Victorson Agbenson Missions To Villages

A happy holiday season to you

“No responsible Commander-in-Chief would rest on his oars or fold his hands to allow terrorists to endanger the lives of its military personnel and other citizens.

"Our loyal forces have proved their strength over the terrorists and we are ready to give them all the needed support in terms of equipment and manpower to succeed in ending the renewed threat.

" In the coming days, I am engaging the Military and Intelligence Chiefs in extensive discussions on the next steps we shall be taking.”

- MUHAMMADU BUHARI, President and Commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces in a statement released by his Spokesman, Garba Shehu, on Saturday concerning the Boko haram attacks that led to the death of hundreds of soldiers in Metele, Borno state.

Cr: credit

The attention of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Organized Labour, the Working Class, Pensioners and their families have been drawn to a statement credited to the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, the Governor of Zamfara State threatening to sack workers on the account of the New National Minimum Wage of N30,000.
It would interest Nigerians to know that the New National Minimum Wage of N30,000 was a product of intense and robust negotiations at the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee that lasted for one year between November 2017 to November 2018. At the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee, State governments were represented by six states, one state from each of the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. A letter was sent by the Tripartite Committee to every state to send in their memorandum as their input to the national minimum wage negotiations. It is on record that 21 States responded by sending memoranda with figures.
Subsequently, public hearings were conducted in each of the geo-political zones in the country. The State governments were all represented at the zonal hearings and made their input to discussions towards a new national minimum wage. The demand of organized labour was N66,500. From the memoranda submitted to the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee by State governments, there were proposals by some states to even pay higher than the negotiated national minimum wage of N30,000.
After extended and extensive negotiations by the Tripartite Committee, a final compromise figure of N30,000 was agreed by all the partners – Government, Organized Labour and Employers in the Private Sector. This agreement took on board prevailing economic indices and factors especially as outlined in Convention 131 and Recommendation 95 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on Criteria and Procedure for Collective Bargaining especially towards arriving at a National Minimum Wage for any country.
It was on the basis of this agreement that the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee concluded its work and submitted its Report to Mr. President on the 6th of November, 2018. This ended the process of negotiations for a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
The statement of Mr. Abdulaziz Yari purportedly for the Nigeria Governors Forum, one year after the inauguration of the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee, is certainly an after-thought and has no place in the collective bargaining process. We understand that Mr. Yari Abdulaziz’s position is at the instance of a few anti-worker governors. We are not in any doubt that many worker-friendly governors are ready to pay even higher than the negotiated N30,000 new national minimum wage.
In view of the foregoing, Organized Labour wishes to firmly reiterate its stand as follows:
1. The process of negotiation by the tripartite social partners for a new National Minimum Wage has ended and a new National Minimum Wage of N30,000 has been agreed upon by government, labour and employers in the private sector;
2. The 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) recognizes individual states in the Collective Bargaining Process NOT Nigeria Governors Forum. The states, like the other social partners, have already defended their positions during negotiations at the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee vis-à-vis counter proposals;
3. The threat to sack workers is not new in the struggle for review of the national minimum wage in Nigeria. Therefore, the current one by the Governor of Zamfara State cannot be used to intimidate labour. The consequences of workers retrenchment are too grievous for any political office holder truly elected by the people to contemplate;
4. We propose that since a few political office holders are bent on enslaving Nigerian workers with peanuts mislabeled as salaries, we urge such elected public officials to subject their humungous salaries and allowances, reputed to be among the highest in the world, pro rata with the minimum wage they want to force down the throats of Nigerian
workers. We, therefore, urge each State Governor to go to their respective states and inform workers and their families their individual position on the new national minimum wage of N30,000;
5. Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari should desist from using the platform of the Nigeria Governors Forum to seek political relevance. His tactics of blackmail against workers is already time worn and the stench is already offensive;
6. The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Organized Labour urge workers to remain steadfast and firm on our rights to decent wages and improved living conditions. To the oppressors, we have only one answer for you – We will never sleep on our rights!
7. We hereby reiterate our directive to Nigerian workers to vote out any politician or political party that refuses to pay the new national minimum wage of N30,000. We shall continue to consolidate our efforts to strengthen already existing platforms and structures to give teeth to our resolve to vote out anti-labour governors and politicians in the forthcoming 2019 general election;
8. Finally, organized labour and Nigerian workers call on President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of some people, especially in the Nigeria Governors Forum because they are wont, for selfish and personal reasons, to present him as an anti-worker President and by extension orchestrate anti-Buhari sentiments in the populace.
In light of this, we call on him to speedily present to the National Assembly the bill on the National Minimum Wage for appropriate amendment and implementation.

Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni
President, Nigeria Labour Congress

15th November, 2018

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE RECENT BAIL GRANTED TO FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, COL. SAMBO DASUKI BY A FEDERAL HIGH COURT SITTING IN ABUJA ON MONDAY, JULY 2, 2018
BY: DR. KAYODE AJULO

In his Oath of Office, taken on May 29, 2015 President Muhammadu Buhari said, “The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution.”

Three years down the line, this solemn vow seems to have been kept in the breach as the Presidency, the Federal Executive in Nigeria has obviously disregarded and discountenanced with impunity any ruling or judgment of court which appears not to suit its purpose.

In a country where the Rule of Law is highly esteemed or given any regard at all, adherence to court rulings should not be about an individual’s feelings, whims and caprices, rather deference and absolute obedience to one of the fulcrums of our democracy and maintenance of the sanctity of the courts should be the order of the day.

It is in this regard that I hope that the President Muhammadu Buhari led Executive of the Federal Government of Nigeria will give regard to, comply with and without fail, obey the latest court order/ruling delivered by Hon. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on the bail of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and other court rulings, orders and judgments seeking compliance by the Executive of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

I must emphatically point out that the failure of the Executive of Federal Government to allow Col. Dasuki enjoy bail which has been granted to him severally (six now in total) is a danger to our nascent democracy and those of us who are ministers in the temple of justice ought to cry out before we are buried in the sands of impunity.

Take note that if Dasuki who is part of the few power elite could be treated with such impunity, then there is no such guarantee that other Nigerians/clients who are granted reprieve by the courts to the dissatisfaction of the government will be allowed their liberty as granted by the courts.

Therefore, if the Executive of the Federal Government of Nigeria fails to honour the bail order by Justice Ojukwu within Seven (7) Days of fulfilment of the bail Condition as stipulated by the court, I appeal to the Nigeria Bar Association to boycott the courts and urge the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to resign his position in the circumstance.

But let me also put on record without equivocation that should the NBA fail to see this threat to democracy and heed my appeal, I will proceed to boycott the courts and galvanize like minds in this regard to show that Nigeria is not a Banana Republic where the Government can pick and choose which Court order to obey or disobey.

The efficacy of court rulings is in their applications by all parties irrespective of how they feel about such orders. The Executive of the Federal Government of Nigeria cannot be allowed to cherry pick which judgment to obey.

It is an irony that the Executive recently finds it expedient to obey the Judgment of the Supreme Court on the Nigerian Football Federation after a long hesitation but not on Dasuki.

We should all know that if the Executive is allowed to decide which orders it will obey, it will totally endanger the authority of the judiciary as an arm of Government which can put the Executive in check and it offers little or no hope to citizens that their fundamental human rights can be guaranteed.