The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Union

  • Address insecurity, infrastructure decay, union urges Fed Govt

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged the Federal Government to address the challenges facing the country, especially insecurity and infrastructure decay.

    A statement signed by its President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson and General Secretary Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, to mark Nigeria’s 58th independence, said many challenges must be surmounted for the country to be great.

    According to PENGASSAN, nepotism, impunity, unemployment, capital flight, abuse of power, among others, portend serious threat to the nation’s development. Major investments, he said, would continue to elude the country if infrastructure and insecurity are not addressed.

    The association emphasised the need for the government to address the gaps in the legal framework, which guides operations and activities in the oil and gas industry through the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has suffered several setbacks. It noted that the Bill, when passed, will attract and retain more investments.

    PENGASSAN also noted that Nigerians have made progress in agriculture, commerce, banking, and manufacturing in the 19 years of uninterrupted democratic rule.

    Pointing out that the country’s resources could make it a force to be reckoned with in the comity of nations, the Association, however, said a lot of work was required for Nigeria to take its rightful place on the global stage.

    They expressed dissatisfaction over the resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram militants in the Northeast and Northcentral parts and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.

    The oil workers also said the inability of security agencies to contain attacks portend danger, especially as the country approaches the 2019 elections.

    They said: “We urge the security agencies to re-jig their security architecture to get rid of these insurgents. We strongly condemn the killing of Saifura Khorsa, one of the health workers with the International Committee of Red Cross, who was kidnapped from Kala-Balge, Borno State by Boko Haram.

    “PENGASSAN thereby calls on the government to do all within its powers to secure the release of all those abducted by the insurgents, including Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi Schoolgirl.

    “We also call on the government to tackle unemployment, address infrastructural decay and fashion out deliberate policies that will eradicate poverty in the country,” the statement said.

    They added that the Independence Day Anniversary afforded the country the opportunity to review the progress made so far in the nation’s socio-economic and political journey.

    It was also an opportunity to appreciate the sacrifice of thousands of the nation’s forefathers, who laid down their lives to make the country breathe the air of freedom and keep Nigeria as one.

     

  • Union to float micro finance bank

    The National Association of Scraps and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria is to establish a Micro Finance Bank (MFB) to promote the business activity of its members.

    Its National President, John Egaji Obeh, who made this known at  the second delegates conference of the association in Abuja, said plans for the establishment of the bank had reached advanced stage, pointing out that MFB is expected to assist members in boosting their businesses.

    He said the association also plans to present a bill to the National Assembly, but lamented that inadequate finances was hindering the smooth operation of the body.

    Obeh commended the former Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu for registering the association as a trade union, but accused some officials of the association of working to frustrate its activities.

    At the end of the delegates conference, Ogbeh was re-elected for a second term as President of the association with Dr. Mubarak Liman as his deputy.

    Others elected include Financial Secretary, Alhaji Hassan Yahaya, Treasurer, Uchenna Edimba, Agent Chairman, Olakunle Olalere, Vice President Northeast Alhaji Usman Shehu, Organising Secretary Omisakin Olufemi, National Auditor, Danladi Surajo and National TaskForce Chairman, Salami Kamoru Adisa.

  • Union urges FAAN on new conditions of service

    THE Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to put in place machinery for the  approval for the conditions of service (CoS) for workers.

    Rising from its National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) held in Abuja, ATSSSAN in a communiqué said it was necessary for the management of the agencies to activate the machinery that would lead to new CoS for its members.

    The communiqué, jointly signed by comrades Ahmadu Ilitrus and Franecs Akinjole, President and Deputy General Secretary, said the union was awaiting the approval at the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission.

    It added: “The NEC-in-Session also charged the various management to put in place necessary machinery to ensure the conclusion of all pending staff promotion for 2017/2018.

    “In a similar vein, effective collaboration with managements of various private organisations in the aviation industry must be sustained to ensure speedy review of staff conditions of service that are due for review.”

    ATSSSAN frowned at the management of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) for its refusal to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) like its counterpart, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, almost 10 years after acquisition.

    The communiqué observed that this act had denied the staff the opportunity of holding the statutory 10 per cent equity shareholding in the company as agreed with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) at acquisition.

    ATSSSAN, however, appealed to BPE to compel the management of SAHCOL to go to the stock exchange market without delay.

    ATSSSAN, however, commended the management of some affiliate companies in the sector for embracing dialogue in the management of issues thereby enabling their amicable resolution and creating a conducive atmosphere at the work place.

    It, however, called on others to emulate those managements and adopt modern dispute management approaches, declaring that there could not be a better corridor for resolving critical issues than dialogue and mutual engagement.

  • Union confirms killing of another Nigerian in South Africa

    The Nigerian community in South Africa has confirmed the killing of yet another Nigerian in South Africa.

    Chibuzo Nwankwo,42 ,from Enugu State was shot in the early hours of Friday at a local bar in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, following a disagreement with an unknown person.

    His death brings to 121 the number of Nigerians killed in that country since January 2016.

    Mr Habib Miller, the Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, told  the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by phone  yesterday that Nwankwo a patron of the bar, got drunk and started harassing a female worker.

    “Information available to the union said that Nwankwo was chased out by security personnel,  but he kept on coming back; became very aggressive and rude before the ugly incident occurred,” Miller  said.

    He said the South African police later intervened and arrested the murder suspect.

    “A murder case has been opened, and investigation has started. We call on Nigerians to be calm and allow the law to take its course,” Miller said.

    He said the union was against at any form of violence, adding that it would monitor the case to ensure that justice prevailed.

     

  • Union vows to resist Nigeria Air take-off over ex-Airways workers’ entitlements

    The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) has vowed to resist the take-off of Nigeria Air, unless outstanding entitlements, totalling N45 billion are paid to workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways.

    On July 18, the Federal Government unveiled the name and logo of a new national carrier, Nigeria Air, at the Farnbourough Air Show in London.

    The airline is scheduled to start flight operations in December. NUATE General Secretary, Mr Olayinka Abioye, told reporters in Lagos that the union had set a July 31 deadline for the government to pay the entitlements or face the consequences.

    He said the union had run out of patience with the government’s inability to pay workers’ entitlements since the Nigeria Airways folded up 14 years ago.

    Abioye said NUATE would mobilise against government by the end of the month if the government failed to begin the disbursement of the money approved for the former airways workers by the Federal Executive Council more than 10 months ago.

    He said leaders of the union had met severally with the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, to deliberate on the plight of the former workers, who according to him, served the country meritoriously before the airline was liquidated in September 2004.

    The unionist, however, lauded the minister for what he described as the minister’s efforts to facilitate the payment of the entitlements, alleging that the minister became frustrated after meeting a brick wall in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

    He said: “So, the blame cannot be solely placed on Sirika but as the minister in charge of the sector, the onus lies on him to harken to the cries of the oppressed.

    “He should ensure that the workers are paid as he promised at our stakeholders meeting that immediately the National Assembly concludes with the document that they will be paid within the shortest possible time.

    “So, we are giving the government till the end of this month, irrespective of what the National Assembly is doing, to begin these payments so that these ex-workers will be given a new lease of life.

    “If nothing positively happens, the government will know that these people who are currently hopeless also have people who can speak on their behalf.”

    Abioye argued that in as much as it was commendable for the government to float a new national carrier, the government should settle its obligation to people who previously worked for their fatherland.

    He said over 2,000 former airways’ workers had died while waiting for the payment of their entitlements.

     

  • Union to Fed govt: remove TCN management

    The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Company (SSAEAC) has called for the immediate change of the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over alleged anti-labour practices or face industrial action.

    SSAEAC said despite various interventions by the Ministry of Labour, to resolve the issue with various meetings called, the Managing Director of TCN, Gur Mohammed, disregarded the invitations.

    The union accused TCN management of violating the negotiated conditions of service, impunity and destruction of the unions by instigating eight members against constituted authority.

    The union President, Chris Okonkwo, at a media parley at it’s secretariat in Lagos, said the two weeks ultimatum given had elapsed and all are enjoined to wait for the signal for a long-drawn nationwide action to save TCN and the power sector as statutory notices have been given to government agencies.

    Okonkwo accused the Mohammed-led management  of being on a mission to wound down TCN operation as a government company. He accused him of planning to reduce the regions into four, refusing to replace retiring Assistant General Managers (AGMs) and General Managers (GMs) without recourse to labour matters.

    Mohammed was also accused of diverting SSAEAC check-off dues to cronies before writing to confirm it after he propped up expelled officials to cause disunity in the union.

    The union also alleged that Mohammed was determined to kill the negotiated conditions of service hence, the violation with impunity.

    “Since his appointment, he has cleared over 600 no.40 ft containers of equipment from seaports without record of receipts in TCN stores and has also hijacked procurement and accounts departments using them without transparent processes and hiding documents on transactions,” Okonkwo said.

    On the issue of estimated billing by distribution companies (DisCos), Okonkwo said it was a way Discos fraudulently made profits from the sweats of Nigerians as it was unjust and an economic crime on Nigerians.

    He said the problem with the power sector was due to the lack of sincerity and political will by government to obey the clauses in the privatisation agreement signed by those who bought PHCN.

    He said: “ Before the privatisation of PHCN, it was 70 per cent efficient but four years later after being privatised, the sector is between 30 to 40 per cent efficient and we ascribed to the view that due process was not followed in the process.”

  • Kano Varsity dissolves Students Union over N500m property damage

    The authorities  of Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil has dissolved the Students Union Government over its failure to avert the colossal damage done to the university property,during students’ riot worth Norm.

    Speaking to reporters on the situation, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shehu Alhaji Musa lamented that the actions of the students had cost the university a  monumental loss.
    According to him, it is disheartening to know that the protesting students, during the riot, which took place on May 2 2018, over the issue of a drowned student , went on rampage and destroyed state-of-the-art equipment worth over N500 million.
    The VC also revealed that about 21 areas were damaged and more than 100 valuable items destroyed, adding that the items include a sophisticated ambulance worth over N40 million.
    Other affected areas, according to the VC, include the university’s ICT Centre equipment, valued at N250 million, vehicles, the new and old clinics, Security Unit,  female and male hostels.
    Also destroyed were Research Laboratory, Science Lecture Hall and classrooms,Directorate of General Studies, All signposts and billboards, two Zenith Bank ATM machines,among others.
    “After the consultations, the Senate of the universityat its 84th meeting approved the reopening of the universityon Monday, 9th July, 2018, while students are mandated to pay a penalty of N13,000 against the reported N17, 000 including, a medical screening charges of N4, 000 for all students.
    “Sequeal to the apparent failure of the students union government executives to discharge their functions as provided in the 2013/14 SUG constitution, the Vice Chancellor professor Shehu Musa Alhaji, in the performance of his statutory responsibilities,as enshrined Im the university law, hereby dissolves the student u ion government executives with immediate effect.
    “Henceforth, the students executives ceased to be representatives of the students on any matter affecting the running of the university, as well as handover to the Dean of affairs, property and documents in their custody,” he said
     In the interim ,  Prof. Musa said that a Student Representative Committee (SRC)  would soon be constituted and inaugurated to address matters of interest of all students of the university.
    He said the university management resolved that, in order to ensure positive progress, stability, transformation and consolidation, remain unwavering, and therefore urged all law abiding students of the university to remain calm and obedient during their resumption period.

  • Union declares dispute with TCN

    The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) yesterday declared a trade dispute with the Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN) management over alleged anti-workers practices.

    SSAEAC said at its National Executive Council meeting in Lagos that the management of TCN contravened some labour rules and failed to honour several meeting arrangements with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

    The SSAEAC President, Mr Chris Okonkwo, told reporters at the end of the NEC meeting that TCN refused to improve the condition of service for its workers.

    According to Okonkwo, the TCN management has been involved in casualisation and victimisation of workers since inception about two years ago.

    He added that TCN management had continued to decline efforts by the union to negotiate with it.

    He warned that there would be a showdown if the issues would not resolved in two weeks.

    When contacted, Mr Usman Muhammed, Managing Director of TCN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the management had increased salaries and would not implement another without the approval of the Salaries and Wages Commission.

    Muhammed also said that TCN promoted workers who had been stagnated by the past administration.

     

  • Union gets new exco

    The Akoko Development Union (ADU), Ondo State, has appointed new executive members to run the affairs of the community.

    The group inaugurated a 12-man interim executive council following the expiration of tenure of the Canon Bode Ekundayo-led executive.

    The new members urged the former executives to stop parading themselves as ADU leaders.

    It mandated the interim committee to reorganize ADU nationally and internationally, and reach out to those offended by the former committee.

    It also called for the setting up of a Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) to produce a standard constitution for the union to prevent any other group from usurping the duty of its national executive committee.

  • Union mourns Ilorin’s high chief

    The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) has described the death of Balogun Ajikobi, Alhaji Issa Jimoh, as a great loss to the Emirate.

    Jimoh, who was the 11th Balogun Ajikobi, died on Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 72.

    A condolence letter yesterday by the National President, Sheikh Usman AbdulAzeez, said Jimoh’s death had created a vacuum in the emirate council.

    AbdulAzeez described the deceased as loyal, articulate and a visionary traditional chief, who was always passionate about development of Ilorin Emirate and humanity.

    The union commiserated with the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, close associates of the late Balogun, relatives, and people of the emirate.

    AbdulAzeez prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest and give the people the fortitude to bear the loss.