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What we expect of new Minister — Labour leaders

Published

9 months ago

August 21, 2023

Two labour leaders on Sunday said the incoming Minister of Labour needed to empathise with workers, especially at a critical time where the economy was faced with challenges affecting them.

The leaders spoke in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s swearing-in of new ministers on Monday.

The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos Chapter, Mrs Funmi Sessi, expressed optimism in Mr Simon Lalong, assigned the portfolio of the Minister of Labour and Employment, to do well, given his experience.

Sessi said Lalong should use the experience he had garnered as a former governor of Plateau State to also deal with the issues of labour.

“The future is bright with labour and Lalong as the minister, all things being equal, if he will not change, and with the good industrial relationship that he maintained with the labour unions in his state.

“I hope he will extend it to the labour centres in Nigeria, including Nigeria Labour Congress, all workers, not only in the public sector, but private as well; both formal and informal.

” This is necessary so that we can have the working people in Nigeria partake in the same wealth that they create; it will be a commonwealth, and that is our hope, “ she said.

The labour leader said that the sector would need a minister with compassion, experience; one who was humane.

Sessi said, “Someone that will give all to ensure that he will create more ground for employment, productivity, high yield of productivity.”

Also, the Secretary, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Lagos State Council, Mr Aladetan Abiodun, said the new Minister for Labour would be facing an inherited tense industrial space due the fuel subsidy removal.

According to him, the removal has impacted negatively on all fixed income earners.

“I strongly believe that if this issue is not properly managed, it may snowball into full scale industrial crisis.

“It is precisely this reason that we want a minister who will hit the ground running.

“Also, we want the issue of the new minimum wage to be quickly settled; this is another area where we are going to need quick intervention.

“Furthermore, we hope under this new administration, the ministry of labour will wake up to some of its statutory responsibilities in the area of labour inspections.

“This includes bringing employers of labour who often breach their contract of agreement with employees to order, as well as ensuring that the laws of our land are respected, particularly by foreign companies who usually show utter disrespect to our labour laws, “ Aladetan said.

Related Topics:Labour Ministerial list NLC

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EFCC bars dollar transactions, orders embassies to charge in naira

Published

3 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Desmond Ukafor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has barred foreign missions based in Nigeria from transacting in foreign currencies and mandated them to use Naira in their financial businesses.

The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.

The anti-graft agency said the move is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira

The Commission, therefore, asked the government to stop foreign missions in Nigeria from charging visa and other consular services in foreign denominations.

The EFCC gave the advisory in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, for onward transmission to all foreign missions in the country.

In the letter, the EFCC said it issued the advisory because the practice of paying for consular services in dollars was in conflict with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria.

In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.

The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).

“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.

“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”

The commission further stated that the rejection of the naira for consular services in Nigeria by certain missions, along with non-compliance with foreign exchange regulations in determining service costs, is not just unlawful but also undermines the nation’s sovereignty embodied in its official currency.

The letter continues: “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.

“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”

Diplomatic sources said yesterday, May 10, that some embassies were wondering whether the EFCC’s advisory represented the position of the Federal Government.

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Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

Published

3 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.