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VDM Leads Protest with Pupils at Minister’s Gate in Abuja due to Teachers’ Strike
Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has once again stirred the controversy of Nigerian activism, this time he brings the fight straight to the doorstep of the FCT Minister in Abuja.
Earlier today, June 23, 2025, VDM showed up at the gate of the Minister’s office, not alone, but with a group of school children all dressed in their uniforms. But it wasn’t a regular school outing. Right there, in front of security officials and onlookers, VDM turned the space into a makeshift classroom, teaching the kids in broad daylight.
This wasn’t just about reading and writing. It was a protest calling attention to a crisis that has kept public primary schools shut for nearly three months. Teachers across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been on strike since March 24, 2025, insisting on the full implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage promised to them. But with Area Council Chairmen dragging their feet, classrooms have stayed empty, and pupils have been left stranded at home.
In typical VDM style, the protest was loud.
The children chanted the alphabet with an interesting twist; throwing subtle shots at Nigeria’s leaders. From “S for Suegbe” to “T for Tinubu” and “W for Wike”. During the protest, VDM didn’t just stop at the theatrics. He issued a clear warning to the FCT authorities. They have seven days to find a solution and get the children back into classrooms. If they fail, he promised to mobilize an even larger crowd, bringing students from different parts of the FCT to the same spot for another round of protest.
Additionally, VDM hinted that if action isn’t taken soon, healthcare workers will be the next focus. Many of them are also demanding the ₦70,000 minimum wage but, like the teachers, have been ignored for months. On the government’s side, Mandate Secretary of FCT Area Councils, Bitrus Garki, confirmed that discussions are ongoing to resolve the crisis. He explained that the FCT administration has been supporting the Area Councils with infrastructure and negotiations but couldn’t say exactly when the issue would be resolved.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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