SSANU holds NEC metting. Calls for Investment of Recovered Loot

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has rounded off its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, it called on the  Federal Government to make public all recovered mon

ey from politicians and public office holders and inject same into the economy to help it out of recession.

also condemned hate speeches, threat for secession and drumbeat of war in some sections of the country and called on workers to unite against poverty, deprivation and exploitation by the elite or ruling class.

It also frowned at the precarious and pitiable state of the Nigerian worker in the face of present economic realities and called for urgent fixing of the economy

The communiqué read in part: “NEC noted that the costs of food and basic essentials for existence are beyond the reach of the average Nigerian worker, while building materials have become so exorbitant that the common man cannot afford a decent home. Government should plough back recovered loots into the economy

“NEC advises Government to, for purposes of transparency and accountability, announce the various billions of Naira recovered from alleged looters and immediately plough back these huge amounts into the Nigerian economy, as keeping these monies in reserve or as savings while Nigerians starve, makes no meaning.

“SSANU further advises Government to promote policies that will attract investors and prevent oligopolies in the food and building industries to save the masses these bleak situations. SSANU further advises Government to urgently negotiate with the Nigeria Labour Congress for review of the National Minimum Wage and ensure Nigerians are given living wages.

We are working on a law to protect casualisation- NLC

   

The NLC  president has said that the Union is working on a law that would protect Nigeria workers from casualisation. The proposed legislation would ensure that workers rights were not abused and that they enjoyed good welfare packages at work.
He compared casual employment to modern day slavery.

“Most employers are encouraging and advancing casualisation because they do not want to pay workers their terminal benefits.

“The employers do not want to pay gratuity and are against decent jobs. They want to make more profit and to reduce their commitments to their workers,’’ He said.

The NLC president also noted that casualisation was against the Nigeria labour laws, the ILO convention and human dignity and that Organised labour would use its national appeal to ensure that laws to protect workers were appropriately enacted.

“The Congress has directed unions to send the names of companies involved in casual employment so that we can unite to criminalise casualisation,’’ the labour leader said.

On the maritime sector, Wabba called on the Federal Government to look into the Ports and Harbour Bill, to stem the increasing insecurity at the ports.

“Now that we have seen an influx of arms and ammunition coming into the country, we are putting the lives of many Nigerians on the line.

He called on the government to fix port access roads because the ports had become the economic nerve-centres of the economy.

Earlier, Mr Goke Olatunji, president, National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Leather and Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), said that contract jobs had reduced union memberships nationwide.

Olatunji said that casualisation had also negatively affected the labour movement across the country and urged the NLC to sensitise the National Assembly on the issue.

NLC Nasarawa Calls Off Industrial Action

The two month old industrial action in Nasarawa state,has been called off.It was announced by the Secretary of Nasarawa State Chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

Mr Ahmed Naibi, who is the secretary, said the suspension of the strike followed the commitment made by the state government to the union at a meeting on Monday 17/07/2017.
That the strike was called off because  the state government has agreed to pay all the outstanding salaries as well as to release all outstanding promotion to all workers.

Also,that the government has made commitment to pay the salary arrears of February, March, April, May and June 2017 in addition to the three months salary arrears of 2016.

“We all agreed that all arrears of our salaries would be paid 100 per cent and no worker would be victimised for participating in the strike.We are also meeting Tuesday to discuss on how to monitor other demands of the workers that are yet to be met by the government.”
He  expressed gratitude to all workers for supporting the two months old strike,and called on them to resume work.
It will be recalled that NLC Nasarawa embarked on industrial action since May 12, 2017.

New Minimum Wage Committee To Commence Sitting- NLC

The 29-member committee on a new National Minimum Wage will begin sitting before the end of July, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said on Wednesday.
“Before the end of this month, the process of discussions on a new minimum wage will commence,” Wabba said at an interactive forum in Lagos. Reports from today.ng

The forum was organised by the NLC to discuss challenges facing its affiliates.

Wabba said NLC learnt that the Presidency had agreed that six people would represent the Federal Government in the committee.
He said: “Employers’ body and state governors are also expected to send representatives.”
He said that review of the minimum wage was long overdue, adding that workers had suffered much hardship due to Nigeria’s economic situation.
Wabba said: “Today, inflation is more than 16 per cent but salary has remained fixed for about six years.
“It means that workers are living in penury. We will ensure that the negotiation will end well.”

Wabba said that achieving an improved income for workers was a collective struggle.
He urged workers, particularly union leaders, to be committed to it.
Wabba gave the assurance that the organised labour would continue to protect workers’ rights.
NAN reports that the NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have been agitating for review of minimum wage from N18,000 to N56,000, due to hardship faced by workers as a result of inflation.

The Federal Executive Council had in May approved constitution of the committee to start the process of deliberations for a new wage for Nigerian workers.
The meeting was presided over by Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, told journalists after the meeting that members of the committee would be drawn from the organised labour and federal and state governments.

Ngige said the chairman and secretary of the committee would be appointed by the government.

You Cannot Ban ASUU-NLC

The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba,has come to the support of ASUU, Kogi state, following its proscription by Governor  Bello.  He stated;
‘‘Gov. Bello has no power to proscribe the union and such power does not reside with him or with the government house,” Mr. Wabba said in Lagos, during a visit of the NLC leadership to affiliate unions.

“The constitution recognises that Bello is the governor.
‘‘It also recognises that there is a trade union which is not under the governor’s command. It is an independent entity that cannot be determined by the governor.’’
The labour leader told the governor to rescind his decision because he did not have the power to ban any union.

He argued that Mr. Bello, who had not paid lecturers of the state-owned university for one year, lacked the moral right to ban union activities in the state.
Mr. Wabba, however, advised workers to obtain their voter’s cards to enable them vote for leaders who would listen to their yearnings.

ASUU Has Been Hijacked by Politicians- Gov.Bello

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday said the proscribed Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba, has been behaving like a political party in opposition in the state. Reports The Nation Newspaper

The governor proscribed the union on Wednesday for failing to suspend its seven months strike after the government reportedly met 90 per cent of its demands.

Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) meeting held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the early hours of Thursday, Bello said the proscription is an inevitable surgical operation to develop education in the state.

He said: “It is more or less a comatose institution. And in a bid to resuscitate it, we need to carry out certain surgical operation in order to make educational sector in Kogi State healthy. And education is one of the focal points of our administration. We did the screening exercise and several other things.

“Now, ASUU came up with several other bodies with certain demands. Some pre-dated my administration and to the best of our judgement as an administration we were able to meet up to 90 per cent of these demands. And in a collective bargain, both parties should shift ground.

“And the way and manner ASUU Kogi State Chapter was going about it, it is more or less like a political party that was in opposition. Apparently, there are certain forces from certain areas that were pushing. However, that wouldn’t be my concern.

“But my concern particularly is that certain amount of demands that were put forward, among which is salaries, had been paid fully. And the institution has been on strike for almost seven months now.

“Now, the question is government owes you seven months, government has paid you seven months among other demands. But there is one important thing that you are owing the critical stakeholders in education that you can never pay back, which is the time of the children, the time of our young ones, the time of the students that have been wasted that you can never give back.

“I appealed to them to return back on or before the end of this month and that we will pay all outstanding arrears. Other institutions resumed. But what is more amazing and disturbing is that in the course of interacting with them, in the presence of all stakeholders including the Attah of Igala, the Acting Chairman of ASUU made a remark that even if we meet 100 per cent demand of ASUU, we only succeeded in minimizing the incidence of strike in the institution, meaning he went further to explain that if everything is normal in the institution and the National body of ASUU desire to on strike for whatever reason, ASUU- KSU will join the strike action.

“And I think that is most irresponsible and they are not sensitive to the plight of parents, the students and even the future of the young ones.”

Workers Storm National Assembly Retreat

Protesters drawn from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) stormed the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island venue of a joint retreat of the Senate and House of Assembly Committee on review of 1999 constitution to press home their demand for local government autonomy and other sundry issues.

The protesters led by the state and national leaderships of the various unions who were carrying placards with various inscriptions demanding among other things that payment of primary school teachers’ salaries should be removed from the
local governments, that primary school teachers’ salaries should be on first line charge in the federation and unfettered operation of primary healthcare institutions.

The NULGE National President, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel Abdulkadir, said the demand for autonomy for local governments was part of ways to ensure that the resources for local governments hijacked by various state governments could go to them directly so as to enhance the welfare of their people.
He commended the 36 states House of Assemblies for supporting workers’ demand and also, the various unions that had come together to jointly pursue what they consider important to them and Nigeria at large.
The duo of the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan and the leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, who addressed the protesters assured them that the National Assembly would look into their demands with the hope to make necessary amends.
“We are working for you. Primary school education is very important. We understand your plight. We are looking at your demand. I advise that you should continue to engage us. This National Assembly is responsible and responsive,” he assured the people.

NLC infiltrated by politicians- Gov Wike

 Nigerians are no longer happy with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) because of the infiltration of the congress by political forces. Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says

He stated that the political infiltration of the NLC has made the congress ineffective and unable to positively respond to the issues that affect the underprivileged Nigerians.

The governor, who spoke on Friday at the Government House, Port Harcourt when he granted audience to the President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his executive members, said the congress is no longer as strong as it used to be because of the division within its ranks.

He said: “Nigerians are not happy with the NLC. With due respect, you people are now politicians. You are no longer as strong as you used to be.

“I remember when Jonathan was president, you wanted to pull heaven down just for the slight removal of petroleum subsidy. Now they have removed everything and nothing has happened.”

He regretted that the NLC had fallen to the level where it calls for strike and it records failure.

“You have allowed politicians to penetrate your ranks and you now have two factions. Factionalisation is not the best. I urge you to work for the union to be strong as this is in the interest of the nation,” he said.

While pledging his support for the NLC, he urged the congress to stand firm and work for the protection of Nigerians and the country’s democracy.

“Look at what is happening in the country today and nobody is talking Nobody wants to go to jail. If you talk, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will come after you. If you don’t want EFCC to trouble you, defect to the other party. There was this Executive Director Finance of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The EFCC was after him, when he defected to the other party, they dropped the charges,” he said.

He said the country should practice true federalism in all areas including the salary structures of the respective states.

The governor said: “If the new salary structure is agreed, if Rivers State can pay, can Ebonyi State pay? “There should not be a uniformed condition of service. In Nigeria, you are paid same amount of money in Lagos as in Kogi State. That is why we cannot get it right.”

Governor Wike assured the NLC that his administration will continue to resolve all welfare challenges facing workers and retirees.

Earlier, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, commended the governor for the regular payment of salaries and pensions.

“We have interfaced with workers and they said you have been regular in the payment of salaries and pensions.

“The trade unions asked me to express their gratitude, particularly on the issue of regular payment of salaries. This certainly, we have to appreciate because we are aware that in some states, they have difficulty in that aspect. In some states, they have even contemplated retrenchment,” Comrade Ayuba Wabba said.

He appealed to the Rivers State Governor to handle the challenges arising from recently retired workers, contributory pensions and the irregular meetings of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council.

minimum wage will determine who we vote for in 2019-NLC

The deputy national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Peters Adeyemi, has stated that the federal government should do what it must to approve N56,000 minimum wage for workers.

“This N56, 000 minimum wage will determine who gets elected and re-elected again. The time of reckoning is drawing nearer”, he warned.

Adeyemi said even in the present day Nigeria, N56,000 is nothing to write home about, considering how the prices of things have skyrocketed in the market.

According to him, the cost of drugs and food stuff has tripled since the last minimum wage law was passed in 2011 and the government is not moved by the development.
He said, “For us in the in the movement, if we are to make that demand right now, that clearly is not going to be labour’s demand. In Nigeria today, 56, 000 is clearly not what any Nigerian can survive on. Labour is convinced that N56, 000 minimum wage is doable.

“It is doable in the sense that when you put all the indices and parameters in place, you find out that N56, 000 cannot give a comfortable life to an average worker in a month. Let us look at what we are talking about, we are talking about a workers who has children, he has to pay school fees, healthcare and has other dependents.

“The cost of drugs and food stuff has tripled since the last minimum wage law was passed in 2011.I have said severally that you also need to put into consideration even the worth of our currency, the Naira which government policies have batardised.
I have said again and again that those in government don’t want to pay good salaries so that they will have enough to steal.

“If Nigerian workers are well paid, some of these surpluses that are being looted won’t be there. You find today, with all the efforts of the current administration, under President Buhari that the anti corruption agencies have unearthed so much startling revelation of massive looting of our treasury.”

Profile of a Labour Leader; Emmanuel Edozie,Chairman, PASAN, Delta State

It is our belief that Labour Union Leaders do a lot in meeting their responsibilities. Thus, we take the time to talk to them and find out how the carry on their mandate.

 Our guest on Labourlognigeria today, is Comrade Emmanuel Edozie. The State Chairman, Parliamentary Staff Association, PASAN. Calm and soft spoken, he spoke to us on issues concerning Labour Unions, his activities in Labour union, his successes, challenges and future

of Labour union in Nigeria. Details of our interview:

Profile:

Name:Edozie Emmanuel 10^th June 1974

1.   Education:Azanoba primary School, Ubulubu Blessed Emmanuel college, Onicha olona 1984-89 Federal College of Education (Tech. ) Asaba  1994-97 Delsu, Anwai Campus BSc. Acct. 1999-2003 UNIZIK Awka MSc Bus Admin. 2010 CIPSMN 2010.

Career:

2.   Teacher – City Commercial College, Asaba 1995 – 1996, FMWH clerical officer 1996-1998, House of assembly Asaba 1998 – date.

History  in Unionism

3.   PRO Association of Biz Education Students 1993 – 1994,, PRO Association of Biz education students 1993 – 1994 PRO FCE(T) Alumni Association 2006 -2007, PRO CIPSMN Delta Chapter 2002 till date, Chapter Chairman PASAN 2008 -2009, State Chairman PASAN 2008 – July 2016 – date.

First impression in Labour union

1.   Those workers have a lot of issues relating to the workplace that need to be solved. That a lot of persons in the Association/union immediately need someone to help solve all the problems in the work-place. It therefore becomes a moral burden.

Mentors in Labour Unionism

2.   In Delta State, I would say Com. Mike Okeme, reason being that he believes in approaching issues though dialogue and that is why he is still waxing strong. But mostly the Erudite Comr. Adams Oshiomole, for his intelligence, braveness and steadfastness… (b) Earliest memory in labour dates back to school.

Earliest involvement in Unionism

This dates back to school; it gave me a burden to defend the defenseless

Why did you get involved?

The reason for my involvement is that I have naturally have the passion to help people carry their problems. It is therefore a veritable platform to achieve that aspiration.

4  What has been your best experience while serving?

In 2016 when almost all the problems I met were settled in the midst of recession.

Worst experience: when our executive committee in 2009 as PASAN vice chairman, were told to stop down and a executive committee elected

What do you wish to see changed in Labour Unions?

   I wish to see to the existence of one Labour centre which will make the Labour movement stronger; secondly, Labour leaders should shun any form of gratification from the system as it helps to weaken our efforts.

Tell us about your union

   Our union, Parliamentary Staff association of Nigeria, (PASAN) dates back to around 2004, with the formation of two associations for both senior and junior bearing different names before the merger  around 2009 of both senior and junior arms to give birth to PASAN being their umbrella union for the legislation arm.

It helps in catering and furthering staff welfare needs. It has very well been the mouth piece of the workers of the legislature in the state.

My election was a tough one. I didn’t campaign much but I always had the conviction that I was the better candidate and I was victorious.

As the chairman, my election was June and inauguration in July 2017. At the time, there was recession in the country, payment of salary was problem or other benefits to staff but God helped us greatly as 90% of our demands were met. As Oliver twist, we keep asking for more. Aluta continua.

How do you utilize negotiation ?

  We endevour to consult a lot of stakeholders. We engage the management of the House through dialogue, employing all dispute resolution mechanisms. We derive our powers from the congress but at EXCO levels, we continuously engage the management on various issues concerning staff welfare.

Well, if our various forms of dialogue does not yield fruit, we go to congress which gives resolutions at times ultimatum taking into consideration the required number of days. Strike is always our last resort. We also suspend strike action through the congress.

What is your view on division in Labour Unions

    Division in Labour union as I have said earlier is one of the greatest problems bedeviling Labour in Nigeria movement. It weakens our power and exposes us to exploitation.

How do you feel when going to represent your people?

 I always prepare and comport myself. I always believe that to staff, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Having my fellow staff at heart. It is always a no victor no vanquish situation. I am also very happy when I am able to meet the demands for which we set out .

NUT Enugu, awards philanthropists for supporting education. Makes case for support of public schools

The Chairman, NUT Enugu state a few days ago, gave award to philanthropists supporting education. Pleading for more public support to public  schools in  education.

"The concept of this award was to encourage people to start donating to public schools and to encourage philanthropists to donate at least a little, to help the children of the poor in the public schools. “It is also meant to raise some learning and teaching materials which are not in the schools now. Government said they will do it and all the parents left it in the hands of government, but the children are too many that government cannot cope."

"These schools are mostly populated by children of the poor",he continues, "so we want to encourage public spirited individuals to come and help government so that those things that are lacking in the public schools could be provided. These people we are neglecting will one day become one thing or the other. In the past, our communities used to give scholarships but because government took over, these communities left the responsibilities to government. "

“The effect of these things is that we have kidnapping and other violent crimes. What we are saying is that people should begin to think home to queue behind School Bail Club. If you donate to the church, donate to the schools. People are very fond of donating to the church, believing they will go to Heaven, forgetting the primary or secondary school that was housing that church before it was built to a magnificent edifice. You see that the school looks like a poultry farm.

So we are saying that people should come and help government.” Isife said that whatever is realised will be used to train teachers and purchase some materials to motivate teachers to put in their best. “We have used the money we gathered in the past to buy white boards; we printed exercise books and donated to schools, chalks, pencils and biros.

If you donate a cartoon of chalk, it means a l
ot to primary schools. The children will not forget you and their spirits are there with you,” said Isife. He noted that government is trying but that the teachers want to help the government because the number of school children is growing day and night, whereas numbers of schools are not increasing but the numbers of children are increasing. “You find a school where we have about 100 pupils in a class, a very small class of about 12-14ft size. So what we are saying is that if these people, donating to the church can come and help the schools. That will be very wonderful and the society will grow.”

Delta State NUT marches to Government House, House of Assembly

NUT Delta state,which comprise of teachers in Delta state where at the Government House as well as the state House of Assembly where they urged the state government to take over the payment of primary school teachers.

Chairman of NUT in the state, Mr Jonathan Jemirieyigbe, who led the rally decried that primary school teachers in some States including Delta were being owed salaries.

That the development would not only affect the survival of primary school teachers,it portend great danger for the future of unprivileged children in the country.

That they were not against the autonomy of local government, he said that they may  scrap the State Joint Local Government Account which according to him, may take primary education back to the dark pre-1994 era.

They were addressed by Mr.Chiedu Ebie,the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education who insisted that the payment of primary school teachers salaries was the responsibility of the local government, based on the constitutional mandate of the different tiers of government.

He also said that the management of primary and secondary education has been the function of the state government, adding that the state government has been augmenting salaries of primary school teachers even when it was not its duty to do so. He said that government has not failed to pay the state workers salaries because it was its statutory role, adding that any insinuation that government was owing primary school teachers was not correct
The march was led by the Sate chairmea, NUT, Mr Jonathan Jemirieyigbe

We owe no pensioners-Niger state Government

The Niger Government says it has paid all outstanding arrears of pension and does not owe any retiree under the old pension scheme.
The Director-General of the State Pension Board, Alhaji Tinau Mohammed, said this at a news conference in Minna on Tuesday.
Mohammed explained that on assumption of office in 2015, the state administration met liabilities of N2.6 billion at local government levels and N1 billion at the state level.
“Because of these liabilities, we had to do a lot of analysis on who was qualified and on what basis and the liabilities were forwarde
d to the governor.

“The governor approved monies and the mode of payment was divided into three batches.

“We paid 388 beneficiaries in the state; and N355 million was approved for payment of retired heads of service and permanent secretaries under the state.

“In local government, under the first and second batches, N289 million was paid to 347 and 304 beneficiaries respectively.
“So far, we have expended N1.5 billion on payment of 940 pensioners under the local government and we have paid N607 million to 388 beneficiaries under the old scheme,’’ he said.

Mohammed added that N127 million was paid to 569 pensioners and N52 million paid to 3,487 beneficiaries of state and local government respectively under the old pension scheme in June.
He said that the suspension of payment of retired civil servants under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in March 2015 was as a result of a lot of liabilities incurred by previous administrations.

He said that government was making efforts to resolve the problem of civil servants who retired under the CPS.

According to him, all deductions of civil servants under the CPS have been stopped until the problem is resolved.

He said that a proposed bill on the matter had been sent to the State House of Assembly and a committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ketso, was negotiating with the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to address the issue.

“Niger State does not owe any pensioner under the old scheme.
Those having issues with the pension are those under the CPS because of the increment in salaries by the previous administration.

“The problem of increment in salaries in 2003, 2007 and 2010 is not peculiar to Niger State only but since government is a continuous process, we are doing everything possible to address the issue,’’ Mohammed said.

The director-general gave an assurance that the liabilities incurred on payment of gratuities were being settled batch by batch.

Alhaji Baba Sani, Secretary, National Union of Pensioners in Niger, said that pensioners under the CPS protesting non-payment were not registered members of the union.
“Those under the CPS are not members of our union. Their names are not placed on pension because they are not contributing anything to the union.

“Therefore, we are not indebted to any pensioner as far as their monthly payment is concerned.

“The CPS problem is an inherited problem and we are helping them to talk to government to resolve the issue,’’ Sani said.
He appealed to the state government to address the problem with immediate effect so as to ease the sufferings of pensioners under the CPS.

NLC Cross Rivers, suspends strike

The indefinite strike action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been suspended in Cross River State. The ten day indefinite strike action was suspended today (Monday) by the two industrial Unions in Calabar, Cross River State capital.

Before now, the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had pulled out of the strike action while the Executive Chairman of Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey, had urged the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in the State to back out completely from the strike action.

Sequel to the strike action embarked upon by the Unions in the State due to the failure of government to implement the agreement reached with labour on the 30th May 2017, a meeting was convened on Sunday 2nd July 2017 to resolve the crisis.

Consequently, in a 12-point agreement signed by the representatives of government and labour, the duo agreed that the promotion exercise of deserving civil servants should continue, letters released and implemented. Commissioner for Finance, Accountant General are to implement all the agreement reached including payment of gratuities to retirees from June to December 2013.

Other aspects of the agreement were, payment of monthly imprest to MDAs a week every month while that of May 2017 is to be paid immediately.

“Full payment of salaries of newly appointed Permanent Secretaries should take effect from June 2017 while the arrears should be worked out for payment and appointment letters released forthwith, Labour to produce a list of all unpaid staff of LGAs and Primary School teachers to government through the Commissioner for Finance for verification and payment”

The agreement further added that all deductions be paid to beneficiaries immediately after payment of monthly salaries and Accountant General is to liaise with the Governor for the authorization of the release of the gratuities to LG Pensioners and all other outstanding issues to be addressed in due

course.

“No worker shall be victimized for his or her role during the strike period and the industrial action by organized labour is hereby suspended” The agreement was signed by Asuquo Ekpenyong, Head of Service, Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr, Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Helen Brown Ubom, Permanent Secretary, Min of Rural Transf. Estab and Training, Barrister Tina Agbor, Secretary to State Govt and Comrade Effiong Ita Umo, Special Adviser Dept of Labour and productivity signed for government.

Comrade John Ushie, State Chairman, NLC, Comrade Edim Oyongha, Chairman SPSNC, Chief Ita Ayi, Secretary NLC, Comrade Clarkson Otu, Chairman TUC, Comrade Julius Nkoji, Secretary, SPSNC and Comrade George Umoh, Secretary TUC signed for Labou

PENGASSAN announces election results. Com.Francis Johnson re-elected as President

The President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr. Francis Johnson, has been re-elected for a second term of three years.

A statement on Tuesday said that Johnson emerged the winner during the 5th Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the trade union after contesting against Mohammed Saleh of National Petroleum Investment Management Services and Emmanuel Eze of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company.

According to the statement, Johnson was elected for the first term in June 2014.

It stated that other elected executives of the association were Deputy President, Frank Esanubi from Chevron; and National Industrial Relations Officer, Ndukaku Ohaeri from NLNG, who was re-elected after defeating the former Port Harcourt Zonal Secretary, Elo Victor-Ogbonda.

It added that Eleas Eduga of Nigeria Agip Oil Company was also re-elected as National Financial Secretary; Victor Ononokpono of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency emerged as the Treasurer; and Fortune Obi of Shell Petroleum became the National Public Relations Officer.

The statement read in part, “Evelyn Ijeoma of Fugro was re-elected as National Women in PENGASSAN Chairperson; Yon Paul Naron of PPPRA also re-elected as National Auditor 1, and Timothy Jaiyeoba was elected National Auditor 2.”

The association said the new executive officers would be joined by six others who had earlier been elected at the zonal elections that took place in Abeokuta, Yola, and Asaba, adding that the elections of the zonal chairman and other three notable positions for the Port Harcourt zone were nullified due to irregularities.

In his acceptance speech, Johnson reiterated that security of members’ jobs would form the fulcrum of his regime.

“Under no guise will we allow our members to lose their jobs. We will fight any form of un-procedural redundancies or restructuring that affect our members. We are ready to collaborate with the government and other agents towards the development and growth of our industry,” he stated.

Do not hand us over to Local Governments- Edo State Teachers

Teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Edo State wing, have kicked against the handover of the management of primary education to the local governments.

The workers, who were drawn from the 18 local government areas of the state, made the call during a peaceful protest at the Government House in Benin on Tuesday.

The protesters made stopovers at the House of Assembly and the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.


The National President of the NUT, Mr. Michael Olukoya, who was represented by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Amos Izebhijie, said the awful experience of teachers between 1990 and 1994, when primary education was left in the hands of the councils, would continue to haunt the education sector.

“That period was bedevilled by incessant strikes, among others. The  1999 Constitution provided for who should manage primary education and that is the state government,” he said.

The state Chairman of the NUT, Mr. Loggle Iyalomhe, said the union was not concerned with local government autonomy, adding that it wanted the funding and management of primary education to be retained by the states.