The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ultimatum

  • NLC NEC to decide on strike as ultimatum ends

    NLC NEC to decide on strike as ultimatum ends

    The 21-day ultimatum served on the Federal Government by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ended on Friday with workers waiting for the next line of action by Labour

    The deadline ended early today (Friday).

    But workers in the NLC affiliate unions across the country told The Nation yesterday that they were yet to the mobilised by the NLC Abuja.

    Head of Information, NLC, Benson Upah, told our reporter that only the National Executive Council of the NLC can decide the next move.

    The NEC is expected to state the next line of action following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum.

    On September 5 and 6, the NLC called out its members on a two-day warning strike.

    Upah said yesterday: “If you go back to the Communique issued, it was emphatic on when the ultimatum will expire; which is tomorrow but it was not emphatic on when the action will start. That leaves that at the discretion of the NEC.

    “The ultimatum expires tomorrow (today). But, the action plan is at the discretion of the NEC.”

    Read Also: Tinubu woos Nigerians in U.S. to invest back home

    Talks between Labour and the Federal Government on post-subsidy removal palliatives for workers, especially at federal level, have not been concluded.

    At the end of the resumed talks on Monday, government officials and NLC leaders describing their discusions  talks as “fruitful.”

    The meeting was called at the instance of Labour and Employment Minister, Simon Lalong.

    Both parties were expected to resolve some of the key issues tabled before the government by the organised Labour before the deadline.

    Some of the demands of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are: wage award, tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers, provision of Compressed Natural Gas buses, release of modalities for the N70bn for Small and Medium Enterprises, release of officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers by the police, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria crisis in Lagos, among others.

    Others are: immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the Federal Government, including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salaries of university teachers and workers as well as the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).

    NLC President Joe Ajaero said Labour was ready to meet the government any time of the day to find solutions to its demands and avert the planned strike.

    He, however, added that only the Presidency can take decisions on the demands presented to the government.

  • AA leaders get seven days ultimatum

    AA leaders get seven days ultimatum

    Factional Chairman and Secretary of Action Alliance (AA), Adekunle Rufai Omoaje and Suleiman AbdulRasheed, has been given a seven-day ultimatum to resign from the party for alleged impersonation and forgery.

     Some party leaders, under Concerned Stakeholders of the Action Alliance, threatened to expel  Omoaje and AbdulRasheed should they fail to quit.

    The group, among other things, accused them of impersonating the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Bende Constituency at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Abia State.

     In a statement signed by its President and Secretary,  Lukman Mohammed and Bako Jibrin, the party leaders noted that they want to tarnish the  reputation of Action Alliance.

    Read Also: Tribunals uphold Mbah’s, Benue deputy speaker’s election victories

     According to the statement, a formal complaint will be made to security agencies.

     “We have received reports of both men impersonating our leaders and tarnishing the name of our party. We don’t recognise them as our members.

     “These two have brought shame and disrepute to the Action Alliance with their criminal activities ranging from impersonation, forgery, and bribery.

     “The latest involved Mr Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe, a candidate for Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State. It is on record that he withdrew interest when he found out that a faction of the party conducted the primary election.

     “We have endured these two for a long time and calls from different quarters have been ignored. We are by this press statement giving them seven days to resign their membership of the party”, the statement noted.

  • Double headache for Iwobi as Marco Silva gets ultimatum

     

    Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi will not only be bothered about posting a good performance against Brazil on Sunday, but will also be concerned about helping Everton Manager Marco Silva save his job.

    The Everton boss has reportedly been handed three matches ultimatum by his employers who are getting worried about the team’s unimpressive run in the season so far.

    The Daily Star says Silva has been told he has the next three matches to save his job on Merseyside.

    The Portuguese manager has endured a nightmare start to the season with the Toffees, taking just two victories from eight matches played.

    Everton, at this early point in the season, find themselves in the relegation zone and Silva has been told time is running out.

    Silva had premonition he would be sacked during the international break, following Everton’s lacklustre defeat by Burnley.

    Everton Manager Marco Silva eager gets ultimatum

    Crisis talks are said to have taken place at Goodison, during which the dooms day was delayed but Silva was informed in clear terms the results of the next three games would have large bearing on his future.

    Nigeria international Alex Iwobi who joined Everton from Arsenal in August this year for an initial £28 million, rising to £34 million with potential add-ons has blended perfectly and has been impressive in five matches he has played for the side so far.

    With the new development however there are strong indications that manager Marco Silva will apply additional pressure on his players with a view to remedy the situation.

    Iwobi currently in Singapore ahead of the international friendly against Samba Boys of Brazil is tipped to start and the Gernot Rohr tutored side attempt to perform better than Senegal who only yesterday held the Brazilians to a 1-1 draw.

  • FG to NLC: drop ultimatum on minimum wage

    The Federal Government pleaded yesterday with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to drop its threat of industrial action at the end of the month over the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage.

    Reacting to the 10-day ultimatum issued on Thursday by the labour leadership to the federal authorities to transmit the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly for consideration immediately, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed advocated ‘continuous engagement’ between the two sides with a view to resolving their differences.

    “Continuous engagement, I think, is the key. We will continue to engage them and I think they do also fully understand what the challenges are, and both parties are determined to ensure that a common ground is arrived at, which will be comfortable for all,” Mohammed told reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) claimed that the delay by the federal government in forwarding the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly was a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens.

    The NLC also condemned what it described as sustained deployment of brute force by political office holders to harass, hound and victimise workers and labour leaders, vowing that such actions would no longer be acceptable to workers in the country.

    The Information Minister described the NLC as “a very patriotic union”, and expressed confidence that it would do nothing capable of embarrassing the government or Nigerians.

    His words: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is a very patriotic union and I am very confident that they will not do anything that will embarrass the government or do anything that is going to worsen the situation.

    Labour accuses FG of insensitivity, vows to mobilise workers against govs

    The National Executive Council of the NLC also met in Abuja yesterday to review the minimum wage issue, branding federal government’s handling of the matter as a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens.

    The NLC NEC also condemned alleged sustained deployment of brute force by political office holders to harass, hound and victimize workers and labour leaders.

    It vowed that such harassments would no longer be tolerated.

    It spoke of plan to embark on a national sensitization of workers from January 8, 2019, especially against state governors who have formed the habit of not paying workers’ salaries.

    In a communique signed by NLC President Wabba and the General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the congress said: “The continued delay by the Federal Government to transmit the Bill of the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly for enactment into law is unacceptable.

    “This leisurely conduct of serious state affairs is even after the National Assembly had passed a resolution urging the President and the executive branch of government to transmit the new national minimum wage amendment bill to it for consideration and passage into law.

    “The NEC expressed total dissatisfaction with the consequential delay and unacceptable lethargy in the process of regularising and implementing the new national minimum wage of N30,000. “The calculated inaction of the Federal Government is a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens”

    It took strong exception to alleged unrelenting attitude of the Ogun State Government to frustrate efforts to peacefully reinstate the NLC chairman in Ogun State, Comrade Akeem Ambali, who was sacked by the state government in the middle of a 2016 strike action to protest injustice against Ogun State workers.

    The NLC said: “The Comrade has been made to suffer unfair treatment for nearly two years on account of the performance of his legitimate duties. This ugly situation has persisted despite repeated emissaries sent to the Ogun State governor to reconsider his unsupportable position on the issue.

    “The entrenched insensitivity by some state governments and other political office holders to the plight of workers and pensioners, especially in the states owing several months of salary arrears, unpaid pension and gratuity of retired workers.

    “It is most unfortunate that many of the governors diverted a significant part of the bailout funds and the Paris Club Refund initiatives meant to offset salaries, pension and gratuity owed workers and pensioners for purposes of personal aggrandizement and to fund non-impactful frivolous programmes and projects.

    “The NEC demanded a full investigation by the EFCC of the disbursement of all bailout, Paris Club refund and budget support releases to the states.”

    Besides, it condemned “the trampling upon the fundamental human rights and freedom of association by the Ogun State Governor especially pertaining to the irresponsible purported proscription of trade union rights in Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

    “The NEC also denounced the continued refusal to pay the salaries of workers in the College of Education for nearly three years.

    “The NEC expressed grief for the needless loss of lives and unbearable suffering by workers of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode, as a result of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s flagrant disrespect of the rights of workers of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, to their wages and salaries;

    “To further engage the Ogun State Government, for the final time, for a peaceful resolution of the issues already highlighted and the reinstatement of the Chairman of the Ogun State Council, Comrade Akeem Ambali. Thereafter, in the spirit of “injury to one is an injury to all”, the NLC may be left with no option than to mobilize workers all over Nigeria for sustained industrial action in Ogun State;

    “That all state governments still owing workers arrears of salaries, pension and gratuity must settle all their wage liabilities before the 2019 general election. The NEC reiterates its earlier directives to workers all over the country not only to vote out State Governors and other political office holders owing workers but also, to mobilize their families and friends to ensure that all elected public office holders who are not worker-friendly are voted out of office in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

    “Nigerian workers are also directed to support in full force the re-election bid of all state governors and political office holders who are worker-friendly and up to date in the payment of workers’ salaries and gratuity cum pension for retired workers.”

    The NLC also protested what it called the un-abating neglect of the education sector by both the Federal and State governments.

    It said: “This utter abandonment of the development of the human capital of our country has been chiefly exemplified by the refusal of government to respect the agreement it freely entered with ASUU, especially the Memorandum of Action of November 2017.”

    On its planned nationwide mobilization of workers on the delay by the Federal Government in transmitting, enacting and implementing the new national minimum wage of N30,000,it said the protests should “hold in all State capitals and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on 8th January, 2019. The NEC mandates all industrial unions and state councils to fully mobilise workers and coordinate with other labour unions for this mother-of-all protest.”

    It asked the Federal Government to honour its 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA) Agreement with ASUU in order to restore sanity and raise the quality of the products of our public universities.

  • Midwest Bar issues ultimatum to three executives

    •Groups endorse Okafor for NBA president

    The Mid-West Bar Forum has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to members of its executive committee.

    Chief Gweke Akhudihor, Mr Rasaq Isenalume and Mrs. Tessy Eghe-Abe are to apologise to the chairman and members  for allegedly issuing an unauthorised statement asking for their resignation or suspension.

    The forum, through its chairman Chief Chike Onyemenam (SAN) and Publicity Secretary Prince Alex Obade, demanded the publication’s retraction.

    It said: “Take notice that at the just concluded quarterly meeting of the Mid-West Bar Forum held in Asaba on  June 30, it was unanimously resolved that you issue within 48 hours from today, a press release apologising to the chairman and members of the Mid-West Bar Forum for your false and unauthorised press release calling on the Chairman of the Forum to resign as Chairman, and retracting the said publication in all the social media/Whatsapp groups where you previously issued same, within 48 hours from today, failing which, you shall stand automatically suspended as members of the Executive Committee of the Forum.”

    Onyemenam told members that after the last meeting, the forum’s first Vice-Chairman, Second Vice-Chairman  and Secretary authored a publication in several Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) online platforms.

    They were said to have accused Onyemenam of being compromised by one of the NBA presidential aspirants and that he was bent on adopting him.

    According to the chairman, even after the forum’s elders intervened, the statement’s authors were yet to publish a retraction.

    The forum, therefore, passed a vote of confidence Onyemenam and resolved that Akhudihor,  Isenalumhe and  Eghe-Abe  should publish a retraction  or be suspended.

    The forum also resolved: “That Chief Arthur  Obi-Okafor  (SAN) was unanimously adopted as the sole candidate of the Midwest Bar Forum,  for  President; and Mr. John Aikpokpo Martins for the position of second National Vice-President,  having polled 53 votes against seven votes polled by Ben Orji.”

    The forum also adopted Akorede Habeeb Lawal for the post of Assistant  Publicity Secretary; Kunle Edun for the post of Publicity Secretary  and all other sole candidates from the forum who are awaiting clearance by the  Electoral committee of the NBA (ECNBA).

    Members of the Forum were urged to support and vote for all the adopted candidates.

    On the forum’s proposed first annual summit, the Chairman informed the house that the event  was postponed because of the ramadan fasting and paucity of funds and that a new date will be announced.

    On the proposed Amendment of the Legal Practitioners Act, Onyemenam said there has been  no additional inputs from members since the last meeting.

    The House, therefore, resolved that the recommendations of the Giwa-led committee be adopted and sent to the National Secretariat as the forum’s input.

    In the same vein, the Otu Oka Iwu (Igbo Lawyers Association) has backed Okafor’s bid for NBA presidency.

    Its  president, Chief Chuks Ikokwu, assured Okafor  that the association support in the election to be held this month.

    Praising Okafor for the “erudite lecture” he delivered at the law society’s  meeting,  Ikokwu said they “will strongly support your quest to lead the NBA to a better future.”

    He said the group had bestowed Okafor with “offor,” the Igbo symbol of authority, adding that he was certain that the presidential aspirant, who is also Chairman of the  NBA Criminal Justice Reform Committee “will make us proud.”

    Okafor advocates law firm partnerships

    Speaking on the topic: The challenge of unemployment and under-employment in the legal profession, Okafor urged lawyers to embrace the partnership model, warning that “the days of solo practitioners are numbered”.

    He emphasised the need for NBA to establish a committee on partnerships to promote the practice model, adding that the committee should be empowered to offer loans and technical support to lawyers to enable them set up such partnerships.

    Okafor said the NBA   should partner with global training institutions to provide continuing legal education programmes to members, urging lawyers to equip themselves with contemporary skills that will make them competitive.

    His words: “The time has come to build the Nigerian lawyer as a brand. The Nigerian lawyer must be transformed into a knowledgeable, versatile, courageous brand and with deep insight into global best practices.

    “This brand must specialise and dominate the legal market in specialised areas. This brand must transmute from being a jack of all trade to an expert in certain areas in the legal market.”

    Okafor said “the new NBA President must be ready to speak out on crucial national issues.”

  • NLC gives candidates ultimatum on salaries

    The Ekiti State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged candidates vying for the governorship seat to prepare to pay all salary arrears within three months of inauguration.

    The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Ade Adesanmi, made the declaration on yesterday during an interactive session with the candidate of Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN), Chief Adebisi Omoyeni.

    He said the condition of workers in the state having months salaries arreas was deplorable.

    Adesanmi stressed that the workers would only support candidate who takes their welfare  as priority.

    Adesanmi said the entire labour force in the state would mobilize against any government after three months of inception, if such government failed to clear the eight months salaries currently being owed the workers in the state.

    He added that the NLC had started series of interface with governorship candidates ahead of the July 14 election, presenting the body’s position paper to them.

    Adesanmi said: “We are giving whoever wins the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State three months after inauguration to pay the outstanding salaries or we will rise against such government. Let it be cleared now.

    “The current state of workers now where we are being owed between five to eight months of salaries is worrisome and we are determined to put a stop to it, we can’t continue like this.

    “We have been telling all candidates our position and let it be on record that, after three months we want our arrears to be cleared otherwise we will mobilize against such government.”

    He explained that the position paper of the union which was prepared by team of experts and professionals cut across major areas of governance such as health, education, agriculture, public service, and private sector.

    The NLC chairman stressed that the incoming government would be given six months to implement the position paper in the interest of the state, saying that workers would not hesitate to stand against such government who failed to consider the document.

    Omoyeni assured labour leaders that his government would make the welfare of workers a top priority.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Union issues ultimatum

    The Medical and Health Workers’ Union (NHWU), has given the government a 30-day ultimatum to address its demands.

    The ultimatum began last weekend.

    Its National President, Comrade Joy Josiah, said the union agreed at a meeting at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, that their request  for improved pay and payment of some over due allowances should be met as it was done for their counterparts in the core medical unit.

    Speaking  with reporters, Josiah recalled that the battle to get the government to accede to the union’s  demand dated back to 2014.

    According to Josiah, the union has exercised enough patience and empathy for the public, who will be at the receiving end of the strike, which it said, would be total and indefinite at the expiration of the 30-day ultimatum, which started at the weekend.

    Josiah wondered why the government would accede to the demands of their colleagues of the core medicines within 15 days of strike warnings while those of the MHWU had lasted over five months without any attention from the same government.

    He lamented the widening of the pay gap between doctors and MHWU members, who give associated health services, describing it as unjustifiable.

    “The entry point for doctors used to be Level 9 while ours has been Level 8. Three years and you are expected to move to Level 9 while they moved to 10. So, it has always been one level or three years difference until the government made doctors starting point Level 12, which now translates to a gap of three levels and nine years.

    “Yet the medical doctors are already threatening that if government should raise our own relativity earnings, theirs too must be increased to widen the gap the more.”

     

    “This is grossly unfair to us and it is a product of unnecessary ego. But why should that be?,”he wondered.

  • Senate gives 63 federal agencies ultimatum to submit budgets

    Senate gives 63 federal agencies ultimatum to submit budgets

    THE Senate yesterday issued a seven-day ultimatum to 63 federal government statutory bodies to submit details of their 2018 budgets or risk sanction.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki gave the order following a motion by Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan that 63 federal agencies have refused to submit details of their 2018 budget to the National Assembly for vetting and approval as required by law.

    Saraki said the affected agencies should be prepared to face serious sanction, including mandating the Ministry of Finance to stop releasing funds to them.

    The Senate President wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari would comply with constitutional provisions by presenting the annual Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly for consideration and approval and agencies would disobey the law.

    Lawan, in his motion, noted that President Muhammadu Buhari submitted the national budget as well as the summary of the budgets of the agencies to the National Assembly.

    He added that by so doing, Buhari has completed his work.

    According to him, what is required of the agencies was for them to present the details of their budgets to the National Assembly for consideration and approval

    Saraki said the Senate must insist that the proper thing must be done at all time and that statutory bodies must comply with the law.

    Some agencies and bodies expected to submit details of their budgets to the National Assembly include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

  • Furniture men get ultimatum

    The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task force), has served all furniture traders on road setbacks and walkways from Oshodi to Mile 2 a 24-hour vacation notice.

    Its Chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent (SP), in a statement said the notice was due to environmental nuisance constituted by the traders.

    According to him, no responsible government would tolerate environmental degradation being perpetuated by illegal traders around that axis.

    Egbeyemi said illegal shanties constructed by the traders, who specialise in new and used furniture from Oshodi to Mile 2 particularly around Itire and Ijesha areas have now become abode for criminals.

    “Residents around these areas can no longer sleep comfortably because of criminal activities being perpetuated by hoodlums who pretend to be furniture traders around Itire and Ijesha axis,” he said.

     

  • Ultimatum

    Ultimatum

    • Senate mirrors the nation’s frustration with its order to the IGP on Benue State killers

    The crisis of the herdsman in the north, especially in the central part of the region, came to a brutal head when 73 persons were slaughtered in the night in Benue State. The nation watched with both despair and close to a revanchist spirit the wave of caskets bearing the souls of the innocents dispatched cruelly by men who claim to be neighbours and fellow countrymen.

    Benue State’s condition spurred the Senate to give the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, a two-week ultimatum to fish out the killers so that the cold-blooded perverts can face the unerring majesty of the law and justice. It was a strong-word order from the country’s top law-making organ and warned of stern consequences if the order is flouted.

    The senate president, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu were unsparing in their rebuke of the handling of the security situation in the country.

    “The president must act. Those responsible must be held accountable. The military all the time cannot be the solution,” said the senate president. “Action must begin to show Nigerians that we are not just talking. We need to ensure that this never happens again. We need to restore hope.”

    On his part, Ekweremadu called for a state of emergency, so troops can operate in all parts of the country and avert more violence.

    “The international and the intelligence community are worried that war is coming to Nigeria. We must not allow this to happen. The constitution says that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and properties. Every day, we come here to condemn the killings and observe a minute silence,” said the senate deputy president.

    What the senate has done with the ultimatum is to show frustration with the executive branch of government. The presidential system gives such a responsibility to the executive branch. The work of the lawmaker is to make laws and hold the executive to account if it fails. But it is not its place to punish agencies of government when they fail.

    So, it is indeed puzzling that the senate can arrogate to itself such a task. Yet it is understandable that the lawmaker is stepping into a rather unfamiliar territory. The senate reflects the sentiment of the country and frustration with the executive branch that has seemed impotent to rein in the murderous excesses of the killers.

    The Federal Government has responded to the killings in Benue State by sending the IGP there. It has also deployed soldiers. Yet, as the tears flowed the marauders struck again. In the Logo, Okpokwu and Guma local government areas of the state, fresh attacks led to the deaths of six persons. This has made the situation further frustrating. The defiance is underpinned by the proximity of the slaughter near where the IGP has hunkered down.

    Less than a week before the ultimatum lapses, the police have not been able to take down any group. The answer to fishing out the killers is not the province of the police alone. It is the job of the intelligence community.

    A new report has it that the killers may not be herdsmen but the Islamic State. We shall need more compelling evidence on this, but they advanced the position that some of the arrests have yielded such persuasion. This has complicated the search for and definition of the violence in the country.

    We are not sure what the senate will do if the police fall short of capturing the killers of the Benue innocents. But the senate has helped to ratchet up the determination and frustration of the society to put this menace of killings behind us.