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Tag: pay

  • Saraki, Aregbesola, Ambode, Ngige pay tributes

    Saraki, Aregbesola, Ambode, Ngige pay tributes

    Nigerians from all walks of life yesterday expressed shock at the death of the military governor of the defunct Western Region, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, who passed on in Lagos yesterday. They paid glowing tribute to the Iyin-Ekiti-born general, who they said worked for Nigeria’s unity.

    He was a fine officer, says Saraki

    Senate President Bukola Saraki expressed grief over the death of the defunct Western Region governor.

    In a statement, the Senate President described the late general as a courageous and fine officer, who spent the most active part of his life in the service and defense of his fatherland.

    He commiserated with the immediate family of the deceased, the government and people of Southwest and Nigerians in general over the incident.

    Describing death as an inevitable end for all mortals, Saraki noted that late Gen. Adebayo lived a highly productive, fulfilled and eventful life worthy of emulation.

    Saraki said: “It is sad that we have lost an elder statesman whose wealth of experience and fatherly advice is still needed to help us navigate our way out of the present socio-economic challenges confronting the country at this time.

    “We are however consoled by the fact that he served the nation conscientiously and gallantly as a courageous officer and gentleman. His life and lifestyle is worthy of emulation. I believe both present and future generations would continue to draw inspiration from his patriotism and loyalty to the national cause. He shall be sorely missed.”

    He urged the immediate family of the deceased to be consoled by the good name left behind by the late general and prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest.

    We have lost another patriot, Aregesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola described the former military governor of the defunct Western Region as a patriot, as he joined well-meaning Nigerians in commiserating with the deceased family.

    In a statement, the governor said the death of Gen Adebayo has robbed Nigeria, especially the Yoruba race, of an elder statesman.

    It reads: “Gen. Adebayo served his fatherland well. He was a fine officer of the Nigerian Army and did his best in all the capacities where he served. The history of our country is incomplete with adequate mention of this fine officer.”

    Recalling the deceased interests in the growth and the development of the Yoruba race, Aregbesola said the former President of the YCE tried to ensure the unity and progress of the Yoruba people.

    His words: “We receive with heavy heart the death of one of Nigeria’s finest officers of the Nigerian Army, who fought for the unity of nation.

    “No doubt, he is a soldier of repute and commander of men. He distinguished himself in his chosen profession both at home and abroad.

    “The history of post-independence Nigeria and the crises that threatened the young nation’s existence will be incomplete without a chapter for this courageous soldier.”

    Ambode:  Nigeria has lost a great patriot

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode expressed sadness over the demise of elder statesman, describing Adebayo’s demise as a great loss to the nation, especially to the Southwest.

    Ambode said in statement: “Gen. Adebayo was a great patriot and one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists who never shied away from expressing his love for his country and his people. He was a brilliant administrator who was known for his dedication and zeal to serve his fatherland.

    “Those who know papa would attest to the fact that he was a man of many parts. For the Yoruba nation, this is a great loss. His passion to see the integration of the South West region was second to none. No doubt, we would miss his wise counsel especially at this time when our nation is on a path to rebirth.”

    Commiserating with the family of the late elder statesman, the governor urged them to uphold the ideals he stood and fought for, saying that the nation will continue to draw inspiration from his life and times.

    “His demise, just like that of our heroes past, must never be in vain. There can be no better time to unite together to achieve a better and more prosperous Nigeria”, he said.

    Fasanmi , Fasehun mourn Adebayo

    Afenifere leader, Senator Ayo Fasanmi  expressed shock over the death of the former Military governor  and  Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) President.

    Fasanmi in a condolence message stated: “I am greatly shocked to hear the sad news of the death of a compatriot of our dear General Adeyinka Adebayo. The great General had come, had seen and conquered; leaving an indelible foot-print on sand of our time.

    “His death is an irreparable loss not only to the Yorubas but to the entire nation that he served as an indefatigable army General and Governor. Please accept my heartfelt condolences for the irreparable loss. May his soul rest in perfect peace”.

    The Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) Founder Dr Fredrick Fasehun  described the death of Gen. Adebayo as a big loss not only to the Yoruba but the nation.

    Fasehun in a telephone interview said:  “Why should it happened now that the Southwest leaders have united to fight the course of the Yoruba nation. But who are we to query God, our creator”

    He prayed God to grant the family  the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and grant the deceased  eternal rest.

    His death a personal loss, says Adelabu

    Former Ekiti State Governor Prof Modupe Adelabu described Gen Adebayo’s death as a personal loss to her, recounting how the former military governor stood by her late father.

    Mrs Adelabu said: “Baba’s death is a personal loss to me and the entire Adejugbe family. He stood in the gap for our late father who was a friend and brother to him.

    “Baba we would surely miss your fatherly role. You were the last man standing indeed and you stood firmly and right. Sleep on dear father.”

  • ‘Mimiko, pay workers’ salaries’

    A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Chief Willy Akinlude, has taken a swipe at the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko over his inability to pay salaries of members of staff of the state civil service. Chief Akinlude urged the governor to clear the backlog of salaries owed workers before he lives office, because, he said, labourers deserve their wages.

    Chief Akinlude, who stated this at a function in Mushin, Lagos said his party failed in the just-concluded gubernatorial election due to abandonment of the late Agagu’s legacies and under-achievement of Mimiko’s administration.

    Noted for his outspokenness, the two-time Chairman of Mushin Local Government Area, Chief Akinlude scored the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration low, even as he doubted the the ability of the Ondo State governor-elect to perform under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Akindolu added that the APC government has failed to tackle the current economic recession.

    He said he could not see new Ondo State under Akeredolu. As an Ondo State indigene, he urged Akeredolu to revive all the projects abandoned by Mimiko’s administration.

    On the crisis in PDP, he, however, stressed that the major actors, Sheriff and Markafi are both strong members, saying the later will not abandon the PDP. Peace, he said, will return to the party as soon as a new party is formed.

  • NLC seeks more pay for workers to cushion recession

    Labour has demanded an increase in workers’ pay to cushion recession. At the 15th Harmattan School, a training for labour leaders in Kaduna, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba said workers’ purchasing power had reduced and was affecting other sectors of the economy. He said unless there is a new wage regime, the contributory pension scheme (CPS) would not be a reality.

    Wabba noted that developments in the economy, such as the increase in the pump price of petroleum products, rise in prices of commodities, increased tariff on utilities, and social services have made the demand more urgent.

    The fight against corruption, he said, would  be more successful if workers are well paid, adding that the foot-dragging by the government in constituting a committee to deliberate on the demand was uncalled for.

    Wabba said the CPS  would enhance life after retirement for workers. He enjoined the legislature to be fair in the  passage of its bill to make it practicable and sustainable.

    “In most cases, both the government and capitalists perceive us as liabilities or as if we are part of the problem. But we are not part of the problem; rather, we are the solution.

    “The capitalists see labour union as opposition. They see us as a threat, but no matter what, we always fight for our rights,” Wabba said.

    He expressed NLC’s concern at the free-fall of the naira and the abortive efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to arrest the trend.

    The NLC president said the Union noted the harm and pain the massive devaluation and the attendant inflation have wrought on millions of families across the country.

    “We noted that this situation may escalate into a state of national panic except a solution to the economic malaise is found soon. We urge the government to take all measures necessary to arrest the recession and turn the economy around.

    “This includes recovering the un-remitted bail-out fund given to commercial banks by government with no re-payment reschedule and the billions of naira similarly given as bail-out to private airlines with nothing to show for it.

    “We urge the government to sustain its war against corruption by ensuring good governance and the prosecution of all corrupt cases and recovery of stolen funds,” Wabba said.

    He added that labour is worried over the destruction of critical oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta by militants in pursuance of a redress for decades of degradation of the Niger Delta region by oil exploration.

    He noted that the deployment of violence in prosecution of an otherwise noble cause is not in the overall interest of Nigerians or Niger Deltans, as this violence has led to further degradation of the environment, loss of lives and revenue to the nation.

  • Review monarchs’pay, Agunloye told

    The Olowo of Owo, Oba Victor Olateru-Olagbegi, has called for better welfare packages for traditional rulers.

    He decried a situation where Ekiti State monarchs were being treated better than their counterparts in Ondo.

    Olowo spoke when the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Olu Agunloye visited his palace during his campaign tour of the community.

    The monarch said Ondo needs a man of integrity for its rapid development.

    Agunloye’s sister Mrs M. Oladeledescribed  him as a good Ambassador of Owo.

    She said her brother has what it takes to move the state higher.

    Agunloye noted that all their entitlement, opinions and advice would be given consideration in the running of the affairs of his administration.

    He assured that he will not forget Owo, his source and ancestral home and contributions of those that made it possible for him to win the election.

  • Workers ground Caverton Helicopters over pay

    Aircraft pilots and engineers acting under the aegis of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE)  yesterday grounded the operations of Caverton Helicopters as part of the one-day warning strike to protest payment disparity in salaries between expatriate and Nigerian pilots and engineers.

    The strike affected the company’s offices in Shell, NAF Base in Port Harcourt, as well as Warri and Lagos.

    The warning strike which affected the operations of Caverton was enforced by NAAPE members.

    The warning strike was equally to express the union’s discomfort over the refusal by the helicopter company to commit to pay remunerations being converted from dollars to naira at prevailing inter-bank rate as previously agreed between the management of the rotary wing and NAAPE.

    Its General Secretary, Ocheme Aba, stated that it was worrisome that Caverton Helicopters is discriminating between expatriate and Nigeria pilots and engineers in the payment of salaries.

  • Fayose: why l’m unable to pay workers

    Fayose: why l’m unable to pay workers

    •Ekiti governor writes NLC

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has replied the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, attributing the state’s inability to pay workers salary regularly to the current downturn in the nation’s economy and the heavy loan burden left by his predecessor.

    The governor, in his response to the NLC President’s letter on the ongoing workers strike in the State, called on the NLC to join the advocacy for fiscal restructuring in Nigeria with a view to reviewing the federation allocation formula in favour of states, towards a lasting solution to the palpable indigent status of most states.

    The letter reads: “I write to acknowledge your correspondence on the current strike action by workers in Ekiti State and I thank you for the expression of concern for the welfare of workers and suggestions on boosting internally generated revenue.

    “I want to state clearly that the issues listed in the statement represent the claims of the leadership of Labour in Ekiti State upon which their rather hasty resort to industrial action was premised.

    Government does not agree with most of the  issues, as stated by labour, and had since commenced dialogue with them. The discussions are ongoing and I hope that ressolution(s) will be achieved soon.

    “Let me put on record, the demonstrable commitment of my Government to governance principles of accountability, transparency and commitment to the welfare of workers.

    “It is an open secret that I paid workers on or before the 22nd of each month during my first tenure.

    “It is also known that the current economic downturn is a national issue and consequently the inability of most state governments to meet wage obligations as at when due.

    “Our case is further made more precarious in Ekiti State by the heavy burden of debt left by the immediate past APC government on which over N1 billion is being deducted from the state allocation monthly.”

  • 200 Abia workers on double pay

    The Abia State Commissioner for Finance, Obinna Oriaku, has aid the state government uncovered about 200 workers earning salaries from different ministries in the last one year.

    Addressing reporters in Umuahia, the state capital, on the state’s financial situation and the score card of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the commissioner said the government had uncovered some workers in the Civil Service Commission who inflated their salaries from N100,000 to N300,000.

    Oriaku said the government had also discovered that the management of the state’s University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) in Aba had a template, which made the workers to be paid in excess of N12 million monthly in the past five years.

    The commissioner said the discoveries were made through biometric capture, staff auditing as well as other screening and audit of ministries and corporations.

    He said the measures were among the government’s strategy to block financial leakages.

    Oriaku recalled that since the Ikpeazu administration assumed office, it had introduced measures that made governance transparent and efficient. The commissioner said such measures included reduced padding of salaries and ghost workers.

    He noted that despite the dwindling allocation accruing to the state from the Federation Account, Ikpeazu had recorded remarkable achievements in the key sectors of the economy.

    According to him, Ikpeazu’s prudent resource management has kept the state afloat, despite dwindling Federal allocations.

  • Oyo invokes ‘no work, no pay’ rule

    The Oyo State government has warned civil servants against participating in the ongoing industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    It said it will invoke the “no work, no pay” rule.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Olalekan Alli, who conveyed the government’s position in a statement yesterday, said deregulation of the downstream sector was the best option open to the Federal Government.

    He cautioned dissenters and non-conformists against testing the resolve of law enforcement agencies, who, he said, have the constitutional mandate to crush any attempt to breach the peace.

    The SSG urged the public to go about their business without fear of intimidation and harassment.

    Alli said: “Deregulation appears the most realistic approach to solving the persistent fuel crisis, pending the time the necessary infrastructure for local refining of crude oil will be upgraded and expanded.

    “It is the responsibility of those who are against this government policy thrust to canvass public opinion against such policies without resort to threat and the intimidation of those who may choose not to agree with them.

    “Consequently, government warns protesters and dissenters from taking the laws into their hands under any guise.

    “For the avoidance of doubt as ruled by the National Industrial Court, the strike is illegal and consequently the ‘no work no pay’ policy shall apply in the state’s public service.”

  • Group gives Okorocha ultimatum to pay Imo workers

    Group gives Okorocha ultimatum to pay Imo workers

    Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has given Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.
    This is contained in a statement signed by the President of the forum, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.
    It described as unfortunate that after receiving bailout funds from the Federal Government, which the governors and their cabinet agreed was enough to settle workers, would divert such money.
    The statement said such action was the height of insensitivity in a democratic setting that holds a lot of good promises for the people.
    “On South East, we observed that the Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state notwithstanding bailout funds that runs into billions that he received from the Federal Government that he still owes workers in the state many months salary.
    “We demand that Gov. Rochas Okorocha should pay workers in Imo state their salary within sixty days,’’ it said.
    The statement warned that coalition of civil societies would soon mobilise for the mother of all demonstration in Imo, if the governor failed to heed to the advice.

  • NLC to Amosun: drop ‘no work, no pay’ plan

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend warned Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun against implementing his “no work, no pay” threat on striking workers.

    It said the strike followed the government’s failure to implement the agreement  it had with the workers.

    Deputy President of the Congress and National President of Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) Kiri Mohammed said the governor should understand that an agreement it had with the workers cannot be jettisoned.

    Kiri, who is also the chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union side), said the workers are on strike due to the government’s failure to pay “full salaries and other deductions”.

    He said: “The attention of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council has been drawn to the ongoing strike by public servants in Ogun State.

    “The Council discovered that the bone of contention  was the government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding reached with the leadership of Ogun State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade union side).

    “Council noted that the government has persistently failed to remit its percentage share of the contributory pension and the deductions from workers salaries to the Pension Fund Administrators as provided in 2004 Pension Act as amended.

    “Council also observed that despite the bailout fund Ogun State received from the Federal Government, the state could only pay June 2015 salary in full.

    “The Council unequivocally condemns the payment of salaries haphazardly and calls on the government to implement the agreement signed with the State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.”

    He maintained that the Buhari administration deserved the support of all Nigerians, including Organised Labour, to salvage the country from the severe economic situation.