Author: Joan Nwagwu

Reforms

By Joan Nwagwu

Abuja, June 27, 2024 (NAN) The Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has sought to collaborate with the Federal Government on reforms that would drive economic growth in the country.

Mr Adewale-Smart Oyerinde, Director-General of NECA, said this at third edition of the Nigeria Employers Summit on Wednesday in Abuja.

The theme of the summit was “Economic Renaissance Harnessing Government Reforms and Private Sector Agility.”

Oyerinde said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration within one year had introduced different fundamental reforms that would shape the growth trajectory of the country.

According to him, these reforms, one way or the other has affect every body differently. It has affected the private sector and it is already affecting Nigerians and households.

“One of the aims of the summit is not just to interrogate the reforms but to find a way where we can create a deeper nexus between those reforms.

“It is also to create an environment where the private sector can play a major role in facilitating the achievement of the objectives of those reforms, as all reforms have their own objectives,”he said.

He said that the federal government needed credible organisations such as NECA to help drive the reforms to a logical conclusion.

He, therefore, said that the summit aimed basically to discuss the reforms of government and also to seek the private sector collaboration with government to achieve the objectives of the reforms.

“It also to let government know that much can be achieved when we deepen the collaboration between the private sector and government towards the fulfilment of the 8 point Agenda of this administration.

“This is because without the private sector involvement in those reforms, much cannot be achieved.

“Also, because new reforms or policies need new adjustment modalities and there should be gestation periods to adjust to the new reforms in the country,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Isaac Ukpoju

Jobs

By Joan Nwagwu

Abuja, June 25, 2024(NAN) The Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) says, any amount above N62,000 approved as minimum will create job losses.

Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director-General of NECA said this, while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in .Abuja .

He spoke on the sidelines of the third edition of the Nigeria’ Employers Summit with the theme, “Economic Renaissance: Harnessing Government Reforms and Private Sector Agility,”

Oyerinde said that the organised private sector cannot afford above the N62, 000 as agreed during the tripartite committee negotiation meetings.

According to him, any figure above N62,000, will create two different dynamics – setting the the tone for non-compliance and attendant litigations -.

He stressed that setting a national minimum wage that will take away the ability to pay will set a stage for litigation and crisis.

On the allegation of delay in the process, Oyerinde said that there was no delay as the process was ongoing, accordingly.

“There is no waiting game and I think we have to put all this in context. It is misinformation,’ he said.

He said after the tripartite committee’s recommendations to the President, a Bill is expected to be sent to the national assembly for legislation.

He said what the labour can advocate for, is a fast-track of the process..(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

Why governors flout minimum wage law – Onyeka

Wage
By Joan Nwagwu
Abuja, June 24, 2024 (NAN) Chris Onyeka, Assistant General-Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says many state Governors are flouting minimum wage Act because they do not believe in sanctity of the law.

Onyeka gave the position in Abuja on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on minimum wage law and its implementation.

NAN reports that while workers are anxiously awaiting a new minimum wage to be passed into law, 15 states are yet to implement the N30,000 wage enacted in 2019.

Even, with the increased revenue accruable to states after the fuel subsidy removal, the attendant hardship brought about by the hike in pump price, the states are still recalcitrant in paying their workers the minimum wage.

The states yet to implement the minimum wage, in defiant of the 2019 Act, are, Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue, Taraba and Zamfara.

Onyeka said: “A state Governor who does not believe in the sanctity of the laws will have a high proclivity to disobeying them.

“If you examine the history of some of these governors and their handlers, you will find a preponderance of those who came to power by breaking the laws.

“Is it now that they will obey the national minimum wage act?”.

The labour leader said many governors were unwilling to pay civil servants their salaries because they see the state resources as theirs and are, therefore, not willing to share with the workers, who create the wealth.

“Some Governors believe, erroneously, that workers’ salaries can wait or be toyed with without consequences, so, they do not place priority to it.

“However, they forget that workers are human beings who need their salaries to meet their basic needs of life,” he said.

Onyeka added that fiscal indiscipline in many states is legendary, adding that, the personal greed of some governors resulted in their appropriating state resources into their private pockets.

The labour leader reiterated the need to cut cost of governance at all levels and end wastages..

He identified the measures, to include, reduction in the number of political appointees to reduce overhead, as well as reduction in number of logistics, official and operational vehicles.

Onyeka said the salaries and allowances of elected and appointed officials of the three arms of government should be in sync with what is receivable by civil servants.

He said government at all levels should streamline procurement processes to ensure integrity and accountability, fiscal discipline and transparency

“Governors should ensure budgetary fidelity, shun fund diversions and stop making provisions that allow for looting of the states.

“They should stay more in their states, instead of constantly being in Abuja, spending a lot of money maintaining two state houses,” he said.

Speaking on what could be done to compel the governors to obey the minimum wage law, the labour leader said the principles of law enforcement should be deployed.

According to him, the national minimum wage Act has clauses that take care of the monitoring and compliance, noting that, the challenge is at the level of enforcement.

“The Federal allocation to such states, once it is established that they are habitual breakers of the law, should be sequestered until they are compelled to pay.

‘The labour unions should also be empowered and supported in their actions against such states to pay.

“The Judiciary should be strengthened, especially the National Industrial Court, to carry out its responsibilities effectively,

“The court should not only give rulings, but also issue enforceable garnishee orders against such state governments,” he said

Onyeka maintained that, it is the right of organised labour to embark on strikes, and the federal government must give protection to workers so aggrieved, to freely exercise their legal right.(NAN) (www.nannews.ngr)
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Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

ILO urges media practitioners to combat child labour

Awareness

By Joan Nwagwu

Akwanga (Nasarawa State), June 21, 2024 (NAN) The International Labour Organisation has urged  journalists to create awareness to combat the menace of child labour in the country.

Dr Vanessa Phala, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone, said this at a three-day Communication Training Workshop for Media Practitioners on Friday in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop is on the elimination of child labour.

The training was organised by ILO, funded by the U.S. Department of Labour through the Action against Child Labour in Agriculture in West Africa (ACLAWA) project, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Phala, represented by Dr Agatha Kolawole, Project Coordinator of ILO’s ACLAWA, said child labour had cast a long shadow across Nigerian communities, particularly within the agricultural sector.

According to her, this is driven by poverty; families often rely on children to contribute to the family’s well-being and survival.

“Children often have to work under hazardous conditions, sacrificing their education, health and childhood for meager wages.

“This not only violates their fundamental rights but also hinders their potential and perpetuates cycles of vulnerability, “she said

She said that the 2021 Global Child Labour report released by ILO and UNICEF, indicated a global increase of child labour prevalence by 8.4 million to reach a staggering 160 million.

She said globally, the agriculture sector accounts for 70 per cent of child labourers.

According to her, nearly 28 per cent of children aged five to 11 years and 35 per cent aged 12 to 14 years in child labour are out of school.

Phala said that the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) launched the Nigeria Child labour survey report conducted in 2022 which corroborates the global trend.

She said the media plays a pivotal role in combating child labour by raising awareness and mobilising public opinion against this pervasive issue.

“Through investigative journalism, documentaries and news reports, the media sheds light on the often hidden and harsh realities faced by child labourers around the world.

“By bringing these stories to the forefront, the media educates the public and policymakers about the scale and severity of child labour, thereby creating a sense of urgency and a call to action.

“This heightened awareness is crucial for fostering a societal consensus that child labour is unacceptable and must be eradicated,“she said.

She  said  media coverage can pressure governments and corporations to implement and enforce stricter laws and policies to protect children from exploitation

Phala added that in addition to raising awareness, the media serves as a platform for advocacy and education, empowering communities to take a stand against child labour.

She  commended the U.S. Department of Labour for funding the ACLAWA project.

Mrs Tessy Odoh, Head, Child Labour, Forced Labour, Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Unit, Inspectorate Department, Ministry of Labour and Employment said the training was apt.

Odoh said that the Federal government had put in place some policies to mitigate the menace of child labour.

She said that Nigeria had ratified and domesticated the ILO conventions 182, 138, 29, among others.

Mr Christian Appolos, a journalist with the Nigerian Tribune Newspaper, who spoke to NAN, said the training had boosts his knowledge on the issues of child labour.

“I see the training as a targeted effort to the campaign for the eradication of Child Labour,”he said.

Other  journalists who participated in the workshop pledged their continued commitments  to doing reports on child labour.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

Withheld salaries: SSANU, NASU give 2-week ultimatum

Ultimatum

By Joan Nwagwu

Abuja, June 20, 2024 (NAN) Two unions in tertiary institutions say they cannot guarantee industrial harmony if the federal government fails to pay their four months withheld salaries in two weeks.

The unions are the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

The unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), made their position known in a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Thursday, in Abuja.

The letter titled, “Re-Four months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment,” was signed by NASU General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim.

The unions, in the letter, recalled that the JAC of NASU and SSANU had embarked on a one week warning strike between March 18 and March 24.

“This is to protest the denial of the arrears of four months salaries withheld between May and August 24, 2022.

“Following series of letters and the assurances of the payment, we write to remind the Honourable Minister of our various letters, engagements, assurances towards the payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries of SSANU and NASU.

“We wish to express our regrets and dismay that up till date, the withheld salaries have not been paid to our members.

“We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members,”it said.

The unions said that the government had negated the spirit of collective bargaining and built distrust.

They added that the deafening silence of government and failure to pay the withheld salaries was creating high level of agitation and contention among their members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres.

“This is such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on university campuses.

“We, therefore, demand the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to our members not later than two weeks from the date of this correspondence, failing which we will be left with no option than to shut down the Universities and Inter-University Centres,”it said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

JAN/SOA

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

Democracy Day: Labour insists on N250, 000 minimum wage
Wage
By Joan Nwagwu
Abuja, June 12, 2024 (NAN) As Nigeria marks Democracy Day, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says its demand for the new National Minimum Wage  remains N250,000.
The Acting President of NLC, Mr Adewale Adeyanju, said this in a statement, while reacting to President Bola Tinubu Democracy Day speech on Wednesday, in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government  had offered N62, 000 as the new national minimum wage, at the end of the tripartite committee meeting, involving the Organised Private Sector (OPS) .
According to him, the union appreciates the President’s commitment to those fine democratic ideals which allowed the work of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to proceed unhindered despite some hiccups.
“Our demand still remains N250,000 only and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which we consider a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.
“We are, therefore, surprised at the submission of Mr President over a supposed agreement.
“We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC.
“There was none and it is important that we let the President, Nigerians and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage,” he said.
Adeyanju also noted that the union had not seen a copy of the document submitted to Mr President and it would not accept any doctored document.
He, however, reaffirmed the union’s belief that the president on whose table the Tripartite Committee’s report presently resides would prepare an Executive Bill which content would reflect the true demand of Nigerian workers.
“We think that this is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his love for Nigerian workers and masses.
“That is by shunning the pieces of advice that may be coming from those whose intentions are continuously focused on hurting the poor and struggling workers of Nigeria.
“Mr President should not allow these individuals and groups to sabotage his promise of lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty,” he said.
According to him, the president’s advisers obviously did not tell him the truth that the leaders of the trade unions were intimidated and harassed.
“It is, therefore, important that Mr President understands that we were threatened severally by his operatives perhaps without his consent.
“Series of media propaganda calculated to intimidate and harass us were, and, are still being waged against the trade unions by senior officials of this government.
“Fully armed soldiers surrounded us while we were in a negotiation with the government,” he alleged.
He added the NLC remained assured that the president’s democratic credentials will come to the fore in favour of Nigerian workers and masses.
He also noted that NLC never agreed on a five-year duration of the minimum wage Act though acknowledged that the president mentioned five years or less.
According to Adeyanju, the union also agreed that inflation should be pegged at a level for certain amount to be agreed as minimum wage. This is to bring clarity to what the report should contain.
“Once again, we reiterate that it will be extremely difficult for Nigerian workers to accept any national minimum wage figure that approximates to a starvation wage.
“We cannot be working and yet remain in abject poverty.
“We seek justice, equity and fairness for all Nigerians and this we hope would also drive the actions of Mr. President who promised a Living Wage to Nigerian workers.
“This is an opportunity to show that he listens to Nigerians as he promised,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

FG offers Labour  N62, 000 as new national minimum wage

Wage

Abuja, June 7, (NAN) The Federal Government said it has offered organised labour N62, 000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the country.

Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo state said this while addressing journalists at at end Tripartite Committee negotiation meeting on Friday in Abuja.

Uzodimma who is also the Chairman of Governor Forum, spoke on behalf of the governors that there was progress in the negotiation of the new minimum wage.

According to him,we are almost there because are just about to sign the dot and there will be a complete closure. Every other thing will follow.

“The committee has worked so hard and the committee has reach an agreement. The tripartite committee is made up of three parties -the government, the Organised Private Sector(OPS) and the organised labour.

“In the wisdom of the committee, it has put together a recommendation that will be forwarded to Mr President for further action

“The organised private sector and the Federal Government have agreed on N62, 000 while the organised labour is asking for N250, 000.

“At the end of the day what is important is that we are talking. There is no hostility anymore. And the national anxiety is going to be relaxed as soon as this is made public,”he said.

Also, Festus Osifo, President, Trade Union Congress (TUC) noted that the OPS and Federal Government have recommended N62, 000 as the minimum wage.

“But for us we felt that with the current economic hardship and the difficulty in the land the sum of N250, 000 should be what will be okay for the minimum wage.

“We are going to sign a report and forward this position to Mr President. This committee is to make recommendation to him.

” So we will forward it to him and Mr President will forward it to the National Assembly.

“We will keep pushing to ensure that we have a wage that stands the test of time in Nigeria,”he said.

Speaking, Mr Goni Aji, Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, said the recommendation that they had was as a result of a deep dialogue and consensus reached at the Tripartite level.

According yo him, the situation that we are recommending to Mr President, some how, is repeating itself because it happened in the 2018 exercise.

“In 2018, it was the other way. The organised private sector and the organised labour recommended N30, 000 as minimum wage while the government side recommended N24, 000.

“Two figures were recommended to the then President for his consideration and onward transmission to the National Assembly for it to become a law. That is exactly where we are.,”he said.
He added thst the mandate of the tripartite committee is to recommend. It has no powers to approve but to recommend.

He said that the recommendation reached came as a result of deeper understanding and studies of all the economic indices and current inflation, state of the economy

He noted that the organised private sector and the government have aggressive on a figure which N62,000 while the organised law is asking for N250.000.

“At the end of the day what is important is that we are still talking ,”he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
JAN

Food

By Joan Nwagwu

Lafia, June 4, 2024(NAN) Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has distributed food items to no fewer than 1,200 vulnerable, internally displaced and people living with disabilities in Nasarawa State.

Tinubu inaugurated the symbolic distribution of the Food Outreach Scheme for Persons with Disabilities and the vulnerable groups on Tuesday in Lafia.

Represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, Wife of the Vice President, the first lady  said that the gesture was part of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Scheme, as part of the Social Investment Programme.

According to her, the food outreach scheme is specially designed to provide support to the under privileged in line with the resolve of President Bola Tinubu to leave no one behind.

“This is also to ensure food security and sufficiency in the country.

“Under this scheme, a trailer load of  assorted food items is donated to the state government for onward distribution to identified groups,”she said.

She added that the Federal Capital Territory,  Kaduna and now Nasarawa states have benefited from the scheme under the special programme of RHI.

She, however, said that Benue would be next while other states would also benefit in due course.

The first lady also noted that in addition to the Social Investment Programme, the RHI also have other programmes that focuses on health, agriculture, education and economic empowerment to better the lives of people in the country.

She said that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with RHI had concluded plans to donate a truck load of fertilisers and bags of rice to each state of the federation.

She added that Nasarawa State would be first to benefit from the collaboration.

“The Renewed  Hope Initiative has also graciously approved a grant of N50,000 to 1,000 women in each state as part of our women economic empowerment programme, ”she said.

To the beneficiaries, she assured them of continued support and encouraged them to be steadfast, especially those in vulnerable communities.

She, therefore, commended  states government for their support  for the Renewed Hope Initiatives.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) expressed gratitude for the support.

Blessing David, a beneficiary from Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area, commended the federal government for seeing reasons to extend helping hand to the poor  masses.

“Now we have gotten what will sustain us for some time and we appreciate them greatly. May God bless them to do more.

Also, Halima Musa, from Doma Local Government Area, appreciated the federal government for the items.

“I do not have hands, I cannot work, so it has not been easy. I am so happy to be  part of those that benefited from these food items.

“I am very happy, God should bless them more for them to remember more people like us,”she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Isaac Ukpoju