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Tag: workers

  • NISER workers protest against DG

    •Institute’s chief: Action politically motivated

    Activites were yesterday paralysed for hours at the Ibadan, Oyo State  headquarters of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)  when members of the three labour unions in the institute staged a peaceful protest against its managment.

    They decried what they called the continue stay in office of the institute’s Director General (DG), Prof. Olufemi Taiwo.

    He is expected to have retired, on August 16.

    But Prof. Taiwo described the protest as politically motivated, saying the union leaders were pursuing a hidden political agenda.

    Prof. Taiwo held a meeting with members of the Management yesterday morning, an incident that irked workers.

    After the congress of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising members of the three unions, the workers staged a peaceful protest to the main gate of the institution. They carried placards in which they called for Taiwo’s immediate disengagement, following the expiration of his tenure.

    The workers also accused the outgoing DG of traumatising workers during his regime, wondering why he was still staying put after the expiration of his tenure.

    They described the management meeting he held as null and void, saying he has ceased to be the DG.

    They called on the National Planning Commission, which is the supervising commission, to direct Taiwo to hand over to another person, preferably the institute’s Director of Administration in accordance with civil service rules.

    In their three-paragraph letter to the Secretary of the NPC, a copy of which was made available to The Nation, the JAC, comprising the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) were unanimous in their demand for Taiwo’s removal.

    The three-paragraph letter by Comrade Ayo Egunjobi (SSAUTHRIAI), Wole Famoriyo, (NASU) and Muyiwa Babatimehin (ASURI) and addressed to the National Planning Commission reads in parts: “the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of in-house unions of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) use this medium to bring to the notice of the Secretary to the commission that the tenure of erstwhile DG, Prof. Olufemi Taiwo, ended on August 16, 2015.

    “Sir, in line with due process, Prof. Taiwo should have handed-over the administration of the institute in the last working day of his tenure to the most senior professor pending the process of appointing a substantive/acting director-general in accordance with the conditions of service of the federal research institutes, their colleges and allied institutions which can follow later.

    “In view of this, the JAC would continue to appreciate the intervention of your good office in the promotion of industrial peace and harmony in the institute.

    “Please accept the assurances of the union’s highest regards as we await your response. Thank you sir.”

    But, Taiwo, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said the union leaders were being sponsored by some of their colleagues who are interested in his position. He added that he was not desperate to hold on to the position but that he was yet to receive instruction from the NPC on the next step to take after the expiration of his tenure on Sunday.

    He said: “My letter of appointment in 2011 says I was appointed for four years, and that it was renewable for another term of four years. I completed the first term on Sunday. We were awaiting directive from the NPC on what to do.

    “There are clearly three options: renewal of term, appointment of another DG or an instruction to hand over to somebody for temporary leadership pending the appointment of another DG.”

    He said when he did not receive any instruction from the NPC, he contacted the Permanent Secretary of the commission on Sunday but that the latter pledged to contact the Vice President for advice.

    On the allegation of denying workers of welfare, Taiwo explained that his administration wanted to establish Staff Welfare Centre but that the unions opposed it. He said they wanted a revolving loan scheme, which requires a government policy to operate.

    The permanent secretary, the NISER chief said, added that  he would contact Taiwo as soon as he received useful directive. The Vice President is the Chairman of the commission.

    He explained that he held the Management meeting to update members of the team.

     

    ENDS

     

  • Kogi pays LG workers 50 per cent salary advance

    Workers in some local government areas of Kogi State during the week got not only their full July salary, but also 50 percent arrears for August.

    The state government in a circular directed full payment of workers’ salary in the 21 local government areas.

    Workers in Lokoja LG for example got additional 50 percent salary arrears for August, which the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abubakar Sadiq Ainoko attributed to “money available to it”.

    The commissioner said in the month of July, the Federation Account Allocation Committee released a supplementary allocation tagged non-oil revenue, to the state.

    Addressing a press conference in Lokoja yesterday, he said the money received from the non-oil revenue allocation made it possible for the council workers to receive their complete salaries.

    “I am happy to inform you that with the allocation, all LGs paid 100 percent of salary in the month of July, while Lokoja LGA went a step further to pay another month arrears of 50 percent”, he said.

    He commended authorities of all the LGAs for complying with the guidelines given to them on payment of salaries.

    He called for understanding from the workers, saying over 80 percent of allocation to LGs is expended on salaries.

    “If the allocation to LG is N500 million today, over 80 percent of it will go to workers’ salary. It is what comes from the federal government that is used by the LGs to service salaries, and there is no way the state will not pay workers”, he said.

    The chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Tom Abutu commended the state government for attending to the issue of arrears workers’ salary, saying has acted well.

  • Unpaid salaries: Ajimobi’s wife appeals to workers

    Unpaid salaries: Ajimobi’s wife appeals to workers

    AS agitation by Oyo State workers over non-payment of their four months’ salary arrears become frenzied, the wife of Oyo State governor, Mrs Florence Abiola Ajimobi has appealed to them to be patient with her husband.

    Mrs. Ajimobi spoke while addressing women who converged on the Government House for this year’s intercessory prayer session. She also expressed optimism that the situation would soon be normalised and everyone will be happy.

    “It is not in the interest of my husband to owe workers. The issues of salary and economic problem are not peculiar to Oyo State. I am sure we will get over it soon.

    “If my husband has received any money to pay workers, he will do just that. You all as civil servants know the process involved. So, my husband cannot deny the workers their entitlements. But we should please be more patient with him,” she said.

    Mrs Ajimobi also urged the people to continue to pray for her husband’s success and the peace and progress of Oyo State.

    She further urged the women to always forgive their husbands and ensure smooth relations with our God.

    She said:”We should not hold grudges against anyone. We are all humans and we offend one another almost always. We have to always forgive one another, particularly our spouses. When I get back home today, I will go and seek forgiveness from my husband and I will also forgive him. In like manner, I want every woman to do same.” The intercessory prayer was attended by over 2,000 women from all walks of life,

  • Kaduna TUC backs El-Rufai’s fight against ghost workers

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Kaduna State Council has said it is not opposed to the genuine verification exercise of the state Civil

    Servants to rid the government pay roll of ghost workers.

    The Chairman, Comrade Shehu Mohammed while addressing a press conference in kaduna yesterday said the Congress is in total support of any move that will ensure the free flow of money illegal accounts to the government treasury for speedy development of the state.

    The Union however appealed to the Governor consider the payment of July 2015 salaries and wages of those civil servants of the state

    that were cleared in June while the second   round  of the verification exercise in the state continue.

    According to him, “The Union is of the opinion that delaying payments of worker’ salaries and wages amounts to tremendous hardship to the workers and their families.

    “We considers the outcome of the meeting between the committee of verification exercise and the leadership of the union along side with

    banks that were to handle the exercise and we discovered that some of them are not ready.

    “In as much as the union remains committed  in supporting the government in carrying out its obligatory to the people of Kaduna State it would not be seen as shaking away from its responsibilities to protect the economic well being of its members in the state,” Comrade Mohammed stated.

  • AOCOED workers, students protest alleged neglect

    •Workers allege doctoring of provost’s re-appointment letter

    Workers and students of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos State,yesterday blocked both ends of the Mile 2/Badagry Expressway in a protest to draw government’s attention to the plight of the institution.

    The workers and students were protesting against the failure to increase the college monthly subvention since 2010 and renewal  of appointment of the provost, Mr Wasiu Bashorun Olalekan, among others.

    As early as 7am , the highways were blocked with a bus belonging to the Student Union Government of the college.Motorists and passengers went through horrendous moments as they were stuck on the highways for hours.

    However, The Nation learnt that the protest may not be unconnected to the alleged doctoring of the letter of appointment of AOCOED provost for a second term in office, a development that has created a crisis of interest in the institution.

    Impeccable sources told The Nation that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode has approved the re-appointment of the provosts of the state owned colleges of education- AOCOED and the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED) Epe. However, while MOCPED has received its letter, AOCOED is still waiting to be officially communicated.

    Meanwhile, new twist emerged that certain elements in government in connivance with the college’s Chairman of the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education of Nigeria (SSUCOED) Wumi Ombugadu, are considering doctoring the letter to reverse Bashorun approval in favour of another professor of Education at the Lagos State University, who is being favoured to succeed Bashorun.

    Speaking with The Nation yesterday, Ombugadu said: “I do not have any relationship with any top shot in government. As a union leader, I met the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule during the college convocation two weeks ago. We briefly spoke and I booked an appointment with her on Tuesday (August 4) alongside three other unions.

    “During the meeting, the deputy governor emphasised on due process on selection of a new provost in which the current provost also benefitted from.”

  • Workers to govt: don’t cut wages

    Workers to govt: don’t cut wages

    The Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari administration not to reduce workers’ salaries  in its bid to cut the cost of governance.

    Addressing reporters in Lagos, the National President of the association, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, said it would be undesirable for the economy if anybody, or group of persons, contemplated reducing the salaries of civil servants who are already underpaid in a country where the government had reneged in its responsibilities to the citizenry.

    The labour leader said any cut in salary in any guise would be an invitation to industrial crisis, recalling that many states owed civil servants arrears of salaries and other rightful entitlements, yet these workers were expected to come to work, feed their families, stay healthy, pay children’s school fees and rent.

    “It must be recognised that civil servants pay has lost its value since the last increment was done in 2010. The subsidy removal, devaluation of the naira and the high rate of infrastructural decay has continued to rub innocent civil servants the value of their money despite being paid peanut,” he lamented.

    According to labour, what is being contemplated as pay cut for political office holders cannot be extended to civil servants because the two pay structures cannot be compared.

    ”While a director in the civil service goes home with less than N353, 996.94 monthly, a member of the National Assembly collects close to $181,973.75 or N40 million monthly, made up of basic salary, hardship allowance, constituency allowance, newspaper allowance, wardrobe allowance, accommodation allowance, recess allowance, utilities, domestic staff, entertainment, personal assistant, leave allowance, vehicle maintenance allowance, car allowance, and severance package of 300 per cent of basic salary,” Comrade Kaigama said.

    Insisting that there was no basis to compare the two, he said while political office holders can make do with 75 per cent reduction in emolument, a one per cent cut in the salary of civil servants will end up sending them to their untimely death through unwarranted hardships and miseries.

    The union added that civil servants expectations from the new government were very high after many years of unfulfilled promises by past administrations, which have left them undervalued.

    According to the union, if the government wants to deliver on its change promise, it must be recognised that the pay structure of civil servants has failed to reward them fairly and the new government must acknowledge that genuine engagement with its workforce can only produce a better and more efficient public service which will bring about the change Nigerians desire and require.

  • Okorocha’s deputy hails health workers

    Okorocha’s deputy hails health workers

    Imo State Deputy Governor Eze Madumere has praised health workers on the continent for their heroic role in ending the deadly Ebola scourge.

    Madumere spoke while addressing members of the West African College of Physicians during their 39th Annual General and Scientific Meeting held in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    He particularly commended the efforts of the West African College of Physicians for their effort in solving the puzzle surrounding Ebola virus disease in Africa.

    The deputy governor described those who fought to contain the scourge with all they had including their lives as heroes.

    He said, “Let me use this forum to thank you and to salute the family members of these heroes especially Dr. Stella Adadevoh who first diagnosed Ebola-infected Sawyer and raised the alarm before her heroic death from the same disease”.

    He further challenged the College members to go the extra mile to ensure that Nigerian Doctors and their counterparts in other West African countries measure up with others in the developed nations.

    In his words; “It will be in our best interest to build a strong competitive health sector in Nigeria and at the region at large. A situation where our Doctors here do not respond rapidly to the health challenges in the country and rise up to the occasion even above their western counterparts when they travel out shows we can be the best. While I commend you for having distinguished yourselves, it is imperative that you carry others along so as to make our region a haven of health care solution.

    He further assured the College of the readiness of the  Imo State Government to partner with them, which he said has been kick started by the State Governor, Rochas  Okorocha with the  allocation of a parcel of land for development of the College facilities in Owerri.

    However the Deputy Governor advised the Health workers against embarking on incessant industrial actions at every little challenge with the governments.

    He therefore urged them “to embrace dialogue and to ensure every rules and principle procedures of industrial engagements and negotiations are exhausted before thinking about removing the toga of nobility”.

     

  • NAFDAC workers insist on strike

    NAFDAC workers insist on strike

    The crisis that is rocking the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control in the past few weeks, over allegation of corruption levelled against the Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, by the former Director of Finance, Mr Ademola Mogbojuri, has taken a new dimension. The staff of the agency has vowed to go on another strike over failure of the management to pay all their outstanding allowances.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the congress of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), NAFDAC chapter said it was unfortunate that outstanding arrears that led to last year’s strike were not settled by the management, despite that they have the resources.

    The congress unanimously enjoined the management to begin the payment of 2014 Productivity Allowance (13th Month) one week from the end of July, and finish paying within a week or risk an industrial action.

    Its chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Attah said the organisation is generating about N9 billion yearly, adding that it had no cause not to settle the outstanding allowances owed workers.

    The latest face-off between Mogbojuri and Orhii revealed that  NAFDAC generates N9 billion annually

    Mogbojuri had alleged that  Orhii spent all the money generated by the organization to the tune of N9 billion annually on phony contracts to some of his cronies and business associates at the expense of the welfare of workers.

    “Before he joined the agency in 2009, the annual total revenue of NAFDAC was about N2.5 bn and he met around N600m in the account. Now, the total internally generated revenue is about N9bn and the agency owes about N5bn in debt.” he alleged.

    Against this backdrop,  Attah pointed out that it was  unfortunate that all along the management has been economical with the truth that the agency was broke, adding that with the latest revelation, all outstanding arrears owed the staff should be paid otherwise the union will embark on another strike.

    He debunked the allegation that the union backed the management on the ongoing crisis engulfing the agency, noting that there is nothing concerning the union and the award of contracts in the organization, therefore “we are neutral and all what concerns us is that all our outstanding allowances should be paid.”

    He regretted that as at the time of the press briefing a lot of claims and outstanding training allowances of the staff were on the table of the Directorate of Finance with nobody attending to it, this is an act of wickedness and poor administrative system”

    Although the NAFDAC Director of Special Duties, Dr Abubakar Jimoh said the entire allegation was malicious and lacked the element of truth. “Ordinarily, the publications would have been ignored except for the wrong information it would send to the public. However, for concerns expressed by the public and our stakeholders, we wish to state categorically that these allegations are baseless, false, misleading and frivolous because nothing of such has happened under the watch of Orhii as Director-General of NAFDAC,”

    According to him, “It is a curious paradox that the so-called director of finance and accounts who has been superintending over contract awards, payments and other due processes since 2010 would now turn around to make such false and disparaging allegations against the chief executive just when he was redeployed to another directorate due to his incompetence and insubordination”.

  • PDP workers to party leaders: ‘Stop blaming APC for your misery’

    PDP workers to party leaders: ‘Stop blaming APC for your misery’

    •Metuh replies them: ‘I am ready to face probe’

    Workers at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday  insisted that the party’s leaders were the architects of its current misery, and should therefore stop blaming the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for their woes.

    The workers are currently at war with members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over a planned 50 percent slash in their salaries and allowances.

    The NWC had, through a circular by PDP’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, also given notice of a 50 percent reduction in secretariat staff strength.

    But the workers responded to the NWC’s move by dismissing the officials as corrupt, insensitive and reckless.

    They also staged a protest at the party’s secretariat on Friday, and threatened to drag the NWC members to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation.

    But the   National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, did not take kindly to the workers’ action.

    He accused them of acting the script of the APC with a view to destabilising the PDP.

    However, the workers, under the aegis of the PDP Staff Welfare Association, dismissed Metuh’s accusation as “absolute bunkum, clumsy, and blundering blackmail.”

    The association’s Chairman, Ngozi Nze and the Secretary, Dan Ochu-Baiye vowed, in a statement, to expose more of the party leaders’ corrupt practices.

    Describing Metuh’s stand point as “a weak shot from a mortally crippled arsenal of witch hunt”, the workers said such blackmail would not break their resolve to see the NWC members investigated and prosecuted.

    Their words: “Metuh’s allegation is a wide window into the impressionable character of the man who has been in the saddle as the party’s image-maker and an ominous signpost into the shallow manner the publicity of the party has been run.

    “We wish to state that this is a man whose conduct, demeanour and media outings have been a repulse to professionalism and a source of embarrassment to party members.

    “We therefore place it on record that the majority of the establishment staff of the PDP are not just unrepentant members of the party who have spent over sixteen years in service; who have assimilated the PDP ethos as a way of political life, but are also the repository of the party’s institutional memory whose spirit can hardly succumb to the ephemeralty of power loss.

    “Who plays anti-party? you may ask. Staff members who are genuinely resisting the morally repugnant and obsessively corrupt NWC so that the PDP will survive, or the likes of Olisa Metuh who have a track record of anti-party given his open endorsement of APGA candidate in the 2013 Anambra governorship election.

    “What with Metuh’s subsequent denigration of the PDP candidate and his chances on live television programme less than 24 hours after the election, even as the result was being awaited?

    “Earlier in January 2010 Anambra governorship election, Metuh as National Vice Chairman, South East, abandoned Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the PDP candidate while openly galvanizing support for Hope Democratic Party candidate, his friend and benefactor.

    “The PDP did not only woefully lose in Otolo Nnewi Ward 1 of the Party’s zonal vice chairman, but came a distant third in his polling booth! What a faithful party officer!”

    They queried Metuh’s support for former President Goodluck Jonathan in the run up to the last election and wondered what happened to “a whopping sum of N450 million media fund earlier approved for the office of PDP Publicity Secretary by President Jonathan.”

    They also cited the recent congresses in Anambra as “another signpost to the destructive trajectory which the likes of Olisa Metuh is driving the PDP to.”

    They added:”as we write, the party is still waiting for the result of the congresses a week after it was held, pending when Metuh is done with his conclave of distortion and extortion.

    “This is the same man who we reliably gathered, is surreptitiously scheming to emerge as the Organizing Secretary of the party next year. To do what? Turn the party organization into Idumota Market and institutionalize extortion, graft and impunity.

    “This is a man who started in 1999 as a zonal youth leader, then National Ex-officio, Acting National Auditor, Zonal Vice Chairman and now publicity secretary. It is either his umbilical cord was buried at Wadata Plaza or that he can’t survive on any other thing except the PDP.

    “We make bold to add that the worst form of anti-party is the mindless plunder of the party resources by the NWC which Olisa Metuh is an integral part. He is, in fact, the leader of the body’s extortion gang.

    “Recall that the same man was the Chairman of Kogi State congresses which held last week and match it with the fact that the widely rumoured request for one billion Naira from the state governor emanated the same week.

    “Indeed, labelling the staff of the PDP could be a veiled attempt to justify the huge sum of N70 million which Metuh collected in July in the name of fighting the APC in the media.

    “We wish to therefore advise him and the NWC to respond to gritty issues raised in our press briefing without which the fortunes of the party will continue to dwindle.”

    The workers had, among others, accused the party leaders of squandering N12 billion realised from the sale of nomination forms during the last general election.

    They also alleged that the party leaders had compelled delegates to pay N10,000 each into a private account of a company called Morufi Nigeria Limited only to squander the over N1 billion realised from the transaction.

    Metuh in his reply to the workers volunteered to be investigated by the security agencies over the allegations of corruption against him.

    In a statement by his Personal Assistant, Mr. Richard Ihediwa, Metuh said the workers’ actions were meant to bring to public odium and to distract him from his duties.

    He said he was being persecuted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) through the workers, for his relentless criticism of the policies and programmes of the administration.

    According to him, “This is not unexpected given the role of the National Publicity Secretary in the rebuilding of our great party and how uncomfortable the ruling APC has been for his outspokenness.

    “We are aware that the anti-PDP forces have easily found a handful of disgruntled PDP staff as willing tools to attack Chief Metuh with a view to bringing him to public odium, distract him and deny our party a credible voice to propagate its positions.

    “These forces had even gone to the extent of engineering some discontented PDP members to portray statements by the National Publicity Secretary as his personal opinions in the attempt to discredit and intimidate him.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the National Publicity Secretary will not be deterred or detracted by such threats and cheap blackmails as he remains committed to his role in the rebuilding of the PDP and in providing firm, credible and issue based opposition to the ruling party.

    “This office would not join issues with these elements, however we make bold to state that Chief Olisa Metuh, being aware of the challenges that come with his new role has offered himself, his office as well as all his private companies for probe by the Department of State Services (DSS) or any other government agency for that matter.

    “We also find it laughable that anybody would criticise the recent PDP congresses in Anambra and Kogi that have been widely applauded to be transparent and credible as established by the peace and harmony that characterised the processes.

    “One also wonders how the issue of congresses helps the case of welfare matters being pushed by the staff, if not for the ulterior motive of destroying the PDP publicity”.

    Metuh said his accusers have deliberately refused to appreciate his immense contributions to the party and the fact that he became the longest serving member of the National Executive Committee due to hard work and the confidence members of the party reposed in him as an individual.

    He expressed relief that his accusers are now calling for his investigation instead of resorting to plots to assassinate him.

    “However, we restate that the National Publicity Secretary will not in any way be cowed or intimidated by the threats, blackmails and attacks by anti-PDP forces to abandon his mandate as spokesperson of our great party”, the statement

     

  • NGO wants Ortom to conduct staff audit of Benue workers

    NGO wants Ortom to conduct staff audit of Benue workers

    The chairman, Benue NGO Network, (BENGONET) Mr Justin Gbagir, has advised Gov. Samuel Ortom to conduct an audit of civil servants in Benue to weed out ghost workers and reduce monthly wage bill.

    Gbagir told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Saturday in Makurdi that the current wage bill of N3.7 billion being incurred by the state was unacceptable.

    He said the audit would determine the actual staff strength of the state, saying that a lot of administrative lapses in the last regime in the state, might have been responsible for the huge amount.

    He commended Ortom for his management of the resources of the state, urging him to continue the good work.

    “What he (Ortom) has done shows an improvement over what we witnessed in the past eight years in this state.

    “It shows transparency and accountability on the part of the governor, but I want him to do more in all aspects of spending.

    “He should not rely on existing figures because they could be misleading, but carry out a staff audit of the workforce in the state,” he advised.