Former NLC President Ali Ciroma Passes Away at 72

Ali Ciroma, a former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has passed away. Ali Ibrahim Ciroma, a family member and Secretary of Borno State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), announced his demise in a statement. According to the statement, Ali Ciroma died on Tuesday morning at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. The statement read, “It is with deep sorrow that I announce the death of Comrade Ali Ciroma, former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress. The sad event occurred this evening (Tuesday, April 2) at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.” The burial ceremony for Ali Ciroma will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, at 4pm at his residence located at No.7A along Galadima Road near Muhammadu Shuwa Memorial Hospital (Nursing Home), Maiduguri. Ali Ciroma served as the president of the NLC from 1984 to 1988 until he was removed by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, which disbanded the union. Despite this setback, during the Abacha regime, he was appointed as the Sole Administrator of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers. The passing of Ali Ciroma is mourned by many within Nigeria’s labor movement, as he is remembered as a dedicated leader who fought tirelessly for the rights of workers.

Gunmen Kidnap Plateau NUJ Chairman

A former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Plateau state, Kapdaba Gobum, was abducted by suspected kidnappers.  He was allegedly kidnapped on Tuesday night.  This happened after he left the Press Centre, headed for his house in the Bukuru area of Jos South. Former General Manager of the Plateau Publishing and Printing Company (PPPC), Jonathan Ishaku, and the immediate past chairman of NUJ, Paul Jatau, have confirmed the incident.  Ishaku mentioned, “But early this morning (Thursday), the kidnappers called his wife and demanded N35 million.” Jatau expressed surprise at this development and wondered why journalists should be victims of kidnapping.  The former NUJ chairman recently retired as a senior editor with the Nigerian Standard, published by the PPPC.

NUJ Commends NNPCL On Appointment Of New Spokesman  

The NUJ National Secretariat has hailed the appointment of the publisher of Per Second News, Femi Soneye, as the Chief Communications Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). NUJ’s National Secretary Shuaibu Usman Leman, said in a statement that the appointment was well deserved as Mr. Soneye is a thoroughbred professional. He said, “The Union is excited by this appointment which is well-deserved, and is coming at a time of transition for the oil and gas company and requires an individual such as Soneye with global expertise and experience in journalism, information and communications. “We are confident that Soneye will discharge his duties diligently, professionally and transparently owing to the importance of the NNPCL in the nation’s growth and development. As a professional with full-time and freelance experience at some of the world’s most respected publications in Nigeria, Australia, and the United States of America, the Union expects him to deliver optimally in this role.” Soneye, who was announced as the new spokesperson of the NNPCL on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, is expected to drive NNPCL’s Corporate Communications team and drive its brand penetration, strategic communications initiatives, and stakeholder management. He is a former President of the Nigerian Media Practitioners, Washington, D.C.  “While we laud the efforts by NNPCL against illegal refineries and bunkering in the Niger Delta region, we urge it to strengthen its pipeline surveillance to ensure increased oil production,” the statement read.