The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), immediate past president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and others across have paid tribute to the former NLC president, Ali Chiroma, who passed away recently at 91.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero said: “He has left a void in the annals of the labour movement that will be deeply felt for generations to come.
“Beyond his role as a labour leader, Chiroma was a symbol of integrity, courage and compassion. His selfless service to humanity and unwavering commitment to the ideals of justice and equality have left an indelible mark on our collective conscience.’’
TUC’s President, Festus Osifo, added: “He supported other mass organisations such as the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), which had to organise a national strike against the regime.”
Wabba stated: “The loss of Comrade Chiroma is deeply felt not only by his immediate family but also by the wider labour community in Nigeria and beyond.
“His leadership during the resistance against the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) under General Babangida’s administration showcased his resilience in the face of adversity.
“Comrade Chiroma led from the front and refused to shy away from speaking truth to power. He made a lot of sacrifices for the progress, unity, and solidarity of the labour movement from his mother union, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, where he rose to the pinnacle of his career. I am privileged to drink from the fountain of wisdom of a great iroko.’’
Wabba emphasised that Chiroma’s accomplishments, institutional impact, and profound contributions to the task of nation-building form a legacy written in gold and etched in the sand dunes of time, forever.
Speaking with The Nation, the President of ASSBIFI, Comrade Olusoji Oluwole said the issue of job loss may happen as a result of merger and acquisition, adding that this cannot be over rule.
He said: “We are aware that there may be job loss and this is due to various factors. The first thing was that if banks are merging, there may be duplication of roles. The second issue will be that they may have an enlarged staff number that they may probably want to reduce. We recognise that fact.
“Now, the moment CBN announces capitalisation, we, as a union, immediately reached out to CBN , expressing our concern about job loss. And this is as a result of our experience in 2005.
“So, we wrote to the CBN and notified our labour centre. We stated that the issues of those staff need to be recognised and taken into consideration when decisions are being taken. And where for any reason, anybody is going to be affected,then they must be adequately compensated according to the labour laws and that of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that speaks about disengagement.
“Merger and acquisition was a big deal in the 2005 exercise. Most of the banks then were just or slightly above N25 billion capital base. Moving from N2 billion to N25 billion was a big deal in 2005. But between 2005 and now, all the banks have raised their capital. I will doubt if there is still any bank today that is still operating on N25 billion capital. Efforts have been made by many banks to shove up their capital base. So fast forwarding, we have about 25 banks operating in Nigeria. We cannot discount the possibility of merger and acquisition”.
Oluwole said recapitalisation on it own is a very good development and it is long over due after the last exercise in 2005.
He said i will make the economy and banking industry stronger.
“It will make banks carry our bigger business transactions and it will positively affect the economy.
“On the exclusion of Retained Earning (REs) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), we are waiting as things unfold. But, sincerely, I don’t see it as a big deal. The CBN circular gave various options to banks, which they didn’t have in 2005. There were no such opportunities in 2005.
“Going back memory lane, in 2005, lots of banks were just going into public for the first time. They all depended on private business. But now, CBN said you could go to the stock market, right issues and you also bring in foreign debt.
“All these are open to banks. Don’t also forget that CBN gives two years’ grace. It gives them lots of opportunities, which I know most of them have started doing since last year.
Another thing was that banks have the opportunity to either downgrade or upgrade their licences. Today, we have regional banks, national banks, and micro finance banks. And all of them have their rules and capital base. So, some banks that may not meet up may want to downgrade ,” he said.
Speaking of the recent hike in interest rate by the Monetary Policy Committee(MPC), he said a hike in the interest rate by the government is always an attempt to mop up the excess liquidity.
According to him , CBN is doing this to fight inflation.
“So, when there is a hike in interest rate, it means people readily move their idle money into banks. When you take money into banks, it reduces purchasing power and there will be reduction in the demand for goods and services. Now, on the other side, it means that it will reduce borrowing for things that don’t add value.
“Inability by the manufacturers to access loans can be due to various factors. Don’t forget that CBN has mandated banks to give out a certain percentage as loan from their deposit. Any bank that fails to meet up will have their balance taken out. So, the best option for every bank is to give out the money as a loan. The question we should ask is that those that want to collect loans from the bank, did they meet up?, “ he asked.
On the his assessment of government monetary policy and other policies , he said government is beginning to get it right. He ,however, said there should be more synergy between the CBN and the Ministry of Finance.
His words: “Although this government started on a shaky ground. There are lots of trial and errors. But right now, we think the government is beginning to get it right. However, we have not publicly seen enough synergy between the CBN and Finance Ministry. Constantly, we have the CBN Governor coming out to address issues, to make pronouncements, and pass out circulars. But, we are yet to see such from the Ministry of Finance. Probably, there are things that are going on internally. But information is key. It will be good if both can come out and address issues periodically, so that we will know that they are on the same page.
“One of the best ways to address the rise in unemployment is for the government to come up with policies that will save and encourage entrepreneurs.
“Currently, there are issues such as poor infrastructure, multiple taxation, excessive regulations and security concerns that deter many companies from thriving. It is crucial for the government to invest in these areas and provide the necessary resources.
“As a union, we have observed the alarming trend of our intelligent youths migrating to other countries, creating a significant gap in Nigeria’s business environment.This phenomenon is, particularly, concerning the financial sector, which relies on integrity and experience.The departure of experienced professionals has a negative impact on our sector and the economy as a whole.
“To address this, we are developing programmes to attract and retain talented youths in our country.
“Also, we urge the government to take action by creating an environment that encourages professionals to stay, and also by implementing measures to bring back those who have left”.
Oluwole said casualisation in the industry is a major challenge. He said casual workers in the institutions were inadequately compensated in terms of salaries and allowances.
“But, today, we have a guideline to regulate conditions of employment of non-permanent employees in the sector. With this guideline, the non-permanent employee can pursue a career line, unionise and draw from benefits of collective bargaining agreements,” he said.
Workers in the oil and gas sector have called for a comprehensive approach that includes improving environmental depredations, investing in social infrastructure and strengthening security measures to address the challenges. TOBA AGBOOLA writes.
Miffed by the challenges in oil and gas, workers in the sector have called for the deepening of private sector participation to address them.
Expressing the concerns at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja, the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, lamented the challenges that are hindering the growth and development of the industry.
Osifo noted that the sector suffers from a lack of adequate infrastructure, including refineries, pipelines, storage facilities, and transport networks.
“This leads to a heavy reliance on imports of refined petroleum products, making the country more vulnerable to price fluctuations in the international market and increasing cost of energy,” he said.
Other canker worms infesting the sector, the PENGASSAN boss said, lie in security issues, namely, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and attacks on oil installations that are “a constant occurrence”.
He continued: “These acts of sabotage disrupt production and result in revenue losses for the government and oil companies. Emphasising the need for more proactive measures to combat the challenges, Osifo said the presence of armed groups, insurgent activities and organised high-power stealing further exacerbates the security challenges.’’
While he praised the passage of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Act (NOGIC) in 2010, saying it has promoted local content participation in the industry, he, however, expressed dismay that the country was still far from implementing the law to the letter.
According to him, “To promote sustainable growth, it is crucial to increase local content development and provide training and capacity-building opportunities for Nigerian professionals and entrepreneurs in the industry.”
But, he commended the recent presidential order that incentivises investments in oil and gas, noting that it “is a welcome development”.
Reducing national debt profile
On the riding of the debt profile, Osifo said the menace of our borrowings and the consequent increasing debt profile, at the federal and state levels, is a time bomb with highly catastrophic implications.
He said: “It is worse that these borrowings are not invested judiciously or with proper accountability. Countries that have benefited from debts and improved their economies did so because they borrowed with purpose and accounted for that purpose with returns to offset their loans. The borrowing rate calls for deep concern, especially with the reported increase in FAAC allocations and internally generated revenue.
“The increased debt profile approaching over N107 trillion, with no corresponding evidence of proper use of the loans is a show of purposeless borrowings and a speedy destruction of our tomorrow and this should be halted.”
Subsidising the cost of living
Osifo said as the cost of living continues to escalate, the federal and state governments have expressed their commitment to offer palliatives and subsidies to alleviate the financial burden on citizens.
“We are worried about the implementation of targeted subsidies tailored to the specific needs of each state. While the government’s intentions to help alleviate the burden of the cost of living on Nigerian citizens are noble, we must also be mindful of the potential implications of such a subsidy. It is important that we carefully consider the long-term effects of this policy and explore alternative solutions that can address the root causes of poverty and inequality in our society as giving handouts alone cannot completely solve the problem,” he added.
The leadership of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) yesterday directed its members who are field engineers to embark on an indefinite strike.
In a statement, the General Secretary of the union, Comrade Okonu Abdullah, said the decision became inevitable because the sub-contractors, Reime Group, All Streamenergy Solutions Limited, Uppercrest Limited, Tyllium Nigeria Limited and Specific Tools and Techniques Limited whose workers were said to be working on projects won by Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, had continued to make life miserable for these workers.
Okonu said: “These workers are working like slaves in their own country with no entitlements commensurate with their efforts paid to them. They are made to work without work hours and risk their lives going to the field in the wee hours of the night without adequate security provided for them.
“Some of their demands from these companies are as follows: Immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the Union; Immediate recognition of the Union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare; Immediate remittance of membership dues into the Union’s account as earlier provided; Immediate regularisation of the employment of Union members on the Huawei Projects and the involvement of the Union in the process; Commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, among others.’’
Okonu said efforts by the Union and the Ministry of Labour and Employment to resolve the concerns of the Union and its members proved abortive as the companies failed to attend conciliatory meetings.
“It is in the light of this that the leadership of the Union directed its members to commence an indefinite strike. We implore Nigerians to bear with us during the period of the strike and its attendant discomfort it may bring to them,” he added.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has urged the leadership of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for increased support for youth employment and social security in Nigeria.
She is pushing for the engagements of Nigerians at the international body.
Onyejeocha made the call when she met with ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, in Geneva, Switzerland, during the 350th session of its Governing Body.
The minister, on behalf of Federal Government, congratulated Houngbo as the first African DG of the ILO after over 100 years of its establishment, assuring him of President Tinubu’s support and cooperation on strategic partnership.
She commended Houngbo’s achievements, which include promoting social justice and fighting inequalities in the world of work and ILO’s successful implementation of programmes in Nigeria, particularly those focused on youth employment, a key priority for President Bola Tinunu’s administration.
According to a statement signed by her Special Adviser on Media, Emameh Gabriel, Onyejeocha said: “We are seeing your handwork on labour relations and we are proud of you as the first African DG after 100 years. We will be requiring technical assistance from you in the departments in our ministry, especially in the areas of digitalisation.
“Nigeria is the second highest African contributor to the ILO budget (next to South Africa), thus the need to be more involved and strategically placed in the ILO. We, therefore, specially request that more Nigerian professionals be employed into the ILO to bridge the under-representation of Nigeria in the ILO workforce, both locally and internationally.”
The minister further informed the DG that Nigeria is vying for re-election into the Governing Board of the ILO as Regular Member for the 2024-2027 triennium and covets the support of the ILO.
She noted that Nigeria contributes the second-highest amount among African nations to the ILO budget and requested increased collaboration and representation, more technical support for the development of youth employment programmes and skills development initiatives.
Also, Onyejeocha requested the ILO’s assistance in upgrading the ILO office in Abuja to a ‘decent work office,’ serving English-speaking West Africa; developing action plans for the implementation of recently ratified ILO Conventions; digitalising and strengthening the country’s labour inspection system; building capacity for Nigerian labour ministry officials and increase in the number of Nigerian professionals employed by the ILO.
The minister also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with the ILO to promote decent work and social justice for all Nigerians.
The DG extolled Onyejeocha and Nigerians at the ILO, saying they have made good records of themselves and promised that the body would continue to support the country.
He said: “I am happy to see a woman as a Labour Minister from Nigeria and a former parliamentarian. Extend my greetings to the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu. Your representatives in ILO are doing well and Nigeria as our partner will continue to have our support on labour relations.”
The National Union of Chemical Footwear Rubber Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE) has raised the alarm over the surge in the prices of finished products in nine months.
According to its President, Comrade Goke Olatunji, there has been over 300 per cent hike in the prices of finished products.
“For some months, the price of finished goods has increased by over 300 per cent, in some cases, even more,” he said.
He noted that this was as a result of the unstable foreign exchange rate, as most of the raw materials used by manufacturing companies were imported.
Olatunji said there were some companies operating almost at a loss as they could not even accommodate the increase in the price of the finished goods.
He reasoned that backward integration where the company sourced raw materials might have been the way out, but not for all companies.
“There are specific raw materials used by some companies that cannot be sourced locally, so they have to be imported.
“If such a company imports that material at a higher rate of naira to dollar, by the time they produce, prices will increase exponentially and people who want to buy cannot afford it,” the union’s president said.
He added that the solution to the problem may be multifarious, while the major one to resolve the crisis was for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the government to make forex available to commercial banks.
The NUCFRLANMPE boss added that if the forex were available in commercial banks, it would reduce pressure and ease access by the manufacturing companies rather than sourcing it through third parties, which makes it more expensive.
Praising the efforts of the CBN in the past few weeks at stabilising the forex rate, the labour leader said the action and success recorded should be maintained to turn the nation’s economy around.
“Things are so hard in the country for the common man and most especially the workers who are always at the receiving end of economic policies.
“The government must intensify efforts at relieving the hardship presently in the country. Our manufacturers also must be surely supported to save many jobs,” he maintained.
As more Nigerians continue to seek greener pastures abroad, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has said the challenges of the best hands leaving the country to work overseas are creating a lot of distortion in the production chain of organisations.
Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, who spoke with reporters, said once the best hands leave, the challenges to start recruitment, was also giving most organisations a lot of headaches.
He said this was creating problems for organised businesses because of the investment in equipping them and the recruitment.
Noting that globally, there is a concept of mobility of leaving, stating that as people were leaving, a lot of foreigners were also coming to Nigeria for employment.
However, he said the challenge is when the country’s best brains are leaving, it creates problems for the nation because they are leaving to help develop the economies of the developed nation, which perpetually is keeping the country disadvantaged.
“So, why are those people leaving, the issue of unemployment continues to increase and that is because the businesses that are already on the ground, the environment itself is also squeezing them. It is squeezing them in such a way that even their capacity to produce is not maximised.
“So, if a business is operating at 50 per cent capacity utilisation, some people are not in a position to employ other individuals because they cannot just produce at maximum. If you look at those issues, they are situated in the regulatory environment, the legislative environment and the fiscal and monetary policies that have not favoured the organised private sector for many years,” he said.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has lamented the mismanagement of funds allocated to revive the sector, pointing to past government’s initiatives such as the N100 billion and recent N50 billion Textile Revival Implementation Committee (TRIC), calling for their probe.
Speaking at the 13th National Delegates’ Conference of the National Union of Textiles Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) in Abuja, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, lamented that despite these investments, the industry continues to struggle, prompting questions about the effective utilisation of the funds.
He said: “Nigerians would want to know what happened and why the sector is still struggling, despite the purported injection of these funds,” adding that there was no nation that joked with its textile sector because of its value chain and “the great potential for job creation, both directly and indirectly.
“We remember that the sector employed millions of Nigerians in the over 200 full-fledged textile companies that dotted the landscape proudly utilising our cotton to produce various textile products that were consumed internally and exported to neighbouring countries.”
Ajaero further highlighted the devastating impact of neo-liberal policies on the sector:
“Your union was heavily impacted by the policies of the twin altars – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The neo-liberal ‘marketist’ philosophy opened our economy to all manner of unhealthy competition via imports.
“Finished textile wears and materials poured into our country and this sounded the death knell for our local textile industry.”
Amid these challenges,Ajaero called for a collective action, stressing the need for stakeholders to join hands in rescuing the sector.
He applauded NUTGTWN for its past efforts in advocating workers’ rights and urged the union to continue its pursuit of a sustainable future for the industry.
As Nigerians struggle with the harsh economic realities, families, most especially low-income earners, find it difficult to survive. As a result, many have deployed their young children to assist the family, thereby leading to a significant increase in child and forced labour, TOBA AGBOOLA writes
Under the bridge at the popular Cele Bus stop, along Oshodi/Apapa Expressway sat nine-year-old Kehinde Adeoye. In front of him was a tray of groundnuts. Daily, Kehinde defies either the rain, or scorching sun and risks of either being kidnapped or run over by careless bus drivers to ply her trade at the spot.
As the first child in a family of five, he had to drop out of school because her mother, a widow, could not afford to feed, clothe, or send him and his siblings to school since they lost their father a few years ago.
“On a daily basis, I come here to help my mother because she is a widow. I want to go to school but my mother alone cannot afford it. Many of my friends only come to sell when they are back from school but my situation is far worse than theirs.
“I have to do this every day to help my mother. I lost my father four years ago and there is no one to look after us. Our lives depend solely on this. My mother also hawks cooked food to earn a living,” he said.
No fewer than seven underage children were seen hawking various items ranging from sachet water,oranges, bottled water and bread at the spot as they pace the road, hastening up to attend to bus passengers and commuters who beckoned at them.
There are similar sights at the various traffic points along Apapa/Oshodi Expressway as under-age children slug it out with their counterparts to make ends meet through sales from hawking. These are just a few out of many in Lagos and other parts of the country.
A report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) stated that child and forced labour in the private economy generates about $236 billion in illegal profits yearly.
The report added that the total amount of illegal profits from forced labour had risen by $64 billion (37 per cent) since 2014, a dramatic increase that has been fuelled by a growth in the number of people forced into labour, as well as higher profits generated from the exploitation of victims.
In Nigeria, there is a phenomenal rise in the propensity on the part of families to exploit children they engage as house maids.
Recently, there was a report of a disturbing plight of children given away by their parents into what could easily pass for child slavery. This practice, which has been on for quite a while, reflects all that is wrong with certain aspects of the social system.
The report recounted tales of young Nigerian children between 10 and 13, who were subjected to some of the most demeaning conditions and treatments even as they provide indispensable domestic services to their perceptibly ungrateful employers, in some cases, at laughable pecuniary terms.
According to this report, some of these maids, children in their rights, who need taking care of, but engaged ostensibly as housemaids, are soon turned into sex toys by the male members of the family. In a particular instance, a maid was rendered blind in one eye by her supposed employers for failing to meet set standards in washing a kettle.
There are instances of such cruelty some of which are not reported. However, in what could easily pass for child slavery, parents of the young children collected money from persons in exchange for the services of their children as domestic help. The parents hinge their action on poverty and inability to cater for the family. And so, they sell their children into slavery, without knowing it, and turn a blind eye to the criminal acts of those who soon begin to act in a manner that suggests that they bought the children
The strength and future of any society lies in its ability to promote the health and well-being of its next generation. It has to do with the saying that ‘children are the future leaders’, which means, tomorrow, the children, today, will become parents, citizens and workers.
Sadly, it is no longer news that many children have become breadwinners of their families instead of their parents and guardians being the breadwinners. In the country, and this is pervasive, millions of children are sent out by their parents and guardians to do any job or trade in the name of making money. While it is the responsibility of the country to protect children anywhere in Nigeria, the children have been left on their own.
Child labour has become the order of the day with over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s children involved, according to the ILO.
Corroborating, the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Kachollom Daju, few months ago, said over 43 per cent of children were engaged in child labour. She said this represents between five and 11 years and that they are involved in economic activities, including the worst forms of child labour.
She described child labour as a grave concern that affects millions of children worldwide, denying them of their fundamental rights to education, health, mental and moral development and a childhood free from exploitation.
The PS, however, listed some of the challenges in the elimination of child labour in Nigeria to include poverty, cultural/religious factors, poor educational system, inadequate social protection systems and wrong perception of the negative effects of child labour.
Experts speak
Executive Secretary, Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN), described child labour as any work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity and also harmful to their physical, mental growth and development.
He said child labour perpetuates a cycle of deprivation, depriving children of their right to education, play and a nurturing childhood. It is, therefore, imperative that we recognise the urgent need to dismantle this cycle and create a world where no child is forced to sacrifice their potential for the sake of survival.
According to him, “Data reveals the harsh reality we must confront. The ILO has lamented that about 160 million children are actively engaged in child labour globally. Approximately, 72.1 million African children are estimated to be engaged in child labour and 31.5 million in hazardous work while 15 million child workers are in Nigeria’’.
President, National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees of Nigeria (NUFBTE), Comrade Ibrahim Garuba, notes that the government has not done enough in checkmating child labour that is increasing daily because of harsh economy, which has pushed many families into poverty level.
Garuba said: “As the ILO Convention spelt out what decent work means which includes ability to provide dignity, fair wages, and safe conditions for workers, the Federal Government must work towards giving workers a living wage.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, said the state had been at the forefront of promoting the rights of children in the state.
Omotoso added that the state government has a law against street trading and hawking, and “we have been arresting people and taking them to court”. He, however, noted that some of them were out on the streets because the state population kept increasing everyday.
He said: “If people come into Lagos, they come in droves. That is why we said we would like to have data on the number of people we have in the state so that we can be able to prepare for anybody. But those coming into the state don’t buy the idea because they have the erroneous impression that it is all about taxation, whereas it is not about that. We need data on everybody in Lagos for us to be able to make provisions for everybody in the budget. All these we take out of the streets, some of them have left their home state and some find their way back to the street.
“There is also a criminal angle to it as some use these kids to go and beg and at the end of the day, they collect the proceeds from them. Last year, a lot of such people were jailed, but the thing is that when you’re trying to enforce the law, some of them hide under the umbrella of human rights activists, but in a civilised country it is not allowed for you to use children to beg. We are also encumbered by lack of space, where to keep them because they keep on coming into Lagos. The state is also at the forefront of implementing the child rights law. In Lagos State, anyone who violates the law won’t go unpunished.’’
An Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Lagos State University, Dr Samuel Oluranti, said policymakers must look down and see what they can do to solve the problem of child labour.
He noted the state of the economy is responsible for the increasing rate of children hawking on the streets.
A Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr Charles Umeh, said children of school age who were subjected to child labour lacked emotional growth.
Umeh noted that the children were deprived of some opportunities that affected their development.
He said: “We have emotional development and as children develop, we have some stage theories like cognition, there is a way a child should be handled so that they can develop well in terms of cognition and emotional development. Now when we deprive these children of this opportunity, that means there is going to be some impairment in their development.
“In the case of children hawking the streets, these are children of school age who are supposed to be in school but their parents or principal sent them to the streets to go and hawk for financial purposes. How would that child grow emotionally? They are going to feel detached.That is the beginning of low self-esteem.They start to see something different like they are missing something that makes them not to be like the other person. And low self-esteem is a mediator to so many emotions and mental health issues because a gap has been created in their psyche and that gap must be filled. They look around for someone who is missing such privileges and they meet themselves on the street and develop the street culture. Then that could lead to some of these aberrant behaviours you see in some of them.”
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said the lack of proper mechanisms and resources were not put in place by the government to ensure that children were protected.
Effiong explained that the government did not care about the children or young people in the country with the passage of the Child Rights Act which has been domesticated in every state.
He said: “One would have thought that the proper mechanism and resources would be put in place to ensure that children are protected but that is not the case. What has to happen is for the government to realise its responsibilities to the citizens, particularly children in the state and ensure that they are protected and that their rights are equally respected and enforced. The Child Rights Act needs to be fully implemented. If you look at the acts and laws in various states, there are provisions for enforcement committees and so on that are supposed to be constituted to ensure implementation, but that has not happened. Ministries of welfare and social welfare are supposed to look into this kind of matter but poor implementation, poor funding and lack of political will are what have impeded the implementation of the Child Rights Act.
In commemoration of last year’s World Day Against Child Labour, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also called for policies that would bridge the economic inequality gap to address the increasing rate of child labour across the globe.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who made this known this at the 111th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, said some factors mitigating the issue of child labour in Nigeria include parents not working and some state governments failure to pay the minimum wage
They made the pledge when theywere inaugurated as acting executives of the union to steer its affairs for six month.
In his acceptance speech at the event, the new Acting President of the Union, Comrade Aminu Megbontowon, said the union must move away from its crisis and devote time to extricate the rank and file members who are toiling for survival from the shackles of the hardship.
“The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), a government agency, put inflation at 31.7 per cent, a 50-kg bag of rice sold at N85,000, a five-litre bow of garri was sold at N2,700, a dericca of beans N1,000 while the national minimum wage remained unchanged in the period under review.
“In fact, the working people are really suffering in the midst of abundance both natural and human resources God freely gave our country.
“There is no time more than this to resolve our age-long crisis and move ahead to serve our members who have been deprived of improved working condition through self-serving agenda of those who occupied the leadership of union since 2019.
“As you are aware, our administration is a child of necessity and it is time bound of not more than six months, we wish to reiterate our commitment to this mandate,” he said.
He said the union shall continue to promote decent work agenda with decent pay, adding that workers create wealth and must be allowed to benefit from the wealth they create.
His words: “We will off-set all accumulated salary arrears in the next few months; we will also look at staff members of the national secretariat those are due for promotion and they will be promoted accordingly. Gone are the days, where favouritism, nepotism and tribal sentiment were the order of the day in NUSDE. We wish to assure our staff of prompt payment of salary and will attend to their welfare.
“We shall look at the past accounts and check finances of the union; if need be, we shall invite the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to help in recovering our money from those who defrauded the union to serve as deterrent to others who may likely wish to follow same line in the future; we must come out clean.”
Also, Chairman, Concerned Members of the union, Comrade Timothy Agboola, urged the new executives to redouble their efforts so that the union could achieve the desired objectives of core unionism.
“It is our ultimate hope that they will revive the fortunes of the union. They have just six months to carry out the assignment before them,” he said.
The new executives include Acting National President, Comrade Aminu Megbotowon; Acting National Deputy President, Comrade Ejike Nnmani Bethran; Acting National Vice Presidents: Comrade Philip Damisah, Comrade Tony Kwemtua; and Comrade Michael Efrunu.
Others are Acting National Treasurer, Comrade Lamina Taiwo; Acting National Signing Trustee, Comrade Freedom Chinedu; Acting National Auditor, Comrade Wasilat Popoola; and Acting General Secretary, Comrade Augustine Nnwakolam.
