines and generators to youths alongside opening of new classrooms at Ikoyi Grammar School and Lasubu-Alada Community Grammar School in Ogbomoso.

Dare urged eligible voters to obtain Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote for President Tinubu Alli and all APC candidates at the forthcoming polls.

He highlighted reforms and development by the President which include ongoing Ibadan-Ogbomoso Road project describing it as one of the projects being undertaken under the Tinubu administration.

He referenced the student loan scheme introduced by the Federal Government and increase in the monthly allowance of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members as some of the administration’s initiatives.

Other speakers at the event called on people not to give room for opposition party but unite and vote massively for all APC candidates in 2027 elections.

They said President Tinubu and APC had embarked on reforms which had taken the nation to greater height hence the need to consolidate on the reform in 2027.

Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani has inaugurated the reconstruction of the Binawa Bridge in Kauru Local Government Area which had been abandoned for over 14 years.

The bridge links Mariri Geshere Binawa and other communities in the area.

Sani represented by the Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District Sunday Marshall Katung performed the groundbreaking ceremony in Binawa describing the project as a major infrastructure intervention that would improve connectivity and ease the hardship faced by residents.

Katung said the reconstruction marked the beginning of further development interventions in the area expressing optimism that the long-awaited Kibangari Bridge would also receive government attention.

He urged residents to support the state government’s development efforts noting that the reconstructed bridge would improve access to markets schools and healthcare facilities while facilitating socioeconomic activities across the communities.

The senator also called on traditional rulers youths and security agencies to strengthen collaboration in tackling insecurity and sustaining peace in the area.

Earlier the Managing Director of the Kaduna State Roads Agency (KADRA) Dr Abdullahi Baba Ahmad said the bridge would ease the movement of people agricultural produce and essential services.

He explained that the project would enhance access to markets schools and healthcare facilities support businesses and strengthen social and economic ties among communities.

Baba Ahmad assured residents that the agency would ensure strict compliance with engineering standards with emphasis on quality durability and timely completion of the project.

Also speaking the member representing Kauru/Chawai Federal Constituency Rep. Zakari Haruna Chawai commended the state government for the intervention describing the bridge as a valuable project for the entire local government.

Chawai said the reconstruction was expected to be completed within two to three months urging residents to cooperate with the government and support its development initiatives.

He expressed optimism that more development projects would be attracted to the area and called on residents to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

In his remarks the District Head of Kumana Mr Samaila Yanaba praised the state government for undertaking the reconstruction of the bridge which he said had been abandoned for more than 14 years.

Some residents who spoke at the ceremony also expressed appreciation to the government lamenting that the collapse of the bridge had severely disrupted their socioeconomic activities and movement within and outside the area.

They said the reconstruction would restore vital links among communities and ease the transportation of people and goods.

Party faithful loyalists and supporters gathered at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode at the weekend for the Ogun East Mega Rally of the All Progressive Congress (APC) organized by the Yayi Progressives Movement (YPM).

?The event served as a major political grassroots mobilization in support of the re-election of President Bola Tinubu Senator Solomon Adeola widely known as Yayi among other All Progressive Congress candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Political groups artisan federations market associations and youth bodies from all nine local government areas in Ogun East assembled early in the morning to declare their support for the APC.

?The morning began long before the main speeches at the stadium bowl.

As early as 7:00 a.m. thousands of YPM supporters joined a multi-kilometer solidarity trek that moved from the Mobalufon Junction through the heart of Ijebu-Ode down to the stadium gates.

Drummers cultural troupes and motorbikers led the procession with participants chanting slogans supporting Senator Adeola’s legislative track record highlighting his tenure as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Key leaders legislators and council chairmen from Ogun East who attended the rally re-affirming their solidarity with Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration while backing Yayi’s vision to succeed him.

As part of the proceedings YPM leaders inaugurated over 1100 ‘Artisan Ambassadors’ across various trades (tailors mechanics carpenters and hairdressers) to build grassroots structures across the senatorial district.

Speakers urged members to continue supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms and Governor Abiodun’s ongoing infrastructure projects across Ogun State.

Speaking at the event at the mainbowl of the stadium the convener of the movement Akintunde Armstrong an engineer stated that the rally which is one of two more to come will continue to serve as a springboard for political mobilisation as the nation approach the 2027 general elections.

‘Today we are sounding it loud and clear that in Ogun State it is only APC. We will replicate this rally in Ogun Central and Ogun West soon. This massive support is organic and it will continue until all our candidates are delivered’ he added

In his remarks Senator Adeola lauded the massive grassroots support movement from YPM adding that his believe in youth renosance is reassured.

‘I came in here and I was marvelled at the sea of heads in solidarity walk for our party the APC. I hear some of you have been here since 7am. Whatever is making you come this far is a reassurance that my believe in the youth of our country is never misplaced ‘ he said

Meanwhile the Ogun state governor Dapo Abiodun while introducing the Ogun East candidates stated that votes for the APC must be from top to bottom adding that Ogun state must show President Bola Tinubu united votes.

‘ We have promised our president 2million votes and not a single vote must be lost afterall there is no opposition in Ogun state’ he maintained

Police operatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested two suspected members of a cable-vandalism gang and recovered several cut-to-size armoured cables in Guzape Abuja.

The suspects identified as Sagir Abubakar of Kuchingoro Village FCT and Seidu Umar Bello were arrested following a surveillance patrol along Walter Ofonagoro Street Guzape at about 1:30am on October 31.

The FCT Police Command said operatives from Guzape Division spotted a Lexus SUV and a Toyota Sienna parked under suspicious circumstances and approached the vehicles to ascertain the occupants’ reasons for being there at that hour.

However the occupants reportedly sped off upon sighting the police team abandoning one of their accomplices who attempted to escape on foot.

The operatives pursued and arrested him while a search of the surrounding premises led to the recovery of several cut-to-size armoured cables.

The command said preliminary investigations identified Abubakar as a member of a gang allegedly targeting secluded locations across the FCT to vandalise public and private infrastructure.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Bello who had initially escaped from the scene in one of the vehicles.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Josephine Adeh disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

Adeh said investigations were ongoing to establish the full extent of the suspects’ activities identify other members of the gang and arrest those still at large.

She added that the suspects remained in police custody and would be charged in court once investigations concluded.

The command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons and activities to the nearest police station.

It also provided emergency contact numbers: 08032003913 and 08061581938.

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has unveiled a 100-point manifesto promising to establish a Child Protection and Nutrition Agency create a state wealth fund and introduce measures to improve infrastructure healthcare education and security if elected governor in 2027.

Hamzat the state’s deputy governor said 87 of the 100 pledges were firm commitments within the powers of the state government while the remaining 13 would depend on consultations with the Federal Government and other institutions.

He unveiled the manifesto tagged The Lagos Promise and also known as the Hamzat Compact at the launch of his campaign theme Lagos… Forward Together organised by the Lagos APC PBAT-KOH Campaign Council 2027 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts (National Theatre) Iganmu Lagos on Friday.

The manifesto is structured around seven pillars: People First Renewal Opportunity Machinery of Government Inclusion Security and Resilience and Every Citizen.

Hamzat promised to publish a performance scorecard to enable residents to assess his administration’s delivery of the pledges insisting that accountability would begin within his first 100 days in office.

‘If one of them is not delivered it will be noted and I must own it’ he said.

Among his first 100 days commitments Hamzat promised to send a bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly for the establishment of a Child Protection and Nutrition Agency to ensure that every child below 18 is either in school or learning a trade and has access to adequate food.

He also pledged to establish a Lagos State Service Delivery Office through an executive order. The office to be chaired by the governor would publish baseline figures against which the administration’s performance would be measured.

The APC candidate further proposed a state wealth fund with an independent board and publicly accessible accounts to preserve resources for future generations.

He promised to introduce service charters across government offices specifying the services residents should expect and the standards public institutions must meet. Under the proposed arrangement complaints would be acknowledged within 48 hours answered within seven days and resolved within 30 days.

‘Accountability will not wait for the end of my term. It begins in my first 100 days’ he said.

On healthcare Hamzat promised to increase the number of maternal and child centres from six to 15 complete ongoing hospital projects and construct two new general hospitals at Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki.

He also pledged to upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to flagship status and recruit more doctors nurses and midwives.

Among the projects he highlighted were the 150-bed Massey Children’s Hospital the proposed 280-bed general hospital and the 150-bed Shomolu General Hospital project.

On education he promised to strengthen the EkoEXCEL programme in public primary schools improve teaching and learning outcomes and expand technical and vocational training opportunities.

He also proposed the establishment of a University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos and pledged to review teachers’ compensation packages.

‘We will review your compensation package so that your pay matches the work we demand from you’ he said.

On employment and economic opportunities Hamzat said businesses would play a major role in creating jobs and that government must remove obstacles to their growth.

He proposed a single schedule of local government charges easier business permits improved access to credit and a defined share of state procurement for qualifying small businesses.

He also promised a vocational placement scheme under which students in technical schools would spend between six and 12 months with employers with the state paying 40 per cent of their stipends.

For artisans he proposed free skills certification at their workplaces and in languages they understand.

Hamzat said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had provided more than N15 billion to over 21000 businesses while businesses supported through the scheme had created more than 300000 jobs.

On transportation the APC candidate promised to increase the state’s bus fleet from 1000 to 4000 with a target of transporting one million passengers daily.

He also pledged to expand the rail network extend the Blue Line to Ogbebe-Mindene and connect the Blue and Red lines through an interchange at the National Theatre Station.

He said he would work with the Federal Government to advance the Green Line from Marina towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

The candidate projected that the Blue Line would transport 250000 passengers daily when it reaches Trade Fair Station early next year.

On road infrastructure he promised to activate the Fourth Mainland Bridge through partnerships accelerate the coastal road along the Lekki-Epe axis and prioritise inner roads in collaboration with local governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

He also pledged to expand water transportation through an additional 140-kilometre water corridor optimise 15 ferry routes rehabilitate 27 of the state’s 47 ferry terminals and procure 75 electric ferries.

Hamzat said his administration would integrate road rail and water transportation through a unified ticketing and timetable system.

‘Lagos is a water state. The lagoon must therefore be our third highway. One ticket one timetable one integrated service across rail road and water’ he said.

On housing he promised to complete ongoing projects including Egbo Igodo Clusters 2 and 3 Lagos Homes Shongotedo Phase Two Lagos Homes Ipeche Phases Two and Three the Workers’ Village at Ipaja and Beacon Apartments at Ipaja.

He also pledged to expand affordable homeownership through partnerships with private developers with mortgage facilities requiring a 10 per cent initial deposit single-digit interest rates and longer repayment periods.

On security Hamzat promised to strengthen the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and extend its operations to all wards across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs.

He said his administration would expand street lighting and CCTV surveillance in residential communities establish a state intelligence centre to tackle cybercrime financial crimes and organised criminal activities and improve the welfare of security personnel.

He also pledged to recruit and train more personnel provide better accommodation and review their welfare packages in line with the prevailing cost of living.

To promote accountability he promised to establish an independent body to review complaints against security officers and the agency.

On water supply Hamzat disclosed that a 17-million-gallon water treatment facility was under construction and had been funded. He said its completion would provide clean water to an additional six million residents.

He also promised to rehabilitate 24 micro and mini waterworks repair water mains and expand the public water distribution network.

On waste management the APC candidate set a target of 95 per cent collection coverage through improved community-based collection systems and optimisation of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.

He promised to complete the transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous III alongside a waste recovery facility and a waste-to-energy plant at Agbowa.

Hamzat also pledged to integrate about 30000 residents engaged in waste collection and sorting into the formal waste management system through training equipment and improved remuneration.

The proposal comes amid persistent waste collection and disposal challenges in parts of Lagos where irregular collection and pressure on existing disposal infrastructure remain concerns for residents.

Speaking at the event Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged residents to support the APC candidate describing him as an experienced public administrator who had been involved in the state’s governance and development process for more than two decades.

The governor said his seven years of working closely with Hamzat had demonstrated the deputy governor’s loyalty capacity and commitment to public service.

He recalled that Hamzat had sought the governorship ticket in 2018 but stepped aside following consultations with party leaders and subsequently accepted to serve as his running mate.

Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat had played an active role in policy formulation project implementation and the day-to-day administration of the state.

He cited the COVID-19 response the development of the Blue and Red rail lines and the arrival of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Sea Port among major developments in which the deputy governor had been involved.

The governor said Lagos needed continuity to complete ongoing projects rather than experiment with a new governance structure.

‘This is not the time to experiment with Lagos. This is the time to consolidate. And consolidation is not standing still. Continuity does not mean repeating ourselves. It means finishing what was started fixing what is not working and starting what comes next in that order with a plan’ he said.

Sanwo-Olu added: ‘In seven years there has not been one day not one when I had to wonder whose side my deputy was on.

‘In Lagos there has been one government one direction and one voice. That did not happen by accident. It happened because of who he is.’

He described the proposed transition as an opportunity to sustain the state’s development agenda without a political crisis.

‘Lagos is going to change governors without a quarrel. There is no greater gift a governor can leave his people than a handover that does not break the house’ he said.

The governor urged Hamzat to remain accessible to residents complete ongoing projects and sustain the governance structure that had prepared him for leadership. He also charged the APC deputy governorship candidate Princess Damilola Sonayon-James to build a strong working relationship with Hamzat.

The Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi described the manifesto as a covenant between the party its candidate and the electorate.

He said successive APC administrations had recorded achievements in infrastructure transportation education healthcare housing technology and economic development but acknowledged the need for continuous innovation and improved service delivery.

Ojelabi expressed confidence in Hamzat’s experience in public service and understanding of the state’s governance structure saying these had prepared him for the responsibilities of the governorship.

He said the manifesto provided an opportunity for residents to examine the candidate’s priorities and the practical steps proposed to achieve them.

‘A credible manifesto must go beyond attractive promises. It must offer realistic solutions measurable objectives and a commitment to accountability and effective implementation’ he said.

Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Princess Sarah Sosan who spoke on behalf of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) also endorsed Hamzat describing him as a cerebral and experienced candidate capable of sustaining the state’s development trajectory.

She traced Lagos’ development to successive administrations including those of President Bola Tinubu former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode and the incumbent Sanwo-Olu.

Sosan said the state’s progress was the product of careful planning and purposeful leadership adding that Lagos could not afford to abandon its development model.

‘We have chosen right. Our candidate is cerebral and very committed to delivering the job. He is the best man for the job and every member of the GAC attests to this’ she said.

She urged party members and residents to work together to sustain existing achievements and prepare for future challenges.

Also speaking the Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council Musiliu Obanikoro called for inclusiveness in the state’s development process stressing that no resident should be excluded on account of ethnic affiliation.

He said the campaign was presenting not just a candidate but a vision anchored on development integrity inclusiveness and sustained progress.

Obanikoro said the 2027 governorship election should be about ideas and the capacity to deliver rather than personalities.

He acknowledged that challenges remained in infrastructure healthcare economic growth and job creation despite the progress recorded by successive administrations.

He urged APC leaders and members to remain united and intensify mobilisation ahead of the election.

The African Democratic Congress(ADC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police. Tunji Disu and Director-General Tunji Disu and Director-General Department of State Services(DSS) Adeola Ajayi over what it described as sustained pattern of violence and intimidation against its members.

The ADC at a news conference by the Director-General of its Governorship Campaign Organisation Bello Goronyo in Sokoto yesterday cited three incidents that happened between October 28 and 30.

According to the party its governorship candidate Manir Dan’iya was attacked by suspected All Progressives Congress(APC) thugs on October 30 at the Sultan Sadiq Abubakar International Airport Sokoto.

The October 28 incidents said the ADC were attacks on its women supporters on a peaceful solidarity march and the destruction of its campaign office in the state capital.

Goronyo said at the news conference which was attended by Dan’iya his running mate Bello Ambarura and state Chairman Abdullahi Maigwandu that vehicles belonging to the governorship candidate were smashed by the suspected armed thugs. He added that two DSS personnel attached to Dan’iya were detained by operatives of the state-owned security outfits including the Sokoto Marshals and Sokoto Community Guards.

The party said that ”no amount of intimidation threat and violent attacks” on Dan’iya and its other candidates for the forthcoming general election would ”subdue the wave of acceptance for them across the state.

‘ ADC is fast drawing more support and building ground ahead of the general elections in the state’ the ADC stated.

The ADC consequently asked the IG and DSS boss to among others carry out an independent investigation into the incidents prosecute the perpetrators and protect its candidates and supporters.

But the APC Chairman in the state Haruna Adiya dismissed the allegations as a propaganda campaign to distract the public from what he said were the ADC’s challenges.

Adiya said: ‘Initially they alleged that our supporters attacked their women. Now they have come up with another allegation that their governorship candidate was attacked on his way back from the airport after their late-night visit to former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

”They further claimed that security operatives seized vehicles belonging to DSS personnel. Anyone familiar with the operations of security agencies would recognise how implausible such an allegation sounds.’

Adiya also faulted what he described as inconsistencies in the ADC’s account noting that while the party’s media aide claimed security operatives were deployed to prevent Dan’iya from entering Sokoto metropolis the candidate’s own statement indicated he had visited different locations in the city to pay condolence visits.

The APC state chairman stated that Governor Ahmed Aliyu who is currently in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah had consistently advised APC supporters against activities capable of creating tension.

He advised the ADC to address its internal challenges rather than drag the APC and the state government into its affairs.

A diesel storage facility in Ndieze Nwankwo along Edibros Road Uruagu Nnewi Anambra State was gutted by fire leaving one person injured and several storage tanks damaged.

The inferno which broke out around 5 pm on Sunday involved storage tanks containing diesel.

Residents alleged that the fire was deliberately ignited by an unidentified individual raising suspicions of arson.

State Fire Chief Engr. Chiketa Chukwudi confirmed the incident saying the actual cause of the fire was yet to be established and that one victim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

He advised the public to exercise caution in their daily activities particularly when handling and storing petroleum products.

He also urged them to report fire emergencies promptly by contacting the Fire Service to ensure a timely response and minimise loss of life and property.

He said ‘Anambra State Fire Service has successfully contained a fire outbreak at a diesel storage site in Ndieze Nwankwo along Edibros Road Uruagu Nnewi Anambra State.

‘The distress call was received at approximately 1745 hours on Sunday 1st November 2026 following a fire outbreak involving storage tanks containing diesel at the location.

‘Firefighters immediately mobilised to the scene and worked diligently to contain the fire preventing further spread. Some storage tanks were affected by the fire.

‘The incident was suspected to be a case of arson as it was alleged that an unidentified individual deliberately set the facility on fire. The actual cause of the fire remains subject to investigation.

‘Unfortunately one victim was affected by the fire and was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention.’

The Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has called for the enforcement of a stronger regulatory framework for recycling policies to tackle plastic pollution.

The monarch spoke during the opening of Polysmart Packaging Limited. He praised the firm’s owners for their contributions to the sector. The paramount king said indiscriminate disposal of plastic bottles and other non-biodegradable materials on roads and drainages is a threat to cleanliness and development.

Oba Ogunwusi wondered why Nigerians could not maintain a cleaner environment. He stressed that plastic pollution was a major environmental challenge because discarded plastics were difficult to degrade warning that indiscriminate disposal could continue to undermine sanitation and damage the environment.

Chief Executive Officer Polysmart Packaging Wasiu Balogun said the company’s new $60 million factory would strengthen plastic waste recycling and support the country’s transition to a green economy.

He said the company had grown from a humble beginning in 2013 with an initial capital of N2 million to establish a facility designed to increase plastic waste recovery and recycling.

Balogun recomitted the company to responsible plastic waste management and that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency’s (NESREA) National Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility and National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulation 2026 would enable the company to track plastic waste and support brand owners in demonstrating regulatory compliance.

He said the company planned to engage collection agents in all the councils in Nigeria to improve the collection and recovery of plastic waste adding that the facility when operating at full capacity would process 100000 tonnes of mixed plastics yearly equivalent to approximately 6.5 billion PET bottles or 15 million bottles daily.

The initiative he noted would help prevent millions of plastic bottles from ending up in landfills being burned or entering the Atlantic Ocean thereby reducing environmental pollution.

Chairman Polysmart Packaging Limited Niyi Yusuf described the company as Africa’s largest food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) plant saying it would position Nigeria as a recycling hub for West Africa.

Yusuf citing Germany South Korea and The Netherlands said Nigeria could achieve higher recycling rates through stronger producer responsibility systems and sustained investment in infrastructure.

The dispute between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over the Federal Government’s N70000 monthly transport allowance for federal workers has intensified with both labour centres exchanging accusations over their authority to negotiate on behalf of workers.

The NLC President Joe Ajaero on Monday insisted that his congress could independently negotiate labour matters with the Federal Government while the TUC President Festus Osifo accused him of excluding the congress from negotiations.

The disagreement followed the Federal Government’s approval of the N70000 monthly transportation intervention for workers across all levels for six months.

Appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief Ajaero said the NLC could negotiate alone based on the International Labour Organisation’s principle of representation by the most representative workers’ organisation.

‘TUC can negotiate along with NLC but NLC can negotiate alone based on the principle of most workers’ representatives of the ILO’ he said.

He maintained that the TUC could not independently negotiate with labour authorities adding that its proposals had to be submitted through the NLC.

‘TUC sent their negotiation alone ahead of the ILO conference but they returned it back and I had to minute on it.

‘They have to send their list here for me to forward it; that is the position of the ILO. NLC determines how TUC participates’ he said.

Ajaero also cited the Trade Union Amendment Act 2005 and Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution arguing that workers had the right to choose their unions.

‘The 2005 Trade Union Amendment Act made membership of trade unions voluntary. It is the worker that determines the union he belongs to’ he said.

He further argued that only one TUC-affiliated union belonged to the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council while seven of its eight constituent unions were affiliated with the NLC.

On the N70000 transport allowance Ajaero said the NLC secured the intervention after issuing the Federal Government an ultimatum and threatening industrial action.

‘We gave government an ultimatum; we were supposed to start an action. The government asked for four days and to meet with us and we met and they resumed sitting after four days.

‘After the meeting the 70k allowance came up’ he said.

But Osifo described the agreement as an aberration insisting that the TUC was not consulted during the negotiations.

Speaking on the same television programme he challenged Ajaero to produce any ILO regulation authorising one labour centre to negotiate on behalf of another without consultation.

‘He should show me in the ILO regulations where it says one party is going to negotiate without the other one being there or consulted. He should show me! He should show Nigerians!’ Osifo said.

He argued that the existence of separate labour centres meant that neither could claim the right to negotiate for the other without its consent.

‘You cannot negotiate for a body that is represented for a body that has a trade union. You cannot negotiate for them on their behalf! It is not there anywhere!’ he said.

Osifo also faulted Ajaero’s interpretation of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council insisting that the meeting at which the transport allowance was agreed was not a formal council meeting.

‘But that meeting that took place was not the Council meeting. The Minister is not a member of the Council. Ajaero is not a member of the Council. The Council even has a quorum and the number of persons that must be seated to form a quorum. But at the end of the day that meeting was not a JNC meeting. The members of JNC were not there!’ he said.

He further criticised the application of a flat N40000 consequential adjustment across the public service following the increase in the minimum wage from N30000 to N70000.

Osifo said the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council should have determined the consequential adjustments rather than applying the difference uniformly.

The dispute has also drawn three public service trade unions which disowned a press release issued in the name of the JNPSNC on October 30 accusing the council of excluding them from discussions.

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) said they were neither consulted nor invited to the meeting preceding the statement.

In a joint statement signed by their presidents Kayode Alakija John Alli and Kamal Ibrahim the unions said they did not participate in preparing the release or authorise anyone to speak on their behalf.

They also alleged that the JNPSNC Vice-Chairman representing the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria was excluded from the consultation.

The unions aligned with the TUC in rejecting the N70000 transport intervention describing it as inadequate amid rising costs of transportation food and housing.

They said: ‘With transportation food housing and other essentials becoming increasingly unaffordable this intervention is no substitute for decent wages fair remuneration or sustainable improvement in workers’ living standards.’

They also faulted the previous consequential adjustment alleging that the council applied a flat N40000 addition across the board instead of a 133 per cent adjustment to the lowest-paid worker cascaded across the salary structure.

The unions demanded a review of the adjustment inclusive representation in public service negotiating structures and an end to issuing statements in their name without authorisation.

They maintained that the JNPSNC was a public service negotiating platform not a third national labour centre alongside the NLC and TUC.

The unions declared: ‘You cannot speak for workers without their mandate. You cannot claim consensus without consultation. You cannot negotiate workers’ welfare while denying their unions the right to representation.’-