MINIMUM WAGE: WHY WE CAN’T MEET LABOURS’ N30,000 DEMAND – FG

The federal government on Sunday gave reasons why it cannot meet the demand of labour unions that the national minimum wage be increased to N30,000.

The labour unions, NLC, TUC and ULC, have vowed to commence a nationwide strike from Tuesday if government does not meet its demand.

The workers unions accuse the government of going back on a N30,000 decision reached at a tripartite meeting between labour, government, and private employers.

However, the federal government says no agreement was reached at the tripartite meeting and insists on a N24,000 minimum wage, while the state governors say they would only be able to pay N22,500.

On Sunday, the labour unions boycotted a reconciliation meeting called by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Speaking with journalist Sunday evening, the SGF, Boss Mustapha, said the meeting was part of the exercise that ought to be undertaken to ensure that there was a complete report to be submitted to the presidency on the issues relating to the minimum wage.

Boss Mustapha said that the tripartite committee has been working assiduously though there were outstanding issues that needed to be dealt with and that was the reason he called for the reconciliation meeting.

“Basically the only outstanding issue that needs to be dealt with is to harmonise the 5th chapter of the report and get the figures in for the purposes of submission to government,” he said.

REASONS WE CAN’T MEET N30,000

The SGF said President Muhammadu Buhari, while inaugurating the tripartite meeting, emphasised the need for a unanimous resolution at the meeting, something that was yet to be agreed to.

“Mr President went further to emphasise that the concern is not only for the welfare of the workers but also every other thing should be taken on board as it affects the country’s economy.

“So it is a balance of the welfare of the workforce with the effect of the new minimum wage and the economy,” he said

The SGF quoting Mr Buhari said, “We yearn to go above basic social protection for Nigerian worker but also tie to the ability to pay, because I know that a lot of states are even having difficulty meeting the basic minimum wage”.

He noted that 27 states were having difficulty in paying the current minimum wage of N18,000, while noting that he was not making any excuses for them.

He did not elaborate on why labour unions boycotted the meeting but said the tripartite meeting will continue tomorrow.

“I want to assure all of you that once the report is concluded and ready, I will personally ensure that Mr President sign immediately on it,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, the General Secretary of the NLC, Peter Ozo-Esan, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview why his union boycotted the Sunday meeting.

“We (NLC) are not aware of any meeting with the SGF over any matter. A government that gets an injunction against us without putting us on notice until we heard from the press has shown enough bad faith.

“Even if we were aware, we would not be interested to attend any meeting. The meeting we are aware of, which we are going to attend, is the tripartite committee meeting tomorrow in Abuja. That’s the one we plan to attend. That is the official position,” he said.

ASUU BEGINS INDEFINITE STRIKE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has commenced a nationwide industrial action following the inability of the Federal Government to respond to their demands.

Specifically, the union accused the government of not implementing the Memorandum of Action signed with it, declaring that the strike would be total as all federal and state varsities would join the strike.

The union made the announcement after their National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State on Sunday night.

Briefing journalists after the NEC meeting, the National President of the ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said all entreaties made to the Federal Government to honour the agreement with the union fell of deaf ears and they had no other alternative but to begin the strike action.

He said, “Having waited patiently for action and meaningful negotiation with reasonable men using the principle of collective bargaining that ASUU at its NEC meeting of 3rd and 4th November 2018 at the FUTA,  resolved to resume the nationwide strike action it suspended in September 2017 with immediate effect.

“This strike will be total, comprehensive and indefinite. Our members shall withdraw their services until government fully implement all outstanding issues as contained in the MOA of 2017, and concludes the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements.

“We have today (Sunday) been subjected to 20 years of continued re-colonisation under alleged democracy in which all that the ruling circle have been regrouping among themselves in their various faction they called political parties.”

Ogunyemi alleged that the government was not interested in public universities as the children of the top politicians and rich men in the society patronise private universities at the detriment of public institutions.

EKITI PDP REMOVES FAYOSE AS LEADER

Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, yesterday, removed the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Ayodele Fayose, as the leader of the party in the state.

Fayose

They immediately appointed the senator representing Ekiti South, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, as the leader of the party in Ekiti State and South-West.

In a communiqué signed at the end of the stakeholders’ meeting held in Ado Ekiti, the party said it took the decision to install Olujimi the leader owing to the fact that she remains the ranking elected official   in the state and the South-West.

The resolution, signed   and read by the Protem Secretary of the PDP Stakeholders and   former   Assembly member, Hon Bunmi Olugbade, also overruled the SWC on the suspension of former State Secretary of the

party, Dr. Tope Aluko , saying he remains a bonafide member of the party.

PROSTITUTE THROWS MAN FROM THIRD FLOOR OVER REFUSAL TO PAY FOR SERVICES RENDERED

A man has been left hospitalised after he was thrown from the third floor by a prostitute following a misunderstanding over payment for sex services she rendered.

The incident happened at Dana Place in the Avenues area in Zimbabwe.

The man, only identified as Mandewo, sustained head, back and leg injuries and was rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he is receiving treatment.

Mandewo told H-Metro that the woman known as Trish within their circles and resides in Flat Room number 17 wrestled him off the apartment when he refused to disclose his Ecocash details.

He said they agreed for a $5 quickie when they hooked on the streets before the woman shifted goalposts after the act.

“I hooked her in the street and we agreed on $5 for sex but she demanded $100 soon after the quickie,” said Mandewo.

Mandewo said he offered to add $10 but she insisted on $100 demanding him to disclose his Ecocash details.

“I was prepared to add $10 but she kept on demanding my Ecocash details and when I refused she wrestled me along with her flat mate and threw me over the window.

“She took my car keys and I want to believe she has gone and searched the vehicle or disappeared with the car if she is licensed to drive,” said Mandewo writhing in pain.

Asked if he could give contacts of his relative, Mandewo ignored the question insisting to get help on making sure his vehicle is recovered.

Eye witnesses at Dana Place heard Mandewo calling for help but could not give a hand on time.

“We heard him calling for help and we saw him hanging by the window and fell down as we tried to rush to the room,” said one of the eye witnesses.

“The lady reported to have hooked him ran away and we managed to apprehend two of the ladies who stay in that flat,” added the witness.

Police attended him and was taken by paramedics to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

MINIMUM WAGE: CONCILIATION MEETING WITH LABOUR WILL GO AHEAD— NGIGE

Activist Abiodun Aremu speaks in a microphone as he takes part in a march to protest against the government's failure to agree on a new minimum wage during a rally in Lagos, on October 30, 2018. - Workers across Nigeria march to protest government's delay in agreeing on a new minimum wage and threaten to embark on nationwide strike if the authorities fail to meet their demand by November 6, 2018.

MINISTER of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige on Friday said that conciliation on the National Minimum Wage will continue despite the injunction of the National Industrial Court restraining the organized labour from embarking on strike.

The Minister in a statement by the Director Press in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere said that the conciliation meeting involving the Organized Labour, the Organized Private Sector and Government scheduled for Sunday, November 4, 2018 at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by 6:00 p.m was still on course and will hold.

This will be followed on Monday, November 5, 2018 by 11:00 a.m the meeting of the National Tripartite Minimum Wage Committee at the same venue

The Minister used the opportunity to again appeal to all tripartite members to attend these meetings in the interest of the Nation.

Recall that the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, had vowed that the organised labour would not be part of any conciliation meeting or negotiation on minimum wage, alleging that every discussion about minimum wage had been concluded.

He said that the only meeting organised labour will attend will be the signing of the minimum wage report and not negotiation.

ORGANISED LABOUR INSISTS ON NOV. 6 STRIKE

The organised labour on Friday said that there was no going back on the Nov. 6 proposed strike over non-implementation of N30,000 minimum wage. 

The three labour centres – Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria ( TUC) and the United Labour Congress ( ULC) – confirmed this after a meeting of their joint central working committee in Lagos. 

Recall that the Nigeria Governors Forum on Oct. 30 announced that states would only pay N22,500 minimum wage. The organised labour in reaction called for the implementation of the tripartite committee report concluded on Oct. 5 or it would go on a nationwide strike. 

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, who read the communique of the meeting advised affiliate members of the three centres to commence preparation to ensure the strike was effective. 

According to Wabba, the members should be steadfast and dedicated to achieve their objective as workers would never receive improved welfare except through struggle. 

He also said that the ‘no work no pay’ rule by the government was wrong as it negates the labour law and international convention to which Nigeria was a signatory. He urged private employers to cooperate with labour for the strike to be successful. 

Mr Joe Ajaero, ULC President, reiterated that labour would not hesitate to stop the strike if the government fulfilled its N30,000 minimum wage demand. Ajaero said that labour would continue to meet and negotiate with the government until midnight of the expiration of the strike. 

He however said that the labour body had not received any court injunction to stop the strike contrary to any report. ”We are not aware of any court injunction. We will not discuss it because it is speculative. 

We advise that the minimum wage committee be allowed to submit its report,” Ajaero said Also, TUC’s president, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, in a remark said the door of the organise labour remained open for discussion and advised that the report reached by the committee be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari.

UPDATED: COURT STOPS NLC, TUC’s PLANNED STRIKE

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ordered the organised labour, comprising the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress not to embark on its indefinite strike scheduled to commence on November 6.

Justice Sanusi Kado, on Friday, gave the order in a ruling on an ex parte application moved on behalf of the Federal Government by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata.

Agreeing with Apata, Justice Kado ruled that if the strike is allowed it would lead to huge economic loss to both public and private institutions and could jeopardise the health of many Nigerians who would not be able to access health facilities during the period.

The organised labour had threatened to commence an indefinite strike action to press for the increase in the national minimum wage from the current N18,000.

The last meeting of the tripartite negotiation committee on the minimum wage had ended in deadlock after the Federal Government insisted that it could only afford to pay N25,000, while the governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum had held on to N22,500 and the labour N30,000.

Apart from the NLC and the TUC, the NGF is also joined as a defendant in the suit.

Justice Kado adjourned the matter till November 8 for the hearing of the motion on notice seeking the interlocutory injunction to stop the strike.

The judge ordered that the court order and other papers be filed on all the defendants.

He ruled, “In view of all that I have been saying above, it is the overall interest of justice and stability of the society to grant the order of interim injunction against the 1st and 2nd defendants (NLC and TUC), their members, privies, agents, proxies, workmen, or servants from embarking on or taking part in the planned strike or industrial action scheduled to commence on November 6, 2018, in whatever form pending the hearing or determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction which is pending before the court.

“It is also necessary to grant an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants (NLC and TUC), their members, privies, agents, proxies, employees, workmen, or servants from engaging or taking part in any conduct or act in contemplation or furtherance of the strike or industrial action scheduled to commence on November 6, 2018, pending the hearing and determination5 of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The suit marked, NICN/ABJ/287/2018, was filed on November 1, 2018 in the name of the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, as the 1st and 2nd claimants, respectively.

PHOTOS: BUHARI GETS WAEC CERTIFICATE

The Registrar of the West African Examination Council, (WAEC), Iyi Uwadiae on Friday presented attestation and confirmation certificate to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Buhari receives Attestation and confirmation of result from West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Registrar Dr Iyi Uwadiae in State House on 2nd Nov 2018

The Registrar presented only the attestation certificate because by law it cannot present a new certificate having allegedly issued the first one which the President said was with the Military Board.

Uwadiea came from the WAEC headquarters in Ghana to present the attestation certificate to the President in his mini conference hall.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina in his twitter handle @FemAdesina wrote, “WAEC presents attestation certificate and confirmation of school certificate result to President Buhari. What will the naysayers say next?”

On Friday, the authorities of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) presented President Muhammadu Buhari with his WASSCE certificate in Abuja.

See the photographs:

WAEC INTRODUCES ‘WALK-IN’ CANDIDATES, ALLOWS REGISTRATION 24 HOURS BEFORE PAPER

In a press statement by Demianus Ojijeogu, and made available to journalists on Sunday, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it will soon conduct the first series of the West African Senior School certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates.
A spokesperson of the examination council, who signed the statement, also said the examination will be conducted between January and February, 2019.

According to the statement, registration started October 8 and will end December 28, 2018.

The registration procedure has been designed to accommodate biometric features that will be used for validation at the examination centre.

“After obtaining the registration pin, candidates should log on to www.waeconline.org,” it said.

The council also said there is provision for “walk–in” candidates and candidates with special needs.

“Walk –in candidates, who wish to write the examination after the close of entries may be accommodated provided they register less than 24 hours to the scheduled time of the paper they intend to write,” the statement said.

The walk-in candidates’ fee is N25, 000.

The statement said the special needs’ candidates will also register online but “they must state clearly their disabilities: blind, low vision, spastic, speech etc.

“Candidates must conclude registration within two weeks of first access to the website during registration period,” the statement said.

NNAMDI KANU TO STAY LONGER IN ISRAEL, TRAVEL DOCUMENT EXPIRES

The embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, may have to stay longer in Israel where he is currently holed up, following his failure to use the travel document that would have enabled him to move to the United Kingdom.

It was learnt that the Biafran agitator failed to utilise the Emergency Travel Document provided for him by the British authorities until the document expired.

The UK High Commission disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday in response to inquiries by one of our correspondents about its role in Kanu’s escape to Jerusalem.

The UK High Commission Senior Communications Officer, Tinu Adelegan, explained this in an email responding to enquiries on the IPOB leader.

She said, “I’m afraid there’s very little we can say about this for consular confidentiality. All we have done is provided an ETD to a British person who asked for one in Israel, which he has not used and has now expired.”

It could not be ascertained why Kanu, a British citizen, needed an ETD to travel to the UK.

According to the official UK government website, www.gov.uk, a citizen could apply for an emergency travel document (sometimes called an ‘emergency passport’) if he was abroad and needed to travel and can’t get a passport in time.

The website further explained that a Briton could also apply for an emergency travel document if he was outside the UK, had his passport lost, stolen, damaged or full or expired or is with Her Majesty Passport Office or a foreign embassy.

A citizen could also obtain an ETD if he doesn’t have time to renew or replace his passport before he travels.

Kanu had disappeared from the country in controversial circumstances in 2017, following the invasion of his home by troops.

There had been speculations about his whereabouts and safety for over a year before he resurfaced at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem last Saturday.

FG rules out request for Kanu’s extradition from UK

The Federal Government may have ruled out the possibility of requesting the extradition of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, from the United Kingdom government to Nigeria to face his treasonable felony trial.

Kanu, who holds a dual citizenship of Nigeria and the UK, was sighted in a video clip said to be during a prayer session at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

The video recently surfaced on the Internet, more than one year after he went missing after soldiers deployed in the South-East for ‘Operation Python Dance II’ last year, allegedly invaded his house in Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State, on September 14, 2017.

The IPOB leader had, subsequently after the video clip surfaced on the Internet, threatened in a live broadcast, not to ever submit himself to the trial that was abruptly suspended due to his sudden disappearance since last year.

Also, the UK government reportedly informed the Nigerian government last week of its intention to issue all necessary travel documents to Kanu.

But several sources at the Federal Ministry of Justice, the ministry of the Nigerian government which deals with all extradition issues, said there would be no need to ask UK to send the IPOB leader to Nigeria to face his trial.

One of the sources said, “It is absolutely unnecessary. Remember that there is already an ongoing procedure before the Federal High Court in Abuja where he is being prosecuted to compel his three sureties to produce him in court.

“By law, the sureties are the custodian of the defendant and one of their core duties is to ensure that the defendant attends his trial.

“So it is left for the sureties to find how they will bring him to court, not minding the defendant’s threat not to again submit himself to the authorities of the court.

“If they fail to bring him to court, at the end of the ongoing process, they must be ready to face the sanctions, including the forfeiture of their individual N100m bail bonds.”

One of the sources, who is familiar with the extradition process, also doubted the possibility of any success of such extradition process because the UK government had not been on the same page with Nigeria on the proscription of IPOB as a terrorist group.

The source stated, “The UK government has said it does not see IPOB as a terrorist organisation contrary to the Nigerian government’s position.

“So you can see the disparity in the stances of the two countries’ positions on the issue.”

Mr. Salihu Isah, the spokesperson for the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami, could not be reached for the AGF’s position on the possibility or otherwise of the Federal Government requesting Kanu’s extradition from the UK.

Hearing in the trial of Kanu before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has been scheduled to resume on November 14.

Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and others, who stood bail sureties for the IPOB leader in April last year, are expected to return on the said date to show cause why they should not be made to lose their N100m bail bonds which they entered into to secure Kanu’s bail if they are unable to produce him.

Also, a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, whom Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had asked the court to summon for insisting that Kanu had escaped to London, is also expected in court at the next hearing date.