Trade Union Congress

At the present time, in Nigeria, only a handful of civil and public servants take their duties seriously and wholeheartedly.

Their attitude is directly related to the position of government in the three tiers on issues of workers' welfare and conditions of service.

Indeed, the focus of those on government payroll in any given line of duty or assignment is what is in it to gain and not what ought to be done. In other words, selfless devotion to duty is no longer there.

Assigned tasks in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies are no longer done properly and promptly. A sizable number of workers no longer possess a sense of responsibility. Who is to blame ?

For several years now, the monster of indiscipline has continued to fester, with due process as the major casualty. The struggle for ''power'' among government workers is the most prominent activity going on in most offices.

Sharp practices are the order of the day. This is partly as a result of the sectional democracy in vogue today.

At the federal, state and local government levels, workers, who are co-opted to generate revenue for the government, make good use of the opportunity to protect their future.

The source of inspiration for this category of workers includes stories of government workers who retired in 2010 and are yet to be paid their gratuities.

 Workers ought to be devoted and committed to duty, to avoid negative reports from their superiors.

The worrisome question everywhere at present is : has the insensitive attitude of government ensured workers' devotion and commitment to duty ?

 A Disturbing Community Leadership

For a while now, the chairman of the Molusi street, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo state Landlords and Tenants Association, one Akeem, alongside Indian Hemp smoking hoodlums, who operate from the unfenced IMG Schools 1 and 2 Ibuko, Molete, Ibadan, attacked and dispossessed innocent residents of their valuables.

Just on Tuesday, at about 6.15pm, the chairman alongside his boys, attacked and dispossessed a resident of his personal belongings a few metres from the primary school, along the road.

Similarly, a police rank and file serving with the Oyo state Police Command, has for long operated a brothel, where questionable characters hibernate. The brothel located along Oyegbami street, Olorunsogo, Molete, has been a subject of worry for the residents in the community, considering the status of the owner.

Workers in a number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the federal civil service have expressed disappointment over the discovery that only 40, 000 Naira was added to each worker's monthly salary in the guise of the new national minimum wage.

 The workers insisted that the government,''in the process has caused great problems for them, saying,''workers have been defrauded, there is nothing like consequential adjustment. Just 40,000 Naira was added to the salary of every worker under the pretense of the new national minimum wage.''

''Workers have never had it this bad. The 70,000 Naira as announced by the Federal Government is mere window dressing and a deceit of the highest order. We are now finding it extremely difficult to survive and meet their various obligations,'' they stated.

​Teachers in Oyo state have pledged their continued loyalty to the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for his good deeds to them.

The teachers made this pledge on Saturday through the chairman of the state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT), Comrade Raji Oladimeji during the 2024 World Teachers Day celebration in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''On behalf of all the teachers in Oyo state, I say thank you father, we will remain loyal. We appreciate the governor for so many things he has done for us. Kindly permit me to mention a few of the laudable achievements so far recorded since the assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Oyo state: 1)Prompt and regular payment of teachers' salaries on the 25th day of every month or earlier should that date fall on a holiday or weekend; 2)Payment of N25,000 palliative to teachers since October 2023, to cushion the negative effect of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government. 3)Mass promotion of qualifed secondary school teachers to salary Grade Level 17. First of its kind in the annals of the history of Oyo state. 4) Mass promotion of graduate teachers in primary schools to a salary of Grade Level 15, among others.''

Not surprisingly, parents and guardians in the state have continued to express mixed feelings about the behavior and conduct of pupils and students in public and private schools spread across the state.

In a show of appreciation, the NUT chairman named the NUT(Endwell)Model College sports complex, Owode Housing Estate, Apata, after the state governor.

Similarly, in his remarks, the chairman of the state council of the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC)Comrade Kayode Martins commended the state governor for all his good gestures to workers in the state, saying''we want to appreciate you for giving us so much. You have done so much for us. The NLC Oyo state council appreciate you.''

Awards of excellence were given to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, the majority leader of the state House of Assmebly, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin, the commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Salihu Adelabu, the chairman of the state Teaching Service Commission, Pastor Akinade Alamu, the chairman of the state Universla Baisc Education, Dr. Nureni Adeniran and a member of the ninth assembly of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Peller.

However, the chairman of Jogor Events Center, Engr. Femi Babalola, also an awardee, was conspicuously absent.

At the 2023 World Teachers day, the special guest of honor of the state council of the NUT was a reputable business executive and philanthropist, Engr. Dotun Sanusi.

Workers in Nigeria have every cause to celebrate being alive and faced with the excruciating economic hardships in the country.

The assertion was made by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) University College Hospital(UCH)branch, Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona.

''My own position is that anyone that is alive today has every cause to celebrate, basically for the gift of life in the present harsh economic climate in the country. Workers in Nigeria have every cause to celebrate being alive. The economy is biting very hard. However, one thing I want to appreciate the Federal Government for, is the prompt payment of the new minimum wage of N70,000. We at UCH have already received the new minimum wage for September.

Comrade Abiona also appealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to salvage the very disturbing economic situation in the country, saying ''I appeal to the government to ensure good living conditions for the citizenry.''

Nigerian workers are increasingly giving up hopes of owning their own homes, as issues of poor salaries, unfavorable working environment and conditions linger.

 Most workers have for long contended with the exploitative tendencies of house owners, who increase rents randomly.

This is in addition to the soaring cost of land and building materials.

Indeed, the workers have taken their destinies into their own hands when it comes to the fundamental issue of housing.

 The beauty of working is to retire into one's own home, with the assistance of the government.

The provision of housing loans to be paid back installmentally is desirable, but this is not the case. 

Interestingly, the National Housing Fund(NHF) seems to be a method the government introduced to evade its responsibilities.

The housing fund without doubt is an imposition by the Federal Government of Nigeria, in a bid to run away from its responsibilities to provide either affordable housing schemes for Nigerian workers or giving out housing loans to the workers. 

The NHF is used to scooping cash from already impoverished workers because the deductions are mandatory and almost non-refundable until probably after retirement.

The interest on the deductions collected from the workers is equally ridiculous. 

More painful is the fact that the process of obtaining housing loans is very cumbersome and workers are usually frustrated, making them resign to fate and allow the deductions to continue  without attempting to take the loans.

 Workers feel cheated and, due to the fact that they have no options, and are not transparently represented by their industrial unions, have resigned to fate.

Sadly, the NHF has never given an account of the contributions and balance of workers on a monthly basis for a long time.

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The disobedience of the National Industrial Court's(NIC) judgment reinstating Comrade Bola Audu as the president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeri9a(ASCSN) by men and offices of the Nigeria Police Force is a reflection of the lawlessness and indiscipline pervading the Nigerian society.

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This assertion was made on Thursday by the former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Some known persons are making use of the men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force to encourage lawlessness and indiscipline. There is an NIC judgment reinstating Comrade Bola Audu as the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, but these persons in connivance and conspiracy with the police denied the reinstated president access into the union's secretariat in Abuja, despite the fact that the industrial court's judgment was presented. This is a fall out of the lawlessness and indiscipline that is the trend everywhere in Nigeria today. The police are supposed to protect the lives and properties of innocent citizens, but unfortunately, this is not the case,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

 The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria(MHWUN) in Oyo state decided to defer its strike action due to the intervention of the state chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC), Comrade Kayode Martins and the Special Adviser on Labor Matters to the state Governor, Comrade Titilola Sodo.

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This disclosure was made on Thursday by the secretary of the union, Comrade Suraju Alabi.

''We were persuaded not to resume the strike action by the NLC chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins and the S.A Labor, Comrade Titltlola Sodo. They appealed to us to be patient, explaining that a committee had been set up by the state government to look into our demands and the committee's report would soon be out. So, let us give them the benefit of the doubt. However, our members were not moved by the promise that the report would be favorable, so, we are patiently waiting for the report,'' Comrade Alabi stated.

The Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners & Practitioners(AWDROP) mini-congress decided to dissolve its executive as a result of its 11 years in the saddle without elections.

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This disclosure was made on Thursday in a chat with New Federation, by its spokesman, Mr. Richard Adeyinka.

''The mini-congress decided to dissolve the executive because elections have not been conducted in the past 11 years. 

The dissolution was made at the association's mini-congress, presided over by the National Vice President Engr. Dayo Opeyemi who represented the President, who was unavoidably absent.

A three-man caretaker committee was set up to run the affairs of the association and, in addition to that, an electoral committee to oversee the conduct of elections for the available executive positions.

Both committees were given three months to conclude their assignments.

Members of the three-man care taker committee are the Chairman, Alhaji Umar Isa, Secretary, Muhammad Otokiti and Financial Secretary, Alhaji Supo Bilawu, while the electoral committee has Engr. Dayo Opeyemi as chairman and Ahmad Atana, Engr.Oluwole Adekoya, Abdullahi Taokeek and Segun Onileowo as members, Mr. Ajayi concluded.

Nigerians must register their displeasure over bad governance, hunger and poverty in the land.

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Nigerians have the right to show their displeasure over bad governance, the pervasive hunger and poverty in the land. The hardships being experienced by millions of Nigerians have defied all solutions by the present administration's policies,'' Comrade Emelieze lamented.

Members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN) in tjhe Ministries Departments and Agencies have been called upon to remain calm and law-abiding.

This call was made by the former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Ever since the delay in the delivery of the judgment on the ASCSN leadership crisis matter before the National Industrial Court, members of the association have remained disturbed and worried. However, they should remain ca;lm and law-abiding as we await the decision of the court. The Judiciary still remains the last hope of ordinary Nigerians,'' Comrade Emelieze noted.

A moderate standard of learning must include the ability of a child to be able to spell ordinary words, correctly to write legibly and intelligently, to make out or check a common bill, to have sufficient geographical knowledge to know the position of the countries of the world and, above all, to be sufficiently acquainted with the Scriptures.

The 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress(TUC) is a ploy to distract Nigerians from the deteriorating situation in the country.

This assertion was made by the Oyo state council of the TUC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The 14-day ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC is the result of a conspiracy between the unions and the government to hoodwink workers and Nigerians. Nigerians are not expecting anything from the ultimatum. The leadership of both the NLC and TUC can no longer be trusted. The ultimatum is only a distraction''.

''The prayer point in the mouths of millions of Nigerians is for God to intervene in the present situation which is deteriorating on a daily basis,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

The 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress(TUC) is a ploy to distract Nigerians from the deteriorating situation in the country.

This assertion was made by the Oyo state council of the TUC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The 14-day ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC is the result of a conspiracy between the unions and the government to hoodwink workers and Nigerians. Nigerians are not expecting anything from the ultimatum. The leadership of both the NLC and TUC can no longer be trusted. The ultimatum is only a distraction''.

''The prayer point in the mouths of millions of Nigerians is for God to intervene in the present situation which is deteriorating on a daily basis,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

The 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress(TUC) is a ploy to distract Nigerians from the deteriorating situation in the country.

This assertion was made by the Oyo state council of the TUC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The 14-day ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC is the result of a conspiracy between the unions and the government to hoodwink workers and Nigerians. Nigerians are not expecting anything from the ultimatum. The leadership of both the NLC and TUC can no longer be trusted. The ultimatum is only a distraction''.

''The prayer point in the mouths of millions of Nigerians is for God to intervene in the present situation which is deteriorating on a daily basis,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

Federal workers who are yet to receive four months of the Federal Government's announced wage award have warned that it could affect productivity.

The workers expressed reservations over the hardships and difficulties they were experiencing as a result of the non-payment of the arrears of the wage award.

''To start with, the Nigeria Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress are dead in Nigeria, it is not possible to have functional unions, while workers are being subjected to such horrible  conditions of living because they do not have money. If the government is reluctant to clear the outstanding wage award, this could take its toll on the productivity of the workers. There is a saying that to whom much is given, much is expected, but in this instance nothing has been given. What do you expect?'' they asked.

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The executives of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) have been called upon to purge the union of all immoralities and abnormalities before the union can commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage on behalf of workers in Nigeria.

This call was made by a former chairman of the TUC in Oyo state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

One of the prominent and top ranking executives of the TUC is a retired staff member of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Productivity. It is morally wrong and abnormal for a retiree to be among those who will negotiate a new national minimum wage for workers. The retiree is supposed to be a member of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners. The TUC must purge itself of this abnormality before it begins any form of negotiation on behalf of workers in Nigeria, '' Comrade Emelieze stated.

An unspecified number of federal workers in Nigeria have expressed reservations over the payment of only one month of the N35,000 wage award by the Federal Government.

The workers made their reservations known through a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The Federal government promised six months. It only paid for September 2023 and stopped thereafter. As I speak to you October, November and December have only been paid to some workers, while others are yet to be paid. It  will soon be four months that a number of workers have not got the wage award. Even if the government pays today, the purpose of the wage award has already been defeated, it may not at this moment impact positively on the lives of the affected federal workers,''Comrade Emelieze stated.

Federal workers in Nigeria have expressed hopes that the present administration would soon fix an acceptable living wage to cushion the hardships and sufferings of workers on the land.

The workers made this known through a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Workers in Nigeria are full of  hopes that the Federal Government would soon announce a living wage that would put an end to their sufferings and tales of woes. In this respect, N300,000 is a living wage,''Comrade Emelieze stated.

He also called on labor leaders to be democratic by embarking on exhaustive consultations before reaching decisions,  adding'' rather than hasty decisions taken by labor bureaucrats without consultations.''

The Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abdul Rasheed Akanbi has disclosed that there are no slaves in his palace in Iwo, Osun state, Nigeria.

Oba Akanbi made this disclosure recently in a lecture titled CONSTITUTIONAL ROLES FOR ROYAL FATHERS at the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers' Union of Nigeria(RATTWU) Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo state(BCOS) chapter, Oyo state, Nigeria.

''I don't have slaves in my palaces, all those in my palace receive monthly salaries,'' Oba Akanbi stated.

In his remarks, the RATTAWU chairman, Comrade Kolapo Carew,  expressed gratitude to God for protecting members of the union all through the year, adding, ''our governor paid our Christmas salaries on the 14th of December. He has also paid the wage award, and he will soon pay the 13th month salaries.''

However, federal workers have lamented the stoppage of the N35,000 wage award.

The workers made this known through a former chairman of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) in Oyo state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Salaries have remained the same while prices of goods and services have tripled within this period. We are surprised to note that the meager 35,000 naira wage award grudgingly given to the federal workers by the federal government to cushion the effects of the economic crisis caused by the subsidy removal has been stopped. The federal government paid only one month out of the six months promised. ''

''We, the federal government workers feel betrayed by the federal government. Our employer has been very unfair and unfaithful to us. We have not been treated as if we matter. We are citizens, we are not beggars, and we are supposed to be worthy of a fair wage. We, the federal workers, feel cheated. ''

The Federal Government has been called upon to account for the deductions of the National Housing Fund from workers' salaries.

This call was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The National Housing Funds deductions from the salaries of workers has been non-functional as workers do not have access to the loans as a result of the stringent conditions attached to the loans. The government should account for the deductions, otherwise the widespread feeling is that the NHF is a ploy to swindle workers of their hard-earned money,''Comrade Emelieze stated.

Similarly, the N35,000 wage award  cannot solve the problems workers are presently experiencing.

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals(NUAHP) University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Olusegun Sotiloye.

There is no way that N35,000 can alleviate the sufferings of workers. It is a drop in the ocean. How can N35,000 be enough for one using a car and buying 10 litres at N600.00 per litre, calculate the cost of this for one week. What about workers without cars, they spend as much as N2,000 per day on transportation. N35,000 is not enough to take care of transportation. The wage award is a good gesture, but it is not what will solve the myriad of problems brought about by the fuel subsidy removal, Comrade Sotiloye stated.

The Federal Government ought to make provision for a new national minimum wage in the 2024 appropriation bill presented to both chambers of the National Assembly. 

This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andreww Emelieze.

''It is disturbing that the details of the 2024 appropriation bill were not made public, but the Federal Government ought to make provision for a new national minimum wage in the bill, if it is truly sensitive to the difficulties and hardships Nigerians are passing through. As at today, the N35,000 wage award cannot buy a bag of rice. In addition, the government has only paid the wage award once since it commenced payment to federal workers,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

Similarly, health workers in Nigeria have expressed the hopes that their new salary scale would be included in the 2024 budget.

The health workers made this known through a member of the National Executive Council(NEC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) Comrade Kehinde Abiona, who is also the chairman of the union in the University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria.

''It is somehow disheartening that the reviewed CONHESS and CONMESS are yet to be implemented. The approved salary scale for health workers took effect from June 1st, 2023, but financially nothing has happened. We hope that the renewed hope agenda will not leave behind harmony in the health sector,'' Comrade Abiona concluded.