Members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have threaten to cripple legislative activities of the National Assembly if their demands are not addressed.

The union members are protesting what they describe as the National Assembly management’s neglect of their welfare demands as well as intimidation and harassment of union activists.

​Beyond financial grievances, the union members accuse the National Assembly management of intimidation and harassment aimed at stifling union activities.

They are demanding a rule-driven unionism anchored on the provisions of the PASAN Constitution, 2015, citing several provisions mandating the executive officers to be financially transparent, including preparing annual budgets and circulating audited accounts.

The management, while acknowledging the protest notice, has occasionally attempted to deflect the grievances, claiming that the agitation is driven by “internal union-related issues” or attempts to disband the local PASAN chapter.

However, the workers maintain that their action is protected under the Nigerian Constitution and the Trade Union Act.

​This repeated standoff over welfare, which has historically led to the shutdown of legislative operations and threatened to disrupt critical legislative activities such as budget defense sessions, underscores the deep-seated labor concerns within the National Assembly bureaucracy.

The Obidient Movement on Friday called on President Bola Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, the Department of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Adekunle Mustapha aka Sego.

It said Sego should be arrested and prosecuted for threatening to kill anybody who votes against the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State in 2027.

Reacting to a video showing Sego issuing the threat, the movement said Sego’s action is parts of desperate attempts engineered by the APC because the party does not have the voting strength nor popular support to win free and fair elections in Lagos State.

The statement signed by the Movement’s National Coordinator, Tanko Yunusa, read: “The attention of the Obidient Movement has been drawn to comments, well captured on video, by the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers Adekunle Mustapha aka Sego.

“In summary, the said Sego, who masquerades as a Labour Union leader, threatened to kill anyone who votes against the APC in Lagos, during the next elections, scheduled for 2027.

“The Obidient Movement recalls with grief and sadness, the violence unleashed by this same NURTW members and other thugs, during the 2023 elections, on Nigerian voters in Lagos, particularly members of the Obidient Movement and supporters of Mr Peter Obi and the Labour Party, resulting in the recorded killing and maiming of so many.

“There is no doubt whatsoever that these threats and acts of murder and brigandage are desperate attempts engineered by the APC, realizing that they do not have the voting strength nor popular support to win any elections, free and fair in Lagos, as with generally across the country, having failed to deliver good governance arising from their questionable mandate in the 2023 elections.

“Over the years, actions of murder, thuggery, political violence, extortion and other criminal acts have continued to be associated and even accepted as part of the operation of the NURTW in Lagos.

“We are by this statement calling the attention of President Bola Tinubu, who bears statutory and historical responsibility for this development, the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Police, DSS, Military and all other security agencies to immediately effect the arrest, detention and prosecution of this NURTW Chairman, and all others who have been long involved in the perpetration of these threats, murders and politically related criminal acts.”

Yunusa also called the attention of the international community to Sego’s threats.

“We are also putting the International Community on notice, of these crimes against humanity and threats to peace in Nigeria, and those legally responsible, by their actions and inactions,” he added.

By Henry Ukazu

Dear Destiny Friends,

It is very easy to get distracted with so many things begging for our attention in our everyday activities. But the ability to stay focused on what truly matters is one of the best things that can happen to anyone.

Staying focused in life may not appear easy, especially in this 21st century where we have all kinds of unsolicited social media updates. Imagine having a big project that can change your fortune, and still have to deal with family, work, personal and even spiritual forces trying to create a distraction. If one is not able to manage his time as well as balance family, work, social media, and other personal concerns, it will take the grace of God to overcome, and succeed.

Every student needs focus to pass his examinations, every businessman/entrepreneur needs focus to develop and succeed in his business, every parent needs focus to train his family, every leader needs focus to succeed, every spiritual person needs focus and faith to concentrate on his belief.  Even evildoers leverage on focus to succeed in their nefarious endeavors. Without focus there’s hardly any worthwhile project that can be done.

For one to focus well, sacrifice is needed. In Economics, the principle of opportunity cost works with focus. For example, while some people will spend time attending social events like nightclubs, watching television or even sleeping, progressive minds channel their attention to working on their craft.

Don’t misunderstand me, attending night parties, sleeping and watching television are not bad habits per se, what’s important is balancing everything. I do attend parties, sleep and watch television, but I do all with moderation. I recently read a book titled “Making It Big” by Mr. Femi Otedola, a philanthropist. He stated how he attends night clubs every Friday to celebrate the success of his business. He used the social activity to wind down his hard work from Monday to Friday.

It’s instructive to note that Mr. Femi Otedola also stated in his book he was taunted by his friends each time he attends night parties if he brought his diesel to sell, he cared less because according to him he has a family to feed, school fees to pay and shelter to provide for his family. So, he’s not bothered by what people will say because he has to do what he has to do to take care of his bills.

Now, that tells you, here’s a man who is focused on what is important. While some people may see him at the club when he became financially stable and independent, they won’t understand nor know the level of sacrifice he has made for his business to get to where it is, neither are they aware of the level of focused he has put into his work to get to where he is. This goes to say that in the journey of life, one must know himself and know what works for him. It’s always safer to be yourself.

To understand how focus works, look at the eagle. The eagle is a laser-focused bird with precision. It really knows what it wants, and it goes hard for it. Another interesting characteristic of the eagle is that it separates itself from other birds in that it doesn’t play local games, it takes its game international by flying higher where other animals can’t survive. So, when it catches a prey, it takes the battle to its domain where it knows other prey can’t survive. This goes to tell you every animal or human being must know themselves to succeed.

On a personal note, I have applied a decent amount of focus in life by publishing two amazing books and hundreds of articles. Of interest to mention is the fact I have been consistently publishing articles every Friday for the last seven years. Assuming I’m not focused, I doubt if I would have been able to attain this feat.

Being focused works in different ways depending on what one wants to achieve. As a career professional, academia, entrepreneur, clergy, family man, health enthusiast or one interested in personal development, it’s important to decide what to do with life. For instance, one of my mentors told me he had to take a pay cut to learn Taxation to enable him to learn the secret of the profession. For me, I had to leave the tax profession and to some extent the legal profession to focus on human capacity development because I see a bigger prospect in the industry.

I recently saw a beautiful note about focus by one of my mentors, Dr. kola Adesina, an energy expert. He wrote, “Life often surrounds us with whirlwinds — storms of uncertainty, noise, distraction, and pressure. These winds swirl with demands for our time, competing voices, and the weight of challenges we cannot always control. Yet, in the eye of the storm lies a profound truth: clarity comes when we choose to stay focused on the things that truly matter.

“Focus is not the absence of chaos; it is the discipline to hold fast to higher ideals, values, and purpose, even when the winds rage. It is the strength to resist being swept away by fleeting noise, to silence the urgent in order to serve the important, and to keep sight of what endures beyond the storm.

“In every season of life, we are called to distinguish between the temporary and the eternal, the trivial, and the essential. God, family, integrity, service, purpose, and vision — these are anchors that hold us steady. When we build our lives on such foundations, no whirlwind can uproot us.

“So let the winds blow. Let the storms gather. We will stand with resolve, our gaze fixed, our hearts firm, and our steps purposeful. In the end, it is not the storm that defines us, but the strength of our focus on what truly matters.”

I was particularly impressed with the last statement which states “in the end, it is not the storm that defines us, but the strength of our focus on what truly matters.” That explains that distractions, failures, setbacks, challenges or betrayals will definitely come up, but it’s our determination and focus to succeed that will make the ultimate difference. This is how I see it; our desires to succeed in life must outweigh our fear for failure. After all, our passion and values will be tested like gold goes through fire for it to be refined.

Here is my assignment for you, what would you like the world to remember for you in the near future? When you discover it, begin to apply focus by intentionally working on it. It’s instructive to note that in the near future, after all said and done, what matters is what one is able to achieve with his life. So, it’s good for one to focus his time, energy and resources to what truly matters.

In conclusion, I don’t know what your challenges might be, neither do I know what your desires may be, but what one thing is certain in life, being focused on your craft can be a game changer. So, I challenge you to apply focus in whatever you are working on.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator.  He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design  and Unleash Your Destiny .  He can be reached via info@gloemi.com