By Nick Ibe, Abuja

The Federal Government’s proposed N70,000 transport allowance for six months has been rejected by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, with the union demanding an immediate salary increase for workers and the implementation of outstanding agreements with health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions.

The congress insisted that temporary wage awards were inadequate to address the worsening economic hardship confronting Nigerian workers, arguing that the government should increase salaries rather than introduce relief measures that might not be implemented consistently.

The TUC further accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfil its 2023 wage award obligations to some workers and neglecting a seven-month-old agreement on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health workers under JOHESU.

The congress made its position known in a statement issued on Wednesday by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, N.A. Toro, following a National Administrative Council meeting held in Abuja on October 8, 2026.

According to the statement, the congress had written to the Federal Government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding an immediate salary review in response to rising living costs.

The TUC argued that the government did not need to wait for negotiations on the national minimum wage before increasing workers’ salaries, noting that there was no legal ceiling on how much employers could pay their workers.

It said, “The Federal Government should review increasing workers’ salaries. This was hinged on the fact that the government does not require the minimum wage to be negotiated before increasing workers’ pay, as there is no maximum wage law in the country.”

The Congress proposed that the Federal Government could raise the salary of the lowest-paid worker to N300,000 from the current N70,000 and apply the appropriate consequential adjustments to other salary levels.

It maintained that while negotiations on the national minimum wage remained important, they should not be used as a reason to delay urgent salary increases for workers struggling with rising food, transportation, healthcare and other essential expenses.

The TUC said its leadership had held consultative meetings with government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, during which it rejected the proposed wage award.

Explaining its opposition, the congress said the previous wage award negotiated in October 2023 had not been fully implemented, raising concerns about the credibility of another temporary arrangement.

“The wage award agreed between FGN and organised labour on the 2nd of October 2023 was to be implemented until a minimum wage was agreed in 2024 but was never implemented holistically,” the statement said.

It added that some workers were still being owed one or two months’ payments, while others had not received the allowance at all.

The Congress also alleged that workers who received the award did not always get their payments monthly, with some experiencing intervals of one or two months and having to make repeated demands before receiving their entitlements.

It further claimed that more than 80 per cent of states and workers in the informal sector had not benefited from any form of wage award.

“How do we go back to the same wage award that never benefited all workers? How can workers be expected to trust fresh promises when previous obligations remain outstanding?” the TUC asked.

The congress insisted that a permanent salary increase would provide more dependable relief than temporary allowances, which it said had failed to reach workers uniformly.

It stated, “Negotiations of a new national minimum wage must not become an excuse for postponing urgent pay increment.”

Beyond salary increases, the TUC called on federal, state and local governments to introduce measurable interventions to reduce the cost of essential goods and services.

It urged the authorities to ensure timely payment of salaries and pensions, protect existing jobs, curb exploitative labour practices and revitalise the productive sector to create decent employment.

The congress said economic hardship was not limited to federal workers but also affected state and local government employees, pensioners, private-sector workers and people in the informal economy.

It called for adequately funded interventions with clear implementation timelines, arguing that government announcements must translate into tangible improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians.

JOHESU agreement remains unimplemented

The TUC also accused the Federal Government of failing to honour an agreement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions after months of industrial action.

According to the congress, its President, Osifo, led a delegation of organised labour, including JOHESU leaders and a representative of another labour congress, in negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute.

The negotiations culminated in a conciliation meeting at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, where both parties agreed to a communiqué.

The Federal Government delegation was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, alongside the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, and the then Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

The TUC said JOHESU suspended its industrial action in good faith after the agreement was signed, but accused the government of failing to fulfil its own obligations.

It said the agreement provided for the resolution of outstanding issues relating to the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, known as CONHESS.

However, the congress alleged that seven months after the agreement, the adjustment remained unimplemented.

“While the workers have kept their side of the bargain, the government hasn’t kept its side of the agreement,” the statement said.

The TUC described the delay as a breach of the principle of good faith, warning that failure to honour agreements could undermine confidence in collective bargaining between the government and organised labour.

It demanded the immediate implementation of the CONHESS adjustment, publication of a clear implementation timetable, provision of the necessary budgetary allocations and resolution of all outstanding issues in consultation with the relevant unions.

The congress said health workers should not be expected to continue delivering essential services while commitments made to them remained unfulfilled.

“The TUC demands tangible action, not further assurances,” it said, pledging to stand with affected unions and pursue lawful measures to compel the government to comply with the agreement.

The congress reiterated that workers were not seeking favours but demanding improved living conditions and respect for their rights.

“Workers’ welfare is not a privilege. Agreements must be honoured. Workers’ rights must be respected. Government must comply,” the statement added.

The TUC said it was awaiting the outcome of its scheduled meeting with the Federal Government before deciding on its next line of action.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s prolonged cost-of-living crisis, which has intensified pressure on organised labour to secure higher wages and measures to protect workers’ purchasing power.

In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the new national minimum wage law, raising the statutory minimum monthly wage from N30,000 to N70,000 following negotiations between the Federal Government and organised labour.

The agreement followed months of disagreements over the amount workers should earn amid the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy and other economic reforms on transportation, food and household expenses.

Organised labour had initially demanded a substantially higher minimum wage, while the government and employers raised concerns about the ability of employers, particularly state governments and businesses, to meet the proposed increases.

The resulting N70,000 minimum wage established a new statutory floor for eligible workers, but it did not automatically resolve demands for adjustments to salaries across different grades or address the broader rise in the cost of living.

The 2023 wage award was introduced as an interim relief measure during negotiations over the new minimum wage. The TUC’s latest statement renews concerns about the implementation of that arrangement and argues that future relief should be structured around permanent salary increases.

The JOHESU dispute represents a separate but related challenge involving remuneration and the implementation of agreements in the health sector. The union’s demands over CONHESS have been a source of industrial tension, with the latest TUC statement accusing the government of failing to implement the adjustment covered by the settlement.

The congress did not announce an immediate nationwide strike in its statement but said it would determine its next steps after receiving the outcome of its scheduled meeting with the Federal Government.

By Isa Abdul, Abuja

For alleged sporadic shooting at a market in Kubwa, Abuja, a Deputy Superintendent of Corps with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.

The police said a pistol and 17 rounds of live 9mm ammunition were recovered from the suspect, identified as Onoja Samuel.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the incident occurred at about 1:50 p.m. on October 25, 2026, following a distress call reporting that a man armed with a pistol was firing into the air at the market.

Adeh said operatives attached to the Kubwa Police Division were promptly deployed to the scene and, after concerted efforts, disarmed and arrested the suspect.

“Preliminary investigations identified the suspect as one Onoja Samuel, a Deputy Superintendent of Corps with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),” she said.

According to the police, preliminary findings indicated that the suspect went to the market armed with a pistol following reports that some traders had assaulted his wife.

“During an ensuing argument with the traders, he fired several shots into the air,” Adeh said.

She added that the suspect remained in police custody and would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, urged personnel of sister security agencies to exercise restraint and notify the police divisions responsible for areas where they intend to conduct authorised operations within the territory.

The command said the measure was necessary to improve operational coordirnation and prevent avoidable clashes.

Residents can contact the FCT Police Command on 08032003913 or 08061581938 for emergencies.

By Nick Ibe, Abuja
 
A staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Kinsley Eselebor, has been convicted and sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for obtaining money under false pretences and using forged documents to defraud a land buyer by Justice A.O. Musa of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Abuja.

Eselebor was found guilty of all five-count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC while delivering judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, by the judge.

The court sentenced the convict to seven years’ imprisonment each on counts one, two and three, and two years each on counts four and five, with all sentences to run concurrently and without an option of fine.

The prosecution established that Eselebor, an employee of the FCDA’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, defrauded Moses Osinachi of money paid for two plots of land at Kubwa District Central Annex, Abuja.

The properties, identified as Plots 383 and 424, were presented to the petitioner as genuine, despite Eselebor’s lack of title to sell them.

The charge was initially filed in March 2021 with three counts of obtaining money under false pretences. It was later amended to five counts, with counts one to three relating to obtaining money under false pretences and counts four and five concerning the use of forged documents as genuine to convince the petitioner  of the authenticity of the land.

According to the evidence presented before the court, the petitioner and Eselebor were neighbours and worshipped in the same Church. Their relationship, coupled with Eselebor’s position as an FCDA staff member, reportedly strengthened Osinachi’s confidence in the transaction.

The court further heard that Eselebor used two conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju to convince the petitioner that the properties were genuine.

Osinachi, however, sought further confirmation of the authenticity of the plots, and Eselebor allegedly assured him that the documents were genuine, relying on his position within the FCDA.  Based on these assurances, the petitioner transferred money from his company’s account, Moscow International Services Limited, to Eselebor for the purchase of the two plots.

The transaction later ran into difficulty when Osinachi attempted to take possession of the properties and discovered that Eselebor had no valid title to transfer to him. When confronted, Eselebor reportedly admitted that he knew the properties had rival claimants and promised to find alternative plots for the petitioner. The promise was not fulfilled.

Osinachi subsequently demanded a refund of his money, but the matter remained unresolved as the explanations given by Eselebor continued to change. Dissatisfied with the development, he petitioned the EFCC, which investigated the allegations and subsequently arraigned Eselebor.

Reacting to the judgment, the EFCC’s Director of Criminal Litigation and Prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi, described the conviction as a deterrent to individuals involved in land racketeering and the use of fake documents to defraud unsuspecting property buyers.

Saidi expressed concern that the convict’s position as an FCDA employee had allegedly been used to inspire confidence in the fraudulent transaction.

“This judgment has served as a deterrent to all these land racketeering, you know, these fraudsters, parading fake documents, defrauding unsuspecting victims. You understand? In this case, the defendant is a staff of FCDA.  He paraded  fake documents. And the court was also not happy with that attitude. Where is the trust? Yes, where is the trust? That means you are not safe, I’m not safe.