Tag: Sport

NLC kicks against calls for different minimum wage for states
NLC kicks against calls for different minimum wage for states

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has opposed the call by some politicians for decentralizing minimum wage negotiations allowing states to have different minimum wages.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ibadan, the Secretary of NLC in Oyo State, Mr. Adebayo Aribatise, stated that decentralizing minimum wage negotiations would disadvantage workers in some states.

Explaining the broader implications of a centralized minimum wage, Fayemi noted that only a small percentage of the population benefits directly from minimum wage negotiations.

However, Aribatise strongly opposed decentralizing minimum wage negotiations, stating that it is not ideal for the country.

He pointed out that some states have not yet fully implemented the old N30,000 minimum wage despite the efforts of the NLC at both the national and state levels.

He said, “The fact remains that the law binds states to pay national minimum wage. It is expected that the federal government will continue to set the minimum wage. If not, some governors will continue to do as they like.”

“Some governors will bastardise the agreement if we allow it and junior workers will continue to earn nothing worthwhile,”

Backstory

Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had earlier emphasized the need for states to conduct wage negotiations with their labour unions independently from the Federal Government.

Fayemi explained that the position of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which he once chaired, was that states should be allowed to negotiate with their labour unions separately, as “fingers are not equal.”

What you should know

The negotiation for a new minimum wage has lingered on in the past months due to the difficulty of different stakeholders in reaching a consensus.

While the federal government and the private sector have agreed on a new minimum wage of N62,000, organised labour led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are proposing N250,000.

According to organised labour groups, a N62,000 minimum wage is not enough for the average worker in light of the significant increase in the cost of goods and services across the nation.

The federal government had earlier stated that it cannot sustain the proposed minimum wage by organised labour which would amount to around N19 trillion yearly.

On the other hand, the private sector led by NECA had also complained that it cannot meet the demands of labour unions now or any time soon stating the goal of the tripartite committee is to focus on job creation.

The negotiation for a new minimum wage has been thorny leading to strike action that nearly crippled the economy with the shutting down of the national grid.
July 1, 2024
he Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed rumours linking Herve Renard with the Super Eagles head coach position,

Nigeria Football Team News: Herve Renard not on NFF’s shortlist to replace Finidi George

A senior NFF official has reportedly revealed that they have not approached Renard, who currently coaches the French women’s national team, to replace Finidi George.

Finidi, it would be recalled, stepped down after just two games in charge of the Super Eagles, leaving the NFF searching for a new head coach

Despite Renard’s impressive record in African football, including Africa Cup of Nations victories with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015, the NFF is not considering him for the role. Renard also recently led Saudi Arabia to a notable World Cup victory over Argentina.

An NFF official told BBC’s Oluwashina Okeleji, “This report is inaccurate. We’ve not contacted Renard or his reps (representatives).”

Renard, a three-time CAF Coach of the Year, is currently focused on preparing the French women’s team for the upcoming Olympics.

The NFF is under pressure from fans to appoint a high-profile coach, but they have yet to make any moves towards Renard.

Instead, they are reportedly considering other candidates, including former Cameroon coach Antonio Conceicao.

The NFF’s primary goal is to ensure the Super Eagles qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after missing out on the 2022 tournament in Qatar. With the search ongoing, the NFF aims to find a coach capable of leading Nigeria back to the global stage.

July 24, 2023
Nigeria Football News: We’ve Changed NNL Narratives for Good, Says Aluo

Chairman of Nigeria National League, (NNL) Mr. George Aluo, has said that the present board of the second-tier league under his watch has in less than one year in office succeeded in changing the narratives of the most important league in the country even as he commended sportswriters for being partners in progress with the league body.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos as a special guest of the just concluded Paddysco Sports Award, Aluo described the league and Super 8 at Enugu as a huge success noting that the league house will build on the successes recorded to prosecute a more successful league next season.

“The just concluded league was a huge success and let me start by saying a very big thank you to my colleagues. They’ve been wonderful.The support they’ve given us has been massive and don’t forget that football is a media event and as we tried to change the narratives, my colleagues in the media cued in and as such they deserve special recognition for their role in supporting the NNL.

“I decided to single out the media because if we’re doing a good job and the media refuses to put us on the spotlight, we won’t be able to make Nigerians appreciate what we’re doing,” he stressed

Aluo explained that when the present board took over July last year, the NNL was described as cash and carry league while some people described it as Inter House League but in less than one year on the saddle, the perception has changed.

According to him, when the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau gave him the mandate to lead the NNL, he felt it was a challenge because he knew that other journalists who have been there before him namely; Fan Ndubuoke, Mitchel Obi, Danladi Bako, Mainasara Iloh and Paul Bassey performed excellently well and with Aisha Falode being on the board of NFF with him, he has no reason to fail.

“When the NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau first appointed me as the chairman of NNL, I saw it as a challenge because other journalists before me performed excellently well on the NNL. But today I can beat my chest to say that after one year, we have re- branded the league.

The NNL boss further described the Super 8 as a testimony to the fact that 8 teams that came to Enugu got there on merit and at the end of the day, the best four teams were promoted to the NPFL positing that it was the excellent administrative frame work put in place that enabled an academy team like Beyond Limits to gain promotion to the elite league which goes to show the quality of the league and that there was a level playing ground.

July 24, 2023
Protesters shot and fire at parliament as Kenyans demonstrate against tax rises

Protesters shot and fire at parliament as Kenyans demonstrate against tax rises

Dozens of injured sent to main referral hospital
published at 14:23
14:23
Some 45 injured people have been sent to Nairobi’s Kenyatta National Hospital, the country’s biggest referral hospital

They are receiving treatment and surgery, the hospital says on X, external.

“Seven being female with different kinds of injuries… We have had no mortalities from the demonstration so far.

Protesters inside parliament
published at 14:14
14:14
More footage of the protest is starting to emerge as the unrest intensifies. In a video posted on X, external, several men men are seen pulling apart a stand that displays flags in the Parliament building, smashing the poles against the floor.

Another man attempts to kick in the doors to the senate.Glass covers the ground and shouting and the sound of whistles can be heard in the background.

At least 10 killed – paramedic
published at 14:04
14:04
Several people are feared dead from the clashes between police and protesters.

A paramedic has told the Reuters news agency that at least 10 protesters have been killed so far.

The death toll is likely to rise as police continue to battle the protesters inside and outside parliament.

Ambulances can be seen carrying the injured from the streets.

I am at All Saints Cathedral, close to the Central Business District, where medics and doctors have set up a medical camp. Dozens of doctors are here receiving casualties.

People are running into the cathedral chased by police who are lobbing tear gas. And just in the past few minutes we have seen two ambulances arrive carrying some of the wounded.

The police are shooting with live ammunition. We have seen two people arrive with gunshot wounds. They are injured but conscious.

There are dead but not here.

Earlier I was at the Nairobi expressway where I could see bodies on the street. They were lying in pools of blood, with one’s head completely blown off.

July 24, 2023
Super Eagles Star Awoniyi Prays For Twin Sister On Wedding Day Amid Tears

Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi and his twin sister Kehinde shared an emotional moment during her traditional marriage in Ilorin, Kwara State at the weekend.

In a video that was posted on Instagram by the Master of Ceremony (MC) for the day, @ogetoyinbo_alaga, Taiwo was called out to pray for his twin sister, Kehinde.

The Super Eagles striker walked out with a big smile on his face and shook his twin sister’s hand before they shared a tight hug.

The moment became an emotional one after Kehinde started to cry hard, while her brother hugged her.

Taiwo who also got emotional joined his twin sister in shedding tears while praying for her.

Guests at the wedding party soon gathered around the twins to spray money on them while the bride continued crying.

July 24, 2023
Team Nigeria’s Olympic-bound Wrestlers Begin Camping In Germany On Monday

Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) has said that the oversea camping stage for its wrestlers’ preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics will begin on Monday in Saarbrucken, Germany.

NWF President Daniel Igali revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Ibadan, saying the oversea’s training would follow the ongoing local camping in Yenagoa which will end on Sunday.“Preparations for the Olympics are in top gear. We’ve been in camp in Yenagoa for over two weeks, and training so far is going well.

“We have five Olympics-bound athletes and three training partners each in camp.

“The lone male among the Olympics-bound wrestlers is not in camp yet, and that is Ashton Mutuwa who is based in the U.S.

“Already, Adekuoroye who is also based in the U.S. has now joined us. Mutuwa will join the overseas camp because of his peculiar situation.

“He has very good training partners in the US, and we want that to continue because we’re quite happy with his training situation there, which we are monitoring very closely,” he said.

Igali assured that Mutuwa was being monitored closely and so far the NWF was impressed with what he was doing.

He also said Adekuoroye has done a lot of training in respect of pace and strengthening.

“We believe that she has good training partners here in Nigeria that will really get her fortified for the Olympics, because we have a lot of hope for her at this Olympics,” the NWF President said.

He disclosed that while the wrestlers were expected to camp in Germany for three weeks, the federation was hopeful that they would be there till July ending.

”This is because we won’t start competing until August 5, and we will like to go to the Games Village for four days to our events,” Igali said.

Speaking also, Purity Akuh, the head coach of the female wrestling team, said the athletes and their training partners were in their preparation phase and working so hard.

He said his expectations as the coach was for every one of the qualified athletes to win medals at the Paris Games.

July 24, 2023