Author: Adeleye Adeyemi

June 12: Movement holds rally for MKO Abiola, other democracy heroes

Rally
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos, June 9, 2024 (NAN) The Patriots, an eminent group of leaders of thought in collaboration with June 12 Pro Democracy Movement of Nigeria, will on June 12 in Lagos, host a national rally in honour of late Chief MKO Abiola.

Prof. Anthony Kila, Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the June 12 Democracy Day Celebration 2024, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.

Kila said that the rally, with the theme “Securing the Future of Nigeria through a Democratic People’s Constitution”, would also call for a people’s constitution in Nigeria.

According to him, the group’s National Democracy Day Rendezvous will hold at the Conference & Exhibition Centre of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Alausa, Ikeja, at 10.00am on Wednesday.

He said that the event would be chaired by a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, and the Chairman of the Patriots, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

Kila added that June 12 stakeholders and activists would be addressed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State at the national rally.

According to him, already invited to give goodwill messages at the event are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Mr Peter Obi and, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso respectively, among others.

He said that Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Prof. Attahiru Jega and Sen. Shehu Sanni were expected to lead the anniversary conversation on “securing the future of Nigeria through a democratic constitution reform process.”

“Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who was earlier scheduled to provide the key note address at the occasion has now been replaced, due to very pressing engagements and his place taken by former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Former Military Governor of Kaduna State and June 12 Activist, Col. Umar Dangiwa.

“They are respectively billed to pioneer broad interventions on the anniversary.

According to him, leading pro democracy stakeholders and activists invited to x-ray and discuss the key note submissions at the event are Prof. Pat Utomi, Mr Femi Falana, (SAN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, among others.

“A roll call of Honours for nominated Heroes and Heroines of the present democratic rule in Nigeria will also be undertaken by the conveners at the historic event.

“This year’s anniversary will be rounded off with a colourful motorcade procession from the venue of the national democracy rally for a people’s constitution for Nigeria in Alausa.

“It will move to the residence of the martyr of the current Nigeria’s democracy, Chief MKO Abiola, off Toyin St. in Ikeja Lagos.

“Here prayers for the repose of the souls of departed heroes and heroines of democracy and tributes as well as the laying of the annual wreath of honour in their memories will be jointly carried out with members of the MKO Abiola family,” Kila said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that June 12 has been declared by the Federal Government as the Nigeria’s Democracy Day in honour of the acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential Election, Chief MKO Abiola. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

AYO/IKU
Edited by Tayo Ikujuni

Cost of governance:Aisha Yesufu wants Senate scrapped

Cost
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos, June 9, 2024 (NAN) A renowned political and civil rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, has called for the  scrapping of the Nigerian Senate to reduce cost of governance.

Yesufu, Co-founder, Bring Back Our Girls Movement, made the call  in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

She was reacting to calls in some quarters that the country should jettison its bicameral legislature and adopt a unicameral legislature to reduce cost of governance.

NAN reports that unicameral legislature is a system with one chamber or house, as opposed to  bicameral legislature which has two chambers(Senate and House of Representatives).

Some countries with unicameral legislatures include China (National People’s Congress), Sweden (Riksdag), Norway (Storting), Denmark (Folketing), and Portugal (Assembly of the Republic).

The activist said Nigeria could, alternatively, consider re-introduction of the parliamentary system of government to reduce the heavy funds spent on the National Assembly.

According to her, until something is done about  the cost of running government and corruption, Nigerians would not feel the dividends of democracy.

“We need to really and critically examine our democracy and look at what fits us and serve the ordinary people and the masses. The one that will not be too expensive.

“What we have now is too expensive. We need to cut cost and not just continue what we have that has not been working for Nigerians.

“I totally support the call for us to have a unicameral legislature. It is very important because the kind of governance that we are practising is very expensive.

“As a country, we really don’t have that kind of money. Apart from this, the fact is that both Senate and House of Representatives end up duplicating functions in terms of what they do,” Yesufu said.

She said the Senate had been turned into “a retirement home for a lot of incompetent and failed governors who didn’t do anywhere well for the people in their state”.

She said that Nigerians had continued to bear the brunt of the hit on resources annually allocated to these political ‘retirees’ in the Senate.

Yesufu added: “It (Senate) is a joke ground; we cannot say what Senate does is in a really sense different from what the House of Representatives do.

“They (Senators) do nothing special and at the end of the day, they are paid humongous amount of our money and such huge allowances for doing nothing different.

“We found out that a good number of them, especially those that are former governors, while they get this humongous salary, they are as well collecting pension from their respective states.

“There is no way democracy can work for the masses  with this kind of waste of public funds that could have been directed to put happiness to the face of the common man.”

According to her, Senegal is practising a unicameral legislature, after abolishing Senate for the second time in September 2012.

She said : “The House of Representatives is capable of taking care of the law making aspect of the nation, oversights and other things that the legislative arm of government does.

“Unicameral legislature should be adopted in Nigeria because bicameralism is too expensive apart from the fact that it slows down business of lawmaking.

“It is not working for us, we don’t have the kind of money to run it and maintain this, especially at a time the masses are suffering.

“Having a single legislative arm will pay us better in terms of reduction of cost of governance,” she said.

Yesufu decried that Nigeria had not in real sense been practising true federal system of government.

Speaking further, the activist said the country could also adopt the parliamentary system of government to also reduce cost to governance.

She said that Nigeria could not longer sustain the current presidential system of government.

“This will also pay us in terms of reduction of the cost of governance because whoever is leading the country is the one that is the first among equal.

“Ministers in this system are selected from members of the parliament that are elected.

“So, that reduces the cost of governance drastically and better than what we have now where separate people are brought in as ministers,” she said.

The activist said that both bicameral legislature and presidential system of government had brought a lot of pressure on the nation resources.

“We can have a parliamentary system of government, we shall be reducing cost of governance drastically well.

“The Prime Minister would not be this powerful and exercise control over everything, including the appointed ministers, because ministers are also members of the parliament,” she said.

(www.nannews.ng)

AYO/BHB

Edited by Buhari Bolaji

How Tinubu can make June 12 truly memorable-Movement

June 12
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos, June 9, 2024 (NAN) The June 12 Pro-Democracy Movement of Nigeria says President Bola Tinubu must facilitate a process of national dialogue and consultation that will give birth to a  democratic people’s constitution.

The Convener of the movement, Mr Wale Okunniyi disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday ahead of the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of June 12.

Okunniyi  spoke on how Tinubu could gladden the hearts of June 12 activists under his tenure as President of Nigeria.

According to him, if the President can show commitment to national dialogue that will lead to true federal constitution in his administration, it will go down in history and become memorable.

Okunniyi said that the President by so doing would be actualising the hope late Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, stood and died for .

“The critical thing that will make meaning for us with Tinubu’s administration to further entrench June 12 Hope ’93 of MKO Abiola, is for the current president to immediately facilitate a process of national dialogue and consultation that will lead to the birth of constituents assembly that can give us a people’s constitution.

“The only thing, which will make him immortalise the struggle of June 12, MKO Abiola and the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which he (Tinubu) was a member of, is for him to do this.

“The only record that will be memorable with Tinubu’s administration with regard to the June 12 struggle and democracy is to facilitate a process for national discussion and dialogue.

“If the President can do this to give Nigeria a new people’s constitution that is generated from a democratic discussion, that can never forever be erased in history,” Okunniyi said.

According to him, the movement  will mobilise June 12 activists and stakeholders for a national discussion on how democracy can work for the people  in commemoration of the 31st anniversary .

He said that the present civil rule had only limited features and benefits of democracy in the practice.

“For us as leaders of the June 12 pro-democracy movement, it is our duty to organise the Nigerian people to further consolidate the present nascent democracy of Nigeria.

“This is to bring to memory the struggles and what we have done to bring about what we have now as civil rule or democratic governance.

“We are putting these in focus in this year’s June 12, we are refocusing on generating a democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria and securing the destiny and future of Nigeria,” he said.

Okunniyi said that the 2024 anniversary would be chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary General, while the keynote would be given by Dr Kayode Fayemi,a former governor of Ekiti.

“Our message and focus for this year while celebrating the June 12 anniversary is how to generate and actualise a democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria that can be given to Nigerians through an elected constituent assembly.

“What we have today, that is generating crisis in Nigeria, is the Decree 24 of 1999, which is not essentially generated and produced by the Nigerian people,” he said.

He said that Nigerians must stay faithful to the struggle and the cause for a new democratic people’s constitution for the nation to move forward.

According to him, without a democratic constitution, Nigeria cannot say it has democracy, hence the reason   democracy is not serving the people at the moment.

“What we have today doesn’t reflect Hope ’93. MKO Abiola cannot be happy with what is happening in the nation now as democracy,” he said.

He said that at the death of MKO Abiola, NADECO demanded two things – a government of national unity and Sovereign National Conference to give  birth to a people’s constitution.

He said that a diverse country like Nigeria would not progress without a national dialogue (conference), “where we come to agree to the terms of the existence of where we want to co-habit.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AYO/BHB

Edited by Buhari Bolaji

Minimum Wage: Utomi advises FG, organised labour

Wage
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos, June 7, 2024 (NAN) A renowned political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi says Federal Government and the Organised Labour should take advantage of the new minimum wage negotiation  to move Nigeria down the path of thrift and production.

Utomi, Founder, Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) and 2007 Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

He was reacting to the impasse between the organised labour and the Federal Government on the new minimum wage for workers which led to the strike declared by labour unions on Monday.

Utomi said: “Labour must insist on a dramatic slash in the cost of government and investment of the savings made in production programmes and infrastructure.

“This to facilitate and sustain the value chain of the output based on our latent comparative advantage from strong factor endowments.

“On its part, government should establish what it is paying for. Is it paying as welfare for people who just show up?

“Output targets need to be established and hard consequences for abuse of positions like corruption and begging on the job from customers.”.

He said that benchmark for civil society monitoring of both parties also needed to be established with clearly outlined consequences.

According to him, the government needs to also come up with bold initiatives that drive the transition to production in the way the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) attempted to do in the mid 1970s.

He said that that future adjustments of minimum wage weighed heavily on productivity improvements

“Once a proper framework is established now the template to plug in productivity gains should be activated

“It should not be a matter of sentiment or mood of the leaders on both sides,” he added.

NAN recalls that the organised labour’s declaration of nationwide indefinite strike on Monday over the new minimum wage affected all sectors of the economy.

However, with the Federal Government’s expression of commitment to raising its proposed minimum wage of N60,000 at a meeting with labour leaders, the organised labour on Tuesday announced suspension of the industrial action for a week for further negotiation.

The government and the Organised Private Sector had initially proposed N48,000, then N54,000 and N57,000, which were all rejected by labour.

The organised labour had also proposed N615,000 as new minimum wage, but later reduced it to N497,000 and then to N494,000, to reflect the prevailing economic realties.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AYO/BHB

Edited by Buhari Bolaji

2027: INEC must set minimum standards on party membership -IPAC

Membership

By Adeyemi Adeleye

Lagos, June 6, 2024 (NAN) The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to set minimum standards for party membership and regulate same to prevent fabrications capable of undermining nation’s democracy.

The Lagos State Public Affairs Officer of IPAC, Mr George Ashiru, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Ashiru was reacting to the  statement reportedly made by the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Sen. Ajibola Basiru, that the party’s claim of having 45 million members  in the build up to the 2023 general elections was  a mere fabrication.

The APC ‘s scribe, who made the revelation at the opening session of the e-membership registration and ‘Train-the-Trainer’ workshop in Abuja on Wednesday, said that the party deployed the figure to fight  causes unknown to the present leadership of the party.

He disclosed that the  2023 election where the APC presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu (now president), struggled to get less than 10 million votes exposed the fact that the claim was bogus.

While quoting the doctrine of  the late Guinean nationalist, Amilcar Cabral, Basiru, emphasised that weaponisation of any political party register could only lead to corruption.

Reacting, Ashiru, the Lagos State Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), who described such fabrication as unacceptable, said that INEC must do everything possible to guard against anything that could undermine democracy .

“So, it is not proper; it is not acceptable and no political party should get away with such  falsehood.

“Going forward, INEC should state minimum requirements for membership. When a party states it has a particular number of members, what does it means?

“Ahead of 2027, INEC should set proper criteria so that people don’t come up with frivolous figures on membership to bamboozle voters and the nation.

“This is an opportunity to solve this  once and for all, so that we really know the true level of our democracy and how many people are participating in party affairs,” Ashiru said.

He said that authentic party register remained one of the very important ingredients of democracy.

Stating that fabrication of party register and membership had been employed by  big political parties, Ashiru noted that the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had also claimed to be the biggest political party in Africa without any measurable evidence.

According to him ,the implication is  that membership registers some political parties  submit to INEC are  fake.

He said the practice should not be allowed to continue in the interest of  democracy.

“That will be unfair to other political parties if there is no proper way of regulation and confirming those who truly are members of the party.

“This is an opportunity for INEC to set minimum standards on membership of political parties.

“What are they required, is it NIN? Is it BVN? All these are important to entrench democracy  “ he added.

He said parties’ membership registers would determine how they were expected to raise  funds for elections and how many people would vote for them. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

AYO/BHB

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Edited by Buhari Bolaji

Address workers’ demands within 7-day window, LP urges FG

Workers
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos, June 5, 2024 (NAN) The Labour Party (LP) has appealed to the Federal Government to expedite actions to address the request of Nigerian workers within the seven-day window for renegotiation on new minimum wage.

The Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the party, Mrs Olubunmi Odesanya, made this plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Odesanya said: “Basically, the request of the workers should be addressed.

“We are not saying the Federal Government should pay N494,000 as minimum wage, but they should seriously look at their request.

“Both Government and the Labour Union should come to a midpoint to reflect today’s realities.

“Nigerian workers deserve more than they are getting currently because of the country’s inflation rate, which is over 33.3 per cent.”

According to her, the cost of living for workers and Nigerians generally has increased so much that many are struggling to survive under the current economic crisis.

She said that government across levels must do more in reducing the cost of governance to get more funds to alleviate the suffering of the people.

“A paltry minimum wage of N30,000 for Nigerian workers, or should we say the N60,000 being proposed is far far too low to survive in this country.

“A bag of rice is about N80,000 now. Nigerians cannot even touch pepper and tomatoes now,” she said.

Odesanya urged Nigeria’s elected and appointed leaders to do more in sacrificing for masses.

The impasse between the organised labour and the Federal Government on the new minimum wage for workers led to the strike declared by labour unions on Monday, which grounded the nation’s economy.

However, with the Federal Government’s expression of commitment to raising the proposed minimum wage of N60,000 at a meeting with labour leaders on Monday evening, the organised labour on Tuesday afternoon announced suspension of the industrial action for a week.

Recalled that the government and the Organised Private Sector had initially proposed N48,000, then N54,000 and N57,000, which were all rejected by labour.

The organised labour had also proposed N615,000 as new minimum wage, but later reduced it to N497,000 and then to N494,000, to reflect the current rising cost of living.
(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AYO/COF
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Edited by Christiana Fadare

Nigerian workers deserve living wage-ZLP
Wage
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos, June 4, 2024 (NAN) The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) says Nigerian workers deserve living wage in order to cope with prevailing  economic realities and render quality service to the nation.

The Lagos State Chairman of ZLP, Mr Adekunle Mode-Adenipebi, said  this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Mode-Adenipebi, who was also the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Lagos in the 2023 elections , said that the government must go beyond minimum wage to  living wage for workers.

He was reacting to impasse between the organised labour and the Federal Government on the new minimum wage for workers, which led to the strike declared by labour unions on Monday.

“There is nothing wrong for the Federal Government to provide workers living wage far above the much talked-about minimum wage, given  the inflation rate at the moment.

“The Organised Labour is right by not agreeing with the N60,000 new minimum wage proposed by the government.

“What can N60,000 buy in the market today for a young couple not to talk of a family of five?

“We plead with the government  to listen to workers  and meet the  demands of labour .This is the way to go for workers to breathe,” he said.

The chairman noted that there is hardship in the land  and that  the per capital income had dropped drastically.

Mode-Adenipebi added: “The government must step up its game and make sure that the standard of living is elevated.

“We want to plead with the government  to consider not only the workers in the organiser sector  by increasing their salaries, but those who are not workers.

The chairman, however, urged  labour  to also fight for the welfare of workers not in the organised sector.

“The Nigerian workers should go beyond the organised sector. What is the labour doing to make sure that workers in this sector also live well?

“We still have many teachers with good degree certificates collecting N40,000 and below in private schools, factories and others.

“It is high time the NLC and TUC considered the highly oppressed workers out of the organised sector and defend them,” he said.

He urged the government to come up with policies to alleviate the hardships faced  by  workers out of the organised sector.

NAN reports that despite earlier pleas by the government  for consideration, the organised labour on Monday declared an indefinite strike to push for a new national minimum wage for workers.

The industrial action followed a series of unsuccessful negotiations involving the the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and government’s representatives .

Representatives of labour had on May 28 walked out of the Tripartite Committee meeting on minimum wage after the government increased its offer from N57,000 to N60,000.

The government and the Organised Private Sector had initially proposed ₦48,000, then ₦54,000 and N57,000, which were all rejected by labour.

The organised labour had also proposed ₦615,000 as new minimum wage, but later came down to ₦497,000 and then to ₦494,000, to reflect the current rising cost of living.
Meanwhile, following the Federal Government expression of commitment to raising the proposed minimum wage of N60,000 at a meeting with labour leaders on Monday evening, the organised has just announced suspension of the industrial action for a week. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AYO/BHB

Edited by Buhari Bolaji