PRESS RELEASE

Afenifere expresses deep concern over the increasing spate of civilian-army clashes and implores the citizenry, the army and the government to tread the path of justice, peace and unity to prevent total anarchy or breakdown of the country’s processes. The killing of soldiers and the brutal reprisals that have accompanied them in Delta and Abia States have created a crisis of mutual recrimination in recent times. All over the world, citizens revere their soldiers and are only attacked when viewed as an army of occupation. The present situation is unacceptable and Afenifere will not allow itself to be desensitized to these killings and watch the slide towards anarchy. Afeniferetherefore suggests the following as solution:

1. Afenifere calls on the aggrieved citizenry to employ legal democratic means to correct injustices even in the pursuit of their aspirations. Loss of lives through the unbridled disrespect for the law or of taking the laws into one’s hands will only breed anarchy and create situations that criminals and nihilists can take advantage of to conflagrate for their own evil agenda. Elders in communities are hereby called upon to guide their wards away from radicalization and from being used by those with ulterior motives. If and when the Youth attack the State, more often than not, it is the elders, the women, the infirm and children that suffer, as the offending youth are quick to flee.

2. Afenifere’s most profound appeal goes to the army that is reputedly the most disciplined force in the country. We implore the army to desist from inflicting collective punishment on human settlements where they have been challenged or killed. On many occasions, those that carry out attacks against the army do not reside in the area but are mere agent provocateurs. Even if certain people in the community are suspected to have committed the atrocity, international conventions prescribe careful and definitive investigations for singling out the perpetrators.

3. The 1949 Geneva Conventions and other international human rights statutes prohibit collective punishment, specifically so is Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Article 4 of the Additional Protocol II. Democratic nations would rather allow the guilty escape than to punish the innocent. The army should not allow itself to be ruled by emotions and a sense of retributive justice that could drive them to punish and kill innocent people who they are constitutionally employed to protect. We recognise how painful it could be for soldiers whose colleagues are killed. The Army High Command is encouraged to take proactive steps to defuse the situation by redeploying soldiers that may have been traumatized.

4. Ultimately, the increasing spate of civilian-army clashes should serve as a wake up call to the Commander in Chief and President, Bola Tinubu, to heed the clamour for the restructuring of the polity so as to diffuse rising tensions by creating a just and fair political system to prevent citizens from attacking national institutions especially the army in frustration.

5. The army that is professionally trained to kill should not be deployed within the country to tackle civilian issues, which matters normally belong to the jurisdiction of the police and other civilian forces. In addition to their attitude towards self determination activists and their communities, we have witnessed some level of high handedness even in Abuja, where a whole shopping complex was closed down because of an alleged violation or infringement of a few soldiers’ rights.

6. Across the world there is always a subtle battle of supremacy between force, military regimes in Africa arrested the development of our police to prevent them from being able to challenge military rule and authority in the civil arena. Now, a democratic government needs to accelerate the restructuring of the police to make it more professional, better equipped, with its structure decentralized into multiple levels - community, state and federal, to promote better community relations. Modern police forces are more culturally sensitive and trained in peace and conflict resolution.

7. Finally, Afenifere re-emphasises the requirement to restructure the country to make every citizen and ethnicity justified to be part of a responsive representative governance, as advocated in the 2014 National Conference and in similar Reports. Many of the troubles and anxieties we have witnessed are inextricably tied to agitations for self determination and a rebuff of the distance between the governed and the central government. All these could be put to rest with the devolution of power from the central government to representatives of the aggrieved peoples.

 Signed:

Justice Faloye, National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere

US says response from Hamas on ceasefire proposal still awaited

A response from Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Israel's ceasefire proposal that U.S. President Joe Biden revealed on Friday is still being awaited, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday.

"We are waiting for a response from Hamas" through the Qatari mediators, Sullivan said.

CIA Director Bill Burns will be in Doha to consult with Qatari mediators on the Gaza ceasefire proposal, Sullivan added. Qatar has been mediating on Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

Qatar said on Tuesday it had delivered the Israeli ceasefire proposal to Hamas that reflected a three-phase proposal presented by Biden, and that the paper was now much closer to the positions of both sides.

A spokesman for Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, reiterated on Tuesday it could not agree to any deal unless Israel makes a "clear" commitment to a permanent truce and complete withdrawal from Gaza.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also repeated that there can be no permanent peace unless Hamas is eradicated, as he struggles with profound political divisions at home over the U.S.-backed truce proposal.

Israel's assault on Gaza has killed more than 36,000, according to the local health ministry, caused widespread hunger, flattened most of the enclave and led to genocide allegations that Israel denies.

The Israeli onslaught followed an attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 with 250 people also taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia's two largest banks to open in annexed regions of Ukraine by July

Russia's two largest banks expect to open branches and offices in July in the regions of Ukraine that Moscow claimed to have annexed in 2022, the heads of Sberbank and VTB said on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin moved to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in September 2022, following what Ukraine said were sham referendums. The move was condemned by many countries as illegal.

Russian forces only partly control the four regions.

State-owned Promsvyazbank, which has focused on state employees and the defence sector since it was bailed out by the central bank in 2017, has already been opening branches in the four regions, as Russia aims to provide civilians and soldiers with cheap credit and banking services.

"Within one and a half months our first 16 branches should open there," Sberbank CEO German Gref said in Russia's upper house of parliament on Tuesday. "So we will be present throughout the whole country's territory."

No. 2 lender VTB will open two offices in Luhansk in July and plans to start servicing clients in Donetsk and the port city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region by the end of the year, CEO Andrei Kostin said on Tuesday.

VTB's branches there will serve retail clients and small and medium-sized businesses.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Present-day territorial realities must be recognized to start dialogue on Ukraine - Moscow

Russia is open for negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict settlement, but they can be initiated only after the present-day territorial realities are recognized, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS on Wednesday.

“Russia is open to holding a dialogue on Ukraine based on the consideration of our interests,” he said in an interview with TASS. “Our position regarding a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of the crisis remains unaltered.”

“In order for this to happen, first of all, its original causes must be addressed and modern geopolitical and territorial realities must be recognized,” he continued. “The West must stop pumping up the Ukrainian military with weapons and the Kiev regime must put an end to its military activities.”

The diplomat added that endless supplies of Western weapons to Ukraine “only drag out the conflict and lead to an increase in civilian casualties.”

According to him, Moscow is taking a notice of the growing risks of “weapons spreading around the world and ending up at the hands of terrorists and criminal groups.”

“Unfortunately, there is still a bunch of people in Europe and the United States, who pursue the goal of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia and are ready to blindly sacrifice the interests of their countries and peoples, pushing them to the edge of the abyss,” Galuzin added.

Reuters/Tass

They say recruiting is a lot like dating. Online profiles act as piles of resumes that reduce humans to a comparatively tiny number of choice words they've strung together to entice you to consider them. All are hopelessly vying for your attention, if not approval. 

Meanwhile, once they do just that, many won't even be interested in what you have to offer, according to daters everywhere and SHRM. 

For some, your "competitive salary" isn't competitive enough. Others won't find your benefits package to be, well, beneficial enough. And then there are those who are simply using your interest as a bargaining chip to show their current engagements that they need to step it up, as they have other options.

Blue chip companies are the celebrities in the employment world. No matter how widely known their flaws may be, they hold mass appeal. And with their widespread interest, and the larger-than-average applicant pool that floods their inbox, they're in a unique position to be far more picky than the average employer. With that, they also need to be more savvy than average to find the proverbial needle in the Everest-size haystack. 

No easy feat. Or at least so I thought until a source at Apple HR shared a simple, yet brilliantly effective strategy--one that I will never hire anyone again without first using: 

Ask candidates how they got their previous roles. 

Much as getting to know a date boils down to asking good questions, the same holds true for interviews. Apple has a history of bizarre interview questions that secretly serve a larger purpose, and my inside source at Apple HR tells me that the purpose of this question is to find out whether or not former colleagues brought them on to work with them at their new employers. And the reason is twofold. 

1. They know whether the candidate knows their stuff 

Finding candidates who have the skills and knowledge to perform a job well can prove to be quite the mission. After all, there are the smooth talkers whose expertise lies within saying what they can do, not in the actual doing of it. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, there are those who are better at doing what they do than talking about what they do. 

Add the fact that the more advanced the position, the more difficult it becomes. 

In fact, according to a former Apple interviewer, around 75 percent of candidates can't answer Apple's most basic questions. However, asking staff for recommendations on candidates they have previously worked with has changed the hiring game. 

This is because colleagues have a unique vantage point into the inner workings of their co-workers. As experts in their field, they can truly tell how knowledgeable and skilled others are in their field. And having worked with them, they have also witnessed how they actually work. 

For example, despite regarding myself as an informed homeowner, it wouldn't take much to fool me into believing that someone is a capable plumber. Yet, a plumber could tell whether or not another plumber seems to know what they're talking about, and a former co-worker would know whether or not they are actually good at their craft. 

Meanwhile, they might get the job done, but the workmanship might be sloppy to those who know what they're looking at, they might overlook an issue that will cost you more later, or perhaps they take far more time than the job should take -- while you're footing the bill for hourly labor. 

Of course, this is not only about how well our colleagues perform their jobs. It also reveals many of the soft skills and characteristics that you'll be hard-pressed to glean from a resume, an interview, or even a reference. 

2. They know the candidate's character

A resume and cover letter are simply a great way to get to know what a candidate wants you to know. But perhaps the most important parts are often the ones left off the resume. However, former colleagues are privy to things that no one would tell a potential employer.

For example, do they show up late every day and take two-hour lunch breaks, yet put in for overtime? Do they get their work done or do they distract others from doing their work? When they say they're open to new ideas, does that mean others' ideas, or just their own? Do they require excessive hand-holding to do a good job?

You get the point and I'm sure you have your own examples from experience with certain colleagues over the years. The point being, people often move to new employers and, in time, bring their favorite co-workers with them -- and there's a reason for that. 

Not only do we know who is good at their job after working with them, but we also know who is simply good to work with. People don't stay in jobs solely for the pay, the clout, or even the work itself. What makes or breaks someone's day-to-day life within a role -- or a relationship -- is often how they feel about the company we keep. 

What the hiring team at Apple recognizes is that having the skills to sufficiently perform a job is just a small piece of the puzzle when hiring the truly best candidates, because skills and knowledge are just a small piece of who someone is. Though character was traditionally revealed in time, savvy employers are using the interview process to gain more insightful information through questions and tests, such as Apple's three tests to separate candidates -- and with that, make better hiring decisions more easily.

Inc

The indefinite strike by labour unions in Nigeria might conclude soon following an agreement reached with the federal government on a new national minimum wage late Monday.

The agreement was finalised at a meeting in Abuja, convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, and the Minister of Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha also attended.

While the specific new minimum wage amount remains undecided, the federal government has committed to a figure higher than the current N60,000 offer.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) initiated the strike on Monday, demanding a new minimum wage and a review of the increased electricity price for some consumers.

The agreement was signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, TUC President Festus Osifo, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, and Minister of Labour Nkiruka Onyejeocha.

The document states, “The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000.”

To expedite the process, the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage will meet daily over the next week to finalise an agreeable minimum wage that satisfies both the government and labour unions.

In response to the President's commitment, labour leaders will meet with their respective union executives and affiliated unions on Tuesday to seek approval to suspend the strike.

The unions previously noted that the current minimum wage expired on April 19, 2024, necessitating an urgent review. They also criticised the recent electricity tariff increase, arguing it places an unsustainable burden on businesses and workers.

The unions rejected the government's proposal of N60,000, significantly lower than their requested N495,000. They argued the offer was insufficient, given the financial hardships caused by government policies like the petrol subsidy removal, naira devaluation, and increased electricity tariffs.

The unions stated, “Government’s counter-offer mocks the excruciating hardship brought on workers by its insensitive and oppressive economic policies.” They emphasised their demand aligns with international standards and legal requirements.

The strike, which began Monday morning, disrupted operations at public places including airports, schools, and hospitals, and affected private businesses such as banks and electricity companies. The whole country has been in utter darkness as the national grid was switched off.

Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen by $1.8bn in 10 weeks, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

As of May 29, 2024, the country’s FX reserves were $32.69bn, down from $34.44bn as of March 18. This decline signifies a drop from the $36.1bn recorded in May 2023.

The reserves have been declining steadily over the past few months, with a total decrease of $3.4bn since February 2024.

Experts believe that the decline in FX reserves is attributed to a combination of factors, including debt repayment, a significant decline in oil exports, a decrease in foreign investment, and a rise in imports.

Debt repayment recorded by the apex bank as of January 2024 was $560m, it reduced to $283.29m in February and then $276.16m in March 2024. Experts claim that the apex bank must have been servicing the foreign debts from the external reserves.

In May, the naira ended the month weaker, despite a surge in dollar supply amounting to $4.60 billion in the official foreign exchange market.

The FX market closed for the month on Friday with the naira losing 5.60per cent as the dollar was quoted at N1,485.99, weaker than N1,402.67 quoted at the beginning of the month, according to data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited.

The foreign exchange market closed for May 2024, with the dollar selling for N1,470, weaker than N1,380 quoted at the beginning of the month.

The currency’s performance this week reflects a significant struggle to maintain its value amidst fluctuating forex turnover and investor sentiment.

Nigeria’s economy is heavily reliant on oil exports, which account for over 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings.

Financial experts noted that the decline in FX reserves had led to a weakening of the naira, Nigeria’s currency, which has been struggling against the US dollar.

The naira has lost over 50 per cent of its value against the dollar since the beginning of 2024, making it one of the worst-performing currencies in Africa.

Punch

In the wake of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoking Heritage Bank's operating license, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has announced measures to ensure depositors receive their funds.

The NDIC assured depositors they would be compensated up to N5 million using their Bank Verification Number (BVN) to identify alternate accounts within the banking system. Bashir Nuhu, the NDIC’s spokesperson, stated on Monday that depositors with alternate bank accounts will receive payments up to the insured amount of N5 million. The BVN system will facilitate a smooth and efficient transfer of funds, aiming to protect depositors and maintain confidence in the banking sector.

“We are fully prepared to step in and ensure that depositors are protected. Our immediate priority is to guarantee that depositors have access to their insured funds with minimal disruption,” the NDIC said.

For those with funds exceeding N5 million, payment will be made through liquidation dividends once the bank's assets are realised and debts are recovered. The NDIC also emphasized that depositors' funds are secure, and robust mechanisms are in place to manage the transition.

The NDIC will oversee the resolution of Heritage Bank, including verifying and paying insured deposits, and managing the bank’s assets and liabilities to maximize recovery and minimize losses to the financial system.

Depositors without alternate bank accounts will need to visit the nearest Heritage Bank branch with proof of account ownership, a verifiable identity card (driver’s license, permanent voter’s card, or National Identity Card), alternate account details, and BVN for verification and payment of the insured sum.

Alternatively, affected customers can file a claim online via the NDIC website, by downloading and filling out the claims form, and uploading the required documents. Creditors should visit the nearest Heritage Bank branch or use the online platform to file their claims. The payment process for creditors will commence after all depositors have been compensated. Debtors are advised to contact the NDIC’s Asset Management Department (AMD) to complete their loan repayments.

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Heritage Bank customers faced difficulties accessing their funds despite the bank notifying customers of a "system refresh exercise" on May 13. Despite the bank's claims that the exercise had concluded, many customers remained stranded at various branches as of Monday.

Consequently, the CBN revoked Heritage Bank's license on Monday, appointing the NDIC as the bank's liquidator per Section 12 (2) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020. The CBN's decision aligns with its mandate to promote a stable financial system in Nigeria and follows a period of engagement with the bank aimed at improving its financial performance.

“The Board and Management of the bank have not been able to improve the bank’s financial performance, a situation which constitutes a threat to financial stability. This follows a period during which the CBN engaged with the bank and prescribed various supervisory steps intended to stem the decline. Regrettably, the bank has continued to suffer and has no reasonable prospects of recovery, thereby, making the revocation of the license the next necessary step,” the CBN stated.

Biden says Hamas is sufficiently depleted. Israel leaders disagree, casting doubts over cease-fire

At the start of its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip, Israel set an ambitious goal: destroy Hamas. At the time, the Biden administration committed to the objective, giving Israel considerable stocks of weaponry and voicing its support.

Nearly eight months into the war, however, cracks have emergedbetween the close allies over what defeating Hamas actually looks like. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden said the militant group was no longer capable of launching an attack on Israel like the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war and that it was time for the fighting to end. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right ministers disagree.

Where the U.S. seeks a quick end to the fighting,Israel’s leadership appears determined to push onward.

Here is how the leaders define the destruction of Hamas.

BIDEN: NO ABILITY TO POSE A THREAT

Biden on Friday said it was time to end the Israel-Hamas war, signaling that the objective of destroying Hamas had already been met because the militant group was “no longer capable” of carrying out a large-scale attack on Israel like the one on Oct. 7.

That day, Hamas militants astonished Israel with a large-scale assault, killing some 1,200 people and dragging about 250 hostages back to Gaza as rocket fire targeted Israeli cities and towns.

In the nearly eight months since then, Israel says its air and ground offensive has significantly depleted Hamas’ military capabilities. It claims to have killed 15,000 militants, half of Hamas’ fighting force, and wounded thousands of others. It also says it has destroyed a significant portion of Gaza’s labyrinthine tunnel network, command and control centers and rocket launchers.

Biden appeared Friday to believe this was enough to satisfy Israel’s objective. He urged Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to release about 85 remaining hostages, along with the bodies of around 40 more, for an extended cease-fire.

NETANYAHU: ELIMINATE REMAINING MILITARY AND GOVERNING ABILITY

In response to Biden’s suggestion that Hamas was significantly depleted, Netanyahu said Israel would not agree to a permanent cease-fire until “the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”

The Israeli army says the eradication of Hamas is still incomplete, with battalions of militants remaining in the southernmost city of Rafah and fighting still raging in Gaza’s north. Hamas has continued to launch rockets into Israel, although with far lower intensity than in the first months of war. The extent of the group’s governance across the strip remains unclear, though no alternative has emerged.

Still, Netanyahu admits it may be impossible to fully stamp out the ideology of Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, a year after winning legislative elections against the rival Fatah party. Hamas has managed to survive despite a 16-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt, and four previous wars against Israel.

“Hamas has to be eliminated, not as an idea,” Netanyahu said in late March. “Nazism was not destroyed as an idea in World World II, but Nazis don’t govern Germany.”

ISRAEL’S FAR RIGHT: ERADICATE HAMAS AND RESETTLE GAZA

The far-right firebrands within Israel’s ultranationalist government have staunchly rejected Biden’s cease-fire proposal, saying Israel must continue its war in Gaza until the militant group is completely stamped out.

Israel’s minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have both threatened to leave Netanyahu’s government if he endorsed Biden’s proposal. That would cause the coalition to collapse.

Smotrich said Monday that agreeing to a cease-fire would amount to a humiliation of Israel and a surrender. Increased military pressure, he said, is “the only language understood in the Middle East.”

Ben-Gvir has called for the “voluntary” emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and for a return of Israeli settlements. Israel unilaterally pulled out of more than 20 Jewish settlements in Gaza in 2005, ending a 38-year presence.

Speaking at a resettlement conference in May, Ben-Gvir said that the only way to make sure “the problem won’t come back” was to “return to Gaza now.”

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Italy to send second air defence system to Ukraine, foreign minister says

Italy will send a second SAMP/T air defence system to Ukraine, its foreign minister said in a radio interview on Monday, responding to Kyiv's pleas for greater help to fend off Russian missile attacks.

The system, also known as MAMBA, is a Franco-Italian battery that can track dozens of targets and intercept 10 at once. It is the only European-made system that can intercept ballistic missiles.

Rome and Paris jointly delivered a first system in 2023, but in recent months Ukraine has repeatedly called on partners to provide more help with air defence as it faces an increasing barrage of attacks on cities and energy infrastructure.

"It is known that we will send SAMP/T, which is an instrument of air defence, therefore of protection, that Ukraine itself asked us for," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told state broadcaster Rai, confirming earlier media reports.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Italy has approved eight support packages to the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Tajani said the SAMP/T will be part of a ninth package under preparation, but did not give a time frame for delivery.

All shipments have so far been covered by official secrecy and the government has never made public the exact list of weapons it has sent to Ukraine.

A source close to the matter told Reuters earlier that Italy would likely ship to Ukraine a SAMP/T system which is currently deployed in Kuwait, but is soon due to return to Italy.

Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Monday that the government could green light the new supplies after a summit of leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies, which Italy will host on June 13-15.

G7 foreign ministers pledged in April to provide more air defence help to Ukraine during a meeting Italy hosted on the island of Capri, saying they were committed to saving lives and safeguarding critical infrastructure.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia’s strikes pound Ukrainian army, equipment in 118 areas over day — top brass

Russian troops inflicted damage on Ukrainian army units and military hardware in 118 areas over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

«Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck massed enemy manpower and military equipment in 118 areas," the ministry said in a statement.

Kiev loses 435 troops in Kupyansk area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 435 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

Russia’s Battlegroup West units took better positions and inflicted damage on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 43rd mechanized and 112th territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Zagoruikovka in the Kharkov Region and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the ministry specified.

«In areas near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, they repelled three counterattacks by enemy assault groups. During the last 24-hour period, the Ukrainian army lost as many as 435 personnel, two armored personnel carriers and four motor vehicles," the ministry said.

In counterbattery fire, Russian troops destroyed three 122 mm D-30 howitzers, a 122 mm 2S1 Gvozdika motorized artillery system, a US-made 105 mm M119 artillery gun and an electronic warfare station of the Ukrainian army, it specified.

Russian troops strike two Ukrainian army brigades in Zaporozhye area over day

Russian troops inflicted casualties on two Ukrainian army brigades in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, the ministry reported.

«Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 65th mechanized and 15th National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that direction over the past 24 hours amounted to 60 personnel, 3 motor vehicles, a US-made 155 mm M198 howitzer and a 152 mm D-20 howitzer, it specified.

Russian air defenses destroy 67 Ukrainian UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 67 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a Neptune anti-ship missile, four Hammer smart bombs and 19 rockets of multiple launch rocket systems over the past day, the ministry reported.

«Air defense capabilities destroyed 67 unmanned aerial vehicles and shot down a Neptune anti-ship missile, four French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, a surface-to-air missile of the US-made Patriot system and 19 US-made HIMARS rockets and Olkha rockets," the ministry said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 609 Ukrainian warplanes, 274 helicopters, 25,081 unmanned aerial vehicles, 526 surface-to-air missile systems, 16,236 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,328 multiple rocket launchers, 10,057 field artillery guns and mortars and 22,237 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Reuters/Tass

Both parties being the Government and Labour are not sincere and it is a wonder why the Labour Movement feels it is only the minimum wage that should concern them.

How do we explain that Labour not call for strike when Government had no qualms buying N150m SUV for each of its lawmakers, ‘dashed’ judiciary and legislators billions of naira when they didn't ask for it, got the Senate President to allocate humongous amount that ran into hundreds of billion naira into the budget for his constituency and the same Senate President was the one negotiating a palty N60,000 minimum wage for the workers. It is utterly bizarre.

The Labour leaders fared no better and not sincere with their “chop I chop” agitation. They are asking for such an unrealistic, ridiculous, unreasonable and  scandalous figure of N490,000 for the minimum wage, simply because the Executive and Legislators are living in affluence.

For crying out loud, for Government to pay even N100000 as minimum wage is an invitation for further devaluation of the Naira and spiraling inflation which going to be fast worse than being currently experienced.

Frugality must start at the top echelons of Government as it is wicked for our leaders to be living in opulence that is out of tune with the reality of the economy yet, expect the workers to feed from the pigsty.

We pray and hope uncommon sense prevails and Government reduces cost of governance, with the legislators doing away with their take home perks, especially newspapers and wardrobe allowances, thereby earning the credibility to sincerely negotiate a living wage with the Labour leaders.

The maxim is Verbum Sapienti Est.

** Aare Kola Oyefeso

An Employer of labour and owner of Nigeria's Pioneer Transformers Engineering Company.