Economy

NLC, CBN Meet over Planned Strike

By Web News 428

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has taken steps to avert the impending nationwide strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, billed to commence on Wednesday.

The labour union had threatened to embark on nationwide industrial action if the cash crunch, fuel scarcity and electricity tariff increase were not addressed.

In response to the strike threat by the NLC, Ngige invited the leadership of the NLC and the Central Bank of Nigeria management to a meeting in his office on Monday, to resolve their differences.

The 10-man delegation of the NLC was led by its President, Joe Ajaero, and the General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, while the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was accompanied by two Deputy Governors, Kingsley Obiora (Economic Policy) and Ade Shonubi (Organised Private Sector).

Making his opening remarks, Ngige refuted the allegation by the NLC that his ministry did nothing about the matter.

He said on receiving the letter from NLC, he forwarded same to the CBN Governor before travelling out of the country for an International Labour Organisation Governing Board meeting and directed the Permanent Secretary and Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations Department to follow up.

On his own part, Emefiele said when he received the letter from the labour ministry, he called the President of NLC to brief him on steps taken to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.

He said he went further to have a meeting with NLC president, which he said resulted in the large volume of funds made available to the deposit money banks.

Ajaero urged the CBN to improve on their services, regretting the information gap created in the implementation of the naira redesign.

He said, “The NLC could not have stopped CBN from taking good decisions and implementing them in the interest of the nation. If stakeholders were invited and briefed on the policy, when the people complain, NLC would explain everything to them. But in this case, the CBN did it alone. Moreover, it is a wrong time for administering such a national policy.”

Ajaero said the National Executive Committee of NLC will meet Tuesday to take a decision on the planned strike.

Culled / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Education

FG’s Suit against ASUU Adjourned till Friday

By Web News 424

The suit against the Academic Staff Union of Universities which was filed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has been adjourned,

The matter came up before Justice Polycarp Hamman of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja.

The Federal Government on Monday urged the National Industrial Court to order ASUU to call off its seven months strike.

Joined as a claimant in the matter is the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, with the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, as the sole defendant.

When the matter slated for mention came up, human rights activist, Ebunolu Adegoruwa, SAN, informed the court that he was representing the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and that he had filed a suit on the same subject matter before the same court.

He also stated that in the suit NICN/ABJ/269/2022, SERAP was the claimant with the Federal Government as the defendant.

He, therefore, proceeded to apply that the extant suit be consolidated and SERAP be joined in the suit as a defendant, instead of multiple suits on the same matter before the same court.

Counsel to the claimant, Mr T.A Gazali, SAN, in response, said the application was premature and added that there was no need for SERAP to pray to be joined in a suit, orally, in a matter that did not have its name on the cause list.

Mr Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to ASUU, in his response, informed the court that both counsel had informed him on Monday that they were both filing some papers.

Falana, in addition, urged the court to step down the matter to enable both counsel to file their papers and then return at a later date after which he would have responded to the claimant’s process.

Adegoruwa replied that the defendant had not denied the existence of the suit SERAP filed and served on them.

Gazali, on his part, also informed the court that his process would be filed Monday, and Falana said he would need three days to reply to the process.

The judge, in his ruling, adjourned the matter until Friday, for further mention.

He also directed that the claimant should file, serve his process, and the defendant to also file and serve his response before the adjourned date.

Hamman, in addition, ruled that SERAP’s application to be joined in the suit was premature.

The suit filed by the claimant is also seeking the court to give the matter an accelerated hearing in order to bring the dispute to an end.

The claimant, also, in the instrument of referral, is praying the court to: “Inquire into the legality or otherwise of the on-going prolonged strike by ASUU leadership and members which had continued even after apprehension by the Minister of Labour and Employment.

“Interpret in its entirety the provisions of Section 18, LFN 2004 especially as it applies to the cessation of strike once a trade dispute is apprehended by the Minister of Labour end Employment and conciliation is on-going”

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Education

Strike: FG Faults ASUU’s Stance

By Web News 559

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has blamed the Academic Staff Union of Universities for prolonging the strike in the country.

The Minister who disclosed this in a statement issued by Acting Head of Press and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, in the ministry said the union had made negotiation difficult for both parties

While reacting to the insinuations that he was responsible for the ongoing action by the union, The Minister Emphasized he had done what many could not do to forestall strikes by ASUU.

According to him, negotiation now is being made impossible by ASUU.

“For example, ASUU insists that the National Information and Technology Development Agency, NITDA, should take the payment platform, University Transparency Accountability Solution that it developed.

“That they should deploy it for payment in the university whether it is good or bad, whether it failed integrity and vulnerability test or not.

“ASUU members know that fraud committed on payment platforms can run into billions. If a hacker adds zeros to hundreds, it becomes billions,’’ he said.

Ngige noted that NITDA brought out the report of its test on UTAS, noting that it passed the user acceptability but failed vulnerability and integrity tests which were the two critical tests that prevented fraud.

“As a conciliator, I spoke to ASUU and NITDA to continue the test and see whether they could make up the lapses and arrive at 100 per cent because that is what NITDA insists on,” he said.

“NITDA said they cannot even take the platform at 99.9 per cent of vulnerability and integrity. That they can’t take that risk on a payment system, that it can be hacked into.

“These are the issues. So if you hear someone saying Ngige is responsible, it is wrong. I’m not the one that implements it. I’m the conciliator.

“I conciliate so that there will be no more warfare and even in conciliation, once I apprehend, the parties go back to status quo ante- which means, you call off the strike.

“ASUU should have by now called off the strike because that’s what the law says.

He also revealed that Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee on Renegotiation of 2009 Agreement which ASUU shunned despite several appeals to them had rounded off its assignment and submitted it to the Ministry of Education.

He added that “we will follow it from there. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel”.

The minister, however, noted that he had successfully conciliated 1,683 industrial disputes since his assumption of office in 2015.

He said the role of the Minister of Labour was to conciliate disputes and did not include the implementation of agreements reached with parties.

“However, when conciliation fails, the Minister is under obligation by sections 9 and 14 of Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria to transmit the results of the negotiation to the Industrial Arbitration Panel or to National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

“In the ongoing ASUU imbroglio, I’m the conciliator. I bring them to negotiate with their employers.

“That is the Ministry of Education and the National University Commission as well as IPPIS, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, all under the Ministry of Finance.

“At the end of every negotiation, we put down what everybody has agreed on in writing and add timelines for implementation,” he said.

The Minister also noted that ASUU strike had been a recurrent decimal in the last 20 years, adding “that they had gone on strike, 16 times. So, there is nothing new as such”.

Punch/Adebukola Aluko

News

Four Feared Dead as Ministers’ Convoy Crashes In Delta

By Web News 718

Four policemen were feared dead in the accident involving the convoy of the Chief of Staff,Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; and his counterpart in Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

The convoy was reported to have, crashed during the inspection of a bridge in Asaba, Delta State.

The driver was alleged to have lost control of the vehicle conveying security operatives and crashed into a deep pit.

A witness, John Okorie, said the incident happened when the vehicle conveying the victims was negotiating the bend leading to the construction site of the Second Niger Bridge at  Asaba.

It was gathered that the police vehicle was speeding to meet up with the ministers’ vehicles when it veered off the road and crashed.

Also, a Delta Line driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The incident was very fatal.

“The policeman driver was speeding and while negotiating the bend because of the speed could not control the vehicle. They crashed into a deep pit. I was at the back of the convoy, driving slowly.

“With the help of other people, we rescued four of them but they were badly injured. They were shouting as the vehicle fell on them.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, DSP Bright Edafe, said he was yet to receive the accident report as of the time of filling this report.

“I have not received the accident report, I will get back to you,” he said.

Culled From Punch

Yoruba

Awon Gomina Yio Sepade Lati Wa Ojutu Sawon Ipenija Tile Yi Nkoju

By Web News 604

Awon Gomina l’awon ipinle merindinlogoji nile yi ni won yio sepade papo lola lona ati wa ojutu sawon oniruuru ipenija to nkoju ile yi.

Egbe awon gomina nile yi NGF lo kede oro yi ninu atejade ti eniti o wa foro iroyin ati ipolongo won, Ogbeni Abdulrazaq-Bello Barkindo fi sita nilu Abuja.

Ogbeni Bello-Barkindo so wipe awon Gomina nibi ipade ori ero ayelujara ti yio bere ni aago meji osan yio jiroro lori ase ijoba, kewa, awon oro to nja rayinrayin ati ajakale arun Covid-19 to be sile fun igba keta.

O fikun wipe oludari agba fun egbe NGF, Ogbeni Asishana Okauru ni yio foro to won lati lori ibiti nkan de duro lori ase ijoba kewa nibi ipade ti won ti se pelu alakoso foro awon osise ati igbanisise, Omowe Chris Ngige.

Gegebi o se so, iyanselodi ti egbe awon osise ile ejo nile yi ati tawon osise ile igbimo asofin nile yi gunle naa wa lara ofin ti won yio gbe yewo.

Oluwayemisi Dada

Yoruba

Ẹgbẹ òsìsẹ́ àti ìjọba sún ìdúnadúrà lórí owó osù síwájú

By Web News 771

Ìpàdé lórí ẹ̀kún owó osù oní ẹgbẹ̀rún lọ́nà ọgbọ̀n tí ẹgbẹ́ àwọn òsìsẹ́ àti ìjọba gùùnlé ni ó tún ti forí sọ́pọ́n nígbàtí wọ́n ò lee fẹnu kò síbi kan lẹ́yìn wákàtí mẹ́san tí wọ́n ti ńsèpàdé.

Alákoso fọ́rọ̀ àwọn òsìsẹ́ àti ìgbanisísẹ́, Dókítà Chris Ngige nígbàtí ó n bá àwọn oníròyìn sọ̀rọ̀ nílu Abuja lẹ́yìn ìpàdé ọ̀hún ni wọ́n ti gbé isẹ́ fún àwọn ìgbìmọ̀ kan àti wípé àbájáde àwọn ìgbìmọ̀ ọ̀hún ni wọn ńdúró dè wọ́n tó léè fẹnukò lórí owó osù tuntun ọ̀hún.

Ó ní wọn yóò tun tẹ̀síwájú pẹ̀lú ìpàdé náà nígbàtí ó bá di áàgo méje àsálẹ́ òní.

Alága ẹgbẹ́ àwọn òsìsẹ́, Ayuba Waba ni àwọn ọmọ ilẹ̀ yí ní wọn yo fi àbájàde ìpàdé ọ̀hún tó létí kété tí wọ́n parí ìpàdé tuntun tí wọ́n fẹ́ se yi.

Kẹmi Ogunkọla/Dada Oluwayẹmisi

Yoruba

Ìjọba àpapọ̀ ńgbèrò àtúngbéyẹ̀wò owó àwọn tó dipò òsèlú mú

By Web News 746

Ìjọba àpapọ̀ ti sọ pé, kòní pẹ́ tó n yóò fi sàgbéyẹ̀wò owó osù gbogbo àwọn tó dipò òsèlú mú pátá.

Ìlú Abuja lalákoso fọ́rọ̀ isẹ́ àti ìgbanisísẹ́, ọ̀mọ̀wé Chris Ngige ti sísọ lójú ọ̀rọ̀ yíì, lákokò àbẹ̀wò ẹgbẹ́ àwọn òsìsẹ́ láwọn ìjọba ìbílẹ̀.

Gẹ́gẹ́ bó se wípé, ó sepàtàkì kíwọ́n sàgbéyẹ̀wò owó osù àtàwọn àjẹmọ́nú tíwọ́n ńfáwọn tó dipò òsèlú mú, tófimọ́ táwọn òsìsẹ́ kan láwọn ilé-isẹ́ àtàwọn àjọ ìjọba.

Ọmọwe Ngige kò sài tún sọ́ọ́di mímọ̀ pe, ìgbìmọ̀ náà yóò tun bojúwo ìlànà ìsanwó àwọn òsìsẹ́ ìjọba, lẹ́yìn àyẹ̀wò fínífíní tíwọ́n bá ti se lórí rẹ̀.

Kẹmi Ogunkọla/Seyifunmi Ọlarinde

Yoruba

Ìdúnadúrà láarin ìjọba àti ẹgbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ ńtẹ̀síwájú

By Web News 764

Ìdúnadúrà tó ń wáyé láarin ìjọba àpapọ̀ àtẹgbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ lórí ọ̀rọ̀ owó osù àwọn òsìsẹ́ tókéré jùlọtún bẹ̀rẹ̀ lóni nílu Abuja.

Ìpàdé náà tí wọn ò forí rẹ̀ tìsíbìkan lána niwọ́n tún gùnlé ní dédé ago méjì ọ̀sán òní.

Igbákejì àarẹ ẹgbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ nílẹ̀ yíì, ọ̀gbẹ́ni Amaechi Asugunim, fi ìrètí hàn pe, ìpàdé náà yóò so èso rere.

Nínú ọ̀rọ̀ tìẹ, alákoso fọ́rọ̀ isẹ́ àti ìgbanisísẹ́, ọ̀mọ̀wé Chris Ngige, sàlàyé pé, bíjọba àpapọ̀ bá se ohun táwọn òsìsẹ́ ńbèrè fún, yóò mú kétò ọ̀rọ̀ ajé ilẹ̀ yíì pakasọ.

Bí ìjọba àpapọ̀ bá tẹ́wọ́gba ohun tẹ́gbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ ń bèrè fún, ó tímọ̀dì pé, bí àbá ètò ìsúná ọdún 2020, láwọn òsìsẹ́ ọba bi milliọnu kan àbọ̀ yóò máà gbà.

A ó rántí pé ọ̀sẹ̀ tókọjá lẹgbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ sèlérí pé, àwọn yóò gùnlé ìyansẹ́lódì yíká orílẹ̀èdè bíjọba àpapọ̀ bá kùnà láti sàmúlò owó osù tuntu.

Kẹmi Ogunkọla/Ọmọlọla Alamu

Yoruba

Ìjọba àpapọ̀ àti ẹgbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ ńfikùnlukùn lórí owó òsìsẹ́ tuntun

By Web News 737

Ìjọba àpapọ̀ ilẹ̀ yíì àti ẹgbẹ́ àwọn òsìsẹ́ ńfikùnlukùn láti fọ̀rọ̀jomito ọ̀rọ̀, lórí àlékún owó osù òsìsẹ́ tówà lákàsọ̀ tókéréjù ẹgbẹ̀rún lọ́nà ọgbọ̀n náirà.

Ìpàdé yíì ló ń wáyé lẹ́yìn ìpàdé èyí tíwọ́n se lána òdeyi níbi tẹ́gbẹ́ àwọn òsìsẹ́ ti fi ìpinu wọn lórí àlékún náà hàn, tí ìpàdé òní sì níse pẹ̀lú ìpinu ìyansẹ́lódì tẹ́gbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ fẹ́ gùnlé lọ́la òde yíì tíjọba bákọ̀ láti fẹnuọ̀rọ̀ kò lóni yíì.

Ẹgbẹ́ àwọn òsìsẹ́ ni àgbáríjọpọ̀ ìgbìmọ̀ tó ńrísí ìdúnadúrà fáwọn òsìsẹ́ yóò sojúfún nípasẹ̀ adelé alága, Achaver Simon àti akọ̀wé ìgbìmọ̀ náà Alade Lawal.

Alákoso fọ́rọ̀ isẹ́ nílẹ̀ yíì, Chris Ngige ti pe àwọn adarí fẹ́gbẹ́ òsìsẹ́ láti péjú síbi ìpàdé ọ̀hún. Kẹmi Ogunkọla/Ọmọlọla Alamu