The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Trade Union Congress (TUC)

  • Obaseki promises open administration

    Obaseki promises open administration

    Gov Godwin Obaseki of Edo has promised to operate an open door policy and commended workers in the State for the trust they have in his administration.

    The governor spoke at a dinner on Monday night to felicitate with members of the Nigeria Labour congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on 2017 May Day.

    The dinner was held alongside an award night organised by the Edo chapters of NLC and TUC.

    The governor assured that he would operate an open door policy with them provided they continued to have confidence in his administration.

    “Nothing good thrives in a community where there is no trust, you have given me your trust and I will not betray that trust.

    “Today marks a new dawn, I want to be able to look back and say while I was a governor, I never had an incident of strike.

    “As long as you trust me, I will put every issue in front of you for dialogue”, he said.

    Obaseki promised the workers that the hosting of the Workers Day dinner would be a yearly event.

    The governor said his government did not the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), from collecting dues and levies from its members in the state.

    He said the present administration had adopted electronic system for revenue collection sequel to the ban on collection of taxes and levies by non government agents.

    Obaseki explained that the technology was being test run so that the union would start collection of tax and levies from its members via electronic payment before the end of May.

    The governor also commended leaders of the labour unions for the presentation of awards to outstanding personalities who he said had contributed immensely to the development of the state.

    Chairmen of the NLC and TUC in Edo, Emmanuel Ademokun and Marshall Orhue commended Obaseki for hosting the unions’ members to a dinner after gracing the May Day celebration earlier in the day.

    The duo said that the dinner went to show that the governor was workers friendly.

    They added that the labour unions working with the state government would build a stronger Edo state.

    Former Gov. Oserheimen Osunbor, former Deputy Governor Pius Odubu and immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Julius Ihonvbere were honoured.

    The organisers of the award said it was a tradition of the labour unions to present awards of excellence to outstanding Nigerians during workers day celebration.

  • I will increase wages when monthly IGR hit N2.4bn, Obiano tells workers

    I will increase wages when monthly IGR hit N2.4bn, Obiano tells workers

    Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra has said that he would increase salaries of civil servants in the state when the monthly Internally Generated revenue hits n2.4 billion .

    Obiano said this while addressing the state workers at the 2017 May Day celebration in Awka on Monday.

    This was after the labour movement in the state had in a joint address called for the declaration of state of emergency on increase of workers’ pay in Anambra.

    Obiano who pointed out that the current IGR of the state was between N1.4 and N1.5 billion said he was reiterating the promise because of his administration’s commitment to welfare of workers in the state.

    He recalled that he had earlier made the promise when he assumed office in 2014 that when he said that he would increase salaries when it IGR improved from the then N500 million to N1 billion.

    He said he effected the increase in 2015 automatically when the improvement came.

    The governor said he had directed the chairman of the state civil service commission to commence the process that would lead to promotion of those due before the end of the year.

    He commended labour in the state for their support for his administration and enjoined them to continue to do so.

    Earlier, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade union Congress (TUC) in the state had urged Obiano to declare State of emergency for upward review of salary of workers.

    In the joint address delivered by Mr Jerry Nnubia, chairman of NLC, the workers commended the governor for prompt payment of salaries but pointed out that it was now grossly inadequate.

    He said some of the injustices against labour which gave birth to the struggle in the 19th century during which lives were lost were still seen today especially as it concerned the Nigerian worker.

    He said the celebration which was themed “Labour Relations in Recession an Appraisal” was to make it relevant to the extant economic realities in Nigeria.

    One will feel sorry for the Nigerian woorrker because they are the worst hit by the present economic situation in Nigeria.

    “Inflation is at the highest level of 17.26 per cent with prices of goos ad service hitting the roof while the wages of workers remain static at N18, 000 minimum wage.

    “Remember when the N18, 000 minimum wage was approved in 2011 dollar was below N160 and now dollar is about N400.

    “Your Excellency, in as much as we appreciate your kind disposition towards workers, it is still very clear that we are passing through untold hardship, what we receive cannot scratch our basic need at the surface.

    The organised labour also listed other challenges facing them as delay in promotion, disparity in implementation of health workers salary structure between local and state government workers.

    Decreasing number of teachers following massive retirement, payment of pensions to local government workers who retired between 2014 and 2017, training for workers and low cost housing.

    The labour movement also honoured Obiano with the award of most labour friendly governor in Anambra and endorsed him for second term in the Nov 18 2017 elections in the state.

  • Phasing out Danfo buses will create more jobs – Ambode

    Phasing out Danfo buses will create more jobs – Ambode

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday allayed fears that plans by his administration to phase out the yellow commercial buses, popularly known as Danfo would lead to massive job losses, saying that it would instead create more jobs in the transportation sector.

    The Governor, who spoke at the May Day Rally held at the Agege Stadium to commemorate the 2017 Workers Day Celebration, said the Bus Reform Initiative, aimed at introducing over 5000 air-conditioned buses to replace the Danfo buses would open new vista of opportunities, while also redefining the means of road transportation in the State.

    Responding to the fears raised by the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos Council, Comrade Idowu Adelakun and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Francis Ogunremi on the implications of the initiative to drivers, conductors, mechanics and other artisans, Governor Ambode assured that it would benefit all Lagosians on the long run.

    He said: “If Lagos is to be globally competitive, we need to change the outlook of the way the city runs. What is of paramount interest to this government is to make sure that every Lagosian has a comfortable means of moving from one point to the other. But I promise you there will be no job losses.

    “The Governor is not interested in driving all the new buses. It is the same bus drivers, the technicians, the mechanics that will also still be employed and trained to use these new buses. Instead of job losses, we are going to employ more people for the greater number of the buses and it will make the city more beautiful and more comfortable for all our workers.”

    Governor Ambode, who also addressed the request of the labour leaders on workers’ welfare, assured that as the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) continues to increase, his administration would work out modalities to improve the welfare of workers in line with his mantra of all-inclusive governance.

    The Governor said that his administration was ready to look into the plight of pensioners as regards the pace of paying pension, assuring that the process would be fast tracked immediately.

    “Just like we have said, we have provided vehicles for the unions but again it has not gone round and it has also not gone round to the private sector unions, we will complete the whole scheme before the end of the year,” he said.

    The Governor said as part of the celebration of 50 years of the State, his administration would provide a befitting State Secretariat for the NLC, while government would also work on local and international training for labour leaders to make them relevant to the growth of the economy.

    Governor Ambode also assured that the officers of the State Public Service, who according to him, are the real drivers of the development in the State, would continue to be equipped with the necessary competencies and skills in order to deliver effective and efficient service to the people.

    Commending the choice of this year’s May Day celebration themed, “Labour Relations in Economic Recession: An Appraisal,” the Governor said the leadership of Labour unions had demonstrated a responsible sense of stakeholding in the joint enterprise to improve the society and leave lasting legacies for the generations to come through the creation of sustainable wealth and value.

    Besides, the Governor enjoined the organised labour to continue to show understanding, while rightly insisting on the due and just entitlements of their members, saying that any industrial unrest will compound the challenges of economic recession.

    “I wish to commend the example of Lagos State to the entire nation in respect of industrial harmony. In Lagos State, both the government and organised labour believe that negotiations are more democratic and effective than unilateral impositions by the government or unilateral demands by the workers,” he said.

    While alluding to the fact that his administration would not have been able to fulfill the electoral promises without the support of the “most versatile, resilient and innovative Public Service in the nation”, he noted that the immense contributions of all workers in the private sector was also chiefly responsible for the pride of place that Lagos occupies in our nation, in Africa and in the world at large.

    Earlier, Comrades Adelakun and Ogunremi commended Governor Ambode for his commitment to workers’ welfare and the determination with which he had been transforming the State, describing the Governor as an accomplished accounting professional, creative intellectual, skilled planner and focused implementor.

    The May Day Rally featured March pasts from various Labour Unions, Trade Organisations and its Affiliates who trooped out enmasse despite the heavy downpour and were excited to see the Governor celebrate the day with them.

     

  • Buhari’s economic recovery plan an affront on constitution – Don

    Buhari’s economic recovery plan an affront on constitution – Don

    A university Don and member of the NLC/ASUU Think-Tank on the economy, Prof. Omotoye Olorode Saturday picked holes in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari saying the policy was subversive and an affront on section II of the Nigerian constitution.

    Speaking at the 2017 Pre- May Day Lecture entitled “Labour Relations in Economic Recession: As Appraisal” jointly organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Prof. Olorode said the document was an extension of the assault formally launched on the nation under military dictatorship in the mid-1980s.

    According to him, it is the same policies that have being imposed on the country by neoliberal forces that were replicated in the document which was launched with fanfare by the President, insisting that the document cannot drive the nation’s economic recovery plan.

    He said “from President Shehu Shagari’s austerity measures of the early 1980s to SAP, to vision 2010, 2020 and 20-2020 to today’s 2017 ERGP, the commitment of the ruling class has been to neoliberalism-private sector led economy characterized below and enforced overtime by the same personnel.”

    Citing part of the ERGP document, he said the document was articulated with the understanding that the role of government in the 21st century must evolve from that if being an omnibus provider of citizens’ needs into a force for eliminating the bottlenecks that impede innovations and market based solution.

    Prof, Olorode said the ERGP document was “an unequivocal re-statement of market fundamentalist assault against chapter II of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, an assault formally launched under military dictatorship in the mid-1980s.

    “Nothing in the 2016 Strategic Implementation Plan to which the ERGP referred is new. Consequently, we must reiterate a segment of NLC policy document to show that the class interests of the succession of Nigeria’s ruling class regimes is antagonistic to that if the labouring people.

    “Given the continued neglect of education through underfunding and privatization, the claim of ERGP that the plan recognizes the need to leverage Science, Technology and Innovation and build a knowledge based economy is not just only sheer sloganeering, it is a cruel joke.

    “In any case, there is already a significant quantum of STI on ground in Nigeria to enable us address Nigeria’s most urgent needs in food production, safe and accessible drinking water, transpiration, energy, security, General education, housing, healthcare delivery and amelioration of environmental degradation.

    “It is this neoliberal programmes that the Nigeria ruling class is still peddling with the ERGP and the Nigeria Labour Congress and the entire Labour movement in Nigeria and at the global levels need to combatant in order to outlaw capitalist recession in Nigeria and throughout the world.”

    He insisted that the current war against corruption would not make any meaningful impact “as long as the Nigerian ruling class remains committed to private accumulation under new-liberal ideology which typically locates countries like Nigeria at the periphery of global capitalism.”

    In his remarks, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba lamented various government policies that has continued to impoverish the Nigerian people, adding that government policies has consistently favored employers against the workers and the Nigerian people.

    Wabba said “Today is a day of reflection and a day that we must recognize that no employer of Labour will be so generous to award us what we are demanding for. We have to get it through struggle and this is what we need to reflect on.

    “No politician seek office to actually better the lot of the people because they see politics as an investment. So is the issue of businesses around the world which is to make profit and so, we must continue as watchdog of the society continue to represent the interest of our members and the larger people.

    “No policy will be made that will serve our interest. That is why our duty has a,ways been policy contestation. Policies must be made to address our developmental challenges and address issues of inequality which has continued to be on the increase despite the fact that in the last one decade, global wealth has continue to increase. We create the wealth of every society, but what has been our bargain.

    “Poverty among working class has continued to increase. This year’s May Day calls for us to rededicate ourselves both as members and leaders to our collective struggle and continue to agitate for what is right to our society. There is no way the issue for insecurity will be addressed without addressing the twin issue from poverty and unemployment.”

    Wabba lashed out at former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar for opposing the idea of having uniform salary for workers across the country, adding that if political office holders can earn the same salaries irrespective of the resources available in their states, there was no reason why workers should not earn the same salaries across the country.

    He said: “in any case, we are not even canvassing for the same salary structure. We are talking of minimum and even in the most capitalist societies, you have minimum which is to protect the vulnerable and it cut across both public and private sector so that we don’t leave it to our respective employers to fix what they want.

    “We are saying that we must continue to maintain that minimum whereby no employer should pay below that. Today, even with the law, some employers are still paying below N10000 and that is modern slavery. They will try all means to divide us, but we should not be deterred because a people determined cannot be defeated.”

    President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Kaigama said countries all over the world have always rejig their economy to make workers the priority of the state when the country is going through hard times, but lamented that the reverse has always been the case in Nigeria.

    He said: “We know that globally, countries go through tough times and that is when concerted efforts is made by the government to rejig the economy in such a way that workers are made the priority of the state. But in this country, the reverse is the case. As creators of wealth, we are seen as slaves to our slave masters.

    “During this year’s May Day, we intend to show the Nigerian government at all levels our displeasure. In the midst of recession, devaluation of the naira and the high cost of everything, the wage of the Nigerian worker is very constant.

    “We must remember that all the 36 states of the federation, except for the first generation states, all other states that followed through memos made it as their number one guarantee that they can pay workers’ salaries from their internally generated revenue. But the same states are the one reneging in the payment of salaries.

    “We will not stop calling on the governors that their states cannot pay workers’ salaries to resign because we strongly believe that no state in this country that cannot generate revenue internally to pay salaries except the governor is not serious. We are so lazy that we just sit down and wait for federal allocation while making our internally generated revenue our weekend fund.

    “If we continue that way, we will never go anywhere. So, we insist that any state governor that feels they cannot pay workers’ salaries through internally generated revenue should honorably resign because we know that we have the resources.”

     

  • Workers running out of patience with FG over new minimum wage – TUC

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has warned that workers were running out of patience with the Federal Government over delay in negotiation of a new minimum wage.

    NAN reports that the Nigeria’s current minimum wage is N18,000 with organised labour asking it be increased to at least N50,000

    Mr Ahmed Olayinka, Chairman, TUC, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter said while speaking during an awareness rally on the forthcoming International Workers, Day celebration slated for May 1, in Abuja.

    He warned that the workers cannot wait indefinitely for government; adding that in view of the hardship been experienced by Nigerian workers as a result of economic recession, the government should fast-track the implementation of the proposed new minimum wage.

    “We in the labour union and the entire Nigerian workers are losing our temper, the government must do something fast, because prices of things have skyrocket in the market.

    “The common man cannot afford the basic needs of life and workers now pay double of what they used to buy in the market’’.

    He said that the labour union was in support of the anti corruption drive of President Muhammadu Buhari and would do anything to expose corrupt officials.

    Olayinka said that the Labour union had always been in support of good governance, adding that it was aware that corruption was fighting back and it would support the government to tame the tide.

    “Corruption is fighting back and we are on the same page with the government, but the only thing we are asking for is a review of the minimum wage because N18, 000.00 can no longer take care of us.”

    Also speaking, Comrade Amaechi Lawrence, Chairman FCT Chapter, Nigeria Labour Congress said that the union embarked on a road show to sensitise Nigerians on the workers day celebration

    He urged Nigerians workers, including market women and men to come out on the May Day to celebrate workers, adding that those in the FCT should converge on the Eagle square.

    Lawrence said that the NLC would continue to sensitise Nigerians against corruption, while calling on the government to quickly review workers wage because the N18, 000.00 minimum wage was grossly inadequate.

    Comrade James Imoyera, Assistant General Secretary, NLC urged Nigerian workers to come out en-mass to celebrate workers day.

    He said that workers needed to put the country on the path of progress, adding that Nigerian workers had been agitating for a review of minimum wage because they were the one creating the wealth.

    NAN reports that on March 6, 2011, former president Goodluck Jonathan signed the N18,000 National Minimum Wage into law.

    The new wage law states that once an employer in the public or private sector has a workforce of about 50 persons, he or she is bound by the law to pay a minimum wage of N18,000.

    The signing of the law increased the national minimum wage across the country from N7, 500 to N18,000 per month.

  • Education Levy: Dickson, Labour meeting ends in stalemate

    The meeting between Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa and labour unions over a compulsory education levy on civil servants imposed by the state government has ended in a stalemate, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN reports that the Higher Education Students’ Loan and Education Development Trust Fund Law, makes it mandatory for worker in public and private sector to contribute to the fund.

    The government would contribute 10% of its internally generated revenue, while public servants will contribute between N500 and N100, 000 monthly depending on their grade level to the fund.

    The unions, however, opposed the levy after the governor signed the Law on March 29.

    Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state told NAN in separate interviews on Wednesday that the meeting did not arrive at a consensus.

    Mr John Ndiomu, the NLC Chairman said that the union leaders would present details of the discussion to their members at a joint congress meeting.

    Ndiomu, however, said that the government had approved all pending promotions of workers.

    Also Mr Tari Dounana, the TUC Chairman noted that the education levy and the witdrawal of a 20 per cent tax waiver granted civil servants were additional burden on workers.

    Dounana lamented that the imposition of the levy came at a time the government had failed to settle over six months backlog of workers salaries.

    The TUC chairman described the levy as “anti-people”, and made without the input of key stakeholders and other members of the public.

    “It is very unfortunate that such laws that will require civil servants to make contributions from their salaries were passed and assented to, without a public hearing for stakeholders to make their views known.

    “The workers have made enough sacrifice, with between six to 13 months salary arrears and we had agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance policy where workers will also make contributions, this is one deduction too many.

    “For them to formulate the policy without labour input leaves much to be desired, we are opposed to it,” Dounana said.

    Meanwhile, Mr Jonathan Obuebite, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, urged the workers to refrain from politicising the policy.

    According to him, the state government had invested about N50 billion into the education sector.

    “The state government sees the welfare of its workforce as a priority and the policy is in the overall interest of the citizenry.

    “It is meant to provide world class education to every child in Bayelsa, and we want the people to make nominal sacrifices,’’ Obuebite claimed.

  • Labour, Dickson disagree on education tax

    Labour, Dickson disagree on education tax

    The Bayelsa State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Monday, disagreed with Governor Seriake Dickson, on the introduction of compulsory education levy in the state.

    Dickson signed the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund Law 2017 compelling civil servants, goverment officials, contractors and taxable citizens to pay monthly education levy.

    The governor explained the reasons behind the tax insisting it was part of the measures to protect the future of education in the state.

    Dickson, who said he was the highest contributor to the funds insisted that anybody opposed to the tax would be considered as an enemy of the state.

    According to him, the fund would guarantee the sustainability of huge investments of the government in the educational sector.

    Dickson said: ”From now on, funds will be pumped into the EDTF account to support the free feeding, free uniforms and other items of the students. And it will take little contributions from every Bayelsan; some will pay as little as N400, N500 per month. There are others that will have to pay N1,000 or more depending on their business”.

    But the NLC chairman, Mr. John Ndiomu, said that while the workers were in support of the education development of the state, they believed that the government had the capacity to finance it without resorting to imposing further taxes on them.

    Ndiomu appealed to the government to review the levy because workers were still grappling with how to survive the current recession.

    On his part, the TUC chairman in the state, Mr. Tari Dounana, described the levy as “an antipeople’s policy” by the executive and the legislature without any inputs from the stakeholders.

    Dounana said: “It is unfortunate that such a law that requires civil servants to make contributions about their salaries was passed and assented to without a public hearing for the stakeholders to make their views known

    “We have already agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance Policy into which workers will also make contributions. This is one deduction too many. We are opposed to it.”

    But the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said that the levy had noble intentions insisting that the state needed it to move its education forward.

    He said: ”We have built infrastructure and built boarding schools for which 16 of them will commence soon. We need to put up a system that can sustain them. The Government will be doing the job of providing infrastructure, but the essence of this is that we must run a boarding school and if we are to provide boarding facilities as we have done and we want to run them, we must put up a system that must sustain it outside of the direct government’s funding.

    ”And that is why the government has said that five per cent of its internally generated revenue will be channelled into the  EDTF and that everybody in government – political appointees and elected political officials including the civil servants and all citizens of the state will pay something into that fund which will be used primarily for students’ feeding and immediate needs in the boarding schools we have established in the eight local government areas for which the Ijaw National Academy is one.

    ”So, what we are doing is to sustain our educational system and also move Bayelsa out of the educationally disadvantaged state  to a state that will compete favourably with other states in the comity of states as a state that is educationally advantaged.”

  • Unions oppose collection of education levy from Bayelsa civil servants

    The labour unions in Bayelsa, on Friday, opposed the Higher Education Students’ Loan and Education Development Trust Fund Law, which is meant to collect education levy from civil servants.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the law was signed to take effect on Wednesday by Gov. Seriake Dickson in Yenagoa.

    The law makes it mandatory for government officials in Bayelsa public service as well as those in the private sector to contribute to the education fund.

    The government is expected to contribute 10 per cent of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to support the education fund on a monthly basis.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), explained that with the withdrawal of a 20 per cent tax waiver earlier granted to civil servants, the proposed levy would pose additional burden to them.

    The Bayelsa chapter NLC chairman, Mr John Ndiomu, who said that the workers were in support of the education development of the state, however, believed that the State Government could afford to finance it.

    Ndiomu urged the State Government to review the levy, as workers, who were  owed a backlog of salaries of more than six months, were grappling with how to survive the current recession.

    Also, Mr Tari Dounana, Bayelsa chapter TUC chairman, described the levy as “an anti-people’s policy” by the executive and the legislature, without any input from the stakeholders.

    “It is unfortunate that such a law that requires civil servants to make contributions from their salaries was passed and assented to without a public hearing for the stakeholders to make their views known.

    “We have already agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance Policy into which workers will also make contributions. This is one deduction too many.

    “For the government to formulate the education development fund without inputs from the labour, leaves much to be desired. We are opposed to it,” Dounana said.

    Shortly after signing the law, Dickson implored the workers to refrain from politicising the policy.

    He disclosed that N50 billion had so far been invested in the education sector by the  State Government.

     

  • TUC lauds FG on 10% housing equity waiver

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has commended the Federal Government on waiver of the initial payment of 10 per cent housing equity on mortgages below N5 million from housing offtakers.

    Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, TUC President gave the commendation on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    The Federal Government had recently approved that henceforth mortgages below N5million (five million naira) will not attract the initial payment of 10 per cent equity from offtakers.

    According to him, this is to demonstrate its commitment to the provision of affordable housing to Nigerians, especially the low income earners.

    Bobboi noted that the waiver was a welcome development, especially in this period of economic recession being experienced in the country.

    “The government is using the same fund contributed by workers to build houses for them, if it can as well give out houses at much lower rate it will be nice development because it is workers’ contribution.

    “The Federal Government has no contribution in the fund and the worker’s representatives do not have a say on how the funds are being managed,” he said.

    Commending the effort of the government, he said that it needed to do more in the course of delivering houses to Nigerians.

    The TUC president said that the number of houses that have been delivered to workers since the constitution of the National Housing Fund (NHF) programme was not impressive compared to the percentage of workers contributing to the fund.

    He, however, called for an urgent review of the NHF law, adding that the representatives of Nigerian workers should also be allowed to be on the board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

    According to him, being board members will make the representatives to be able to contribute and moderate the cost of housing units compared to the contributors’ salaries.

     

  • Labour kicks, as El-Rufai throws up 1,990 quarters for sale

    Labour kicks, as El-Rufai throws up 1,990 quarters for sale

    The umbrella bodies of workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Kaduna State, have kicked against the plan by the state government to sell 1,990 government quarters public auction, based on their open-market value.

    The labour unions said, the Civil Servants working for the state government and occupying these quarters were never given option of first refusal before the extension of offer to the general public, a situation they described as unfortunate and unacceptable.

    A statement jointly signed by the Chairmen of NLC, Comrade Adamu Ango and TUC, Comrade Shehu Mohammed said, “the entire workers of Kaduna State Government were taken aback by a paid advert in the Daily Trust Newspaper, Vol.42 No. 1 of Monday 27th February, 2017, relating to the sales of government quarters in the state to the political office holders disguised in the name of highest bidders”.

    The government had said that, in order to cut the cost of maintaining the government quarters, it has decided to sell about 1,990 of its non-essential residential quarters.

    The full list of available properties is placed on the state website, indicating that, about 1,990 houses are to be sold by means of a public auction based on their open-market value.

    The government said, the decision to sell the houses was endorsed by the State Executive Council.

    Meanwhile, the labour movement in its reaction stated further that, “The decision of the Kaduna State Executive Council was without recourse to all relevant stakeholders in the state especially the workers of Kaduna State who are the creators of wealth and the legal occupants of these properties.

    “It is rather, very unfortunate that the Civil Servants working for the state government and that are currently occupying these quarters were never given option of first refusal before the extension of offer to the general public.

    “Another area of concern to the public servants of the state, who receives peanut as salaries and wages when compared with those of the political office holders of the state, was the mode of payments for these quarters after being sold to the individual buyers. That is, payment of 25% of purchase price (including 10% non-refundable deposit), must be made to the Kaduna State Government within 90 days of being declared winner. Balance of 75% must be paid by all purchasers within an additional 90 days, thus, all purchasers must effect full payment within 180 days of contract.

    “From the above condition, tell me which Civil Servant of the State can afford this payment? This condition in the first instance is contrary to the provision of the Federal Government Mortgage Bank arrangement of issuing loans to the Civil Servants from all over the federation.

    “We make haste to advice that the Kaduna State Government should borrow a leaf from the Federal Government which in its monetization progromme gave workers who are the legal occupants of government houses an unconditional right/option of first refusal, this is more so that the Federal Government policy was midwife by the selfsame Mallam Nasiru El-Rufa’i”, the statement read.