Labour
FG Will Ensure Equity in Social Investment Programs – Uwais
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The National Social Investment Office (NSIO), will ensure a level playing field for all Nigerians in the execution of the Social intervention Programmes (SIPs) of the Federal Government, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Mrs Maryam Uwais has said.
Speaking in Kaduna while addressing Course 2 participants of the Kasshim Ibrahim Fellowship, a mentorship programme designed to groom future leaders in Nigeria, Mrs Uwais said structures have since been put in place to ensure that those who benefit from the various components of the social intervention programmes are captured based on merit.
She told the group of budding leaders drawn from various parts of the country that gone are the days when a privileged few in the society benefited from a government empowerment initiative designed to reach out to the poor.
“All applicants are encouraged to engage with the processes in place if they need a job. The programmes are open to everybody. You don’t need to know anybody to get enrolled into N-Power, for instance.
“Same procedure applies to the cash transfer program and other components. We have done similar programs in the past but such efforts were not as effective because the drivers at the time did not establish mechanisms and structures that aim at targeting the poorest of the poor”, she added.
In a statement by NSIO Communication Manager, Justice Bibiye in Abuja on Sunday, the presidential adviser revealed that the process of developing a reliable Social Register in each State of the federation (and the FCT) was ongoing, noting that well-trained people were being sent to the various communities to identify the socio-economic needs of the people based on their circumstances and peculiarities.
Recounting the huge impact the SIPs are making on the beneficiaries, Mrs Uwais noted that “for the first time in a long while, a government in Nigeria has consistently budgeted definite amounts of money for its poor and vulnerable citizens, irrespective of their party affiliations and ethno-religious differences”.
“Poverty doesn’t know culture, party affiliation; it doesn’t know ethnicity or religion. Majority of Nigerians who are poor don’t even have voters card or know what is happening in the political circles. But government has a responsibility to each and every one of them.
“You need to see how beneficiaries appreciate what we are doing. A woman came with a big bag to collect just ten thousand naira. When we asked why, she told us she hasn’t had such an amount of money before and needed to be sure she could carry her money home, after payment.
“The cash transfer programme goes beyond cash payments, as community facilitators, who are staff within the LGAs, are trained to visit them every week, to teach them how to form savings groups, life skills, sanitation, nutrition and hygiene.
“Indeed, due to the fact that the mentoring and support is embedded within the communities, we have confirmed that these beneficiaries have so far saved over N500 million, and are investing their energy and monies in productive activities such as farming, animal husbandry, poultry farming and rehabilitating community infrastructure”
Uwais, however, bemoaned reported cases of extortion of a few cash transfer beneficiaries by people who take undue advantage of their vulnerabilities, limited knowledge of banking procedures and use of gadgets to dupe them.
She also said that because cash payments come with several hazards, steps are being taken to address this challenge as the NSIO has started the process of mapping, to identify money agents and financial institutions that would facilitate the transfer of cash directly to the beneficiaries.
Mrs Uwais, a 1981 Graduate of Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria had earlier shared her life experiences with the participants, urging them to always strive for excellence in all their endeavors.
She admonished them to rise above ethnic and religious sentiments and at all times put country first as they prepare to take up leadership responsibilities.
Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El Rufai thanked Mrs Uwais for honouring the invitation to speak to the young ones, describing her as a woman of great conscience and one of the few accomplished women in Northern Nigeria, who has made outstanding contributions towards humanitarian efforts and social justice in the country.
The Kasshim Ibrahim Fellowship, a brainchild of Governor el – Rufai, is a nonpartisan initiative with a mission to raise the next generation of leaders and prepare them for leadership through mentorship and a long period of exposure to the work environment.
By Idris Umar Feta Abuja
Many air travellers were left stranded following the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday.
A combined team of NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) blocked both the entry and exit ways of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The protest was part of the series of actions that the two labour unions say they would zero in on Imo, following the attack on the NLC president, Joe Ajaero.
The NLC and TUC had on Tuesday, declared a nationwide strike, which will commence on Tuesday, November 14, due to the face-off with the Imo State Government.
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday approved a 30 day implementation plan for the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU between the Federal Government and the Organized Labour.
The government also is taking a decision against any external interference in unions activities by external bodies.
This is as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong alongside the Minister of State, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha have met with the factional leaderships of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Lalong said a Memorandum was presented to the council on the implementation of the agreement with labour.
He said, “We presented a memo from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the memo was basically on the agreement between government and the labour. You are already aware that 15 items are parts of the agreement.
“But we went beyond mere agreement, we told them that something different this time is happening because one, part of the agreement is to file it in the court of law which we have set the process already.
“And the other one was the presidential approval. There cannot be any presidential approval more than the Federal Executive Council. So we presented them to the Federal Executive Council. We analyzed each and every aspect of the agreement and to show the genuineness and also provide for harmonious and good industrial relationship and that was why it was presented and it was approved for implementation.
“It was agreed that within 30 days, there must be evidence of implementation and that was the basis of presenting to the Federal Executive Council the memo and the Federal Executive Council also approved it and within this 30 days, we will go on with the implementation of the agreement between labour and government.”
Fielding on the item six of the MoU which was the government alleged interference in the activities of the democratically elected leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW and the mandate to him (Lalong) to resolve the crisis in the union on or before October 13, the Minister said he had already met with the various factions
He said, “Item six in the MoU is about interference specifically with issues that were about road transport workers. Immediately the next day, we embarked on meetings between the two organisations.
“As of today, they have already reached out and have concluded that of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, today they are making a report to the ministry about their agreement because they went into agreement too and we are also going to get back to their parent association.
“The next one is the NURTW. Last week we were with them. Of course if some of you were there, you knew why we postponed it, I reminded them that we are keeping to the date of the agreement but they said they cannot strictly keep to the date because it is very important to them that we realized the aim. So we shifted the meeting till tomorrow. Today, we are going to get the report, by tomorrow we will fix a meeting.
“The reason why we presented these items to the Federal Executive Council is for them to note and approve that after these things we will not want to be tolerating interference into union activities.”But those that are pending are within the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. Our own is to dispense with conflicts and we are going to continue to do that and these two items we have mentioned, were really the particular things they hammered on when we met. By God’s grace in the next few days, those ones are going to be sorted out.”
By David Torough, Abuja
For Nigerian worker to get close to near favourable living conditions, the minimum wage should be jacked up from N30,000 to N200,000, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero has suggested.
Ajaero who spoke to journalists on Sunday said his projection was based on the prevailing socio-economic situation in Nigeria.
He put the dollar equipment of his suggestion to $200.
The NLC President explained, “The least paid worker in Nigeria should get a minimum of $200. It’s not even up to $10 a day.
“I’m not talking of $10 per hour. It’s not up to $10 a day. So, if you even put it at $7 a day, that was at the international…”
“But even if you bring it to the cost of living index and then you decide to situate it — look at transportation, if we assume that a worker doesn’t have a car, we assume he will enter three drops to work — we assume that he will enter three drops back.
And N2,000 is settled minimum if he doesn’t enter bike to get to where he is living because none of our workers lives in the city centre.“Now, if you look at this N2,000 for 30 days, you see almost N60,000 or even N50,000 if you want to remove the weekend. You look at his accommodation. Since he’s living on the fringes, you can give him close to N20,000 if he must live in a two-room apartments or whatever in a decent place for him and his family. Now you look at feeding.
“Even if you put him on one loaf of bread, husband and wife with four children, one loaf of bread in the morning, no tea, no sugar — situate it about N1,000. You look at their lunch, even if you give them N200 per lunch, you are going to get another N1,000. You can equally look at their dinner at N200 without meat, for 30 days, that’s almost N3,000.
“For 30 days, you have about N90,000. If you add N90,000 to almost N60,000 we already have about N150,000.
“Now, I’m not talking about school fees. If you look at school fees for four children, even if they are in kindergarten, there is no way you will not have almost N200,000. Now, if you divide that N200,000 by three months and that makes up a term, you will be having about N65,000.
“You have already passed N200,000. You are doing all these things that the children and the wives and others are not even entering motor to anywhere. You are doing this thing because they will not be sick throughout that period. You are doing this thing that they will not even eat meat or any diet.
“You are doing all these things that they will not wear clothes whichever way. So, if you go to the cost of living index, you will discover that N200,000 cannot even sustain that family. But it will sustain them by the time you do one or two things.
“If what we are pushing, the CNG or even electric whatever, if you bring down transportation cost, if you have an effective transport system, you bring down transportation cost. If you have a school system that guarantees free education, it will bring down that cost. If you have a healthcare facility, that would have taken care of the health of such people. Then N200,000 can work.”
According to Ajaero, “But if you don’t have any of these, even that N200,000 will be a mess. But we are equally looking at that N200,000 based on what the mysterious economists are talking about that you need to bring inflation and whatever down. So, all things being equal, that’s the only way you can do it without creating unnecessary inflation but, at least, they could be able to go to the market.
“These things I mentioned, there is no soap for them to bathe, there is no toothbrush, there are no clothes, there is nothing.
“So, you can see that that is the actual projection, plus or minus. That’s what is going to inform our decision.
“Whether you are going to look at it from an inflationary trend or the cost of living index, the reality cannot bring it less than N200,000.”
NLC and its counterpart, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspended action on the eve of their planned indefinite strike slated for October 3 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government bordering on their demands.
Chief among the concessions that prompted the suspension of the strike was the Federal Government’s offer of N35,000 monthly to its workers for six months.
Ajaero has since described government’s deal as Promissory Note because none of the agreements that preceded the suspension of the industrial action could be fulfilled immediately.
The strike was suspended for 30 days on many demands like adoption of CNG as an alternative to petrol, making refineries work and getting the ceiling off for the provisional wage increase to go round for all workers.
Tiv Residents in America Seek Justice for Late Joshua Terngu Gwebe
ShareThe Mutual Union of the Tiv in America (MUTA), a non-profit and non-partisan charitable organization representing the Tiv community in...
Kogi Governorship Tribunal Adjourns Indefinitely Pending Completion of Election Materials Inspection
ShareFrom Joseph Amedu, Lokoja The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kogi State has adjourned pending the completion of inspection...
2024 Budget: Delta Govt. Earmarks N150bn for Works Sector
ShareThe Delta Government says it is earmarking the sum of N150 billion for its Works sector in the 2024 fiscal...
Tinubu’s 2024 Budget Speech: Budget of Renewed Hope
Share1. In furtherance of my sacred duties and obligations as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is my honour...
Enugu Governor Orders Biometric Verification of LG Staff Members
Share Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu has ordered a verification and biometric capturing of all local government workers in the...
Civil Defence Officers Shoot Secondary School Students In Abuja
ShareThe Nigeria Police, on Wednesday, arrested and detained three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for shooting...
Diri Presents N480.9bn 2024 Budget to Bayelsa Assembly
ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Wednesday, presented the 2024 budget of N480.99 billion to...
Police Nab Suspected ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ Ritualist, Pregnant Wife, 19 Robbers in Benue
ShareFrom Attah Ede, Makurdi The Benue State Police Command, on Wednesday, said it has arrested a suspected ‘yahoo-yahoo’ ritualist identified...
Climate Change: YMCA Plants 13,500 Oil Palm Seedlings Across 9 Communities in Nasarawa
ShareBy Joseph Hans Apuu, Lafia The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) an NGO, has planted 13,500 oil palm seedlings in...
Abia Govt to Partner Multilateral Agencies to Build 248.46km Roads – Otti
ShareFrom Joe Akwarandu, Umuahia Abia state governor, Alex Otti has disclosed that his administration is ready to partner multilateral Organizations...