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Nigeria @65: Atiku Knocks Tinubu’s Government In Strongly-Worded Independence Day Message; Details Emerge
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has praised Nigerians for what he described as “uncommon patience, endurance, and resilience despite living under suffocating socio-economic and security conditions”
In his Independence Day message to Nigerians, the opposition leader alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration had abandoned Nigerians to their fate
Atiku lamented that Nigerians were enduring pains from “raging insecurity, rising food scarcity, mass unemployment, and a dangerous climate of hopelessness all “compounded by the insensitivity of the APC-led administration
In an Independence Day message released by his media office, obtained by Legit.ng, Atiku lamented that Nigerians are enduring excruciating pains from raging insecurity, rising food scarcity, mass unemployment, and a dangerous climate of hopelessness.
The presidential hopeful accused the Tinubu administration of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
Atiku declared: “It is tragic that in a country blessed with immense human and material resources, millions of our people have been reduced to refugees and beggars in their fatherland. Every responsible government holds the welfare and security of its citizens as supreme. But what we have today is an administration that has abandoned its people. Hunger is killing Nigerians, bandits are massacring communities, yet President Tinubu and his cabinet stand by, unmoved and uncaring.”
Furthermore, Atiku called on citizens not to lose faith, reminding Nigerians that the 2027 election provides a clear opportunity to reject bad leadership and reclaim the promise of a better tomorrow.
He said: “The beauty of democracy lies in the power of the ballot. Oppressed and battered as our people may feel today, they will have the chance to sweep away this inept government at the next polls. That is the power no cabal can take away from the people.”
At 65, Atiku noted, Nigeria remains “a giant moving painfully slow on feet of clay”.
The 78-year-old blamed Nigeria’s condition on “a direct result of decades of poor leadership and wasteful governance.”
He bemoaned: “Yet, he urged Nigerians to keep hope alive, insisting that with the right leadership, the country can still rise from the ashes of failed governance to reclaim its rightful place among the comity of nations.”
PRESS RELEASE
Nigeria @65: @atiku Hails Nigerians’ Courage, Blasts APC Over Economic Strangulation
Former Vice President of Nigeria and Waziri Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar, has paid tribute to the uncommon patience, endurance, and resilience of Nigerians who, despite living under… pic.twitter.com/cPnI9KzxrJ
— Paul Ibe (@omonlakiki) September 30, 2025
The Federal Government and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have reached far-reaching resolutions at the conciliation meetings convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The meetings, held on 22nd and 27th October, 2026 at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja, were sequel to the communique issued at the end of the Joint meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) and National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC.
The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, CON, with representatives of the Federal Government in attendance, while the NLC delegation was led by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
After extensive deliberations on the issues raised, the meeting resolved as follows:
1. National Minimum Wage: It was agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meeting immediately. However, there is a disagreement on the effective date of implementation.
2. Reduction in Petroleum Pump Price and Palliatives:
i. Federal Government will pay a transport intervention of Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000) across all levels for a period of six (6) months, commencing from November 2026.
ii. Peculiar Allowance has been approved by the Federal Government with effect from 1st May, 2026. Payment of arrears will commence in November 2026 in three equal monthly instalments.
iii. Nineteen (19) months arrears of allowances for health workers will be redeemed within three (3) months with effect from December 2026.
3. Tax Relief for Workers: As tax is a statutory matter, the issue of tax relief for workers will be taken to the National Executive Council (NEC).
4. Hazard Allowance for Agricultural Workers: The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has submitted the list of beneficiaries and cost implications to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) for verification. Verification is expected to be completed within two weeks, after which the template for implementation will be issued by NSIWC.
5. CONHESS Adjustment: The NSIWC promised to complete the update of the cost implication within three (3) weeks to enable the Presidential Committee on Salaries to take a decision on the CONHESS adjustment.
The meeting also urged State and Local Governments to key into the intervention process, while unions were enjoined to push for its implementation at their respective levels.
Both parties agreed to reconvene after one month to appraise the level of implementation of the resolutions.
The meeting had in attendance the DG Budget, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu; Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, OHCSF, Dr. Garba Abdul S.U.; Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, CON; NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero; and National Secretary, JNPSNC, Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga.
The National Assembly received a comprehensive list of proposed new local government areas (LGAs) across several states in Nigeria as of January, 2026.
The submission was reported to have included requests from multiple states, reflecting demands for administrative expansion and closer governance.
Nigerian federal workers are awaiting their salary payments following a social media post claiming that state government workers have received their salaries, with federal workers expected to be paid from Monday.
The update was shared by Naija Updates in the IPPIS Salary Discussion Group on Facebook, where the post announced that state workers had been paid and urged federal workers to anticipate their own payments.
The post generated engagement among Facebook users, attracting reactions and comments from members of the group interested in salary updates and workers’ welfare.
However, the claim that state workers have been paid and that federal salary payments will begin on Monday has not been independently confirmed. The post did not identify the specific states whose workers had received their salaries or provide an official statement from the Federal Government.
Federal workers are therefore advised to rely on official communications from their respective ministries, departments and agencies, as well as relevant government payroll authorities, for accurate information regarding salary disbursements.
The development comes amid continued public interest in salary payment schedules and the welfare of Nigerian workers.
MinimumWage: FG, NLC Reach Agreement At Conciliation Meeting, Details Emerge
Full List Of Proposed New Local Government Areas Submitted To National Assembly In 2026
