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Minimum Wage: There’ll Be No Warning Strike, Labour Tells Govt
The President of Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye, said organised labour would not go on a warning strike before the main industrial action, if government failed to meet workers’ demand on the implementation of the new minimum wage by the close of work on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.
In a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of leaders of labour unions on Tuesday in Abuja, organised labour had said it would not guarantee industrial peace in Nigeria, if the Federal Government failed to hold a meeting with labour and accept its demand on the consequential salary adjustment arising from the new minimum wage.
Labour said it had demonstrated a great deal of restraint, consideration and patience with government in arriving at the demand of 29 per cent salary increase for officers on salary levels 07 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary grade levels 15 to 17.
The communiqué said the alleged nonchalant attitude of the government negotiating side had dragged negotiations for consequential wages adjustment unduly, adding that Nigerian workers had exercised tremendous patience and restraint already.
In an interview with our correspondent on Friday, the TUC president said already, labour had begun to mobilise its members for industrial action before the Tuesday ultimatum issued to government.
He said, “We had already begun mobilisation of our members for an industrial action long before we made the pronouncement. We have given instructions on mobilisation to our members in the states and all council areas.
“If by October 16, government fails to do what we expect from it, we will start our action with a rally. On the second day (October 17), the strike will begin.
“We are not going to give any warning strike this time round. We have threatened to go on strike on many occasions. The public can attest to this through media publication and letters to government.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Alade Lawal, said despite the ultimatum issued, government had yet to contact labour on a date for a meeting.
He also berated government for taking too long to constitute a new team that would begin another round of negotiation with labour on the new minimum wage.
Lawal said, “If they want to constitute a new team, must that take a year? It takes less than a day to do that since supposed members are members of the government cabinet. As far as we are concerned, government has not reached out to us.”
However, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Festus Faduyile, has ruled out the possibility of doctors joining the strike. In an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Friday, Faduyile said the NMA sympathised with Nigerian workers on the failure of government to fully implement the new wage structure, but added that doctors would continue to cater for patients in various government hospitals across the country.
“It is not likely that we will go on strike but that does not mean that we do not stand with the organised labour on this matter.”
The Federal Government has called on organised labour to send its representatives to look into income and expenditure books.
It said this became important because of the plan of labour to go on strike.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Sen Chris Ngige, who spoke with one of our correspondents through its Special Adviser on Media, Mr Nwachukwu Obidiwe, said he had always taken the labour into confidence in all decisions taken on the issue of minimum wage.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.