The Harbingerngr News

* It’s been tough, painful in last 12 months  – Labour leaders *Ask workers to prepare for struggles ahead *Nigerian workers have never had it so bad - Atiku   *Says citizens subsidizing corruption, inefficiencies of FG *Kalu applauds workers’ commitment to national devt *Glo lauds Nigerian workers on sacrifices THE Federal Government has approved an increase of between 25% and 35% in salary for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures. It also approved pay rise for its pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme, DBS.   This came on a day labour leaders said the last one year had been tough and agonising for workers and the masses. The Salary Structure is the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Stru...

NO fewer than 18 persons travelling from Warri to Bayelsa State in a private company bus have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen between Evwreni and Ogor axis of the East-West  road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.  The incident, which occurred last Tuesday about 5p.m., at the Evwreni axis was reported by the supervisor of the transport company. It will be recalled that nine students,  including a Naval Officer, returning from school in Calabar, Cross River State were allegedly abducted at same axis on Good Friday eve and were released after 72 hours.  According to a security source from the Delta State Police command, “The supervisor of the transport line name withheld reported that the one of their buses loaded with passengers from Warri to Bayelsa was blocked along the Ughelli-Patani Road, around Evwreni axis and they were all kidnapped and taken to unknown destination. “Though contact had been made but it could not be as...

*We have adopted new strategy to end shortage — MEMAN, *It’ll take a few days to eliminate queues — NNPC Travellers, commuters stranded at bus stops, parks lCommuters groan as petrol price hits N780 per litre in Makurdi; transporters increase fares in Jos lTask force raids filling stations in Ilorin, warns against hoarding lAs Lagos govt warns against creating gridlock on roads Travellers and commuters nationwide were stranded at bus stops and motor parks yesterday as the petrol scarcity in the country bites harder. This came as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, and oil marketers said they were intensifying efforts to tackle the scarcity. Many filling stations without the product remained closed in Lagos and Abuja yesterday, while those that have the product continued to sell to motorists and other users. Vanguard gathered that many motorists and other users were compelled by circumstances to patronise black market operators who openly sold the product along Ik...

There was pandemonium in Ita-Oshin area of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, as a gas tanker explosion left a trail of devastation, claiming four lives and about six vehicles burnt. It was gathered that the  explosion occurred following an accident involving the gas tanker as it tried to manoeuvre along the road railings. Emergency response teams, including personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps and Ogun State Fire Service, swiftly mobilized to the scene to evacuate the remains of the victims and contain the inferno. Among the vehicles consumed by the inferno were taxis, a private car and a truck, with the impact extending to nearby shops and houses. While security and safety officials present at the scene did not provide a comprehensive statement regarding the incident, eyewitnesses, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said some victims had already been rushed to hospital by the response teams.

IBADAN—LEADER of the Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye has disagreed with leaders of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on restructuring saying the Yoruba Nation wants self-determination not restructuring. He said this when he was featured on Arise television’s ‘The Morning Show’. The professor of History who repeatedly said the goal to achieve his Yoruba Nation dreams will surely come to pass argued that if restructuring is implemented, the same Fulani herders who have allegedly killed more than 29,000 Yoruba will remain in Nigeria and continue their atrocities. He wondered why there was so much noise about agitation for Yoruba Nation and people look away from Fulani who threatened to take over the seat of power. While acknowledging the role of Afenifere in restructuring, he noted that the only solution to the senseless killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping of Yoruba was to get out of the country. His words: "Our fathers in Afenifere are doing the r...

THE Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, led by Prof Banji Akintoye and Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, seeking a peaceful breakaway of Yoruba people from Nigeria. The open letter, dated April 17, 2024, was signed by both Akintoye, Igboho and one Ola Ademola. They called on the President to within the next two months set up a negotiation team to negotiate the exit of the Yoruba people from Nigeria. The letter by the Yoruba Nation arrowheads came about a week after some armed agitators invaded the Oyo State Government House, attempting to hoist their flag on the premises of the state House of Assembly. Bullying is common in our school, happens every day – Abuja expensive school students0:01 / 1:01 The agitators were subdued and 29 of them were last week taken before a magistrates’ court in Ibadan, which ordered that they should be remanded in the prison custody. Both Akintoye and Igboho dissociated themselves from the violen...

NIGERIA remains one of the countries where malnutrition holds sway. For most people, the malnutrition situation in Nigeria can best be described as a “ticking time bomb”, particularly in some parts of the Northern part of the country where child malnutrition is projected to increase to 2 million in 2023, up from 1.74 million last year by the United Nations. With a UNICEF report showing that 5 in 10 children under five years old suffer from the effects of malnutrition, experts say the major cause of malnutrition in Nigeria remains micronutrient deficiencies, also known as hidden hunger and that Iron fortification and supplementation is key to ending child malnutrition. In the views of a nutritionist with Nestle Nutrition Institute Central West African Region, Dr. Kanalio Olaloku, micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts but their impact on a body’s health is critical, and deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening condit...

Osun State police command has paraded four suspects, including a traditionalist, Onifade Oyekanmi, 30, over alleged murder. The other suspects are Oyebode Olalekan, 40, Ifayemi Ojeleke, 32 and Jamiu Lasisi, 40. The command’s public relations officer, SP Yemisi Opalola, who addressed newsmen, disclosed that the Oyekanmi, popularly called “Ifa” conspired with other suspects to kill one Usman Aminat for money ritual. She added the suspects, after killing the suspect dismembered her body and mix her intestines with that of goat, pig and burn it into a black powder, which was shared by the suspects. According to her, the suspects was lured from her home in Apomu, in Isokan local government area of Osun state to Iyana Ajia area in Ibadan, where Ifayemi resides on March 13, 2024. She added the deceased son reported the matter with police after he failed to trace his mother and having tried severally to call her mobile phone and failed. “The said Onifade was subsequently arrested and the case ...

A new scientific analysis shows that bowel cancer deaths are expected to increase by 2,500 per year by 2040. Experts believe the growing elderly population is the primary driver of the increase, but they admit there are rising numbers among the young. Obesity, excessive red meat consumption, and a lack of fibre can all contribute to the disease. The Bowelbabe Fund, established in memory of Deborah James, released an analysis projecting that if current trends continue, bowel cancer cases will rise from 42,800 to 47,700. Cancer Research UK stated that the figures are a stark reminder of the ongoing need for life-saving cancer research. As a result of Dame Deborah’s ardent support, the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK was established in May 2022 to carry on her legacy. The fund has committed £10 million to support seven innovative projects that are helping to give more people more time with the people they love, after raising £13 million to fight bowel cancer. In line with this, £5 m...

NO fewer than 80 residents of Egan Oriomi, a riverine community in Egan Oriomi, Otto Awori Local Council Development Area of Ojo, Lagos State, whose houses were burnt, weekend, by cultists, are presentingly taking shelter under a tree and an uncompleted church building  in the community.  Residents of the community also accused the council Chairman, Musibau Ashafa, of being insensitive to their plight, by not showing presence or sending any representative to access the level of damage since the incident occurred.  However, when Vanguard contacted Ashafa on the phone, he told this reporter to come to his office today, for his comment.  Speaking with Vanguard, yesterday evening, a member of the community, Prince Lawal Adesegun, said: “As we speak, the chairman has not shown up to make peace or condolence visit to the community “The displaced families are taking shelter under a tree and in a church that has no door or window. That is where they sleep at night.  “Ou...

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday, urged Nigeria’s 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr. Nyesom Wike, to account for the spendings of the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, allocations to states and the FCT since 2019. It also tasked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to track and monitor the spendings of FAAC allocations by states and the FCT, and to probe any allegations of corruption linked to the allocations. SERAP’s requests followed reports that the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, disbursed N1.123 trillion to the federal, state, and local governments for March 2024 alone.  States collected N398.689 billion. In a Freedom of Information request by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds including FAAC allo...

*I tried to save him but was attacked with cutlass – Grandfather Mrs. Mariam Israel, mother of the 15-month-old baby, who was burnt to death by hoodlums that invaded Egan Oriomi, a riverine community in Otto Awori Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Ojo, Lagos, on Saturday, yesterday said she was prevented from saving the child. Vanguard gathered that five persons out of the 12 suspects  arrested on Monday in connection with the invasion have been released. The weekend’s attack on the community, led to the burning of 15 houses, 10 persons shot and scores of others among who was a nonagenarian, inflicted with  deep machete cuts on his body, by hoodlums  alleged to have been hired by some politicians over a lingering  kingship tussle. The bereaved mother, who is yet to come to terms with the death of her baby, spoke to Vanguard, during a visit to Femi Falana’s law firm in Ikeja, alongside other affected members of the community, how  the tragedy occurred. She sa...

NO fewer than 80 residents of Egan Oriomi, a riverine community in Egan Oriomi, Otto Awori Local Council Development Area of Ojo, Lagos State, whose houses were burnt, weekend, by cultists, are presentingly taking shelter under a tree and an uncompleted church building  in the community.  Residents of the community also accused the council Chairman, Musibau Ashafa, of being insensitive to their plight, by not showing presence or sending any representative to access the level of damage since the incident occurred.  However, when contacted Ashafa on the phone, he told this reporter to come to his office today, for his comment.  He said a member of the community, Prince Lawal Adesegun, said: “As we speak, the chairman has not shown up to make peace or condolence visit to the community “The displaced families are taking shelter under a tree and in a church that has no door or window. That is where they sleep at night.  “Our king, the recognised one, sent me to give ...

 •Police discover more hideouts, weapons on UCH premises •Arrest 2; Man-O-War disowns suspect •Ignore those agitating for Yoruba Nation — Ooni  •Our members not involved in Oyo invasion — OPU YORUBA Nation agitators, yesterday, threatened to cause more havoc if security agents refuse to release their members who hoisted their flag at the Oyo State House of Assembly. Recall that 21 suspected agitators and several weapons, berets, soldiers' boots, caps, charms and other dangerous weapons were paraded by the state Police Command. The agitators, through their Deputy Coordinator, Victor Adewale, in a statement, also threatened President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to bear the brunts if they fail to release arrested agitators. The statement claimed that the said Adewale is based in Sweden and serves as the European Coordinator of the Oodua Progressive Union, OPU. It noted that he was installed Akingbayi Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland in 2020. The statement rea...

•We don’t regret our actions —Defiant suspects •Local security outfit discovers hideouts •Makinde hails security agencies for peace in Oyo •Invasion is treasonable — Oyo govt •Treat invaders as coupists, YCE tells FG •It’s an act of treason —Bode George •As Abiola’s son blasts Onitiri-Abiola for invasion  ONE of the suspects, who was among Yoruba Nation agitators that invaded the Oyo State House of Assembly and Governor’s office, on Saturday, Ayanwale Rofiayat, yesterday, disclosed that those who sponsored the invasion, promised to put an end to starvation in her life. This came as the Oyo State Government, yesterday, described the invasion as treasonable. Recall that some self-acclaimed Yoruba Nation agitators hoisted their flag on the building housing the state House of Assembly last Saturday. The woman suspect was among other 20 suspects paraded by the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele in Ibadan. Other items were displayed by the police. They include two security jackets, 30 pie...