News
Labour to Down Tools Tomorrow over N1Bn Pension
Organized labour made up of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Trade Union Congress (TUC) and civil society groups has declared tomorrow (Wednesday) work-free day for the mass protests in Lagos and Abuja to the attention towards the plight of pensioners, who are owed some N1 billion in pension arears.
Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, president, NLC, said the mass protest was targeted against corruption and impunity in government across states and federal levels, explaining that it was decided that the Lagos and Abuja mass protests hold under the joint umbrella of Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO).
He urged Nigerians across the country to participate actively in the rallies and protest marches to support the demand for a review of the pension fund in order to ensure living pensions and its prompt payment to senior citizens.
Omar, said that pensioners who are not physically fit to start the procession from union’s secretariat at Yaba, Lagos should assemble at the Nigeria Civil Service Union’s secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja from where they would proceed to join the mass movement on arrival at the Lagos State Secretariat.
Elsewhere, National Mirror reported that Mr. Abiola Aremu, Joint secretary of LASCO, said the protest would take off by 8 a.m. from the NLC Secretariat, Yaba, after which the procession would move through Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Ikeja roundabout and terminate at Lagos State Secretariat.
According to Aremu, the NLC’s Central Working Committee, CWC, comprising presidents and general secretaries of the affiliate unions of the congress have condemned the growing level of corruption in the country and the crisis in the pension industry, adding also that all efforts to get the attention of government including two letters sent to the Presidency for intervention over the hardships faced by the nation’s senior citizens were ignored.
He said the CWC has expressed concern that despite the unprecedented scam in the pension regime and the raging war of words between the executive and the National Assembly, pensioners remained the main victims with a large number of them not being paid their entitlements.
“The congress had written at least two letters to the Presidency calling for its intervention in the pension crisis. Coupled with the correspondences, the leadership of congress had reached out through other channels to the Federal Government. The congress leadership had also made public pronouncements on the avoidable, but painful pension crisis.
“The Presidency neither acknowledged the letters nor responded to the issues the leadership of the congress publicly raised on the plight of pensioners. Convinced that the congress had exploited all the lawful channels of communication to the government to no avail, congress is certain that nobody wants to listen to the plight of pensioners,” he said.
Aremu said labour and civil society groups are worried that the continued silence of the government means more hardship for its members in the fold of the National Union of Pensioners, NUP, and that labour is determined to ensure justice for its members who are owed billions of pension arrears.
“The CWC resolved that on April 10, 2013, all NLC affiliate unions and state councils across the length and breadth of the country will mobilise workers on a protest march to the Presidency and state government houses,” he added.
Mr. Peter Esele, president general of the TUC, said the congress was unhappy with a situation where the destinies of “our fathers and mothers who served the country with their blood are being toyed with,” and that if the congress fails to fight for change now, today’s workers may be treated the same way when they retire.
“How do we explain it that every now and then they invite these old people for verification and in the end nothing comes of it after all? Some die on the verification ground without receiving their money, subjecting their wards to avoidable pains,” he said.
Esele reiterated that this injustice must stop if the country must move forward, pointing out that in the African tradition the younger ones have so much respect for elders, but that it is unfortunate the reverse is now the case to the extent that money meant for elders is now being stolen by the youths.
The labour chief stated that any nation that abandons its elders will not succeed, while lamenting that the administration of pension funds has been enmeshed in unprecedented corruption with some public officers, institutions of government and banks taking undue advantage of the pensioners to enrich themselves.
“More painful to the congress is the way and manner government, in spite of the cries and agony of the victims and the criticism of concerned citizens, has kept mute over the matter and shown no concern or care since the agitation of the pensioners began,” Esele added.
Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, has also vowed to join the rally. The group made known their decision yesterday in Abuja at a briefing to mark its 2nd Medical and Health Workers’ Week.
Ayuba Wabba , MHWUN’s chairman, , said as part of activities to mark the Week, MHWUN free medical services would be offered children in all senatorial districts across Nigeria.
This, he said, would take the form of de-worming and health education on personal hygiene.
Federal High Court in the Bwari Judicial Division has thrown out a case of fraud filed against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, his wife, Chioma Ekeh, and 11 others.
Femi Falana and Leo Stan Ekeh
This is the umpteenth time.
The latest is the dismissal of the suit by Justice Akpan Okon Ebong of the FCT High Court, who struck out the case filed by Mr. Femi Falana SAN, purporting to act on a fiat donated to him by Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, attorney general and minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, against Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of Zinox Technologies, and 12 others.
The other defendants are Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, Oyebode Folashade, Charles Adigwe, Obilo Onuoha, Agartha Ukoha, Anya O. Anya, Femi Dosumu, Nnenna Kalu, Admas Digital Technologies Limited, Technology Distributions Limited and Zinox Technologies Limited.
In the suit No. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 filed in November 2024, Falana, on behalf of his client, Benjamin Joseph, the CEO of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, an Ibadan-based computer firm, filed charges against Ekeh, 9 other individuals and 3 companies before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly diverting N162,247,513.80 being payment for laptop supply contract at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Headquarters which Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa), the biggest tech equipment distributor in sub-Saharan Africa supplied on behalf of Citadel in 2012.
However, in the certified true copy of the judgment dated March 20, 2025, Justice Ebong ruled as follows: “It is my conclusion based on the foregoing that this charge (No. FCT/HC/CR/985/2024, Federal Republic of Nigeria v Leo Stan Ekeh and 12 ORS) constitutes a gross abuse of court process and is liable to dismissal. I accordingly hereby dismiss it.”
Before arriving at his judgment, which has put the final nail in the coffin of a case that other courts had also dismissed in the past as dead on arrival, Justice Ebong considered the outcome of previous cases and petitions filed by Mr. Joseph, none of which was in his favour.
Justice Ebong said: “One intriguing aspect of this matter is that none of the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of the nominal complainant’s (Mr. Joseph) numerous petitions has found merit in any of his allegations against the defendants. When called upon before Senchi J. (Justice Danlami Z. Senchi) to prove his said allegations to the court, he failed to turn up in court. One then wonders on what premise he wants to maintain this campaign of persecution against the defendants.”
Previous judgments on the matter had established that rather than being the culprit, Ekeh and the 12 others were actually the victims of a failed money diversion scheme plotted by Mr. Joseph and Citadel.
When contacted, one of the defendants, Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, a lawyer, said: “This ruling truly reflects our consistent position on the allegations, and it is good that we have been vindicated, once more, by a competent high court.”
He asserted that the judgment of Justice Ebong was consistent with the position of the defendants and in tandem with the rulings of other judges who had previously adjudicated on the same matter.
Mr. Matthew Burkaa SAN, chief counsel to the defendants, described the judgment as a victory for integrity and the rule of law.
Court papers showed that Falana’s suit was based on the same claims that various courts had dismissed in the past as falsehood and baseless. The case arose from a contract between Citadel and Technology Distributions Limited over the supply of computers to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), a project fully funded by Technology Distributions and has no bearing whatsoever with Zinox and its promoter, Mr Leo Stan Ekeh.
It will be recalled that Mr. Joseph had lost the case and its adjunct suits at different courts in the past. In his petition to the police in 2013, police authorities discovered that Mr. Joseph provided false information to the police, prompting the Inspector General of Police to charge him for false information in charge no.CR/216/16.
In another case filed by the EFCC in his instance against his partner, Princess Kama, in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018, Honorable Justice Danlami Z. Senchi of the FCT High Court (as he then was) dismissed as false all the allegations made by Benjamin Joseph, and imposed the sum of N20 million as damages against him for false petitioning in relation to these same allegations.
Earlier court papers showed that Joseph, in his statement on oath in suit No:LD/4335/2014 in the High Court of Justice, Lagos State, dated June 28, 2019, averred that his company, Citadel, did not execute any contract with FIRS and that he was not aware that a contract had been awarded to Citadel.
In his deposition under oath, Joseph claimed that Citadel “did not at any time execute any contract for the FIRS and neither did the 2nd defendant (Princess O. Kama) who is its agent in respect of the contract it bid for with the FIRS deliver/release any documents to the Claimant (Citadel) indicating that the contract it bid for, or any other contract was awarded to it by the FIRS or any other body.”
However, a letter from the FIRS addressed to the chamber of Afe Babalola & Co dated February 11, 2014 (FIRS/PD/GDS/2559) and signed by one Idrissa Kogo, Head Legal Department, stated: “Contrary to your client’s claim that they knew nothing about the execution of the contract awarded to them and that they did not receive any payment for the execution of the contract, our record reveals otherwise.
“Your client instructed FIRS through a letter dated December 13, 2012, to deal with Princess O. Kama (Your client’s agent) in relation to the contract. Through three separate letters dated December 20, 2012, your client instructed FIRS to pay to the client’s account with Access Bank plc. Please note that FIRS acted in compliance with your client’s instruction and with due diligence,” the FIRS letter stated.
The FIRS letter was a response to inquiry by Afe Babalola Chamber, lawyers to Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd and its MD, Mr. Benjamin Joseph, at that time.
The current charges filed by Falana on the basis of a fiat from the Attorney General is the third in a row as Mr Joseph had earlier filed charge no.CR/469/2022, which was struck out by Honorable Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court, by an order dated November 8, 2022.
Determined to push through with his case, Mr Joseph filed the same charges before Honorable Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High Court, and the charges were, once again, struck out by the Honorable Court on March 19, 2024, with Honorable Justice Adepoju holding that: “This matter was brought in dead, extinct and should be confined into the dustbin of history…I hold that the instant suit is an abuse of the process of court, and it is hereby struck out accordingly.”
Nigeria is to phase out solar panel imports to promote local manufacturing and advance Nigeria’s shift towards clean energy, according to Uche Nnaji, minister of Science and Technology.
Uche Nnaji, minister of Science and Technology
Nnaji who spoke at the unveiling of the NEV T6 electric buses in Abuja, stated that the decision aligns with a presidential directive prioritising local content in science, engineering, and technology.
He highlighted Nigeria’s capacity to produce its own solar panels, with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) playing a key role in local manufacturing.
He projected that as domestic production grows, more households and institutions would transition to off-grid solar power solutions.
“We have lithium in abundance here in Nigeria, so Mr. President is already taking action. We are adding value to our raw materials. The lithium we have here will be processed and used as batteries for these vehicles,” Nnaji said.
Addressing the country’s power challenges, the minister revealed that the government is developing mini-grid solutions to provide reliable energy for hospitals, institutions, and homes.
“If you look at our budgets, we have what is called mini-grids all over the place. In less than three or four months, you will start seeing our hospitals and institutions being powered by solar,” he stated.
Nnaji emphasised that the government’s approach focuses on sustainability and environmental protection.
“Again, we are saving the environment; we are putting in place non-carbon emission infrastructure. So, we are creating power everywhere. It is not about using diesel, it is not about using PMS, it is not about generating the kinds of power that will pollute the environment.”
He pointed out that NASENI and private companies have already begun producing solar panels locally, making it feasible to discontinue imports.
“With NASENI here, you know that we have panels. It has a factory that has started producing solar panels, and other private individuals are also producing solar panels as we speak.
“So, all we need to do is, even through science and technology, through our Presidential Executive Order No. 5, we will stop all these importations of solar panels.
“We will support our local industries to grow, and very soon, most houses will go off-grid. Personally, I have been off-grid for over three years, and it is working.”
Federal government of Nigeria has said that it has received a N1 billion grant from Airtel Africa Foundation to boost its 3 million Technical Talent initiative (3MTT).
Championed by Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategic talent-building initiatives for the tech sector, the 3MTT programme aims to bridge the digital divide and position Nigeria as a key player in the global technology landscape.
Tijani said the grant will be deployed towards training and empowering over 25,000 Nigerians with in-demand technical skills under the 3MTT program.
“Today we received a N1 billion grant from the Airtel Africa Foundation for our 3MTT Nigeria program.
“The grant will cover hands-on training, community engagement, and job placement initiatives, all with the objective of enhancing Nigeria’s digital workforce in alignment with H.E President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Grateful to the Airtel Africa Foundation for collaborating with us as we work to position Nigeria as a key player in the global technology landscape,” the Minister stated.
Tijani noted that the 3MTT program is a cornerstone of the government’s commitment to building a robust digital economy in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Dr Segun Ogunsanya, chairman, Airtel Africa Foundation, highlighted Airtel’s dedication to the growth of Nigeria’s economy through the support of its key levers.
He stated that Airtel believes in the power of technology and digital skills to unlock new opportunities, drive economic growth, and uplift communities.
According to him, the 3MTT programme is a bold step towards ensuring that Nigerian youths are not just participants in the digital revolution but leaders in it.
“Our N1 billion support is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future workforce and prosperity,” he said.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, on Wednesday, after receiving the cheque from the Foundation’s Chairman, Dr Segun Ogunsanya.
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