News
Minimum Wage: Workers Back NLC’s 24-Day Ultimatum …Don’t Push Us To The Wall, SSANU Warns FG …Laments Bad Roads In S’South, S’East
The Nigerian workers, yesterday, threw their weight behind the 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to the Federal Government over the delay in the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
The labour leaders had, last Wednesday cautioned the Federal Government against foot-dragging on the new minimum wage and to allow the tripartite committee to conclude its job to avoid industrial action.
The labour leaders, who are members of the Minimum Wage Committee at a joint news conference addressed in Lagos, gave the Federal Government 14 days to ensure that the committee conclude its work or be ready to face action.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, had said that the committee was not pleased with the comments allegedly made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.
Ngige had last week said that the committee should adjourn indefinitely to give room for further consultations with the government.
“We view his supposed pronouncement with great concern, suspicion and outrage.
“This new antic certainly is not acceptable to Nigerian workers, who had expected a New National Minimum Wage since 2016,’’ he said.
However, some of the workers, who spoke with newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, expressed disappointment over the way and manner government was handling the issue.
A civil servant, Mr Salisu Umar, berated the Federal Government for obvious lack of concern to the plight of workers.
He said it would be outright lack of feelings for Nigerian workers not to heed the call for increased wage in the face of harsh economy.
Umar called on the NLC not to rest on its oars in the pursuit of a new minimum wage, adding that whatever action the union resolved to take to press home their demand would receive the support of workers.
Another worker, Mrs Dorcas Abulu, called on the NLC to put the Federal Government on its toe until the national new minimum wage was approved.
She noted that prices of goods and services had skyrocketed, adding that workers could hardly afford the basic needs of life because of inflation.
Abulu said the NLC should not succumb to intimidation or be compromised on the negotiation processes, adding that nothing must be done against the interest of Nigerian workers to get a new wage.
Another civil servant, Mrs Aderinola Kemi, urged NLC to ensure that they were not deceived with promises of implementation after the 2019 general elections.
She said that election time was the best period to force the Federal Government to implement the new wage, adding that no political party would want to jettison its workers’ demand during electioneering.
Another worker, Mr Issa Kamar, said the NLC should make good its threat by taking prompt action at the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum, adding that the workers were fully behind it.
Others, who spoke with newsmen, were unanimous in their support for any action taken by the NLC that would favour the workers and force the Federal Government to return to the negotiating table.
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had on May Day while addressing Nigerian workers at the Eagle Square, said the implementation of the new minimum wage would begin in September.
Also, the NLC president had on September 10 said both the government and labour agreed that the September timeline must be respected.
According to him, the NLC was committed to respecting the timeline and that is why we left everything we are doing to do the needful to be able to do a good job.
However, against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s alleged lackadaisical attitude over new minimum wage, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has warned the government not to push workers to the wall, saying that the consequence may be consequential.
The university non-teaching staff union has also told security agencies in the country to stop in-fighting among themselves and go back to the drawing board to fight the Boko Haram insurgents that have recently unleashed onslaught on the military and civilians in Borno State.
Speaking at its 34th National Executive Council (NEC), meeting, at Delta State University, Abraka, SSANU President, Comrade Samson Chijioke Ugwoke noted with regret the Federal Government’s unwillingness to come up with new minimum wage despite its promise.
He said, “We warm the Federal Government not to push labour to the wall. When it comes to the welfare of workers, they start being economical, but when it comes to election, they easily dish out money to buy votes.”
On the security situation in the country with regard to insurgency, Ugwoke said that current reports did not show that Boko Haram has been decimated as claimed by government. He said, “the military should go back to the drawing board, they should work together as the in-fighting among the security agencies cannot help in the fight against insurgency.
“Budget for the Defence should be well utilized and should not be used to drive big cars by security agents.”
SSANU condemned the use of security agencies by the executive arm of government against the legislative arm, describing such action as “a threat to our democracy.”
He also advised the executive arm of government to respect the rule of law and abide by court judgements, adding that the rule of law is the bedrock of democracy which should be respected.
On the 2019 general elections, Ugwoke raised the alarm that the way politicians were going about the political process was frightening and urged politicians to play according to the rules in order not to bring back the military.
He lamented over bad condition of roads in the South-South and South-East, describing the roads in the two geopolitical zones as death trap and appealed to the government to rise up to her responsibilities.
Commenting on the inability of the Federal Government to implement the judgement on staff schools, he said that the union may be forced to drag the government to court over contempt of court.
The SSANU president, who is also chairman of Joint Action Committee (JAC), of the three non teaching staff unions of the universities announced that available information to him revealed that the Federal Government has released N8billion Earned Allowances to the unions and that the leadership of the unions would soon meet to come up with sharing formula.
In the lastest development, the Federal Government has described Labour 14-day ultimatum as “a subtle blackmail” to stampede the Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, stated this at a news conference yesterday in Abuja, noting that the ultimatum was uncalled for.
The organised labour had accused the Federal Government of stalling the negotiation by failing to mention a figure as a new minimum wage for the Nigerian workers.
The organised labour also issued the Federal Government 14 days, insisting that the Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage concluded its work within the stipulated time frame. According to Ngige, it is not true that the Federal Government is trying to stall negotiations.
“The following facts speak in that direction, if the Federal Government is not interested why did Mr President inaugurate the Presidential Committee on the new National Minimum Wage. “If it is not interested, Mr President would have asked me to do an inter-ministerial meeting, but Mr President took interest and set up a presidential committee.
“This Presidential Committee, he monitors it and I also brief him from time to time, both written and verbally. “As a matter of fact, before the meeting adjourned last week, I have told the committee that the Economic Management Team could not hold.
This is due to the fact that most people in the team travelled with Mr President to China. “Also if the Federal Government is not interested, why will l brief the entire tripartite committee and tell them that work is in progress, “he said. The minister also noted that he had requested for two weeks from the committee to enable the Federal Government delegation consult with state government delegation.
“That means that the meeting can be called at any time, in one day or within three days which is still stipulated within the month of September. “So it is very surprising to know that labour gave ultimatum of 14 days to the Federal Government, this is uncalled for and a subtle blackmail to the Federal Government. He also said that the chairperson of Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage would lead a delegation on Friday to brief Mr President on the negotiations so far.
Ngige further assured Nigerians workers that there was no cause for alarm, adding that Federal Government was working assiduously to ensure the implementation of the minimum wage, soonest. “We were unable to fix a figure because of many factors that have occurred. “For example, the components in review, organised labour finds easy to give a figure.
“They have brought a figure which is N56, 000 and later change it to N65,000 and it is within their ambit to do so.
“The organised private sector also brought a figure, initially they brought N42, 000, and by last week before the Committee on National Minimum Wage adjourned they brought their own figure down to N25, 000. “The organised private sector also took into account the economic situation in the country, the ability to pay and the ability to enhance and create new jobs in the country.
“So it is important for us to look at all those things because one of the cardinal principles of the International Labour Organisation is the minimum wage fixing, which is the ability to pay.” He also said that the Federal Government had requested that the state governors give a tentative figure, noting that they had not yet been able to make available.
The minister further said that the Federal Government delegation had written, as a committee, to the state governments and had also followed it up with visits and is still awaiting their response. Ngige said that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) had further requested for time to do more work on what their delegation in the committee had proposed and requested for an extension of time.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a security outreach to the hotbeds of recent killings in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, to restore peace to areas wracked by mass killings and bomb attacks.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a four-hour security briefing with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives…to go meet with the political authorities there,” Ribadu told reporters, adding that Tinubu directed them to engage state-level authorities in the worst-hit regions.
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Chief Defence Intelligence of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye; Director-General, Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appeared for the briefing.
The Tide’s source reports that in Plateau State, inter-communal violence between predominantly Christian farmers and nomadic herders spiralled into gory slaughter when gunmen stormed Zikke village in Bassa Local Government early on April 14, killing at least 51 people and razing homes in a single night.
In Benue, at least 56 people were killed in Logo and Gbagir after twin assaults blamed on armed herders.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, eight passengers perished and scores were injured when an improvised explosive device ripped through a bus on the Damboa–Maiduguri highway on April 12.
Ribadu explained that after an extensive briefing, intelligence chiefs received fresh instructions to restore peace, security and stability across Nigeria.
“In particular, Tinubu had ordered immediate outreach to the political authorities in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, and the defence team had gone round those States to carry out his directives and report back.
“We gave him an update on what has been the case and what is going on, and even when he was out there, before coming back, he was constantly in touch. He was giving directives. He was following developments, and we, in charge of the security, got the opportunity today to come and brief him properly for hours. And it was exhaustive.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives. The fact is, Mr. President is insisting and working so hard to ensure that we have peace, security and stability in our country. We gave him an update on what is going on, and we also assured him that work is ongoing and continues.
“We also carried out his instructions. We went round, the chiefs were all out where we had these incidents of insecurity in Plateau State, Benue State, even Borno, these particular three states, and we gave him feedback, because he directed us to go meet with the political authorities there,” the NSA explained.
Ribadu described Tinubu as “worried and concerned,” and said he directed that all security arms be deployed around the clock.
The government, he added, believes these steps have already produced measurable improvements, even if the situation is not yet 100 per cent safe and secure.
“He’s so worried and concerned, he insisted that enough is enough, and we are working and to ensure that we restore peace and security and all of us are there. The armed forces are there, the Civil Police, intelligence communities, they are there.
“They are working there 24 hours, and we feel that we have done enough to believe that we are on the right course, and we’ll be able to be on top of things,” Ribadu stated.
The NSA emphasised that combating insecurity was not solely a Federal Government responsibility.
He stated, “The issue of insecurity often is not just for the government. It involves the subunits. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially if some of the challenges are more or less bordering on community problems.
“Not entirely everything is that, but of course it also plays a significant role. You need to work with the communities, the local governments, and the governors, especially the governors.
“The President will continue to direct that. We should be doing that, and that’s what we are able to. We are very happy and very satisfied with the instructions and directives given by Mr. President this evening.”
In Borno State, the NSA noted that while violence had surged in recent months, the insurgents refused to accept defeat.
He warned that most recent casualties there resulted from improvised explosive devices—”cowardly” IED attacks targeting civilians—and from opportunistic raids that follow any lull in fighting.
“We are getting the cooperation of the leadership at the state level, and everybody. It’s not 100 per cent…but we are going there.
“When you are having peace and you are beginning to get used to it, if one bad incident happens, you forget the periods that you enjoyed peacefully,” he added.
He paid tribute to the “many who do not sleep, who walk throughout, who do not go for any break or holiday”—the soldiers, police and intelligence officers whose sacrifices have created the fragile calm Nigerians now experience.
“They will continue to be there,” he said, adding, “Things have changed in this country…we are on the right track and we will not relent. We will not sit down; we will not stop until we are able to achieve results.”
A Federal Government agency – the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, has decried the low patronage of Nigerian-made products by Nigerians.
The agency identified some challenges leading to the low patronage of the local products as affordability and public perception, among others.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, Mr Joseph Alasoluyi, said Nigerians preferred buying foreign goods compared to local goods.
Alasoluyi, however disclosed that the agency had trained over 50 participants in the production of hand-made products, in a bid to ensure Nigeria-made products are patronised.
He explained that NASENI was set up to promote science, technology, and engineering as a foundation for Nigeria’s development and currently operates 12 institutes nationwide to achieve its objectives.
According to him, the aim of President Bola Tinubu, who is also the overall chairman of NASENI, was to ensure high production and patronage of “our local products thereby creating employment opportunities for many.”
He said, “The idea of this programme is to interface to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. This is what NASENI is out for, to ensure that homegrown technologies are encouraged.
“We are out there to ensure we integrate efforts to ensure that local technology is used to develop products within the resources we have.
“ The NASENI’s ‘3 Cs’ – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation – that define NASENI’s strategic mandate: Creating innovations through research, Collaborating with partners to develop and refine products, and Commercialising these solutions to benefit the economy.
“Our achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, building machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, 10-inch tablets, locally made laptops, and electric tricycles (Keke Napep) set for market launch.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, blamed the Federal Government for not properly funding research in the varsities, also noting that many research outputs were left halfway due to lack of funding and weak linkages between research institutions and industry.
Oluyamo also queried the Federal Government’s commitment to funding research and development, saying many academic innovations remained on the shelve due to a lack of support for commercialisation and poor infrastructure.
“Until we upscale research into mass production, technological growth will remain elusive. The government is not funding research in the universities enough. Thank God for TETfund that is trying in this regime. The major interest in beefing up research in universities and research institutions is really not there,” he said.
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, has said that Nigeria is in advanced discussions with JP Morgan to re-enter the Government Bond Index and renew investors’ confidence.
Oniha disclosed this on Wednesday at a Nigerian Investors’ Forum on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The DMO boss explained that Nigeria has enjoyed favourable credit assessment among rating agencies in recent times on the back of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Fitch Ratings recently upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings of seven Nigerian banks and two bank holding companies to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘, noting that the outlooks are Stable.
The affected issuers are Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, First HoldCo Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc and Bank of Industry Limited.
The upgrades of the Long-Term IDRs of the banks followed the recent sovereign upgrade and reflect Fitch’s view that Nigeria’s sovereign credit profile has become less of a constraint on the issuers’ standalone creditworthiness, the rating agency said.
Fitch also upgraded Nigeria’s Long-Term IDRs to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘ on 11 April, a decision that reflected increased confidence in the government’s broad commitment to policy reforms implemented since its move to orthodox economic policies in June 2023, including exchange rate liberalisation, monetary policy tightening and steps to end deficit monetisation and remove fuel subsidies.
“These have improved policy coherence and credibility and reduced economic distortions and near-term risks to macroeconomic stability, enhancing resilience in the context of persistent domestic challenges and heightened external risks,” Fitch said.
Nigeria was removed from the JP Morgan index in 2015 ostensibly due to its deviation from orthodox monetary policies and influence of capital control in its management of foreign exchange.
Principally due to reduction in oil revenues at the time, Nigeria introduced currency restrictions to defend the naira after it failed to halt a dangerous slide with burning of dollar reserves. The bank had earlier warned Nigeria to restore liquidity to its currency market in a way that allowed foreign investors tracking the index to conduct transactions with minimal hurdles.
“Foreign investors who track the GBI-EM series continue to face challenges and uncertainty while transacting in the naira due to the lack of a fully functional two-way FX market and limited transparency,” the bank said in a 2015 note.
Nigeria was listed in JP Morgan’s emerging government bond index in October 2012, after the Central Bank removed a requirement that foreign investors hold government bonds for a minimum of one year before exiting.
The JP Morgan Government Bond Index reflects investor confidence and opens doors to billions of investment flows, making Nigeria’s proposed re-entry a positive signal to the market and investors.
Oniha explained that talks with JP Morgan were ongoing and had gained momentum in recent times due to the stability created by the FX market reforms.
“With all the reforms that have taken place, particularly around FX, we have started engaging JP Morgan again to get back into the index. We think we are eligible now,” the DMO DG said.