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Tag: Labour

  • Labour’s ability to agitate for Workers’ Welfare has nose-dived, says Macaulay

    Labour’s ability to agitate for Workers’ Welfare has nose-dived, says Macaulay

    A former Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG), Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay has blamed the inability of labour to agitate for the workers’ welfare on general infrastructure decay and lack of development.

    Besides, he claimed that labour leaders have been incapacitated by selfish penchants and the quest to use the labour movement as platform to liberate themselves economically.

    Speaking on the heels of the 31st anniversary of the creation of Delta State, the pioneer chairman of the State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), argued that the present day labour movement was characterized mainly by armpit file-carrying leaders.

    According to him, the current labour leaders go cap in hand, with files in their armpit, from one government office to another begging for assistance.

    “Today whether we like it or not labour has become a parastatal of government and that is why it is difficult to go out on a true agitation; because morally and in true conscience you cannot face a man that has just given you a car or money to bury your mother or father and want to condemn his government. It is not possible.

    “In our time the agitation was about the workers and that was why it was easy because you can threaten the government and say this is what we want for the workers; if it says no, whatever it sees, it takes. So, it is easy to manage the workers themselves; when you tell them tomorrow don’t come to work, labour has spoken, they will obey because they know it’s in their interest.

    “The only thing I can tell people is that, if you know you have not liberated yourself from the shackles of poverty, don’t go into the labour movement to liberate your family.

    Macaulay who was also a former chairman of the State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), contended that the ability to agitate for workers rights has gone down to the extent that It seemed like it was now every man for himself.

    This, he stressed, explained why when some workers are corrupt, adding that if you do not want your workers to be corrupt, pay them well and motivate the workers with other auxiliaries that go with the salary.

    “A worker in Guinness or Shell would not want to steal because he is looking forward to a robust retirement benefit. He is looking forward to what his children get every year, what he gets for his annual vacation, what he gets for medical.

    “So he has no reason to be corrupt because if his child or wife is sick there is a hospital where he pays no bill. He has an annual leave that can take him and his family on vacation.

    “But when you have a worker that is confined to only his salary, he is bound to be tempted to accept gratification from somebody. The situation we are in today; you may blame the labour leaders but you also blame the system. It’s on both sides and this is not peculiar to Delta State.

    “So I think the lack of development in this country has been responsible, and it is one of the root causes of the high level of corruption in the civil service.

  • Road to anarchy: ASUU, labour and solidarity protest – By Dakuku Peterside

    Road to anarchy: ASUU, labour and solidarity protest – By Dakuku Peterside

    Barring any last-minute change of mind, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will, this week, embark on a nationwide protest in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which has been on strike for more than six months forcing students to stay at home endlessly. The planned protest by the mother of all labour unions is to put pressure on the government to resolve ASUU demands to enable our students return to school.

    At face value, this is a sensible thing to do. The intended consequences seem noble, but we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Often, no one can control the outcome of events like this, and it easily dovetails into mayhem and anarchy. No matter the claim by NLC that it will control the protest and not allow it to be hijacked by hoodlums and miscreants, it is evident that it does not have what it takes to exercise such control, especially given the current socio- political and economic climate that Nigeria is facing.

    As a lover of democracy, I often support the democratic right of citizens to peaceful protest and any means of lawfully compelling the government to pay attention to issues of public interest and importance, and in this instance , education . However, in this case, I advise caution. These times and seasons are not conducive for such disruptive mass action because of the unintended consequences.

    First, this is an election season, and politicians love manipulating circumstances to achieve ignoble advantages. Any protest now may be hijacked by politicians to score cheap and needless political points.. Oftentimes, issues unrelated to the primary reason for the protest in the first place may take centre stage. A protest by NLC may be used as a platform to cause insurrection and attempt to destabilise the polity and cause confusion everywhere.

    Second, this planned protest is coming at a time of dire economic straits, with inflation hitting the roof tops, cost of diesel and petrol beyond the reach of many, collapsing social services, and
    foreign exchange scarcity. The implication is that the average Nigerian is under economic pressure, feels angry and frustrated . Mass action could add to the economic pressure families face and provide building block for unanticipated effect .

    And third, the Nigerian social milieu of heightened uncertainty and insecurity is not a conducive ecosystem for volatile protests and possible demonstrations because of the propensity for people to circumvent it for perverse objectives.

    Besides, there is sufficient evidence that when labour union protests are not managed properly to achieve the desired objective, it could spiral off to violence that can lead to radical change or anarchy. These were the cases in Italy (1920), Venezuela ( 1997), Lebanon (2020) and most recently, Sri Lanka (2022). In all these cases, situations such as the collapse of the currency, soaring inflation, and spiralling unemployment provided the fertile ground for protests by labour movements. These protests became the catalyst for unprecedented controversy and public disorder with severe national consequences in all cases. These exact situations are prevalent in Nigeria today and are getting worse by the day. These situations may provide the fuel to burn the country down, and the NLC planned protest might offer the fire for the inferno that may consume our social and political space.

    Whereas NLC intention to use the protest to draw all parties attention to the prolonged strike is germane , I have a patriotic duty to call on labour to reconsider the plan for this protest at this inauspicious moment. NLC must look at the big picture and act in the national interest. It behoves NLC to know that it will be directly and precariously liable if the protest leads to anarchy. There are better ways to show solidarity with ASUU to achieve a better result than just protesting. NLC must liaise with ASUU and mediate between it and the government on this issue, considering the historical antecedents behind this crisis.

    ASUU has been on strike for over six months, and there seems to be no end in sight of the action. ASUU is demanding that the government fulfils the agreement it entered into in the past, increase lecturers’ salaries and provide better funding for higher education in Nigeria. These demands aim to improve the quality of education and quality of living of university lecturers. These are legitimate demands, however one looks at it.

    Historically, ASUU is synonymous with strike actions in Nigeria, and for decades they have been making demands, entering into agreements with the government which the government reneges on frequently leading to industrial actions. This has been a recurring decimal in our higher institutions for over four decades, and it has defied all governments and does not seem to be exacerbating soon. ASUU -government brouhaha is endangering the future of our youths, who either have their education truncated with the concomitant effect of producing half-baked graduates or the students spending more time than necessary to complete their degrees.
    Everyone becomes a loser in this disagreement, and the nation suffers. In this disagreement, it is crucial that ASUU comes to the table with an open mind, ready to take any cause of action that will make all parties winners in the pursuit for quality education .

    ASUU must see the reality of our economic circumstances – the government is struggling to pay salaries, and we literarily borrow to finance government activities. Our revenue to debt service ratio has moved from 95% to 116%. The implicationis that all our income is not enough to service our debt. Crude oil theft has reached an embarrassing crescendo, and the government is spending billions of dollars yearly to fight insurgency, bandits, terrorists, and secessionists all over the country. The global crisis post-COVID 19 pandemic and the debilitating effects of the Russian – Ukraine war have created energy and food crises worldwide. There is also the counter narrative that a government that spends about N42b yearly to maintain the several aircrafts in the presidential fleet , spends 70 percent of its budget on recurrent expenditure and allows wastage in the management of the economy cannot in good conscience say
    it cannot not fund education . I can rightly paraphrase John F Kennedy to put this in proper perspective , “ if the pursuit of learning is not defended by the educated citizens ( leaders), it will not be defended by all “ .

    ASUU , as a body of researchers , must come to the table with a bouquet of innovative ideas on university funding that will rely less on government, student fees payment models, university-industry alliances, private sector-driven convergence and university entrepreneurship to boost the funding of our tertiary institutions. There have been calls for complete university autonomy to create a competitive university education market that may provide the funds for quality education. ASUU can advocate for a joint government and university student loan arrangement that may give a lasting solution to Nigeria’s university funding issues. Academics are great researchers, and I firmly believe that it behoves on them to come up with the best formula for solving university funding crises that will permanently eliminate ASUU strikes.

    The government, on the other hand, must show more seriousness and sincerity in negotiation with ASUU. Nigerians are fed up with the macabre dance, and many feel that government must do more to break the impasse. Government expenditure profile does not reflect the fact that it prioritises education and by extension the future of Nigerian youths. All sides in this dispute must be ready to shift positions based on current realities. They must find a win-win solution to resolve ASUU-government logjam as quickly as possible. It will be shameful if our students lose one academic year due to this strike. The government should remember that governance is a continuum and must not enter into agreements that it does not have any intentions of keeping immediately or in the future.
    The government must work with ASUU to devise a lasting solution to the problems. It is unacceptable and irresponsible for government to enter into agreements only to renege on them . The government should study how universities are funded and how academics are rewarded in other countries and learn from that. Lecturers are bona fide members of the community and spend and buy things from the same markets as others. They are entitled to a living wage and all the perks of their office. ASUU and the government must draw a line on this issue and do a quid pro quo that is mutually beneficial.

    Now is the time for all stakeholders in the education sector to rally round to save our higher education sector from collapse. We must solve the problem of strike actions once and for all if we use this opportunity to be creatively innovative in dealing with university funding. The world is moving fast, and it seems we are getting left behind. Instead of discussing the ASUU strike, we should look at how to develop the quality of our higher education to international standards.
    We must develop our universities to compete locally and globally. It is time to educate our youths, who are the hope of tomorrow, to be more productive and proactive. There is nothing better than quality education as a propeller for growth and development. Our tomorrow lies in what we do today to correct all the anomalies with
    our educational system. Let us make hay while the sun shines.

    NLC must reconsider its plans to protest in the next few days, and acknowledge the fact that we are in a precarious situation . Nearly every little act of disruptive mass action can produce unintended and adverse consequences.

  • Don’t remove Labour from Exclusive List – NLC

    Don’t remove Labour from Exclusive List – NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will strongly advocate against removing Labour from the Exclusive Legislative List.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba said this in a statement entitled “Labour on the Legislative Exclusive List”, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He noted that labour issues were presently domiciled in the Second Schedule, Legislative Powers, Part 1, Exclusive list, Item 34.

    According to him, labour, including trade unions, industrial relations; conditions, safety and welfare of labour; industrial disputes; prescribing a national minimum wage for the federation or any part thereof; and industrial arbitration.

    ”For the sake of our national interest, security and industrial harmony, labour should not be one of the items that should be devolved to the states,” he said.

    Wabba while explaining how it came to be on the Exclusive list, noted that the nation states legislations on Labour drives substantially from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, protocols and recommendations and other instruments domesticated through the Acts of parliament.

    He added that this explained the near uniformity of labour laws across the nations of the world and relative global industrial order, harmony and an attraction for foreign investment.

    He said this was in realisation of the reality that 17 days after independence in 1960 under a democratic government Nigeria fell in line by rectifying and domesticated ILO Conventions 87 and 98, guarantying the right to organise and collectively bargain.

    He however said that Nigeria had since adopted all the core conventions in its capacity as a sovereign nation and regularly attends ILO organ meetings as a sovereign in line with international best practices.

    The NLC president further said the reasons for Nigeria’s relative industrial growth and development, and evolution into an investor’s haven were partly attributed to its willingness to subject itself to this global order and corpus of international labour standards.

    He noted that the ILO was created in 1919 by the Versailles Peace Treaty ending World War 1 along with the League of Nations to address widespread demands for social justice and improved living standards for the world’s working people.

    He said that this had survived World War 2 and today served as a specialised agency of the UN dedicated to promoting labour standards globally.

    ”In the light of this, deregulating labour to the states will inevitably create intractable problems. At membership level, the 36 states of the federation and FCT are no sovereign which is a basis for ILO membership of Nigeria.

    ”Secondly, a corpus of labour legislation across the 36 states and FCT will almost certainly create a judicial nightmare.

    ”Thirdly, investors will be scared away as they will consider this as unnecessary addition to the already hostile operating environment. At the level of workers who often act in the national interest, this will whittle down patriotic influence.

    ”In the light of this, we will strongly advocate against removing labour from the Exclusive Legislative List. Not even during the military era was this contemplated,” he said.

  • NLC cautions against subsidy removal, hike in fuel price

    NLC cautions against subsidy removal, hike in fuel price

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has appealed to the federal government to reconsider the plan to remove oil subsidies for the interest of the workers.

    Mr Ikechukwu Nwafor, NLC chairman in Ebonyi, gave the advice in an interview on Friday in Abakaliki.

    Recall that the National Economic Council (NEC) had recommended an increase in the pump price of fuel to N302 per litre.

    Petrol price currently sells between N162 and N165 per litre in the country.

    Nwafor, who decried the current economic situation in the country, noted that reconsidering the plans would bring more peace than worries to citizens.

    “It is high time we fix our own refineries. We can end the importation of fuel in this country if we can have the refineries working.

    “We should understand that this is not the right time to increase the pump price when the cost of living is already difficult. Prices of food commodities are already beyond the capacity of civil servants.

    “How will the civil servants, who are the engine of the economy, cope?

    “What we are telling the federal government is to consider the consequences of the increase on the masses and the current economy.

    “The increase is going to affect every facet of life, including transportation, high cost of food items, clothing, housing, among others,” he said.

    On NLC plans to protest on Jan. 27, he said that its members are ready and prepared for the protest.

    “We have mobilised and we have had a series of meetings and we will continue to meet for proper planning. I must tell you, plans for the protest are in top gear.

    “We call on Nigerians and Ebonyi state to rise against the removal of oil subsidy and hike on fuel price.

    “Of course, the increase is going to affect all citizens and we are saying no to it,” the chairman stated.

    Meanwhile, the 36 state governors have resolved to engage NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over the proposed N302 new fuel pump price.

  • Labour will protest petrol price hike — SSANU

    Labour will protest petrol price hike — SSANU

    National President of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Haruna Ibrahim, has reiterated labour’s resolve to protest any increment in fuel price by Federal Government.

    Ibrahim made this disclosure during SSANU’s 41st Regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting hosted by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife Branch, on Thursday.

    He said that the economic downturn was taking its toll on Nigerians as prices of goods were skyrocketing beyond control.

    “Union leaders cannot fold their hands and allow people to witness another hardship again; all hands must be on deck to fight for our rights,” he said.

    The SSANU president explained that the organised labour would soon come out with a position on the planned increase in fuel price across the country.

    He noted that 40% of the agreements SSANU signed with Federal Government was not implemented.

    The SSANU president commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, for maintaining peaceful coexistence wit”’ staff and students of the institution.

    He charged the vice-chancellor to use aper form in place of written examination for staff promotion, adding that there should be reward for commitment to duty as well as punishment for negligence of duty.

    In his remark, the vice-chancellor, appreciated SSANU for chosen OAU for its 41st Regular NEC meeting.

    Ogunbodede said that OAU SSANU had been playing pivotal roles in the smooth running affairs of the university, saying that there are no outstanding issue to settle with the union.

    He commended the past and present exco of SSANU for their understanding and cooperation with the school authorities.

    “We have issue that can cause mayhem on the ground, but due to the mutual understanding between the duo, we have been able to work together in a friendly way; the members have been so supportive,” he stated.

    He charged SSANU to address the issue of shortcomings of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) through cooperation, saying that was the only way out to solve the problem with IPPIS.

    He explained that SSANU members were not affected by the issue of payment of promotion arrears like the academic staff and pledged to ensure promotion of union members as and when due.

    The university don also admonished SSANU to play a prominent role on the issue of pension scheme to enable members get their benefits on time after retirement.

    Earlier, SSANU Chairman, OAU branch, Taiwo Arobadi, welcomed the members to the institution and commended members for their commitment and dedication.

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, represented by Sooko Kemade Elugbaju, congratulated SSANU for its NEC meeting, saying that their contribution towards the success of the university was highly commendable.

    Highlight of the event was the conferment of excellence awards o Oba Ogunwusi, the vice-chancellor, and SSANU leaders for their services to the association.

  • Privatisation of power sector has failed, reverse it now, Labour tells FG

    Privatisation of power sector has failed, reverse it now, Labour tells FG

    The Nigeria Labour Congress on Friday called for an immediate reversal of the privatisation of the power sector, insisting that its original purpose has been defeated.

    NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba made the call at the union’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja.

    “We have said that the privatisation of the power sector has failed, and clearly before the privatisation, a lot of promises had been made, that power is going to be affordable, that it is going to be stable, and that there will be no challenge,” he said.

    “But all of us are aware that five years down the line, nothing has improved, and we have demanded that the privatisation of the power sector should absolutely be reversed because it has not actually provided any headway into addressing the challenge that was very evident before the privatisation process.

    The NLC also decried the delay in signing the electoral amendment bill into law and said it would not hesitate to resort to protests over the increase in the price of petrol come 2022.

  • Labour rejects proposed fuel hike as Senate says no budgetary allocation for N5000 stipend for 40m poor Nigerians

    Labour rejects proposed fuel hike as Senate says no budgetary allocation for N5000 stipend for 40m poor Nigerians

    The Nigeria Labour Congress has rejected the proposed hike in pump price of fuel to N340 per litre from 2022.

    It warned that an increase in the price of petrol will lead to hyper-inflation and an astronomical rise in the cost of goods and services.

    Besides, the trade union said talks over petrol subsidy with the government was inconclusive.

    The NLC in a statement by its President Ayuba Wabba, restated its rejection of deregulation based on an import-driven model.

    The statement reads in part: “The response of the Nigeria Labour Congress is that what we are hearing is the conversation of the Federal government with neo-liberal international monetary institutions.

    “The conversation between the government and the people of Nigeria, especially workers under the auspices of the trade union movement on the matter of fuel subsidy, was adjourned sine die so many months ago.

    “Given the nationwide panic that has trailed the disclosure of the monologue within the corridors of government and foreign interests, the Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to posit that it continues to maintain its rejection of deregulation based on import driven model.

    “It is difficult to convince Nigerian workers why our dear country is the only country among the OPEC member countries that cannot produce its own refined petroleum products and thus adopts the neo-liberal import production model of refined petroleum products.

    “We wish to reiterate our persuasion that the only benefit of deregulation based on the import-driven model is that Nigerian consumers will infinitely continue to pay high prices for refined petroleum products.

    “This situation will definitely be compounded by the astronomical devaluation of the naira, which currently goes for N560 to 1US$ in the parallel market.”

    NLC believes that any attempt to compare the price of petrol in Nigeria to other countries would be set on a faulty premise.

    It said such a comparison would be akin to comparing apples to mangoes.

    NLC added: “The contemplation by the government to increase the price of petrol by more than 200 per cent is a perfect recipe for an aggravated pile of hyper-inflation and astronomical increase in the price of goods and services.

    “This will open a wide door to unintended social consequences such as degeneration of the current insecurity crises and possibly citizens’ revolt. This is not an outcome that any sane Nigeria wishes for.

    “The argument that the complete surrender of the price of petrol to market forces would normalise the curve of demand and supply as is being wrongly attributed to the current market realities with cooking gas, diesel and kerosene is very obtuse.

    “The truth is that these commodities which Nigeria can easily produce have been priced out of the reach of most Nigerian families with the majority of our people resorting to tree felling and charcoal for their energy needs.

    “Finally, we wish to warn that the bait by the government to pay 40 million Nigerians N5000 as a palliative to cushion the effect of the astronomical increase in the price of petrol is comical, to say the least.

    “The total amount involved in this queer initiative is far more than the money government claims to spend currently on fuel subsidy.

    “Apart from our concerns on the transparency of the disbursement given previous experiences with such schemes, we are wondering if the government is not trying to rob Nigerians to pay Nigerians? Why pay me N5000 and then subject me to perpetual suffering?”

    According to the Congress, the government’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy is “cloudy”.

    “Clearly, government thoughts on the so-called removal of fuel subsidy is cloudy and appears to be a ‘penny wise-pound foolish’ gamble.

    “It is clear that the palliative offered by the government will not cure the cancer that will befall the mass of our people who suffer the double jeopardy of hype-inflation while their salaries remain fixed.

    “As we had done several times, we call on the Federal Government to consider various options that can help Nigeria navigate out of the quagmire constructed by the failure of successive governments to embrace developmental governance and accountable leadership. Some of the viable options that can help include:

    “Insulate the domestic consumers from the market pressure brought about by the free fall of the naira by arranging with contiguous refineries not far from Nigeria to swap crude oil with refined petroleum products;

    “Accelerate work on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s four major refineries which are all currently operating at near-zero installed capacity; and

    “Establish empirical data on the quantity of refined petroleum products consumed daily by Nigerians.

    “It is unfortunate that this record remains a myth and a huge crater for all manner of official sleaze and leakages in the downstream petroleum sub-sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.”

     

    No budgetary allocation for N5000 stipend for 40m poor Nigerians – Senate

    Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Finance has said there is no provision for monthly N5000 transport grant to 40 million poor Nigerians in the 2022 budget currently being considered by the National Assembly.

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Adeola Olamilekan Solomon, said the 2022 budget proposal contains fuel subsidy, but no provision for the proposed N5000 transport grant, which amounts to N2.4 trillion annually.

    Solomon stated this while speaking with newsmen after presenting his panel’s report on 2022 budget to the Appropriations Committee. He said before the executive could embark on such intervention, a proposal to that effect must be sent to the National Assembly for approval.

    “The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning was quoted to have said that 40 million Nigerians would be paid N5000 as transportation allowance in lieu of the fuel subsidy.

    I don’t want to go into details for now. I believe that if such proposal is to come to pass, a document to that effect must be sent to National Assembly for us to see how possible it is and how do we identify the 40 million Nigerians that are going to benefit.

    There are still a lot of issues to be deliberated upon and looked into if eventually this will come to pass. How do we raise this money to pay these 40 million Nigerians because I know that even the federal government revenues are from this so-called oil and other sources.

    We don’t have anywhere in the budget where 40 million Nigerians will collect N5000 monthly as transportation allowance totaling N2.4 trillion.

    I know that there must be a budgetary provison for this for us (National Assembly) to consider. That is why I said it is still a news out there until it is formally sent to the National Assembly for either a virement to the budget or reordering of the budget.”

  • Subsidy removal: NLC rejects planned petrol price increase

    Subsidy removal: NLC rejects planned petrol price increase

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to consider options to help the country embrace developmental governance and accountable leadership, while rejecting the planned petroleum price increase.

    NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, made the call in a statement he issued to newsmen in Abuja, entitled: ”Nigerian workers refused to take the bait’’.

    According to him, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari, announced that petrol could cost as much as N340 from February 2022.

    Wabba described as “comical“ the bait by the government to pay 40 million Nigerians N5,000 as palliative, to cushion the effect of astronomical increase in the price of petrol.

    He said that the total amount involved what he called “queer initiative“ was far more than the money government claimed to spend currently on fuel subsidy.

    “The NNPC GMD said that the price increase would be consequent on the plans by the Federal Government to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also commonly referred to as petrol or fuel.

    “The grand optimism of the NNPC GMD was predicated on the claims that the removal of fuel subsidy is now backed by an act of parliament probably the Petroleum Industry Act which was recently signed into law,’’ he said.

    Wabba noted that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, re-echoed same on Tuesday at the launch of the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU).

    He added that the minister announced government’s plans to disburse N5000 to 40 million poorest Nigerians each as transport grant to cushion the effect of the planned removal of the fuel subsidy.

    Wabba said the disclosures by NNPC GMD and the Minister were in symphony with the positions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which urged the Federal Government to do away with fuel subsidy.

    “The response of the NLC is that what we are hearing is the conversation of the Federal government with neo-liberal international monetary institutions.

    “The conversation between the government and the people of Nigeria, especially workers under the auspices of the trade union movement on the matter of fuel subsidy was adjourned sine die so many months ago.

    “Given the nationwide panic that has trailed the disclosure of the monologue within the corridors of government and foreign interests, the NLC wishes to maintain its rejection of deregulation based on import- driven model.

    “We wish to reiterate our persuasion that the only benefit of deregulation based on import driven model is that Nigerian consumers will infinitely continue to pay high prices for refined petroleum products.

    “This situation will definitely be compounded by the astronomical devaluation of the naira which currently goes for N560 to one US dollar in the parallel market, ’’he said.

    The NLC president said that any attempt to compare the price of petrol in Nigeria to other countries would be set on a faulty premise as it would be akin to comparing apples and mangoes.

    Wabba said the contemplation by the government to increase the price of petrol by more than 200 per cent was a perfect recipe for an aggravated pile of hyper-inflation and astronomical increase in the price of goods and services.

    According to him, this will open a wide door to social consequences such as degeneration of the current insecurity crises.

  • What we will do differently to remove fuel subsidy finally in 2022 – FG

    What we will do differently to remove fuel subsidy finally in 2022 – FG

    The federal government (FG) will provide Nigerians with palliatives in the form of transport allowance after removing fuel subsidy from July 2022.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance made this known on Thursday, saying that this is to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

    Ahmed also stated that as part of efforts to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in 2022, the FG was planning to do things differently in order to succeed in finally removing fuel subsidy.

    Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, which was monitored by TNG, the Minister said fuel subsidy is costing the country resources that should be used for education and health.

    She explained how the payment of fuel subsidy is not beneficial to the common man, and described it as a “major drain and waste” on the country’s economy, adding that it is crucial that the country exit from the fuel subsidy regime.

    The Finance Minister said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provides that petroleum products should be deregulated, adding that deregulation will take effect from July 2022.

    “While the act was passed. The president said there would be a one-year timeframe within which implementation will be made, moving from the status quo to the provisions of PIA.

    “In making our plans at least in the 2022 budget, we assumed that this deregulation will take effect from July 2022.

    “We assume that by June we will be able to exit the fuel subsidy, and we have made provision only up till June in the budget for fuel subsidy.

    “And it is important that we exit this subsidy. It is costing us a significant amount of resources that we could have applied for education, health and critical infrastructure. It is a major waste and a major drain on the economy,” Ahmed said.

    Asked if the FG is prepared for a scenario in which labour unions will reject fuel subsidy removal, the Minister said the FG is planning the deployment of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles as an alternative to petrol-aided vehicles.

    Ahmed said the federal government is considering the payment of transport allowance to Nigerians for six or 12 months to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

    She said the transport allowance will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the right people through the help of a bank verification number and national identity number.

    “What we are doing now is — we’ve been negotiating with labour. We are planning and deploying CNG — which is an alternative to mass transit to PMS.

    “But we are also looking at providing some palliatives for a large number of the population in terms of maybe a transport subsidy for a short period like six months or if it is long, maybe nine months or maximum 12 months.

    “Transport subsidy that would be given directly to individuals. What is constraining us is the issue of registration. The national identity registration process is ongoing and we want to make sure that this subsidy goes into the hands of the right people.

    “That we can make transfers to people using their BVNs, account number and national identity number, and we know that it has gone to the right people.

    “That is part of the things we are negotiating and working on. We are also engaging with the World Bank in designing a programme that will help us to provide succour for at least a minimum of 6 months, maximum of 12 months to enable us to make that transition,” the Minister said.

    Asked when the fuel subsidy regime would end, she said, “If you look at what I said earlier, as from July 2022, there is no provision for fuel subsidy.

    Asked if Nigerians should forget fuel subsidy in July 2022, she said, “Yes. We are trying to see if we can make it earlier. If we are able to get the funding to provide this alternative transport allowance, then we will be able to make it earlier.”

    Minister explains reasons for rising cost of rice; defends Buhari’s constant local, foreign borrowings

    The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, on Thursday also said smuggling is responsible for the rising cost of rice in the country.

    The minister who spoke on Thursday on a monitored Channels Television programme said smuggling is affecting the market and hurting the citizens.

    “Unfortunately there is a lot of distortion and the distortion is arising from smuggling of goods into the country,” the Minister said.

    “We have unpatriotic Nigerians that will bring rice that is poor quality, some of it not even fit for human consumption and come and dump it in the market.”

    She also reiterated the Federal Government’s efforts in fighting smuggling, noting that there is a combined team of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Police, the Department of Security Services (DSS) among others to rid the nation of economic saboteurs.

    The Minister also reacted to the fresh borrowing request by the Federal Government which was recently approved by the National Assembly.

    According to her, the Federal Government has created a Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy, noting that the borrowings are not being done by fiat.

    The borrowing that was approved by the lawmakers, the Minister noted, has been in the National Assembly since early this year.

    “It is encapsulated in a plan, we are guided by the Fiscal Responsibility Act that sets the limit of how much you can borrow at any particular time.

    “We have also structured the borrowing to make sure that we have the balance between domestic borrowing as well as external financial borrowings,” she added.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had in May, asked the Senate to approve the loan request.

    The 2018-2020 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan contained a request for approval in the sum of $36.8 billion, €910 million, and a grant component of $10 million.

    Lawmakers of the upper chamber have since then been making approvals in bits.

    They approved $8.3 billion and €490 million in July. They also approved $6.1 billion in the same month.

  • Striking the soul of the nation – Dakuku Peterside

    Striking the soul of the nation – Dakuku Peterside

    By Dakuku Peterside

    Omoni Oboli’s “Wives on Strike” is a blockbuster Nollywood movie where four semi-illiterate market women eagerly protest a child marriage anathema. Amina’s dad has compelled her to marry an older man against her will. Mama Amina opposes this marriage, but her hands are tied by culture, tradition, and religion. She convinced her friends to get involved. They in turn approach their husbands to talk sense into Papa Amina, but when the men refuse to get involved, the women went on a sex strike. Other women across the country join in support until little Amina is freed. The narrative of this film symbolises the new normal in Nigeria, where strike action is seen as the most effective way of getting the authorities to bend to the wishes of the workers.

    According to a report obtained from the Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations Department (TUSIR) of the Federal Ministry of Labour, about 103 labour complaints and trade disputes have been recorded so far in 2021. And out of these, 14 resulted in strike actions. The total number of disputes that would have led to strikes resolved was only seven. However, about 74% of these disputes are public sector-based, while about 26% is private sector-based.
    These statistics contextualise the problem and evidences the prevalence of industrial conflicts in Nigeria. A cursory look at both the traditional media and social media recently will show an avalanche of news on strike actions. It is pertinent to state that some labour unions are synonymous with strike actions. Undergraduate students and their parents quickly link ASUU to perennial strike actions that have become almost a yearly ritual. Other labour unions are quickly catching up with ASUU in this inglorious position.

    The Perceived unfair treatment that workers receive from their employers is one major cause of industrial disputes. Employees often demand better pay and condition of service for
    members. Inflation is known to have dealt a heavy hand on workers compensation year in year out. some members get mistreated by employers, and the union provides solidarity for them. These disputes are supposed to be resolved between disputing parties and must not necessarily result in strikes, and typically strike actions are supposed to be the last resort. When labour unions resort to strike as an instrument of resolving disputes, the entire system is disrupted, and lives, future opportunities and livelihoods are compromised. A lengthy strike negatively affects employment, reduces business confidence, and increases the risk of economic stagnation. In addition, such strikes have a significant setback on the growth of the economy and investment opportunities. The net loss to the economy in terms of man hours and overall economic loss dents the GDP and depresses the prospect of economic recovery .

    Nigerians have suffered so much from strike actions, which have been a recurring phenomenon. Though strike action is recognised in the Nigerian legal system, its use should only be to achieve legitimate union objectives. However, the law stipulates conditions and procedures to adopt for strike actions to be legal. The union must follow the means for the peaceful settlement of the disputes as established by agreement or legislation, and these procedures must be thoroughly exhausted before any strike action is embarked on. The fact is that if the laws are strictly applied, most strike actions would be deemed illegal.

    Why is there an aberration of strikes in Nigeria today? It almost seems that trade unions and their members savour the idea of strike and are willing to vote for it at the slightest provocation. If the mindset is to go on strike, trade union negotiators stubbornly refuse all reasonable negotiations and wait until strike actions before accepting those terms. With this situation in the country, most Nigerian trade unions get their members to embark on strike at the slightest provocation. Their members are usually keen on voting down tools as they see it as an opportunity to rest at home or engage in other activities, knowing fully well that they would not lose any of their remunerations. Trade unions in Nigeria usually ensure that one of the conditions that
    the government must agree with before they can consider calling off a strike action is that none of their members would suffer any consequences from the strike action and that all their earnable salaries and allowances during the period they were not working are paid in full.

    Elections into the leadership of most of our trade unions are now a do or die affair as these ‘comrades’, once elected to office, see an opportunity to make stupendous amounts of money. Aside from exploiting the opportunity to control check-off dues that most times runs into hundreds of millions of naira, many of them are alleged to have made money through ‘settlements’ from the employers to the detriment of their members or from government opponents intent on destabilising the system to score political points.
    It is common these days to see union leaders use expensive customised vehicles and hideously display opulence. Most of them turn to professional labour leaders without working in
    any organization .

    The second reason for incessant strike action is the lack of integrity in the system. Most labour disputes have to do with the non- implementation of agreements. This situation speaks to the issue of the integrity of political leaders and private sector leaders. When contracts and agreements are entered into between negotiating parties in a labour dispute, they must be adhered to in their entirety. When government or management, whether incumbent or successive, refuses to comply with the agreement, it creates chaos and destroys trust in the ecosystem and leads to lengthy strike actions. The problem with this wicked action is that it makes the cheated party not trust the new agreements reached given that old ones are not adhered to. If an agreement is not complied with, it is not worth the paper it is written on, and no one should blame workers for further strike actions in this instance.

    The third reason is that workers are frustrated by what they see as the impunity of corrupt leaders who lack political integrity and sacrifice for the public good. While living in stupendous opulence, political and corporate leaders demand that the workers be considerate, patriotic and consider the strike’s impact on people. These leaders are not altruistic and do not lead by example, especially when the service conditions they expect workers to endure are way too low from their immoral opulent standards. They hope workers on strike consider the public interest and get public sympathy and support while not willing to bring about a genuine resolution to the conflicts. A
    nation with an already dysfunctional public sector cannot afford to underfund public services. Funding and review of service conditions need to be continuous in line with inflation rates and cost of living indices.

    The consequences of these strike actions in Nigeria are there for all to see. To illustrate, the incessant strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the organised labour union of lecturers in Nigeria, has left the educational system in tatters. Since 1999, ASUU has embarked on nationwide strikes more than 20 times, and four years of academic calendar cumulatively was lost. And this does not include the avalanche of ‘local ASUU strikes’, whereby a particular vice-chancellor, University Governing Council or state government is at loggerheads with the academic staff of a specific university. The result is that the quality of education offered to Nigerian students has, at best, been mediocre. The academic performance of students is adversely affected, and the entire educational system is almost crippled. These result in half-baked, unemployable students who lack the basic skills necessary to survive a dynamic environment.
    In recent times, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) seems to be competing with ASUU for the trade union most associated with industrial actions in Nigeria. NARD, with 16,000 doctors in their membership, represents about 40 per cent of doctors in Nigeria. They were still on strike at the time of writing ostensibly to push the government to honour its agreement on pay arrears, hazard allowance as well as insurance benefits to families of doctors who have died of the Covid-19 virus.
    Interestingly, the current strike by the doctors is their fourth since the Covid-19 pandemic reached Nigerian shores last year. And this recent strike comes as the country is battling with the third wave of the pandemic in the country propelled by the highly contagious Delta variant.
    While health workers strike occurs globally, the impact appears more severe in Nigeria, challenged by poorer socio-economic circumstances, embedded infrastructural deficiencies, and lack of viable alternative means of obtaining healthcare. When Doctors go on strike, they are no longer apostles of life; they compromise on the Hippocratic oath of the medical profession and fiduciary obligation to patients. I understand the challenge of doctors, and other health workers struggle as ordinary employees who are rightfully entitled to a just wage for honest work versus their moral obligations to patients and society. Recently, many Nigerian medical doctors in various fields such as anaesthesia, ICU, paediatrics and surgery, family medicine and others in their hundreds were undergoing interviews by a consultancy firm for the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health, Meeds Consultancy, for work in Saudi Arabia. Most of the doctors interviewed complained
    of ridiculous wage, and poor conditions of service, with almost all of them referring to the current strike by the resident doctors. This mass exodus of medical professionals will definitely further compromise the quality of healthcare system in Nigeria where there are already human capacity gaps .
    Most of the strike actions in Nigeria have resulted from the poor application of collective bargaining provisions. Under collective bargaining, leaders of a union articulate their grievances and negotiate with the employers for an amicable settlement. But what we have in most cases are either labour leaders with selfish interests to protect or corporate leaders or government officials with a myopic mindset that sees the workers in a particular sector as too greedy or dispensable.
    For industrial actions to be reduced to a minimum, all the stakeholders and parties to collective bargaining should comply with the bargaining resolution. Government officials should be abreast of government revenue projections and should never enter into agreements that they know the government may not keep in the long run. There is no need to postpone the evil day. Government is also a continuum, and an incumbent government should naturally see
    that it keeps to commitments made by the predecessors and should not also create problems for its successors.
    Labour leaders should also be realistic about expectations from the government. Dwindling government revenues naturally means that the government should not continue to fund all economic sectors fully. Each industry and people working in it should find creative means of raising additional funds.
    The students at our public universities and
    those who use our public health facilities should pay reasonable fees to make up for increasingly lower government subventions. In this way, our educational and healthcare facilities would be better funded and more functional.

    Ultimately it is the duty of all stakeholders to find the best means to resolve labour issues without bringing down entire systems .
    .