Category: Lead

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has opened up on his experience with immigration officers at the Heathrow international airport, London. 

Obi said he was never arrested or detained by officials of the British government.

He insisted that what went down at Heathrow International Airport was a case of carrying out a routine immigration check because his identity had been alleged to have been compromised.

The Nation reports on April 12, LP announced that Obi was harassed and detained at Heathrow Airport in London over alleged impersonation.

The party said Obi was questioned for a “long time” and it took the intervention of Nigerians for him to be released.

Read Also: Obi, Fayemi to become visiting lecturers at Western Delta varsity

But in an interview with Arise TV monitored by The Nation, the former Anambra Governor narrated his experience. 

Obi said he was stopped for routine immigration checks while contradicting his party’s claim that he was questioned for a long time.

He said: “I was never arrested, I was never detained. And I did not commit any offence. I was stopped for a routine immigration check because there appeared to be a duplication of my identity and all this lasted for a maximum of 20 minutes.

“I lived in the UK from 1993 until 2005. From then till now is a period of 30 years. I have never been questioned, arrested or detained in any country in the world. I have never for any reason found myself being questioned for any offence.

“It was a routine immigration check and I was actually given all the due respect by the border personality that interviewed me, who told me ‘your identity has been duplicated, be careful’.”

Obi noted that despite once having a permanent residency in the UK, he chose to return to Nigeria, adding that “I was born a Nigerian. I will want to live and die a Nigerian”.

“I have not committed any offence, so it was a routine immigration check, and it lasted for less than 20 minutes, and I was actually given all the due respect by the border personality, who told me that my identity has been duplicated.

“And I have a written document from the British government clarifying that I was never detained and that it was a few minutes’ routine check,” he added.

United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has estimated that more than 800,000 people could potentially flee to neighbouring countries as the conflict continues in Sudan between the army and a paramilitary group.

 “Over 100,000 refugees are estimated to be among those who have now fled Sudan to neighbouring countries, including Sudanese refugees, South Sudanese returning home prematurely, and others who were themselves refugees in Sudan,” UNHCR spokeswoman Olga Sarrado told reporters in Geneva.

Also, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said an estimated 334,000 people had been internally displaced by the fighting in Sudan, which broke out on April 15.

Read Also: Nigeria should avoid road to Sudan

The IOM said in a situation report that “the total estimate of displaced individuals across Sudan has reached 334,053.

“About 72 percent, roughly 240,000 of these new internal displacements were reported in West and South Darfur alone,” spokesman Paul Dillon told reporters.

The number of people displaced in the last two weeks “exceeds all conflict-related displacement in Sudan in 2022”, he added.

Meanwhile, the UN said its 2023 aid appeals for Sudan were $1.5 billion short and only 14 percent funded.

“The $1.75 billion joint appeal for Sudan in 2023 is only 14 percent funded. In other words … (it is) facing a funding gap of $1.5 billion,” said Jens Laerke, the UN humanitarian agency’s spokesman.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that only 57.4 million Nigerians have Bank Verification Number (BVN).

The CBN in collaboration with Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), bankers committee and all Nigerian deposit money banks launched the BVN project in February 2014.

The BVN was introduced to uniquely identify customers of Nigerian banks, reduce fraud and improve the efficiency of banking operations in the country.

Since its introduction, the BVN has become an important requirement for opening and maintaining bank accounts in Nigeria.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele made this disclosure in Calabar at the 34th seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors.

Read Also: No plans to phase out redesigned Naira notes – CBN

Emefiele, who was represented by the Director Monetary Policy Department of the CBN, Dr Hassan Mahmoud, said: “With a total enrollment of 57,431,355 as at 31st March 2023, the BVN is supporting the development of credit profiles for banking customers, which will assist in improving access to credit for credit-worthy borrowers by banks”.

Emefiele stated that BVN has continued to feature in the bank’s Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements as part of plans to ease the constraint associated with poor identification of banking customers”.

The CBN, he said, will “continued to support the aggressive enrollment of prospective banking customers in the informal sector onto the BVN system”.

Emefiele added that the Payments System Vision (PSV) 2025 was introduced “to expand payment options available to customers and strengthen regulation of the payments system”.

Speaking more about payment system, the CBN Governor noted the apex bank uses “payments system as a tool to achieve the financial inclusion goals of the country”.

• Funding captured in this year’s budget, says Fed Govt •President-elect promises living wage

Other categories of federal workers, including health workers and lecturers, will soon enjoy a pay rise like their counterparts – core civil servants, who are on Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS).

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said yesterday during the May Day rally in Abuja that funds for the planned increase in wages have been captured in this year’s budget.

Core civil servants are already enjoying 40 per cent peculiar allowances approved for them by Federal Government with effect from January.

President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised a better deal for all workers under his administration, pledging that they will enjoy a living wage for a decent life.

Ngige said: “Since the introduction of CONPSS on January 1, 2007, it has not been reviewed by any of the past administrations but for the consequential minimum wage adjustment of 2019 for all wage structures under this government in 2019.

“However, in line with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerian workers, the Federal Government recently worked out the introduction of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance into the remuneration and emoluments of core federal civil servants and other public servants on the CONPSS to help cushion the effects of inflation and other costs of doing their work as they are not on any special allowances.

“This demonstrates the government’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare and conditions of service even without any industrial action but a fallout of social dialogue.”

Ngige appealed to Labour to ensure industrial peace and harmony remained your watchwords.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) asked for an extension of the retirement age for civil servants from 60 to 65 years and or 40 years of service.

They also urged the Federal Government to expand and strengthen the existing social security framework.

Labour insisted that workers and the masses deserve an equitable share of the nation’s resources.

President Muhammadu Buhari said aside from approving the new minimum wage, his administration took steps to protect workers from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged the incoming Tinubu Administration to do better.

President Buhari was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) called on governments to prioritise social justice.

Across the states, outgoing governors highlighted their efforts to improve the lot of workers. Also, their soon-to-be successors pledged better days ahead.

In Abuja, the May Day rally was held at the Eagle Square.

The theme of this year’s International Workers Day is ‘Workers Rights and Socio-Economic Justice’.

Labour lists demands 

In a joint address, Presidents of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and TUC, Festus Osifo urged the Federal Government to strengthen the social security net to protect workers.

They noted that if the government was serious about increasing productivity and making progress, it must ensure that the rights and privileges of workers are not only protected but are granted unfettered access to socioeconomic justice.

The labour leaders said: “It is important that we understand that no society can make progress by excluding its major stakeholders – the workers and masses – from having an equitable share of the nation’s resources.

“If we are serious about increasing productivity and making progress as a nation, then, we must seek ways of ensuring that the rights and privileges of workers are not only protected but that they are granted unfettered access to socioeconomic justice.

“To this end, we suggest deliberate actions by the government to expand and strengthen the nation’s existing Social Security framework.

“The Social Investment Programme (SIP) ought to be given legal backing by speeding up the legislative processes towards codifying it in our laws. This will deepen engagement in those areas and provide stronger backing to our quest for socioeconomic justice to all Nigerians.”

Labour also urged the Federal Government to begin the process of ratifying Convention 102 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on social protection.

This, it said, is central to the actualisation of social justice and inclusiveness. It provides appropriate guarantees for workers’ rights to survival during and after work life and also guarantees access to a decent life for many Nigerians.

“It is important that Nigerian leaders understand that without guaranteeing the rights of workers, without allowing workers to win, Nigerians and Nigeria will not win.

“We are Nigerians; when we win, our nation wins and makes sustainable progress. It is the duty of the government to provide the right environment for this to happen.

“Our nation must lead with job-led growth. When jobs grow, income increases and the economy revved higher, but we need to protect those that work in these jobs.

“To protect them, we must ensure that the right legal environment is created and frameworks for compliance with laws are established.”

 NLC seeks review of retirement age

NLC called for a review of civil servants’ retirement age to 65.

Ajaero said the extension of years of service should go around, as it had been done in other sectors of the public service.

“Only a few other establishments, including the core civil service, are now left out.

“We are, therefore, demanding that the age of retirement and length of service in the entire public service, including the civil service, be reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service,” he said.

Civil servants retire at 60 or after serving for 35 years.

Ajaero said the union had, over the years, demanded salary review but had yet to receive Federal Government’s attention.

President-elect promises living wage

Tinubu assured workers of a better deal under his administration.

He also promised to be a dependable ally of the nation’s workforce.

In a solidarity message he personally signed, he said: “I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29. Workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your family.

“In me, you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people.

“Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you. My plans for better welfare and working conditions are spelt out in my Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. It is a covenant born of conviction and one I am prepared to keep.”

Tinubu stressed that the days ahead will demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides.

“Leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly,” he said.

The President-elect solicited workers’ support, urging them to join hands with his administration in waging a must-win war against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of the country.

Acknowledging the invaluable roles workers have played in nation-building, Tinubu said: “I join the rest of the world and all compatriots to celebrate Nigerian workers on this year’s International Workers’ Day.

“Today is a special day in most parts of the world, a day to salute and honour the working people whose hard work and sweat continue to oil the wheel of human progress and advancement.”

Buhari: we saved small businesses during COVID 19

President Buhari highlighted his administration’s pro-Labour policies, including bailing out small businesses affected by the pandemic.

He said: “Social protection mechanisms both institutionalised and on ad hoc basis were fashioned out, strengthened and implemented at both the national and sub-national levels to cushion the adverse effects of the pandemic, and additionally, bail-out funds were used to aid some small scale businesses to survive.”

He urged the incoming administration to continue to respect workers’ rights, create job opportunities and promote dialogue for consensus building and sound national industrial relations.

He said: “The government affirms the need for the enthronement of decent work which sums up the aspiration that all people have for their working lives; for work that is productive, delivers a fair income with security and social protection, safeguards basic rights, offers equality of opportunity and treatment, prospects for personal development and the chance for recognition and to have your voice heard.

“These elements of decent work concur with our commitment to reduce poverty and forge a path to achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development, and ultimately peace and security in communities.

“Workers’ rights coupled with socio-economic justice make a happy workplace. We, therefore, agree that a fair economic structure targeted at creating opportunities for all to succeed irrespective of sex, race/ethnicity, age, disability, creed, religion, etc. is sine qua non for progress and development.

“I encourage the incoming administration to continue to respect workers’ rights imbued with socio-economic development and driven by the four pillars of the decent work agent to promote jobs and enterprises, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection, and promoting social dialogue for consensus building and maintaining a Sound National Industrial Relations System.”

Workers deserve to be happy, says Obi

Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, who made an appearance at the rally, said the government must build a country where workers are happy, protected and their welfare guaranteed.

He said: “We want a country where workers will stay and they are happy, where their welfare will be protected and they are productive.”

SSANU decries withheld salaries

President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mohammed Ibrahim, urged the Federal Government to pay four months’ salaries of its members withheld during the last strike.

Ibrahim, who is NLC’s National Internal Auditor, said: “Despite the hostile environment in which we operate, we remain undeterred in our quest to contribute to the building of a great country.

“Our members have continued to report for duty in the most security-challenging parts of Nigeria. It’s a pity that the Federal Government has remained adamant in the payment of withheld four months’ salaries during the nationwide strike in 2022.

“Comrades, you are all aware that SSANU complied with all industrial legal protocols before embarking on strike when the government reneged on its part of the bargain. We have made every effort for the government to see the reason why we should be paid our rightful due all to no avail.

“We are once again calling on the government to urgently pay the withheld salaries without further delay. The insensitivity of the government to the plight of workers is provocative and unbearable.”

He said SSANU would declare a strike if the government fails to implement the 40 per cent pay rise for members.

He also said the Federal Government was yet to pay the N50 billion Earned Allowances promised to the union last year.

ILO: time to proritise social justice 

The ILO called on governments to prioritise social justice.

Its Director-General, Mr Gilbert Houngbo, said in a statement: “The promises of renewal made during the pandemic, of ‘building back better’, have so far not been delivered for the great majority of workers worldwide.

“Globally, real wages have fallen, poverty is rising, and inequality seems more entrenched than ever.

“Enterprises have been hard-hit. Many could not cope with the cumulative effects of recent unexpected events. Small and micro-enterprises were particularly affected, and many have ceased operations…

“How do we get there? First and foremost, our policies and actions must be human-centred.”

According to Houngbo, this means focusing on equality, poverty alleviation and core social protection.

Some civil servants across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been suspended for their alleged roles in salary “padding”, The Nation has learnt.

Those affected are from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and an undisclosed institute.

It was learnt that the suspended workers connived with some officials in the OAGF to pad their salaries by manipulating the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

An assistant director (AD) deployed in the IPPIS unit of the RMAFC is undergoing probe over salary padding.

The assistant director, who is desk officer in charge of staff’ salary was alleged to have connived with the OAGF personnel to pad the salaries of unspecified number of lower cadre workers.

A source familiar with the incident said: “The AD in connivance with some staff members are deep in the salary padding racket. The alarm blew recently when a Level 7 officer, whose salary should be in the range of N60, 000 was paid over N400, 000 – the  salary package for a director.

“What happened was that another colleague on same salary scale saw the pay slip of a female colleague with a  net pay of over N400, 000. Surprised, he tried to get details of the excess payment but was rebuffed.

Following the cold attitude from his colleague, the aggrieved staff raised the alarm and a committee was set up to investigate the matter”.

The salary padding racket The Nation learnt has been on for a while among a small clique of civil servants in different MDAs with the IPPIS office in the OAGF as the epicenter of the activity.

Reacting to the development, the OAGF in a statement said it is “in receipt of enquiries over alleged “salary padding” on the IPPIS involving some unspecified MDA.

The OAGF noted that “there is no evidence of salary padding” before the OAGF at this time; however, the office is aware of reported breach of the IPPIS third party payment protocol at an Institute outside Abuja.

“The incident has since been reported to, and is being investigated by relevant anti-corruption, security and regulatory agencies.

“In the meantime, a staff suspected to be connected with the breach has been suspended to allow for thorough investigation.”

The OAGF added that all necessary steps are being taken to strengthen the controls around the IPPIS payment platform and an independent forensic audit of the entire payroll system is underway to ascertain if the reported breach is isolated or widespread”.

Confirming the development, the RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the commission has identified some culprits and placed them on suspension pending the investigation of the incidence.

He said some workers at the commission were found to have manipulated the IPPIS system to pad their salaries above what they were supposed to earn.

“If the indicted officials are found culpable of the salary padding allegations, they will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution,” Bello Shehu said in a chat.

The RMAFC boss, who declined to disclose the number or the identities of those involved, emphasised that the commission will not condone such blatant disregard of the civil service rules.

“We will investigate to know how long this has been going on, how much has been illegally acquired and attempts made to recover the excess from those involved”, he said.

Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves have dropped by $1.82 billion over the past four months.

The long-running downtrend has stoked fears that the economy may in be for tougher time in the months ahead.

Official data and reports reviewed yesterday by The Nation Economic Intelligence indicated that the forex reserves had suffered consecutive declines since the beginning of this year.

The forex reserves dropped by $47.83 million last week to close the four-month period at $35.36 billion as against $37.08 billion recorded at the close of 2022. The April 2023 closing position represented the lowest point in recent months.

Analysts were unenthusiastic about the outlook for the nation’s forex reserves, with most experts expecting the reserves to continue deteriorating, a scenario that could worsen the country’s currency risks and delay recovery.

A member of Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), Mr. Bismarck Rewane, described the outlook for the nation’s forex reserves as negative.

“The external reserve is expected to continue its downward trend in the coming weeks as major sources of forex inflows deteriorate.

“This would be compounded by an adverse ruling in the ongoing P & ID trial. The $11bn arbitral award accounts for about 30 per cent of gross external reserves,” Rewane stated.

Rewane, Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company (FDC), said the implication of the declining reserves was likely worsening of the country’s external imbalance and limitation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s supply of foreign exchange to support the naira at the forex market.

He noted that CBN’s inability to meet up the pressure of its managed exchange rate would lead to further depreciation of the naira.

The naira is currently trading at N740.00/$ at the parallel market – N277 gap ahead of N463.00 per dollar at the official Investors and Exporters (I & E) Window of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Other analysts agreed that Nigeria’s shaky forex reserves position and currency crisis were directly due to the CBN’s currency management stance.

The apex bank’s fixed-rate, controlled exchange policy has seen the emergence of parallel markets with some N277 basis points between the official rate and the market-driven, unofficial parallel market.

They have called for major forex and macroeconomic reforms to stem decline and encourage direct and indirect forex inflows into the country.

Analysts at Cordros Capital reiterated their position that the forex crisis “will remain over the short-to-medium term” as there is no positive signal that denotes an improvement in forex supply relative to the pre-COVID-19 levels.

They said: “Moreover, considering the tepid accretion to the reserves given low crude oil production and elevated premium motor spirit (PMS) under-recovery costs, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) who have historically supported supply levels in the Investors & Exporters Window will be needed to sustain forex liquidity levels in the medium to long-term.”

Analysts at Cordros Capital had attributed the persistent slowdown in capital importation to foreign investors’ lacklustre interest in the country “given an unclear foreign exchange framework, an uninspiring macro narrative, elevated global interest rates, and heightened global uncertainties”.

“While we believe a new government will be a breather for the country in the short term as sentiments are likely to improve, we think foreign capital inflows will remain low compared to pre-COVID levels over the medium term in the absence of significant reforms in the forex, fiscal and monetary policy frameworks,” the Cordros Capital analysts stated.

Their colleagues at Afrinvest (West Africa) said the prospects for Nigeria’s oil earnings is less enthusiastic, noting that irrespective of the global oil dynamics, the market may run on a negative sentiment in the weeks ahead.

“Nonetheless, we expect the market to be driven by bearish sentiment in May,” Afrinvest stated in a review on the outlook for crude oil and Nigeria’s forex market.

They spoke of the likelihood of naira rates across different forex segments to trade within a tight band this month.

Afrinvest said the capital importation was “primarily due to the investors’ aversion to subsisting forex policies”.

“Specifically, the prominence of capital controls to manage the ongoing forex crisis complicates fund repatriation from Nigeria and, by the same token, discourages new investments by offshore players,” Afrinvest stated.

According to them, the existence of a multiplicity of forex windows muddles clarity around forex administration, subsidises the government sector at the expense of the large private economy, and contributes to the widening premium of parallel market rates to the official market.

• Results out today

About eighty thousand candidates will write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) now rescheduled for May 6.

Results will also be released starting today, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said.

A statement by the Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, said the delay was due to the screening of results. It added that candidates who were verified at their centres but could not write the examination, those who biometrics could not be verified, and those with mismatched data, would not get their result, but instead get a notification for rescheduled exams.

The statement reads: “The Board would be releasing the results of candidates who have taken the examination so far today. The results were delayed to ensure that all necessary screenings were concluded, besides ensuring that the mean and standard deviation were reasonably obtained before releasing these results.

“Those who wrote the examination but had challenges, without being aware of such, would not see their results, but would instead see their notification for rescheduled examination. As part of decisions reached at the end of an emergency management meeting on April 30, the Board has fixed May 6 for a retake for candidates who have not written their examination. All candidates under the categories listed above are required to print their slips between May 4 and 5 so they can know the time and venue of their examination.

“Candidates would be grouped in a central location within their respective states to write the examination, hence the need for them to print their notification slips latest by May 4.”

The Federal Government has allayed fears of health workers, lecturers and other federal workers following a 40 per cent pay rise for core civil servants in the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige said pay rise for doctors, health workers, lecturers and others who are not on the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), have been captured in the 2023 budget.

Ngige spoke during this year’s International Workers Day in Abuja with the theme: ‘Workers Rights and Socio-Economic Justice.’

The implementation of a 40 per cent pay rise for civil servants on CONPSS and payment of a “peculiar allowance” to cushion the effect of inflation on civil servants have generated unrest within the labour circle.

For example, the National Association of Resident Doctors has demanded a 200 per cent pay rise as a result of the action of the Federal Government while the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have also decried the disparity.

But speaking during the May Day rally in Eagle Square, Abuja, Ngige assured that workers under different wage structures were already bargaining with their employers on a pay rise.

He added that some of those Collective Bargain Agreements (CBAs) were on the verge of being concluded with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission transmit same for final treatment.

Ngige said: “It will also be recalled that since the emergence of the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) on the first of January, 2007, it has not been reviewed by any of the past Administrations. But for the consequential minimum wage adjustment of 2019 for all wage structures under this government in 2019. However , in line with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerian workers, the Federal Government recently worked out the introduction of a 40% Peculiar Allowance into the remuneration and emoluments of core Federal Civil Servants and other public servants on the CONPSS to help cushion the effects of inflation and other costs of doing their work as they are not on any special allowances.

“This demonstrates the government’s and leadership commitment to improving workers’ welfare and conditions of service even without any Industrial action but a fallout of social dialogue.

“However other workers in the other different wage structures like CONHESS,CONMESS CONUAS, CONTISS that started their Collective Bargaining with their Employer even with Industrial action are wounding up their CBAs fo9.the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission to transmit same for final treatment as provisions were made in the 2023 Appropriations for them with effect from 1st January 2023.”

Read Also: Workers will enjoy living wage under my watch – Tinubu

Ngige appealed to the leaderships of organised labour to ensure industrial peace and harmony remained your watchwords.

President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration released bail out funds for small businesses affected by the outbreak of Covid – 19.

Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, urged the incoming administration to continue to respect workers’ rights imbued with socio-economic development and driven by the four pillars of the decent work agent to promote jobs and enterprises, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection, and promoting social dialogue for consensus building and maintain a sound national industrial relations system.

He said: “We have together experienced the hardships of economic recession and the triumph of its recovery; we have also gone through the horrific period of a pandemic – the global COVID-19 Pandemic and its aftermath. Businesses and jobs were lost and new forms of employment relationships emerged mostly in the teleworking sector of the economy. The importance and relevance of the Informal Economy became pronounced and its vulnerability was highlighted during these times. Social Protection mechanisms both institutionalised and on ad hoc basis were fashioned out, strengthened and implemented at both the national and sub-national levels to cushion the adverse effects of the Pandemic, and additionally, bail – out funds were used to aid some small scale businesses to survive.

“We as a nation appreciated the four-pillar policy framework for tackling the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis to ensure recovery that was put in place by the ILO, and the well-coordinated outcome of the World Summit on the subject held in order to work out ways and means to build forward better that which the COVID-19 had rampaged and destroyed. We thank God that we are alive to tell the story today. Many did not make it.

“The government affirms the need for the enthronement of decent work which sums up the aspiration that all people have for their working lives; for work that is productive, delivers a fair income with security and social protection, safeguards basic rights, offers equality of opportunity and treatment, prospects for personal development and the chance for recognition and to have your voice heard. These elements of decent work concur with our commitment to reduce poverty and forge a path to achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development, and ultimately peace and security in communities.

“Workers’ rights coupled with socio-economic justice make a happy workplace. We therefore agree that a fair economic structure targeted at creating opportunities for all to succeed irrespective of sex, race/ethnicity, age, disability, creed, religion, etc. is sine qua non for progress and development.

“I encourage incoming Administration to continue to respect workers’ rights imbued with socio-economic development and driven by the four pillars of the decent work agent to promote jobs and enterprises, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection, and promoting social dialogue for consensus building and maintaining a Sound National Industrial Relations System.”

In a joint address presented at the event, Presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo urged the Federal Government to strengthen the social security net to protect workers.

They noted that if the government was serious about increasing productivity and making progress, it must ensure that the rights and privileges of workers are not only protected but are granted unfettered access to socioeconomic justice.

The labour leaders said: “It is important that we understand that no society can make progress by excluding its major stakeholders; the workers and masses from having an equitable share of the nation’s resources. If we are serious about increasing productivity and making progress as a nation then, we must seek ways of ensuring that the rights and privileges of workers are not only protected but that they are granted unfettered access to socioeconomic justice.

“To this end, we suggest deliberate actions by the government to expand and strengthen the nation’s existing Social Security framework. The Social Investment Programme (SIP) ought to be given legal backing by speeding up the legislative processes towards codifying it in our laws. This will deepen engagement in those areas and provide stronger backing to our quest for socioeconomic justice to all Nigerians.

“We also call on the federal government to begin the process of ratifying conventions 102 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Social protection. This is central to the actualisation of Social justice and inclusiveness. It provides appropriate guarantees for workers rights to survival during and after work life and also guarantees access to decent life for many Nigerians.

“It is important that Nigerian leaders understand that without guaranteeing the rights of workers, without allowing workers to win, Nigerians and Nigeria will not win. We are Nigerians; when we win, our nation wins and makes sustainable progress. It is the duty of the government to provide the right environment for this to happen.

“Our nation must lead with job-led growth. When jobs grow, income increases and the economy revved higher but we need to protect those that work in these jobs. To protect them, we must ensure that the right legal environment is created and frameworks for compliance with laws are established.”

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi said Nigeria must move from consumption to production.

Obi, who made an appearance during the May Day celebration at the eagle square, said the government must build a country where workers are happy, protected and their welfare guaranteed.

He said: “We want a country where workers will stay and they are happy, where their welfare will be protected and they are productive.

“Be law abiding. Let us have a peaceful country. We will build this country together.”

President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim said the federal government has remained adamant in the payment of withheld four months salaries of its members during the nationwide strike in 2022.

In a goodwill message to workers, Ibrahim, who is National Internal Auditor (NLC), urged the government to urgently pay the withheld salaries of its members without further delay.

He said: “Comrades, despite a hostile environment in which we operate, we remain undeterred in our quest to contribute to the building of a great country. Our members have continued to report for duty in the most security challenging parts of Nigeria. It’s a pity that the federal government has remained adamant in the payment of withheld four months salaries during the nationwide strike in 2022.

“Comrades you are all aware that SSANU complied with all industrial legal protocol before embarking on strike when the government reneged on its part of the bargain. We have made every effort for the government to see the reason why we should be paid our rightful due all to no avail. 

“We are once again calling on the government to urgently pay the withheld salaries without further delay. The insensitivity of the government to the plight of workers is provocative and unbearable. 

“Comrades, you are also aware that since we suspended the strike last year, the issue of re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement has not yielded any result. It appears the federal government does not like the industrial harmony in the universities. We are calling on the government to ensure that the renegotiation is urgently concluded and implemented.”

Speaking on the 40 per cent pay rise, Ibrahim urged the government to make sure its members receive the payment. 

He threatened to declare a strike if the government failed to implement the 40 per cent pay rise for SSANU members.

He also said the federal government was yet to pay the N50 billion Earned Allowances promised the union last year. 

He said: “On the 40 per cent pay rise, it is unfathomable that while some workers have started receiving their payment, our members are yet to receive theirs. 

“We call on the government to ensure that our members receive their own payment as soon as possible. If not, we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the university. 

“We should also place it on record that the N50 billion Earned Allowances which the government promised last year is yet to be paid. We are using this opportunity to tell the government to release is as quickly as possible as further delay will not b e helpful to the system. Comrades, you can bear with me that the morale of University workers is dampened by the inability of government to create a conducive environment in the university system, our members work under harsh condition, yet they put in t heir best to ensure that our students don’t suffer. Government appears to be paying lip service to funding education. 

“It is very clear that the government pays more attention to frivolous things and has neglected the workers that generate the wealth of the nation and the future of the young generation. We call on the government to resolve all issues with university workers and also tackle the challenges facing the country. 

“Comrades, the SSANU leadership under my watch is committed and determined to address your problems by ensuring that you get your rightful due from your employers. We will not relent in doing that. I once again congratulate you all as we celebrate this year’s May Day.”

The Egyptian border has been opened for the evacuation of Nigerian students fleeing from Sudan, The Nation can confirm. 

The Nation reports buses arrived in Sudan to evacuate Nigerian students caught in the ongoing crisis.

The buses were meant to take the students to the Egyptian border from where they were to be airlifted to Nigeria.

However, on getting to the Aswan border in Egypt, they were refused entry.

Read Also: Sudan crisis: Egypt gives Nigeria stringent conditions to cross border

NIDCOM said the Egyptian authorities were insisting on visas, adding that the Nigerian mission in Egypt was working to rectify the issue.

Hopeful for a resolution, the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) evacuation team left for Aswan Airport on April 29 to airlift the stranded Nigerians.

“NAF C 130 prepares to depart to Egypt to evacuate Nigerian Nationals stranded in Sudan,” NIDCOM had tweeted.

Confirming the update Tuesday afternoon, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa tweeted: “The border has just been opened, (with stringent conditions ) after President Buhari’s intervention with the Egyptian President. 

“So, the processing of evacuees by the Nigerian Embassy in Egypt will begin.”

The President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured workers of better deal under his administration. 

He said he will give them more than a minimum wage but a living wage that will guarantee a decent life and enable workers provide for their families. 

He also promised to be a dependable ally of the nation’s workforce as soon as his administration is inaugurated on May 29, 2023.

These promises were contained in a solidarity message he personally signed to workers to mark this year’s International Workers’ Day.

Assuring the country’s workforce through the two central Labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and Trade Union Congress(TUC) Tinubu said: “In Nigeria, I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your family.

“In me, you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people. 

“Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you. My plans for better welfare and working conditions are spelt out in my Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. It is a covenant born of conviction and one I am prepared to keep.”

Calling for the understanding of the workers, Tinubu advised: “The days ahead will, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly.”

Read Also:Rivers first to host Tinubu, says Wike

The President-elect solicited their support, asking the workers to join hands with his incoming administration in waging a must-win war against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of the country. 

Celebrating and acknowledging the invaluable roles workers have played in nation-building, Tinubu said: “I join the rest of the world and all compatriots to celebrate Nigerian workers on this year’s International Workers’  Day. Today is a special day in most parts of the world, a day to salute and honour the working people whose hard work and sweat continue to oil the wheel of human progress and advancement.

“Today is significant in many respects. It is a day forged and born out of the struggle for workers’ rights and socio-economic justice.  Since 1891, this day has been observed all over the world. 

“In Nigeria, every May 1 is a  special day in our national calendar. The public holiday we observe is not just to commemorate the contributions and sacrifices of workers to the well-being of our country. It serves both as a celebration of the rights of workers to dignity, decent wages and decent living, and more importantly, it is a testament to the critical role the labour movement plays in our march towards a stronger, united and more prosperous nation. 

“Since 1945 when the railway workers and 16 other public service unions led the first General Strike to demand better wages as a result of the rising cost of living, the Labour Movement in Nigeria has always fought on the side of the masses of our country. It was no surprise that the Labour Movement added fillip, zest and energy to the struggle for independence by partnering with nationalists such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay, Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest Ikoli and Anthony Enahoro among others.

“The Nigerian Labour Movement was also not found wanting during our struggle for the restoration of democracy. The Nigerian Labour Congress and its affiliate organisations – NUPENG, Textile Union, PENGASSAN, among others, collaborated with the pro-democracy leaders and groups to restore democratic governance in Nigeria in 1999 after almost two unbroken decades of military dictatorship.”