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Nigeria to engage telecom firms on contract staffing
By LAZ IBEABUCHI
Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu said that the Federal Government is set to engage stakeholders in the telecommunication sector over the issues of contract staffing and outsourcing.
Giving this assertion at the 55th Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA on “Industrial Harmony as a Panacea for Sustainable Economic Development: Government’s Blueprint” in Lagos, the Minister said this is borne out of the relative success recorded in regulating and reducing the number of disputes on Contract Staffing/Outsourcing in the oil and gas sector.
He said, “Our plan is to identify and articulate similar consensus building in other sectors so that the economy can generate the required steam for development and growth. We are broadening the base of our consultation on policy options.”
Speaking on the large recurrent expenditure, Chief Wogu said that the N18000 minimum wage caused the increment in the 2012 fiscal year recurrent expenditure to 72 per cent.
Currently, the Federal Government wage bill is N1.66 trillion out of N2.7 trillion budgeted for recurrent expenditure in 2012 fiscal year; while the capital expenditure is N1.34 trillion. This shows that the government is spending more on wage bill which surpasses money appropriated for infrastructural development, in an economy that projects to be among 20 best economies in year 2020.
Chief Wogu said though the government is the highest employer of labour in the country, it has no plan to downsize because the President Jonathan’s transformation agenda places emphasize on employment creation.
The Minister however said the government is doing a lot to reduce the cost of governance. He said the government is not happy that capital budget is just about 28 per cent, adding that the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), chaired by General Theophilus Danjuma, on the need for effective and optimal management of national resources, is being implemented.
On industrial harmony, he enjoined employers of labour to often abide by rule of law. “There are many cases where employers of labour failed to obey court orders on labour issues. If you say government should always obey the rule of law, then other social partners including employers of labour and labour unions must do same to bring about industrial harmony and better welfare for the Nigerian citizenries.”
Earlier in his remark, the President of NECA, Chief Richard Uche had said the casualty of industrial disharmony is the Nigerian economy.
He said, “The essence of rule of law in any society is to promote orderliness, civility and development, with our knowledge of past experience in promoting industrial harmony in Nigeria, the current dispensation is arguably the worst in the annals of industrial relations in the country.
“The current clime is characterized by flagrant disobedience of court order, spontaneous and illegal strike, vandalisation of company’s property in the name of strikes, disrespect for union jurisdictional scope (sympathy strike) disregard for grievance and trade dispute procedures, among others.”
He therefore called on the wholesale reform of the country’s Industrial Relations System that will protect the rights of all economic actors, (government, employers and labour) and promote productivity.
Gunmen believed to be kidnappers have reportedly abducted an unspecified number of employees from the Dangote Cement Company Plc in Okpella, Etsako West local government area of Edo state.
The incident occurred on Monday when the workers were traveling back to Okpella town in a staff bus after work.
According to an anonymous source from Okpella community, the gunmen ambushed the bus, emerged from the bush, halted the vehicle at gunpoint, and then took the workers into the bush.
The source added “Yes, we heard of it, they said they were in a Coaster bus coming to Okpella after work when they were kidnapped by gunmen. But, we don’t know the numbers of the workers that have been kidnapped.”
Confirmation from police authorities regarding the incident was unavailable as calls and messages to the State Commissioner of Police and the Command’s spokesperson went unanswered.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and First Exploration & Production Limited (First E&P) joint venture (JV) has donated the sum of N53 million to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Nigeria.
Under the JV’s Impact First Initiative, the donation, targeted towards enhancing societal welfare, would address areas such as good healthcare and well-being, quality education as well as economic growth within the nation.
Speaking during the cheque presentation ceremony, NNPC Ltd’s Chief Upstream Investment Officer (CUIO), NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti, expressed gratitude to First E & P for initiating the laudable programme.
Represented by the Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, Mrs. Edith Lawson, Wunti highlighted NNPC Ltd’s belief in the power of CSR, stressing that the Company remains committed to working with its partners to impact the lives of the less-privileged.
Wunti said under the initiative, projects and programmes executed include the provision of classrooms, ICT Centres, laboratories and other infrastructural intervention projects, scholarships, quiz competitions, skill acquisitions, and economic empowerment, a testimony to NNPC’s dedication to fostering sustainable development in Nigeria.
Wunti described First E & P’s foresight and leadership as commendable, adding that the partner has spearheaded the initiative towards meaningful change that will ensure a better future for all Nigerians.
Among the beneficiaries of the donation were the Irede Foundation, which provides custom-made artificial limbs to child amputees aged 0-18 and Human Development Initiative (HDI), which focuses on tackling fundamental issues of poverty, injustice, neglect, deprivation, and equality among vulnerable people.
Others were the OISA Foundation, which transforms lives through interventions in the education and healthcare sectors; Cerebral Palsy Center, which renders support to families with children with cerebral palsy as well as the Niola Cancer Care Foundation, which organises awareness talks and screens communities for colon cancer.
In a heartwarming gesture, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, has announced plans to arrange marriages for 100 female orphans who lost their parents to banditry in Mariga Local Government Area.
Sarkindaji stated that he will cover the grooms’ dowries and has already obtained all necessary items for the collective wedding event.
The selected girls were chosen from a group of 170, as part of the Speaker’s constituency empowerment project to support the underprivileged.
Sarkindaji further revealed that the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, and the Emir of Kontagora, Alhaji Mohammed Barau, will serve as guardians for the 100 female orphans during their collective marriage ceremony.
The event, scheduled for May 24 in Bangi, Mariga Local Government Area, will also be attended by Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, the Kano State Commander General of the Hisbah Board.
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