• FG Threatens Jail for NLC/TUC Members if Strike Commences 
• Aviation Unions promise to join the NLC strike
• GenCos threaten to shutdown as debt rises to ₦3.7 trillion
• Lagos halts discounted transport fares after ten months
• New York Lawyer requests for stay of action on Binance case

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

FG calls the NLC/TUC strike illegal and premature, threatens six months imprisonment

The federal government has called out the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) for embarking on an indefinite nationwide strike, which it (the FG) identifies as illegal and premature.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Justice, 

 Lateef Fagbemi penned a letter addressing the Organised Labour by stating that the “call to industrial action, ineffectual, premature, and illegal”.

Fagbemi explained his reason for calling out the NLC/TUC’s act. He claimed that they chose to embark on strike after the government had taken a decisive movement into ensuring a new minimum wage would be announced by involving the Tripartite Committee, and they had not yet finished negotiations.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, therefore, announced that since the Organised Labour did not give a 15-day warning of the strike, which is mandated in Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act, anyone who complies with the strike will be liable to a fine or six-months imprisonment.

Aviation Unions promise to join the NLC strike

Flights in Nigeria might become challenging to board as the aviation unions have promised to join the NLC and TUC in their strike, which is scheduled to begin on June 3, 2024.

The aviation unions have instructed their members to support the directions of NLC as the strike commences on Monday and withdraw all services at airports nationwide.

The aviation unions consist of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.

GenCos threaten to shutdown as debt rises to ₦3.7 trillion

The power generation companies in Nigeria have lamented that the rise of debts to companies producing electricity has climbed to ₦3.7 trillion, and this could threaten the production of electricity in the country.

Electricity producers, under the banner of the Association of Power Generation Companies, requested the federal government’s attention, announcing that it required a solution to its indebtedness for electricity produced by GenCos, which is consumed by the national grid.

“Gencos are currently owed over N2tn for the power they had generated, put onto the national grid, and consumed by end users. In addition to the over ₦1.7tn funding gap created in the recent supplementary MYTO order 2024 without a designated fund to fill the gap,” Board Chairman, Power Generation Companies, Col. Sani Bello (rtd) said.

Lagos halts discounted transport fares after ten months

The Lagos State Government has stopped its 25% discount on state transport vehicles, which has been on for ten months.

According to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), all public sector transportation in the state said fares on state-owned public vehicles such as BRT, ferries, Lagride Taxis, FLM buses, and trains will now charge 100% fares for trips.

“The 25 per cent fare rebate on regulated public transport buses, ferries, and train services ends on Sunday, June 2. From Monday, June 3, transport fare on all regulated transport services in the state will return to its original fare.”

New York Lawyer requests for stay of action on Binance case

Andrew Adams has asked for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to halt the transfer of forfeited funds to Nigeria under the “international sharing” programme in response to what he believes to be an injustice carried against Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive held by Nigerian authorities.

In February 2024, Nadeem Anjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan were held by Nigerian officials upon their arrival in Nigeria.

Andrew Adams claimed that the detention of the Binance executives was without prior notice nor public charges; therefore, he argued that the U.S. should cease transferring forfeited funds to Nigeria under the DOJ’s “international sharing” programme, which rewards foreign partners for assisting in law enforcement actions.