Politics
Progressive Govs Forum DG Calls For Reorientation Of Labour Unions
The Director-General, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr Salihu Lukman, has called for a reorientation of labour unions to ensure effective negotiations between them and employers of their members.
PGF members are governors elected on the platform of the APC.
Lukman said in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, that the on-going nationwide strike by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and other health workers for instance, was blameable on lack of institutional capacity.
He said the strike was also blameable on the inability of labour unions to effectively negotiate with employers and with governments.
He expressed regret at frequent strikes by healthcare workers which, he said, had led to preventable, unfortunate and avoidable deaths.
Lukman noted that most noticeable factor when union leaders, including those of NARD and the NLC negotiated with employers was the display of raw power.
The negotiations, he further noted, were often devoid of any empirical or conceptual evidence highlighting a vision of how the problems could be solved.
He stressed that rather than providing a roadmap of how problems could be solved, ego and loud voices of supposed opponents had become the main features.
“Any contrary opinion is condemned and dismissed; this is the new face of workers leaders’ in Nigeria.
“Street protests and strikes ahead of any negotiations are now very common. There is the need to reorient the practice of labour relations in Nigeria.
“A situation where because citizens are angry with government and political leaders, essential services are withdrawn and lives of citizens cheaply sacrificed must stop,’’ he stressed.
Lukman said it was frustrating when political appointees, such as ministers were unable to proactively pre-empt strikes.
Lukman said also that all stakeholders must as a matter of urgency lock themselves in the most qualitative form of negotiations with workers in the health sector.
This, he said, was critical to restore some minimum standards in the sector and not simply about negotiating terms and conditions of services of health workers.
He said Nigerians must also appeal to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to take all necessary measures to restore ethical conducts of all its registered members.
“A situation where conducts of medical practitioners, being also members of trade unions, conflict with the Code of Ethics they swore to, must be resolved in favour of protecting the lives of Nigerians.
“Under no circumstance should a registered medical doctor who is a member of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria conduct himself or herself in manners that neglected the primary responsibility of attending to sick persons.
“Labour issues. including negotiations for wages and terms of conditions of services and resolving challenges should be moved to the concurrent list in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended,’’ he said.
Lukman explained that a situation where terms agreed with the Federal Government were used by state governments’ employees would always create problems of implementation.
He advised that state governments should be more creative to introduce new incentives, which were not necessarily monetary, but perhaps having higher monetary values than what obtains in federal establishments.
According to him, there is a wide scope for initiatives beyond the question of monetary value of employment.
He added that given the cost to human life from strikes by health workers, it was quite alarming that strikes in a sector as important as health would be taking place at all.
“This is a sector that by every standard should be classified as essential based on which there should be special legal restrictions regarding labour actions such as strikes.
“A major challenge of Nigeria’s labour relations may have to do with issues of over-centralisation and institutional capacity to manage, regulate and facilitate negotiations and agreements.
“The issue of over-centralisation will continue to create challenges largely because negotiations between workers’ and employers’ organisations are no longer informed by empirical reality of resources available,’’ Lukman stated.
He noted that the five-day warning strike by the NLC against Kaduna State government in May over allegations of wrongful dismissals of employees of the state government could have been averted.
This, he said, was especially if the state’s Ministry of Labour had enforced provisions of the relevant laws to compel resumption of negotiations between unions and employers, including government.
He said the current indefinite strike by NARD members might also have been averted if there was a proper meeting between the Ministry of Labour and Productivity and parties to the disputes before the expiration of the ultimatum.
The NARD on-going indefinite nationwide strike is to demand for improved conditions and payment of unpaid salaries by some state governments.
The strike is also to protest the failure to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act 2017 in states, among others. (NAN)
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of a late former governor of the State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
Dr Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer Principal of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, while he also served as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
Governor Makinde made the announcement at the state interdenominational funeral service held yesterday in honour of the late former governor at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde said Dr Olunloyo lived an eventful life, adding that his attainment and personality could not be summarised in one sentence.
“He was not a man we could summarise in one sentence. He was a scholar, a statesman, a technocrat, a lover of culture and, above all, a man of deep conviction.
“While giving the exhortation, I was listening to Baba Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and he said in 1983, Baba became Governor of Oyo State. Though his time in office was brief, his election victory over a popular incumbent remains a powerful testament to the trust people gave him.
“I talked about preserving and digitising his library yesterday [Wednesday] as a mark of honour to Baba Olunloyo.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan; that institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan.”
Earlier in his sermon, a retired Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, Ayo Ladigbolu, described the late Olunloyo as a role model with intellectual inspiration and unassailable integrity.
The cleric said the deceased also demonstrated leadership in most superior quality during his lifetime.
In attendance were the state Deputy Governor, Chief Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; wife of a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Jemibewon; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Mutiat Ladoja; former Deputy Governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and former Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Others were the member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon Abass Adigun Agboworin; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Oyo State Exco members; Chairman of Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; Chairman of All Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Sanda; President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Adeniyi Ajewole; religious leaders and family members, among other dignitaries.
Ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have countered the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The dissenting members, led by the Deputy National Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja, in a joint statement, said no organ of the opposition party could overturn the decision of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The dissenting NWC members include Arapaja; Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; Ologunagba; Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary and Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Treasurer.
Others are Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman (South East); Emmanuel Ogidi, Caretaker Committee Chairman (South South); Mrs. Amina Darasimi D. Bryhm, National Woman Leader and Ajisafe Kamoru Toyese, National Vice Chairman (South West).
The group also insisted that contrary to the position of the acting National Chairman, the 100th NEC meeting of the party would be held on June 30 as earlier scheduled.
The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press briefing by the acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, today Wednesday, June 25, wherein he attempted to overturn the resolution of the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which scheduled the 100th NEC meeting for Monday, June 30.
“The acting National Chairman in the said press briefing also reportedly announced that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been asked to resume as National Secretary of the party contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which referred all matters relating to the office of the National Secretary to the 100th NEC meeting.
“The pronouncements by the acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention. By virtue of Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC to hold its 100th meeting on Monday June 30, is binding on all organs, officers, chapters and members of the party and no organ, group or individual can vary or veto this resolution of NEC.
“Furthermore, the claim by Damagum that Sen Anyanwu has been asked to resume office as the National Secretary of the party is, therefore, misleading being contrary to the resolution of NEC.
“In the light of the foregoing, the 100th NEC meeting as scheduled for Monday, June 30, has not been canceled or postponed.”
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following the latter’s scathing criticism of President Tinubu’s administration and his 2027 re-election prospects.
In an interview on live television, Mallam El-Rufai said it would take a “miracle” for President Tinubu to be re-elected in 2027, citing an internal poll that purportedly shows a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president across key regions in the country, including the South-East and the North. He also claimed that President Tinubu’s disapproval rating in Lagos stood at 78 percent.
Reacting on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Onanuga took a swipe at the ex-governor, quoting a harsh assessment of Mallam El-Rufai’s character from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch.
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological,” Mr Onanuga wrote, citing Chief Obasanjo’s words. “Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent. At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir El-Rufai.”
The presidential adviser emphasised Chief Obasanjo’s remarks that Mallam El-Rufai often tries to elevate himself by diminishing others. “He lied brazenly, which he did to me, against his colleagues and so-called friends,” Mr Onanuga continued, quoting the former President. “I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who, in an African setting, was like a foster father to him.”
Chief Obasanjo, who appointed Mallam El-Rufai as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007, did not mince words in the memoir, describing Mallam El-Rufai as suffering from “small man syndrome.”
Mr Onanuga’s post is seen as a direct rebuttal to Mallam El-Rufai’s recent criticism and growing opposition role. The former governor is reportedly playing a central role in forming a new coalition to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In March 2025, El-Rufai officially dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), intensifying speculations about his 2027 political ambitions.
As the political rift deepens, Mallam El-Rufai remains one of the most vocal critics of the Tinubu administration, while Mr Onanuga and other presidential allies continue to push back against what they describe as “reckless” opposition rhetoric.