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Tag: Ngige

  • A big tree has fallen, says Ngige

    A big tree has fallen, says Ngige

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has said the death of former Vice-President and foremost statesman Dr. Alex Ekwueme was the exit of a colossus.

    He added that the demise occurred at a time the country was in need of his wisdom, knowledge, discipline, courage and patriotism.

    “I received with great jolt, sadness and deep sense of loss, the news of the exit of my political boss, friend and teacher. I was jolted by this sad news because even as I learnt that Ide had slipped into coma a few days ago, I kept praying for him and hoping he would return to us from the land of coma,” Ngige said in a condolence signed by him.

    “For Ide, the curtain has been drawn. He ran his race here on earth, starting as a provincial boy, who came to Kings College Lagos, dazzled everybody with his brilliance, soaring in his school certificate examination and proceeding to acquire strings of degrees across disciplines, the record of which is yet to be beaten by any Nigerian. Ekwueme epitomised brain and handsomeness. He was highly industrious, a big silent philanthropist, especially in education.

    “With the passing on of Ide Aguata, the curtain has fallen on a glorious chapter in the history of Nigeria.  With the death of Dr. Ekwueme, Nigeria has been assailed by a huge gap that will be difficult to fill. With the passing away of Ide, the sky-high Iroko, where then shall the birds of great flight take to? In the contemporary, Nigeria has lost its best in all ramifications- politics, professionalism in disciplines, such as Architecture, Law and Business. In the contemporary world of politics and business, Nigeria has lost one of its greatest!” he said.

     

     

  • Ngige leads quest for reform of ILO Governing Board’s activities

    Ngige leads quest for reform of ILO Governing Board’s activities

    Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige is leading the quest for the reform of the activities of the Governing Board of International Labour Organisation with a view to halting the activities of former colonial masters in Africa and South America.

    Ngige, who spoke on behalf of African delegates at the 331 Session of the Governing Board of the ILO holding in Geneva, Switzerland, elicited the support of other regions to stop the overbearing role of France and Britain in the conduct of the ILO Regional Meetings.

    The minister’s speech won Africa a major milestone in the conduct of affairs of the ILO Governing Board, following the decision to remove imperialist tendencies in the conduct of the affairs of the world body in favour of Africa.

    Ngige spoke against the participation of non-members in regional meetings other than theirs, especially in Africa and South America, describing it as a continuation of colonisation and imperialism.

    The minister, in his address on behalf of the Africa Region, said: “With   regards to participation in a regional meeting of a member state from another region, it bears repeating our earlier position adopting the principle that each member state would be invited as a full member to only one regional meeting, with the Governing Body having the discretion of inviting on a case-by-case basis, any member state as an observer to other regional meetings.

    “To continue to do otherwise is to evoke  the  ugly   memories   of colonial era. As an independent region, our concern on the total cluster liberation of our region is well-articulated in our region’s Agenda 2063.

    “The constraint of member states with constitutional challenge should be addressed at the appropriate political forum other than at the ILO regional meetings.”

    He said Africa would work with independent member states of the ILO without interfering with internal sensitive sovereign constitutional matters of any member state.

    The matter of restricting regional meetings to only member states within the specific geographical expression of a given region has been a long-standing battle over the years.

    The disagreement is hinged on the fact that the practice was based on Governing Board’s decision of March 2001.

    France is invited to the African Regional Meeting as a member responsible for the external relations of the Mayotte and La Reunion – two non-metropolitan territories situated in the African Region, now existing as overseas departments, and therefore an integral part of France.

    This issue is often treated as a sensitive constitutional matter, which members discuss with great caution and restraint for fear of incurring the displeasure of colonial masters of France and Britain.

  • Ngige: Buhari’s government has created 7m ‘blue collar’ jobs

    Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige yesterday said no administration in the history of Nigeria had surpassed that of President Muhammadu Buhari in job creation.

    According to him, more than seven million jobs were created in the agriculture sector in the last two and half years.

    Dr. Ngige spoke with State House reporters after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    He insisted that the creation of ‘blue collar’ jobs received a boost because of the economic diversification policy of the government.

    He said:  “We promised jobs when we came on board, but what has happened is that people tried to quantify jobs in terms of ‘white collar’ jobs for graduates from universities, polytechnic but they don’t want to look at the ‘blue collar’ jobs.

    “Agriculture and its chains alone have created more than five to seven million jobs. I am talking in terms of rice from rice tilling, harvesting, sending to the paddies, mills, and even where people are making the jut bags, transportations, people are getting jobs.

    “So, that value chain alone from agriculture is enormous. Take the N-power, we have created millions of jobs from here, skill acquisition from the National Directorate of Employment(NDE) and other agencies of government, jobs are being created. We give them tools as plumbers, electricians, cosmetologists, shoe makers, tilers and several other areas. We have created several jobs,” he said.

    He also noted that the federal government was in the process of accelerating the implementation of a new minimum wage Act, since the previous one expired in 2016.

    According to him, stakeholders who were supposed to make inputs in terms of membership, were stalling the process.

    He noted that once the tripartite committee and its membership were properly constituted, all the stakeholders would come together to see the possibility of implementing the N56,000 minimum wage which workers were pushing for.

    He said: “We didn’t say we were going to accelerate the process. When we came to power in 2015, there was a minimum Wage Act and by May 2016, we now had a deregulation in the petroleum industry and prices of petroleum products went up and we started discussions with the organised Labour.

    “One of the agreements was that the issue will be addressed. The old law expired last year August and we are now in the process of constituting another panel for a new national minimum wage committee.

    “I have cleared the appointments with the President today and as soon as the Labour people come back from the Labour Governing Board meeting in Geneva, we will take a consensus date with the governors because it is a tripartite committee involving federal and states, the private sector, NECA, MAN, NACCIMA, SMEs, these are the arms that will be involved. NLC, TUC their affiliates have done their nominations. What we are now trying to fine tune is the date for inauguration”. He added

    On whether the N56,000 minimum wage proposed by labour would be feasible in view of economic constraints, he said it would be subjected to debate when the tripartite committee convenes.

    “I can’t say whether it will be possible. The tripartite discussion will decide that. This is what we call the social dialogue group which will produce the CBA, collective bargaining agreement on what should be the national minimum wage.”

  • Ngige leads 50-man Nwoye campaign committee in Anambra

    Ngige leads 50-man Nwoye campaign committee in Anambra

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, is to lead a 50-man governorship campaign committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State.

    Also in the committee are former governorship aspirants on the platform of APC, with the exception of Senator Andy Uba.

    Ngige will be assisted by APC’s National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu, while the Publicity Secretary of the committee is former House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Afam Obi.

    Other members of the committee for Dr Tony Nwoye Campaign Organisation are: Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo, Barth Nwibe and Nonso Madu.

    A former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osita Ezenwa, would be the director-general of the campaign organisation.

    Inaugurating the committee yesterday in Awka, APC State Chairman, Emeka Ibe, urged them to commit their time and resources to the success of Nwoye governorship project.

    Ibe said the party had a capable candidate to make history in the November 18 governorship poll.

    Nwoye assured the people that the party would win the poll without rigging.

    The APC candidate said the party had what it takes to unseat Ggovernor Willie Obiano.

    He said: “Rigging is not possible in this election. Votes must count. It’s one man, one vote. APC will win this election convincingly and at all cost.

    “The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will be the complainant while APC will be the defendant after the election.”

    Nwoye condemned the state’s ruling party for branding APC a northern party, saying its stalwarts were not strangers but indigenes.

    The APC candidate said his entrance into the race was to eradicate poverty and solve other problems created by the previous administrations.

    He thanked the party’s faithful for keeping faith with APC amidst challenges.

     

  • Ngige to striking workers: stop vilifying me

    Ngige to striking workers: stop vilifying me

    MINISTER of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige yesterday told industrial unions to stop blaming him for failure to address issues affecting workers.

    The minister, who spoke at a conciliation meeting between the government and striking health workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), told unions having dispute with their employers to follow due process in arriving at their decision before embarking on strike.

    He told the striking health workers that their six-day old strike action was not properly called as they did not inform his office as required by law of their dispute with their employers.

    Ngige added that while they as workers have a right to embark on strike, they must operate within the laws of the land.

    He said the law required that workers on essential services to give 15-day notice before embarking on strike, adding that in view of the importance of health to any society, the government is often worried when health professionals embark on strike, especially when such strike action did not follow the laws of the land.

    He said: “Nobody notified me of any strike action in accordance with the laws of the land. Instead, letters were written to the Vice President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. It was those letters that were referred to me and it took days to get to me.

    “I deserve to get notification, not as Senator Chris Ngige, but as the Minister of Labour and Employment and the Chief Conciliator of the Federation. We should threat issues of Labour with all the seriousness it deserves. We like to listen to workers because they are the weaker ones in the labour chain.”

    He said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) requested workers to operate within the laws of their country.

    “I am not happy about this. We scheduled a meeting for Thursday last week, but you refused to turn up and choose to come after the strike has started. You also told the media that I travelled when I was supposed to be attending to unions.

    “You wanted Friday when we already had fixed appointments, which we could not cancel. The sensitive thing about health is that when a life is lost, it cannot be replaced. Others can go on strike and recover the lost ground. But that is not the same with health.”

    NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba said it was possible to avoid strike in all sectors of the economy if issues identified are immediately tackles and asked the government to do everything possible to avoid strike.

    Chairman of JOHESU Biobelemoye Joy Josiah told the minister that the strike was first apprehended in June 2016 when promises were made to the unions by government.

    He noted that the workers have waited for over one year for government to fulfill its promise without success.

    He said the workers gave the government enough time to implement signed agreement and also decided to give the Buhari government enough time to settle down and address their issues to no avail.

     

     

  • Ngige faults health workers strike, call for meeting Tuesday

    Ngige faults health workers strike, call for meeting Tuesday

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige on Monday told striking health workers that their action did not follow laid down rules as they failed to give the government a fourteen day ultimatum as required by law.

    The Minister however asked the striking workers to return to their place of primary assignment as the government is already addressing all issues contained in their demand, while also inviting them for a meeting on Tuesday with a view to resolving the issues in contention. 

    In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, the Minister expressed disappointment that the leadership of the striking workers failed to honour a meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 21, because they wanted to call out the workers on strike.

    He appealed to the striking he appealed to the striking workers to return to work to avoid the current hardship being suffered by patients.

    The statement reads “The Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige deeply regrets the strike already embarked by the Joint Health Sector Unions and group of healthcare providers in the federal health institutions operating under the acronym, JOHESU and wishes to appeal to them to call off their action and return to their different beats in the hospitals and institutions to avoid unnecessary hardship and death of patients.

     “I wish to place on record that JOHESU had wrongly issued a seven-day strike ultimatum on 14th September, 2017 instead of the mandatory fifteen-day notice the law requires of those on essential duties. 

    “The body took another wrong step by routing its notice of action to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) instead of the Labour and Employment Minister whom JOHESU is fully aware is empowered by the Section 5(6) of the Trade Dispute Act 2004 to apprehend such dispute within the time frame of notice and effect conciliation thereafter.      

     “Further, it is regrettable that the invitation extended to JOHESU by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment under the provision of this law for a meeting on Thursday, 21st September, 2017 was not honoured because JOHESU wanted to call out the member unions on strike, thereby disrupting services in these health institutions.

    “For the avoidance of doubt however, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, working in concert with the Ministry of Health, has fixed another conciliatory meeting for Tuesday, 26th September, 2017 by 2 p.m.

    “Therefore, the Hon. Minister requests members of JOHESU to resume work as serious efforts are being made to meet their grievances most of which like the payment of shortfalls of salaries, promotion arrears, repatriation allowances among others have already been addressed by Government through various negotiations with other unions representing the interest of workers, that is, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the last three weeks.”

  • FG to meet NUPENG on strike

    FG to meet NUPENG on strike

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said on Monday the Federal Government would meet with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Work, (NUPENG) on Tuesday to prevent the proposed strike by the union.

    Ngige disclosed this in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Press, in the ministry, Mr. Samuel Olowookere, in Abuja.

    The minister said the crucial conciliatory meeting with with the president and the executive members of NUPENG would take place in his office at 11:30 a.m.

    NUPENG is currently an affiliate under the United Labour Congress (ULC).

    Other unions under the ULC are – the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), National Electricity Employees Union (NUEE), National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), telecommunication unions and aviation unions.

    ULC wants the Ministry of Labour and Employment to set up a task force to carry out factory inspections and review the privatisation of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), among other demands.

     

  • Ngige, Adamu to continue heading FG-ASUU negotiations, says Presidency

    Ngige, Adamu to continue heading FG-ASUU negotiations, says Presidency

    The Media Office of the Vice President, Prof  Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday denied reports claiming that Vice President was now leading Federal Government negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the reports are inaccurate.

    The reports from the interview granted by Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige,  had claimed that Osinbajo would henceforth lead the Federal Government into the negotiations.

    But the statement by Akande reads: “The media reports seemed to have misrepresented what Labour and Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, meant when he spoke with reporters about the negotiations after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

    “The Vice President had a discussion after the FEC meeting with both the Labour Minister and Education Minister Malam Adamu Adamu around the issues, but has not taken over the negotiations as widely reported. Both ministers will continue to lead the FG- ASUU talks.

    “The Federal Government continues to diligently pursue a prompt resolution of this dispute and is confident the matter would be resolved,” it stated.

  • Ngige, Adamu to continue heading FG-ASUU negotiations, says Presidency

    Ngige, Adamu to continue heading FG-ASUU negotiations, says Presidency

    The media office of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Friday denied reports claiming that Vice President was now leading Federal Government negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the reports are inaccurate.

    The reports from the interview by Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, after the Federal had claimed that Osinbajo would henceforth lead the Federal Government into the negotiations.

    But the statement by Akande reads “The Media reports seemed to have misrepresented what Labor & Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige meant when he spoke with reporters about the negotiations after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

    “The Vice President had a discussion after FEC with both the Labour Minister and Education Minister Malam Adamu Adamu around the issues, but has not taken over the negotiations as widely reported. Both Ministers will continue to lead the FG- ASUU talks.

    “The Federal Government continues to diligently pursue a prompt resolution of this dispute and is confident the matter would be resolved,” it stated.

  • FG, doctors sign MOU to prevent indefinite strike

    FG, doctors sign MOU to prevent indefinite strike

    The Federal Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with members of the National Association of Resident Doctors aimed at preventing Resident Doctors in federal government owned health facilities across the country from embarking on their planned strike action which was scheduled to commence on Monday, September 4.

    In the memorandum signed by government representatives and officials of the association and the Nigeria Medical Association and made available to newsmen at the end of a meeting called by the Minister of Labour an Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, the government and the association stressed that some of the issues being complained of by the association were already being addressed by the government.

    The memorandum was signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Health,  Prof. Isaac Adewole. Minister of State Labour and Employment. Prof. Stephen Ocheni, National President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Prof. Mike O. Ogirima, President of National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Onyebueze John and Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule among others.

    Other signatories to the memorandum are representatives of Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Budget Office of the Federation.

    The National Association of Resident Doctors had informed the government that it embark on an indefinite strike action beginning from Monday, September 4, 2017 due to failure of government to pay salary shortfall for 2016 and between January and May, 2017.

    Other issues in dispute according to the association are Failure to rectify the salary shortfall from August 2017; failure to circularize House Officers’ entry point; failure to correct the stagnation of promotion of our members and properly place them on their appropriate grade level; failure to enroll and capture our members on the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS) and failure to budget, deduct and remit both the employer and employees’ contributions our pension to our retirement savings account since 2013.”

    A memorandum signed at the end of the meeting reads in part: “The meeting noted that some Federal Tertiary Health Institutions (FHTI) have paid a percentage of salaries to Resident Doctors and are consequently in arrears of salary payments to members of NARD and Honorary Consultants. 

    “It was also noted that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) had started the process of paying the shortfall of salaries owed in batches. It was therefore concluded that the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) should forward the list of the recipient FHTI to the Honourable Minister of Health to ensure that the released fund was used for its intended purpose. The payment for other FHTI not captured to be implemented before the end of October 2017.”

    On the issue of shortfall in salaries, the meeting mandated “the Director Hospital Services is to address a circular/letter to the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and state therein that the released funds should be used solely for salaries and shortfalls. The Federal Ministry of Finance should ensure that monthly salaries are paid in full.

    “Reference was made to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached at the 7th Senate in 2014, and House of Representatives with the Speaker presiding in 2016, where Parties agreed to use the quantum of monies contained in CONHESS 9:4 for CONMESS 1:1. 

    “It was concluded that effect should be given to previous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) reached on this issue so that CONHESS 9:4 would be in parity with CONMESS 1:1. The Chairman NSIWC to get this circularized, after getting the quantum from FmoH. All matters on this issue should be finalised before the preparation of 2018 Budget is concluded.

    “It was concluded that NARD members are on Pensionable appointment and as such the FMoH in conjunction with OAGF and Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) should take necessary steps to ensure that adequate budgetary allocations are made to cover the Pension requirements of NARD members. 

    “Furthermore, FMoH should issue a letter in that regard to the Head Civil Service of the Federation who would correspond with the Budget Office of the Federation for necessary action, as the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) had in a letter of February 12, 2015, Ref.PENCOM/INSP/C&E/CCPA/66/15/1167 to the Honourable Minister of Health affirmed that members of NARD are “Employees”. The letter went further to define an employee as any person employed in the service of the Federation, the FCT, a Government of a State of Nigeria, Local Government Council or private company or organization or firm.

    “In view of the foregoing terms of settlement, NARD agreed to meet in an Emergency Session before Monday, September 4, 2017, for the presentation of this Memorandum to her National Executive Council with a view to averting the scheduled strike.”