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Tag: NLC

  • ASUU calls off strike

    ASUU calls off strike

    Life is set to return to public universities after 169 days of a teachers’ strike.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off its industrial action yesterday.

    This followed a marathon meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the union at the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, Niger State.

    ASUU National President Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge said: “NEC resolved to suspend the strike embarked upon on the 1st July 2013, with effect from Tuesday December 17th, 2013 and directs its branches to resume work forthwith”.

    He said the NEC considered the reports from National Secretariat and various branches and resolved to accept the resolutions signed between ASUU and the Federal Government on December 11. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as witnessed the ceremony.

    In suspending the strike, the union will facilitate the inauguration of the Implementation and Monitoring Committee on the Report of the NEEDS Assessment of Nigerian Universities and ensure faithful compliance to the report.

    Fagge said NEC wanted areas in the ASUU-FGN agreement of 2009 that require policy and legislative steps to be promptly addressed for the challenges facing the system to be effectively tackled.

    He added that the union hoped that all the provisions of the extant agreements for the revitalisation of the University system will immediately focus on the policy and legislative needs.

    Fagge appreciated the understanding and support of students, saying teachers have resolved to go the extra mile to cover the five months lost.

    Assuring parents and students, the ASUU President said: “We have undertaken

    to go back to the classroom, laboratories etc, to do our best for our students, their parents and our country.

    “We are going back to rekindle the motivation and aspiration in our members to strive to encourage our students to excel, all in expectation that government will sincerely honour its own part of the bargain.

    “We are returning to classes with the firm hope that parents will take actual interests in their children’s conditions of learning and living. We expect parents to actively demand better funding, better living conditions, better laboratories, better freedom for their children, in order to get on all-round education that will enable them compete with the rest of the world.”

    The ASUU President said: “It is our hope that government will honour these resolutions as signed. That nobody shall be victised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to these resolution and agreement”.

  • Jonathan under pressure to reply Obasanjo’s letter

    Jonathan under pressure to reply Obasanjo’s letter

    NLC, Lagos Assembly, PDM urge lawmakers to probe allegations

    President Goodluck Jonathan remained under pressure yesterday to respond to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter on the state of the nation.

    Obasanjo, in an 18-page December 2 letter, levelled some allegations against Dr Jonathan and his administration, which he said was derailing.

    He also urged the President to respond to allegations that he had been training snipers and a killer squad ahead of the 2015 elections.

    Obasanjo said Jonathan had no moral right to contest in 2015, having promised to spend only one term when he was being nominated in 2011.

    But the Presidency has asked the former president to prove the existence of a killer squad or keep quiet.

    Besides, Jonathan is said to be planning to respond to the allegations.

    To the Nigeria Labour Congress (NCL), Jonathan should respond now to the “weighty allegations”.

    Acting General Secretary Chris Uyot said the President should respond to the critical issues raised by Obasanjo, which, according to him, border on national security and the management of the nation’s economy.

    Uyot also urged the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to ensure that the raging internal crisis in the party does not engulf the country.

    The labour leader argued that since Obasanjo wrote the letter, in which he expressed his view and made allegations on serious issues, Nigerians had been waiting for Jonathan’s response.

    He said: “The issues raised are weighty enough for the President to respond to. One of the issues borders on national security while another borders on the management of the economy.

    “As far as we are concerned, Obasanjo wrote a letter to the President and made those allegations, and Nigerians want the President to respond to this letter. The NLC would respond to the controversy at the appropriate time.”

    Obasanjo had accused Jonathan of taking actions inimical to the well being of the nation in an 18-page letter dated December 2, 2013 with the title ‘before it is too late.’

    The former President, who accused Jonathan of committing anti-party activities against the ruling PDP because of his political ambition, also accused him of training snipers and putting 1,000 politicians under watch.

    The main opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) has asked the National Assembly to impeach Jonathan. The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) called yesterday on the National Assembly to investigate the letter.

    A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDM, Ahmadu Rufai Abubakar, said the issues raised in the letter were troubling and unfortunate.

    Obasanjo had, among others, alleged non remittance of over $7 billion crude oil proceeds to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “These are grave and weighty allegations indeed. We read, with deep disappointment, the President’s response or, better still, his non-response to these allegations, through his media aide.

    “The decision of the President to ignore these allegations, for now, is quite troubling and unfortunate.

    “It is totally inexplicable and unacceptable that the leader of our nation can assume that the nation can wait until such a time he feels the need to explain these grave allegations, some of which border on treason.

    “By his decision not to respond to these allegations immediately, the President is keeping Nigeria and Nigerians in unnecessary and dangerous suspense,” the statement added.

    The party insisted that Nigerians had a right to know the truth about the allegations raised in the letter, stressing that the President owed the people an explanation.

    The PDM added: “It is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of duty for the President to respond immediately, failing which his government loses the legitimacy to continue to govern and he loses the moral right to continue to lead the country.

    “We view this decision by the President to defer a timely response seriously. We feel it is an abdication of duty and responsibility and it undermines the integrity of the office he occupies. It threatens the unity, peace and political stability of the nation.

    “In view of the above, the PDM calls on the National Assembly to discharge its duty and responsibility to the nation by compelling the President to offer an immediate response to the allegations levelled against him in the letter.

    “We call on the National Assembly to fully and painstakingly investigate these allegations, by asking the President to fully explain himself and absolve himself of them, failing which it should commence impeachment proceedings against him.”

    The Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary also said the National Assembly should investigate the allegations without delay.

    The session, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker Taiwo Kolawole, made the call following a motion raised by a member, Mr. Bisi Yusuf, under “matter of urgent public importance”.

    The House called on Obasanjo to forward his letter to the National Assembly as a petition.

    The House said the National Assembly is constitutionally empowered to carry out such a probe,which it should do to save the country from collapse”

    Yusuf described the content of Obasanjo’s letter as “worrisome”. He said Jonathan should respond to the various allegations and should honourably resign his position if the allegations were found to be true.

    Contributing to the debate, a member, Yinka Ogundimu, said the allegations against Jonathan, coming from Obasanjo, could not be dismissed, but should be considered weighty.

    Many other members spoke in a smiliar manner.

    Deputy Speaker Kolawole said: “I want to plead with Obasanjo to send that letter to the National Assembly as a petition that will be investigated.”

    The Northwest Solidarity Forum (NSF) has described the silence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors on the letter as worrisome.

    In the statement titled: “Obasanjo’s letter: Where are the PDP governors?” the Forum said it was concerned about the content of the 18-page letter “which borders on issues of governance and exposes details of such other issues which should not have been meant for the public space”.

    The statement reads: “While the Forum is still pondering the motivation behind the declassification of the letter by Chief Obasanjo, it is quite surprising that none of the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deemed it necessary to intervene in the matter through measured comments that will engender reconciliation.

    “The silence in the camp of the PDP governors is worrisome to us.

    The statement added: “At this point, the PDP governors who believe in the survival of the Federal Government and the PDP cannot afford to sit on the fence or keep mute.

    “The salvation of our democracy, the political careers and future of the governors should give them a sense of urgency and commitment to the task of working together to pursue peace and success for the Federal Government and the ruling party now and during the 2015 general elections.”

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) faction led by Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang described the letter as part of the growth process of the nation and an integral part of democracy.

    In a statement in Abuja from the media office of the Forum, signed by Kassim Yakubu, the Jang-led NGF noted that they were committed to the success of democratic rule in Nigeria and that democracy remains the most viable form of government for the development of Nigeria.

    “A look at the progress made in the states within a little over a decade of democratic rule cannot compare to the many decades of other forms of governments of the past”, adding that “the success of democratic rule is made possible by the participatory nature of the system of government which he says is presently working for Nigeria.”

    As our democracy grows, it is our belief that more and more quality candidates will continue to emerge and this will translate to better governance on behalf of the people.”

    Calling on Nigerians to continue to participate in the democratic process as there is no other form of government that can guarantee the level of choice and participation that comes with democracy, Jang stressed that Nigerians should see the recent surge in political activities as integral to any democratic society.

    “There will always be both positive and negative issues thrown out there just as we are experiencing now with those heating up the polity unnecessarily. Nigerians should however remain steadfast in their confidence in democracy and see all these as part of the growth process as a nation,” the statement added.

  • How to boost local competitiveness, by labour

    ORGANISED labour has called on the Federal Government to develop an industrial policy that supports local production through deliberate strategies of promoting competitiveness through aggressive infrastructural support and a mix of well-thought out macroeconomic framework that reward value addition and employment generation.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) gave the advice in a communiqué issued after a roundtable organised to mark the Africa Industrialisation Day. It has as Theme: Job creation and entrepreneurship development –A means to accelerate industrialisation in Africa .

    According to the communiqué: “The biggest problem facing rapid industrialisation in the country over the past decade has been inadequate infrastructure in general and lack of power supply in particular. The current power generation of 4000 megawatts translates to a mere 30 watts per capital when average for developed economies is 2000 watts per capital and therefore grossly inadequate for home and industrial needs.

    “In fact, over 60 per cent of the population are completely excluded from electricity supply. In spite of the challenge of global competition, the manufacturing industry as a whole generates around 72 per cent of its own energy needs at a greater cost. “But operating with generators greatly increases the cost of manufacturing goods making it difficult for Nigerian goods to compete with cheaper imports. “

    “The problems dovetail into the informal economy with its peculiar needs for electricity across rural and urban divide. There is a huge gap between the electricity needs estimated to be about 25,000 megawatts currently and the current electricity generation of 4,000 megawatts. That this gap will be further widened with increasing demand for electricity that is estimated to double in 2025. The Federal Government should develop and follow an industrial policy that is supportive of local production through deliberate strategies of promoting competitive production through aggressive infrastructural support and a mix of well thought out macroeconomic framework that reward value addition and employment generation.”

    The communique stressed the need to address the unrelenting spectre of violence of extremist religious and criminal gangs especially in the Northern parts of the country was also highlighted.

    The communique added: “Important also that government at all levels take the lead in patronage of made in Nigeria products, firm up regulatory controls on smuggling and dumping of sub standard goods, revisit failed privatisations especially in the iron and steel sub-sectors, stop indiscriminate granting of import waivers, ensure that the Free Trade Zones (FTZ)really promote industrial development and fair labour practices as well as demonstrate strong leadership through proactive enforcement of laws and policies that support local production and industrialisation.”

  • NLC writes presidency on ASUU strike

    NLC writes presidency on ASUU strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made another move to intervene in the impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.

    The Acting General Secretary of the union, Mr. Chris Uyot, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the union had written a letter to the Presidency.

    “The leadership of NLC has written a letter to the Presidency seeking leave to intervene in the crisis which is now in its sixth month.

    “We have sent a letter to the presidency today, December 9. We want to intervene in this matter.

    “The turn of events is causing a lot of disaffection which can easily be resolved, that is if the government is willing to talk about it,” Uyot said.

    Uyot said that NLC President Abdulwahed Omar met with the leadership of ASUU in Abuja as a preliminary step to articulate their position before meeting with the Presidency when invited.

     

     

  • Labour suspends strike in Edo

    • Calls for removal of Permanent Secretary

    Organised labour in Edo State yesterday suspended the indefinite strike action that has lasted seven days.

    It also shelved the planned week long mass protest scheduled to begin yesterday

    This followed the intervention of the Benin Monarch, Oba Erediauwa, who promised to intervene in the demands of the workers.

    The workers suspended the strike after a meeting of State Executive Councils of organised labour in the state.

    Activities in state government agencies and parastatals including schools and hospitals except the judiciary were paralysed.

    State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Emmanuel Ademokun who announced the suspension said they met with the state government four times since Tuesday to resolve issues that led to the strike action.

    Ademokun said the state government has agreed to some of their demands except the issue of 53.37% Salary Relativity for public workers.

    He said the state government agreed to revisit the 20% balance of the Consolidated Salary Structure for Health Workers, pay the balance 10.5% TSA for teachers as well as release all outstanding four years promotion for workers.

    He urged the workers to return to work immediately and called on the state government to relieve Major Lawrence Loye of his appointment as Permanent Secretary.

    The workers however resolved to commence the strike action in February 2014 if the intervention by the Benin Monarch failed.

  • Omar blames Fed Govt for Iyayi’s death

    Omar blames Fed Govt for Iyayi’s death

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar has criticised the Federal Government for its inability to fix the Lokoja-Abuja road, where the University of Benin don, Prof Festus Iyayi died in an auto crash.

    Omar, who said he was in the state on a condolence visit to the governor and the family, described the late academic as a committed activist who added value to the labour movement.

    “We believe that certain factors led to the demise of Professor Iyayi. The Federal Government is highly culpable on the issue of the criminal neglect of the Abuja-Lokoja road, which contract was awarded over 10 years ago. While other roads have been completed, the Lokoja-Abuja road is uncompleted.

    “We believe if not for the criminal neglect, this accident would not have happened. Also, the executive recklessness on the part of the Kogi Government is glaring. This is said to be the third time that the same convoy is getting involved in accidents,” he said.

    He challenged Nigerians to ensure that things were done the right way to avoid a repeat of such incident.

    Omar said Iyayi was not only a loss to the family and the state, but also to the labour movement and the nation. He expressed the hope that his legacies would not be allowed to die.

    The NLC chief recalled that the late don did his sabbatical at the NLC, describing him as a committed person who added value to the labour movement, noting the invaluable role Iyayi played in the last negotiations with the Federal Government.

    Responding, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said there were several lessons to be learnt from the death of Iyayi.

    Oshiomhole said: “The fact that he retired as ASUU president many years ago and yet he had always identified with ASSU and be part of their struggle decades after he ceased to be their president is a testimony to the level of his conviction.

    “The way we generally drive on our roads is not good enough. Convoys are generally bad, but not once, not twice I dismissed drivers in my convoy. It is a challenge, people think the best way to show power is to oppress. I think all of us must work to get our drivers and security details to respect the right of the citizens.

    “I hope the Federal Road Safety Corps, beyond the symbolism of changing licences every year, should really get back to work and justify the huge resources that government spends on the agency” .

  • N960b workers’ housing scheme for launch in January

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has signed a N960 billion ($6 billion) partnership with the private property developer, Kriston Lally EPC Nigeria Limited, to provide houses for its workers, at two per cent interest, payable between 10 and 15 years.

    President Goodluck Jonathan is billed to kick off the construction in January, next year.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its partners have assured that the houses would be in December, next year.

    The arrangement to kick-start the construction was arrived at when the leadership and some members of NLC, led by its President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, visited their foreign partners and sponsor in Athens, Greece.

    Omar and the Managing Director of Kriston Lally Nigeria, Alhaji Mustapha Madawaki, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said the team, which went to Greece was able to finalise the agreement about how the funds and logistics would be moved to Nigeria for the project.

    Omar said the trip was one of the most successful, because the purpose was for workers and how they could get houses of their own at affordable rates.

    He said one of their promises to their members, when they came in as leaders,  was to do as much as possible to ensure that as many workers as possible got shelter before they retired, because housing was one of the serious problems facing workers.

    Omar said: “The partnership is about providing quality and affordable housing for the workers. We have found in this Kriston Lally a very formidable partnership that we can rely on, we can trust and we can work with.”

    He assured those who had paid their 10 per cent that their money would be tampered with, adding that it not be part of construction, but a deposit to show commitment from the subscribers.

    Describing the scheme as wonderful, he said the Nigeria Embassy was also involved in the deal.

    Madawaki said: “By and large, we have totally agreed that the NLC play its role and the funders are very much aware of the need to start releasing funds probably in December. That will enable us mobilise and move to the site.”

    He pointed out that about 5,000 workers had already subscribed for the Phase 1 of the scheme in Abuja before a decision was taken to stop people who were rushing to be part of the project daily.

    He explained that more people were stopped from coming in in order not to get subscription beyond the target slated for the first phase.

    But he said by the time they put together Lagos, Port Harcourt and other states,  the subscription would start immediately after their trip, adding that the total number of subscribers would  be 100, 000, while the second phase would start in Abuja in the second quarter of next year.

    He said houses include one-bedroom apartments, two bedroom detached and semi-detached, three-bedroom detached and semi-detached in apartments and then four-bedroom bungalows, four bedroom duplexes, detached and semi-deached.

  • Omar unhappy with govt over bad Lokoja-Abuja road

    Omar unhappy with govt over bad Lokoja-Abuja road

    •Condoles with Oshiomhole, Iyayi’s family

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, has criticised the Federal Government for its inability to fix the Abuja-Lokoja road, which caused the death of former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Festus Iyayi.

    Omar spoke in Benin, the Edo State capital, during a condolence visit to Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the family of the late academic.

    The NLC president described the late Iyayi as a committed activist who added value to the labour movement in the country.

    He said: “We believe that certain factors led to the demise of Prof Iyayi. The Federal Government is highly culpable on the issue of the criminal neglect of the Abuja-Lokoja road, whose contract was awarded over 10 years ago. While other roads have been completed, the Lokoja-Abuja road is uncompleted.

    “We believe that if not for the criminal neglect, this accident would not have happened. Also, the executive recklessness on the part of the Kogi Government is glaring. This is said to be the third time that the same convoy was involved in accidents.”

    The NLC president urged Nigerians to ensure that things are done well to avoid a repeat of such incident.

    Omar said the death of Prof Iyayi is not only a loss to his family and the state but also to the labour movement and Nigeria.

    He hoped the late Iyayi’s legacies would not be allowed to die with him.

    The NLC President recalled that the late writer and activist did his sabbatical at the NLC.

    Omar described him as a committed person who added value to the labour movement.

    He said the NLC would not forget the late Iyayi’s invaluable role in the last negotiations with the Federal Government.

    Oshiomhole said there were several lessons to be learnt from the death of the late Iyayi.

    He said: “The fact that he retired as ASUU president many years ago and yet always identified with ASSU was even part of their struggle decades after he ceased to be their president, is a testimony to the level of his conviction.

    “The way we generally drive on our roads is not good enough. Convoys are generally bad. It was not once, not even twice have I dismiss drivers in my convoy. It is a challenge. Some people think the best way to show power is to oppress. I think all of us must work to get our drivers and security detail to respect the right of the citizens.

    “I hope the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), beyond the symbolism of changing licences every year, should really get back to work and justify the huge resources the government spends on it.”

  • Oshiomhole: Lessons in leadership

    Oshiomhole: Lessons in leadership

    SIR: After the video went viral last week, the Comrade Governor must have had a rethink on his words and action three weeks ago. The infamous phrase made to a widow during his inspection tour didn’t go down well with the public especially netizens.

    It would just have been fool hardy not to heed to calls for an unreserved apology to the widow. Mixing these calls with the political game from the opposition in Edo State, it would have been a political gaffe by the comrade governor.

    With an apology backed up with the promise of scholarship to the widow’s son, inclusion in the campaign against street trading and a rare opportunity to share a cup of God knows what with the governor all standing on the shoulders of a cheque of two million is all the comrade governor, former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) needed to quell the viral situation.

    Lessons to learn: One, a public officer must be careful with his words. Citizens are neither slaves nor subjects. They are the reason for your bring in power. Watch what you say and you avoid unnecessary spending.

    Two, as citizens and law abiding Nigerians, street trading is unsightly. Conditions are averse. Economy is tight yet avoid go against rules and regulations of the land to avoid unnecessary embarrassment and venomous verdicts.

    Finally, forcing a change through the online arena need not stop on this case. We all as Nigerians can make the change we dream of seeing by speaking out on all platforms available.

    • Kelechi Amakoh

    University of Lagos

     

  • Strike: Oshiomhole, Labour in crucial meeting

    Strike: Oshiomhole, Labour in crucial meeting

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State last night met leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state to avert a strike scheduled to begin today.

    Labour leaders had threatened to close down all sectors, including the private sector, if the government failed to meet their demands.

    Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, who confirmed the meeting, said he hoped that the issues raised by the labour leaders would be resolved.

    He said last night: “They are still meeting.”

    The state Chairman of the NLC, Mr. Emma Ademokun, in a communiqué last week gave six reasons why they wanted to embark on a strike.

    The reasons included implementation of the pending salary relativity structure of 53.37 per cent for the workers, payment of balance of 20 per cent of the consolidated health salary structure for health workers, implementation of the balance 10.5 per

    cent Teachers Special Allowance (TSA) as earlier agreed upon with the NLC, the 2011, 2012 and 2013 promotion exercise and the constitution of the state civil service commission.