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Police starved Seun Kuti, stopped wife from serving him meal – Lawyer

Published

5 months ago

May 16, 2023

Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel to Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat maestro, Fela Kuti, on Tuesday, raised an alarm over the alleged starvation of his client, who was detained by the Nigeria Police.

Kuti’s lawyer, who also faulted an investigation conducted by Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin on the incident, said the singer’s wife was refused the “privilege” of delivering a meal to her husband, despite there was no other arrangement in place to have him fed.

Recall that the afrobeat musician was, on Monday, arrested and handcuffed following his visit to the state police command.

Olumide-Fusika, who made the disclosure in a statement released to newsmen, explained that Kuti would “at the right time and place” defend himself against Hundeyin’s published “investigative findings.”

He said, “Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin who goes by the formal title of Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, but apparently doubles as the Investigating Police Officer into the case of alleged assault of a policeman by my client, Mr. Seun Kuti, has issued a Report of his investigative work.

“Mr. Seun Kuti would have expected that having completed his investigative work, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, a law enforcer, would proceed according to law by sending the file containing his report of investigation for legal evaluation towards possible prosecution.

“Mr. Seun Kuti is nevertheless not surprised that Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin chose instead to make his investigative report the subject of media publication, as for instance, in the Punch online publication of Monday May 15, 2023 titled ‘Assault: Seun Kuti apologised, gave cop ₦‎12,000 to repair vehicle, police say’.

“According to Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, in his investigative report handed over to The Punch, ‘Seun Kuti was the one that bashed the officer’s vehicle, and the policeman followed him to call his attention to it, but the musician alighted from his car and slapped the policeman as seen in the trending video. However, the officer reported the incident at the Police Command in Ikeja.’

“’The policeman was alone. After the altercation, he followed Seun Kuti to his home in Ikeja, and the musician apologised to the policeman and gave him ₦12,000 to repair his damaged vehicle. But the officer reported the incident at the Area F Police Command in Ikeja, and deposited the ₦12,000 at the counter while he gave a written statement concerning the incident.’

“Although he had been with the Police since 8:00am on Monday 15th May, 2023, Mr. Seun Kuti notes that it was at about 8:00pm that day, after Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin had already completed and published his investigative report above, that he was asked to make a statement to the Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.

“Mr. Seun Kuti has therefore volunteered to his interlocutors a statement to the effect that since Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin has already done the investigation and issued and published his report on it, there was no useful purpose to be served by any statement from him. He will, at the right time and place, and in as rigorous a manner possible under the law, defend himself against Mr. Hundeyin’s published ‘investigative findings’.

“The consequence of this for Mr. Seun Kuti was that his wife was refused the “privilege” of delivering a meal to him, even though there was no other arrangement in place to have him fed. We await the next move of the Police on the allegation of crime against Mr. Seun Kuti.”

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Governor Hope Uzodimma To Make PMS Available At Friendly Rate

Published

1 hour ago

October 4, 2023

Yinka Rahman

Governor Hope Uzodimma To Make PMS Available At Friendly Rate

The executive governor of Imo state, His excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma held a crucial meeting with the leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Imo State Chapter and the discussion was centered around the availability of PMS and other products in the State at a friendly rate.

The governor acknowledged the efforts invested so far by members of the union in ensuring the reduction of stress on ndi Imo. However, while giving a node to review their request for land allocation as they plan to build their corporate office, He beckoned on them to do more for ndi Imo.

Nigeria At 63: Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodima Calls For Peace & Unity

The governor also affirmed that he recognizes the importance of their services and for the fact that it impacts greatly on the people, and also stated his willingness to render support in any way permissible by law.

Hope for Imolites

#UzodimmaAgain #Imo4Hope

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News

NLC, TUC Suspend Planned Strike For 30 Days

Published

1 day ago

October 3, 2023

Yinka Rahman

NLC, TUC Suspend Planned Strike For 30 Days
… .FG To Pay Workers N35,000
.. Sign 15-point agreement with FG

Organised labour have suspended its planned nationwide indefinite strike action for the next month.

This was contained in a memorandum of understanding signed Monday by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja; as well as the TUC President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, Nuhu Toro.

The three-page document was also signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Dr Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

“The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023,” the MoU reads in part.

“The Federal Government grants a wage award of N35,000 (thirty-five thousand
Naira) only to all Federal Government workers beginning from the month of
September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have
been signed into law.”

The decisions come at the end of an hours-long meeting between the Federal Government, NLC, and the TUC on Monday.

See the full MoU below:

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REACHED BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) AND TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA (TUC) AS A RESULT OF DISPUTE ARISING FROM WITHDRAWAL OF SUBSIDY ON THE PRICE OF PREMIUM MOTOR SPIRIT (PMS) ON MONDAY, THE 2ND DAY OF OCTOBER, 2023

Arising from the withdrawal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by the Federal Government and the resultant increase in the price of the commodity, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued a strike notice which had elapsed and they were poised to embark on a strike billed to commence on Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023. Consequently, a meeting was called by the Federal Government to avert the strike and after much discussion, the following agreements were reached:

The Federal Government grants a wage award of N35,000 (thirty-five thousand Naira) only to all Federal Government workers beginning from the month of September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.
A minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of this agreement.
Federal Government suspends collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) on Diesel for six months beginning from October, 2023.
Federal Government accepts to vote N100 billion for the provision of high capacity CNG buses for mass transit in Nigeria. Provisions are also being made for initial 55,000 CNG conversion kits to kick start an auto gas conversion programme, whilst work is ongoing on state-of-the-art CNG stations nationwide. The rollout aims to commence by November with pilots across 10 campuses nationwide.
The Federal Government plans to implement various tax incentive measures for private sector and the general public.
On the leadership crises rocking the NURTW and the purported proscription of RTEAN, the Federal Government commits to handling Labour matters in line with relevant ILO Conventions and Nigerian Labour Acts. A resolution of the ongoing impasse is expected by or before October 13.
The issue of outstanding Salaries and Wages of Tertiary Education workers in Federal-owned educational institutions is being referred to Ministry of Labour and Employment for further engagement.
The Federal Government commits to pay N25,000 per month for three months starting from October, 2023 to 15 million households, including vulnerable pensioners.
The Federal Government will increase its initiatives on subsidized distribution of fertilizers to farmers across the country.
The Federal Government should urge State Government through the National Economic Council and Governors Forum to implement wage award for their workers. Similar consideration should also be given to local government and private sector workers.
The Federal Government commits to the provision of funds as announced by the President on the 1st of August broadcast to the Nation for Micro and Small Scale Enterprises. The MSMEs beneficiaries should commit to the principle of decent jobs.
A joint visitation will be made to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.
All parties commit to henceforth abide by the dictates of Social dialogue in all our future engagements.
The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.
This Memorandum shall be filed with the relevant Court of competent jurisdiction within one (1) week as consent judgment by the Federal Government.
Signed:

NLC:

Comrade Joe Ajaero
President NLC

Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, mni
General Secretary

TUC:

Comrade (Engr) Festus Osifo
President

Comrade Nuhu A. Toro
Secretary General

Federal Government:

H.E. Simon Bako Lalong
Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment

Hon. Dr Nkeiruka Onyejeocha
Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment

Mallam Mohammed Idris
Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation

News

Nigeria At 63: Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodima Calls For Peace & Unity

Published

3 days ago

October 1, 2023

Yinka Rahman

Hope Uzodima Calls For Peace & Unity

IMO state governor, Hope Uzodima has called for peace and unity among the people of Nigeria in a statement he made to commemorate Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary.

“Today, we commemorate not just a historic event, but the unyielding spirit, resilience, and unity of our people in the face of numerous challenges and triumphs. Therefore, it is both an honor and a privilege to address you on this auspicious occasion of our great nation’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary.

This day, 63 years ago, marked the beginning of our journey towards independence and since then, we have made significant strides in various aspects of our nation’s development. As a diverse and vibrant tapestry of cultures, traditions and aspirations, we have weathered storms and celebrated victories together as a nation, always standing tall in the face of adversity.

Mohbad’s Old Tweets Resurfaces After Naira Marley Claimed He Never Assualted Him (Photos)

I commend the indomitable spirit of our people who have shown resilience in the face of adversity and I want to assure you that my administration remains committed to addressing the pressing issues that affects the State, in collaboration with the Federal Government. We are working tirelessly to improve healthcare, education, infrastructure and security, among other vital sectors, to ensure a better quality of life for all.

As we raise our flags and sing our national anthem, let us do so with pride, knowing that our best days are yet to come. Let us use this Independence Day as an opportunity to renew our commitment to the ideals of unity, peace, and progress. Together, we can overcome any obstacle and realize the full potential of Nigeria.

Happy 63rd Independence Day, Nigeria! May our nation continue to flourish and may our State prosper.”

– Hope Uzodimma

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