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Chibok girls, fuel price controversy makes major headlines

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The Major dailies for Friday, May 20 have themes wrapped around the rescue of two Chibok girls, with some focus on the proposed strike action by TUC and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as the unions try to engage the government in a dialogue that will see to the issue of fuel subsidy removal and pump prices.

Members of the TUC and NLC protesting against the fuel price hike.

Vanguard reports that the Federal Government insisted, yesterday, that it would not go into re-negotiation with Ayuba Wabba faction of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), unless the union calls off its ongoing nationwide strike.

This came as Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, after an hour session with the leadership of the union, yesterday, appealed to the labour keaders to return to the negotiation table.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who stated this last night, said: “They have to call off their strike formally before any invitation by the chief conciliator, which is the pathway in such dialogues.”

The Nations takes its headline from the promise of President Buhari, that more Chibok girls will be found. The president’s statement comes just as the army announced last night that another Chibok schoolgirl has been rescued.

Army spokesman Col. Usman Sani Kukasheka broke the news. He said her name is Sarah Luka, who is believed to be the daughter of Pastor Luka, one of the parents of the missing girls.

Col. Kukasheka said last night that the girl is number 157 on the list of the 219 Chibok girls in captivity.

She was a Junior Secondary School 1 pupil at the time of her abduction.

A statement signed by Col Kukasheka said: “At about 11.00am yesterday, Thursday, 19th May 2016, troops of 231 Battalion, 331 Artillery Regiment (AR), Detachment of Armed Forces Special Forces (AFSF) 2, Explosive Ordinance (EOD) Team and Civilian Vigilante group of Buratai, conducted clearance operations at Shettima Aboh, Hong and Biladdili general area in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno state.

“During the operations, the troops killed 35 Boko Haram terrorists and recovered several arms and ammunitions and other items. In addition, they rescued 97 women and children held captives by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“We are glad to state that among those rescued is a girl believed to be one of the Chibok Government Secondary School girls that were abducted on 14th April 2014 by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“Her name is Miss Serah Luka, who is number 157 on the list of the abducted school girls. She is believed to be the daughter of Pastor Luka.

“During debriefing the girl revealed that she was a JSS1 student of the school at the time they were abducted.

In the same vein, The Guardian reports that two days after the rescue of the first girl, Amina Ali Darsha Nkeki, and her four-month-old baby, the Nigerian Army yesterday said it has rescued a second Chibokgirl, Miss Serah Luka.

In all, 217 girls remain missing after their abduction by the Boko Haram Islamist group from a Chibok, Borno State secondary school in April 2014.Serah, believed to be the daughter of one Pastor Luka, is number 157 on the list of the abducted school girls.

According to Daily Sun, the National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Kiagama Bobboi, yesterday gave reasons why his trade centre disagreed with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) shortly before the commencement of the planned strike, saying that the latter was dogmatic in pressing its demands.

The TUC President said that the NLC came to the negotiation table with only one item, which was that the price of fuel be reverted to N86 per litre, even though the meeting with government afforded labour opportunity to address the contending issues once and for all.

“At this meeting, we drew attention of our NLC colleagues that there was no reason we should be persistent about one position…lets proffer alternative positions but they insisted there is not alternative position except the government brings back the price to N86.

“Then we asked, is that your only position and you are not changing to any other alternative? And they said yes. And the TUC said we were given a first and alternative mandate by our executive, and this is our alternative. Then we asked them to see reason with our own alternative but they said no.”

That was where disagreement entered. “So I want Nigerians to use their sense of judgement and reason if you were in our shoes, the position you would have taken? It is important that in terms of taking decision that will affect the masses, one does not take a fanatical position and eventually mislead people.”

In the same vein, The Punch reports that the strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress gained momentum in some parts of the country on Thursday as labour leaders stormed some secretariats to enforce compliance.

Activities, however, picked up in some states where the residents had stayed indoors on Wednesday.

In Lagos, labour leaders besieged the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, where they forced their way in to stop the workers from working. The civil servants, who had defied the strike order on Wednesday, resisted the labour leaders, move to force them to join the strike.

The workers initially prevented the labour leaders from entering the secretariat, accusing them of not doing anything for them, saying the strike was meant to score cheap political point.

Down to sports, French club Lille wants Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama to stay till 2019. Complete Sports reports that the French side has proposed a 2-year contract extension for the former Super Eagles captain.