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Stories by Mustapha Suleiman
PENGASSAN tasks FG on multinationals non compliance to reached agreement
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has implored the federal government to take stringent measures to curb a situation where agencies and oil companies carry on their activities as if they are more powerful and not answerable to the government.
President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, stated this at the 3rd Women in PENGASSAN National Conference held in Abuja.
He said that such an attitude is not acceptable to the union as unions in general are representatives of the people.
He said, “We have been having series of meetings with the government team. You cannot have an agreement with the minister standing in for the President of the Federal Republic, and when it’s time to take action, you say no. We only suspended our strike, if these issues are not addressed properly, we may have to resume the strike. Though we don’t like taking that route. That is why we are imploring every agency of government that whatever agreement reached must be respected. We will abide by our side of the agreement but if they are not ready to honour theirs, we will have no choice that to resume our suspended strike.’’
On the agreement reached to recall sacked workers in the oil sector, he said, “We had an understanding, but today what we are hearing is that some of them are reneging, especially Fugro Nig Ltd. I must be specific here. They are reneging. If the minister who is standing in for Mr President took a decision and they are reneging, that is an affront on the President of Nigeria. If you know you have no respect for the President then you pack your things and get out of the country.’’
Comrade Olabode also said that the leadership of PENGASSAN was going to meet with the Federal Government over the threat issued by the Avengers to oil workers.
It could be recalled that The Niger Delta Avengers, in a statement by its spokesperson, self-acclaimed Brig. General Mudoch had warned members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the PENGASSAN and foreigners to “leave all oil fields and terminals in the Niger Delta.
Comrade Olabode warned that the group’s threats should not be taken lightly by the government.
“We are having a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment. In view of the issue on ground, this is something we should take as priority. Whatever the issue, let government look for a way to fast track everything and discuss so that there can be peace in this country.
“This is not time for us to start destroying ourselves and our properties and oil installations. We all need to work together as a country so that Nigeria can rise from the ashes of what we are going through,” said the PENGASSAN.
On the theme of the 3rd Women in PENGASSAN National Conference: “Exploring Women’s World in the Era of Change,” he said the union present leadership want to affirm their support for involvement of more women in the activities of the PENGASSAN at various levels and the labour Centre, the Trade Union Congress as well as other affiliates of the association.
“We believe in the saying that train a woman and you are training a nation and perhaps the world. We have resolved to do more in this regard,” he said.
NLC to Nigerians: ‘Don’t pay increased electricity tariff until court reverses order’
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has told Nigerians that the Notice of Appeal filed by NERC & DISCOs does not vitiate or in any way impair the validity of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, nullification of the increment in tariff announced last December 21, by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Justice Mohammed Idris had in the ruling ordered NERC to revert to the former tariff and restrained it from further increasing tariff “unless it complies strictly with the relevant provisions of the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005.”
The judge delivered the judgment in a suit filed by human rights lawyer, Mr. Toluwani Yemi Adebiyi, who challenged the increment.
The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement issued yesterday signed by Toluwani Adebiyi Esq said that the judgment of the court that the increase in hike remains illegal, until the appeal is heard and overturned by the appellate court.
He said, “The court ruling remains binding and in full force until the stay of execution filed is heard and granted by the federal high court, which is as difficult as a horse passing through the eye of a needle.”
He said, “ Nigerians are responsible people. We all know that business is for profit making but not at the detrimental exploitation of Electricity Consumers, meters must be provided for all, before tariff can be hiked. We are not saying NERC cannot Increase Tariff, and it is none of our business what effect the reversal as ordered by Court will have on their Capital or Investment, what we are saying is that, due process as provided by the enabling Act was not followed, the condition precedents were breached, it is procedurally ultra-vires, they had only succeeded in putting something on nothing, and so must surely collapse. ‘’
He argued that It was the same law the Federal High Court looked into that the Court of Appeal will also look into, saying “so, tough time and unimpeachable failure await NERC and DISCOs, the fact that the reversal will affect their business does not right the wrong they have committed, their unending defiance can never right their wrongs.’’
He noted that a wise management and government would obey court’s judgment, reverse the illegal increment and take necessary lawful steps to do the needful.
“Meanwhile, any bill they bring reflecting the illegal increment must be resisted. Enthroning Justice as regard this hike is our collective responsibility, take note of names of DISCOs officials that come to serve such illegal bills, use the enrolled order and sue them and DISCO for contempt of court, until we resist evil policies, we cannot have Nigeria of our dream.’’
NLC, ITUC-Africa begin conference on advancing decent work in Africa today
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in collaboration with the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC-Africa) will today begin a regional conference tagged “Advancing Decent Work in Global Supply Chains in Africa”.
The 2- day conference is scheduled to take place in Abuja.
The International Trade Union Confederation is the International Organisation that represents 180 million workers in 162 countries and territories, with 333 national affiliates of which Nigeria Labour Congress is one.
A statement signed by the NLC General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson said that the General Secretary of ITUC-Brussels, Ms Sharan Burrow would attend the conference as well as other trade union officials from Belgium, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Zambia, Senegal and South Africa.
Skills acquisition organization woos youths to agro enterprise
A non-governmental organization, Global Youths Skills Acquisition and Poverty Eradication Organization, is to give about N10 million and a sports utility vehicle to deserving youths as a way to attract them into the agricultural programme of the federal government.
?It said apart from agricultural training trips abroad, the youths would equally be provided with lands for agriculture with 80 percent profit incentive as part of the efforts.
Beneficiaries, however, have to emerge after a face of agriculture contest scheduled to hold this year.
Speaking in Abuja, the initiator, Ozegbe Chuks said that the programme could help build agribusiness plans that can be adopted by people in local communities as well as the government to improve agriculture for vulnerable groups.
He further said that the initiative would create greater sopportunities for women and female youths to own properties and engage in commercial agricultural activities.
According to him, ?the group with the vision to promote economic stability of youths would, in addition, provide mechanised tools and improved seedlings up to a year for the winners.
He identified lack of competitive market for agricultural products, lack of start-up capital, inadequate labour-saving technologies as constraints confronting youths involved in agricultural practice.
NSITF M/D calls for social protection of deprived Nigerians
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ismail Agaka, has called on the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the social protection sector to develop programmes that suit the purpose of the socially deprived Nigerians.
Agaka noted that there are many forms of social protection initiatives and programmes spread across more than 10 government agencies and that it is the responsibility of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to factors in issues such as the displaced people in their operations.
He further called for synergy of the various activities of the MDAs to ensuring that the targeted people feel the impacts of such programmes and initiatives.
The NSITF helmsman stated this while donating relief materials to the Karmajiji IDP camp in a suburb of Abuja.
While acknowledging that the government must be assisted by all the segments of the society in the midst of dwindling resources accruing to the country, he stressed that the donation is a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) of the NSITF and not an obligation towards the IDPS, saying the mandate of the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) does not cover the informal sector under which most of the IDPs fall.
He said: “At the moment and the way the law that establishes Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) is structured, the NSITF cannot provide any social protection to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) because an employee has to come under the cover of an employer, but we do have a corporate social responsibility as an agency.”
He also called for the creation of a Special Fund to provide succour to the Internally Displaced Persons.
He said: “Broadly speaking, there is always a social security element to the life of every citizen because it is from cradle to grave thing. At every point in life, human beings require one form of social security or the other. I think that government needs to look at what has been budgeted in terms of direct intervention fund for displaced people. And because people need social security at some point in their life, adequate funds must be made available to make such interventions a reality that which will add meaning to the lives of the people.”
The NSITF helmsman bemoaned the poor environment condition at the camp, calling on the relevant government agencies to come to the aid of the IDPs by making the environment habitable.
Responding, the IDPs Women Leader, Liyatu Ayuba, commended NSITF for the relief items, adding that the camp have been suffering from shortage of food.
Job creation: FCTA pledges to fast track Abuja technology village
As part of the measures put in place by the FCT Administration to provide
massive employment for the residents and enhance economic activities in the Territory, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has said the FCT Administration is working on various options to fast track the take off of the Abuja Technology Village.
The FCT Minister gave this assurance when he visited the site along the Umaru
Musa Expressway (Airport Road), Abuja.
According to him, the Abuja Technology when operational is expected to bring in multi-billion-dollars investment into the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja ranging from soft development, research and sales.
The Minister noted that the Village when opened would further deepen economic activities and compliment government efforts in the provision of skilled and unskilled employment opportunities to the populace.
Malam Bello revealed that the entire project has been subdivided into five
clusters to enable the FCT Administration handle a cluster at a time for quick result or realization of the project and easy management.