Jubilations over the proposed National Minimum Wage of N30, 000 by the embattled organized labour on behalf of Nigerian workers, seem to have ended abruptly following discordant tunes over the amount. Expectedly, while the Ayuba Wabba-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on behalf of other recognized registered labour unions, is insisting the report of the Ama Pepple-led Tripartite Committee on Review of the National Minimum Wage had recommended N30,000, the Presidency had contrary to raging insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari had endorsed the amount, warned sternly, that Nigerians should disregard such reports. Instead, the presidency said the president merely formally received the report and promised to forward soon, a draft National Wage Bill 2018 to the National Assembly for passage. Although he reiterated that Nigeria is facing economic challenges, welfare of workers, according to him, “remains paramount to the government”.
It would be recalled that a lot of controversy had bedevilled the proposed new national minimum wage following inauguration of the tripartite committee on November 27, 2017 by Mr. President. Last review of national minimum wage was sometime in 2011 while ordinarily, it should be done every five years. Before now, there had been allegations from certain quarters that government, like its immediate past predecessor, may not be totally sincere in its promise to introduce new wage for workers. This arose as a result of avoidable long delay by Federal Government through Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to indicate its own figure, as well as the footdragging by the all-powerful Governor Yari Abdulaziz-led Nigeria Governors’ Forum over amount state governors are ready to pay their workers, especially bearing in mind that many states have defaulted in payment of current N18, 000 national minimum wage.
About two months ago, the organized labour urged workers to embark on indefinite strike following government’s failure to disclose its figure so that the committee could submit its report to the president. Eventually, government agreed to submit its figure and organized labour called off the strike that lasted a few days. Again, when government was dilly-dallying over the matter, Wabba announced that another indefinite strike that would shut down the entire country would commence on November 6, 2018. Consequently, government hurriedly had a meeting and reportedly agreed to accept organised labour’s proposed N30,000 which was said to have been agreed to by the tripartite committee which later led to presentation of the report to Mr.President on November 6, 2018.
If the committee had recommended N30,000 in the report presented to the president, what then led to discordant tunes over the amount?. Who gave organized labour the impression that the president had endorsed the amount which was widely reported in the media the following day?. Does organized labour realise the journey to new national minimum wage could still be far and tedious since there are several hurdles to cross even beyond the life of the sitting administration?. Organised labour should be commended for accepting to reduce its figure from initial N65,500 to N30,000 in view of the country’s economic realities. Are governors still sticking to their guns that they cannot pay more than N22, 500?.
Now that excitement and reported victory over the prolonged minimum wage battle has been short-lived, is organised labour contemplating a renewed indefinite strike soon if there are clear signs that the N30,000 new wage would not materialise before 2019 general elections?. Any iota of truth in widely rumoured insinuations that presidency wanted to score political point even if it never intended to endorse N30,000, by allowing the president to receive the report in order to prevent organized labour from commencing the indefinite strike slated for November 6, 2018?.
If the strike had started, it could have led to cancellation of the widely publicised visit of Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George and his wife, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Camilla, to Nigeria on the same day. This could have caused the country a lot of embarrassment. Now that organised labour had sacrificed everything by providing enabling environment for Mr. President to receive the report and for the royal family’s hitch-free visit to hold, will government act promptly and decisively by ending the discordant tunes over the new national minimum wage by fast-tracking the remaining processes?. By the way, the governors were reported to be threatening they would downsize if they are to pay N30,000. Somebody should tell them they are not only playing with head of a cobra those of them seeking re-election risk being voted out in 2019.
Gov. Okorocha’s Dilemma
This is certainly not the best of times for embattled Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as his sleepless nights over his avoidable lingering political travails may not end soon. Over the years, especially since May 29, 1999, he has been fortunate to record some political victories which culminated in his election in 2011 and re-election in 2015. This time around, his spirited efforts to impose his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, on the good people of Imo as his successor in 2019, have failed beyond redemption. If he is not careful, and insists on fighting on, on this dangerously immoral path which as Chairman of APC Governors’ Forum, has so far portrayed him in bad light, he would not only lose his Senatorial ambition, he could also plunge Imo into monumental political crisis ahead of 2019. It is therefore in the interest of Imolites to warn their governor who is reported to also be eyeing Igbo presidency in 2023 not to allow his inordinate political ambition of finally turning Imo into exclusive political property or enclave of the Okorocha family, to becloud his sense of reasoning. Imo politics should not be a do-or-die affair either in 2019 or beyond.
Randy Varsity Lecturers
In spite of warnings by relevant authorities, as well as parents and guardians that university lecturers should stop harassing female students they are paid to teach, some black sheep or bad eggs among ASUU members that cannot control their insatiable appetites for sexual abuse, are yet to desist from engaging in such shameful and condemnable immoral misdemeanours. Unfortunately, ASUU that has been battling successive administrations over poor working conditions and decaying infrastructure in public universities, has failed to engage in self-cleansing by exposing their members who sexually harass female students through sex-for-mark and get them punished severely, to avert further pollution of the Nigerian university system.
However, it is gladdening that OAU, Ile-Ife Professor Richard Akindele, dismissed recently over sex-for-mark scandal, is finally facing trial. This will serve as a deterrent to other lecturer-sex-maniacs in Nigerian universities. Outcome of the investigation ordered by authorities of UNILAG into allegation of sexual harassment in exchange for mark levelled against Professor Olusegun Awonusi, is being awaited by the public. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, should ensure justice is done. Dismissal of three lecturers – Dr. Sunkanmi Odubunmi, Dr. Ajani Ogunwande and Dr. Emmanuel Gbeleyi, recently by Governing Council of LASU for sexual harassment and misconduct, was step in the right direction. They should face trial unfailingly
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