JUST IN: Workers Set For Strike Tomorrow Over Minimum Wage

Workers Set For Strike Tomorrow Over Minimum Wage
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The organised labour will tomorrow (midnight of Wednesday) commence a nationwide  warning strike to compel the Federal Government (FG) in the ongoing negotiations over a new national minimum wage.

The strike option was agreed by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) after an emergency meeting in Lagos State.

A statement released yesterday by the NLC addressed to all industrial unions and all NLC state councils, informed them of the commencement of a nationwide warning strike in respect of the non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage, effective from midnight of Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

The statement by the NLC Secretary General, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson directed all industrial unions and state councils to commence mobilization immediately for an effective strike action nation-wide.

It would be recalled that the organised labour has been advocating for an upward review of the workers' minimum wage from N18,000 to N56,000. 

BREAKING: Court Nullifies Madumere's Impeachment

Court Nullifies Madumere;s Impeachment
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A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital has nullified the impeachment of the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere, by the State's lawmakers.

The court’s nullification is on the ground that Madumere’s impeachment did not follow due process, therefore illegal.

The presiding judge, Justice Benjamin Iheka, who made the announcement on Tuesday, 25th September 2018 insisted that he (Madumere) remains the Deputy Governor of the state.

Justice Iheka faulted the Chief Judge of Imo state Pascal Nnadi and the Attorney General of the state Miletus Nlemadim, of the process of the impeachment.

According to Justice Iheka, the Chief Judge did not comply with section 188 subsection 5 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

It (constitution) stipulates that the Chief Judge must set up a 7-man panel of inquiry within 7 days but on the contrary, the Chief Judge did after 9 days. According to the constitution, such action makes the impeachment process invalid, null and void.

Madumere was impeached on July 30, 2018, by 19 out of the 27 lawmakers on allegations of absence without reasons for a period of three months and a failure to perform constitutional duties like attending state executive and state security council meetings.

Others included his alleged failure to attend meetings with the governor and other government functionaries as well as an alleged concealment of felonious acts in the United States of America (USA).

BREAKING: Buhari Approves N42.68bn For Aviation, Education Sectors

Buhari Approves N42.68bn For Aviation, Education  Sectors
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The Nigeris's President, Muhammadu Buhari had graciously approved the sum of N22.68 billion to be immediately paid ex-workers of the Nigeria Airways Limited in liquidation, after fifteen years.

In addition , the president directed the sum of N20 billion be released to the public universities for revitalization scheme.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed communicated President Buhari's directive on Monday, 24th September 2018 at a joint meeting with the ex-workers of the defunct National Carrier and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU).

Ex-workers of the airline have been in a dire and despair condition following accumulated outstanding benefits running for years after the airline was liquidated. The distraught ex- workers staged a protest Tuesday at the entrance gate to the headquarters of ministry of finance, a day after resumption of office of the new Minister. Zainab empathized protesting ex- workers with a promised to take up the issue.

She said: ” Upon my resumption of office as the Minister of Finance, some pending fiscal issues in the aviation and education sectors were immediately brought to my attention. As such, I took it as a challenge to quickly address key issues regarding the settlement of existing claims in both of these sectors. Consequently upon this , i’m happy to inform you that Mr. President has graciously approved the sum of N22.68 billion and N20 billion to aviation and education sectors respectively “.
While promising that, the balance of fund of retired Airways workers would be paid as soon as government finances improve , which she pegs at six months from now, she said the initial amount after liquation came to N78 billion.

” This amount was verified by Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) and other relevant stakeholders in line with the condition of service of Nigeria Airways in liquidation and other extant rules and regulations. At the end of which the sum of N45 billion was agreed as the total retirements benefits of the affected staff”.

On N20 billion approval for public universities, which came in the wake of ASUU’s fresh ultimatum for strike, Zainab said revitalization fund to be released to beneficiary universities was inline with administration’s determination to revitalize public universities to ensure smooth running.
” You may recall that the ASUU signed a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) with the federal government of Nigeria sometime in 2013 on the terms and conditions on which the government would improve funding for staff welfare and the provision of critical infrastructure in our public universities. However, the implementation of this bilateral agreement has had certain challenges due to revenue shortages and other reasons “, she said.

Responding, ASUU Vice- President Emmanuel Oshodeke said the agreement entered with government was higher than what government offered.