Three prominent northern advocacy groups have called on President Bola Tinubu to remain neutral in the ongoing controversy surrounding the local government chairmanship tenure in Osun State.

The groups—Arewa Youths for Peace and Security, Arewa Renaissance Movement, and Aladun Gargajiyanmu Movement—warned against any presidential interference that could disrupt the fragile peace in the state.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the spokesperson for the groups, Balarabe Ubandoma, emphasised that political disputes over control of elective offices are a natural part of democratic governance.

He noted that similar power struggles have occurred in Nigeria’s political history, citing the Second Republic when the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) fiercely contested against the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

“The sweetness of democracy is in the contest for elective positions. What is happening in Osun State is not unusual. No right-thinking governor would allow opposition parties to control local government councils, as these are the grassroots where votes truly count,” Ubandoma stated.

The groups particularly urged President Tinubu to refrain from taking sides, cautioning that doing so could inflame tensions in the state. They also called on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to avoid actions that could escalate the situation.

“The President should maintain neutrality and call the Minister and the IGP to order. The matter is not a big issue if all tiers of government are allowed to operate independently,” Ubandoma added.

The northern groups commended Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke for taking steps to maintain peace, including instructing the newly elected local government chairmen under the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to assume office to prevent potential chaos.

They also dismissed social media reports suggesting imminent danger in Osun State, describing them as baseless and the handiwork of detractors.

“All hands must be on deck to move Osun State forward. There is no crisis, only political maneuvering, which is common in democratic settings,” Ubandoma concluded.

The controversy over the local government elections in Osun State has continued to generate debate, with stakeholders closely watching how the federal government will handle the situation.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has urged the Federal Government to pay the 2025 Medical Residency Training Funds, the outstanding 2023 and 2024 MRTF, and the arrears of the 2022 MRTF.

NARD also expressed disappointment over the non-payment of the arrears of the upwardly revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure salary and other outstanding salary structures.

The doctors made this known at a press briefing on Saturday after its 2025 January National Executive Council Meeting in Abuja, themed “Empowering doctors with leadership and entrepreneurship skills: A panacea for universal health coverage and a brighter healthcare system,” and sub-themed, “Building resilience a s strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system for effective disaster and disease management.”

Speaking at the briefing, the President of NARD, Dr Tope Osundara, stated that the council, however, commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for convening a stakeholders’ meeting to address issues related to the MRTF.

“The NEC observed with dismay the persistent short-changing of our members over the past five years, as there have been no consequential adjustments to the CONMESS basic salary and allowances, in clear violation of the provisions of the 2009 collective bargaining agreement agreement.

“The NEC appreciated the Chief Medical Directors who have been fully paid the Accoutrement Allowance arrears. The NEC expressed concern about the persistent manpower shortage in most hospitals. The NEC has observed some of the positive strides that the CMD of Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital Complex, Prof John Okeniyi, has commenced towards ensuring and maintaining industrial peace within the hospital.

“The NEC commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, for ensuring the payment of all outstanding salaries and allowances, the disbursement of MRTF, and the employment of doctors in the FCT. The NEC observed the persistent drift of specialized medical manpower in privately-owned teaching hospitals due to poor remuneration,” Osundara said.

He noted that the council resolved that the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria should expedite the payment of the 2025 MRTF, ensure the settlement of the outstanding 2023 and 2024 MRTF, and facilitate the payment of the 2022 MRTF arrears in line with the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

“The NEC urges the FG to promptly pay the arrears of the upwardly revised CONMESS, bad other outstanding salary arrears without any further delay. The NEC demands the full implementation of the consequential adjustments for the 2019, and 2034 minimum wage on our basic salary, and allowances, along with the payment of the accrued arrears.

“The NEC mandates the National Officers Committee to continue engagements with the FG. If there is no significant response after six weeks, the NEC will call an emergency NEC to reappraise the situation. The NEC demands that all CMDs/MDs complete the payment of the 2023/2024 accoutrement allowance arrears and that the government promptly process and pay the 2025 accoutrement allowance arrears.

“The NEC calls for sustained engagement with the Federal Ministry (Health and Social Welfare) to ensure the seamless and continuous employment of doctors in our health institutions, helping to mitigate the ongoing brain drain,” he emphasised.

He highlighted that the council enjoined the Ministry of Health and the CMD of OAUTHC to address ongoing issues impacting the welfare of resident doctors, including the payment of unpaid salary arrears, the reversal of salary deductions, and the large-scale recruitment of more resident doctors into the hospital.

He added that the NEC urged state governors to prioritise the welfare of doctors in state-owned hospitals, and training institutions to reduce brain drain and foster industrial harmony.

He said the council also called on CMDs/CEOs of privately-owned teaching hospitals to improve welfare packages for resident doctors to prevent brain drain.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Communications is interfacing with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress to avert the nationwide protest scheduled February 4, 2025, over the 50 per cent hike in telecom tariff.

The Nigerian Communications Commission recently approved a 50 per cent tariff increase for telecommunication companies, citing prevailing operational costs.

Miffed by the development, the NLC vowed to embark on a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to revert to the old tariff in the interim.

The union noted that the rally would serve as a warning on the dangers of imposing such “an unfair increase on a struggling population earning a minimum wage of only N70,000; a population that has suffered an outrageous hike in the price of petrol, high cost of food, hike in electricity tariff, among sundry hardship in the past few years.”

Speaking exclusively with Sunday TheNigerian on the issue, the Chairman, House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, said the panel was already reaching out to the NLC to shelve the planned mass protest.

Akpatason who represents Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Edo State, noted that the planned protest, if allowed to hold, would only bring about more hardship for Nigerians.

 He said, “The committee that I chair is already reaching out to the leadership of labour and the industry operators, to avert any action that would rather bring more hardship to the people.

 “We had earlier met with the industry operators, who explained the numerous challenges bedeviling the sector, such as inadequate funding for infrastructure upgrades to address the consumers’ complaints about declining quality of services and poor coverage. I will advise that we look at the issues objectively before embarking on any protests.”

 Similarly, the Director of Public Affairs of NCC, Reuben Mouka, told our correspondent that the commission was making an effort to engage the NLC over the new telecom tariff.

 “We are trying to engage them,” he said in a brief telephone conversation with Sunday TheNigerian.

Waste disposal contractors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the resolution of outstanding seven-month payment arrears owed to over 300 workers across various Area Councils.

The contractors, who operate under the auspices of the Waste Disposal Contractors Forum, held a press briefing on Wednesday to voice their concerns.

The leaders of the forum explained that their contracts began in April 2022 and were set for three years and that as they near the completion of their assignments, they found themselves in an increasingly precarious situation.

One of the leaders, Mr John Okafor, highlighted the urgency of the matter. “As of now, this is the seventh month running without payment. Waste management services are capital-intensive. We spend money on diesel, servicing our equipment, paying salaries, and other logistics. Yet, for the past seven months, we have not received any payment.

“We have written to the Honourable Minister, but we do not know where the issue lies. We have been in contact with the Satellite Town Development Department, our supervisory agency, but they keep saying they are on it, that the minister has not yet approved payment, and this has put us in a very tight situation.

“We have documentation and photos proving that our teams are on sites and actively working. If there are concerns about our performance, we are eager to clarify them.

“As of December, our workers across the six area councils were on us for payments. They had to celebrate the festivities without money, and we were deeply pained. Our lenders have also stopped extending credit to us because they say we have not been able to repay as previously agreed,” he said.

Okafor made a heartfelt appeal to Wike. “We are begging the Honourable Minister to graciously attend to our urgent plea. This is not just for our sake but for the over 300 workers who depend on these payments.”

Another leader, Alhaji Mohamed Bala, expressed the gravity of the situation. “Waste management is a pragmatic exercise; if we do not evacuate waste, it will accumulate. We have pictures and GPS data to verify our work from July until now.

“The scope of our work extends beyond routine waste collection. We are mandated to assist local governments that lack adequate waste management services. Yet we can not continue doing this without timely payments,” he lamented.

Bala reiterated the contractors’ commitment to their duties, stating, “We are working actively across 23 different locations in the six area councils. We are not waiting for local governments to take action; we are here as intervenors. But for local governments to leave all waste management duties to us is unfair.”

The contractors asserted their readiness to provide evidence of their work and their locations to dispel any misinformation regarding the effectiveness of their services.

Leading US tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Meta, under the aegis of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), on Tuesday, urged President Joe Biden’s administration to refrain from issuing a last-minute rule that would control global access to Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips.

They warned that the restrictions would jeopardise US leadership in artificial intelligence.

The rule, expected as early as Friday, is part of efforts to curb the use of advanced AI technologies by adversaries, particularly China, by imposing sweeping restrictions on the sale of AI chips overseas.

Though the target is China, this would also limit access to AI chips from the US for several other countries of the world, including Nigeria, which is currently pushing its AI agenda.

The White House and the Department of Commerce have not responded, according to Reuters’ report.

The Information Technology Industry Council CEO Jason Oxman criticised the administration’s “insistence” on publishing the rule in the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency, according to a letter to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the Reuters report said.

“Rushing a consequential and complex rule to completion could have significant adverse consequences,” Oxman said in the January 7 letter, a copy of which was obtained by reporters.

While the industry acknowledges the importance of national security, Oxman emphasized the potential risks to U.S. leadership in AI.

He urged the administration to adopt a more measured approach, calling for the rule to be issued as a proposed rulemaking to allow for broader consultation and deliberation.