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No Hiding Place For Corrupt Leaders -NLC
President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has vowed to mobilise 207 million workers across 163 countries against corrupt leaders who cannot pay workers’ salaries yet divert and stash stolen wealth abroad for personal use.
Abba made the vow yesterday at a surprise reception organised at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by Medical and Health Workers’ Union (MHWUN) to welcome him back from Denmark where he was elected President of International Trade Union Confederation.
Speaking on the value his emergence as the new ITUC President will bring to the country, he said: “It is a victory for Nigerian workers that have been toiling to create the wealth of this nation yet go home with little or no pay.
“It is high time our politicians, looters and elites realise that once they loot our resources and leave Nigerian airports for overseas, with our collaboration with airport workers around the world, we’ll mobilise people to turn them back.
“If they will not use our health facilities but go elsewhere, they should be sure they will get a reception that is not funny.
No hiding place for anybody that wants to loot our resources and take it abroad and not pay workers’ wages, salaries, and pensions.”
On government’s perennial threat to apply the ‘No work, no pay’ principle in industrial disputes, Wabba said: “That principle has no place in modern industrial relations. It has its basis on military Decree 54 of 1977 (now in section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act). No government in Nigeria has ever implemented the ‘No work, no pay’ principle because it cannot be looked at in isolation of the factors that brought about the disputes.
“Government cannot have a solid collective bargaining engagement and renege on the agreements. Then, turn back to say it wants to apply the ‘No work, no pay’ principle. Such contradiction is strange to mother justice and cannot stand.”
On the widening inequality between the rich and the poor in Nigeria, the NLC President queried: “If we are the leading economy in Africa, why should Nigerian workers be receiving the lowest wages in the continent? Nigerian workers and pensioners are the most impoverished in the world.
It is another contradiction in our system. If there is abundance in the nation, the workers and their families should have a taste and feel of it as well.”
Wabba further assured the workers that his elevation would translate “to more work, more action, more challenges, and more proactive steps in the promotion and protection of the interest of Nigerian workers
“Initially, we were alone but now we have alliance in over 163 countries with a total 207 million members that we can give instructions and they will mobilise in unity and solidarity with the Nigerian workers who are the most underpaid globally even in the midst of our abundance.”
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has tasked troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD to dominate the battlespace and intensify offensive operations against kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements in the North Central region.
Shaibu gave the directive yesterday during his maiden operational visit to the Headquarters, Joint Task Force North Central (JTF-NC), at Sobi Barracks, Ilorin.
This is contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, in Abuja, yesterday.
Shaibu said the Nigerian Army would remain resolute in its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, stressing that troops must sustain pressure to decisively deny criminal elements freedom of action.
He assured personnel of continued deployment of combat enablers and operational resources to enhance clearance operations and dismantle criminal hideouts across Kwara and Niger states.
The COAS reaffirmed his commitment to troop welfare, noting that improved welfare remained critical to sustaining morale, operational effectiveness and combat readiness.
He urged the troops to remain disciplined, professional and loyal to the Constitution and the democratically elected government.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander, JTF-NC Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD, Maj.-Gen. Yakubu Yahaya, commended the COAS for his strategic leadership and support.
Yahaya assured that troops would remain committed and steadfast in restoring peace and stability in the region.
The Nigerian Navy says it is expanding training and infrastructure to address emerging security threats and strengthen operational efficiency across formations and units nationwide.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, spoke during the inauguration of projects at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) in Onne, Rivers as part of activities marking the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary.
Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Adm. Ebiobowei Zipele, said the projects reflected significant progress made by the navy since its establishment in 1956 from the British Royal Navy.
“Training and infrastructure have improved significantly to meet contemporary security challenges and fulfil the navy’s constitutional responsibilities.”
According to him, the anniversary provides the navy an opportunity to reflect on its achievements and contributions over the past seven decades.
Projects inaugurated included a remodelled female trainees’ hostel accommodating more than 500 occupants and an expanded golf course upgraded from one to nine holes.
Others were the NNBTS fuel dump, Chief Boatswain’s Mate House, renovated pharmacy department and a new theatre block at the Naval Medical Centre, Onne.
Abbas described the new theatre as a major milestone for the navy’s medical services.
“Previously, injured personnel requiring surgeries were referred outside the facility.
“With this theatre, surgeries can now be conducted within the base.’’
He added that a 30KVA inverter had also been installed to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply at the training school.
The naval chief assured officers, ratings and trainees that the navy leadership remained committed to their welfare and wellbeing.
“These infrastructure upgrades show the commitment of the Chief of Naval Staff to addressing operational and welfare challenges promptly,” he said.
In addition, NAVTRAC distributed educational materials to pupils of Community Primary Schools One and Two, Ogale, in Ebubu-Eleme area of Rivers.
Items distributed included exercise books, school bags and other writing materials as part of the navy’s civil-military engagement initiative.
Zipele said the outreach was designed to strengthen relations between the navy and host communities while supporting children’s education.
“Education remains critical to national growth and youth empowerment. Some of these pupils may eventually serve in the Nigerian Navy,” he said.
He noted that the initiative demonstrated the navy’s commitment to educational development, peace, security and sustainable community relations.
Zipele urged the pupils to remain disciplined, focused and committed to their studies while embracing patriotism, integrity and hard work.
He thanked the Ebubu community for its continued support for the naval training command headquarters and the navy.
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