The Nation Newspaper

Tag: practices

  • Access Bank restates commitment to best practices

    Access Bank restates commitment to best practices

    •Denies claims of wrongdoing

    Access Bank Plc has restated its commitment to ideals of good corporate governance, due process and rule of law in its operations as it continues to implement its medium-term five-year strategy aimed at making it the foremost Nigerian bank by 2022.

    In a regulatory filing submitted at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Access Bank indicated that its operations have always been guided by extant rules and laws.

    Against the background of allegations of purported charges against the bank and its officials by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the bank stated that it was not aware of any criminal charges or criminal summon against it or any of its officers.

    In the statement signed by the Company Secretary, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Sunday Ekwochi, the bank decried the attempt to criminalise the bank and its officers for complying with the directive of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property.

    The bank noted that the Presidential Panel had on November 9, 14 and 22, 2017 severally directed it to place a post-no-debit (PND) on the account of a customer-Blaid Properties Limited.

    According to the bank, the ICPC had on January 18, 2017 instructed it to place a PND on the account of Blaid Properties Limited, which the anti-graft agency was investigating at that time. The ICPC however instructed the bank to lift the PND on November 6, 2017 and the bank immediately started the process of activating the otherwise dormant account.

    In the process, the Presidential Panel directed the bank to place a PND on the account, a request the bank had to comply with based on the advice of its legal team.

    Access Bank stated that contrary to impression of being created, it has continued to engage the ICPC on its position and legal advice with regard to the directive of the Presidential Panel and the ongoing court case on the PND on the account of Blaid Properties Limited.

    Access Bank recently launched its new five-year strategic plan aimed at making it Nigeria’s foremost bank.

    Presenting the new five-year strategy to the investing public at the NSE in Lagos, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said the bank was setting out a new and ambitious five-year strategy which will put it at the forefront of Africa’s changing financial landscape by creating a universal payments gateway to dominate international trade and inter-African payments.

  • School head advises Nigerians on health, safety practices

    School head advises Nigerians on health, safety practices

    How did Dansol High School, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos come first to get a level-two (on a three-star ranking) safety compliance standard award of the Lagos State Safety Commission and a level three (of a five-tier ranking) of SafeZone?

    Its Proprietress, Mrs Adun Akinyemiju, said it was by strictly observing hand washing in the school. This has resulted in zero recording of diarrhoea or food poisoning or any significant health hazard incident in the school in over 21 years of its establishment.

    She spoke at the presentation of the award of the safety compliance certificates to the school by the Lagos State Safety Commission.

    Mrs Akinyemiju said it had been inculcated in the pupils not to overlook any object that could lead to disasters, such as banana peel on the floor without picking and thrashing it.

    “An object looking like a nail can be quite unsafe, so we, as a management, train our pupils to be responsible and look out for such items, pick them and dispose promptly. We are happy that the effort has paid off. And as a Christian school we are happy that we are inculcating in our pupils that invaluable values are being built in them, that will see them though life. The award is quite gladdening and has spurred us into doing more. It is gratifying that among the schools in Lagos State that have been audited by InSiGHt for Lagos State Safety Commission to date, Dansol High School is the first of three schools to merit a level-two (on a 3-star ranking) safety compliance standard of the Lagos State Safety Commission and a level 3 (of a 5-tier ranking) of SafeZone,” said Mrs Akinyemiju.

    Explaining what the project is about, the Lagos State Safety Commission Director-General, Hon Dickson Hakeem said the commission embarked on the School Safety project to ensure the safety of every child and pupil in the sate.

    “One major component of the project involves an assessment of the systems that educational institutions have in place to ensure that risks to the safety and health of pupils, staff and parents are as minimal as possible. The assessment process provides a day of practical advice and guidance from the safety audit team. Although some schools regularly do self-assessment and undertake regular safety inspections, but an annual audit ensures that the schools’ health and safety practices are as robust as possible and also an essential requirement for safety certification by the Lagos State Safety Commission,” he explained.

    Hon. Hakeem said the commission was planning to introduce health insurance to both private and government facilities and workers, which will ensure that victims or places of accidents were compensated.

    Explaining the involvement of InSiGHt Health Consulting Limited, (Safety auditors – that audited the school), the Principal Consultant, Dr. Nnenna Mba-Oduwusi, said the agency is an accredited Safety agent for the Lagos State School Safety Project.

    “It is a collaboration with the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). InSiGHt implements SafeZone, an accreditation system that provides a vehicle for assessing the level of compliance of health and safety standards in schools. It has exclusive right with ROSPA for school safety audits in Nigeria.

    Mba-Oduwusi said her agency was  proud of Dansol High School, for its exemplary safety standard. “Dansol is the first Nigerian School to attain the SafeZoneTM certification, which assesses over 400 safety criteria, and we are pleased to recognise its achievements as a level three school. We encourage other schools to follow the same path,” said Dr Mba-Oduwusi.

    Compliance and Enforcement Director, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Ronke Odeneye, said the commission chose the schools because Lagos  with a population of 17.5 million as at last year is  the most populated in Nigeria.

    “Out of which more than 35 percent are of school age (five to 18) hence, schools become critical point for health and safety. Although there are limited actual data for Nigeria, there are anecdotal and press reports that frequently highlights that school safety-related incidents are on the increase especially in Lagos State.

    This and more necessitated the  programe by the Commission, which is step in a right direction. ‘Learn Safe, Work Safe, and Live Safe’ is out Motto,”  Mrs Odeneye, said.

  • Anti-labour practices: PENGASSAN issues 72 hours ultimatum to firm

    Anti-labour practices: PENGASSAN issues 72 hours ultimatum to firm

    Barely two weeks after the suspension of an industrial action embarked upon by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over anti-labour practices of the Neconde Energy Limited, the management has sacked workers who participated in the industrial action.

    The association, therefore, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum, starting from Tuesday to Neconde Management within which the five affected members be recalled to work or face monumental consequences as they may relate to the organisation and the oil and gas industry.

    According to PENGASSAN, this was a flagrant violation of the terms  of a communique signed on May 18,  between the two parties towards the suspension of the picketing of the company.

    In the communiqué which was signed by the representatives of the company led by its Company/Board Secretary, Mr. Val Uche-Obi, SAN, who signed on behalf of the Chairman Neconde Energy Limited- Dr. Ernest Azudialu, and the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Frank Edozie, among others and PENGASSAN representatives led by Chairman, PENGASSAN Lagos Zone, Comrade Abel Agarin, among others, it was agreed that nobody will be victimised on the ground of the industrial action.

    The senior staff trade union said the company terminated the employment of five members on June 1, based on the industrial actions. It would be recalled that the recent industrial  action began on May 15,  with the picketing of the premises of Neconde simultaneously in Lagos and Warri.

    The catalogue of grievances that led to the industrial action include forceful restructuring (evidenced in realignment, grade categorisation and harmonisation of salary structure and downgrade of conditions of service/contractual terms of employment) of Neconde to other non E&P subsidiaries of the Obijackson Group, lack of evidence (TCC) of employee tax (PAYE)  remittance in Lagos and Delta states since 2012, non- payment of 2016 13th month, non-payment of field allowances since August 2016, forceful and immediate transfer of union members (including pregnant women) from Lagos to Warri office with no consideration of impact on families, non-payment of transfer allowances (two months after the forceful transfer), and non-payment of severance benefits.

  • ILO to tackle abusive recruitment practices

    ILO to tackle abusive recruitment practices

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), England have signed a letter of intent to strengthen their collaboration on tackling recruitment practices that trick workers into modern slavery and forced labour.

    ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, and GLA Chief Executive Paul Broadbent, signed the agreement in the presence of representatives of the Home Office, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

    The ILO and the GLA have been collaborating in the fight against fraudulent and abusive recruitment practices, forced labour and trafficking in persons over the past few years.

    In the framework of the Fair Recruitment Initiative led by the ILO, new general principles and guidelines for fair recruitment, were launched last September, and have been recognised as an a benchmark on how to address the issue.

    Rider said: “Tackling abusive recruitment practices is key to effectively preventing modern slavery and forced labour nationally and across borders. The GLA’s work has changed how the regulation and monitoring of labour recruiters is carried out in the UK. It is a model which can inspire other governments on how to implement the Fair Recruitment Principles and Guidelines.’’

    Following the adoption of the UK Immigration Act 2016, the GLA has been given new powers, including the possibility to investigate modern slavery offences related to labour exploitation, with increased powers of arrest, search and seizure of evidence of labour abuse.

    The GLA will investigate across the entire UK labour market, and not solely in the fresh goods and related processing and packaging sectors as before.

    “These extended powers will help us pursue our goal to protect vulnerable workers from being exploited in the UK,” said Paul Broadbent. “Strengthening our collaboration with the ILO will provide the opportunity to share the experience we have gained and contribute to training programmes and tools to increase reporting and identification of forced labour and abusive labour practices across supply chains.”

    Cooperation between the GLA and the ILO will also contribute to raising awareness on the Modern Slavery Act’s transparency provisions which require companies to ensure that human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains. The ILO Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention also promotes due diligence by both the public and private sectors to prevent and respond to the risks of forced labour.

    “The fact that in today’s world there are still children, women and men in modern slavery, is an affront to all people and nations everywhere. We all have a role to play to eliminate it once and for all. Social partners are a central piece of the equation, together with other valuable partners such as the GLA,” said Ryder.

    Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism, Sarah Newton, said “The government is determined to eradicate modern slavery, it is a barbaric crime which destroys the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

    “I welcome the commitment from these two organisations to combine their efforts, it sends a strong message to perpetrators that we will not tolerate any form of exploitation.

    “The government has extended the remit and strengthened the powers of the GLA to prevent, detect and investigate worker exploitation across the entire economy. We have also appointed Sir David Metcalf as the first Director of Labour Market Enforcement to oversee a government crackdown on exploitation in the workplace.”

  • Apply best practices, Chad Basin Commission urged

    An environmentalist, Mr Nnimmo Bassey, has urged the Lake Chad Basin Commission member-countries to apply best practices in tackling the problems in the Basin.

    Member-countries of the commission comprises Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Central Africa Republic and Libya.

    Bassey, who is the Director-General, Mother of Earth Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, gave the advice in Abuja.

    According to him, if the problems of the basin are not addressed, more conflicts and violence will erupt in the area.

    “Why is Lake Chad shrinking? One is global warming and number two, is inefficient management of the watershed. This has caused displacement of both pastoralists and fisher folks who depend on the water.

    “Some irrigation systems that have been drawing water, their rate of taking water is more of the rate of recharge from rain, so this kind of thing needs to be managed properly.

    “So the countries in Lake Chad Basin Commission needs to sit down together and look at ways of enforcing best practices to maintain and protect the water treasures that we have.

    “So it takes international collaboration and cooperation to tackle the problems of Lake Chad otherwise, we will have more conflicts, more violence and we just keep crying about it.’’

    The Lake Chad Basin is the largest endorheic drainage basin in Africa.

    The basin, which is centered on Chad, has no outlet to the sea and contains large areas of desert or semi-arid savannah.

    The drainage basin is roughly coterminous with the sedimentary basin of the same name, but extends further to the northeast and east.

    The basin spans seven countries, including most of Chad and a large part of Niger.

    As of 2011, it had an ethnically diverse population of about 30 million people, a population that is growing rapidly.  Scientist say a combination of dams, increased irrigation, and reduced rainfall are causing shortages of water.

    He  called for the establishment of an effective drainage master plan in regions and cities to reduce the menace of flooding.

    He spoke of the need to make accurate prediction of the impact of flooding and ways to prepare to handle them.

    The director-general also appealed to government at all levels to tackle the issue of flooding with all seriousness to ensure the protection of the environment.

    Bassey, who expressed regret that ecological funds had not been put to adequate use, said the funds needed to be domiciled with the Federal Ministry of Environment.

    He, however, expressed the hope that the current administration would channel the funds to the appropriate ministry for more efficient use and results.

    He said gas flaring could be trapped and used to generate electricity.

    He said by so doing, environmental pollution would be massively reduced.

    Bassey, therefore, urged all the regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector to compel oil companies operating in the country to stop gas flaring by converting it into dynamic energy.

  • Ensuring modern herbal practices

    Traditional medicine practitioners have been advised on the need for retraining and expansion in their area of expertise to meet modern demands in healthcare delivery.

    Director-General, Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, Mr Sam Oghene Etatuvie gave this admonition at the three-day training workshop, organised by his agency and the Green Centre for Alternative Medicine practitioners (GCAD) on skill acquisition and enhancement on the manufacturing of herbal products.

    Etatuvie said patient satisfaction was an important and commonly used indicator for measuring the quality in healthcare.

    For him, patient satisfaction affects outcomes, patient retention, and traditional health-giver claims.

    He continued: “Patient satisfaction also affects the timely, efficient, and patient-centered delivery of quality healthcare. It is, thus, a proxy but a very effective indicator to measure the success of practitioners and their facilities. This training is to ensure patient satisfaction in traditional medicine practice.”

    He said the practice of traditional medicine has evolved over the centuries and it is training and retraining that can assist practitioners to meet modern challenges, adding: “There are certain significant developments which have taken place in the health systems in recent times. Chief among them are: Regulation, partnership, investments, the establishment of corporate centres equipped with the latest equipment, the advent of third-party payers (insurance companies, governments, companies, etc.); increasing awareness among patients, availability of information through the internet, and higher expectations of patient care, and finally the increasing litigations for unsatisfying results. “These factors have resulted in a challenging profile for the traditional health care industry – away from the traditional concept of a noble profession toward a service industry. So a practitioner that knows his onion should be on top of his practice.”

    He said there was no need to advertise before patients patronise practitioners, stressing that all they needed was to specialise in their areas of competence and that would bring patient satisfaction, which could lead to customer (patient) loyalty.

    “To improve patient retention, just satisfy one customer, the information reaches four others. If we alienate one customer, it spreads to 10, or even more if the problem is serious. So, if we annoy one customer, we will have to satisfy three other patients just to stay even. Also be moderate and considerate in your charges.

    Other winning tips are Break the ice: make eye contact, smile, call people by name, express with words of concern. Show courtesy: Kind gestures and polite words make a patient very comfortable. Listen and understand: encourage patients to tell their problem. Invite and answer their questions. Inform and explain: it promotes compliance. People are less anxious when they know what’s happening,” he said.

    He continued: “Seeing the whole person: see beyond illness the whole person. Share the responsibility: risks and uncertainty are facts of life in medical practice. Acknowledging risks builds trust. Pay undivided attention: this reduces distractions and interruptions as much as possible. Secure confidentiality and privacy: watch what you say, where you say, and to whom you say. Preserve dignity: treat the patient with respect. Respect modesty. Remember the patient’s family: families feel protective, anxious, frightened, and insecure. Extend yourself, reassure, and inform. Respond quickly: Keep appointments, return calls, and apologise for delays are some of the practical things practitioners need to imbibe to ensure patronage.”

    Etatuvie said: “It is an ironic fact – the better the practitioners are, the better they must become. Quality does not stand still. It should be linear and always ascending. One should strive to provide better care and soar above each and every patient’s expectations. A satisfied patient is a practice builder. Here at NNMDA we have the mandate to enable the Federal Government of Nigeria through Federal Ministry of Science and Technology actualise its critical and strategic mandate to research, develop, document, preserve, conserve and promote Nigeria’s natural medicine, including traditional/indigenous healthcare systems, medications and non-medications healing arts, Science and Technology.

    “We are here to assist and  facilitate your integration into the National Healthcare delivery system, as well as contribute to the country’s wealth and job creation, social-economic and development effort. This is why we are partnering with Green Centre for Alternative Medicine practitioners (GCAD) and Technology Incubation Centre ( National Board for Technology Incubation) to ensure your products and services meet modern day demands.”

    Vice president/Executive Director, International affairs, Green Centre for Alternative Medicine Practitioner, Mrs Jane Yu said the training is another step at fulfilling NNMDA’s strategic mandate, adding that GCAMP was a body born out of desire to share health and help people to discover the secrets of maintaining good health through nature.

    The Centre, she said, has trained many students of various categories in the healing arts and has strong affiliations with some world’s best universities of TCM in China.

    Mrs Yu said Nigeria is blessed with abundant flora and fauna, which are the basic raw materials for Traditional and Alternative Medicine Products.

    “Nigeria is home to approximately 5, 000 plant species. Unfortunately, only 40 percent of herbal medicines consumedin Nigeria are produced locally and the remaining 60 percent are imported from foreign countries as statistics reveals world global herbal market is currently estimated at about US$150 billion. The global acceptance of herbal medicinal products is on the increase and this has led to the  forecast  that the global market for herbal products is expected to be $5 Trillion by 2050.

    She said the Green Centre for Alternative Medicine practitioners will support in research and development of Nigerian herbs by sharing with our practitioners the latest techniques in the cultivation, harvesting and production of Herbal Medicine by integrating the Traditional Chinese Medicine systems which has been in use in over 5,000 years till date.

    Centre Manager, Technology Incubation Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State John Oni and Mrs Yu put the participants through herbal products formulation and production techniques.

    The participants were taught how to optimise economic potentials on the cultivation of some medicinal plants.

    Also, they did introduction to good agricultural and collection practices, essential equipment for herbal production, sourcing and its operation, listing of herbal products with NAFDAC, overcoming challenges of meeting its requirements, good manufacturing practices (GMP) for herbal medicine and strategies to marketing herbal medicine in the country.

  • Ensuring modern herbal practices

    Traditional medicine practitioners have been advised on the need for retraining and expansion in their area of expertise to meet modern demands in healthcare delivery.

    Director-General, Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, Mr Sam Oghene Etatuvie gave this admonition at the three-day training workshop, organised by his agency and the Green Centre for Alternative Medicine practitioners (GCAD) on skill acquisition and enhancement on the manufacturing of herbal products.

    Etatuvie said patient satisfaction was an important and commonly used indicator for measuring the quality in healthcare.

    For him, patient satisfaction affects outcomes, patient retention, and traditional health-giver claims.

    He continued: “Patient satisfaction also affects the timely, efficient, and patient-centered delivery of quality healthcare. It is, thus, a proxy but a very effective indicator to measure the success of practitioners and their facilities. This training is to ensure patient satisfaction in traditional medicine practice.”

    He said the practice of traditional medicine has evolved over the centuries and it is training and retraining that can assist practitioners to meet modern challenges, adding: “There are certain significant developments which have taken place in the health systems in recent times. Chief among them are: Regulation, partnership, investments, the establishment of corporate centres equipped with the latest equipment, the advent of third-party payers (insurance companies, governments, companies, etc.); increasing awareness among patients, availability of information through the internet, and higher expectations of patient care, and finally the increasing litigations for unsatisfying results. “These factors have resulted in a challenging profile for the traditional health care industry – away from the traditional concept of a noble profession toward a service industry. So a practitioner that knows his onion should be on top of his practice.”

    He said there was no need to advertise before patients patronise practitioners, stressing that all they needed was to specialise in their areas of competence and that would bring patient satisfaction, which could lead to customer (patient) loyalty.

    “To improve patient retention, just satisfy one customer, the information reaches four others. If we alienate one customer, it spreads to 10, or even more if the problem is serious. So, if we annoy one customer, we will have to satisfy three other patients just to stay even. Also be moderate and considerate in your charges.

    Other winning tips are Break the ice: make eye contact, smile, call people by name, express with words of concern. Show courtesy: Kind gestures and polite words make a patient very comfortable. Listen and understand: encourage patients to tell their problem. Invite and answer their questions. Inform and explain: it promotes compliance. People are less anxious when they know what’s happening,” he said.

    He continued: “Seeing the whole person: see beyond illness the whole person. Share the responsibility: risks and uncertainty are facts of life in medical practice. Acknowledging risks builds trust. Pay undivided attention: this reduces distractions and interruptions as much as possible. Secure confidentiality and privacy: watch what you say, where you say, and to whom you say. Preserve dignity: treat the patient with respect. Respect modesty. Remember the patient’s family: families feel protective, anxious, frightened, and insecure. Extend yourself, reassure, and inform. Respond quickly: Keep appointments, return calls, and apologise for delays are some of the practical things practitioners need to imbibe to ensure patronage.”

    Etatuvie said: “It is an ironic fact – the better the practitioners are, the better they must become. Quality does not stand still. It should be linear and always ascending. One should strive to provide better care and soar above each and every patient’s expectations. A satisfied patient is a practice builder. Here at NNMDA we have the mandate to enable the Federal Government of Nigeria through Federal Ministry of Science and Technology actualise its critical and strategic mandate to research, develop, document, preserve, conserve and promote Nigeria’s natural medicine, including traditional/indigenous healthcare systems, medications and non-medications healing arts, Science and Technology.

    “We are here to assist and  facilitate your integration into the National Healthcare delivery system, as well as contribute to the country’s wealth and job creation, social-economic and development effort. This is why we are partnering with Green Centre for Alternative Medicine practitioners (GCAD) and Technology Incubation Centre ( National Board for Technology Incubation) to ensure your products and services meet modern day demands.”

  • ‘LCCI 2016 awards celebration of best practices, CSR’

    ‘LCCI 2016 awards celebration of best practices, CSR’

    The 2016 Commerce & Industry Awards organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) was a celebration of  companies that have grown over time through innovations and business sustainability. It was also for rewarding companies that made positive impact on the people,  integrity, transparency and social responsibility, the LCCI President, Chief Mrs. Nike Akande, has said.

    The ceremony, which held in Lagos, during the week, celebrated private and public institutions operating in Nigeria for their best business practices and growth through innovations.

    Speaking at the event, Mrs Akande said: “We are celebrating enterprises that have excelled in the economy amidst multitude of challenges in the investment environment. We are excited that many of them are also indigenous enterprises.”

    Some of the companies that came tops are Nestle Nigeria Plc and Unilever for High Standards in Food manufacturing, Olam for most impactful investment in agriculture, May & Baker for high quality & safety in pharmaceutical manufacturing and Alpha Morgan Capital Managers Limited for emerging investment banking firm.

    Others are NEXIM Bank for Trade Finance Bank of the year, Techno Oil for the most impactful company in clean cooking, Coleman Technical Industries Limited for impactful investment in wire and cables, Sujimoto Construction Limited for most innovative luxury real estate firm, Skool Media for innovation & creativity in education among others.

    Mrs Akande said the LCCI awards would, amongst other things, continue to promote healthy competition among corporate organisations as well as public sector institutions. She said the Chamber believes that there is tremendous value in competition.

    She commended the Federal Government on the ongoing efforts at fixing some critical sectors of the economy such as power, security, forex issues, infrastructure, institutional bottlenecks and corruption.

    Responding, the awardees commended the Chamber for recognising their impact in the growth of the economy and encouraged the government to put in place robust measures to encourage businesses in the nation. They canvassed the withdrawal of hurtful policies that discourage investment and encourage capital flight.

    In his closing remarks, LCCI Deputy President, Mr. Babtunde Ruwase, thanked  the firms that participated for their contribution to the development of the economy and promised that LCCI as a critical partner in the economy would continue to contribute its quota to the growth of the economy.

  • Buhari can’t ignore corrupt practices under Jonathan

    Buhari can’t ignore corrupt practices under Jonathan

    The Presidency last night hinted why the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari won’t turn a blind eye on the corrupt practices carried out under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The brazen theft of public assets and an almost empty treasury nearly stalled the new administration.

    The Presidency asked the Association of Ex-Jonathan ministers, to do  self-reflection on the sort of government they handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    By doing this, the Presidency said they should be able to determine for themselves if it would have been right for any incoming government to ignore the brazen theft of public assets, which is perhaps the first of its kind ever witnessed in Nigeria.

    A statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the the President on Media and Publicity, said the earlier statements made that there was no witch hunt or malice against anyone in the pursuit of the county’s stolen assets still stand.

    According to him, the ongoing war against corruption knows no friend nor foe.

    He said: “There is no intention to deny anyone of their good name where they are entitled to it and that President Buhari reserves the highest regards for the country’s former leaders,  including Dr Jonathan Goodluck who he continues to praise to the high heavens for the way and manner in which he accepted defeat in the last election.

    “That singular action remains a feat that has earned the former president and Nigeria befitting commendations all over the world, the latest coming from Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations who visited a week ago.”

    But he pointed out that the issue of fighting corruption by Buhari is non negotiable.

    He said: “It is sine qua non to the overall reconstruction of the economy and social systems  which suffered destruction and severe denigration under the last administration.

    “President Buhari will not be deterred or blackmailed into retreat and surrender. No one in the PDP can accuse President Buhari of undermining the economy when all they handed over to him, at best,was  a tottering economy hobbled by corruption and the absence of due process.

    “Things have become worsened by the continuing fall of oil prices, which is expected to fall even further with the imminent full return of Iran to the market. All he has been doing while around is to put things together, organising to defeat Boko Haram, paying outstanding salaries, cleaning up the mess left behind, improving security and restoring our relationships with neighbours and the world.”

    Wondering what the former ministers are afraid of, he queried if they have become a new trade union overnight.

    He said: “Let this collection of ex-VIPs allow the President the peace he needs to handle the reconstruction of the economy and the nation in a manner that most serves Nigeria’s best interests.

    “President Buhari does not need these types of distraction presented by the so-called association of former ministers.”

  • Labour slams Energy Commission for anti-labour practices

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) said it has concluded arrangements to picket the offices of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) nationwide over unfair labour practices and gross insensitivity to the welfare of its employees.

    Speaking with reporters, the Secretary-General of the union, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, said the anti-labour disposition of the management of the commission had reached a ridiculous level, with the head of the organisation trampling on the rights of workers with impunity.

    The union accused ECN management of playing hide-and-seek on serious labour issues that could snowball into serious industrial crisis.

    “The scenario on ground now is that the Director-General of the Commission, Prof Eli Jidere Bala, believes he is too big to hold meetings with the workers’ representatives to discuss welfare issues affecting members.

    “The general public will be amazed to know that the ECN is now a theatre for all sorts of anti-labour practices. There are cases of directors in the commission who have been functioning in acting capacity for seven years without confirmation. Instead of confirming the appointment of these competent and qualified personnel in the commission, the management preferred to frustrate them out of service through intimidation and harassment,” the union said..

    Lawal said union officials are not spared of the rod, as they are posted out of the headquarters on flimsy excuses contrary to the provisions of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98 on Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.

    The ASCSN said the commission is now known for blatant breach of procurement rules and procedures in all its business transactions and that would explain why it is failing in discharging its primary and core responsibility of strategic planning and coordination of national policies in the energy sector.

    Lawal also lamented that all efforts by the workers’ representatives to get the management of the Commission to a dialogue table to address the avalanche of labour issues affecting its members had been futile.

    “The DG, Prof. Bala is now operating as an emperor. He has conquered the entire Energy Commission territory. He now sees the commission as his personal property,” the union emphasised.

    The ASCSN vowed to maintain the momentum until the DG meets with the union to resolve all outstanding labour issues affecting its members in line with international labour best practices.

    Efforts to get reaction from ECN officials did not yield any result as none of them pick calls.