The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has proposed to the Tinubu-led Federal government a 200 per cent Wage Award to workers as part of measures to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal which has been causing hardship to Nigerians.

While speaking on Monday night, September 18, the president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, said the wage grant became necessary following economic difficulties imposed on workers by the over 200 per cent increase in the pump price of fuel in the country.

Ajaero said what the NLC was seeking was for the government to conclude the issue of wage award before delving into that of minimum wage.

He said considering the percentage of the hike in the pump price of fuel, labour would be asking for “almost 200 percent in wage award.

“We would have addressed the issue of CNG for instance and where people pay N500 per litre of fuel, maybe they will be paying less than that on CNG,” he said to Channels TV.

“We agreed that the federal government has had more than enough time for the past four months, even if there is commitment and genuineness of purpose that between now and next few days issues will be resolved and we hope that the minister will work with us within the next few days to make sure we resolve the matter.”

When asked a question on why the Trade Union Congress (TUC) was holding a separate meeting with the government, Ajaero said both the NLC and TUC are independent labour centres.

Mr Issa Aremu, the Director General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, has called for truce between the Federal Government and the organised labour to avert threat of strike.

Making the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday in Ilorin, Aremu observed that the organised labour’s threat to embark on industrial action is preventable.

He attributed the threat of strike to the attendant hardship of fuel subsidy withdrawal and other sundry economic issues.

He expressed optimism that the two parties would soon find a common ground to avert the looming industrial action.

The MINILS director-general also advised the federal government and labour unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), to return to a “rewarding negotiations and compromises” to prevent the strike.

He noted that actions of President Bola Tinubu in the last few months of his inauguration showed that he is concerned about the plight of every Nigerian.

Aremu added that the two Ministers of Labour have also expressed their readiness to sustain the ongoing negotiations with the organised labour.

“Strikes are just the means, not the end. The end is improved welfare for working men and women at these challenging times. I know that President Tinubu is concerned about the plight of all. His quotable quote is ‘let the poor breath’.

“The Honourable Minister of Labour, Simon Lanlong, and Minister of State Labour, Ikiru, have also demonstrated commitment to dialogue with NLC and TUC. Strikes are therefore preventable.

“I think both government and organised labour will soon find a common ground. Strike is certainly not inevitable, indeed it is preventable but through rewarding negotiations and compromises by the two parties,” Aremu said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC had issued an ultimatum to the federal government to provide wage award, palliatives and other relief packages to the masses in view of the pain that characterised the removal of fuel subsidy. (NAN)

By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja 

Some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government on Monday, temporarily, heaved a sigh of relief, as the ongoing probe on job racketeering by the House of Representatives, was shut down following the planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC).

The planned industrial action by the Organized Labour was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 5th and Wednesday 6th September, 2023.

Speaking at the supposed resumed hearing on Monday, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC-Plateau) explained that the hearing was postponed to enable all the MDAs invited, prepare and make their presentations.

Only on Friday, the panel had announced Monday as its next adjourned date, after taking the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Vice Chancellor’s of federal Universities.

At the Friday hearing, the Committee of Vice Chancellors  had conveyed the position of the Vice Chancellors on the purported extortion and bribery allegation claims against the House Adhoc committee, stating that the allegation was not only untrue but very mischievous.

The Vice Chancellors, who denied ever bribing the committee to escape the probe, said rather, they were eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the work of the committee as they have confidence that it would help them address the issue of manpower shortage in the Universities. 

Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Ishaya Tanko who spoke on behalf of the Vice Chancellors when they appeared before the committee said to his best of knowledge money that were sent by some Vice Chancellors  was meant for a foreign exchange for them to attend international workshop organised for them in Bamingham, the United Kingdom beginning from Tuesday, September 5, adding that the publisher did not get his facts correct 

He said “During our last meeting, we requested for two weeks because some of the universities did not come with some of the documents required from them. 

“But we read the very disturbing media publication and I can say that the Vice Chancellors are not part of that.  The Vice Chancellors have not provided any bribe to anybody. 

“What I recalled happened was that the next day, there was a workshop for the Vice Chancellors and because there is another international workshop organised for CVCNU,  I recalled that a number of people were looking for estacode in form of foreign exchange that will enable them travel.  

“I also remember that a number of Vice Chancellors were looking for where to get foreign exchange that is reasonable considering the fact that it is difficult to get DTA to travel.  I can confirm that majority of the Vice Chancellors are going to travel between Saturday and Monday because the training os commencing on Tuesday in Bamingham.

“Somebody suggested that gentleman and suggested that Vice Chancellors who wish to source foreign exchange from him can transfer some money to him to get foreign exchange to travel. 

“To say that Vice Chancellors are transferring money for bribe is completely out of context and not true.  Who ever made the publication refused to find out the fact before going to press.  They should have contacted some of the Vice Chancellors to find out the purpose for which they made those transfers.  

“I want to assure the committee that we have hope and confidence in this committee because as we speak, I can tell you that more than five programmes of the University of Jos are in danger of not receiving accreditation because of this issue of employment. 

“So, we are looking forward to this committee concluding it’s work so that the challenges relating to employment in Nigeria universities are addressed so that we can continue to provide the quality manpower we need for the development of this country”

Prof. Tanko said the university system in the country is during a major crisis as a result of lack of employment, but expressed their commitment to working together to ensure that the University system continue to stand on the integrity and mandate for which it was created. 

He said “When this committee invited us to a meeting with regard to issues of employment, and other issues, we as Vice Chancellors were very happy that we were invited to offer our perspective because the public university sector is actually in crisis with respect to employment as we speak. 

“Infact, majority of public universities has not bad the opportunity to replace some some of the Professors that we have lost especially before the period that this committee is investigating.  We felt that is a great opportunity for the university sector to address some the challenges that we are having in getting the required manpower for the running of our universities”. 

Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) John Maiyaki said the publication on the bribery allegations was regretable noting that the NUC has confidence in the mandate given to the committee to help in resolving some crisis in the education sector regarding job racketeering.

He said “ Chair, Honourable members the online social media publication is regrettable, whatever the substance is we do not in any way wish that this will impede on the excellent ties and relationship between this vital arm of government and the Nigerian University system. This is one system that holds a lot of promise for the Nigerian University system.

“In every country university system occupy a special place in the life of a Nation and we believe the task is too Herculean for one sub sector alone to handle and that’s why we look up to the National Assembly, we also look up to the future so that we can together create that game changing opportunity for the country. 

He said however that the University community will not allow the publication to affect what he described as strategic relationship and partnership existing between them and the National Assembly. 

Given their submissions, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi said the committee has resolved that it would not be distracted from the central issue it was put in place to address.

According to him, the publication was aimed at diverting the attention of the committee, saying “as far as we are concerned, we maintained our stand that it is a sponsored publication so that this committee will lose focus from what it is supposed to do.

He said it was not the mandate of the committee to investigate the allegations but to investigate the selling of slots, employment imbalance, job racketeering and many other fraudulent activities that is being done in our public service. 

He however said that the  committee had written to anti corruption agencies and the EFCC to investigate the link between the account and any member of the committee. 

He disclosed that Members of the committee have resolved to take legal action If investigation by the anti graft agencies failed to link the account number to any member of the committee.