The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called on the Federal Government to ensure that local government allocations are paid directly.

This is as it also urged the government and Governors not to play politics with the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment directing local governments to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for direct allocations.

President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the call at the 8th National Administrative Council meeting of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, in Abuja on Sunday.

Ajaero pledged the Congress’ support in ensuring NULGE’s fight for full autonomy was achieved.

“We have got autonomy now. I want to plead with the federal government not to play politics with the autonomy we have gotten. The release of funds to local governments should not be at the whims and caprices of the government.

“It’s a position of law. It is not if you like me, you send me money. If you don’t like me, you won’t send me money. I think we should get that.

“The very moment the judicial arm of government, the highest court in the land, gave that ruling, they are not doing anybody any favour any longer. And even the president agrees with it.

“So I don’t understand their sense of delays any longer. So the NLC, NULGE and all trade union movements in Nigeria will work with all of you to make sure that we fight any infraction at any unit, be it council, be it state. Our struggle has been highlighted in such a way that it will not be a way of telling them to obey the law,” he said.

Ajaero, who commended past leaders of NULGE for efficiently piloting the affairs of the union and for maintaining a smooth process of democracy and transition, advised the new leadership to follow the precedents already set by others.

Trump cited migration and criminal gang members in the US, insisting that Venezuela had purposefully and deceitfully sent to the US undercover and tens of thousands of high level criminals.

The US President announced this on Monday in a post on his Truth Social handle.

According to Trump, any country that purchases oil or gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a tariff of 25% to the US.

He stated that all documentation will be signed and registered, and that the tariff will take place on April 2nd.

“President Donald J. Trump announced today that the United States of America will be putting what is known as a Secondary Tariff on the Country of Venezuela, for numerous reasons, including the fact that Venezuela has purposefully and deceitfully sent to the United States, undercover, tens of thousands of high level, and other, criminals, many of whom are murderers and people of a very violent nature.

“Therefore, any Country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25% to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country,” part of his post read.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday declared that democracy has failed and is dying in Africa.

Obasanjo said to salvage the situation, democracy must be addressed in the context and content of Africa.

Speaking at the 60th birthday colloquium of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, the former president argued that it is not just failing but dying due to its disconnect from the continent’s values and realities.

He lamented that the judiciary has failed to salvage the situation.

According to Obasanjo, the African governance system has become one where leaders “grab everything illegally and corruptly” while telling the people to “go to court.”

He said: “If you are talking about democracy failing in Africa, democracy in Africa has failed. And why has it failed?

“Because in context and in content, it is not Africa. It does not have any aspect of our culture, our way of life, what we stand for, what we believe.

“Today, we have democracy, which is government of a small number of people, by a small number of people over a large number of people who are deprived of what they need to have in life. That is not democracy that will endure.

“It is, I am because I can grab. What sort of democracy brings you and you grab everything and then illegally, corruptly and you say go to court. When you know that even in the court, you cannot get justice.

“It’s not that democracy is failing, democracy is dying and if we are going to make democracy not to die, we have to look at democracy in the context and in the content of Africa. I hope that we will get to that stage so that democracy which will deliver will be the democracy that we will have in Africa.”