Join #FearlessInOctober Protests To Demand Living Wage From Gov Alia For Civil Servants, FCT AAC Chair Urges Benue People
Agena Robert Ande, the Chairman of the African Action Congress in the Federal Capital Territory, has condemned the Benue State government for paying workers N18,000 minimum wage.
He, therefore, called on the people of the state to join the planned #FearlessInOctober protests scheduled to begin on October 1, 2024, to coincide with Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations.
In an article titled, ‘Call to Action: Join the October 1 Protest for a Living Wage,’ and sent to SaharaReporters on Sunday, Ande said, “As Nigerians prepare to celebrate Nigeria's Independence Day on October 1, we are reminded of the struggles we face daily.
“Despite our dedication and hard work, Benue civil servants continue to suffer under the weight of an unjust minimum wage. While our counterparts in other states enjoy a significantly higher monthly salary, Benue is still stuck at a meager ₦18,000.
“It is unacceptable that in 2023, Nigerians are expected to survive on a wage that barely covers their basic needs. The disparity between Benue workers’ salary and that of other states is staggering, with some states paying ₦70,000 monthly wage already. This inequality is a stark reminder of the value placed on civil servants’ labor and dedication.
“It is unbelievable to have a civil servant earning less than N18,000 per month after the payment of several taxes in this critical period where there is hike in price of fuel, high cost of food, accommodations and living in general.
“As at today, a Dollar is about 1,750 against the Naira. The standard of living in Nigeria right now is the worst (such) that many are dying because of lack of good health and money to take care of themselves.
“Research shows that Benue State Government Net Allocation from FAAC in this one year is about N161.99bn. According to the Chief Press Secretary of the Governor Hyacinth Alia, the internally generated revenue is about N1.2 billion per month.
“With that record, one would ordinarily not believe that the Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia whom is generally accepted, trusted, and voted massively particularly by the Benue State Civil Servants is still be paying an irresponsible Eighteen Thousand (N18000) Minimum Wage that was implemented on 27th September, 2011 by the Gabriel Suswam's administration in this current dispensation.
“This is a gross show of failure on the Governor's and his cabinet members. It is totally unacceptable to subject Benue workers to slave work.”
He lamented that Benue civil servants are still on a salary structure that was implemented on September 27, 2011 and commenced in November 2011.
He said, “It was supposed to be N18,000. But it was padded. All allowances (leave, sick, etc.) built inside the N18000, making Benue civil servants one of the least paid in the country as their basic salary is now around N11,500 per month.
“The current wage award that was approved by Government/Labour has not been implemented by Benue state.”
He urged Benue civil servants to “join the October 1 peaceful protest tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria and request for their rights to be given back to them”.
He said, “The Governor of Benue State must be reminded that the power really belongs to the people, and not to individuals and as it is transient. He must be compelled to show leadership by example by addressing all this concerns for the betterment of his people and the state.”
According to him, Governor Alia is not different from his predecessors.
He listed the key demands to the government as: Immediate review of the minimum wage to ₦70,000 or higher, payment of outstanding arrears and allowances and improved working conditions and benefits.
According to him, the reasons for the protest are to “bring attention to our plight and the unfair wage disparity, push for policy changes that benefit civil servants and unite and show solidarity in our demand for fair treatment”.
“Join the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protest on October 1 to demand a living wage and a better future for Benue State civil servants. Let us unite and make our voices heard,” he added.
ISRAEL used its Billions to Purchase Weapons they need.
Israel gets free weapons and money from America more than they buy
Israel’s military campaign relies on U.S. weapons, and so U.S. matériel is involved in nearly every facet of Israel’s campaign. For example, Israel uses U.S.-made aircraft like the F-35, F-16, and F-15 to drop U.S.-made bombs, including the MK-84 (2,000 pounds), MK-83 (1,000 pounds), MK-82 (500 pounds), and 250-pound “small diameter” bombs, which can be fitted with U.S.-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits.
A Times analysis of video from the Israeli military shows that at least eight planes it said were used in the attack on Hassan Nasrallah were armed with bunker-buster bombs.
A video published by the Israeli military showed that planes it said were used in the attack that killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on Friday night carried 2,000-pound bombs, according to munitions experts and a New York Times analysis.
The video showed eight planes fitted with at least 15 2,000-pound bombs, including the American-manufactured BLU-109 with a JDAM kit, a precision guidance system that attaches to bombs, according to Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician. These bombs, a type of munition known as bunker busters, can penetrate underground before detonating.
Wes Bryant, a former U.S. Air Force targeting specialist who also reviewed the video, agreed with the analysis. In text messages with The Times, he said the bombs were “exactly what I would expect” to be used in what Israel has said was an attack on Mr. Nasrallah in Hezbollah’s underground headquarters.
In May, the Biden administration announced it had paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel because of concerns over civilian safety in Gaza.
The video, published Saturday on the Israeli military’s official Telegram channel with the caption “Israeli Air Force Fighter Jets Involved in the Elimination of Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s Central Headquarters in Lebanon,” shows at least eight planes in a row armed with 2,000-pound bombs.
Some are too far away to clearly identify the exact model, but the closer planes are seen armed with BLU-109 bombs. That model of bomb is also identifiable when the video shows two planes taking off, with one plane carrying six of those munitions. Then the video shows a plane returning at dusk to the Israeli air base without any bombs.
While the video does not show the planes dropping the bombs, Mr. Ball said that videos showing the explosions in the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut, as well as the damage caused, are consistent with the 2,000-pound bombs carried by the Israeli jets in the video.
A New York Times analysis of verified videos, photos and satellite imagery showed that the attack destroyed at least four apartment buildings that were each at least seven stories tall.
Two senior Israeli defense officials told The Times that more than 80 bombs were dropped over a period of several minutes to kill Mr. Nasrallah, but did not confirm the type of munitions used. The Israeli military did not answer questions from The Times on the bombs seen in this video or used on the attack on Mr. Nasrallah. U.S. government officials referred questions on the munitions to the Israeli military
Israel continued to pound Beirut’s southern suburbs on Saturday. Visual evidence analyzed by The Times shows at least 13 sites were struck on Friday and Saturday across at least three miles of densely developed city. The full extent of the strikes is unclear.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Saturday that at least 33 people had been killed and more than 195 people injured by the strikes, and the toll is expected to rise with many still buried under rubble.
Mr. Nasrallah’s assassination was a stunning escalation of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in a conflict that has gone on for nearly a year. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8 in solidarity with Hamas, which is also supported by Iran, and Israel frequently responded, intensifying its attacks dramatically over the last two weeks. That has fueled fears of an all-out regional war that could draw in bigger players like Iran.
It’s Political Assassination – Russia Condemns Israel's Killing Of Hezbollah Leader, Nasrallah
The Russian Federation has condemned Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanese capital Beirut, describing it as "yet another political assassination".
In a statement issued on Saturday by foreign ministry, it stated that "this forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East."
"The Israeli side could not fail to recognise this danger, but took the step of killing Lebanese citizens, which would almost inevitably provoke a new outburst of violence. Thus, it bears full responsibility for the subsequent escalation," RT quoted the ministry as said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had told a UN Security Council meeting on Friday that Israel’s actions in Lebanon only create a “spiral of violence” and risk plunging the entire Middle East into a new bloody conflict. On Saturday, SaharaReporters reported that Israel announced the killing of group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah in the attack. Later Hezbollah confirmed the killing of their leader in a media statement.
Israel’s strikes “blatantly violate the sovereignty of… Lebanon,” Lavrov said in his remarks. “Indiscriminate attacks that lead to civilian casualties are absolutely unacceptable.”
The Russian minister also called for an “immediately stop” to the “spiral of violence” before the situation gets out of hand. He also stated that Israel would not be able to achieve its stated goals with such attacks.
“The path of war chosen by the West Jerusalem will not help it bring internally displaced people to the north of the country and will not bring security to the Israeli-Lebanese border area,” he said, adding that Israel failed to achieve its goals in the 2006 Lebanon war despite using “cutting-edge equipment and weapons.”
The Israeli bombings have already killed at least 558 people in Lebanon, including 50 children and 94 women, Lavrov said, adding that more than 1,600 were injured and “tens of thousands had to leave their homes.” Israel and Hezbollah have sporadically exchanged fire over the past year as the latter had supported the Palestinian cause in light of West Jerusalem's military operation against Hamas.
papyjaypaul: Why do you want low grade topics on FP I won't be surprised if the mods push it though. FP is now like garbage, anything goes. Let's dump it there.
If it eventually gets to FP and you're reading it, please unlike this message
I hope this will not set the entire region on fire, there's a reason some of us are calling for peace and diplomatic solution to crisis in the middle east
The warmongers on this forum will never understand that
Hezbollah has confirmed the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in a massive air attack on a densely populated neighbourhood of Beirut on Friday evening that reduced several residential buildings to rubble.
In a statement, the Lebanese group says it will continue to confront Israel in support of Gaza and in defence of Lebanon.
The UN has become very powerless under the current secretary general, I've never seen UN staff members being directly targeted in any conflict before, israel is a colonial outpost of the united states
Some countries are truly above international law, I salute his courage and honesty
Meanwhile We are monitoring the dangerous situation in Lebanon, I hope parties involved will deescalate before things get out of hand
Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly, King Abdullah II of Jordan warned that the United Nations is facing an unprecedented crisis, one that threatens its legitimacy and undermines global trust in its moral authority.
He noted that while the world has seen many conflicts over the years, “there has never been a time of greater peril than this.”
Even the UN is under attack, both literally and figuratively, with its sky-blue flag “powerless” to protect civilians from Israeli military bombardment, he stated, adding that its aid workers have been disparaged and targeted, and the opinions and rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) disregarded.
“It is no surprise that both inside and outside this Hall, trust in the UN’s cornerstone principles and ideals is crumbling,” he said.
This, he argued, is because many perceive that some nations operate above international law, global justice is swayed by power and human rights are selectively applied.
King Abdullah II urged world leaders to reflect on the state of the world, asking: if nations are not united in their commitment to equal rights, dignity, and justice for all, what kind of world are they creating?
While reiterating his country’s condemnation of the 7 October 2023 attack on Israeli civilians, he said that the “unprecedented scale of terror unleashed on Gaza since that day is beyond any justification”.
“This Israeli government has killed more children, more journalists, more aid workers, and more medical personnel than any other war in recent memory,” he said, noting also attacks in the West Bank and violations of the historical and legal status quo of Holy Sites in Jerusalem.
“During this time, the Israeli government has been allowed to cross one red line after another,” he said. “The world is watching, and history will judge us by the courage we show. And it’s not just the future that will hold us accountable, so will the people of the here and now.”
He emphasized that it is the moral duty of the international community to establish a protection mechanism for Palestinians in the occupied territories, who have endured over 57 years of occupation and oppression.
Nearly a year into the conflict, he stressed that while the world has failed politically, humanity must not fail the people of Gaza.
Recalling his father’s address to the fifteenth session of the General Assembly, he expressed the deep hope that world leaders will have the courage to act decisively and with urgency, as the crisis and their conscience demand.
“My father was a man who fought for peace to the very end. And, like him, I refuse to leave my children, or your children, a future we have given up on.”
Botragelad: Terrorists! 🤷♂️ Should Nigeria government reward ISIS/ISWAP or Boko Haram and their supporters with a state?
You are the real terrorist with your disgusting behavior and lack of humanity
How can any sane human being be happy with the horrific and gory images we continue to see everyday, more than 42,000 People killed mostly women and children
You don't even know the difference between innocent Palestinians and Hamas
There's a special place in hell for people like you
This was stated in a speech delivered on Tuesday by the country’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US.
The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to the Palestinian people's right to independence, emphasising its unwavering support for a two-state solution in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
He said: “Freedom is an inalienable right and a natural entitlement that cannot be denied to any people. The Palestinian people deserve their independence.
“They deserve to have a home of their own on territories already recognised by this very Assembly and by international law, which is being routinely ignored.
“Nigeria continues to urge efforts to bring back on track the ‘two state solution’ that offers the prospect for a new beginning for the region.
The U.S. is sending a small number of additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, would not say how many more forces would be deployed or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. now has about 40,000 troops in the region.
On Monday, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, two Navy destroyers and a cruiser set sail from Norfolk, Virginia, headed to the Sixth Fleet area in Europe on a regularly scheduled deployment. The ships' departure opens up the possibility that the U.S. could keep both the Truman and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is in the Arabian Gulf, in the region in case more violence breaks out.
“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region," Ryder said. "But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.”
The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against targets inside Lebanon that have killed hundreds and as Israel is preparing to conduct further operations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned Lebanese civilians in a videotaped message to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign. He spoke as Israeli warplanes struck alleged Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon.
Politics › Re: FCT AAC Chair Urges Benue People Join #fearlessinoctober Protests by God1000(op): 9:21pm On Sep 29, 2024
