News
UCL Begins Indefinite Strike, Today …As Health Workers Give FG 14-Day Ultimatum
The United Labour Congress (UCL), last Wednesday, threatened that workers in the country would embark on an indefinite strike, if the Federal Government failed to meet its demands by Friday (today).
The strike threat was issued after an emergency meeting of its National Administrative Committee in Lagos.
“The strike will be very effective as we hope to cripple all modes of transportation within the nation; ensure a total blackout nationwide; cut off petroleum product supplies; and disrupt banking operations, which will make life a bit more difficult for Nigerians.
“We regret these consequences on all of us, but we hope that these measures will help us create a nation that is better governed for the benefits of Nigerian workers and Nigerian masses,” President of the ULC, Joe Ajaero, said in a statement.
Ajaero said that the strike had become necessary after they issued a 14-day ultimatum to the FG earlier.
He added: “This course of action, though very painful to us at this time, is the only alternative available to us as we have exhausted all known peaceful processes towards an amicable resolution of the dispute.
“We, therefore, call on all genuine patriots to join hands in solidarity with us to urge the Federal Government and state governors to be kind enough to meet the demands of Nigerian workers and masses.”
The demands of the union include the immediate payment of all arrears of salaries owed workers at all levels of government without exception.
Ajaero added that other demands were that “the Federal Government honours its 2009 agreement with university lecturers under the umbrella of ASUU quickly and commences negotiations with them on new issues so that our universities will re-open.
“The roads leading to all the petroleum refineries and depots nationwide should be repaired by the government to avoid the present carnage, wastage of products and properties on these roads.
“That the government should demand that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment set up a task force immediately to carry out factory inspections as most of our factories are death traps,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands or face an indefinite strike.
The President of the UCH chapter of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Mr Segun Sotiloye gave the strike notice at a press conference, yesterday, in Ibadan.
According to him, these demands include non-payment of promotion arrears from 2013 to 2016, unpaid salaries of some members due to subvention shortfalls and withholding of union dues/cooperative deductions.
He said the union was also demanding the immediate payment of all promotion arrears from 2013 to 2016 as well as all salary arrears due to the shortfalls experienced in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Sotiloye called on the government to remit as appropriate all the union dues and cooperative societies’ deductions as soon as possible.
He disclosed that the union had given the Federal Government 14 days with effect from Thursday, September 14 to meet their demands.
“We, therefore, give the Federal Government 14 days with effect from Thursday, September 14 to meet our demands failing, which all the unions will not hesitate to mobilise members to withdraw their services.
“We wish to use this opportunity to plead with the members of the public to please bear with us, as we are not unaware of the hardship this decision may expose them to,” he said.
Sotiloye decried the way the Federal Government had been treating allied health workers, who, he said, constituted 95 per cent of the health workforce.
“It is a general knowledge that the health sector has become another “Animal Farm”, where all animals are equal, but some are more equal than the others.
“Our members have been patient over the years. We have come to discover that our silence and maturity has been misinterpreted to be foolishness.
“All available means of peaceful dialogue have been exhausted and we have now been pushed to the wall and left with no option than to cry out,” he said.
Sotiloye said their grievances were numerous, but they are demanding the implementation of the ones bordering on their welfare.
The JOHESU is an amalgamation of five union health workers, namely, the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
Others are the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Tertiary Institutions (NASU), the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutions and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).
Meanwhile, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has resolved to suspend its strike embarked on since September 4.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said this in a text message (SMS) forwarded to newsmen, yesterday morning in Abuja.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.