Author: The Nation

Lagos chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Stephen Adegbite has scolded the Muslim rights advocacy group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), for criticism of the commissioners-nominee list by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Adegbite, at a briefing on Monday, criticised how over 30 Muslim groups under the aegis of the Joint Muslims Forum (JMF), expressed dissatisfaction after Sanwo-Olu sent the list to the House of Assembly for confirmation.He said the groups claimed the Governor favoured the Christian community with just eight Muslims on the list of the 39-man list.

Such attitude, CAN said, was not only distasteful but also condescending. He said the apex Christian body will not accept any religious bullying.  

According to him: “We would like to make abundantly clear, that these remarks and actions are not only distasteful and way out of line; they are deeply condescending and we refuse to accept any form of faith and religious-based bullying behaviour neither would any semblance of such under whatever guise be tolerated. It would not be an exaggeration to say Lagos has enjoyed immense peace and prosperity over these years because the managers of its affairs amongst many other key elements have worked tirelessly to insulate the state from any form of religious intolerance or anything close to it.”

Berating MURIC and the Muslim groups for playing toxic and divisive politics, he pointed out many Christians worked for the much-cricitised Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) based on competence and not religious considerations. 

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He pointed out the Christian community didn’t demand religious consideration in the election of Lagos Speaker despite the fact that over 60 per cent of the 40-member Assembly is Muslim. Adegbite said the three elected Lagos Senators are Muslims yet many Christians voted for them without minding their religious beliefs.
He said insisting that the Commissioners-nominee should be not sworn in was provocative since the Christian community didn’t make any similar request when the Lagos Assembly was about to be inaugurated.
According to him: “We hereby urge the Lagos State House of Assembly to peacefully continue the constitutional process of screening and confirmation of the nominees which they started yesterday, Sunday 13^th August 2023 and not give ears to or be swayed in any way by the incongruous and unsavoury demands by these group of persons. 

”We also plead with well-meaning citizens of the State to kindly disregard any call that is capable of igniting religious emotions and sentiments. We promise to continue to pray and support our governments at all levels including our state for them to meet the yearnings and expectations of the citizenry that voted them into power without any religious bias but that believe and trust that they can deliver.”

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has launched two portals – one for Higher National Diploma (HND) Holders who wish to acquire Bachelor’s Degree through online Top-Up for one year with foreign accredited universities.

The board also unveiled an admission portal for use by all Polytechnics where only accredited Programmes would be visible on the portal and allow the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to know admitted candidates to be mobilised for national service.

In a statement on Sunday by the Head of Media Unit, NBTE, Fatima Abubakar, the agency said the new portal was to facilitate the progression of HND holders to higher degrees. 

The statement said: “Attempts in the past to get the National Universities Commission (NUC) to approve a two-year Master of Technology for HND holders in some Polytechnics did not see the light of the day. 

“Many HND Holders are forced to go for a one-year Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) before they could be admitted into the Master’s Program in Universities. 

“The disadvantage of the PGD is that holders who continue to do Ph.D. and wish to migrate to a Nigerian University will always be queried to produce their first degree, even when they have Doctorates. 

“To end this unwarranted prejudice, NBTE has now created this progression pathway for HND holders. This can be accessed at https://topup.nbte.gov.ng.”

Read Also: NBTE laments poor state of laboratories in polytechnics

Speaking further, the Board said: “Another challenge facing many Polytechnic HND graduates is mobilisation for the National Service organised by the National Youth Service Corps. Many are admitted into non-accredited programs and after the HND, they are not mobilised for national service. 

“NBTE has now created an HND admission portal for use by all Polytechnics. Only accredited Programs shall be visible on the portal and NYSC shall have viewing rights to know admitted candidates to be mobilized. 

“This will hopefully bring an end to illegal HND admissions of unaccredited Programs and at the same time ensure carrying capacities are adhered to for quality assurance.”

The board appealed to President Bola Tinubu to sign the Bill removing the HND-BSc Dichotomy in the public service as passed by the last National Assembly to end the unjust and undeserved discrimination against graduates of the polytechnic system. 

“It is the absence of this legal backing that makes NBTE find ways of enhancing the standing of our HND holders, who in reality hold the key to Nigeria’s industrialisation and the delivery of key infrastructural interventions needing skills,” the statement added. 

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has bemoaned absence of palliatives more than two months after the removal petrol subsidy.

Mr Michael Adebola, Chairman, NASU FCT Council said this at the Quadrennial Conference/Election of the council on Monday in Abuja.

Adebola noted that the unending upward adjustment in the pump prices of petrol which have moved from the initial N540 to over N617 per litre.

According to him, we are not oblivious to the cries of our members in the FCT council on the high cost of transportation with a resultant effect on the cost of living.

“We demand that the government should work on policies that can alleviate the suffering of the masses through well-packaged palliatives.

“Also, they have to improved the salary structure, and our refineries should be refurbished and be put under good use,” he said.

On the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a salary payment system, he noted that the platform was ineffective.

Adebola said that the payment platform has brought inconsistency and tears to workers and unions in tertiary institutions.

“The IPPIS which would have been a good system for union dues remittance is ineffective and full of fraudulent activities. There are lots of irregularities and short payments of union dues.

“A lot of branches in the FCT council are facing pending and unresolved issues with the IPPIS despite all the efforts to ensure corrections.

“We, therefore, appeal to the government to scrap IPPIS and replace it with a better system of unified payment.

“A lot of our members’ dues deductions are going to other unions’ accounts due to the mistakes of IPPIS,”he said. In his remarks,

Mr Hassan Makolo, National President of NASU commended the giant stride the out-gone exco recorded, cautioned state governments against reducing the number of work days.

Makolo said that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) had prescribed five work days in a week and eight hours per day of work.

“It says any practice that is contrary to the specifications of the ILO is likely going to affect national productivity adversely.

“All we know is that workers are expected to work for five days a week and eight hours per day.

“That ought to be maintained. Now if we reduce the number of workdays, that is going to affect productivity negatively,” he said.

NASU president however faulted the issue of working from home.

He added that, there is no infrastructure to make that happen now, especially with low broadband penetration and epileptic power supply.

He also cautioned labour unions against accepting a reduction of days of work in a week, saying accepting the practice could lead to job loss soon.

“If the number of work days is reduced, it means that government could reduce the workforce by half.

“This is because if tasks that are executed in five days can be done in three days, it will mean that half of the workforce can do the job.

“So, the workers could become endangered species, ‘he said.

He urged the Federal Government to introduce palliatives that will ensure cheaper means of transportation to and from work rather than contemplate a reduction in the number of work days.

He added that what they expect is for government to provide palliatives that will make meaning to the people.

According to him, why can’t the government get buses that can take workers to their workplaces free of any charges to and back?

“So, the manpower that will be lost staying at home can translate that into productivity,”he add. On additional N10,000 to workers’ salaries which some state governments have begun to implement, Makolo said it was wrong.

Read Also: The other side of fuel subsidy removal

“What does N10,000 do to help workers in the present circumstances? I do not like discussing states because the majority of the state governments are not even implementing N30,000 minimum wage as a national law.

“Some of them pay in per cent and not that they will offset the balance at a later date. They are owing the workers in perpetuity,”he added.

Also, Prof. Hussaini Ibrahim Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), urged labour leaders to stand on the cusp of a remarkable juncture.

He said that is where collaboration and dialogue hold the potential to shape the positive trajectory of industrial relations. Ibrahim said that RMRDC was collaborating with labour unions to execute the regular promotion of staff, welfare packages, local and international training for staff of all cadres among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the end of the delegates’ conference, Hassan Gorroh was elected FCT council while Bola Ajayi was returned secretary.

Others include Zakari Tso, who was elected treasurer and Bosun Olajubu that emerged as an executive member of the FCT council.

(NAN)