The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Experts advise organisations on human capital development

    Organisations have been urged to adopt new strategies and approaches that focus more on developing human capital, to close the huge gap  in business performance potential.

    Human Resources experts who spoke at the third edition of the Deloitte’s Talent Management Platform (DTMP) and launch of its 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report, held recently in Lagos, noted that investment in human capital was the single most-effective way of not only promoting growth, but also distributing its benefits fairly.

    They further asserted that such investments would guarantee and promote better leadership, more effective management, better decision making and a greater return on investments (RoI).

    Speaking on the theme: “Rewriting the Rules for Digital Age,” consulting partner, Deloitte West Africa, Joseph Olofinsola, said as human capital experts, representing various organisations, there was the need to keep rewriting the rules of the practice through recruitment, promotion and discipline to attain and sustain the desired growth in the economy.

    He maintained that the new rules reflect the shift in mindset, behaviour and actions required to lead, organise, motivate, access, manage and engage the 21st century workforce.

    “The workforce is changing. It is more digital, more global, diverse, automation-savvy and social media proficient. At the same time, business expectations, needs, and demands are evolving faster than ever before. While some view this as a challenge, we see it as an opportunity to reinvent HR, talent and organisational practice.

    Also, as an opportunity to create platforms, processes and tools that will continue to evolve and sustain their value overtime. An opportunity to take the lead in what will likely be among the most significant changes to the workforce that we have seen,” he said.

    According to Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte West Africa, Fatai Folarin who was represented by Femi Abegunde, more than ever before, firms and institutions must recognise the importance of human capital as a critical first step in tapping into unrecognised potential.

    “At Deloitte, we focus on helping our clients achieve organisational excellence by improving their operational performance and developing their people. Organisations can continue to grow only if they have competent people.

    Consequently, organisations must value and invest in people because they are a unique asset to greater heights,” he stated.

    Panelists at the event were sector leaders such as Executive Director, Human Resources, Mobil Producing, Udom Inoyo, Human Resources Director, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc., Wale Adediran, Head, Corporate Services, AIICO Insurance, Mrs Phil Maduagwu and Human Resources Director, Airtel Nigeria, Gbemiga Owolabi, among others.

  • Textile workers appeal to govt to reopen moribund factories

    Textile workers appeal to govt to reopen moribund factories

    The Nigeria Union of Textile Garment Workers (NUTGW) has appealed to the Kaduna State Government to ensure the reopening of shut textile industries and payment of workers’ gratuity.

    Its Deputy Secretary-General   Comrade Dele Ojo, urged the government  to reopen the  factories in the interest of the people.

    He said: “People are suffering; those displaced when the factories were closed are still in trouble. Even though we do not have the statistics as to how many have lost their lives, we know the situation is such that everybody is concerned about the welfare of the people that were displaced as a result of the closure.”

    Ojo said the union was always in touch with workers of the closed textile factories with a view to finding solutions to their plight.

    “The union has been doing a lot in terms of advocacy to draw government’s attention to the plight of the industry and our campaign has made it possible for UNTPL to be reopened because of the provisions of the Bank of Industry (BoI) with a current work force of about 1,500,” he said.

    On Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL), he said: “We were told recently that the management has been able to woo some investors from Turkey, who were interested in making military uniforms. We were told that they have gotten to the stage where investors have shown interest and that they only needed the cooperation of the Ministries of Defence and Interior to give them the go ahead so that they can float a garment factory there.”

    Ojo noted that these were reassuring information, which the union believed would help it get those factories to reopen. He said if this happened, some of the workers would be re-engaged and the issue of payment of their entitlement may also come to bear.

    On FINETEX and NOTEX, Ojo said there was an erroneous belief that their gratuity had not been paid, but because of all the union’s efforts, it was able to convince the chairman of the company, Alhaji Dantata, who made available about N250million for the workers’ gratuity.

    He said this has been paid to the workers. “It is not fair for anyone to claim that NOTEX and FINETEX gratuity had not been paid because it has been addressed,” Ojo clarified.

    On Arewa Textile, he said, “The major problem they have was with Union Bank. We were told that the bank has recovered so much from Arewa Textiles in terms of the debt owed them and we were thinking that the bank would be sympathetic to the workers in carrying out the burden of gratuity for the workers.”

  • NUPENG demands local govt autonomy

    NUPENG demands local govt autonomy

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called on the Federal Government to give autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country.

    In a statement by its President, Comrade Igwe Achese, the union said it believed that  local governments autonomy would ensure   accountability and  rapid infrastructural development.

    He said the autonomy would make the local government chairmen and councillors more responsive and acceptable to the people at the grassroots.

    The union condemned in its entirety the action of governors, who allegedly remove duly elected local government chairmen and councillors at will, noting that granting them autonomy would put a stop to it.

    NUPENG also said the autonomy would make sure that direct allocation from the Federation Account are paid directly to local governments, thereby putting a stop to the hijack by governors.

    The union said such direct allocations to the local government chairmen and councillors would ensure prompt payment of salaries and allowances to workers as at when due.

    NUPENG, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently revisit the issue and grant local governments full autonomy to guarantee grassroot development.

  • Labour rejects calls for Queen’s College’s privatisation

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has flayed calls by the President of Queen’s College Old Students Association, Mrs. Frances Ajose, seeking Queen’s College’s privatisation.

    ASCSN Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, regretted that the outbreak of diarrhoea in the school, provided impetus for renewed calls for the privatisation of Unity Schools.

    “In a normal society, what should concern genuine patriots, including old students, is to see how the health issues in Queen’s College can be brought under control.

    “But in Nigeria, since the eyes of the elite have always been on how to sell the 104 Federal Unity Colleges to themselves in the name of privatisation, the diarrhoea outbreak in Queen’s College had provided another opportunity for their self-serving agenda,” the Union lamented.

    The ASCSN said those, including old students of the Unity Colleges, who wished to own secondary schools, should set up their own instead of using every opportunity to start campaigns that Unity Colleges should be turned into their private estates.

    It added that the 104 Federal Unity Colleges had continued to excel at examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

    “The Unity Colleges were set up in the 1960s by the then Tafawa Balewa Government to act as unifying institutions for children and staff from various parts of the country apart from being models for secondary education in the country.

    ‘‘Since inception in 1966, the Federal Unity Colleges, which had increased from three when it first started to 104 as at today, have continued to fulfil those objectives,” ASCSN pointed out.

    It added that it was, therefore, surprising that instead of nurturing the ideals of the founding fathers of the Federal Unity Colleges, some unpatriotic persons are bent on converting the schools and the vast expense of land thereof, into their private property.

    The ASCSN recalled that few years ago, it embarked on about seven-week strike to prevent the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from auctioning the schools allegedly to its cronies.

  • NDE begins online registration of unemployed persons

    NDE begins online registration of unemployed persons

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun the online registration of unemployed persons.

    The purpose of the exercise is to develop a database of unemployed persons and provide scientific evidence on the character, nature and trends of unemployment.

    NDE Acting Director-General, Kunle Obayan,  represented by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations,Edmund Onwuliri, said in Abuja that the exercise was part of the directorate’s mandate of designing skill sets to suit various types of unemployed persons.

    He said the framework for the online registration, handled by the directorate, has been completed and ready for launch.

    “The online portal, which went live last week, is designed to capture the relevant details of every unemployed person. It will equally serve as a job exchange portal that will link job seekers and employers, he said.”

    He said there was a practical demonstration of the workings of the portal at the NDE stand at the  28th edition of the Enugu International Trade Fair, adding that the portal could be accessed on: www.jobsforall.ng.

    Onwuliri explained that the directorate saw the initiative as a bold step towards deepening the effectiveness of its employment creation strategies and critical input into the process of designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programmes and schemes adding that the online portal would serve as meeting point for job seekers and employers, thereby reducing the cumbersome process of recruitment among employers of skilled labour in the private and public sectors.

    In a related development, the Obayan said the NDE has, over a period of one year, trained 15,343 persons in vocational, agricultural and entrepreneurial skills.

    Speaking  at the  NDE special day  of the Enugu International Trade Fair, Obayan said: “We have reasons to rejoice in the strength of our four core programmes, namely: Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Rural Employment Promotion (REP) and Special Public Works (SPW) Programmes.”

    He said the faithful implementation of the directorate‘s employment creation programmes had, to a reasonable extent, reduced the level of despair and disillusionment associated with unemployment in Nigeria.

    “The realities of economic recession and evidences of breakthroughs emanating from self-employment initiatives have reinforced our belief in the efficacy of skills acquisition training, which globally, has demystified the seemingly intractable challenges of unemployment and poverty,’’ he said.

    To further deepen the effectiveness of its employment creation strategies, according to Obayan, the NDE after completing the framework for the online registration of unemployed persons in Nigeria had commenced the actual registration of the unemployed nationwide.

    “I am glad to announce that a work-station is functional at the NDE stand at this fair from where any unemployed person can register. Other Nigerians can avail themselves of this service by logging on to www.jobsforall.ng.

    Obayan said the NDE considered this as a very critical input into its process of designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all programmes and schemes.

    “Unemployed Nigerians are expected to register on the portal, which has the capacity to serve a job exchange linking employers and job seekers having fully been hosted,” he said.

  • Bridging the labour skills gap

    Bridging the labour skills gap

    Why are many graduates unemployed? It is because their qualifications and skills do not match job market needs. To address the imbalance, some stakeholders in the public and private sectors are collaborating to hone job seekers’ skills through training, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    His position resonates with those of  resource experts and employers that many Nigerian graduates are unemployable. Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation & Employment Dr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti has never hidden his fear that many training institutions are churning out graduates whose skills do not match what the labour market wants.

    His position is in sync with the notion that the country’s youth unemployment scourge could be traced to the obvious mismatch between what employers need and what the nation’s tertiary institutions are pushing out.

    The commissioner was emphatic that tackling rising unemployment required a comprehensive reform of the education system in a manner that will produce graduates with qualifications and skills that match the needs of the job market. He said if the job market is incapable of offering sufficient opportunities for the country’s unemployed youths because of skills mismatch, “then it’s time to turn to alternative solution by horning the skills of youths, through deliberate training, to suit market or employers’ needs.”

    According to Durosinmi-Etti, the ministry is working with development partners to offer courses on employability and entrepreneurial skills. He said last week the state’s employability skills programme was targeted 400  people  get jobs after acquiring new skills.

    The programme, he said, focuses on soft skills, preparing Curriculum Vitae (CVs), interviewing for jobs, and learning how to design or look at the feasibility of a business project.

    The commissioner did not stop there. He said alongside offering skills courses, the ministry has gone a notch higher by setting up a state-wide  network of  job registration and counselling centres to help youths consider career options, adjust to the realities of the job market as well as find local employment and training opportunities. He said the purpose of the project was to make sure youths get access to the information they need to make carefully and consciously planned choices for their future.

    The ministry’s programmes, Durosinmi-Etti added, also aimed at helping to create level playing field for unemployed graduates who do not have personal connections through friends and family members to secure their dream jobs or rise to top positions when they get one. The project involves a broad package of supportive measures including career guidance, trainings, active job search support and work experience programmes.

    The commissioner, however, stressed the need for training and mindset shifts not only among youths, but also among government officials in business management. This, he said, entails strengthening the skills of young entrepreneurs through training and mentorship as well as providing financial support. He said Lagos State was ready to work with employers in managing and strengthening the education and training system to adapt curricula quickly to meet changing skill demands.

    Such cooperation, he added, should develop at all levels, including tertiary institutions, and cover short-term training to address swiftly skill deficits. It is also to support high-quality career guidance to help people make well-informed choices about their learning and careers, with digital entrepreneurship as an important part of this effort.

    Durosinmi-Etti said the state government was dedicated to enhancing digital entrepreneurship by bringing  together large corporations, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), trade unions, civil society, academia, as well as digital entrepreneurs in partnership. The strategy, he said, was to digitalise existing traditional businesses.

    The commissioner further explained that his ministry was working with development partners to launch ‘e-skills for jobs’ campaign aimed at helping jobless people find the necessary tools to get access to the labour market.

    While noting the growing integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) across various sectors, he said the lack of skilled professionals remained a major concern to Nigeria’s competitiveness, not only in the ICT sector itself, but for the economy as a whole.

    The Nation learnt that one of the programmes sponsored by the ministry to tackle the employability challenge is a three-month ICT programme tagged ‘Lagos Study Programme.’ The project seeks to equip youths with skills to fill the manpower gap for programmers locally.

    The initiative was done in collaboration with Andela Consulting, Google, Microsoft, Sterling Bank and Etisalat. It was implemented by Audax Solutions Ltd, which carried out the training at its Lekki office for the first batch of 100 trainees selected from the Lagos Island division of the state.

    The participants, who had reduced to about 78 in the six weeks of the programme, were exposed to design, Hyper Mark-up Language (HTML), which is used in developing web pages; Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), digital marketing, coding, basic algorithm, scripting, word press, and dynamic web application projects, among others.

     

    Private sector operators

    wade in

     

    Interestingly, the efforts at tackling the unemployment scourge through skills training enjoy the buy in of the private sector. For instance, the 11-week Lagos Study Programme was launched with many private sector operators, such as Etisalat, Sterling Bank, Google, Andela, Microsoft and Audax Solutions.

    It was aimed at producing software developers and digital marketers.

    Under the programme, 500 graduates are targeted to be trained across the five divisions of the state. Durosinmi-Etti said young people would be offered entrepreneurship training to give them self-reliant skills in business planning and management, as well as hands-on experience.

    He said there are vacancies in the field of digital technology in Lagos hence, the partnership with Andela, for instance, to help youths tackle the lack of digital skills and fill the ICT-related vacancies. He noted that the deal with Andela has set an example of how public-private partnerships could set the right incentives to boost digital skills and create opportunities for youths, while helping Nigeria reap the benefits of the booming digital economy.

    Wofai Ibiang, a Supply Chain Management graduate from East Anglia University, United Kingdom, said she applied for the Lagos Study Programme to learn to build apps to solve problems she has already identified.

    Expressing satisfaction with what she got from the training, she said: “I’ve always wanted to build my own website and apps.I have learnt quite a lot coming here. I’ll say I have been very impressed; my expectations have been met. I think the skills I have gained will help me know how to go about my dreams.”

    Audax Solutions Limited, another private sector operator, is also not left out. Its Managing Director, Mr. Emeka Onyenwe, explained that the trainees were a mixture of those without prior knowledge of programming and those with a level of awareness of the concept.

    He said the training was carried out using world-class curriculum that allowed students learn at their own pace and make progress as they completed assigned projects. He praised the tenacity and dedication of the participants, who he said, exceeded his expectations.

    The Head of Branding, Sterling Bank, Mrs Peju Ibekwe, said the bank was excited to be part of the historic project. According to her, the Lagos Study Programme was highly laudable as it was one of the novel initiatives to stamp the nation’s evolution and growth in the ICT space.

    She said the programme empowered the youth to run their own businesses and be gainfully employed wherever they chose to be. She said education and empowerment are major focus of Sterling Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy.

    She listed some of the projects executed in the empowerment space to include ‘Meet the Executive’, a business plan competition, which availed participants grants of about N12 million to grow or establish their businesses.

    The participants with viable business ideas and plans, Ibekwe added, got the opportunity to pitch these ideas before the bank’s executives to stand a chance of getting significant financial support for their businesses.

     

    West Africa Vocational

    Education (WAVE)

    to the rescue

     

    One of the ministry’s training partners is West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE).The organisation tackles youth unemployment by teaching young people the skills they need to get the first job, start a successful career and build a brighter future.

    Its Chief Executive, Misan Rewane, stressed that young people would be the key driver of the country’s future growth and that “imparting these skills is crucial to getting them involved in the job market.’’

    Although stakeholders in various sectors say that the current economic downturn in the country has led to alarmingly high unemployment and underemployment rates, many of them argue that the problems arose because many graduates and other job seekers are ill-prepared.

    Rewane noted, for instance, that employers were having difficulties filling vacancies with the right talents, despite offering mouth-watering wages. She said some employers could not fill vacancies because even highly-qualified candidates have the wrong skills.

    She noted that applicants lack ‘soft skills’, such as interpersonal communication and problem-solving abilities.

     

    Co-creation Hub also

     

    The Nation learnt that much of the progress in generating job opportunities for young people interested in technology is coming from private sector entity Co-creation Hub, which nurtures young talents and innovative ideas.

    For instance, Co-creation hub has been educating young people about the challenges of sustainable development and creating opportunities for them to use their creativity and knowledge to pioneer innovative solutions.

    In addition, it creates platforms for young people to connect, collaborate and integrate their ideas and perspectives into national and regional pathways for implementation of social development.

    Interestingly, current efforts at bridging the skills gap appear to have carried women along. Already, organisations looking to fill gender unemployment gaps have started to establish platforms that would educate, mentor and support young African women to grow and sustain viable business ventures in various fields.

    One such company is She Leads Africa, a female-led pan-African start-up based in Nigeria. Founded by two young West African women, Yasmin Belo-Osagie (Nigerian) and Afua Osei (Ghanaian), the organisation provides training and mentorship opportunities to help young women build successful careers and businesses.

    She Leads Africa provides intensive business training boot camps.

     

    NDE also involved

     

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), a government agency, is involved. It was established to fund companies that enable them to offer their employees re-skilling and training opportunities.

    Participating organisations made their workplaces available for unemployed persons to strengthen their practical experience and their connections to the labour market.

    In collaboration with the World Bank, NDE has begun the training of 227 unemployed youths in Cross River State under the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO). NDE Director-General Mr. Kunle Obayan said in Calabar that the programme was designed to empower youths with skills that would help them compete favourably in the labour market.

    Represented by an official from the Directorate, Mr. Mfam Eyahanjom, Obayan said youths would undergo training on ‘Life skills training and entrepreneurial skills training’.

    He explained that after the three-month training, the NDE would deploy the beneficiaries to competent private sector operators for six-month internship/apprenticeship training.

    Obayan said 6,878 youths were selected from the seven participating states of Bauchi, Niger, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo, Ekiti and Kogi.  He said the directorate had verified 4,721 beneficiaries, while 227 youths were selected for the training in Cross River.

    “Throughout the nine-month training, the Federal Government, through the World Bank support, would ensure prompt payment of monthly stipends to beneficiaries who will receive skills training of their choice at no cost,” he said.

    Also, the NDE Coordinator in Cross River, Mr. Edem Duke, said the collaboration with the World Bank was in line with the Directorate’s commitment to poverty reduction.

    Duke said the training programme would help unemployed youths to access opportunities to become entrepreneurs and job creators.

    “This training is designed to enable trainees to find sustainable jobs, boost institutional capacity building and public private sector partnership,” he said.

    He charged the beneficiaries to be committed and make proper use of the rare opportunity to chart a new direction for a better future.

    The World Bank Representative, Prof. Ngozi Onyekwe, said it was a major milestone for the bank to partner NDE in unemployment reduction in Nigeria.

    Some experts told The Nation that  tackling Nigeria’s declining productivity caused partly by mismatch between what the education system provides and what employers require must be a national priority.

    They argued that skills training are a long-term exercise that requires a high level of customisation, localisation, investment and commitment.

    Head of Administration, Apapa Local Government Council, Prince Adebola Olujobi, said one of the most effective ways to increase productivity is to boost the skill level of young applicants.

    According to him, employability training is not just to provide jobs, but also engage youths in the variety of personal and social development activities that it offers, while also helping them develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed in the labour market.

    These, he said, include teamwork, communication, leadership, flexibility and responsiveness.

    Indeed, stakeholders involved in the scheme are all convinced that it offers good chances for up skilling the workforce and supporting the unemployed.

    For employers, the scheme provides the benefit of developing the skills of their workforce for a relatively small investment without productivity loss.

     

  • Labour berates NHIS boss for interference

    Labour berates NHIS boss for interference

    Orgnaised Labour under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has berated the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, for allegedly sponsoring some faceless individuals to parade themselves as unit officers of the association in the organisation.

    In a statement in Abuja, ASCSN National President Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General Comrade Alade Lawal emphasised that the NHIS Executive Secretary had no right under the law to decide for the union those to manage its affairs.

    “We, therefore, reject in its entirety the decision by Professor Yusuf to be sponsoring one Owen Udouwen, who had been making noise that he is the Unit Chairman of the ASCSN in the NHIS. We hereby disown Udouwem because he is not representing the association and demand that Professor Yusuf should stop forthwith from meddling in the affairs of the Association,” the union’s executives said.

    They noted that the rejection was necessary in order not to trigger industrial crisis in the NHIS. ”Prof. Yusuf has enough to do in NHIS if he is serious enough to accept that the job of Executive Secretary of NHIS is a serious one.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Unit Chairman of the ASCSN in the NHIS is Comrade Omomeji Abdul Razaq.  There is no faction whatsoever in the Association and there is a ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) to that effect,” the Union stressed.

    The association recalled that when Yusuf arrived at the NHIS, he wore the toga of an anti-corruption crusader and the union pledged to cooperate with him. But the union said unfolding events in NHIS have proved otherwise.

    “As we write, the NHIS is enmeshed in endemic corruption thus necessitating the upper legislative Chamber (Senate) to turn its searchlight on the organisation,” the ASCSN added.

    The union’s helmsmen said following the secondment of 15 persons into the NHIS, the Association kicked against the impunity and reported the management of the NHIS to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Presidency, which then directed the Labour Ministry to intervene.

    It pointed out that the Labour Ministry set up a committee to look into the complaint of the union and that members of the committee were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health, NHIS and ASCSN to examine the issue of secondment and other labour related matters carried out by the NHIS Executive Secretary and report back.

    The union said at the end of its assignment, the committee reached an agreement that the secondment of 15 officers by NHIS was illegal and the Executive Secretary was directed to send those so seconded packing to wherever they came from.

    It added that the committee found out that some of those seconded were placed on level 15 as opposed to level 09, which they were in the establishments they came from.

    “It was also resolved that all unit officers of the Association posted away from the NHIS headquarters by the Executive Secretary should be brought back to their desks,” the Union emphaised.

    The ASCSN pointed out that in order to protect workers from arbitrary acts of employers, Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which Nigeria ratified stipulate that workers should not be dismissed or subjected to any prejudice because of union membership or participation in union activities.

  • ASUP issues three-week ultimatum on salary payment

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to address the shortfalls in personnel and other payments owed its members or face industrial action.

    President of the union, Comrade Usman Dutse, who made this known to newsmen, said the decision was based on the outcome of the union‘s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct governors to pay salaries owed its members without delay.

    Comrade Dutse mentioned Abia, Edo, Kogi, Benue, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Imo and Zamfara states  as those that have not paid  salaries and promotion arrears of polytechnic workers, despite bailout funds as well as the  Paris Club refunds at their disposal.

  • Stop mass sack in oil sector, NUPENG tells Fed Govt

    Stop mass sack in oil sector, NUPENG tells Fed Govt

    The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed concern over the increasing job losses in the oil and gas sector and  the closure of international oil companies.

    Addressing reporters after its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lagos,  its National President, Comrade Igwe Achese, noted that Labour and Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige’s, assurances that there was nothing reassuring in job cut would stop.

    The union urged the Federal Government to prevail on international oil companies (IOCs) country to stop the retrenchment.

    Achese said the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was majorly responsible for the rot in the industry and the slide in the returns accruable from investments by successive governments and investors.

    He called on the National Assembly to expedite parliamentary actions for speedy passage of the bill for the purposes of engendering transparency, accountability and commensurate returns in the operations of the oil and gas sector.

    He said the union believed that passing the bill will further enhance the visibility and attractiveness of the sector to both foreign and local investors.

    On the privatisation of the refineries, Achese said: “The CWC-in-Session notes the current calls and agitation by some interested capitalists for the privatisation of the nation’s four refineries.

    “We kick against such moves and advise the Federal Government to sincerely do the Turn-Around-Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries and upgrade their systems in order to allow them produce at full capacity. The CWC believes that this will go a long way to reduce the massive importation of petroleum products into the country.”

    Achese also explained that the CWC-in-Session called on the Federal Government to grant tax holidays and free land for investors, who want to establish private refineries.

    He commended the Federal Government’s position to encourage operators of illegal refineries to be integrated into the establishment of modular refineries.

    He advised that the pronouncement should not be political, but matched with actions to train the refiners and put appropriate policies and regulations in place to regulate their operations in order to protect the eco system from possible negative effects of their activities.

    “We further urge the Federal Government to support the refiners with funds necessary for effective and efficient modular refineries, which we believe will go a long way in supporting the supply of petroleum products for local consumption and also generate employment opportunities for the restless youths,” he said.

    Achese lamented that the economy was still generator-driven, adding that power sector privatisation has failed.

    The Federal Government, he said, should put pressure on the electricity generation and distribution companies (GENCOs and DISCOs) to be alive to their responsibilities or have their licenses revoked.

    The union lauded the Federal Government’s efforts at addressing inflation.

    “The CWC x-rayed the state of the economy and commended the government in its efforts to shore up the naira against the dollar and the drop of the inflationary rate to 17.5 per cent.

    “The session, however, stated that a lot still needs to be done to address the current recession and reduce the hunger in the land. The CWC-in-Session wants the Federal Government to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment and hunger in the land.”

    NUPENG added that the  government should vigorously address the issue of rising cost of goods and services.

    “The CWC-in-Session called on the Federal Government to look inward and put structures and strategies to restructure the economy.

    “The Session wants the National Assembly to quickly put finishing touches to the budget so that it can be passed and assented by the President, so that the liquidity squeeze can be addressed and debts owed contractors paid after verification,” Achese said.

  • NLC backs Amnesty International to defend the weak

    NLC backs Amnesty International to defend the weak

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged to support Amnesty International Nigeria in defending the rights of the vulnerable in the society.

    Its President, Ayuba Wabba, stated this during a solidarity visit to Amnesty International (AI) in Abuja.

    The NLC also condemned the protest against AI by a group, Global Peace and Rescue Initiative (GOPRI), asking the AI to leave the country.

    The group claimed that an Amnesty report that accused the Nigerian Army of extra-judicial killings was false. Several civil society groups have since condemned GOPRI and pledged support for AI.

    Wabba said this had become imperative as rights of Nigerians, especially vulnerable groups such as women, children and the less privileged, were being trampled upon.

    “I want to assure you of the support of the NLC and the working class because as workers, our rights have been trampled upon several times. You are aware of the fact that across the states, salaries, pension and gratuity are not being paid as at when due. This is a violation of the rights of workers,” Wabba said.

    He, therefore, said the NLC needed to stand side by side with organisations like AI to continue to protect the most vulnerable groups against the powerful and the rich in the society.

    “We have documented some of these challenges that our people have gone through,” Wabba said, adding that the NLC would continue to partner AI in the fight for social justice, anti-corruption, good governance, accountability and in the dignity of the human beings.

    The NLC President condemned GOPRI’s protest at AI’s Abuja office on March 21, saying that the AI was an organisation known globally and had worked extensively on human rights in many countries.

    “For such issues to arise, especially the hiring of people to come and protest in this office is something that we condemn as organised labour. I really sympathise with you on what has happened.

    “Nigerians are already aware that this was a sponsored protest. It is something that is condemnable. We should not allow those business persons that have actually privatised protest as means of getting money to continue in the business,” Achese added.

    He assured that the NLC would not stop the struggle to ensure better life for the workforce, adding that it would continue to collaborate with the organised labour to carry out humanitarian services.

    Chairman Trustee, Amnesty International Nigeria, Auwal Rafasanjani, commended the NLC for the solidarity visit.

    Rafasanjani said the AI was a reputable organisation that works on accountability.