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Tag: battle

  • Teachers’ long battle for TSS

    Teachers’ long battle for TSS

    Governors of 18 states defaulting on the 27.5 per cent Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) have been warned of an indefinite strike by primary and secondary school teachers, should they fail to implement the allowance in two weeks.

     

    Five years ago, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) adopted the Teachers Salary Structure (TSS). Under the structure, teachers are to be paid special salary commensurate to their job. Of the 36 states, 18 have started implementing the structure. The others have not, citing reasons which the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) feel are not tenable. The union has given the states two weeks to implement the scheme. The ultimatum followed the expiration of the January 31 deadline earlier given them for the implementation. It warned that at the expiration of the two-week ultimatum, it will urge its members to proceed on strike if the states were yet to act on the matter.

    The states are: Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Lagos, Ekiti, Abia, Enugu, Cross River, Kebbi, Taraba, Plateau, Delta, Katsina, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Gombe and Bauchi.

    NUT’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Emmanuel Hwande told The Nation that the deadline was extended to enable the states to reflect the structure in the teachers’ January salary.

    His words: “We gave the two weeks to be sure that the arrangements for payment are perfected. But if after the January salary is paid and teachers in the affected states do not receive the 27.5 percent then the war will continue. There will be strike after the National Executive Council (NEC) must have met and given directive. We will not relent until our demand is met.”

    But why have the states not paid? Each state has its reasons for not paying but the common factor seems to be the minimum wage approved in November 2011. The wage has added a burden to the states’ financial standing.

    Lagos

    In Lagos State, the government has agreed to implement 15.5 per cent now and the rest at a future date agreed upon with the NUT.

    Chairman, NUT Lagos, Comrade Kayode Idowu said the union has extracted a promise from the government to pay the arrears in February.

    “We have an agreement with them that was meant to start by January which they did not pay with the January salary but are implementing with February salary. They will pay 60 per cent of it now. The only problem that may crop up is when they don’t pay the remaining 40 per cent at the time we agree on. We went to Alausa on Tuesday to sign a memorandum on the remaining 40 per cent,” he said.

    Some teachers are not satisfied with promises any longer. A teacher said he has lost faith in the government and NUT.

    He said: “It has always been promises and promises yet no action. We don’t trust government; yet we don’t even know what the union is doing even up to the national body. They seem to have kept us in the dark for so long. There was a time they asked us to get ready for mass strike, but now we don’t even know what is happening again. We have all left our fate to God.”

    Ekiti

    Mr Ola Idris, Secretary, NUT Ekiti State wing, said Governor Kayode Fayemi has accepted to pay the 27.5 per cent TSS.

    According to him, the governor who at a meeting with teachers about three weeks ago, promised to appeal to NUT officials to give him sometime.

    Idris said: “Officials of NUT met with the governor about three weeks ago. There, he pledged to pay the TSS. He only requested that the union should give him more time to be able to work out things appropriately.

    “May I state that we in the NUT don’t doubt either the governor’s readiness or intention to pay. We know he meant his word when he said he needed more time.”

    Enugu

    In Enugu State, the government has agreed to pay in principle. The NUT is still negotiating with the government on TSS’ implementation.

    NUT leaders met with top government officials which including the secretary to the state government, commissioners for education and labour and key permanent secretaries over the issue.

    NUT Chairman, Comrade Chumaife Nze, said the government, in principle, agreed to pay when the money is available.

    “The government is currently studying the financial implications of the unpaid 17 percent. The union and government would meet on February 18 to map out the way forward. The outcome will determine the option the teachers would take – strike or not,” he said.

    Nze who doubles as the NLC chairman, expressed optimism that now that Governor Sullivan Chime is back, negotiations would go through.

    Delta

    Comrade Emmanuel Adhe, Chairman, NUT Delta State wing said the government would implement from this month.

    He said the state would not be among the defaulting states following government’s approval. According to Adhe, the approval granted by government will take effect retroactively.

    His words: “As for Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has approved the 27.5 percent and it will be implemented in February and it will take effect from January 2013 and one month’s arrears will be paid, so Delta State will not be affected. The government has approved the TSS for teachers in Delta State for both primary and secondary schools. Teachers are satisfied with the government’s efforts. Now we have heard about the approval by February ending when teachers will be paid you will see the jubilation in town.”

    Cross River

    Teachers in Cross River State are unhappy over the non-implementation of the TSS.

    Chairman of NUT, Mr Njom Nyambi, told The Nation that teachers have made entreaties to the government on the implementation of the TSS .

    Nyambi said the union wrote to the governor last week, in its bid to ensure that the issue was resolved amicably.

    The teachers, he said, would go on strike if they did not get positive feedback.

    His words, “Cross River is one of the states that has not been able to pay. I have written to the government and any moment from now, the teachers would proceed on strike unless something positive is done If not we would declare a strike.”

    Commissioner for Education Prof Offiong Offiong said the state was among the states to first implement the TSS in January 2009. But when the minimum wage came, he said, it affected the scale as some teachers complained of being short-changed.

    He said the government was looking into the matter, adding that the issue would be addressed soon.

    He said: “The state was among the first in 2009 January to implement the TSS but when the minimum wage came, it does appear from what the teachers are saying that it has short-changed them in TSS. The governor directed a committee to look at that, and bring up a report to him and I am aware that they are working on that. The office of the accountant-general and others are working on that, but once that has been confirmed and authenticated, I am sure the government would address the matter. It is just the agitation that they have been short-changed. So once we confirm that, the matter would be addressed. I am sure that government, once the give their commitment to pay whatever is outstanding that would be addressed. We need to authenticate that there is actually a short-change. We are looking into it.”

    Kogi

    In Kogi the government gave teachers an option to choose between minimum wage, TSS and another allowance called relativity.

    “But since the introduction of relativity and minimum wage, the state government gave us the option of either to drop the 27.5 percent and enjoy the relativity or do otherwise. But we opted for the relativity since it is juicier. But as I am talking to you now, we are not enjoying the minimum wage nor the TSS,” the source added.

    He said the teachers would continue to struggle until the implemention of the package.

    Plateau

    TSS implementation has not been fully achieved in Plateau. The labour unions are still battling with government for full implementation. Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Jibrin Bantir said primary school teachers were being paid partially.

    He said: “Teachers in Plateau State are in two categories: those in secondary schools are employees of the state government, those in primary schools are employees of the local government. The teachers at the secondary schools are already enjoying the TSS 100 per cent, but those in primaries who are local government staff are yet to enjoy full implementation. At the moment, primary school teachers are only enjoying 65 per cent implementation. The inability of the local government to pay the TSS in full, we were made to understand, is due to the alleged dwindling monthly allocation of the local government from the federation account.”

    Bantir said the union is talking with government to pay up.

    “The case of the local government workers was part of why the NLC declared a strike last year and some agreements were reached between government and labour on ways to implement the TSS in phases.

    “So, the issue is being addressed. However, the January 31 deadline by NUT has been adjusted further, that date has been extended by NUT to allow the affected states to implement it. But I think the major problem with the TSS is that some states have not even implemented it at all. This is where NUT is so concerned. As for Plateau State we don’t have much problem as such,” he said.

    Abia

    Although the Abia NUT claims it has no problems with the government over TSS implementation, payment is yet to start.

    According to NUT chairman Enoch Omeoga, the payment voucher for January was prepared without the TSS, adding: “as a principal of a school in the state, when I saw it I raised an alarm which made the Chief of Staff to the governor, Cosmos Ndukwe, to raise a memo reminding the ministry of the agreement we reached.”

    He said ASUBEB and the Ministry of Education have been directed to prepare a supplementary voucher for and February, “which have been prepared, so we have to wait till the salaries are paid to know if the TSS will be there or not”.

    Omeoga regretted that salaries are paid in arrears, saying: “Abia teachers and the NUT are waiting for the salaries to be paid for the month of January and if the TSS is not included in the salary we will complain to the governor”.

    He explained that during negotiation, the governor was not hostile, but was only complaining that there are no funds. The governor, he said, urged the workers not to compare the state with the rich ones.

    Omeoga said he was sure that the governor would pay the TSS, adding if he fails, the teachers will meet to know the next line of action.

    “For now, there is no problem between us and the governor,” he said.

  • Customs, exporters battle over EEG

    The Customs and the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN) are bickering over the implementation of the Export Expansion Grant (EEG).

    FACAN accused Customs of rejecting Negotiable Duty Credit Certificates (NDCC) for payment.

    But Customs denied the allegation, claiming that some members of the association are misusing the grant.

    The Federal Government introduced EEG in 2005 and adopted the use of NDCC for payment of import duty for some machinery and critical raw materials, to cushion the effect of infrastructural deficiency faced by exporters.

    The Customs said it has not stopped the use of the certificates for payment, but only embarked on close monitoring, to check abuse.

    FACAN’s National President Dr Victor Iyama said the government gave the grant for the payment of import duties.

    He said some exporters were not able to redeem their EEGs for years because of the Customs’ refusal to honour their requests.

    Some exporters, he said, had not been able to enjoy the grant because of the Customs.

    He said: “It is affecting their revenue collection because whenever they take it, they also lose their own seven per cent of their revenue.

    “It’s a well-designed incentive by the Federal Government to grow non-oil export sector. There is still a clog in the wheel of progress. There has always been one problem or the other.

    “The Federal Government gives EEG in form of NDCC’s; that is, the Negotiable Duty Customs Certificate. It can only be redeemed through payment of import duties.

    “For quite some time, exporters have been having a running battle in disposing the certificates because as an exporter you can either use it to pay for duties for the goods you have imported or sell it to a third party to pay with, of course, a discount.

    “But for some time, it has been difficult because the Customs has been a clog in the wheel of progress because they are saying that it is affecting their own revenue collection because whenever they take it, they also lose their own seven per cent revenue, which is the normal seven per cent they get from the accrued revenue.’’

    Iyama said the EEG is not like subsidy. He urged the government to assist in sustaining the growing sector.

    He pleaded with the government to instruct the Customs to work with the panelists set up to disburse the EEGs to the exporters.

    “The people who make up the panel are the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Customs. The CBN checks the fact that you have exported and repatriated the funds through your banks, while the Customs checks that you have shipped them,” he said.

    Customs’ Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mr Wale Adeniyi told The Nation that some of the exporters were using the NDCC for purposes not meant.

    Customs is concerned because some members of the group use it to bring exotic cars into the country and that is illegal, he said.

    “I am not aware of any restriction or stoppage of the use of the certificates, but what we are doing is close monitoring, to stop abuse of the policy.We are only monitoring the implementation to ensure that it is in line with the objectives of the scheme,” he said.

    “Discussion is on-going that it should form part of our revenue. But we are concerned that some people are using it for wrong purpose. None of our commands will reject it once it is genuine. We don’t reject them,” he added.

  • Governors’ battle for true federalism

    Governors’ battle for true federalism

    Governors are raising fundamental questions germane to peaceful co-existence in the country. These include state police, devolution of power, restructuring of the polity and status of the local government. But critics have described them as oppressors in their states. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the Governors’ Forum’s battle for true federalism within the context of their opposition to council autonomy.

     

    The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) is not recognised by the 1999 Constitution. Membership of the association is voluntary. Its resolutions and decisions are advisory and not binding. But the body cannot be ignored by any politician. Observers believe that it is a potent force in the polity. In fact, it has now become a platform for the ventilation of grievances against the defective federal structure by the governors.

    Many politicians actually fear the body, despite its lack of legal backing. Recently, Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi Central District) chided the NGF for frustrating the constitution amendment process. He argued that governors have not given the exercise maximum support because they are opposed to local government autonomy. Also, former Education Minister Prof. Jubril Aminu has castigated the governors for exercising sweeping powers. He described the NGF, currently led by Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, as an oppressive body, whose wings should be clipped. Also, recently, prominent Ijaw leader and former Information Minister Chief Edwin Clark flayed the governors for oppressing the President. He said their virulent attacks were unwarranted. He also berated them for a shortfall in ethical perception, pointing out that, they have tolerated corruption by not speaking against the corrupt activities of their colleagues.

    In the past, tension existed between the 36 governors and federal legislators from their states. Some of the governors labeled the lawmakers as “Abuja politicians”, who are not conversant with the situation at home. Since the collapse of party supremacy, the governors’ powers and influence increased. In many states governors decide who gets what, how and when. Party faithful worship them as thin gods and lords of manor. Parties’ executive committees at the ward, council and state levels are created in their image. They are also the chief financiers of their states’ party chapters, dispenser of appointments and resources and automatic party leaders.

    The NGF’s challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan on true federalism has jolted him. The President, and his deputy, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, who are former governors, could not underrate the association. The body has instituted four cases against the federal government. The most prominent one is the revenue allocation litigation. According to the governors, the President has a case to answer over the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, who said that a master-servant relationship should not characterise inter-governmental relations in the country, frowned at the skewed revenue allocation formula. He said it was worrisome that the 36 states share 22 percent of the national revenue and the federal government gets 52 percent. He called for the review of the formula to enable the governors discharge their duties to their states.

    The governor of Ekiti, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, agreed with this view. But he expressed worry over the secrecy in governance, saying that no governor knows the amount that the country earns daily from oil. His Delta State counterpart, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, objected to the opposition against the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). He said it is injurious to the people of the Niger Delta. Also, the governor said the time is ripe for the country to have state police, revised revenue allocation formula and true fiscal federalism.

     

    Governors as godfathers

     

    Since the aborted Third Republic, governors have assumed the status of godfathers. They dictated to the Houses of Assembly and ensured that the Speakers were under their armpit. President Jonathan was sensitive to the governors’ awesome powers when he requested them to nominate candidates for ministerial slots. That special privilege, which enraged the ruling party, further increased the powers and influence of the state party leaders, to the detriment of those outside their camps.

    Tongues were wagging. Would the governors recommend to the President credible party chieftains for the critical assignment? Would they only push forward names of lackeys and stooges who cannot challenge their domineering postures in the states? Would performing serving ministers who were not in the good books of the governors make the list? Would the nomination process be fair to all? Will it lead to the appointment of credible people as ministers at this critical time? Will the ministers not become governors’ liaison officers? Answers to these questions were elusive. Those who shared this view have described the ‘council of ministers’ as governors’ liaison officers in the federal cabinet.

    Analysts pointed out that the President may have unwittingly created discord in his party. They submitted that ministers who have performed creditably may not be nominated by the governors, if they are perceived as threats to their future ambition. They also pointed out that there was nothing on ground to guard against the misuse of the nomination power or privilege.

    However, President Jonathan adopted the option of carrying the governors along to ensure harmony in the state chapters of the party. The goal, analysts said, was to avert the recurrent situation whereby governors, who are state party leaders, work at cross purpose with ministers who are expected to work harmoniously with them for the success of the party at elections.

    The President, it was learnt, was fed up with the constant rivalry between the governors and ministers over their antagonistic political ambitions. In many PDP states, the party has often been polarised into the camps of governors and party colleagues, who are dubbed ‘Abuja politicians’ by the governors’ men. When the two factions struggled for the soul of the party in the state, the party had always ended as the main casualty. Ahead of the primaries that heralded the general elections, PDP states boiled over the contest for supremacy between governors and National Assembly members on one hand and governors and ministers on the other hand.

     

    Are governors dictators?

     

    As party leaders, governors are in a vantage position to manipulate the primaries to favour themselves or their anointed candidates. They have the deep purse to win the majority to their side and damn the consequence. But this combative style has always backfired. In Oyo State, although Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and his men succeeded in edging out Senator Teslim Folarin at the primaries, the centre could still not hold as things fell apart. Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who suffered similar fate, left the party with his followers. PDP kissed the dust at the polls.

    In many states, the Houses of Assembly work hollow to the executive. The governor decides who emerges as the Speaker. Except in Lagos State, most governors loathe the idea of a fully independent legislature, supported by the House of Assembly Service Commission. Governors also determine, in many instances, who becomes members of the Houses of Assembly, Representatives and Senate. A political scientist, Boniface Ayodele, said the hands of the governors are also heavy on the local governments. “They are afraid to conduct council elections. They prefer to set up caretaker committees composed by their lackeys and cronies”, said the Ekiti State University don. In fact, some governors interfere in local chieftaincy tussles and insist on the candidature of their friends and associates for traditional thrones. “Governors are too powerful. The problem is that there is no one to tame them in their states, not even the parliament”, Ayodele added.

     

    Governors and party supremacy

     

    In the Second Republic, governors were regarded as primus inter pares by the members of the executive councils they presided over as Chief Executives. During that era, governors could not isolate themselves from the pack of democrats who constituted their teams. The new breed, who had blazed the trail in the Third Republic, were not rooted in the democratic culture of earlier periods, which thrived on internal democracy, constructive dialogue and wide consultation. In that era, which was generally regarded as an era of strong political culture, party supremacy was upheld and governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers and state and federal parliamentarians were bound by party constitutions, directives, guidelines, rules and regulations. The late Kwara State kingpin, Dr. Olusola Saraki, who , alluded to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) caucuses, submitted that these elected functionaries knew their limits because the party was supreme.

    The beat changed in 1999. Immediately the governors stabilised in their offices, the buck, henceforth, stopped on their tables. During the second term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, governors were instrumental to the nomination of scores of politicians for ministerial positions. The formula employed for their selection was devoid of equity. Those who had scores to settle with the governors were denied the opportunity, despite their qualifications, competence and service to the party. Also, in 2007, governors were completely in charge. Only the candidates endorsed by them made the ministerial list. The governors also instructed the senators from their states to ensure that they scale through the screening hurdles in the Upper Chamber. A few of them who were lucky to be appointed by the President without consultation and involvement of the governors soon fell out of favour with the governors and the party at the state level.

    Lagos politician Isiaka Adekunle-Ibrahim, said governors grew wings because of the weakness of the country’s political culture. “The Governors Forum, as we have seen, is a powerful and influential political bloc. They are so powerful in the PDP and many of them often have their ways, no matter the odds”, he fumed.

     

    Governors’ push for true federalism

     

    However, governors have denied the allegations that they are oppressing the President. They claimed that, it is the federal government that is oppressing the states. Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi clarified that the NGF is not driven by politics. “I am not a member of the political party that is the majority in the Governors’ Forum. It is only things that we agree that we push collectively. There are lot of things that governors do that they don’t do together. So, I don’t know how anyone will come by the conclusion that we are frustrating the country, oppressing the President and not allowing the constitution review process to progress”, he said.

    The governor described Nigeria as a federation, adding that, there are only two levels of government, which are coordinate and no level can lord it over the other. “In a federation, and I speak as a political scientist now, and not as a governor, we have two federating units. When you have two federating units, they are not subordinate units. They are coordinate units. That is the language we use in political science. It means that they are sovereign, and if you are a sovereign, this notion that the federal government is the one protecting the nation against the excesses of rascals, criminals at the state level, who Nigeria must be protected from, is feeding bottle federalism.

    “ It is totally absurd and nonsensical because I don’t know of any federation in the world that operates that way. In the United States, the President cannot relate to the governor of California or the governor of Massachusetts, who is from his own political party that way. If he crosses the line, they will tell him that, ‘Mr. President, are you really sure of what you are doing?’ You cannot hijack the powers of a coordinate federal unit. But that is what happens here, and because governors are not the most popular public office holders, people confuse logic with logicality”, Feyemi added.

    He stressed that the governors were in a battle to sustain federalism. “On the issue we have raised fundamental questions, what people refer to as state police, our argument has not be about state police. The media describe it as state police. It is about multi-level police. We have never been against the federal police. We have said that the federal police has its own role in a federation. State police has its own role. Local police has its own role. Even, the university campus police has its role in that multi-level approach to security, particularly, law enforcement. But everybody refuses to take our line. They insist on federal police. I don’t know any governor that has ever said that the federal police is unacceptable and unwanted. We have always asked for is a multi-level police force to tackle our security challenge.

    “The other issue is our interpretation of the Section 162 of the constitution. We have a religious interpretation of it in the Governors’ Forum, which is why we are in court on about four cases. Sectionn162 of the constitution makes it very clear. Every penny that comes to the coffers of the Nigerian state goes into only one account, the Federation Account. Not JP Morgan, not Citibank. Because we run this federalism as a unitary state; of course, our authoritarian military past is affecting us; people do not pay fidelity to this critical issue. Monies are collected by NNPC. We don’t even know the amount. No governor in this country can tell you how much this country earns on a daily basis. There should be accountability and transparency, and nobody gives me a full picture of what we earn. Governors have raised these issues at every forum. We have four cases in the Supreme Court. The federal government has been requesting for an out of court settlements in the cases. Does someone who oppresses you go to the court to seek reprieve? We are the ones being oppressed and nobody is coming to our aid. May be, we have not sufficiently made it clear that the states are the ones being oppressed by the federal government.

    “That is actually what is happening. Some people are used to collecting money in an unaccountable manner. Let us render it to the Nigerian people. We like what Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has been doing by publishing what goes to us. That is fine. Our people should know what we get so that they can monitor us. We too want to know the actual money earned by the Nigerian state to which we belong, so that we can also challenge it with our own independent analysis. People should support us, instead of haranguing us”, Fayemi stressed.

  • NSCDC officials battle pipeline vandals

    Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday engaged pipeline vandals in a gun battle at Arepo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    Guns boomed for over 30 minutes, until the vandals, who were injured, fled into the bush.

    NSCDC spokesman Kareem Olanrewaju said the vandals laid ambush for the corps men.

    Olanrewaju said: “The vandals shot at our men and they returned fire. The vandals bowed to the superior fire power of our men and ran away. Some of them escaped with bullets wounds through the bush and waterways.

    “We urge the public, especially people living around Arepo, Majidun and its environs, to inform the corps if they see anybody with bullet wounds.

    “The corps could be reached through the following numbers: 08039407131, 08023619224 and 08033534796. We appreciate your support and pledge that information given to us would be treated with confidence.”

     

  • NLC to battle Kwara, Osun, seven others over minimum wage

    NLC to battle Kwara, Osun, seven others over minimum wage

    Labour plans to tackle nine states that it claims are yet to pay the minimum wage.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has listed the defaulting states as Anambra, Ebonyi, Plateau, Kwara, Kebbi, Niger, Osun, Enugu and Zamfara.

    It accused the states of failing to complete talks with the Joint Public Service Negotiation Council (JPSNC) on the implementation of the N18,000 national minimum wage.

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged the JPSNC to intensify efforts in ensuring that states that are deliberately mis-interpreting the Minimum Wage Act are brought to book.

    NLC’s Acting General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, said the Congress would visit the states to ascertain their level of compliance.

    Uyot said the NLC would this month take a record of all the ongoing issues surrounding the non-implementation of the minimum wage in the identified states and act accordingly.

    But Osun State has denied that it was yet to pay the minimum wage as required by the law. It urged the NLC to exclude the state from those it planned to battle.

    ASCSN’s Secretary General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal said where state governments implement the minimum wage for levels 1-6, they are not adjusting the wage to balance the ratio.

    He added that negotiations are stalled in some states because governments have refused to adjust the ratio between the minimum and maximum wages.

    “It is a tragedy. They just added N500, N900 in some cases, they didn’t adjust the ratio,” Lawal said.

    The Nation learnt that in Ebonyi State, only levels 1 and 2 have been paid the minimum wage totalling N25,000,while it paid N26,400 to level 8 and N31,000 to level 9, amounting to just about N2000 per month.

    Ebonyi workers have asked the government to return to the drawing board and use the relativity chart.

    It is a similar case in Niger State, where only levels 1-6 have been paid the minimum wage, while N10,000 per annum is added to the wages of those from level 7 and above.

    “That is about N800 per month increase. Even with this N10,000 addition, Niger State Government said they will use a consolidated structure, which means there will no longer be allowances like house rent, transport etc. This has been rejected by the workers,” an official of the state’s labour union told The Nation.

    But Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, spokesman of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said: “Osun State should not be listed as one of those to be battled by the NLC because it has implemented the Minimum Wage Act.

    “Workers in state have even confirmed enjoying the minimum wage. The NLC should be aware that the National Industrial Court (NIC) has restrained workers in the state from taking any action against the state over the issue.”Omar, while lamenting the reluctance of states to comply with the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act, noted that “the Act, which was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the President since March 2011, is being observed in the breach by some state governments.

    “More worrying is the spectacle of the Federal government, which should defend its own law, allowing state governments to use its security forces against protesting workers who are only standing up for their rights as protected by the law. Such unprecedented impunity is not only malicious, but are anachronistic to cherished democratic values.

    The much touted social dialogue, which should be the basis for resolving industrial disputes, has no meaning to some government and most employers.

    “May we remind those governors who are yet to implement the new national minimum wage that they are in gross breach of a national law which they swore to uphold.

    “In fact, if we operate a true democracy where the State Houses of Assembly are independent, this singular act of not complying with the minimum wage law is an impeachable offence.

    “It is our resolve that the few states that are still reluctant to pay the Minimum Wage to some categories of workers will come under full focus by the labour movement. The struggle will no longer be left in the hands of the state councils, but handled in conjunction with the national leadership of the labour movement,” the NLC President said.

  • Trabzonspor battle for Kalu Uche

    Trabzonspor battle for Kalu Uche

    Besiktas and Trabzonspor are both interested in the services of Super Eagles ace, Kalu Uche.

    The Kasimpasa striker has been in prolific form scoring 10 goals in all competitions for the Istanbul side this season.

    Trabzonspor have only scored 19 goals this season, the lowest total in the top half of the season. The Black Sea giants haven’t found a like for like replacement for Burak Yilmaz and have struggled on the goal scoring front.

    Besiktas meanwhile only have one inform striker, the Black Eagles only have Batuhan Karadeniz as an alternative for Hugo Almeida as Mustafa Pektemek is out with a long term injury.

    Kasimpasa completed the transfer of Kalu Uche from Espanyol for €1.5 million on a three-year deal during the summer transfer window.

    The 30-year-old striker joined Espanyol from Neuchâtel Xamax on a free transfer during the winter transfer window. The Nigerian international impressed during his short stay, scoring six times in 16 games for the La Liga outfit.

  • Menakaya, Umeh battle over Ojukwu’s death, APGA

    Menakaya, Umeh battle over Ojukwu’s death, APGA

    A peaceful resolution of the crisis that has engulfed the leadership of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) seems far from sight as the party’s Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh and a member of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Tim Menakaya, engaged in a war of words yesterday in Abuja.

    While Menakaya warned Umeh on the likely consequences of his threat to expose the circumstances leading to the death of the National Leader of the party, Chief Emeka Ojukwu, while Umeh accused Menakaya of pandering to the whim of Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

    They spoke to the media separately.

    Menakaya, who said Umeh has constituted himself into a tin god to control the party’s machinery, traced the lingering crisis in APGA to Umeh’s highhandedness, stating that he should be wary of his utterances on Ojukwu’s death in order not to incur the wrath of Igbo race.

    He said Umeh has frustrated every efforts made to ensure that the membership of APGA’s BoT is increased to, at least, 24 as stipulated in the party’s constitution.

    Menakaya said he is the only BoT member of the party till date, arguing that peace can only return to the party if Umeh sheds his toga of imperialism.

    He said: “We have the former National Chiarman of the party, and I use the word former because the case is still in court, always fighting other people. In any case, he should stop parading himself as the chairman of the party because there is a court injunction to that effect.

    “There is crisis in the party today because the National Executive of the party, the Umeh faction, sees itself as a colossus and we say ‘no, this one man show must stop’ so that we can have a truly responsible organisation that is structured. The whole crisis revolves around one single individual.

    “On his threat to expose what transpired before and after Ojukwu’s death, we are waiting for the 26th of November for him to make his revelations. But he must realise that, in this country especially where I come from, there are things that are sacrilegious. If you know how somebody died, then are you the doctor? From what he was saying, it is evident that he is saying that Ojukwu’s death is not ordinary. We are waiting for those revelations of his.”

    But in a swift reaction, Umeh wondered why Menakaya should be concerned about what he threatened to expose on the death of man that he never really revered while he was alive.

    Claiming that Menakaya’s sudden burst of political relevance is propelled by the recent appointment of his son, Ndubuisi Menakaya, as Commissioner for Special Duties in Anambra State, Umeh also explained that he was not surprised that Menakaya has been attacking the party’s leadership because of its opposition to the alleged zoning of the governorship to Anambra North Senatorial District by Obi.

    “If Dr. Menakaya refers to me as a former Chairman of the party, then who is his current chairman? Did he tell you? Menakaya has brought many untold suffering to this party and it will be hypocritical for him to say I am responsible for the inability to expand the membership of the BoT.

    “Let him say the truth. Where was Menakaya all this while? Governor Peter Obi made his son a commissioner for Special Duties and his in-law, Onochie Okagbue, the Chairman of the Dunukofia Lacal Government while also conceding the governorship slot to Anambra North. That is why Menakaya is talking and abusing an executive that was duly elected.

    “On my threat to reveal what led to Ojukwu’s death, how does that concern him? Menakaya is not a member of the Ojukwu family. I merely called on them to caution themselves and call themselves to order. It was when Ojukwu became indisposed that Menakaya appeared. How close was he to Ojukwu when he was alive?”

    However, both party leaders said peace can return to the party if all the factions sheathe their swords and to work together.

     

  • Oshiomhole, Airhiavbere take battle to Appeal Court

    The legal battle between Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd.), the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 14 governorship election, yesterday shifted to the Appeal Court sitting in Benin, the state capital.

    Airhiavbere is seeking a declaration that the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal should assume jurisdiction on qualification matters. Oshiomhole is urging the court to quash the remaining reliefs sought by the appellant at the tribunal, on the grounds that the major issue of qualification had been determined.

    Airhiavbere’s counsel Chief Efe Akpofure said: “The issues before your Lordships are clear. Whether the issue of qualification is a pre-election matter and the Tribunal has no jurisdiction over it. I submit with the greatest respect that that was erroneous and does not have the support of the law and the Electoral Act.

    “The issue of whether materials for qualification were adequately pleaded before the lower tribunal was not in doubt because the tribunal, in its ruling, admitted so on Page 879, Vol. 2 Lines 11-16.

    “The issue of qualification is not a pre-election matter that ought to have gone to the High Court. The tribunal was wrong to strike out reliefs 1 and 2 in the petition.”

    Oshiomhole’s counsel Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) countered the appellant’s argument on the grounds that the PDP, which sponsored the appellant in the election, was not contesting the outcome of the election.

    Olanipekun said: “My Lord, this is an appeal by an orphan and the court is not an orphanage. His party has conceded the election, but he is insisting on an appeal.

    “There is no ground challenging disqualification or not of the first respondent. They only mentioned corrupt practices. The appellant has also argued that the lower tribunal ought to have taken cognizance of the provisions of the Constitution. He pleaded the Electoral Act and there was no reference to the Constitution and that was the argument we proffered; appeal is a continuation of a hearing.

    “If there is complaint that the form submitted in 2007 is different from that submitted in 2012, then those are issues they ought to have ventilated before the High Court, which could have led to a disqualification and not annulment of election.

    “My Lord, we are not here for magic. When you are pleading non-qualification, it will be non-qualification as per the provisions of the constitution.

    “The fora for ventilating non-qualification as provided by the Electoral Act, particularly with respect to the declaration in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Forms as provided by Section 31 of the Electoral Act, is either the Federal High Court or State High Court and should be pre-election and not post-election.”

    In his application, Oshiomhole also sought to quash the remainder of the case before the tribunal, saying that the tribunal “rightly agreed that there was no petition before it and struck out the main reliefs instead of striking out the entire petition. There is no live issue remaining before lower tribunal.

    The Appeal panel, headed by Justice H.M. Ogunmiju, with Justices S. Yakubu and T.O. Awotoye as members, reserved judgment in the appeal to a later date.

    Both Oshiomhole and Airhiavbere were in court.

    A Deputy Superintended of Police (DSP) was injured in a fracas between ACN and PDP supporters on the court premises.

    It was learnt that he injured DSP was the former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ugbor Police Division.

    He was taken to a nearby hospital.

  • JTF kills four terrorists in Yobe gun battle

    After a gun battle with Boko Haram, the Joint Task Force (JTF) yesterday killed four terrorists in Yobe town, Gashua.

    The JTF also arrested four members of the sect during a raid on their hideout in Abujan Amare area of Gashua, in Bade Local Government Area.

    Spokesman of the JTF Lazarus Eli in a statement in Damaturu, the state capital, said arms and ammunition were recovered in the raid which took place in the early hours of yesterday.

    The items recovered include three AK 47 rifles with 42 rounds of ammunition, three magazines, a Thuraya handset, two laptops, a blood pressure gauge, 21 wrist watches, 13 handsets, a CD player and 18 SIM cards.

    Gashua is 187 kilometres North-West of Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.

    Lt. Eli said: “During the JTF raid which was initially faced with resistance from the terrorists, our men overcome their resistance with superior fire power and killed four suspects with the arrest of four other suspects.”

    The JTF has also commenced the use of Sniffer dogs at different check-points in the metropolis.

    Lt. Eli said the Sniffer dogs are used for the detection of specially-concealed arms and nitrate-based materials used in the making of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at check points.

    He said: “Available information reveals plan by the terrorists group to smuggle arms into the state capital by all means necessary and cause mayhem in the city so we have to keep evolving new methods. According to him, it is necessary to remain ahead of the terrorists and in so doing, we have to employ all the resources at our disposal to ensure we achieve the set objective” he said.

    Yobe state has relaxed the curfew imposed on Potiskum, the commercial hub of the state.

    Special Adviser Press and Information to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, Abdullahi Bego, said the curfew is relaxed by two hours beginning from 6.00pm to 7.am instead of from 7.am to 4.00pm.

     

  • MASSOB, BZM battle over Biafra

    MASSOB, BZM battle over Biafra

    There was a big battle in the East yesterday over next Monday’s plan by a group to revive Biafra Republic.

    The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) frustrated by the Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) to resuscitate the republic.

    MASSOB operatives are believed to have abducted BZM leader worldwide Benjamin Onwuka, national chairman Edeson Samuel and national secretary Nweke Nweke to thwart the group’s plan.

    MASSOB said the abduction was an invitation to BZM leaders to explain the motive behind their plan.

    BZM’s Director of Mobilisation Cornelius Anyanwu said the abductors stormed the venue of a meeting scheduled for yesterday and picked the three men while they were waiting for the meeting to start.

    The MASSOB men, he said, claimed they were acting on orders of MASSOB leader Ralph Uwazuruike to bring the BZM officials to Okwe, Imo State.

    Uwazuruike denied the allegation, saying he knew nothing about the matter.

    MASSOB Director of Information Uchenna Madu said the BZM leaders were not abducted but merely taken away for interrogation on the planned return of Biafra.

    He said MASSOB wanted to know BZM’s strategies and how to help the group, if necessary.

    Madu said: “We don’t want them to ridicule Biafra with that re-declaration because they have no structure on ground. They should tell us where they are coming from and what they intend to achieve.

    “We cannot tolerate this re-declaration because allowing it will amount to making a caricature of Biafra.”

    He said the BZM leaders were taken to Enugu and not Okwe, adding that they would be released after “a satisfactory explanation” of their plan.

    Madu insisted that Uwazuruike was not aware of the BZM leaders’ abduction.

    But Anyanwu said he believed that MASSOB’s action was informed by its working understanding with the Federal Government and security agencies.

    He insisted that whether BZM leaders are released or not, there was no going back on the Biafra revival plan.

    Biafrans the world over, he said, were looking forward to the re-declaration.

    Denying that MASSOB is against BZM, Madu said: “MASSOB as the pioneer organisation and champion of Biafra struggle is not against any genuine group clamouring for Biafra.

    “We need and also, appreciate more political pressure against the Nigerian state, any Biafra pressure, agitation and protest is a compliment to MASSOB’s 13 years of consistency, uncompromised and unshakable spirit of Biafra struggle.

    “MASSOB will not accommodate gambling or using it to achieve cheap popularity by any group, it is suicidal for any Igboman to trade with the future of Biafra people.

    “MASSOB under Chief Raph Umazuruike represents the genuine interest of Ndigbo, Biafrans in general in non-violent method.

    “Freedom can never be achieved on a platter of gold or mere wishful thinking, prices must be paid, sacrifices must be made, the struggle for Biafran freedom is not a childish venture and we believe that the so-called group wants to be relevant.

    “Because of Biafra and love of Ndigbo, our leader, fearless and brave leader, Uwazurike sacrificed his comfort and houses in Lagos and Imo states, members were killed by security agents and many others imprisoned’.

    “Uwazuruike and his men saw and conquered death on the burial day of Gabriel Ogu, who was shot by police on the day Biafran flag was hoisted.

    “Uwazuruike vowed before the dead and living, that he will not relent or abandon the Biafran cause after 13 years of a long walk to freedom, he is still faithful and unrelenting to Biafran actualisation’’

    “The role of the United Nations (UN) towards Biafra is good and cordial; UN observers have been monitoring our activities such as civil disobedience, sit at home, worldwide demonstrations, civil protests etc.

    “The International community is aware of MASSOB’s self-determination struggle for Biafra; Umuazuruike has never and cannot compromise the integrity of Biafra struggle.”