Sahara Reporters Latest News Thursday 2nd May 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 02/05/19
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E2%80%99-day-celebrations target=_blank>Labour Minister Chris Ngige Explains His Absence At Workers’ Day Celebrations
Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, has denied absenting himself from the 2019 Workers’ Day celebrations in Abuja because of his current faceoff with organised labour over the headship of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
In his address at the occasion, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said Ngige skipped the event, which was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, because of their disagreement over the NSITF board.
The NLC wants Frank Kokori sworn in as NSITF Chairman, but the Minister doesn’t.
But the Minister denied the “uncivilized attitude and barefaced lies”, saying he was home recovering from illness.
“Contrary to uncivilized attitude and barefaced lies contained in the address of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, I wish to state for the avoidance of doubt that the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige was absent at Wednesday’s Worker’s Day rally for reasons of ill-health,” read a two-paragraph statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, Senator Ngige said he was absent as a result of ill health.
“The Minister has been down with flu since last Sunday. He met his doctors last Monday and has since been at home recuperating.”
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target=_blank>Stemming The Crisis At NBET And Solving Our Electricity Problem By Chido Onumah
In the last one year, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) has been embroiled in a crisis that has severe consequences for the company, and of course, the generation and distribution of electricity in the country.
The crisis includes allegations of corruption against NBET CEO, Dr Marilyn Amobi, and victimization of staff, including two whistleblowers—Mr. Waziri Bintube, General Manager/Chief Financial Officer and Mr. Abdullahi Sambo—Deputy General Manager/Head of Internal Audit—who have put their careers and wellbeing on the line in order to end what, according to them, is monumental financial malfeasance at NBET.
On February 26, 2018, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) “the Regulator” of the power sector that draws its power from the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 absolved the management of NBET of any wrongdoing. NERC took out paid adverts in several national newspapers to disclaim the allegations of corruption and highhandedness against Dr. Marilyn Amobi.
The details of the allegation include the fraudulent monthly payment of N2billion to Olorunsogo and Omotosho Power Plants since September 2016 without any justification.
According to NERC, the whistleblowers could not substantiate their claims of monthly over-invoicing of N2billion. It noted that the payment mode started during the tenure of pioneer MD/CEO of NERC, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi, through the tenure of acting MD/CEO, Mr. Waziri Bintube, to the assumption of office of the current MD/CEO, Dr Marilyn Amobi. NERC says NBET and the two power plants executed appropriate waivers which means that Gas Supply Agreement and Gas Transportation Agreement were waived by NBET. The question is, why did NBET waive these requirements (GSA and GAT) for these two power plants?
Through letters, petitions, reports and press statements, civil society organisations and the media have brought the crisis at NBET to the attention of relevant authorities, including His Excellency, the Vice President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Hon Minister of Finance, the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing, the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Director General, Department of State Services, the Ag. Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission, and the Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, yet there appears to be no end in sight.
The crisis at NBET and by extension, the power sector, is one that needs to be addressed squarely. And the reason is simple. The power sector is central to the growth of the Nigerian economy. The corruption in the power sector is responsible for the inability of the government to solve the problem of poor electricity in the country and NBET, from available reports, is at the centre of the corruption in the sector.
The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc is a Federal Government-owned public liability company and was incorporated in July 2010 in line with the “Roadmap to Power Sector Reform” in fulfilment of EPSRA 2005 as a trading licensee holding a bulk purchase and resale license to engage in the purchase and resale of electrical power and ancillary services from Independent Power Producers and from the successor generation companies. The balance sheet of NBET at a point was in excess of N1trillion.
The raging crisis at NBET has to do with the common practice of non-implementation of corporate governance rules in most of the country’s public institutions, lack of respect for the rule of law and extant regulations among others. The issues that have been thrown up against Dr. Marilyn Amobi, the CEO of NBET, include non-adherence to extant rules in running the company, ensuring that transactions not in line with the Procurement Act, financial regulations and those with regulatory risk are not passed for payment, unapproved payment to Mr. Achinaya, Azinge & Azinge and Aelex law firms, transfer of N326million from the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) account to Treasury Single Account (TSA) by diverting capital appropriation to unapproved recurrent expenditure without virement. There is more. Unfortunately, neither Dr. Amobi nor NERC, “the Regulator” has been able to address these concerns.
In June 2017, Messrs Bintube and Sambo wrote a petition to Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing whose Ministry supervises NBET, for his intervention in the current crisis. Mr. Fashola had intervened on several occasions within the first six months of assumption of office of Dr. Amobi. Before the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing came out with its position on the petition written by Messrs Bintube and Sambo, Dr. Amobi unilaterally stopped their salary and other emoluments effective December 2017. The emoluments suspended include National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Contributory Pension Scheme, Life Assurance and other perquisites attached to their offices. By the NBET Human Resources Policy Manual, it is only the Board of NBET or in the absence of the Board, the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing that can take decision on staff of the cadre of Messrs Bintube and Sambo in order to guarantee their independence.
In what appeared to be a reprieve, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing via letters in January, February and March 2018 absolved the petitioners of any wrongdoing and directed Dr Amobi to rescind her decision on the stoppage of salaries of Messrs Bintube and Sambo, but she refused to comply. The Ministry eventually reported the matter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in May 2018 with a follow-up letter in November 2018 but the OSGF—knowing full well that NBET has no Board—referred the Ministry to a non-existing Board to deal with the matter, thereby aggravating the suffering of the whistleblowers. The position of the OSGF seems to have emboldened Dr Amobi.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences (ICPC) was the first to commence investigation into the crisis at NBET in April 2018, followed by the DSS—after Messrs Waziri and Sambo were detained for 24 hours at the instance of Dr Amobi—and then the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The media (The Nation, Friday, April 12, 2019) has made public the outcome of the investigation by the ICPC. The report, which has since been submitted to the office of the vice president as requested, indicted Dr. Amobi. It noted that the ICPC will prosecute her and all those indicted for violating the law on procurement. That has yet to happen. It is also important, at least for the sake of showing genuine commitment to transparency and accountability, that the reports by the EFCC and DSS on the NBET crisis are made public.
In October 2018 when the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, visited the Human Rights Radio during its Brekete Programme, the allegations against Dr. Amobi were presented before him. Considering the implication for the power sector and electricity generation and distribution in the country, one would have expected that an investigation would have been conducted to get to the root of the problem and if there are any infractions, prosecute the perpetrators and end the harassment and suffering of the whistleblowers at NBET. Unfortunately, that has not happened.
Various NGOs have raised their voices calling for an end to the victimization of whsitleblowers at NBET. In December 2016, the Federal Government introduced a whistleblowing policy to enhance the work of anti-corruption agencies and create a community ownership of the anti-corruption war. Now is the time for the government to show good faith in handling what is a clear case of victimization of whistleblowers.
NERC, as a regulator, has failed in its responsibilities. Its whitewashing of the crisis at NERC through its so-called investigation and report leaves much to be desired. If it has been alive to its responsibilities as a regulator, NERC would not need whistleblowers—as important as their roles are. What we see at play at NERC is a cocktail of lack of competence and compromise. The N2billion monthly over-invoicing that benefits Olorunsogo and Omotosho Power Plants in violation of the PPA, Contract Activation Agreement and NERC directives is an additional burden on the final consumers of electricity—hapless Nigerians.
For a government that has fighting corruption as one of its core programmes, the crisis at NBET is a blot that should not be allowed to go on a day longer. Clearly, Mr. Babatunde Fashola is hamstrung concerning the crisis, not just at NBET but in the power sector. Late last year, Mr. Fashola sent a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari on how to deal with the crisis in the power sector. In the memo Mr. Fashola noted: “These coordinated interventions will, in due course, reset the power sector as intended, but the Distribution subsector (Discos), which has been privatized, remains an area of significant risk and concern at this moment. NBET must take concrete steps to collect the money Discos owe it, now over N890billion (almost ONE trillion naira. Emphasis mine); NERC must apply sanctions for violations of the conditions of the licenses it has issued; Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE) must invoke contractual remedies for the default of Shareholders and Performance Agreements, especially in view of the 5-year review that comes up in November 2018.”
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing implored President Buhari to take the following steps: “Approval of outstanding request to replace the management of NBET due to under performance and unwillingness to implement legitimate Ministerial policy directives; approval of outstanding request to reconstitute Boards of TCN and NBET and approval of outstanding request to appoint (2) persons to the management of NELMCO; directive to Ministries of Defense and Interior to require their formations nationwide to install prepaid, maximum demand or online meters that are verified locally and paid centrally; directive to all FGN MDAs that are not metered to procure meters within 6 months under the Meter Asset Provider Regulation.”
President Buhari needs to put in place a mechanism for a thorough inquiry that will reveal the depth of the crisis at NBET and the entire electricity value chain as a solution to the country’s power problem. And that needs to be done urgently.
Chido Onumah is Coordinator, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy.
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target=_blank>BREAKING: IGP Removes Kaduna Commissioner Of Police Over Persistent Killings
Mohammed Adamu, Inspector general if Police, has ordered the immediate removal of Ahmed Abdulrahman as Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State.
Abdulrahman, who goes to the Force Intelligence Bureau, Force Headquarters, Abuja, will be replaced by Aji Ali Janga.
The postings take immediate effect.
“As part of efforts aimed at rejigging the fight against armed banditry, kidnapping and other sundry crimes across the nation, particularly in Kaduna and other contiguous States, the Inspector General of Police, M.A. Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command, CP Ahmed Abdulrahaman from the State to the Force Intelligence Bureau, Force Headquarters, Abuja. CP Aji Ali Janga, who until now was the Commissioner of Police in charge of Bauchi State, takes over as the new helmsman in Kaduna Command,” read a statement by Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and Force ublic Relations Officer.”
“Other Commissioners of Police affected by the recent redeployment exercise include: CP Habu Sani Ahmadu, former CP Intelligence, who is now posted to Bauchi Command. CP Omololu Shamsudeen Bishi is redeployed from Benue State Police Command to the Central Criminal Registry (CCR), Alagbon Lagos.
“While CP Mukadas Mohammed Garba moves from the Office of the National Security Adviser to Benue State Command as the new Commissioner of Police in charge of the State, the erstwhile CP in charge of CCR Alagbon, Lagos has now been moved to Force Headquarters, Abuja as the CP in charge of Armament.”
Adamu charged the newly posted/redeployed commissioners of police and other strategic commanders nationwide “to take urgent steps towards initiating and implementing concrete crime prevention strategies aimed at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space under their watch from the activities of monstrous criminal elements in society”.
Kaduna has been bedevilled by internal killings of recent, leading to a series of dusk-to-dawn curfew declarartions by the state government of Nasir el-Rufai.
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target=_blank>REVEALED: Jealous Lover Who Set Ex-Girlfriend’s Family Ablaze Escaped From Prison In 2013
Adedeji Williams Adenuga, the man suspected to have set his ex-girlfriend’s family of nine ablaze in Okitipupa axis of Ondo State, was an ex-convict who escaped from the prison custody, the Police have said.
Undie Adie, State Commissioner of Police, revealed this on Tuesday shortly after parading the suspected arsonist before journalists at headquaters of the Police Command in Akure.
Adie said Adenuga had once, in 2013, joined some criminals in escaping from the Olokuta Medium Prison in Akure during a jail break.
He said Adenuga was jailed and remanded in the prison for killing his wife, identified as Abiye Akinola, in 2000.
He described the suspected arsonist as a “notorious criminal element” who has a record of a murder case with the Ondo State Police Command.
“It is very unfortunate to note here that this same suspect is rather notorious for committing this same act, especailly murder,” he said.
“He killed his former wife named Abiye Akinola sometimes in the year 2000 and this led to his remandment at the Olokuta Medium Prison here in Akure. Adenuga, however, escaped during a jailbreak in 2013 but the ealier murder case would now be looked into with a view to having him face the full weight of the law.”
Adie also explained that Adenuga, April 23, 2019, set ablaze the family of his ex-girlfriend identified as Titi Sunmonu, based on the grouse that the lady jilted him.
Eight of these family members, who were mostly children, died at the hospital, while the ninth, the ex-girlfriend, is the only survivor, receiving treatment at the hospital.
The suspect, who said she burnt the family because Titi aborted his baby, escaped after the alleged crime but was eventually arrested in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, by the Police.
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target=_blank>Musings On Delayed Passports At The Canadian High Commission By Ehi Braimah
It’s over eight weeks now that my international passport was submitted for the renewal of my Canadian travel visa. My wife and daughter also submitted their passports with mine on Friday March 1, 2019 to renew their visas — my daughter applied for a student visa. This will not be the first time we are applying to renew our visas but this is the first time we have waited this long! In the past, our passports were returned after two or three weeks. Having travelled to Canada on different occasions, I assumed the process would be faster but I was wrong. There are other visas on our passports with a travel history and records that have never been compromised. It is now evident that the visa protocols have changed. On the Canadian High Commission website, available information indicates that non-immigrant visa applications take about six to eight weeks for the process to be completed. I’d like to be corrected if I’m wrong.
I concede that granting visas is highly discretionary but the process of holding down applicants’ passports for over two months should be urgently reviewed by the Canadian High Commission. I’m still wondering why the visa process cannot be smarter and more efficient by using a mapping model that would create different clusters by seeding all the visa applications received. These clusters — supported with an efficient time management system that is scalable and adequate manpower — may include frequent travelers, business owners, public and private sector professionals, journalists, students, medical tourists, holiday makers, first time applicants, and so on. I’m aware that hundreds of applications that may be overwhelming are received daily at the Visa Centre in Lekki in Lagos for onward transmission to the Canadian High Commission but this does not in any way suggest that every Nigerian applicant is in a hurry to seek ‘greener pastures’ in any of the 10 Provinces in Canada and never to return. I don’t think so. Even applicants who intend to emigrate know there are no short cuts.
So what do you do when your passport is not available when you need it for other trips? You just wait and expect that, very soon, you will receive a message from the agency processing the applications. On April 2, 2019, 15 members of the Rotary Club of Lagos – our Club was chartered on May 30, 1961 making me the 58th President — and friends of Rotary traveled to Kigali, Rwanda for a Friendship Exchange programme for four days. As the current President of the Club, it was my responsibility to lead the delegation. How could I travel without my passport? “Oh, don’t worry, your passport will be out before we travel,” Ayo Banjo, a Past President of our Club and facilitator of the trip, assured me. Gbenga Ismail, Chair of Welfare Committee, said to me: “Mr President, this trip will be incomplete without you oo; I beg, make dem release your passport jo!” Sensing that I will not be able to travel with them, it was the same story of disappointment from members of our Club who had booked their seats on the Rwand Air flight. I had also paid for my return ticket because I was hopeful my case would be heard.
About one week before the trip, I emailed the Canadian High Commission to state my case and requested for a fast track to enable me make the trip. I provided relevant supporting documents but it was an auto-generated computer response that I received. Then I said to myself, “Na wah; this trip don enter one chance!” My wife was unhappy that I missed the opportunity to lead the delegation to Rwanda and see things for myself because it would have been my first trip to President Paul Kagame’s country – a globally acknowledged miracle worker and transformational leader who has taken Rwanda out of the ruins of the 1994 genocide. He did this by creating a brand new culture of engagement, transparency, mutual respect, and development of infrastructure. President Kagame has given the Rwandese a new economic order and hope for a better future.
If our trip was to a West African country, an ECOWAS passport would have been helpful. I continued to track our visa application to know the status. After eight weeks, the feedback was still negative. The option of applying online is available but it appears there’s not much difference and I was very confident our passports would be released after six weeks! For some inexplicable reasons, visa applications to Canada, as I found out, are treated in Accra, Nairobi and London. Why is this so? Is it that our people cannot be trusted or is it another way of asking us to build a better Brand Nigeria? Yes, I agree we have a lot of work to do in this regard because successful brands all over the world are brands that can be trusted. But can we really blame the Canadians for the present arrangement where consular services have been outsourced?
So like troops with their General, my fellow Rotarians traveled to Rwanda without me and our host Club, the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga, turned out to be the perfect host. After flying for about four and a half hours, members of the Rotary Club of Lagos were received in Kigali – which, by the way, is becoming a tourist and business destination — with first class hospitality by members of the Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga and Ambassador Adam Shuaib, the Nigerian Ambassador to Rwanda who is also an active member of the only English speaking Rotary Club in Kigali chartered 19 years ago. The hospitality of the Rwandese was palpable – they were friendly, cordial and jovial all the way, according to our members.
The Rotary Friendship Exchange programme is an international exchange programme for Rotarians and friends that allow participants to take turns in hosting one another in their homes and clubs. Rotary International says Friendship exchanges should be organised around at least one of three themes: culture, service and vocation. Participants may travel as individuals, couples, families or groups and may be Rotarians or not. Some of the benefits of the Friendship Exchange include the opportunity to broaden international understanding, explore profession or job in a different context, build enduring friendships, establish a foundation for peace and service; gain opportunities for active project involvement and support; learn about a region’s people, food, languages, customs and history, and finding partners for grants.
Rotarians are global citizens and anywhere you find another Rotarian with the Rotary pin, you feel very much at home in the same way Rotarians can visit any club and participate at their meetings usually followed by the exchange of name cards and club memorabilia. I had the chance to interact with the Rotary family in Aswan, Egypt during District 2451 Conference from March 3 – 6, 2016 and the Rotary Club of Bradford in the United Kingdom, also in 2016. You can then imagine my experience when I attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Nairobi, in Nairobi, Kenya two years ago; the Club was chartered in 1930 – 89 years ago!
The annual Rotary International convention – this year, we are heading to Hamburg, Germany from June 1 – 5 – also presents another opportunity for Rotarians around the world to make new friends and forge remarkable partnerships between clubs. I attended the last two international conventions in Atlanta, USA in 2017 and Toronto, Canada last year. These global events enhance the value chain of the host country in different areas. In order to apply for a Schengen visa to enable me travel to Hamburg, Germany, I would need my passport because time is running out. Several meetings and side events have been arranged in advance with the Rotary Club of Vechta in Germany in view of the collaboration between the Club and the Rotary Club of Lagos.
As we continue to await the release of our passports, my return ticket to Rwanda is valid until the end of May, 2019. I plan to attend the African Public Relations Association (APRA) conference holding in Kigali, Rwanda from May 13 – 16, 2019. Hopefully, our passports would have been released by then.
Braimah is a public relations and marketing strategist based in Lagos.
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target=_blank>BREAKING: APC Suspends Former Ekiti Governor Segun Oni Indefinitely
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended Segun Oni, former Govenor of Ekiti State and immediate past Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, indefinitely.
According to a letter by the party’s executives in Oni’s Ifami Ward II, Ekiti, dated May 1, the decision was taken after Oni, accused of anti-party activities, refused to appear before them to clear his name.
“Subject to Article 21 Subsections I, II and X of the APC constitution 2014 as amended, we the undersigned executive members of the APC hereby suspend you indefinitely from our great party, based on your refusal to honour our invitation for investigation and fact finding into the allegation of anti-party activities levelled against your person by the members of our party,” read the lettter, signed by Chairman and Secretary of Ifaki Ward II, Shina Akinloye and Ogunyemi Taiwo, respectively, as well as 24 other executive members in the ward.
“We are by the copy of this letter informing both the local government and state working committee of the party for necessary information and action.”
SaharaReporters had reported on Tuesday that the party was set to suspend him, thereby compounding his woes after losing the party’s Ekiti State governorship ticket last year.
“We the executive members of the APC in Ifaki Ward II, hereby request your presence at the Ilero town hall, Ilogbe , Ifaki Ekiti to clear the allegations by members of the APC in your ward,” they had written to him.
”Kindly indicate by informing the APC chairman the convenient time and date to appear before members within the next seven days of reception of this letter.”
The letter of invitation was received on Oni’s behalf by one Segun Adetunji, on April 25.
Oni’s problem with the party began last year when he sued Kayode Fayemi, Governor of the state, and the party after the May 26, 2018 APC governorship primary.
He had challenged Fayemi’s emergence as candidate and his eligibility to participate in the election.
The former Governor had insisted that, going by the constitution of the party, Fayemi, being a Minister in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari ought to have resigned his post 30 days to the primary.
He had also claimed that Fayemi was not qualified to contest, alleging that he had been found guilty of certain offences by a Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by former Governor Ayo Fayose and which also banned him from holding public office for 20 years.
Fayose’s 10-year ban on Fayemi was, however, upturned by an Abuja High Court as well as the Appeal Court.
He later won the July 14 governorship election by defeating the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Prof. Kolapo Olusola.
The Supreme Court also dismissed Oni’s suit for lack of merit, saying Fayemi did not breach the law by resigning after the primary.
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E2%80%98mko target=_blank>To Serve With Heart And Might; Celebrating The Nigerian Worker By Olawole Olakunle ‘MKO
Labour was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things!
Whereas, not only has the Labor of our heroes past been in vain due to the excessive looting of their pensions and arrears making them liabilities for their children, their families and society at large; the unemployment, the poor labour welfare, the fraudulent staffing/recruitment system, the underpayment and many anti-labour policies make Nigeria’s current heroes one of the most unappreciated workforces in the world.
The tenets of equity and the beauty of labour are well encapsulated by Karl Marx in his quote ” For each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
How then do we serve with heart and might when it is glaring that our labours will be in vain? When workers neither get rewarded according to ability nor needs. How?
The high rate of emigration and brain drain in Nigeria’s work force is a testament of how underpaid and maltreated our labor force increasingly becomes by the day.
According to Voltaire, Work keeps at bay three great evils: boredom, vice, and need; thus, any pragmatic government would be interested in workers welfare to curb vices and encourage participation in Nation building
But then as a Nation, our leadership is unintentional and our representation non soliciting. The Nigerian worker have been trampled upon, battered, dejected, used, and molested in ways unimaginable whereas nobody selflessly stood up for the Nigerian worker in time of dire need and moment of constant despair.
We failed to realize that the effectiveness of our workforce either publicly or privately would determine how productive and progressive we intend to become as a Nation.
Young professionals are leaving in droves because everything in Nigeria will kill you, but then It’s obviously no longer news that our meritocracy places competent and intelligent workers below average workers who have political connections or would be ready to pay for promotion in kind.
In line with the passage of the #NewMinimumwage The intentional refusal to promote competent graduate and workers beyond entry level employee under the guise of contract staff is fraudulent and a bane to human capital development making it hard to effectively implement the new minimum wage.
The act of continual extortion of labor and many anti-labor practices MUST stop before workers really appreciate the beauty of workers day as a moment of reflecting on the many sacrifices made to ensure that work gets done in moving Nigeria forward irrespective of the many untold challenges. Our workers are indeed heroes whose labor we must ensure never go in vain.
How more denigrating is it going to be when foreigners treat our workers as slaves in our own country, while government whose duty is to protect the interest of the citizens and ensure quality welfare that reduces unemployment rate look the other way in exchange for bribes and benefit.
What law protects the Nigerian worker? how diligently is it implemented? These and many other glaring reasons negates our National creed. Our labors are toiling in vain, maltreated first by the government with non payment of salaries, the private sector by fraudulently shortchanging workers, and foreign companies especially those run by India’s and Taiwanese confidently maltreating workers without fear or remorse.
The Nigerian worker is overworked and underpaid. Job security is not a very good lexicon for the Nigeria worker who is constantly in search for greener pasture; whose government have failed over time and whose society places so many expectations upon.
The Nigerian worker is my HERO, her effort is geared towards advancing our nation and providing for the family. The Nigerian worker deserves the best!
In celebrating the resilience and doggedness of the Nigerian worker despite all odds, it’s important that we make demands, demands that are clear and within the whims of our constitutional right that the welfare of workers becomes prioritized for it was not by gold or by silver, but by Labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.
Happy Workers Day to Nigeria Salient heroes!
Olawole Olakunle ‘MKO
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target=_blank>Kidnapped Senior Shell Workers Regain Freedom
Two Shell workers kidnapped along Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State axis of the East-West Road have regained their freedom.Confirming the development, Rivers Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, said a combined team of tactical force freed the oil workers.
“Yes, the tactical team of the command rescued the victims in the early hours of Tuesday,” he said.
A shell spokesman added: “The individuals concerned have now been released; they are well and being supported after their ordeal.”
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target=_blank>Organized Labour Warns Nigerian Government Against Planned VAT, Petrol Price Increase
The Nigerian Workers, coalescing into Organized Labour, have rejected the planned fuel subsidy removal and increase of the Value Added Tax (VAT).
They have also called for a rejigging of the country’s security architecture.
Speaking at the May Day Celebration, held at the Eagle Square, the group said any increase in the VAT and pump price of petrol would worsen the poverty in the country.
Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Bobboi Bala Kaigama, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), jointly read the address to the workers. The event was attended by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Victor Umeh, Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of Service of the Federation, and thousands of workers.
“Organized labour in Nigeria is perturbed at the recent return of long queues to petrol stations in many of our cities. We believe that the current chaos was induced by the unsolicited advice by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that our government should stop subsidizing PMS.
“Well, what the IMF means by subsidy removal is increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the cost of government’s failure to the masses.
“The working class in Nigeria notes that the intervention of the IMF in Nigeria has always been about three issues — the removal of the so-called subsidy, petrol subsidy, naira devaluation and opening of our borders to allow the influx of foreign goods.”
The workers called on all political leaders at all levels of government to rededicate themselves to the task of governance by demonstrating genuine empathy and affinity to the suffering of the Nigerian people.
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Prepare Yourselves, Children And Neighborhood For A Revolution Says Sowore
Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and convener of the Take It Back Movement, has condemned Nigerian labour leaders for happily accepting what he described as peanuts on behalf of workers.
Sowore made the condemnation while addressing Nigerian workers under the auspices of the Take It Back Movement, Landlord and Tenant Association of Nigeria as well as S** Workers Association in Agege, Lagos, on Wednesday.
He described a situation where politicians take home huge amounts of money as pay while Nigerian workers who make the system work go home with slave wages as worrisome.
“I am opposed to slave wage of N30, 000 that they will never pay but you deserve more. I am not in consonance with our labour leaders who are happy to receive peanuts when our politicians are going home with huge amounts of money,” he said.
On the hardship experienced in most parts of the country, Sowore said: “Elections are over and the sufferings of Nigeria have just started and everybody has come to the realization that we have no hope with the current political leadership in the country; we have no hope with APC, we have no hope with PDP and if we are not careful, another four years nothing will happen in this country but more suffering and hardship for our people.
“On this May Day we are calling on the people to…start preparing yourselves, preparing your neighbourhoods preparing your children for a revolution in this country; nothing but a revolution will solve Nigeria’s problem so that is why I have come to show solidarity with the Nigerian worker today.”
Also speaking at the event, Juwon Sanyaolu, leader of the protest, said the purpose of the mass action is to demand a living wage as well as the nationalization of the power sector.
“Our demands are implementation of the current minimum wage and government should pay living wages to our people. Also, we want the nationalization of the power sector to combat the menace of crazy bills and darkness.”
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