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Tag: conditions

  • APC gives conditions for consensus candidature

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said consensus will apply only when no other aspirant signifies interest through purchase of its expression of interest and nomination forms for the position in question ahead of its primaries.

    National Publicity Secretary Mr. Yekini Nabena, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, said the clarification became necessary, following the announcement of consensus candidates for elective positions for the 2019 general election in some of the state chapters.

    “The attention of the APC has been drawn to announcements of consensus candidates for elective positions in some states. It is, therefore, pertinent to make some clarifications to enlighten party faithful on the procedure for nominating candidates.

    “While consensus is provided for by the party’s constitution, the option is conditional.

    “Consensus does not foreclose direct or indirect primaries for all elective positions as contained in the resolution of the 6th Meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).”

    “Again, consensus will apply when no other aspirant signifies interest through purchase of nomination forms for the position in question,” Nabena said in a statement.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Aspirants give conditions to support Nwosu

    Some governorship aspirants in Imo State have given conditions have agreed to jettison their ambitions and support Uche Nwosu.

    They, however, gave conditions to that effect.

    It was gathered that the aspirant’s decision may not be unconnected to the outcome of the tensed meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) last Sunday.

    A top party official, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed that most of the aspirants have shown interest in supporting Nwosu who has been endorsed in nearly all the 27 councils.

    He, however, denied rumours that the aspirants made personal demands as condition for stepping down. “Our governorship aspirants are all established and successful people, and well known in the society. So their decision was taken in the best interest of the party and not for any pecuniary reason. Remember that we are going for an election and we need to go with our best if we must win,” he said.

    He added: “The step was also taken by the aspirants as a mark of respect for the governor, who they know means well for the party. None of them was pressurised into taking the decision. We are still hoping that at the end of the day, other aspirants will see the need for the decision.”

    But The Nation gathered that some of the conditions listed by the aspirants include reimbursement of the monies spent so far on servicing the party, and an opportunity to nominate people into key positions in the government that will be formed thereafter.

    Efforts to reach the state Chairman, Hillary Eke, were unsuccessful.

  • Jersey Island gives conditions for return of $300m Abacha loot

    Jersey Island gives conditions for return of $300m Abacha loot

    The government of Jersey Island yesterday insisted that about $300million Abacha loot would not be released to Nigeria if a third party representation is brought into the picture.

    Attorney General  of Jersey Island Robert J. MacRae QC stated this on Tuesday during the on- going 7th Session of  Conference of  State Parties  to the  United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Vienna, Austria.

    A statement yesterday by Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC Wilson Uwujaren said

    MacRae spoke at a side meeting with the Nigeria delegation led by acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim  Magu.

    The statement said: “The Jersey Attorney General expressly stated that negotiations in respect of repatriation of the USD300 million being part of the Abacha involving Jersy, Nigeria and the United States, “must be government to government cooperation”.

    “The EFCC was accompanied to the meeting by four members of the Nigeria delegation.”

    Read Also: EFCC to go after human traffickers – Magu

  • Unions canvass decent work conditions for workers

    Unions canvass decent work conditions for workers

    Organised Labour, last week, joined other workers across the globe to celebrate this year’s World Day for Decent Work (WDDW).

    For over a decade, October 7 has been observed annually as a day to champion the cause of ending workers’ enslavement through casualisation.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketed many companies, which allegedly have casual workers, and banned their workers from joining unions of their choice.

    Among those affected were telecommunications giant MTN, CHI Nigeria Limited, Orange Group, Namoh Nigeria Limited, Consolidated Business Holdings, and Abuja Environmental Protection Board.

    NLC President AyubaWabba said the picketing was necessary as the companies, despite repeated warnings and visitations by labour leadership, refused to stop their anti-workers’ activities.

    The companies’picketing, he said, would be done in batches and a continuous exercise until employers stopped the violation of workers’ right and casualisation.

    Chairman, NLC Committee on Casualisation, Solomon Adelegan, who is also the union’s Vice President,  led the picketers. According to him, only the government’s political will can stop workers’ abuse in the country.

    He said:“Political will by the government through laws made by the National Assembly and passed by the Presidency will put a stop to casualisation of Nigerian workers by employers, as any of such laws can be enforced by the law enforcement agencies.”

    Adelegan said this year’s event marked the 10th anniversary of the WDDW, and the second edition to be celebrated under the Ayuba Wabba- led NLC, adding that labour would ensure that the evils of casualisation were tackled.

    To him, picketing is inevitable as employers engage in casualisation, contrary to the laws on employment, international labour and human rights conventions, and the basic principles of decent work signed by member nations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO); and, particularly, UN Sustainable Development Goals on the right and welfare of workers.

    Adelegan said the NLC demands were for employers to stop workers’ casualisation, pay them living wages, and allow them to form and belong to trade unions of their choice in compliance with the labour laws and the ILO Convention 87.

    Others are: “Integrate these workers and their unions in your internal collective bargaining machinery in all work places in compliance with ILO Convention 98 and respect of all national laws and international  labour conventions on the rights of workers.”

    The picketing in Lagos was quite successful as the management of the two companies visited,  Orange Group and Consolidated Holdings, signed agreements with the NLC to allow workers in their organisations to belong to union.

     

    Minimum Wage

    The unions under the auspices of IndustriALL Global, however, dreaw awareness to workers’ plights as they marched across Lagos with placards, and called on the two labour centres, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to issue ultimatum to the Federal Government on the new minimum wage.

    The IndustriALL Global Union members said the ultimatum should be given to the government over the protracted new minimum wage issue, noting that the government must be given a time frame to either inaugurate a minimum wage committee or face industrial unrest.

    Vice Chairman of the global body, Mr. IssaAremu, said workers could not scontinue to work under a precarious wage, while the government continued to delay on a new minimum wage after the expiration of the N18,000 minimum wage in 2015.

    He said: “We have to call on all the labour centres in the country to give the Federal Government an ultimatum on the new minimum wage. The labour centres should give the government a time frame to immediately constitute and inaugurate a new minimum wage committee to negotiate a new minimum wage failing which we will withdraw our services.

    “We cannot continue to work under this precarious pay, under this high cost of living and hardship. It is our right to have a new minimum wage because the N18, 000 minimum, besides the fact that its life span has elapsed since 2015, the present socio-economic situation makes it imperative for us to have a new minimum wage.”

    Aremu, who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), lamented the working conditions of workers across the country, and called on them to unite and fight against unfavourable working environment.

    He said the ILO set aside October 7 every year for workers to create awareness on their plight, adding that IndustriALL Global Union started marking the event five years ago.

    In his contribution, Chairman of the Nigeria National Council of IndustriALL Global Union, Igwe Achese, represented by the council secretary, Mr. Ismail Bello, said: “It is a day of action; a day to mobilise workers to organise and fight for change.  It is a day to engage employers-private or public, to respect the law and workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.”

    He listed affiliates of Industriall Global Union in Nigeria to include the NUTGTWN; Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG); National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and National Union of Chemical Footwear and Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE).

    Others are Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN); Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN) and Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN).

     

    Unemployment

    The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), at its programme to mark the day, however, said employers hide under the high rate of unemployment in the country to casualise workers.

    Its President, Oyinkan Olasanoye, said organised labour was, however, insisting that there must be a condition of service that would bring dignity into the contract staff service and into whatever role they occupy.

    Olasanoye, while speaking on the theme:“End corporate greed: The world needs a pay rise”, lamented that the wage difference between full -time staff and casual workers was very high.

    She added: “But instead of saying they shouldn’t work at all as contract workers, we are saying, the remuneration they are being paid should be something that shows work done with decency.

    “We have seen a lot of workers that have been on the same level for 10 years because they are contract staff. We are working with the house committee of the House of Representatives and labour that there should be a collective agreement for these contract workers.”

    Trade Union Congress (TUC) Secretary General Musa Lawal said ending corporate greed was ending capitalism, which to him is impossible to do. The problem cannot be solved until all workers came together to face the issue, he said.

    The guest speaker, Dr. Francis Anyim, said only a pay rise could stop greed in the workplace. He called for the urgent increase in the wages of workers, saying: “There is an urgent need to address the wage issue, if it is not  listed in the 2018 budget under consideration, there would be industrial actions by the workers as witnessed this year.”

    He joined ASSBIFI  President to call on workers to register to participate in the coming elections to better their lot.

  • ‘People over 60 face peculiar conditions’

    ‘People over 60 face peculiar conditions’

    Dr. Daniel Odebiyi, Associate Professor of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, talks to Omolara Akintoye on old age and its management.

    WHAT are the major conditions attributed to old age?

    There are some specific conditions that are peculiar to people of age 60 and above. Some of them include hypertension, diabetes, arthritis which is common with the knee, Parkinson’s disease (it’s a brain disorder which affects the nerve cells in the brain.) Its symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait. After diagnosis, treatments can help relieve symptoms, but there is no cure, and so many others.

    How do you manage such ailments?

    It depends on the presentation. The head of the team that is taking care of the patient must have a broader knowledge of whom to bring in so as to ensure that the patient is properly taken care of and the desired result is achieved. The care giver must have flair for geriatric care because the aged ask a lot of questions, so he must have a listening ear, pay more attention to every detail. The patient might be referred to you for one ailment and end up having more than one. Once you present yourself as not being recipient to them it might be very difficult to access their treatment. Also ensure that the patient is in a favourable habitat: for instance moving an aged person from his village where he moves round to mingle with his neighbours or friends to the city where he cannot move around again can affect his health.

    Any possibility of not developing such ailment at that age?

    It’s very rare because it has to do with wear and tear of the entire body, for instance as we grow old our body’s mechanism changes. The kind of strength you had when you are younger cannot be compared to when you are old, because the body is aging and as the body is aging the joint are also aging.

    How can one remain medically fit at that age?

    Healthy lifestyle is the key, many at times you see an old man with a fine x-ray at the back and then you see a younger person with a bad x-ray at the back. So for you not to develop many ailments at that age you must develop a healthy lifestyle right from your tender age. Also, a regimented or monitored exercise is also important, proper education on what to do and observing the right diet for elderly people is equally important. It is better to start early so as to get used to it

  • Senators give conditions for Magu’s confirmation

    Senators give conditions for Magu’s confirmation

    APC caucus under pressure over  acting chairman, envoys

    Senators may have set three conditions for Ibrahim Magu’s confirmation as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, The Nation learnt yesterday.
    The three conditions are:
    •a report from President Muhammadu Buhari containing a fact-sheet on how he arrived at his decision to re-present Magu;
    •withdrawal of security reports on Magu, which were presented to the Senate about six weeks ago by the Department of State Services (DSS); and
    •satisfactory performance by Magu before the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and  Financial Crimes, which has been mandated to screen him. Magu must clear himself of all allegations before the committee.
    The three conditions, The Nation learnt, were agreed upon by some senators.
    The conditions were set at a meeting of some senators last night to create fresh hurdles for Magu.
    The Presidency is believed to be lobbying senators in a bid to get Magu the job.
    Some members of the kitchen cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari are said to be reaching out to Senate President Bukola Saraki, principal officers and caucuses in the Upper Chamber.
    Besides, Magu’s renomination has put pressure on the APC Caucus, which has about 63 of the 109 senators.
    A Senator, who spoke in confidence, said: “I must admit that Magu’s confirmation is still an issue among us. We have some senators for and against.
    “At the Executive Session, we had a disagreement on whether or not the Senate President should read the President’s letter of renomination of Magu or not.
    “After a bit of argument, the leadership accepted the wish of the majority to read it. We are now faced with the confirmation process.”
    Another source confirmed that three conditions had been set for Magu’s confirmation by some senators, particularly by those opposed to his candidacy.
    A senator from the Northwest spoke of the Upper Chamber’s readiness to confirm Magu if the DSS could withdraw the security report it had earlier sent to the Senate. In the face of the law and going by legislative business, the DSS report is still valid, he said, pleading not to be named “because of the controversy surrounding this issue”.
    “It is left to the Executive to put its house in order by cooperating with the Senate.
    Another senator said: “Once the President sends a comprehensive report on how Magu was cleared of all the allegations against him, we will not waste time in confirming him as the fourth EFCC chairman.
    “In fact, if we get a brief from the President superseding the DSS report, we will confirm Magu. Our concern is that all these allegations have to be cleared for posterity.”
    A senator from the Southeast also claimed that “where there is neither a report from the President nor withdrawal of DSS copies on Magu, the Senate will have no choice than to depend on the report of its Anti-Corruption Committee led by Sen. Utazi Chukwuka.
    “This is why we have decided that the committee should also screen Magu. Before we rejected his nomination about five weeks ago, the committee could not screen him.”
    Speaking with our correspondent, another high-ranking senator: “subjecting Magu to any screening process by Utazi committee is unnecessary”.
    “The practice is for any nominee to appear before the Senate and respond to issues. Handling it at the committee level, if it is the plot, is a signal that Magu might be ambushed.”
    Magu’s renomination has put pressure on the APC Caucus in the Senate.
    It was gathered that with about 63-64 APC senators( out of 109), there is no reason why the Senate should not confirm Magu if  those from the ruling party are committed to Buhari’s anti-corruption drive.
    A Senator from the Northcentral said: “APC has a comfortable simple majority in the Senate to confirm Magu. We are under pressure to use our vantage position to support the anti-corruption agenda of Buhari.
    “Since we are now united as APC Caucus, the onus is now on us to demonstrate this unity of purpose. This is our dilemma.”
    A source spoke of intense lobbying for Magu by some associates and members of the President’s kitchen cabinet.
    “The lobbying has started all over again but this time around the Presidency is not standing aloof. “Some key figures in the Presidency, including some ministers, have been pleading with senators on Magu’s confirmation, “a senator from the Northeast added, also stressing that he should not be identified.

  • 2019: Niger North gives conditions to politicians

    The people of Niger North Senatorial District have highlighted the conditions for re-election to their elected leaders , urging them to be more proactive in addressing issues affecting the zone.

    Expressing disappointment over their attitude, they said visible projects and adequate representation will be used as yardsticks for the re-election.

    The stakeholders made the resolution at the recent Legislative Outreach and Citizens Engagement for Niger North Senatorial District organised by the Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP) in Kontagora.

    A youth leader from Rijau Local government area, Bello Tukur, said the politicians only made themselves accessible during the election period and abandoned the people after election.

    He said: “We have been forgotten by the people we elected. Look at the bad roads from Kontagora to Rijau, it is a death trap, other amenities in the local government area are dilapidated and nothing to right home about.

    “We have decided that in 2019, we are not voting for anybody because we have been abandoned for so long. No road, no visible project, no vote. That is our declaration.”

    A member of the Wushishi Concern Group, Bello Bashir, lamented that most of their representatives in the National Assembly and House of Assembly have never moved a motion or sponsored a bill, adding that they never elected these leaders to be dormant.

    A youth from Kontagora, Saidu Bawa, called for the abolition of the local government joint account, warning that any representative, who does not support the removal, will not be supported in the next election.

    The Chairman of the meeting, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane,  said that the gap between the legislature and the people should be bridged because the legislature is the pillar of democracy.

    He, however, expressed disappointment over the non-appearance of the members of the National Assembly and House of Assembly who were invited to interface with the electorate, adding that, except for the House of Assembly member representing Agwara constituency, Honorable Bello Ahmed, no other person honored the invitation.

    “This forum would have gone a long way in making the elected representatives correct their lapses and give the electorate the opportunity to know what is going on.”

    Giving his stewardship in office, the Niger state House of Assembly Member representing Agwara Constituency, Honorable Bello Ahmed said the legislators in the zone will work towards synergizing to take the zone higher.

    “We, the legislators from the zone, have a big challenge in having synergy. We are not coordinated as one family but we are working on it. We will reorganize ourselves to fight for the progress of the zone.”

  • Conditions for healing

    Conditions for healing

    A cleric, Father Anselm Adodo, tells OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA how to obtain in the new year an awesome health, which does not mean the absence of pain or disease, but harmony of body, mind and spirit, based on proper use of nature’s provisions.

    Father  Anselm Adodo of the Catholic faith has said only a holistic approach to health and well-being can provide lasting solution to human sickness. As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories, the cleric said simple steps such as relaxation, communion, silence, awareness, and forgiveness can guarantee a healthy life.

    Father Adodo explained that relaxation was the first step towards healing, adding that modern people do not know what it means to relax, being so used to tension and anxiety. “We need to learn to be still and be conscious of our body,” he emphasised, adding: “Healing is a communion, an interchange of energies between two or more people.”

    His words: “The whole cosmic system is based on the dynamism of give-and-take. Healing requires silence. Noise causes dessipation of energies between two or more people. The healer should lead the sick to silence, so that they can hear the deeper music of life. Awareness means being ready to acknowledge our fear of change; being in touch with what we are feeling at every moment and being conscious that our thoughts affect us and other people more than we imagine.

    “To refuse to forgive is to live in bondage. When you forgive, you are not doing God a favour, or doing your offender a favour; you are doing yourself a favour. You forgive so that you can be free. Many people are sick because they refuse to forgive. Forgiveness brings healing.”

    To ensure that more people obtain healing, Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories have set up Pax Natural Medicine Hospital with branches at G.R.A, Ikeja and Ajah.

    According to him, the goals of the outfits are to practice evidence-based medicine. This requires putting high-tech documentation facilities, diagnostic facilities and computerised data capture system.

    He explained: “A centre for genuine African holistic healing that blends the physical and the spiritual aspects of the human person. We target Nigerians in need of herbal/alternative therapies, who want to be attended to privately and confidentially. There is a limited accommodation by special arrangement for those that may need days or weeks of rest, nutrition therapy or observation.

    “We intend for it to become an international cancer screening and management centre. We do organise regular health talks for executives, focusing on preventive measures. Special focus on HIV/AID research towards the production of effective herbal anti-retroviral medicines. Herbs should always be gathered fresh, early in the morning when their natural oils are at the maximum. Herbal natural oils are highly volatile, and the steadily increasing heat of the ascending sun depletes them.”

    Father Adodo said for one to obtain maximum benefit from herbs there are some simple guiding laws. They include: “Taking herbs before meals, except when they cause irritation.

    Why?

    Taking herbs before meals is often convenient and the practice usually assures that herbs and foods are not mixed. However, taking herbs after meals may be necessary if the before meal dose yields adverse gastric reactions. The primary difference (as recognised by modern research) between before-meal dosing and after-meal dosing is the higher activity of the digestive system for an hour or more after meals, compared to that before meals. The ingestion of food stimulates the release of digestive juices (including many enzymes and bile acids) and activates the intestinal absorption mechanisms and peristalsis.”

    He added that one should take the right amount. “The right dosage should be taken. The herb decoction or pills ingested on an empty stomach, especially if the dosage is small, may produce a limited stimulation of this system and hence result in a slower action during the assimilation of herb materials. One should also separate foods, drugs, and herbs, unless there is good reason to do otherwise.”

    WHY?

    Modern experience with drugs shows that simultaneous ingestion of drugs with food or beverage can sometimes cause changes in absorption and effects. For example, ingestion of tetracycline with milk results in reduced absorption of the drug. “People relying on protease inhibitor drugs (for HIV treatment) are well aware of the significant restrictions placed on the relationship of meals and drug dose timing because of lowered absorption when food is present. By contrast, ingestion of vitamin C (or other vitamins) along with foods can enhance absorption and utilisation of both the vitamins and any minerals that are present. Ingestion of certain pharmaceutical products with alcohol can cause adverse reactions because both produce a pharmacologic effect on the liver.”

    Explaining further, Father Adodo said there are food-herbs interaction. “It is possible that food components bind-up and therefore inhibit the absorption of various herb ingredients. The relatively low volume of herb materials consumed at one time (especially when not taking a high-dosage decoction) compared to the amount of food materials consumed suggests that it is possible for foods to inhibit the absorption of some herb components,” he said.

    Another rule to observe is to use stimulants in the morning and insomnia remedies at night. This is because for sedatives, many formulas that treat insomnia will have an immediate effect if taken about one-half hour before going to sleep as well as potentially providing a long-term solution with regular ingestion over a period of several weeks or months. Other formulas will release body energy and will cause insomnia at night. In sensitive individuals, it may be necessary to take no herbs for four hours prior to bedtime. Similarly, energy stimulating formulas might be best taken in the early morning; much like one consumes coffee at that time.

    Timing is another rule to observe. With regards to time of administration, tonic drugs should be taken before meals, those irritant to the stomach and intestine after meals. Anthelmintics should be taken when the stomach is empty, and drugs for calming the mind should be taken before sleep. Anti-malarial drugs should be taken two hours before the attack. For acute diseases, there is no restriction as to the time of administration. Encourage getting a full daily dose of herbs even if timing is ignored.

    For herb-drug interaction, he said while there have been very few reported incidents of adverse interactions between herbs and prescription medicines (drugs), such potential exists and caution is urged when combining medicines. Interactions are unlikely to create toxic compounds, but they may affect the way your medication is utilised by the body and can either potentate (increase) the effect of the drug or block its absorption. If the safety or efficacy of the drug is highly dose dependent then serious problems can occur.

    And if you are expectant or breastfeeding, Fr. Adodo said while there are a number of herbs that can be very helpful for problems, which arise during pregnancy, there are many more herbs which are not suitable for use during this time. “We strongly advise that pregnant mothers do not take herbal remedies unless under the guidance of a qualified herbal practitioner. Herbs are absorbed into the bloodstream and are therefore, likely to be present in breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, please seek advice before using any herbal product.”

    For those who may want to go on taking Tinctures, the cleric said Tinctures are a very handy way of taking herbs as they can be easily carried around in pockets or a handbag and taken in a small amount of water or fruit juice. “The herbs are usually absorbed in about 15 minutes. The best time to take tinctures is between meals or up to 15 minutes before meals, unless otherwise advised.”

    And on Infusion? He said: “Infusion simply means “tea”. Just like when you make tea, you pour boiling water over some leaves or flowers. That’s what you do to make an infusion. A therapeutic dose will be one teaspoon per cup, and let it stay for 10-15 minutes. Then you can add sweetener, juice or whatever you need to do to make it a happy part of your routine. And you can also go for decoctions, which is the most common traditional way to take herbs. It means boiling Herbs that look like roots and barks. Sometimes it takes hours to boil, and the smell and taste, which are often unpleasant, can hardly be controlled, no matter the amount of sugar or honey added.”

    He advised that one should also exercise, check the numbers/do routine screening- Blood pressure (Bp), Body Mass Index (BMI), urine analysis, and eat healthy by avoiding  junks, fizzy drinks, excess salt and sugar.

  • ‘FG hasn’t met conditions for borrowing yet’

    ‘FG hasn’t met conditions for borrowing yet’

    Prof. Jonathan Aremu, renowned economist and professor of International Economic Relations at the Covenant University, Ogun state, in this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf has urged the federal government exercise restraints over its plans to obtain $30billion loan. Excerpts: 

    DO you think the call for $30billion loan by the federal government is justified?
    Well, normally when there is economic recession as we have now; there will be need to pump money into the economy whether through internal or external borrowing. But my only worry is that I don’t think the government has done all it needs to do before taking the loan. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), before you contemplate borrowing at all, you must first of all embark on a financial programme to determine the funding or financial gap in the system. You don’t just borrow money for the fun of it.
    Are you saying the government hasn’t done the proper due diligence required?
    That is the point I’m making. As stipulated by the World Bank/IMF, part of the conditionalities attached is that the IMF must carry out a financial programme for the country to determine which of the sectors require funding. You don’t just borrow money and then start dolling out money anyhow. I don’t think the government has any policy adjustment to back up its borrowing. If the borrowing is not productive then that is delicate for the economy. The danger about borrowing when you don’t take proper precaution is that the future generations will keep paying. Such kind of borrowing is not sustainable at all. Sustainable development is a development which doesn’t affect future consumption negatively and vice versa.
    So in essence you believe the government should jettison this whole idea of borrowing?
    As I said government needs to borrow but certain conditions must be met. That is why I think the National Assembly has called for a representation of the proposal. How can you have miscellaneous in a borrowing plan/ that is absurd. Everything should be spelt out in black and white. There is need for the federal government to carry out a proper financial programme for the country and determine the funding gaps and what are the expected multiplier effects that will generate higher productivity. I’m not aware of that. They are still talking about financing constituency projects and are still discovering where there are wastages in the system. This is not right at all. A policy adjustment is necessary. This government has not told us what policy adjustment it has taken to forestall the wastages and leakages in the system otherwise we will just be substituting external funding for domestic wastages. Let them tell us which areas we have financial gaps and then we’re going to discuss because it’s not a good thing to just borrow without taking any of these things into consideration.

  • Workers seek action against precarious work conditions

    Nigerian workers, under the aegis of Nigeria Council of Industrial Global Union, have called for concrete action against precarious work conditions which workers have been subjected.

    Precarious work, according to the union, refered to work relationship with no distinct terms of employment such as letter of employment stating the terms and conditions of the employment relationship. The result is that the workmen are hired, supervised and remunerated by a contractor.

    Lamenting what they described as “increasingly precarious work conditions,” the workers urged for concrete economic, political, and institutional framework and policies that will bring about decent work for the working class.

    Leading the call during activities to commemorate this year’s ‘World Day for Decent Work,’ the Chairman, Nigeria Council of Industrial Global Union, Comrade Igwe Achese, said all over the world, particularly in Nigeria, workers were becoming increasingly precarious and endangered.

    Achese said: “One of the strategic actions of Industrial Global Union and, of course, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was to fight against precarious work through joint actions of the affiliates to reduce or limit the use of precarious work and to ensure labour rights to precarious workers.

    The other, he said, was to ensure that government and employers do the needful in making sure that workers’ rights were guaranteed, and that workers were giving their due rights.

    Achese noted that poverty level was rising sharply, with workers at the receiving end, as cost of living continues to skyrocket almost on daily basis.

    He lamented that Nigerian workers in all the sectors have been subjected to precarious work conditions marked by widespread casualisation, widening poverty circle and increasing inequality.

    Achese, who doubles as President of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) as well as factional Deputy President of the Joe Ajaero-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), decried increasing job insecurity, poor health of workers and absence of safety provisions, long work hours, lower wages and low quality of jobs.

    According to him, studies showed that women are worse victims in the categories of precarious work conditions, and are more deprived of basic workers’ rights with regards to working hours, medical, holiday, safety at work, and maternal care.

    Achese enumerated the grave impacts of precarious work to include inferior job status, lack of job security, absence of basic trade union rights, poor health and safety conditions, long hours of work, low and uncertain wages.

    Others are casual nature of engagement, reduction in life expectancy, widening inequality and increased poverty, social disequilibrium and crime as well as breakdown of family structure and value.

    Represented in the activity marking the annual global decent work agenda were members of various                                                    labour groups of NUPENG, PENGASSAN, Textile Union, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), NLC Lagos State Council and Delta State Council.