SOMALI WORLD CUP REFEREE DENIED ENTRY TO UNITED STATES. (PHOTO).

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 Somali World Cup Referee Denied Entry to United States Award-winning Somali referee, Omar Artan, has been denied entry into the United States despite holding a valid visa, according to a senior official in Somalia’s sports ministry. Artan, who is set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the FIFA World Cup finals, was stopped at Miami International Airport and subsequently returned to Istanbul, where he had been residing. The reason for the denial was not immediately disclosed. However, Somalia is among the countries affected by a travel ban introduced by the administration of Donald Trump. Reacting to the development, Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, described Artan as one of Africa’s most respected referees. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” Abshir told AFP on Monday. He added that preventing the referee fro...

TUC, PENGASSAN PROTEST AT FINANCE MINISTRY OVER UNPAID PENSIONS, ALLOWANCES. (PHOTO).


  TUC, PENGASSAN Protest at Finance Ministry Over Unpaid Pensions, Allowances


Members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) staged a protest on Tuesday at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding the payment of pension, allowance arrears, and other emoluments for workers. The protesters, dressed in red T-shirts and wielding placards, locked the ministry’s gate, preventing vehicles from entering or leaving and forcing workers to turn back.


TUC Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, explained that the protest was prompted by the ministry’s withholding of internally generated revenue (IGR) from the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), which funds workers’ salaries, pensions, and allowances. “We are here because of withheld IGR accrued to the NNRA, and we are finding it difficult to reconcile why. Their contemporaries in the same sector have been paid,” Toro said. He noted that the withheld funds have left workers and pensioners unpaid, exacerbating financial strain amid inflation and the eroded value of the N70,000 minimum wage.


Toro disclosed that the Minister of Finance had approved the payments following discussions with the Permanent Secretary, but the TUC would only suspend the protest until Wednesday, May 21, 2025, pending confirmation of the disbursements. “The Honourable Minister of Finance has graciously granted approval today. The Permanent Secretary has assured us that the approval will translate into naira and kobo within a very reasonable time,” he stated.


Addressing the protesters, Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Raymond Omachi, assured that the payments would be processed within 48 hours. “I have heard your grievances, and I have reached out to the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who has given me approval to ensure that what you are looking for is paid,” Omachi said. “In the next 48 hours, you will receive your payments. Your voice has been heard, and we will not disappoint you.”


The protesters agreed to allow ministry staff access to the premises to facilitate the payment process. The TUC plans to reconvene and reassess the situation on Wednesday to determine whether to resume the protest or call it off, depending on the fulfillment of the ministry’s commitment.

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