Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said President Bola Tinubu’s hasty and thoughtless removed fuel subsidy has triggered widespread economic hardship, with inflation, hunger, and despair worsening the living conditions of Nigerians.

This is even as he also condemned the arrest and continued detention of labour activist Comrade Andrew Uche Emelieze.

Atiku said his continued detention is an affront to democracy, a slap in the face of every Nigerian worker, and a chilling reminder of the authoritarian drift of the Tinubu administration.

In a statement released on Sunday, Atiku said the Tinubu’s promise to pay a N35,000 monthly wage award to federal workers as a temporary measure pending the agreement on a new minimum wage has become a broken covenant.

Comrade Emelieze was said to have been arrested and detained for attempting to organize a peaceful protest to demand the payment of the overdue wage awards.

However, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party lamented that it took the Tinubu’s administration a staggering 10 months to arrive at a new minimum wage figure.

“While several state governments have shown commendable responsibility in managing labour affairs,” Atiku stated, “the Tinubu-led Federal Government has distinguished itself by its utter disdain for workers’ welfare.”

He therefore called for the activist’s immediate and unconditional release, warning that the government’s approach reflects a growing authoritarian trend.

“Nigerian workers will not be silenced, intimidated, or forgotten,” Atiku said. “The economic hardship is real, the hunger is biting, and the government has a duty to act—not to repress.”

The governments of Kaduna and Kano States have demanded the creation of a new state and 26 Local Government Areas.

The two states made this demand at the North West Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution on Saturday.

OSUNDAILY NG reports that the hearing brought together stakeholders from Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States, including civil society groups, traditional rulers, and government representatives.

According to Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, who was represented by his deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, the current over-centralized federal system is unsustainable, lamenting that it stifles development and alienates citizens.

“Our current arrangement does not reflect the principle of subsidiarity,” he said.

He also called for a constitutional framework that allows states full control of natural resources within their territories and the right to legislate on local matters.

The governor equally pushed for the creation of state police, noting that his previous advocacy in the 9th Senate was hindered by political disagreement.

“Security cannot be national if it is not local. Kaduna is ready to support constitutional amendments to establish state police,” he stated.

In its submission, the Kano State government sought the creation of a new state and 26 additional Local Government Areas to increase its current LGAs from 44 to 70.

Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Gwarzo, who represented Governor Abba Yusuf, presented the demand.

“We strongly advocate for restructuring and align with the national call for the creation of more states, provided they meet the criteria of Section 8 of the Constitution,” Gwarzo said.

The state also sought full constitutional autonomy for local governments and proposed amendments to Sections 2(2), 7, and 162(5) to ensure recognition and functionality of LGAs as a distinct tier of government.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has attributed the high number of abandoned projects across the Niger Delta region to the frequent changes in the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Jonathan stated this on Saturday at the plenary session of the NDDC’s 25th anniversary celebration held in Port Harcourt.

The ex-President also called for continuity in the leadership of the NDDC to ensure that development projects are completed and not left abandoned.

According to him, the regular changes of Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of the NDDC had adversely affected project completion, adding that it has been a problem for development.

The erstwhile Nigerian leader, however, pointed out that the projects were not abandoned because the NDDC managers intended to do so, but rather because frequent leadership changes made it inevitable.

He further stated that when proper planning became unfeasible and time constrained, agencies tend to resort to contractor-driven initiatives, as opposed to planning-based development.

According to him, for over 25 years, the NDDC has had 11 CEOs, meaning that, on average, each served for two years and three months.

“The question is: how can one plan? How can significant projects for the region be completed within two years and three months in office?” he asked.

Jonathan commended President Bola Tinubu for retaining Dr Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director of the NDDC, thereby demonstrating his commitment to the development of the Niger Delta.

He noted that the people of the Niger Delta were celebrating because Ogbuku had remained in office since his appointment by the then-President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2022.

He explained that the Managing Director officially assumed duties on Jan. 4, 2023, while Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

“If President Tinubu were not interested in developing the region, he would have removed him and appointed someone else.

“Ogbuku would have spent only five months in office. Nobody would have heard of Ogbuku.

“We remember the former Chairman, Onyema Ugochukwu, and the former Managing Director, Timi Alaibe, because they served for a reasonable period and made impact during their tenure,” he added.