Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, nationwide strike recorded mixed compliance across the states, yesterday. While some states were shut down with banks, public schools, courts and others shut down, some states recorded partial compliance and a few did not comply.

The directives of the two labour bodies were carried out in Lagos, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Kebbi, and Edo among others.

In Kano, banks and schools were shut as the government suspended qualifying examinations. Also schools were shut in Osogbo, the Osun State capital with the police beefing up security to avoid breakdown of law and order

In Imo, there was partial compliance as banks opened for business.

However, workers shunned the industrial action in Enugu and Abuja, with Labour leaders saying they would ensure strike in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, today.

The two unions in the nation’s public universities disagreed over the strike. While the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, asked its members to join the strike, the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, directed its members to shun the action.

This is coming as the Organised Labour pooh-poohed claims by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, that the ongoing nationwide strike was an ego trip intended to ‘blackmail the government.’ It insisted that the strike was not a personal matter affecting the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, as alleged.

On November 13, 2023, the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the labour unions, in Abuja, resolved to embark on the strike due to the alleged failure of the Federal Government to address issues affecting workers such as the minimum wage, insecurity, corruption, and poor governance.

Also, both unions said they had made some demands, which the government allegedly failed to address following the recent crisis in Imo that resulted in the brutalisation of Ajaero, and other members of the labour unions.

Apart from the brutalisation of Ajaero, other labour leaders, and journalists, other grievances of Organized Labour include outstanding salary arrears, unjust declaration of 11,000 workers as ghost employees, unsettled gratuities, non-compliance of N30,000 minimum wage act, and declaration of 10,000 pensioners as ghost retirees.

The Federal Government on November 13 warned both unions against embarking on their planned strike, saying it would amount to contempt of court.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, in a statement, said the government had obtained a restraining order from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria barring the unions from going ahead with the strike.

Labour leaders expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance on Day One, noting that the compliance level would be much better in the coming days.

As of yesterday among the major critical sectors that fully complied with the strike were workers in the Maritime sector who shut the Ports formations in Lagos, Rivers, Cross River and Delta states.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN in compliance with the Labour directive, shutdown port operations at Apapa and Tin-can Island.

This is even as freight forwarders have called on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy as well as the management of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC to ensure that terminal operators and shipping lines do not slam demurrage on them for the duration of the strike.

Similarly, workers in the Food, Beverage and Tobacco, Chemical and Non-metallic Products and the Construction sectors, fully complied.

PENGASSAN joins

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, directed its members nationwide to join the industrial action via a circular by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okungbowa.

Speaking on the Day One of the strike, Deputy President of TUC, Tommy Okon, said: “We are very happy about the level of compliance so far. Many workers received the notice from their unions very late yesterday (Monday). I can authoritatively tell you there will be 100 percent compliance in the coming days.”

No meeting with FG – TUC

Meanwhile, the President of TUC, Festus Osifo, has dismissed reports of any meeting with the Federal Government, saying “I have no knowledge of any meeting with the government for now.”

Banks, trains grounded as Lagos workers join strike

However, the strike recorded an impact in Lagos as banks and train service were grounded.

The Secretary General, Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, Segun Esan, told newsmen that the union was involved in the strike and no train was running as a result.

“In effect, therefore, all the workers of Nigerian Railway are duty-bound to join the nationwide strike action from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023 by staying back at home and away from their offices.

“All the offices, stations, workshops, and entire premises of the corporation remain locked and inaccessible from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023, till otherwise directed by the Congress,” Esan said.

Also, the President of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions, Oluwole Olusoji, said advice had been sent out to members on compliance, adding that members had been advised to ensure the safeguard of lives and property from people who might be used to take undue advantage of the situation.

“We will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds,” Olusoji said.

Join nationwide strike, ASUU directs members

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU wrote to all zonal coordinators and chairpersons of the union and directed them to mobilise members be mobilised for the strike in line with the NLC and TUC directives.

The letter which was signed by ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, was issued on Monday night.

The letter read in part:  “As an affiliate of NLC, all members of our union are hereby directed to join this action of NLC to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and the leadership of the union. Zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons should immediately mobilise our members to participate in the action. A people united, cannot be defeated.”

Don’t join strike, CONUA directs members

Conversely, CONUA directed its members not to join the strike.

In a statement by its President, Niyi Sumonu, CONUA stated that the academic union was not communicated on the strike directive by the TUC which it sought to be an affiliate, noting that processes to become an affiliate of the TUC were yet to be completed, and the TUC had failed to communicate it on the directive to embark on strike.

“As at the moment of putting together this release, the TUC with whom CONUA submitted an affiliation request has not communicated this position on strike action to it. Distinguished comrades should therefore note that CONUA cannot be part of the strike action that is not communicated to it. In addition, the affiliation process with the TUC has not been officially established,” the statement read in part.

Public schools shut in Osogbo, police beef up security

Meanwhile, some public schools in Osogbo, Osun State, shut down operations in compliance with the strike directive, yesterday morning.

The students that had resumed at their various schools in the town were at about 9 am seen on the streets around Stadium, Ayetoro and West Bye-pass, Osogbo returning home.

During a visit to some schools within the metropolis, teachers were seen in their various offices after the students had been sent home.

Some of the schools visited include Fakunle High School, Osogbo, Saint James Grammar School and Adenle Grammar School also located in Ayetoro Area, Osogbo.

None of the teachers who were approached agreed to comment on record.

A few of them who spoke said they had resumed work only to be told of the commencement of strike by labour leaders.

‘’We couldn’t hold back the students when the labour leaders came around and asked us to shut down operations. The students have been released but many teachers are still around the premises,” a male teacher told  Vanguard.

Contacted, Osun NLC acting chairperson, Modupe Oyedele, said workers in the state complied fully with the strike directive, adding “Osun is in full compliance with the strike directive.”

Unusual presence of armed police operatives was observed at some strategic points in Osogbo in an apparent move to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Police operatives were stationed at Lameco Junction, Old Garage and Olaiya areas of Osogbo. Economic activities were going on without hitches in the areas visited.

Banks, schools shut in Kano, govt suspends qualifying exams

In Kano, Primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions, joined the strike.

Primary and day secondary school pupils who went to school as early as 7.30 am were compelled to return home as they did not meet teachers in the schools.

The strike also affected operations in banks, hospitals, and other public places in the state.

Similarly, the Audu Bako State Secretariat, which houses most of the ministries, was closed even though some workers who were not aware of the strike reported for work in the morning but had to return home later.

Students in Bayero University Kano who are currently sitting for their first semester examinations were also affected by the strike as a number of them who went to the examination halls had to return to their respective hostels.

“Many students who were to sit for exams in the morning returned to their hostels disappointed because they could not see anybody in the examination halls,” a female student said.

Consequently, the Kano State Ministry of Education has suspended the 2023 Secondary Schools Qualifying Examination scheduled to take place today, until further notice.

A statement signed by the Director of Public Enlightenment of the Ministry, Balarabe Kiru, revealed that the suspension is compelled by the industrial action embarked upon by the NLC and TUC nationwide.

Workers defy directives, continue work in Abuja

However,  federal and private sector workers in Abuja all resumed their duty posts, yesterday morning, in defiance to the strike directives.

All offices at the Federal Secretariat,Abuja,were opened for work just as activities in and around the secretariat were in full swing.

There was no sign that any worker was absent from work on account of the strike.

At the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister, Prof. Tahir Mamman, performed his activities as scheduled. In fact, he presided over the Pre-departure briefing of the 179 Bilateral Education Agreement, BEA, Scholars, who were awarded Russian scholarships for the 2023/2024 academic session.

At the Federal Ministry of Health, all workers were seen at work. The Minister, Prof. Ali Pate, Permanent Secretary, Kachollom Daju, and other senior staff of the ministry were at work when Vanguard visited.

A worker who pleaded anonymity, said he came because he was yet to be directed to stay off duty by labour leaders in the health sector.

“I would have complied if I had a directive to that effect by the labour leaders of our local branch. We can’t stay at home because we read on the pages of newspapers that NLC and TUC have declared strike. If the directive to that effect comes today, then you may not see me on duty tomorrow,” he said.

The same thing was observed at the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. All workers in the ministry were on duty. Although the Minister, Betta Edu, was yet to come to her office when  Vanguard  visited.

Workers who spoke, said although they cited the circular from the national secretariat of NLC directing that they stay off duty, they couldn’t obey since their local chapter did not act on the correspondence.

Some labour leaders were seen hanging around the Federal Secretariat discussing the strike issue and their next strategies to effect the directives of the national leadership of their unions.

Asked to speak on the ineffective strike directives, one of the labour leaders told  Vanguard  in confidence that they would affect the strike today.

Just like the federal government workers, private sector workers were seen in their various places of work.

Also banks located in and around the Federal Secretariat were all opened to business. Staff and customers were seen transacting business.

Businesses went on around the Federal Secretariat complex.

NLC,TUC, affiliates shutdown Kebbi

In Kebbi, economic activities were grounded and public offices were closed.

Kebbi State Chairman of NLC, comrade Murtala Usman, told newsmen that they joined the industrial action because the “Organised Labour is a family, therefore an injury to one is an injury to all hence our reason to halt economic activities in Kebbi State to ensure that justice is done to our amiable leader, Mr. Ajearo who was unjustly manhandled by suspected security agencies for pressing demands of workers in Imo State.”

He added all labour affiliates like National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM; judiciary Staff Union, JUSUN, and all other unions had complied with directive shutting offices and social facilities.

“Kebbi State remains shut till further directives from our mother union to do otherwise. So, I urge Nigerians and the people of the state to cooperate with us as we struggle to ensure demands of Nigerians are met.”

NLC paralyses activities in Edo, shut down public offices, others

The strike  recorded a huge success in Benin City, the Edo State capital as public schools, government offices, courts, some banks and other public places like the National Museum, the House of Assembly complex and others were shut by officials of the NLC.

Litigants were stranded at the entrance gates to the High Court Complex while some personnel did not also open the judges’ gates through which High Court judges enter their offices.

A lawyer, Afolabi Olayiwola, who couldn’t access the court premises said the strike was a sign of a failed system.

He expressed shock that despite a court order stopping the strike, judiciary workers still embarked on the strike.

“Ordinarily, the strike ought not to have been because there is a court order and if judiciary staff cannot obey a court order it shows it is a failed system and if it escalates it becomes a problem. If other sectors go on strike the judiciary arm ought not to have embarked on it as they are aware of the court order. That is where I am worried”

At the Benin Airport, an official said planes landed and took off and travellers were seen making their way into the airport to catch their flights to different destinations.

Banks along Akpakpava, Mission roads, Forestry and other areas were shut down with customers trying to get money from a few ATMs that dispensed cash.

Government schools in the GRA were shut as students were seen loitering around their schools.

A security officer at NPDC said the staff were complying with the strike with only essential workers allowed into the premises.

Also, Oredo, Egor and other local government secretariats visited in Benin City complied with the strike as workers in their numbers hung around the councils’ premises.

The Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma, branch of ASUU directed its members to comply with the directives of the NLC. Checks by our correspondent showed that there were skeletal activities in the campus as the students were seen preparing for their Computer Based Tests (CBT) which was to start yesterday and various offices were opened for normal activities.

But the CONUA, University of Benin chapter, distanced itself from the strike, describing it as a “one man decision.”

Chairman of UNIBEN CONUA, Ishaq Osagie-Eweka, told journalists that CONUA is not an affiliate of the NLC, hence, it is not part of the protest. “I call on our members to go about their lawful duties for the overall best interest of the students.

“As a chapter, we shall not make any public statement regarding the sudden strike arising from one man’s decision, over his ill-conceived protest in Imo State that led to an alleged physical attack,” he said.

In Auchi, the headquarters of Etsako West LGA in Edo North, government offices and banks were closed to the public.

The closure of the State Secretariat was supervised by the chairman of Edo Chapter of the NLC, Odion Olaye with some workers and union executives seen within the complex, situated along Sapele Road, to ensure that members comply with the strike directives.

Also speaking, Comrade Alabi Precious, Chairman Edo State TUC Trade Union Congress said: “Our action was necessitated by the brutalization of the National President of NLC, Joe Ajaero and we are ready to get to the end of this matter.”

Ebonyi judiciary, university, banks shutdown

The Ebonyi State Judiciary, Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, FUNAI, Banks, and ministries in Abakaliki, were yesterday shut down for the nationwide strike.

There was 90 percent compliance to the strike, as many workers, including lawyers and bankers were stranded at the gate of the complex located at Water Works Road Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.

The strike also paralyzed business activities in the state, especially those who trade inside the court premises. Academic activities at FUNAI and Ebonyi State University, EBSU were affected by the strike.

Speaking to newsmen in Abakaliki, the state chairman of the NLC, Egwu Ogugua said: “So far so good, our compliance to the strike is 90 percent, the Ochi-Udo secretariat is scanty, the Ebonyi judiciary is under lock and key, the banks are not functioning. It’s only Zenith Bank that is open but they are not open to customers.

“What happened in Imo State, especially what is happening in Nigeria is bad. We have been pushed to the wall, we have been crushed. The ruling class no longer believes that we exist. It’s like anarchy has begun and that’s the situation we see ourselves in Nigeria,” he said.

Anambra workers comply with NLC directives

The chairman of the Anambra chapter of the NLC, Humphrey Nwafor, said workers in the state had already joined the strike as directed by the national body.

He said defaulters of the directives would be dealt with accordingly.

He said: “We’ve joined the strike. We’ve directed our members to stay away from their offices and workplaces till further notice. There won’t be any street protests. We’re only withdrawing our services as directed by the national body.”

Courts, schools under lock as NLC strike hits Abia

Also, the strike crippled activities in various courts and schools in Umuahia, Abia State capital.

The industrial action, which kicked off on Tuesday, 14th November, is to be enforced in all affiliate unions of the NLC in Abia, according to a press release signed by its Chairman, Pascal Nweke.

The Abia State High Court complex at Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, and the High Court and Magistrate Courts inside the main buildings were under lock and key.

Lawyers, litigants, and judiciary staff were seen loitering outside the main gate.

Teachers in Primary school (1) School Road Primary School, Ibeku High School among other government schools also joined the strike.

Pupils of City Primary School at the school road were seen playing football during learning hours.

Staff of Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) Umuahia also joined the strike.

However, staff of some Abia State government establishments only observed a skeletal strike

Our Correspondent observed some civil servants entering the offices of the Head of Service, Secretary to Abia State Government, and the Michael Okpara auditorium, through one side of their gates, even though some offices remained locked.

Electricity workers supplied light to Umuahia city but withdrew the light by 11:10 am.

Also, most commercial banks in Umuahia were still rendering normal services to customers as of the time of this report, even though customers were only allowed into their premises in batches.

Enugu workers shun NLC, TUC strike directive, resume at duty posts

Workers in Enugu State defied the strike directive and resumed at their various duty posts.

In some areas of Enugu, the state capital, banks were observed rendering services to their customers. Workers of some government agencies also resumed work early in the morning.

At the government revenue office along Zik Avenue, workers were in their various offices, while a bank along Agbani Road was also rendering services to customers. Both private and government schools also did not observe the strike.

A civil servant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, blamed the leadership of both NLC and TUC over the non-compliance with the strike directive, saying they failed to act when the ovation was loudest.

There was heavy vehicular movement on the major roads of Enugu city while the markets were open for businesses.

Imo workers comply partially, banks open for businesses

In Imo State, the strike recorded a partial compliance as civil servants reported for duty and banks opened for businesses.

Gates to the state secretariat were wide opened for workers.

Several workers were seen at their various duty posts discussing the outcome of the governorship election which was won by Governor Hope Uzodimma for another four-year term.

However, many of the workers reported out of fear as some registered their names and left very early for their homes.

Many banks in the state attended to their customers

Some courts complied with the strike directive but some litigants who were not aware of the strike came to the court to hear their cases.

At Douglas Road, Wetheral Road, and Bank Road, people were seen transacting businesses in the banks.

However, at some of the federal establishments such as Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, workers stayed away from their offices, saying, “we are on strike.”

Brutalisation of Ajaero not a personal matter—Labour

Faulting Onanuga’s comment that the strike was an ego trip because of Ajaero, the NLC, in a statement, by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, titled “Bayo Onanuga’s mischief and the tragedy of a nation”, said Onanuga is suffering from selective amnesia.

Why insisting the strike is not a personal matter affecting Ajaero, as alleged, the NLC urged Nigerians to ignore the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, because he is known for his overzealous hirelings with the mistaken belief that would earn him the confidence of his principal.

The statement read in part: “If Onanuga were not suffering from selective amnesia, he ought to have known that this government should remain grateful to the organised labour for its uncommon patience with a government that clearly was not prepared for the consequences of its fundamentalist market policies of massive currency devaluation and ‘subsidy’ removal which imposed on Nigerians social violence, upheaval, dislocation, displacement or punishment they never before experienced.

“Onanuga, similarly ought to have known that organised labour, by not opting for a strike as a first option, acted as a bulwark against the rage of Nigerians thereby saving this government from itself.

“Organised labour is not unaware of the misdirected anger of Nigerians for not going for the jugular of this government for justifiable reasons: inflation moved from 19 percent to 29 percent; exchange rate from N400 to N1,300; and pump price of Petrol from N187 to N700, in the first five months of this government!

“In light of this, who is punishing “a whole country of over 200 million people”, NLC/TUC or the Government of Bola Tinubu?

“Similarly, this strike is not ‘over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to the assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike’, as casually and callously alleged by Bayo Onanuga.

“However, herein lies the kernel of the matter. Mr Ajaero is General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and neither he nor any of the members of his union in or outside Imo State is owed a salary/pension payment arrears.

“However, in his capacity as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress he has an oversight over all the unions affiliated to the Congress including the civil servants and pensioners (core/non-core civil servants, teachers, local government workers, pensioners etc) who have been owed in varying degrees of arrears.

“There have been pending cases of improper implementation of national minimum wage, declaration of thousands of workers as ghost workers, and non-implementation of agreements reached with the state government since 2021.

“Some of this went to court and the state government asked for time out of court for settlement but did not honour its own voluntary agreement as usual. The state government in a written statement did admit it was too busy working to honour its own voluntary agreement.

“A previous strike action was suspended on the appeal of elder statesmen and women and an appeal by the state government. After this, Congress made every humanly possible effort to have the issues peacefully resolved, all to no avail. Congress was left with no option than to resume a strike action in the state with notice. Congress had been to a couple of other states that did not even commit the sins of the Imo State Government.

“Coupled with the above, fresh demands were made following the abduction, and gruesome assault and battery òf Comrade Joe Ajaero (by the Police) out of which none has been met fully.

“How then could this be a personal matter to Joe Ajaero? Before he became Congress President, he never bothered himself with the affairs of Imo State or any state for that matter except it was the decision of Congress organs.”

Vanguard

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the old naira notes will remain legal tender beyond December 31, 2023 — and no longer have a deadline.

CBN said this in a statement signed by Isa AbdulMumin, director, corporate communications, on Tuesday.

In March 2023, the supreme court had extended the deadline to phase out the old naira notes to December 31, 2023.

Prior to the CBN lifting the deadline, on November 8, the apex bank had issued a statement informing Nigerians that the old naira notes remain legal after reports of anxiety over its legality.

The apex bank on Tuesday said without prejudice, it has extended “the legal tender status deadline of the old design of N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations, ad infinitum”.

CBN said: “This is in line with international best practices and to forestall a repeat of earlier experiences.”

“Thus, all banknotes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in accordance with Section 20(5) of the CBN Act 2007, will continue to remain legal tender, ad infinitum, even beyond the initial December 31, 2023, deadline.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria is working with the relevant authorities to vacate the subsisting court ruling on the same subject.

“Accordingly, all CBN branches across the country will continue to issue and accept all denominations of Nigerian banknotes, old and redesigned, to and from deposit money banks (DMBs).

“The general public is enjoined to continue to accept all Naira banknotes (old or redesigned) for day-to-day transactions and handle these banknotes with utmost care, to safeguard and protect the lifecycle of the banknotes.”

CBN encouraged the general public to embrace alternative modes of payment such as e-channels, for day-to-day transactions.

The Cable

Israeli military forces raid Gaza's largest hospital in operation against Hamas

The Israeli military raided Gaza’s largest hospital early Wednesday, conducting what it called a “precise and targeted” operation against Hamas as Israel seized broader control of northern Gaza, including capturing the territory’s legislature building and its police headquarters.

The gains carried high symbolic value in the country’s quest to crush the militant group that rules Gaza.

The raid unfolded “in a specified area” of the Shifa Hospital, which has been the site of a standoff with Hamas. Israeli authorities claim the militants conceal military operations in the facility. But with hundreds of patients and medical personnel inside, the military had refrained from entering.

In recent weeks, Israeli defense forces have publicly warned that such use of the hospital jeopardized its protection under international law. On Tuesday, military officials conveyed again to Gaza authorities that all military activity in the hospital must cease within 12 hours.

“Unfortunately, it did not,” the military said.

Hamas has denied accusations that it uses the hospital for cover.

Israeli military officials gave no further details on the raid but said they were taking steps to avoid harm to civilians.

Meanwhile, Israeli defense officials said they have agreed to allow some fuel shipments into the Gaza Strip for humanitarian purposes. It was the first time Israel has allowed fuel into the besieged territory since Hamas’ bloody cross-border invasion on Oct. 7.

Inside some of the newly captured buildings, soldiers held up the Israeli flag and military flags in celebration. In a nationally televised news conference, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas had “lost control” of northern Gaza and that Israel made significant gains in Gaza City.

But asked about the time frame for the war, Gallant said: “We’re talking about long months, not a day or two.”

One Israeli commander in Gaza, identified only as Lt. Col. Gilad, said in a video that his forces near Shifa Hospital had seized government buildings, schools and residential buildings where they found weapons and eliminated fighters.

The army said it captured the legislature, the Hamas police headquarters and a compound housing Hamas’ military intelligence headquarters. The buildings are powerful symbols, but their strategic value was unclear. Hamas fighters are believed to be in underground bunkers.

For days, the Israeli army has encircled the hospital. Hundreds of patients, staff and displaced people were trapped inside, with supplies dwindling and no electricity to run incubators and other lifesaving equipment. After days without refrigeration, morgue staff on Tuesday dug a mass grave in the yard for more than 120 bodies, officials said.

Elsewhere, the Palestinian Red Crescent said Tuesday it had evacuated patients, doctors and displaced families from another Gaza City hospital, Al-Quds.

Israel has vowed to end Hamas rule in Gaza after the militants’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel in which they killed some 1,200 people and took roughly 240 hostages. The Israeli government has acknowledged it doesn’t know what it will do with the territory after Hamas’ defeat.

The Israeli onslaught — one of the most intense bombardments so far this century — has been disastrous for Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians.

More than 11,200 people, two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah. About 2,700 people have been reported missing. The ministry’s count does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths.

Almost the entire population of Gaza has squeezed into the southern two-thirds of the tiny territory, where conditions have been deteriorating even as bombardment there continues. About 200,000 fled the north in recent days, the U.N. said Tuesday, though tens of thousands are believed to remain.

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday that its fuel storage facility in Gaza was empty and that it would soon end relief operations, including bringing limited supplies of food and medicine in from Egypt for more than 600,000 people sheltering in schools and other facilities in the south.

“Without fuel, the humanitarian operation in Gaza is coming to an end. Many more people will suffer and will likely die,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA.

Israeli defense officials, who repeatedly rejected allowing fuel into Gaza saying Hamas would divert it for military use, changed course early Wednesday. Israel will allow some 24,000 liters (6,340 gallons) of fuel into the Gaza Strip for humanitarian operations, officials said.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian affairs, said it would allow U.N. trucks to refill at the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border later Wednesday. It said the decision was in response to a request from the U.S.

PLIGHT OF HOSPITALS

Fighting has raged for days around the Shifa Hospital complex at the center of Gaza City that has now “turned into a cemetery,” its director said in a statement.

The Health Ministry said 40 patients, including three babies, have died since Shifa’s emergency generator ran out of fuel Saturday. Another 36 babies are at risk of dying because there is no power for incubators, according to the ministry.

The Israeli military said it started an effort to transfer incubators to Shifa. But they would be useless without electricity, said Christian Lindmeier, a World Health Organization spokesman.

The Health Ministry has proposed evacuating the hospital with the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross and transferring the patients to hospitals in Egypt, but has not received any response, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.

While Israel says it is willing to allow staff and patients to evacuate, some Palestinians who have made it out say Israeli forces have fired at evacuees.

Israel says its claims of a Hamas command center in and beneath Shifa are based on intelligence, but it has not provided visual evidence to support them. Denying the claims, the Gaza Health Ministry says it has invited international organizations to investigate the facility.

The evacuation at the Al-Quds Hospital followed “more than 10 days of siege, during which medical and humanitarian supplies were prevented from reaching the hospital,” Palestinian Red Crescent officials said.

In a post on X, they blamed the Israeli army for bombarding the hospital and firing at those inside.

The White House’s national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said the U.S. has unspecified intelligence that Hamas and another Palestinian militants use Shifa and other hospitals and tunnels underneath them to support military operations and hold hostages.

The intelligence is based on multiple sources, and the U.S. independently collected the information, a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Kirby said the U.S. doesn’t support airstrikes on hospitals and does not want to see “a firefight in a hospital where innocent people” are trying to get care.

MARCH FOR HOSTAGES

Families and supporters of the around 240 people being held hostage by Hamas started a protest march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The plight of the hostages has dominated public discourse since the Oct. 7 attack, with solidarity protests held across the country. The marchers, who expect to reach Jerusalem on Saturday, say the government must do more to bring home their loved-ones.

“Where are you?” Shelly Shem Tov, whose 21-year-old son, Omer, is among the captives, called out to Netanyahu. “We have no strength anymore. We have no strength. Bring back our children and our families home.”

BATTLE IN GAZA CITY

Independent accounts of the fighting in Gaza City have been nearly impossible to gather, as communications to the north have largely collapsed.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces have completed the takeover of Shati refugee camp, a densely built district bordering Gaza City’s center, and are moving about freely in the city as a whole.

Videos released by the Israeli military show troops moving through the city, firing into buildings. Bulldozers push down structures as tanks roll through streets surrounded by partially collapsed towers.

The videos portray a battle where troops are rooting out pockets of Hamas fighters and tearing down buildings where they find them, while gradually dismantling the group’s tunnel network.

Israel says it has killed several thousand fighters, including important mid-level commanders, while 46 of its own soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

AP

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia and Ukraine may never sign peace treaty – Kiev

Russia and Ukraine may never sign a formal peace treaty ending the current conflict, Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, wrote in an op-ed, excerpts from which were published on Monday. He pointed to Russia and Japan, which never signed a comprehensive peace treaty after World War II due to Tokyo’s claims on several of Russia’s Kuril Islands. 

“There are cases in history when old wars between the states have not been legally concluded. An obvious example is Russia and Japan. They did not sign a peace agreement after 1945 due to [the dispute] over the Northern Islands, also known as the Kuril Islands in Russia. This territorial problem is now more than 70 years old,” Budanov wrote in an op-ed for NV magazine,

“This is why such a scenario is highly likely in our case, considering that Russia has significant territorial appetite when it comes to Ukraine, and not only pertaining to Crimea.”

Budanov’s assessment comes as Kiev’s long-anticipated counteroffensive, launched in the summer, has largely petered out without achieving any significant victories on the ground. Ukrainian troops struggled to break through fortified defense lines and cross thick minefields, losing many NATO-supplied tanks and other armored vehicles in the process. Speaking to the Economist this month, Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s top general, described the situation on the battlefield as “a stalemate.”

The prospects of a peace treaty between Moscow and Kiev remain bleak as both countries ruled out compromising with one another. President Vladimir Zelensky and other top-ranking Ukrainian officials ruled out negotiations unless Russia surrenders its recently acquired territories. Moscow repeatedly said that it would be impossible.

Crimea voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia in 2014, following a Western-backed coup in Kiev that year. Four other former Ukrainian territories – the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye – did the same after holding referendums on the matter in September 2022.

At the same time, President Vladimir Putin argued last month that Moscow was aiming not to acquire new lands, but to protect the people of Donbass and maintain its own security. He said that the Ukrainian delegation was close to signing a neutrality pact in March 2022, but has since discarded preliminary agreements. 

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says Russia tries to push on east, involves more drones

A top Ukrainian military official said Russian troops continued simultaneous assault attempts in several directions on the country's east, now launching even more attack drones.

Kyiv's counteroffensive aimed at retaking occupied land in the country's south and east has not managed to move as fast as expected due to heavy mining and strong defensive lines of Russian troops.

In mid-October, Russian soldiers launched a massive offensive campaign near the eastern town of Avdiivka, followed by an intensification in other frontline sections in the east.

On Tuesday, the head of Ukraine's ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Russia, despite high losses, has been attacking Ukrainian positions near Kupyansk.

"In addition, the enemy has increased the use of kamikaze drones," he said on Telegram messenger.

"North and south of Bakhmut, Russian troops are trying to seize the initiative by conducting counterattacks. However, our defenders break all the plans and attempts of invaders to seize our land," Syrskyi added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he received military reports on an increasing number of attacks in the east, including in Avdiivka direction.

He added that Ukrainian forces hold the ground and continue assault operations. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield reports.

RT/Reuters

Geoffrey Hinton, the computer scientist known as a “Godfather of AI,” says artificial intelligence-enhanced machines “might take over” if humans aren’t careful.

Rapidly-advancing AI technologies could gain the ability to outsmart humans “in five years’ time,” Hinton, 75, said in a Sunday interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” If that happens, AI could evolve beyond humans’ ability to control it, he added.

“One of the ways these systems might escape control is by writing their own computer code to modify themselves,” said Hinton. “And that’s something we need to seriously worry about.”

Hinton won the 2018 Turing Award for his decades of pioneering work on AI and deep learning. He quit his job as a vice president and engineering fellow at Google in May, after a decade with the company, so he could speak freely about the risks posed by AI.

Humans, including scientists like himself who helped build today’s AI systems, still don’t fully understand how the technology works and evolves, Hinton said. Many AI researchers freely admit that lack of understanding: In April, Google CEO Sundar Pichai referred to it as AI’s “black box” problem.

As Hinton described it, scientists design algorithms for AI systems to pull information from data sets, like the internet. “When this learning algorithm then interacts with data, it produces complicated neural networks that are good at doing things,” he said. “But we don’t really understand exactly how they do those things.”

Pichai and other AI experts don’t seem nearly as concerned as Hinton about humans losing control. Yann LeCun, another Turing Award winner who is also considered a “godfather of AI,” has called any warnings that AI could replace humanity “preposterously ridiculous” — because humans could always put a stop to any technology that becomes too dangerous.

‘Enormous uncertainty’ about AI’s future

The worst-case scenario is no sure thing, and industries like health care have already benefitted tremendously from AI, Hinton emphasized.

Hinton also noted the spread of AI-enhanced misinformation, fake photos and videos online. He called for more research to understand AI, government regulations to rein in the technology and worldwide bans on AI-powered military robots.

At a Capitol Hill session last month, lawmakers and tech executives like Pichai, Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg suggested similar ideas while discussing the need to balance regulations with innovation-friendly government policies.

Whatever AI guardrails get put into place — whether by tech companies or at the mandatory behest of the U.S. federal government — they need to happen soon, Hinton said.

Humanity is likely at “a kind of turning point,” said Hinton, adding that tech and government leaders must determine “whether to develop these things further and what to do to protect themselves if they [do].” 

“I think my main message is there’s enormous uncertainty about what’s going to happen next,” Hinton said.

CNBC

Even as airlines try to maximize their route networks and fly more planescloser to full than ever before, many travelers are still hoping old tricksaround "asking nicely for an upgrade" will work for them.

Earlier this year, longtime flight attendant Patricia Green wrote a post saying that "can I have an upgrade?" is both the single most frequently asked and annoying question for flight attendants due to their limited ability to help.

Another flight attendant with a commercial airline, 25-year-old Destanie Armstrong became the latest to speak up against such actions on social media platform TiKTok.

'Our airline considers it as stealing,' flight attendant explains in viral video

"We never allow that," Armstrong says in response to a question from one of her followers asking how often flight attendants switch someone over into first class. "If someone wants to wants to switch cabins or even get an upgrade, that's to be dealt with [by] the gate agent."

In her post with Simple Flying, Green had also said that any upgrades are finalized before the passenger boards the flight. Once in the plane, switches can sometimes occur if there's a problem with the seat but flight attendants do not have the authority to do it just to be nice.

"You can get in a lot of trouble for doing that, giving out upgrades," Armstrong explained. "Our airline considers it as stealing because the passenger didn't pay for the ticket or get the upgrade."

Armstrong also explained that, because anyone entitled to an upgrade would have received it before the flight boarded, first class seats are usually even more full than the rest of the cabin. As such, seats that may appear empty usually simply mean that the passenger assigned to its is running late or is in the bathroom.

Don't try to pull this on a plane (it won't work and will annoy the flight crew)

But despite all this, Armstrong said she still frequently sees all types of bad behavior on the part of the passengers — some will try to sneak into first class when they think the flight attendants are not looking while others try to give compliments or "flirt" with her with poorly-masked hopes of getting that upgrade.

"There have been multiple times that men have hit on me thinking that I'm going to move them to first class because they told me I was pretty," Armstrong said.

In reality, whether one gets an upgrade is almost always outside of the flight attendant's control because it depends on how full the plane is — even when there is free room, priority is always given to those who are willing to pay for the upgrade or those who have frequent flyer status that offers it to them in such situations.

That, however, doesn't stop some someone aboard every flight from trying their luck. According to Armstrong, another type of difficult traveler behavior comes from those who sit in the exit row seat (which, on many planes, also happens to be a premium economy seat) and then gripes about having to move when the flight attendant asks them to.

TheStreet

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have directed all workers in Nigeria to withdraw their services effective midnight, November 13, 2023.

The decision, an outcome of the Joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of NLC and TUC, was conveyed in a joint statement on Monday urging workers to withdraw their services starting at 12:00 midnight on November 13.

“In furtherance to the decision of the Joint National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC and TUC, all workers in Nigeria are hereby directed to withdraw their services effective 12:00 midnight today, 13th November 2023,” the unions said in a joint statement.

The union added that all affiliates and state councils of NLC/TUC are directed to issue circulars for maximum compliance and these circulars should be made available to the national secretariats or posted to the NEC and CWC Whatsapp Platforms.

“While we shall update you with developments as they unfold, do remain assured of our commitment to Nigerian workers and people.”

Meanwhile, the directive comes despite a restraining order issued by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria last Friday, prohibiting the labour unions from commencing their scheduled strike on Tuesday, November 14.

The court, presided over by Benedict Kanyip, president of the court, directed the labour unions to halt their industrial action.

Earlier announcements by the NLC had called for a state-wide strike in Imo State starting November 1, protesting against what they described as “persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers” by the state government.

Speaking on the matter, Joe Ajaero, NLC national president, stated, “Despite our repeated efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and reach amicable agreements, the Imo State Government has become a habitual and serial breaker of these agreements, continuing to trample on the rights of workers in the state.”

“As a result, we are left with no choice but to embark on mass protests and industrial actions beginning on the 1st day of November 2023,” Ajaero said.

Earlier this month, some thugs and police officers allegedly attacked Ajaero and other NLC members who had gathered at the union’s council secretariat ahead of a planned protest in the state.

The Guardian

The presidency has criticised the organised labour over its directive on nationwide strike as a result of the assault on Joe Ajaero, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President.

The organised labour comprising NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), directed all affiliate unions of the two labour centres to implement the resolutions of the joint National Executive Council of TUC and NLC from midnight of Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

President of TUC, Festus Osifo, who addressed reporters at Labour House earlier in the day, said the strike would remain until “governments at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

But in a statement on Monday night, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described the decision as an attempt to blackmail the government.

He said the strike action is unjustifiable, noting that it would cause undue hardship.

“We notice with dismay the decision by the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to call out workers to commence a strike action from midnight, despite a restraining order issued last week by Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court.

“This decision by the NLC and TUC other than being an ego tripping move is clearly unwarranted. It is an attempt to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC.

“We are still at a loss as to why the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike.

“While the Federal government does not condone any form of violence and assault on any citizen of Nigeria regardless of his or her social and economic status, it is on record that the Inspector General of Police has ordered investigation into what happened to Ajaero while the Commissioner of Police in Imo State under whose watch the incident happened has been transferred out of the state.

“Calling out workers on a national strike over a personal issue of a labour leader despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege. Power at any level should never be used to settle personal scores. Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance national interest.

“We reiterate that this strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible. What the strike notice issued Monday night after official hours suggests is it’s designed for a sinister and hidden agenda to cause undue hardship and cause civil disturbance in our country. This is unacceptable,” the statement read in part.

Daily Trust

Saudi Arabia authorities have cancelled the visas of all 264 passengers airlifted by Air Peace upon their arrival in Jeddah, from Kano.

According to a source, the Middle Eastern nation asked the airline to return all 264 passengers to Nigeria, but later allowed 87 passengers to remain.

The flight, which took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, via the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, on Sunday night, was said to have arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.

However, on landing, according to the source, Saudi Arabia authorities announced that all the passengers’ visas were cancelled.

The source said the cancellation was a shock to passengers and airline personnel because they went through the advanced passengers pre-screening system (APPS) — which was also monitored by the Saudi Arabia authorities before the flight left Nigeria.

The source questioned whether the development was a plot to dissuade Air Peace from continuing its operations on the route given the carrier has been recording a high load factor, and also the flight expected to leave on Tuesday to Jeddah was already fully booked.

“Saudi Air has been operating directly from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia and since Air Peace started flight service to the Middle East nation at relatively lower fares, it has been receiving high patronage and as Nigerian carrier, it helps to conserve foreign exchange for the country,” the source said.

It was understood that the Nigerian embassy waded in, forcing the Saudi authorities to reduce the number of passengers that would be returned from 264 to 177.

A source at the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah, said Saudi immigration personnel are unaware of who cancelled the visas, noting that the airline was already airborne to Jeddah when the passengers’ travel documents were voided.

“The airline was exonerated in all this as the APPS, which is live between both countries would have screened out any invalid visa and its passenger. The system accepted all affected passengers and passed them on,” the source said. 

The source added that Air Peace is already returning the deported 177 travellers to Nigeria.

“They are on their way to Nigeria now,” the source said.

‘VISA CANCELLATION DUE TO GEOPOLITICS’

Speaking on the issue, John Ojikutu, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, Nigeria, said the action of the Saudi authorities was due to geopolitics.

To prevent the situation from reoccurring, he suggested that the Nigerian government should designate domestic airlines with foreign operations as flag carriers as the United States did.

“There is geopolitics there and there is also diplomacy. There is the need for the Nigerian government to stand firmly with Nigerian carriers and also designate them as flag carriers; so that other countries will know that they represent Nigeria,” Ojikutu said.

“Government must come out and intervene. The government must be behind Air Peace now to ensure that it is not denied its rights as contained in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must not keep quiet. Nigeria must not keep quiet. Ideally, the government is expected to stand behind any of the country’s airlines that it designates to fly overseas.”

Earlier in November, Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier, expanded its operations into the Middle East with the commencement of direct scheduled commercial flights into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Cable

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has been declared winner of the Saturday, November 11 governorship election.

According to the State Returning Officer, Faruq Kuta, Diri, having polled the highest number of votes and met the conditions specified in the Electoral Act, was declared winner of the election.

Diri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared as the duly elected governor of the state after polling a total of 175,196 to defeat his closest rival and former minister of Petroleum Resources and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, of the All progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 110,108 votes.

Total number of votes cast was 291,212; voided votes were 3,668, while valid votes were 287,534.

The governor beat Sylva in six out of the eight local councils- Kolokuma/Opokuma, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw; while Sylva won in Nembe and Brass, with Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Udengs Eradiri, winning none.

A breakdown of the results show Kolokuma/Opokuma: APC- 5,349; PDP-18,465; Ogbia: APC-16,319, PDP-18,435; Yenagoa: APC-14,534, PDP- 37,777; Sagbama: APC- 6,608, PDP- 35504; Ekeremor: APC- 8,445, PDP- 23,172; Nembe: APC 22,249’ PDP- 4,556; Brass: APC- 18, 431, PDP- 12, 602; Southern Ijaw: APC- 18,174, PDP- 24, 685.

Following the declaration of Diri as winner of the election, there was celebration around Yenagoa, as his supporters and PDP members defied the heavy downpour to express their joy over the outcome of the poll, albeit, peacefully.

The crowd of supporters soon dispersed to Government House and homes of party chieftains to continue the celebration.

Security in town was tight, as policemen and others patrolled major roads and streets to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

The Guardian