Former Director of Media and Publicity of Goodluck Jonathan’s National Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who now prefers to be called Olufemi Olu-Kayode has not taken kindly to the United States of America Senator, Patrick Leah who had recently described Nigeria soldiers as rapists.

“U.S. Senator, Patrick Leahy, the convener of the Leahy Act, has called our Armed Forces “rapists and murderers”. He is nothing but scum- a typically confused, ignorant, petty-minded and racist yankee.”

Reacting to Senator Leah’s unfortunate bill on the sale of arm to Nigeria to execute its war against Boko Haram today in Lagos, the former PDP Presidential campaign spokesman insisted that the refusal of U.S. to sell arms to the Nigerian Army is because it has been aiding the Boko Haram militants. He accused the U.S. government of being slow in tagging Boko Haram as a terrorist group till the group had caused soo much havoc in the land.

“The U.S. government helped Boko Haram immensely by refusing to classify them as a terrorist organisation until 2014 and by refusing to sell us arms to fight them. Worst still, they imposed an international arms embargo on us (Nigeria) so that we could not buy arms from anyone else.

“Why did the U.S. not invoke the Leahy Act against Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Ukraine and Iraq for human rights violations? Why is it only Nigeria that they have refused to sell arms to and that they have imposed an international arms embargo on even though we are fighting a civil war against a relentless and evil enemy?” [myad]

Factional leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero has announced that the labour union is coming up with a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers, even as he gave state governors who have been owing workers to pay their salaries before August or face mass action in their respective states.

A communiqué signed by Ajaero at the end of his National Executive Council meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers today, said that the NLC is set to send the proposal of N90,000 for negotiation to the Federal Government and Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association.

The communiqué advised government at all levels to start negotiation of a new minimum wage as the five-year tenure of the national minimum wage has ended.

“This proposal is based on the unstable micro economic environment, Naira devaluation and the high rate of inflation,” the communiqué said.

It made it clear that it is unacceptable that despite the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, the workers have not received their salaries in full, stressing: “We have resolved that if non-payment of salaries and benefits continue till August, we will mobilise private sector unions for solidarity strike in affected states until arrears are paid,’’ the communiqué said .

It further said that the congress would not accept the issue of economic crisis to justify why some governors and agencies deny workers their rights and privileges. [myad]

Two powerful leaders of the ex Niger Delta militants, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo and ‘General’ Israel Akpodoro are on collision course over a crucial meeting’ being arranged by Tompolo for all the militant leaders to be held in Bayelsa state.

While Tompolo has already arranged the meeting, Israel, leading the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE), has asked members not to attend such ‘crucial’ meeting.

Tompolo had, through en-electronic mail, called the commanders of militant groups in the oil rich region to an ‘urgent and crucial’ meeting.

But Israel Akpodoro who is the President of NCNDE alleged that the meeting was laced with mischief and bad intentions, adding: “that meeting is convened by ex-militants loyal to some senior citizens in the previous administration. Although all the ‘Commanders’ and ‘Generals’ were invited, we are not a party to that because the meeting is to instigate crisis. I have therefore directed my 12,000 members not to attend the meeting.

“If the meeting is for good, I don’t have any problem with it, but I have come to realise that the meeting has mischievous intentions, to cause trouble for the present government. I advise my members and other ex-Niger Delta agitators not to attend the meeting in their own interest.”

The coalition also applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his visit to the President of United States, Barack Obama, describing it as “integrity buy back for the nation hitherto bedevilled by wanton corruption by the political elite.”

The group believed that Buhari had all it takes to right the wrongs of the past, saying: “no President in the history of Nigeria has brought such glory to the nation. Buhari has shown that he is the messiah that the Nigerian people have craved for because for the first time, Nigerians are seeing a President with quality and scanty entourage to the US as against the multitude of ‎questionable businessmen and women paraded by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan during regular jamborees, thereby compromising the integrity of the Nigerian people.

“Buhari has shown enough proof to Nigerians that he is prepared to change the face of governance in the world’s most populous black nation. The Peoples Democratic Party goons should learn the art of governance from the All Progressives Congress-led government of positive change.” [myad]