News
OBJ Says CIA, KGB Once Funded Nigeria’s Labour Movement
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that Nigeria’s organised labour movement was, at a critical stage in its history, funded by foreign intelligence agencies, a development he said exposed the country’s labour system to external control and raised grave concerns about national sovereignty.
Obasanjo made the revelation at the 85th birthday celebration and public presentation of the memoir of a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Hassan Sunmonu, titled “Memoirs of an African Trade Union Icon: Organise, Don’t Agonise”.
The gathering of labour leaders, policymakers and civil society actors evolved into a broader reflection on the past, present and future of trade unionism in Nigeria.
According to the former president, Nigeria’s labour space during the Cold War era was dominated by two powerful labour organisations which, though Nigerian in name, were allegedly financed and influenced by opposing global power blocs.
He said one faction received support from the Soviet Union’s KGB, while the other was funded by the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency, a situation he described as unhealthy and dangerous for an independent nation.
“As far as you remember, when Gooduck was leading one of the two major labour then Adebola, these two labour organizations are Nigerian labour organizations but they were not organized or funded by Nigeria,” Obasanjo said. “I don’t know if you know that, but that was the reality.
“One was being financed by KGB, that is the truth, and the other one was being financed by CIA, that was the truth, and then I came on the scene.”
He explained that this reality shaped his resolve, as military Head of State, to reform the labour movement and insulate it from foreign interference by building a structure that was organised, controlled and financed by Nigerians.
“I needed a Nigerian labour union organised by Nigeria, controlled by Nigeria, financed by Nigeria. So I decided there was going to be a labour union reform,” Obasanjo said, recalling that the reform process was spearheaded by Justice Adebiyi.
He noted that Sunmonu was among those who initially questioned his involvement in labour matters.
Obasanjo said, “Hassan was one of those who was forefront to ask, what do I know about labour that I’m asking for reform? What is my business?”
Obasanjo said the reform process eventually led to the restructuring of trade unions and the enactment of laws that gave birth to the Nigeria Labour Congress as a unified national platform.
He stressed that the emergence of the NLC leadership was achieved without direct government interference, restoring credibility to organised labour and fostering relative industrial stability.
“Of course, I don’t know anything about labour but I know that I wanted a Nigerian labour organization organized by Nigeria, headed by Nigeria, and funded by Nigeria,” he said.
“When Justice Adebiyi finished his job and we reformed the labour and party law establishing NLC, what happened? Without government’s hand, they elected their leader and Hassan became the first leader they elected. I don’t know how I felt at that time, but I felt comfortable.”
Sunmonu, who led the NLC from 1978 to 1984, is widely regarded as one of the architects of modern trade unionism in Nigeria.
Reflecting on his relationship with Sunmonu, Obasanjo said government and labour were bound to interact and even depend on each other, but must do so without compromising their independence.
He recalled advising Sunmonu to openly criticise government policies after private engagements in order to preserve labour’s credibility and the trust of workers.
He added that the introduction of a compulsory check-off system ensured sustainable union funding and permanently eliminated foreign financial influence from Nigeria’s labour movement.
Obasanjo further praised Sunmonu for elevating Nigerian labour on the continental and global stage, describing him as the most influential figure in the country’s labour movement after the late Pa Michael Imoudu.
The occasion also provided a platform for the current President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, to deliver a blistering critique of contemporary economic policies, new tax laws and Nigeria’s rising public debt. Ajaero warned that the systematic exclusion of labour from critical policy processes was deepening poverty and undermining democratic governance.
He argued that the philosophy captured in Sunmonu’s memoir, Organise, Don’t Agonise, stood in sharp contrast to what Nigerians were currently experiencing, accusing the government of preferring “enrage over engage.”
“Tax laws that tax the national minimum wage, impose heavier burdens on workers and the poor, and worsen excruciating poverty are not progressive but regressive,” Ajaero said.
He insisted that labour was deliberately excluded from the Presidential Committee on Tax because workers were “meant to be on the menu.”
Raising broader concerns about governance and accountability, the NLC president echoed Sunmonu’s recent public interrogation of Nigeria’s growing debt profile.
“Where are all the monies being borrowed by the federal government?” he asked. “It is from this standpoint that we must speak directly to the Nigerian Government.”
Ajaero warned that bypassing key stakeholders, distorting Acts of Parliament and ruling “by strong arm” eroded public trust and threatened national stability.
He said the central message of Organise, Don’t Agonise also imposed a responsibility on the state to engage citizens sincerely rather than provoke frustration and social unrest.
“The philosophy of ‘Organise, Don’t Agonise’ also implies that the state has a duty to engage, not enrage.
There is an urgent need for deeper, more sincere, and structured engagement with the trade union movement at all levels,” he said.
“Policies, from fuel pricing to taxation, from wage to social services, must be crafted with the active, respected input of those who represent the workers and the broader masses.”
“To sideline the organised voice of labour is to design policies on shaky, exclusionary foundations, destined to generate crisis and agony as is being witnessed currently,” he added.
The NLC president also demanded the immediate constitution of the PENCOM board and called for clarity and restraint in the implementation of the new tax laws, warning that persisting on the current path was dangerous for tax administration and democracy.
While celebrating Sunmonu as a symbol of courage, integrity and principled engagement, Ajaero said the event had transcended personal honour and become a moment of national reckoning on the condition of Nigerian workers.
He urged the Federal Government to urgently address workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory minimum wage negotiation and called for a decisive shift toward inclusive governance.
“Comrade Sunmonu, as we launch your book today, we pledge to keep its central message alive,” he said.
“We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power. We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation or a stolen future riddled with national debt.”
The Oyo State Government has approved the elevation of Senator Sharafadeen Ali, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District, along with High Chiefs Bolaji Adewoyin and Kola Babalola, to beaded crown-wearing Obas in Ibadanland.
They are promoted to Ekerin Olubadan, Ekaarun Balogun and Ekarun Olubadan.
Following their promotion, the high chiefs will ascend to obaship status and attain an elevated rank within the state traditional council.
According to reporte agthered that Alli was being considered as a consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 governorship election.
Other APC aspirants eyeing the Oyo governorship seat on the APC platform include the 2023 governorship candidate of the party, Teslim Folarin; senator representing Oyo North, Abdulfatai Buhari; Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu; former Oyo Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan; lawyer, Akeem Agbaje; former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; former Oyo Health Commissioner, Azeez Adeduntan; Saheed Oladele, Gbenga Adegbola, and Kunle Busari, the son of the late Ibadan strong politician in the First and Second Republic, Chief Busari Adelakun, popularly known as Eruobodo.
On Thursday, the government approved the promotion of Alli in a memo authorised by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, titled: “Re: Request for the list of High Chiefs who are due for elevation to wear beaded crown in Ibadanland,” with registration number CB,211/10Vol IT/67 dated March 26, 2026, a copy of which was obtained by Journalists.
The letter was addressed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
The letter read, “I have the directive to refer to Your Majesty’s correspondence ref no L/ADV/Co/1242/843 dated 23rd March, 2026, in respect of the above and to inform Your Majesty that while making arrangements for the compilation of the High Chiefs and Baales who are due for beaded crown wearing in Ibadanland as requested.
“It is traditionally necessary and very essential at this point in time that the newly elevated Chiefs in Olubadan in Council, i.e. High Chief Akeem Bolaji Adewoyin, Ekeerin Olubadan, High Chief Sharafadeen Ali, Ekaarun Balogun and High Chief Kola Babalola, Ekaarun Olubadan, should be immediately conferred with beaded crowns in order to avoid unnecessary insinuation that the delay is deliberate and political.
“This is necessary in order to protect the Ibadan traditional institution. To this end, Your Majesty is hereby informed that the coronation/crown-wearing programme for the above-mentioned High Chiefs has been fixed for Friday, April 3, 2026, at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan.
“The promotion of the affected High Chiefs is in line with the 2024 Chieftaincy law as amended. With the promotion, the affected High Chiefs have become members of the Olubadan Advisory Council,” the letter stressed.
The PUNCH reports that in 2024, the Oyo State Government gazetted the new Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration, showing the new amendment.
The new Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration, which was passed by the state House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Seyi Makinde in 2025, revised Section 4 of the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration.
The original version stated: “The person who may be proposed as a candidate by the line whose turn it is to fill a vacancy in the office of the Olubadan shall be the most Senior (High) Chief in that Line.”
Section 4 of the amendment, titled “New Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration,” replaced “the most Senior (High) Chief in that Line” with “the most Senior Beaded Crown Oba in that Line.”
Section 4 of the new law states: “The person who may be proposed as a candidate by the line whose turn it is to fill a vacancy in the office of the Olubadan shall be the most Senior Beaded Crown Oba in that line.”
When contacted the media aide to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Adeola Oloko, on Thursday, he confirmed the receipt of the letter from the state government.
He said, “The palace has received the letter confirming the promotion of the three high chiefs to the status of the beaded crown-wearing Obas.
“The letter has been forwarded to the beneficiaries, and we are expecting their responses at the appropriate time.”
When also contacted, the Public Relations Officer of APC, Wale Sadare, said, “It is not party affairs. The media aide to the senator will respond accordingly.”
Reacting to the development, a legal practitioner, Muideen Olagunju, said there was no constitutional provision barring a traditional ruler from contesting elections.
“In my opinion, this is unprecedented in Oyo State. There is no express provision in the law that stops a monarch from contesting elections. It is more of a moral issue rooted in tradition than a legal restriction.”
He added that while traditional rulers were expected to be politically neutral, history has shown instances where monarchs participated in politics without legal consequences.
A close ally of Senator Alli, however, told The PUNCH that the lawmaker would not attend the coronation as fixed by the government.
The ally, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised by the governorship aspirant to respond, said efforts by the Makinde-led government to stop the governorship aspiration of the senator would end in futility.
He said it was clear that Oba Ladoja was not ready for the promotion, as the palace was still compiling a list of other chiefs due for promotion.
Borrowing from the English poet, William Shakespeare, he said: “No amount of water in the rough, rude sea can wash the balm off from a man on whose shoulders it will please God to place the mantle of leadership of the state come next year.”
“Makinde can go ahead with the coronation. By the grace of the Almighty God, Alli will attend his coronation on May 29, 2027, when he will, Deo Volente, be crowned the governor of Oyo State.”
The Nigerian Army on Thursday pulled out 18 senior officers of the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport following their retirement after 35 years of meritorious service.
The colourful pulling-out parade marked the conclusion of a three-day conference held in Benin, the Edo capital.
The conference has as theme “Optimising Supply and Transport Capabilities Towards Providing Effective Service Delivery to NA Operations in All Missions”.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport, Maj.-Gen. Danjuma Shagaya, said the retired officers comprised four Major Generals and 14 Brigadier Generals.
Shagaya noted that the officers had served the nation with dedication from the time of their commissioning until retirement.
He described the event as both a celebration and recognition of their contributions.
“It is a joyous moment for the Corps of Supply and Transport, as current and former Corps Commanders are present to honour and celebrate these distinguished officers,” he said.
He explained that the pulling-out ceremony was a longstanding military tradition that provided an opportunity to celebrate years of service and sacrifice.
The corps commander also commended the Chief of Army Staff, for recognising the sacrifices and contributions of the retired officers by sending a representative to grace the occasion.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, Maj.-Gen. Olaniyi Dare, said their careers spanned several decades, during which they served the Nigerian Army in various operational, command, and staff roles.
According to him, the Corps of Supply and Transport plays a central and indispensable role in the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army.
“We were entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that soldiers deployed across various theatres of operation are adequately sustained.”
Dare added that during training, peace support missions, or internal security operations within and outside the country, the corps remained committed to delivering reliable and efficient logistics support.
“As we transition into retirement, we recognise that while we may be leaving active service, our commitment to the ideals and values of the Nigerian Army remains steadfast.
“We will continue to serve as ambassadors of the corps and remain available to contribute our experience and knowledge whenever we are called upon,” he said.
He described the ceremony as symbolic, noting that beyond its significance, it offered a moment to reflect on decades of service, sacrifice, and commitment to national defence.
He also paid tribute to the families of the retired officers, acknowledging the critical role.
“Military life often demands long separations, personal sacrifices, and constant movement.
“Their understanding, patience, and encouragement made it possible for us to fulfil our duties with dedication,” he said.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it was reintroducing testing for gender to determine eligibility to compete in the female category, preventing transgender women from competing.
The screening will mean Olympic women’s sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Games will be limited to biological females, which would also rule out those with differences in sexual development (DSD) from competing.
The IOC is abandoning rules it brought in in 2021, which allowed individual federations to decide their own policy and implement a policy across all sports.
“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one‑time SRY gene screening,” the IOC said in a statement.
The test will be carried out through a saliva sample, cheek swab or blood sample.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry said: “The policy we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts.
“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat.
“So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
The IOC is bringing in the new policy after the women’s boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics was rocked by a gender row involving Algerian fighter Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.
Khelif and Lin were excluded from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after the IBA said they had failed eligibility tests.
However, the IOC allowed them both to compete at the Paris Games, saying they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”.
Both boxers went on to win gold medals.
Lin has since been cleared to compete in the female category at events run by World Boxing, the body that will oversee the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Gender testing was first introduced at the 1968 Olympics and last used at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but then scrapped after criticism from the scientific community
-
News3 years agoJust In: President Tinubu returns to Nigeria
-
News3 years ago2023 Elections: Outgoing Rwandan High Commissioner say s Nigeria, ‘ handle their destiny’ in a peaceful way.
-
Entertainment3 years agoSocial media cloth Vendor Found Dead In Ibadan Hotel.
-
News3 years agoOgun HoS Solicit Affordable Housing For Civil Servants
-
Trending News3 years agoFG begins 40% pay rise for workers.
-
Entertainment3 years ago9mobile Ambassadors Begin “Meet And Greet” Session With Staffs, Customers.
-
Sports3 years ago
CAF SALUTES RIVERS UNITED AFTER SEALING QUARTER-FINAL TICKET.
-
Health & Wellness3 years agoBreastfed babies have lower risks of diabetes – Nutritionist