The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Strike

  • Strike stalls judgment in Ogbulafor’s trial

    Strike stalls judgment in Ogbulafor’s trial

    Court workers’ strike stalled yesterday the scheduled judgment in the trial former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Vincent Ogbulafor, and another accused person.

    Justice Ishaq Bello of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on June 24, scheduled judgment for yesterday after entertaining the final arguments of the parties.

    When our correspondent visited the court yesterday, its gate was locked. The security personnel on duty said the court would remain locked until the strike is called off by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

    Ogbulafor and former Secretary of the National Economic Intelligence Committee, Emeka Ebila, are being tried by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 16-count of money laundering and fraud involving about N170 million.

    The ICPC arraigned the duo on May 10, 2010, alleging that Ogbulafor, while serving as Minister of State for Special Duties in 2001, conspired with the others to float three fictitious companies with which they perpetrated the fraud.

    The accused were alleged to have used Henrichiko Nigeria Limited, DHL Consultants and Chekwas Industries to fraudulently obtain N82.6 million, N11.5 million and N6.2 million in 2001.

    Ogbulafor was also accused of using his position as the head of the National Economic Intelligence Committee, set up to verify debts owed local contractors, to okay as genuine, several forged documents.

    He was alleged to have relied on the forged documents to certify that the three fake companies successfully executed jobs worth N104 million.

    The former PDP chairman was also alleged to have collected N2 million and N28 million kickbacks from Ebilah.

    The offences contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    Ogbulafor’s lawyer, John Egwuonwu, while adopting his final written address on June 24, urged the court to discharge and acquit his client on all the counts.

    He averred that the prosecution’s case failed to link his client to the crime.

    Egwuonwu urged the court to jettison the allegation in Ebila’s “confessional statement” that the sum of N28 million was paid to Ogbulafor with two bank drafts.

  • Students hail minister on ASUP strike

    Students in polytechnics across the country have commended the efforts of the new Minister of Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Shakarau, for ending the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike. They urged the Minister to work with the federal government to avert further industrial action and safeguard the education sector from collapse.

    When our correspondent visited the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, last week, students were set to resume lectures on Monday July 28.

    Speaker of the legislative arm of the institution’s Students’ Union Government (SUG), Joshua Akinjayeju, said academic activities would not commence fully until management put all structures in place.

    “We urge management to avoid interference with the traditional calendar of the school so that students will not have room to demand for extension of examination which had often resulted in protests.  We also advice that lecturers should be monitored so that we will not employ brigandage approach in lectures and administration of continuous assessments,” he stated.

    The Director of Public Relations, Mr Charles Oni, said management had approved new academic calendar, adding that registration which started July 17 would end 25th. He stated that the Quality Control Unit of the college had been mandated to monitor academic activities, adding that lecturers would not be allowed to administer tests during the free lecture period.

  • Federal High Court workers may join strike

    There are stong indications  that Federal High Court workers may join the strike by their state high court counterparts under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

    Workers embarked on the strike to enforce their demand for the financial independence of the judiciary.

    It is also to show solidarity judiciary workers in Rivers State who are protesting the presence of two heads, one appointed by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the other by the state government.

    It was learnt that JUSUN officials have started mobilisation of their Federal High Court members across the country and have put them on red alert should the federal government fail to meet their demands.

    Since the strike commenced last week, Judges of the High Court of Lagos state, lawyers, police and prison officials for instance, have not been able to access the court rooms.

    As a result, activities had remained  paralysed as no court room was opened for adjudication of cases.

    The two main gates of the headquarters of the High court of Lagos state along Oba Akinjobi road and Old Secretariat road, GRA, Ikeja remained under lock  by the workers to prevent litigants and their counsels from going into the court premises.

    Many cases which ought to have been heard, including high profile ones involving oil marketers, chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited Chief Olawale Babalakin and Chairman, Cross Country Transport Company, Chief Bube Okorodudu were stalled by the workers’ strike.

    Chief  Okorodudu, for instance,  who came to Ikeja High  court last week, in compliance with an order of the court presided by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo could not gain entrance into the court premises.

    Justice Lawal-Akapo issued a warrant for the arrest of Okorodudu to appear in court yesterday to answer alleged theft charges of N82.8million preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Okorodudu’s counsel  Godswill Mrakpor said his client’s absence from the court was because he travelled out on health grounds.

    He said Okorodudu, immediately on arrival in the country last week  reported himself to the police at Zone 2, Onikan and was in court as ordered by the trial judge.

    Workers at the other divisions of the High Court of Lagos State, including Ikorodu, Lagos and Badagry also locked the gates against judges and lawyers in compliance with the directive of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

    JUSUN last week directed its members to shut all courts with the exception of federal courts for failure of the Federal Government to implement the judgment of a Federal High Court on the financial autonomy of the state judiciaries councils.

    In a communique at the end of an emergency meeting,  the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the union, JUSUN also asked Federal judiciary workers to be at alert because they may be requested to join the strike in solidarity with their state counterparts.

    The communique,  jointly signed by the National President of the union, Marwan Adamu, and the General Secretary, Isaiah Adetola, also stated that the national secretariat of the union has taken over the industrial dispute embarked upon by the Rivers state JUSUN recently over leadership crisis.

    JUSUN further described as “unfair” for both the National Judicial Council, (NJC) and the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission (JSC), to issue two separate directives for and against returning to work.

    The union said they had to solidarise with their colleagues as the workers cannot serve two masters at the same time.

    He said the union members in Rivers would not resume unless the critical stakeholders in the state amicably resolve the matter so as to ensure security of the workers.

    According to the communique, “the security and protection of our members is no longer guaranteed in this leadership crisis that engulfed the Rivers State Judiciary in the last one year”.

    It also said: “After the exhaustive deliberation on the refusal/failure of state Governments to respect/implement the Federal High Court Abuja, judgment /orders in respect of financial autonomy of state Judiciaries as well as failure of stakeholders to abide by the decision to set up a technical implementation committee of the FAAC meeting of  June 17, it is resolved by NEC:

    “That all Judiciary staff at state level nationwide should proceed on an indefinite strike with effect from Friday, July 11.

    “That the National secretariat of the union shall notify Federal Judiciary workers to join the action as events unfolds.

    “That the National Executive Committee of the union after a review of events in Rivers state Judiciary also resolved that JUSUN members in the state should continue and sustain their current strike until the major stakeholders, fine an amicable resolution of the leadership crisis in Rivers state judiciary.

    Meanwhile the NEC in session has announced total takeover of action in Rivers State”

  • NASU calls off strike

    NASU calls off strike

    The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of Educational and Associated Institutions in Colleges of Education yesterday called off its four-month-old strike.

    The General Secretary of the union, Mr Peter Adeyemi, announced the suspension at the end of an emergency meeting of the union in Abuja.

    Adeyemi said the suspension “takes effect from midnight on Sunday. The strike would be suspended for three months.

    “This is in order to enable the Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, to look into the union’s demands with the aim of resolving them.’’

    Colleges of education and other trade group councils of NASU participated in the emergency meeting to discuss the strike which began in March.

    At the end, the council resolved that arising from the positive disposition of the Minister of Education, Malam Shekarau, “the on-going industrial action is hereby suspended for three months.’’

    It will be recalled that the union’s grievances include the non-release of modalities for CONTISS 15 arrears.

    Others are non-release of White Paper, amendment of laws, infrastructure decay, security, demonstration primary schools and inadequate funding.

  • Reps may subpoena Health Minister over NMA strike

    Reps may subpoena Health Minister over NMA strike

    •‘NMA’s demands justifiable’

    There were indications yesterday that the House of Representatives may subpoena Health Minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, to appear before it.

    It was learnt that the minister had been absent from a meeting for the resolution of the crisis in the Health sector, particularly the indefinite nationwide strike of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

    Speaker Aminu Tambuwal yesterday warned the minister over his uncompromising stance on the efforts to end the nationwide strike of the NMA.

    The Speaker, who spoke at plenary, expressed disappointment that Chukwu refused to appear before the House Committee on Health, which was mandated to end to the doctors’ strike.

    Tambuwal’s warning followed his meeting with the Chairman of the Health Committee, Ndudi Elemelu.

    The chairman had addressed the House on the challenges the committee was facing in its assignment, including the minister’s absence at peace meetings with the Health sector’s stakeholders.

    The minister, Elemelu said, represented President Goodluck Jonathan at an undisclosed event and location.

    “The information they (the committee members) are giving us on the Minister of Health is not encouraging. I urge that the minister should attend to the invitations of the committee or we will resort to the provisions of the constitution,” Tambuwal said.

    The committee’s efforts to resolve the crisis in the Health sector have been unsuccessful as the Ministries of Health and Finance did not attend the peace meeting.

    The committee, at a meeting earlier in the week, summoned the Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office and the Head of Service of the Federation to be present at yesterday’s meeting to ensure speedy action on NMA’s demand, especially on the controversial Skipping and Relativity.

    Though Labour Minister Emeka Wogu; Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and a representative of the Head of Service attended yesterday’s parley, the meeting could not continue because of the minister’s and Finance Ministry’s absence.

    “They are not serious,” Elemelu said. “I want to let Nigerians know that the Ministry of Heath is truly not serious in the effort to solve the problem in the Health sector.”

    The committee chairman said it was important for the Health and Finance Ministries and the Budget Office to attend the peace meeting because it would have enabled aspects of funds to be sorted out.

    The NMA said the strike would continue.

    “Of course, it takes two to tango,” NMA President Kayode Obembe said. “There’s no way we can move forward, if the Ministry of Health is not doing its part.

    “All I can say is that as soon as possible, as soon as we get the Ministry to accede to, not even all the demands, but some of the basic minimum of the demands, the strike would be called off. But not until they respond.”

    Lagos State House of Assembly’s Majority Leader Ajibayo Adeyeye has said the demands of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) members, which led to the nationwide strike, are justified.

    Adeyeye, who is a doctor with over 20 years of practice before joining politics, spoke at a weekly programme, organised by the House of Assembly’s correspondents in Alausa, Ikeja.

    He said: “It is very unfortunate that Nigerian doctors are on strike. I am never happy when hospitals are closed in our environment, where an average person cannot afford private health care.” The lawmaker expressed displeasure over what he called “unhealthy rivalry in the Health sector”.

  • COEASU suspends strike for three months

    COEASU suspends strike for three months

    the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) yesterday suspended its seven-month old strike for three months to allow the Federal Government examine its grievances.

    The union said it was suspending the strike from July 21 to give room for negotiation with the government.

    COEASU President Dr. Emmanuel Asagha addressed reporters yestetrday in Abuja at the end of a meeting with the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

    He said: “There are so many factors involved. We have fought a good fight and we have brought ourselves this far. The new minister has exhibited sincere commitment towards the resolution of the lingering issues. We believe that the way he has spoken, with utmost commitment with the fear of God, having emphasised that so seriously in his various speeches, we believe that the issues will be resolved in no time…”

     

  • As doctors’ strike bites, NDDC’s health mission rescues the sick

    As doctors’ strike bites, NDDC’s health mission rescues the sick

    As doctors’ strike continues to bite, residents of  communities in the Niger Delta are being rescued by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from dire health challenges,  writes WALE AJETUNMOBI

    As the nation-wide strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) casts an ominous shadow over a sick medical delivery system, one woman was writhing in labour pains in a health facility deep in the heartland of the Ibibios. The travails of Mrs. Iniobong Fidelix, who hails from Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, would have ended in death, were  it not for a providential free health mission in a nearby local government area.

    Iniobong’s pregnancy was at its turbulent peak and she was taken to the hospital in Ikono. Unfortunately, there was no doctor at the hospital to attend to her because they were on strike. The nurses could not do much as Iniobong was having complications and needed to be operated upon. The saving grace for this poor woman and her unborn baby was the Free Health Care Medical Programme organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in conjunction with Global Hands Medicare Foundation, at the Ekpene Obo Cottage Hospital in Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

    It was a happy and proud Dr. Katherine Ntekim, the director of the foundation running the NDDC-sponsored free medical programme that told the story of the Ikono woman who was saved at the nick of time. According to her, Iniobong was lucky to have been rushed to the venue of the medical intervention in time to save her live and that of her baby. “She was rushed in for an emergency caesarian section from a general hospital where doctors’ strike had paralyzed healthcare delivery to this place where we saved her and her new-born baby.”

    She gave kudos to the NDDC for making it possible for her organisation to assemble medical experts in various specialisations to attend to the needs of people who may not have had access to such highly qualified medical personnel. According to the medical director, the week-long programme covered various aspects of medicare.

    The popular Free Health Care Medical Programme, which covers different communities in the Niger Delta region, as part of NDDC’s commitment to bring qualitative healthcare delivery service to the door-steps of the people of the region, was flagged off simultaneously in Abia and Akwa Ibom states on July 9.

    Speaking at the Ekpene Obo Cottage Hospital, the NDDC Managing Director, Bassey Dan-Abia, said the programme was meant to bring healthcare to the door-steps of rural dwellers. The NDDC boss, who was represented by Etim Inyang Jnr, the Akwa Ibom State representative on the board of the commission, said that no less than 900,000 people have benefited from its free medical services since the programme started 14 years ago. He stated that the commission was determined to make a difference in the health sector through the engagement of relevant partners such as Global Hand Medicare Foundation, Goldspin Healthcare, Total Health-Minders Foundation and others.

    He said: “It is our belief that after this programme, the people of Esit Eket will say farewell to all the endemic health problems that have long plagued them. It is expedient to mention here that the health partners are expected to hand over substantial quantities of efficacious drugs to the hospital management for the treatment of those who had some major operations.”

    The NDDC Deputy Director for Education, Health and Social Services, Dr. Solomon Ita, said the goal of the commission was to make medical services accessible to the people of the Niger Delta, especially those who live in the rural areas.  He noted that the commission had always placed a high premium on healthcare delivery, adding that it had extended health facilities and services to many communities across the region.

    According to Dr Ita, of all the development programmes which the NDDC had undertaken in the Niger Delta, the one that brought tremendous relief and made immediate impact on the lives of the rural people was the free health care programme.

    “The free health missions have gone round virtually all corners of the Niger Delta, healing the sick and giving hope to the medically challenged,” he said.

    The NDDC director explained that the free health care programme was a combination of many activities, which included carrying out of HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, healthcare promotion and malaria roll-back campaign.

    “The comprehensive health missions provide all forms of medical services, ranging from general consultation, laboratory services, general and gynaecological surgeries, as well as eye and dental services. Apart from the free medical missions, the NDDC has committed substantial resources to providing physical infrastructure in the health sector across the Niger Delta,” he said.

    The Chairman of Esit Eket Local Government Area, Ibanga Itang, praised the NDDC for bringing the free medical programme to his locality, noting that the council was always ready to collaborate with agencies and organisations that provide needed services to the rural areas. He said that the mobile health care delivery system was a practical way of reaching the sick in the rural communities. “This effort is very well appreciated as can be seen from the huge number of people that have come to benefit from the free health care. The high demand for the health care services is understandable, especially as doctors in our public hospitals are on strike,” he said.

    Mr. Anieffiok Gabriel, who brought a relative for treatment, said he was delighted that the free healthcare programme came to Ekpene Obo at a time he was almost giving up hope on how to save his aunty who was very sick but could not find money to go for medical treatment. “We are glad the NDDC has come to our rescue,” he said.

    Anieffiok is one out of many poor people in the remote communities of the Niger Delta who have been rescued through the intervention of the NDDC’s free medical missions. For one week, the Ekpene Obo Cottage Hospital was a beehive of activities as the sick and their caring relatives thronged the place for medical attention.

    The free health programme is still moving from one community to the other in all the 9 states covered by the NDDC.

     

     

  • COEASU suspends strike

    The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union Thursday suspended its seven months strike for three months to allow the Federal Government look at their grievances.

    COEASU President, Dr. Emmanuel Sage told reporters in Abuja at the end of a meeting with the Minister of Education,   Ibrahim Shekarau that the union decided to suspend the strike in other to give the new minister a chance to work on their demands.

  • Strike continues, says COEASU

    Strike continues, says COEASU

    Unlike the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), which is expected to resume work tomorrow, after suspending its 10-month strike, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) said yesterday it has not called off its seven-month old strike.

    COEASU’s General Secretary Nuhu Ogirima told our correspondent in Abuja that the union would end the strike only after the government shows clear commitment to meet the remaining parts of the union’s demands.

    Ogirima, a senior lecturer in Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State, said: “We (COEASU) are yet to call off our strike. We are waiting for some commitment from the Federal Government. We had a closed-door meeting with the new Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, last Thursday, separate from the one he had with ASUP. We discussed meaningfully at length. His remarks were quite impressive.

    “We could see that the new minister is really determined to ensure that the issue is resolved. He made a very strong appeal to us to call off the strike. He promised to meet with us next Thursday, after studying our demands, to give us feedback and let us know the government’s position. He assured us that the issue will be properly resolved.”

  • Construction workers threaten strike over casualisation

    • Chinese firms gets 14-day ultimatum

    The National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Chinese construction firms over what it termed unfair labour practices in Nigeria, particularly the casualisation of  workers in all its sites and offices.

    The Union threatened to commence industrial action from July 17 when the ultimatum expires should the Chinese construction companies fail to stop their unholy labour practices.

    At a briefing at the Union’s National Secretariat in Lagos, the President-General of NUCECFWW Comrade Amechi Asugwuni said the Chinese construction companies, including China Engineering Construction Company (CECC), China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC), and CGC Nigeria Limited have been observing all relevant labour laws in Nigeria only in the breach hence, the Union was compelled to register its displeasure and disappointment.

    Asugwuni said apart from the casualisation of 90 per cent of workers, the Chinese construction firms refused to adhere to safety rules, such as conveying workers to work places with open trucks and trailers, complete disregard to provision of medical attention to workers, and neglect to other health and safety rules such as use of safety wears.

    Other alleged anti-labour practices by the Chinese construction companies, which did not go down well with the Union include intimidation and victimisation of workers, refusal to unionise the workers, none adherence to the provisions of the local content policy, which made human resources/industrial relations practice difficult and non-implementation of the NJIC Agreement.

    “The National Headquarters of the Union cannot fold its arms and watch yet another era of labour slavery and exploitation, despite series of agreements reached between the Union and the management of the Chinese construction companies in Nigeria to put a stop to these un-holy practices, none of which was implemented,” Asugwuni warned.

    He noted: “The action of the management of the Chinese construction companies amounted to not just a violation of the fundamental rights of the workers, but also a clear violation of the Nigeria labour laws, constitution and international conventions and standards.

    “In the light of the fore-going, the Union has already issued a 14-day ultimatum to all Chinese construction companies in Nigeria within which all issues enumerated are fully implemented or face industrial actions nationwide,” he said, accusing the government of failing to prevail on the Chinese companies to adhere to the expatriate quota policy.

    He accused the government of failing to enforce strict compliance with the terms of contract for capital projects.