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Tag: Ayuba Wabba

  • NLC to partner ICPC on monitoring of bailout cash

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will partner with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor the disbursement and use of the N338billion bailout funds released to about 27 states of the federation by the Federal Government.

    The President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said in a statement made available to The Nation in Abuja that it has directed all states councils in the benefiting states to serve as whistle blowers on any criminal diversion of the bailout funds.

    The congress commended the ICPC for ensuring the return of about N1 billion being public funds criminally diverted by some corrupt officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Federal Pay Office.

    Wabba said NLC was in agreement with the commission that the painful days of the public “running after funds after appropriation” are over for the good of all Nigerians including workers.

    The 27 states that benefited from the bailout funds are – Abia (N14.152b), Adamawa (N2.378b), Bauchi (N8.60b), Bayelsa (N1.285b), Benue (N28.013b), Borno (N7.680b), Cross River (N7.856b),   Delta (N10.036b), Ebonyi (N4.063b), Edo (N3.167b), Ekiti (N9.604b) and Enugu (N4.207b).

    Others are – Gombe (N16.459b) , Imo (N26.806b),  Kastina (N3.304b), Kebbi (N0.690b),  Kogi (N50.842b), Kwara (N4.320b), Nasarawa (N8.317b ), Niger (N4.306b),  Ogun (N20.00b), Ondo (N14.686b),  Osun(N34.988b), Oyo( N26.606b ),  Plateau (N5.357b),  Sokoto (N10.093b) and Zamfara (N10.020b).

    While saluting the renewed effort and commitment of ICPC to recover looted public funds and other proceeds of corruption, the NLC President said in doing so, ICPC is commendably living up to its Mission Statement which is “To rid Nigeria of corruption through lawful enforcement and preventive measures.”

     

  • NLC wants companies involved in fuel scarcity ‘blacklisted’

    NLC wants companies involved in fuel scarcity ‘blacklisted’

    The Nigeria Labour Congress has asked the government to blacklist all private sector companies involved in what they called massive blackmail of Nigerians in the wake of the nationwide fuel scarcity and revoke their licenses as a punitive measure to serve as deterrent to other operators.

    The congress also said President Goodluck Jonathan should within the few remaining days in office pinpoint the officers in his government who have failed so spectacularly in performing their duties and had led to current mess.

    President of the NLC, Dr. Ayuba Wabba, said in a statement entitled: “Fuel Scarcity: Let Government Act Now,” said the government should within the few remaining days carry out a quick investigation on the matter with a view to identify the officers behind the current situation and hand them over to the incoming administration to further investigation and made to face the law.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has watched with utter disgust and dismay how business and commercial activities in the country have been brought literally to a halt as a result of the activities of a mindless and cruel cabal that had taken absolute grip of the petroleum import business.

    “Clearly, the objective of the cabal in the current impasse is to arm-twist the Federal Government to part with billions of dollars, which it had not earned, in the name of fuel subsidy payments.

    “More curious, however, is the fact that the federal government has allowed this cabal to continue to hold the entire country to ransom thereby escalating the regime of impunity and unimaginable corruption which had taken complete hold of the operations of our petroleum sector causing the country to lose billions of dollars over the years.

    “As Mr. President has had cause to remind Nigerians in the weeks following the March 28, 2015 presidential election, that he was still in charge of running the country, the NLC hereby call on him to take firm and decisive action by calling to order all those in the petroleum sector that have one way or the other brought this crisis upon the nation.

    “The implicit message in such a definitive action will show that no one – business men and women and their collaborators, in and out of government – is strong enough to hold the entire people of Nigeria and its government to ransom.

    “We therefore urge Mr. President to, in the few days remaining of his tenure, pinpoint the officers in his government who have failed so spectacularly in performing their duties which has led to the current mess.

    “Given that Mr. President has been very active of recent in the sacking and appointment of officers to less significant functionaries of government; we expect him to within these few days carry out a quick investigation on the matter which should identify the officers behind the current situation and hand them over to the incoming administration to further investigation and made to face the law,” the statement reads.

     

  • Update: Factions emerge over NLC election result

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has split into two factions following the election of its national officers at the rescheduled 11th National Delegates Conference held at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
    The election whose result was announced at about 3.30 am on Saturday Morning, 24 hours after the completion of voting saw Dr. Ayuba Wabba of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria defeating his opponent, Comrade Joseph Ajaero of the National Union of Electricity Employees to emerge the new President.
    Announcing the results of the election which started at about 5.00pm on Thursday, March 12, the retuning officer and pioneer General Secretary of the NLC,  Dangiwa Aliyu said that Wabba emerged winner having pulled 1, 695 votes of the 3115 votes cast while his main rival, Joe Ajaero pulled 1, 140 votes.
    3119 delegates from 43 affiliate unions of the NLC were accredited for the election.
    Aliyu also declared Adeyemi Peters, Kiri Mohammed and Najeem Yasen as Deputy Presidents, defeating Issa Aremu, and Igwe Achese respectively.
    However, Joseph Ajaero, Issa Aremu and Igwe Achese rejected the outcome of the elections saying the entire process was faulty like the aborted delegate conference which was disrupted by the same group.
    The Ajaero’s group which contested the election under the Name Restoration Group said they will not accept the results of the election and accused the former President, Abdulwahid Omar of doing everything possible to ensure that his preferred candidate emerge winner.
    The Ajaero group has however said it was organising a special delegate conference in Lagos on Saturday, March 21 for the purpose of electing a new leadership for the NLC and restore the credibility of the Union.
    Addressing a news conference after their meeting, Ajaero said that special delegate conferences are recognised by the constitution of the Congress, pointing out that they want to prove to Nigerians that they have the capacity to organise credible elections.
    He said “the events of the last one month seem to have troubled our mind so much because that is not a trade union tradition”.
    However, General Secretary of National Union of Textiles, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, Issa Aremu said the happenings in the congress is not meant to divide  the NLC, but to make it stronger and more united.
    Aremu who lost the position of Deputy President said “disagreement, counter accusations are part of our heritage and tradition. Nigeria Labour Congress is made up of industrial unions. NLC also has rules when rules are violated, members are encouraged to fight it and restore proper rules. That is exactly what we are doing.
    “What we are doing here is saying that the rescheduled election has followed the same pattern of the first one. Less transparent, cumbersome and the results not acceptable to us and we are doing so as bonafide members of Nigeria Labour Congress.”