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The Federal Government has been called upon to account for the deductions of the National Housing Fund from workers' salaries.

This call was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The National Housing Funds deductions from the salaries of workers has been non-functional as workers do not have access to the loans as a result of the stringent conditions attached to the loans. The government should account for the deductions, otherwise the widespread feeling is that the NHF is a ploy to swindle workers of their hard-earned money,''Comrade Emelieze stated.

Similarly, the N35,000 wage award  cannot solve the problems workers are presently experiencing.

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals(NUAHP) University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Olusegun Sotiloye.

There is no way that N35,000 can alleviate the sufferings of workers. It is a drop in the ocean. How can N35,000 be enough for one using a car and buying 10 litres at N600.00 per litre, calculate the cost of this for one week. What about workers without cars, they spend as much as N2,000 per day on transportation. N35,000 is not enough to take care of transportation. The wage award is a good gesture, but it is not what will solve the myriad of problems brought about by the fuel subsidy removal, Comrade Sotiloye stated.

The attitude, behavior and activities of millions of Nigerians are crucial to the visibility of the positive impact of education on their lives.

Even when the whole annual budget, once the needful by Those-in-authority is not done, salvaging the deteriorated standard of education would just be an exercise in futility.

The open display of lawlessness, indiscipline, criminality and evil in different parts of the country are pointers to the unwavering fact that education is yet to achieve its purpose in Nigeria.

In the times of King Jehoash of Israel, money collected in the form of taxes were used to carry out worthwhile repairs.

Those who handled the money could be trusted completely to use it for its intended purpose.

2 Kings 12 :1-15

1In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

5Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.

6But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

7Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.

8And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

9But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

10And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

11And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,

12And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.

13Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD:

14But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.

15Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

The harsh and problematic economic environment in Nigeria has made the media industry vulnerable to censorship.

This assertion was made by the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Jagaban Communications International, Mr. Samuel Adenitan.

''The bad state of the economy has negatively affected the media industry. The industry is vulnerable. It has suffered greatly in this dispensation. Owners of media outlets are finding it increasingly difficult to  operate and stay afloat. In Nigeria, we censor the truth. Any country that censors the truth will not be taken seriously. We have good laws, but the effectiveness of the laws constitutes a problem. In Nigeria, the truth is censored.

The Federal Government ought to make provision for a new national minimum wage in the 2024 appropriation bill presented to both chambers of the National Assembly. 

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andreww Emelieze.

''It is disturbing that the details of the 2024 appropriation bill were not made public, but the Federal Government ought to make provision for a new national minimum wage in the bill, if it is truly sensitive to the difficulties and hardships Nigerians are passing through. As at today, the N35,000 wage award cannot buy a bag of rice. In addition, the government has only paid the wage award once since it commenced payment to federal workers,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

Similarly, health workers in Nigeria have expressed the hopes that their new salary scale would be included in the 2024 budget.

The health workers made this known through a member of the National Executive Council(NEC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) Comrade Kehinde Abiona, who is also the chairman of the union in the University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria.

''It is somehow disheartening that the reviewed CONHESS and CONMESS are yet to be implemented. The approved salary scale for health workers took effect from June 1st, 2023, but financially nothing has happened. We hope that the renewed hope agenda will not leave behind harmony in the health sector,'' Comrade Abiona concluded.

The recent disclosure by Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is a hint of what Nigerians should expect from the present administration in the next four years. 

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The recent revelation by the National Security Adviser is very credible and serves as a pointer to what Nigerians should expect from the present government in the next four years even though it may not meet their expectations,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

Mallam Ribadu had disclosed that the present administration was contending with very serious budget constraints and confessed that they inherited a bankrupt country.

He also stressed that at present the government was taking care of the debts of the immediate past administration.

The Federal Government has been called upon to urgently rescue industries that are daily folding up in Nigeria as a result of the harsh economic climate.

This call was made Saturday by the Chief Executive Officer of Jagaban Communications International, Mr. Samuel Adenitan in a chat with New Federation.

''The situation in the manufacturing, agricultural, power and other sectors is worrisome. Businesses are folding up, the economic environment is not conducive for business, there is no regular electricity supply and the prices of petroleum products are so high that it is almost beyond the reach of Nigerians. The Federal Government should take urgent steps to stem the tide to save the broadcast industry..''

''Today, so many companies have either folded up or divested from the country. This development has negatively affected private television and radio stations in the country in terms of sponsorships and advertisements,'' Mr. Adenitan stated.

A member of the Ibadan branch of the Nigeria Bar Association(NBA)Ibadan branch on Thursday 23rd  November 2023 accompanied by thugs broke into a building at 3, Kehinde Aderibigbe Street, Olorunsogo, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

The trespassers placed a banner with the inscription, ''For Sale PROPERTY/LAND-contact-

The lawyer on 08057321344/0806762694, in a desperate attempt to sell off the property without the consent of the sole occupant.

Before this time, On Thursday 9th November 2023 at about 9.30 am at 3, Kehinde Aderibigbe Street, Olorunsogo, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo state, a lawyer with phone number-08053721344- alongside four thugs made an abortive attempt to serve a harmless citizen a letter in the midst of intimidation and threats from the thugs. However, the citizen bluntly refused to accept the letter.

This development was trailed by unthinkable actions of four operatives of the Nigeria Legion Corps of Commissionaires, who supervised the damaging of the padlocks of the two gates to the house and the pulling down of the doors of three flats in the building and making away with all the locks, two chains, and padlocks.

However, it is curious that the assailants opted to forcefully convey the only occupant of the building to the Iyaganku Central Police Station on a motorcycle after they concluded the lawless act.

At the police station, they were told by a senior female police officer that Olorunsogfo, Molete was not within the station's jurisdiction.

This turn of events made them quickly seek the assistance of the administrative officer of the Iyagnaku Area Command.

Sadly, at the administrative officer's office, threats, intimidation, and warnings were tools used by all those present to persuade the harmless citizen to sign an agreement, which he politely refused.

For so long, those in charge of law and order have acted contrary to what the law states in issues concerning members of the public. This has indeed made millions of Nigerians lose confidence in the law enforcement agencies.