May Day: We’ll ensure full implementation of new minimum wage – FG

…Commends Labour for standing-up against oppression, exploitations, others

…Labour laments poor state of the nation, calls for urgent intervention

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has reiterated the current administration’s commitment to fully implement the new National Minimum Wage even as he expressed deep appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Workers for the understanding showed during and after the negotiations of the new National Minimum Wage.

Speaking at an event to commemorate this year’s Workers Day in Abuja, Prof. Osinbajo said the Federal Government shall continue to provide the enabling environment for higher productivity, industrial peace and harmony,

as well as a congenial atmosphere for effective collective bargaining amongst trade unions and employers, while also protecting fundamental rights and other lawful rights of the Nigerian people and especially people who are at work.

While thanking Nigerians and Nigerians workers for giving the them another mandate to pilot the affairs of the nation, he promised to reciprocate the electoral gesture by focusing on the critical issues that will advance speedily

and improve the quality of lives and livelihoods of Nigerians especially by building infrastructure, roads, rail, hydroelectric power, and also reforming key driving sectors of the national economy in order to put the country on a sustainable path of economic growth and prosperity.

Speaking further, he expressed concerns over the incessant industrial crisis rocking the nation and called on the actors in the industrial relations system to be more circumspect, patriotic and ethical in the use of industrial actions as tools for resolving workplace crisis and addressing grievances.

“We will continue to commit ourselves to the cause of improving the lot of every working Nigerian and providing for those who cannot work.

“In this regard, the new National Minimum Wage, which Mr. President signed into law a few days ago, shall be fully implemented by the current administration.

“We are especially committed to changing the narrative in the power sector. Today that sector, after it was privatized, still remains challenged in delivering power to many Nigerian homes and businesses.

We must work as a matter of national importance and we are committed to doing so, to rework and re-engineer the sector for much more effective performance.

Workers shall be called upon to play greater roles in supporting the government to attain all these goals I have stated.

“Industrial peace is central to economic stability. Every industrial disruption costs the national economy very dearly in money and man-hours that are lost.

Industrial actions, because of the huge economic and social costs, must be the last, not the first option for resolving disputes.

“Comrades, as we join the rest of the world to celebrate the 2019 International Workers Day and Member States of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on its Centenary Anniversary of the ILO,

let me commend your resilience, tenacity, sacrifice and commitment in standing up against every form of oppression, exploitations, unfair labour practices, social injustice, especially the commodification of labour and the violation of the fundamental rights of the working people of this country and world over.

“Finally, I want to thank you all for the support given to our administration in our first tenure and solicit for the greater support and cooperation of all our workforce to enable us to build a country,

where our youths would be gainfully employed, there will be security of work and tenure for them and they will be assured of the protection of their fundamental rights and the fundamental rights of all working people in our country.” Said Osinbajo.

Meanwhile, concerned about the plague of mass unemployment, poverty, lack of good infrastructural facilities and corruption ravaging the country, the organised labour under the auspices of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to ensure quick intervention.

Addressing Nigerian Workers on Wednesday at an event to mark this year’s Workers’ Day with the theme “Another 100 Years of Struggle for Jobs, Dignity and Social Justice in Nigeria’’,

the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, lamented that the persistence of double-digit inflation and stagnant remuneration for workers has almost wiped off the purchasing power of Nigerian workers.

Both the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his TUC counterpart did not fail to come hard on the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, in their speeches for deliberately frustrating every move to inaugurate the Board of National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) led by Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, to enable him remain the sole manager of the fund as long as he remained Minister of Labour and Employment.

The Labour leaders said: “In all our years of dealing with ministers of the Federal Republic, we have never come across one as dishonest and deceitful as Dr. Ngige. It is, however, the most dishonourable thing for a minister to tell bare-faced lies like he is doing.

It is also very disrespectful of him to lie so blatantly that the President never approved Chief Kokori’s appointment as NSITF chairman.

During the ceremony honouring the Heroes of June 12, 1993, at the Aso Rock Banquet Hall, President Buhari openly assured Chief Kokori that his appointment as NSITF Chairman stands!

“The Minister wants Nigerians to believe that Chief Kokori does not have what it takes to lead the NSITF.

This is a very laughable claim, because chairmen of parastatals and agencies have nothing to do with the day to day running of these organizations.

The above notwithstanding, Chief Kokori ran one of the most complex trade unions in Nigeria, to national and international acclaim. Chief Kokori got a Masters degree in Development Studies from the prestigious Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands, 35 years ago, in 1984.

The Minister was surely only engaging in mischief by trying to cast aspersions on the ability of Chief Kokori in this regard.

“We wish to conclude this segment of the speech on this NSITF saga by saying that we have tolerated Ngige and his antics long enough.

From this May Day, we will henceforth not allow him to toy with the funds of NSITF which are contributions on behalf of the toiling workers of Nigeria in the private sector. Enough is Enough!”

He stressed that the impact of the prevailing hyper-inflation on pensioners and workers is better imagined than experienced as working families are unable to meet up with the basic costs of living especially feeding and decent accommodation thus plummeting living standards to an all-time low.

“The worse is that most Nigerians are not even enjoying utility services such as public power supply, potable water, public education and healthcare despite very high user access charges.

In the absence of cushioning palliatives, it appears that workers have become the sacrificial lamb on the slab of all that is not working in Nigeria. This is indeed very unfortunate.” He said

While noting the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to create mass jobs through the diversification of the economy particularly through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), Ayuba advised that these initiatives should be anchored on a strong commitment to industrialisation.

“We call for the revival of the intermediate and capital goods production segments of the Nigerian industrial sector, especially the auto assembly plants, the steel industry, the fertilizer and petrochemical industries in the context of a medium-term national development planning.

“We must develop a national consciousness and culture that frowns at exporting raw materials without value addition.

We call on all tiers of government in Nigeria to provide incentives to drive and sustain the growth of labour-intensive industrial sector.

Speaking further, Wabba complained bitterly that since 1st November 2013, when the Federal Government privatized power generation and distribution to address the challenges of darkness by increasing generation, improve distribution facilities,

and reduce government financial burden on power, no significant progress has been recorded so far as the Nigerians are yet to enjoy steady power supply as promised.

“While it is expected that the private investors will build more plants and improve distribution facilities, many years after, the situation has not changed. GENCOs and DISCOs continue to be huge financial burden to government and ruthless exploiters of consumers.

“In 2015, we were told that the FG bailed out the private investors in the power sector with a lifeline of N233 billion.

It is also being proposed that government is going to take over the burden of providing pre-paid meters from incompetent Discos at extra cost.

Consumers have endured debilitating tariff hike – the DISCOs want tariff hike every six months. Consumers are being tormented with crazy fraudulent bills that have no bearing with electricity consumed.

It is sad that five years into the power privatization programme, none of the key targets have been achieved.

“It is sad that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) appears soft on operators and hard on consumers.

We call on the Federal Government now that the tenure of the DISCOs is due for renewal to review the entire privatization exercise and come up with the best approach to deal with this challenge.”

But in a swift reaction in a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Labour Minister, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, he denied the allegations of the organised labour, explaining that his ill health was responsible for his absence at the event.

“Contrary to uncivilized attitude and barefaced lies contained in the address of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, I wish to state for the avoidance of doubt that the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige was absent at today’s Worker’s Day rally for reasons of ill health.

“The Minister has been down with flu since last Sunday. He met his doctors last Monday and has since been at home recuperating.” The statement read.