Niger Delta
Transfer Of Minimum Wage Bill Is Retrogressive – NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Cross River State branch has described the bill seeking transfer of minimum wage from the exclusive to concurrent list as retrogressive, saying the bill will never see the light of the day.
Addressing workers during a one-day protest where members of the trade union led by the NLC Chairman, Comrade Ben Ukpepi, stormed the State House of Assembly where their grievances were registered before Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jonas Eteng Williams.
Ukpekpi told the lawmakers that should the bill be allowed to pass into law, it would give state governors license to drag the country to the era of ridiculous slave wages which in the past had been the cause of industrial actions in most parts of the country.
In a brief interaction with Ukpekpi shortly after making the Union’s mind known to the leadership of the state Assembly, NLC chairman stated, “the private member bill moved by Hon. Garba Mohammed representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency of Kaduna and few governors was on Tuesday February 23, rushed through first and second readings.
“The bill which has been referred to the Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review seeks the transfer of the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.
“Hon. Speaker, if this anti-labour bill that seeks to hamstring the nation in her efforts to reduce poverty and inequality is presented to the State Assembly, we appeal that you kindly refuse to assent,” he said.
In his address read to the state Assembly, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Monday averred that members of the TUC are in disagreement with the bill, stressing if the bill was allowed to come into law, Nigerian workers would suffer.
In his words, TUC chair said, “It means a governor will wake up one morning and decide to pay the workers in the state whatever he likes, therefore, we say no to such obnoxious bill.
“We have come out today to our state House of Assembly that when the bill gets to you, it should be rejected,” he said.
But in a swift reaction to speeches of the labour leaders, Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jonas Eteng averred that given the fact that his father was a civil servant he is totally in support of the workers.
Eteng urged the labour leaders not to worry themselves, stressing that the bill would not see the light of the day when it gets to the House of Assembly as assembly men would reject the anti workers bill.
In his words Eteng said, “We are elected because of you, if you say a bill is wrong, I don’t have any right to continue with it”.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has released N132 million for the maintenance of General Hospitals across the 31 Local Government Areas of the state in the last one year.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Augustine Umoh, disclosed this during an Inter-Ministerial Briefing, tagged, “Tracking the Promise” in Uyo, recently.
Umoh said Governor Udom Emmanuel is committed to effective healthcare delivery service in the state.
He noted that the State Government is aware of shortage of Nurses and Midwives in the health sector, adding that the shortfall of medical personnel has been addressed through employment of over 300 Doctors and Nurses in hospitals .
The Commissioner, however, said the number of recruited medical personnel was not enough, and government planned to bring back retired Midwives, who are still strong to support existing ones in the healthcare service.
“We will soon bring back retired Midwives who are still strong into the state hospital service. Government will pay them stipends to encourage them in contributing through their acquired experiences in the health sector.
“However, more health personnel would be employed to ensure efficient healthcare delivery in the state”, Umoh said.
He reeled out achievements of the Governor in the health sector in the last eight years to include renovation of hospitals and construction of new ones.
He listed the remodeled hospitals in the state to include; General Hospitals in Ikot Abasi, Eket, Anua and the procurement of medical equipment.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong, said it became necessary to sensitise the public on the true position of government’s projects, programmes and activities.
Ememobong said it was worrisome that after seven and half years of governance with numerous record of achievements in all sectors, some sordid and disparaging news items are still being spread around.
“We have, therefore, brought every section of the society together here to find out the reason the stories and reports sent out do not correspond with what we have on ground in the State.
“Governor Emmanuel has constructed numerous roads in the State, such as the Uyo-Etinan-Ndon Eyo Road and Ikot Oku Ikono flyover, among others but someone will write that there is no road in Akwa Ibom State,” he said.
The management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has expressed grief over the death of Prof. Michael Ibadin, a former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital.
In a statement made available to The Tide’s source in Benin yesterday, the CMD, Dr Darlington Obaseki, said the deceased succumbed during a brief illness.
Obaseki described the late Ibadin as a quintessential leader and a mentor to many.
He said his demise was a big loss not only to his family, but also to the hospital community and the medical world.
“With a deep sense of loss and pain in our hearts, we submit to the will of the Almighty God on the passing into the celestial realm of our former CMD, Prof. M.O. Ibadin after a brief illness.
“Until his death, he was a Professor of Paediatrics, a Consultant Pediatric Nephrologist and an astute health administrator.
“He was also a mentor who introduced several persons into hospital administration and management, including myself.
“We commiserate with his immediate family at this time and pray that God himself will console them and grant them the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” he said.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has directed the management of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, to immediately reverse all recent disengagement letters issued to some staff of the institution.
The government directive is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media Projects to the Governor, Mr Crusoe Osagie, and made available to newsmen in Benin.
Obaseki, in the statement, said the sack notices issued earlier to some staff of the university were illegal, null and void.
“The management is to retrieve any such illegal letters if they were ever issued and reinstate the affected staff.
“I have ordered an in-depth investigation into what led to the sporadic issuance of illegal sack letters and ensure that anyone found culpable will be brought to book”, the Governor said.
Obaseki reiterated his commitment to the welfare of members of staff, adding that he was working to find solutions to all lingering issues affecting workers in the state-owned institution.
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