The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Block terrorists funding sources, NUPENG urges

    Block terrorists funding sources, NUPENG urges

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has implored the Federal Government to block Boko Haram’s sources of financial transactions, fuel supplies, and logistics to forestall further onslaught.

    President of the union, Comrade Igwe Achese, who gave the advice in reaction to recent wave of attacks by the group, which left hundreds of people dead in the northern part of the country, also enjoined the government to re-organise the armed forces to make them fit to face the guerrilla warfare, through adequate training, increase in payment of hazard allowances and other welfare packages to boost their morale.

    He further advised the government to devise a medium and long term plan of action to rejuvenate economic activities in the area, create jobs for the restless youths, with basic education put in place for the many uneducated youths that are used for suicide bombings and killings

    “NUPENG is worried and concerned about the new wave of killings and wanton destruction presently perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgents. The union condemns in its entirety the recent attack on the Redeemed Christian Church in Potiskum, where the Pastor and six worshippers were killed.

    “The union also kicks against the killing of over 100 innocent souls in Zamfara and Plateau States by the insurgents,’’ Achese said.

  • NLC urges Buhari to wade into FMC crisis

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the over six weeks strike embarked up by workers of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, over corruption allegation against its Medical Director (MD), Dr.Angela Uwakwem.

    President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a letter addressed to Buhari, said the situation in the institution has been worsened by the outright refusal of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, to bring to Mr. President’s attention for approval, the Management Board’s resolution which recommended that the MD and the top management proceed on leave to pave the way for a thorough investigation into the matter.

    He said: “You might wish to know, Sir, that a prima facie case of gross financial misconduct and embezzlement has already been established against the Medical Director. This was by way of an illegal withdrawal of personnel costs meant to pay staff promotion arrears for   2013 and 2014, the siphoning of funds meant for the running of the centre through channels of questionable privatisation process of some sections and services rendered by the hospital.

    “It was on the strength of the prima facie case established by the board that the FMC Owerri board halted the privatisation process and passed a resolution that the MD and indicted members of her Top Management Committee (TMC) should proceed on compulsory leave to enable full investigation take place as prescribed by law and the public service rules.”

    Wabba however, said the MD and the compromised members of the TMC have refused to budge, leveraging on their ally, the Permanent Secretary’s cover for their nefarious acts and an utter disregard to the powers and authority of the board of the institution to make recommendations to Mr. President on matters of this nature.

    Wabba said the perpetuation of illegality and illegitimacy by the MD and her team must not be allowed to continue, while the Permanent Secretary must not be allowed to continue to usurp the powers of the President by holding onto the board’s recommendation to Buhari.

    He said: “Our prayer, thus is for  you to urgently step into the matter, and consider and approve as necessary the recommendations of the board or give a directive as you may deem fit in the circumstances.

    “A decisive action, Your Excellency, shall surely restore our confidence that under your watch, it is zero tolerance to corruption and impunity.”

    He urged Buhari to urgently effect the payment of all outstanding entitlements of the affected workers, saying the development would ensure enthronement of greater productivity and better industrial harmony in the Centre.

  • ASCSN opposes ceding of Unity Schools to states

    Public servants, under the auspices of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have expressed concerns over the subtle campaigns by hired analysts urging the present administration to transfer the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to state governments.

    Advising President Muhammadu Buhari to reject such a policy, the National President of the association, Mr Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary-General, Mr Alade Bashir, said those making such moves were not interested in the desires of ordinary Nigerians who voted the administration into office

    The ASCSN stated: “The Union is worried that when we have a new government in place, some Nigerians under the guise of discussing the issue of devolution of power in the country are clamouring for the transfer of Unity Colleges to State Governments.

    “The question to ask is what devolution of power has got to do with ownership of Unity Colleges when education is on the concurrent list of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What manner of a country do we want to run when we engage in the habit of approbating and reprobating on sensitive national issues?”

    Kaigama said moving forward and backward would not help anybody. “Let us take all our institutions as given and service them on a regular basis for the benefit of mankind. You build toll gate today, demolish them tomorrow only for you to come back later and start toying with the idea of rebuilding them,” he stated.

    Insisting that there is the need to get serious for once and move the country forward, he noted that the idea of selling the national assets and heritage is only being driven by selfish motive and interest, and that it is not the way to go.

    ASCSN recalled that in 2005 when the then Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, acting on official directive, mooted the idea, millions of Nigerians overwhelmingly opposed the move while the union carried out seven-week strike throughout the Federation to forestall the plan.

    “Besides, how can anyone in his or her right senses be advising the Federal Government to hand over the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to state governments that cannot pay salaries to their workers and whose primary and secondary schools are in shamble,” the union queried.

  • ILO holds conference on better future at work

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with some universities, will today in Geneva, discuss policies for a better future at work.

    The Fourth Conference on regulating for decent work: Developing and implementing policies for a better future at work (RDW), according to the global body, will focus on four key issues, namely shaping the future of work in modern societies, protecting workers, securing income, regulating labour markets and reaching out to vulnerable workers.

    The ILO said the meeting is coming at a time economic and social crisis reached global scale with destructively high unemployment, expanding precarious work, growing numbers of working poor and rising inequality.

    “While reforms in policies and institutions that would counteract these trends have yet to materialise, the conference discussed ways to overcome these policy failures, which have triggered a broader unease about the future of work”, the statement said.

  • ‘Stop casualisation’

    The Zonal Director, South west, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Ifeoma Igweze-Anyanwutaku, has urged employers to desist from retaining workers as casuals for too long.

    She reminded the employers that the law required them to retain casual workers for not less than six months, after which they are bound to either make them permanent staff or disengage them.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos, the director said denying workers the privilege of becoming permanent staff was tantamount to slave labour.

    Igweze-Anyanwutaku urged them to promote harmony with other stakeholders and maintain an atmosphere of industrial peace through continuous engagement of workers in social dialogue.

    She said: “The issue of casualisation remains a great concern to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity as the ministry continues to admonish employers against prolonged retention of workers as casuals or temporary workers as such a practice is against the nation’s extant labour laws. Aside the legal angle, there are also moral issues involved in such a practise as it is tantamount to exploitative and slave labour.”

  • Implement Uwais Report, labour urges

    THE organised labour has said the implementation of the Justice Muhammad Uwais Report will boost credibility  during elections.

    Speaking at a dinner in honour of the former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Dr. Ayuba Wabba said  the non-establishment of courts to try electoral offenders, recommended by the committee, would continue to encourage politicians and their agents to flout electoral laws.

    Wabba, who praised Jega for the ‘good job’ he did in INEC in the five years he held sway, in the Commission, however, charged President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Jega with a person of similar integrity.

    He said the president should appoint such a Nigerian to consolidate on the reforms by Jega.

    He said: ‘’We, like other Nigerians, hope that the benchmark set by Comrade Jega as INEC Chairman will be emulated by whomever Mr. President will appoint to replace him. Much as we would have been happy to lead the campaign for Jega to be re-appointed as chairman for the second tenure, we respect his decision to move on.

    “Organised labour and Nigerians also expect that anyone coming after Jega, as chairman of INEC, should know that Nigerians will not accept a reversal of the progress made in the 2015 general elections, where the will of the people truly reflected in the ballot.”

    He said Nigerians were aware of the electoral challenges, noting that politicians would not stop rigging elections except the government put in place a strong legal framework.

    “It is not yet uhuru, as long as the reforms can be reversed. We look forward to an INEC that will arrange seamless continuous registration of voters once they turn 18 and of voting age; we look forward to increasing use of technology in our electoral process, among others,” he stressed.

    The NLC helmsman expressed hope that those taking over from Jega would work on the harmonisation of Nigeria’s data base in such a way that the national identity card could be acceptable for voting.

    He said the former INEC boss succeeded because he was a labour leader, who came into national limelight in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as President during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.

    He also recalled that Jega served in the Justice Muhammad Uwais Electoral Reform Committee.

    Wabba added: “The wide acclaim by Nigerians of all persuasion on the outcome of the work of the Committee of 22 eminent persons, of which the NLC had a representative, attests to the integrity and patriotism of members of the Committee and their commitment to the ideals of democracy.

    “Though a number of the key recommendations in the Report of the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee were not taken on board by the Government, the appointment of Prof. Jega as INEC Chairman was a turning point in the history of INEC under the current democratic dispensation and in the annals of Nigeria’s electoral experience since independence.”

    He noted that the reforms, which the Jega-led INEC brought to the organisation led to the breakthroughs Nigeria witnessed in the last general elections. This, he said, showed that in spite of the impediments in the electoral laws, which led to electoral failures in the past, with a committed, patriotic and honest disposition, Jega succeded.

    The NLC chief maintained that the  internal reforms at INEC brought by Jega helped to redeem Nigeria’s image, as the country is no longer one of those “basket cases,” as far as credible elections are concerned.

  • Workers condemn attack on worship centres

    Organised Labour has expressed concern over the new wave of killings and destruction by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) condemned the recent attack on the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Potiskum, Yobe State, where the pastor and six worshippers were killed.

    The union also kicked against the killing of over 100 innocent souls in Zamfara and Plateau states by the insurgents.

    NUPENG President Comrade Igwe Achese called on the Buhari administration to launch a new offensive to dislodge the insurgents from their various camps scattered around the Sambisa Forest.

    “The union sympathises with the families of the deceased and wants the Federal Government to allow the people of the Northeast feel the movement of the Army High Command to Maiduguri.

    “The union calls for more funding, use of sophisticated weapons and modern scientific methods in tracking the insurgents and their sponsors. The union wants the Federal Government to block the sources of their financial transactions, fuel supplies, logistics to forestall further onslaught,” Achese said.

    Achese said the union was disturbed and wanted Boko Haram’s resurgence nipped in the bud, with the co-operation of Cameroun, Niger and Chad.

    The President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, who also expressed shock, said the government should also devise a medium and long term plan of action to rejuvenate economic activities in the area, create jobs for the restless youth, with basic education put in place for the many uneducated youths that are used for suicide bombings and killings.

    He said the union believes that efforts must be made to re-organise the Armed Forces to make them fit to face the guerrilla warfare, through adequate training, increase in payment of hazard allowances and other welfare packages to boost their morale.

    “We are shocked by this brazen and ferocious savagery and saddened by the seeming helplessness of our security forces.

    “The Congress appreciates the challenges of our intelligence and security forces by way of a porous border, large and uncharted expanse of land, and an extremely difficult terrain, but finds unacceptable this level of mindless violence and the response of our security forces,’’ he said.

    The international rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), also condemned the recent attacks by the Boko Haram sect in some Northeastern states of the country.

    Nigeria Researcher, HRW, Ms Mausi Segun urged the Federal Government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

    He called on the government to protect the lives of citizens in vulnerable communities in the Northeast and to rescue the scores of girls taken captive by the insurgents in the past few weeks.

    “These measures must be carried out in ways that do not further jeopardise the rights and safety of members of those communities. All those responsible for these horrific crimes must be brought to justice as soon as possible,” Segun said.

    He called on the government to change its strategies in tackling the insurrection.

  • ‘Basic registry to generate 10m jobs’

    A consultant to the National Population Commission, Dr Anthony Uwa, has said the implementation of Basic Registry and Information System in Nigeria (BRISIN) will generate over 10 million jobs and enhance economic development.

    He told reporters in Abuja that BRISIN, also known as the National Integrated Data and Information Infrastructure (NIDII), would enhance economic development if effectively implemented.

    According to him, BRISIN is the panacea for the nation’s socio-economic and environmental crisis.

    Uwa said BRISIN would give the managers of economic policies a clear vision and knowledge of how to get things done.

    He explained that the programme would create over 10 million jobs in a few years when fully implemented.

    “BRISIN is a job creator and when embraced by any nation, it would enable it to create a lot of jobs because all aspects of its sectors will be monitored by the programme.

    “BRISIN is an infrastructure a country can build from the local, state and federal governments that will give it opportunities of knowing her economy as well if it is well planned,’’ he said.

    He added that with data and information, ministries, agencies and departments would benefit from the project.

    He said past administrations failed in their various policies because they did not have BRISIN that would have guided them to plan and execute their policies.

    He listed lack of publicity, funding, and delay by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is the pilot state, to provide facilities for the start of the programme, as challenges facing BRISIN.

  • Recall sacked workers, TUC urges Wike

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to recall the sacked 344 lecturers, and others employed at the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori, since September 2014 by the immediate past administration led by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.

    TUC said the priority of his leadership now should be good governance that would transform the state.

    The Congress in a statement by its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and Secretary General, Comrade Musa Lawal, expressed shock and disappointment at the news of the sack, especially because of the grave consequences it portends for the affected workers, their dependants and the society at large.

    The labour centre noted that the governor’s actions could most likely be the fall-out of the political acrimony that traversed the period before and during the recent elections in the state, saying that all such considerations ought to have gone with that period. TUC advised the governor to make good governance a priority.

    According to the Congress, “Nigerians have become increasingly interested in public affairs and impatient for good governance because of years of unfulfilled promises by their leaders. They are much wiser now and can no longer be fooled and impoverished by a minute percentage of the populace.”

    TUC argued that many of the people whose appointments the governor terminated probably voted for him. “How will they explain to their friends, family members and associates that the man they so much believed in and voted for has relieved them of their jobs in spite of the fact that job creation and provision of infrastructure were among his campaign promises,” they queried.

    The congress called on government at all levels in the country to eschew politics of bitterness. It observed that government is a continuum, and any useful project embarked on by a preceding administration should not be done away with so as not to waste taxpayers’ money that has been expended on it.

  • Fuel subsidy: NLC denies making presentation to Buhari

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denied making any presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari on fuel subsidy removal.

    Its factional President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke to reporters on the controversial statement made by the Comrade Joe Ajaero faction of the NLC said: “We would want to state unequivocally that at no time has any one consulted us on the issue of the removal of fuel subsidy.

    “We are certainly not party to this and no one should put words in our mouth. Our position on the issue of the removal of fuel subsidy is unwavering. We recognise the corruption in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry orchestrated by government agencies in collusion with big-time business persons together with whom they have formed a cartel.”

    He said labour strongly beleives that in order to deal with this situation effectively, government needs to break up the cabal by opening up the downstream sector to fair competition governed by ethics.

    He recalled that the mass protest in January 2012 against an increase in prices of petroleum products opened up a can of worms in the sector, prompting legal proceedings against some of the culprits. “Till this moment, in spite of overwhelming and incontrovertible evidence against the culprits, nothing has been heard about the case(s); yet it was a prime opportunity for government to demonstrate its fight against corruption through diligent prosecution,” he said.

    Comrade Wabba urged Buhari to muster the political will by not only opening up the sector to fair competition, but also ensuring diligent prosecution of all the accused. He said labour remained convinced that the real solution to the crisis in the sector lies in ensuring that domestic refining is promoted.

    He noted that this could only be achieved if new refineries are built and the four existing ones made to produce at installed capacity, thus doing away with the need for importation of refined petroleum products. He also said new pipelines should be laid and the old ones refurbished to efficiently channel the products to all parts of the country instead of relying on carriage by tankers on the already over-burdened roads.

    The jobs of workers in the oil and gas industry, he said, must not be adversely affected by the removal of subsidy. “And, of course, there must be clear and well-thought-out palliatives relating to transportation and other social services as would be necessary for ameliorating the effects of subsidy removal on the masses,” Wabba added.