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AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE CHAIRMAN, NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC), DELTA STATE COUNCIL COMRADE WILLIAMS AKPOREHA ON THE OCCASION OF MAY DAY CELEBRATION HELD AT THE ST. PATRICK’S COLLEGE FIELD ASABA THIS 1ST DAY OF MAY 2014
Protocol
It is with a deep sense of humility and honour that I, on behalf of the Delta State Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), welcome everyone to the 2014 May Day celebrations.
Let me start by appreciating my fellow comrades, for your unwavering confidence and support, which you have shown to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta State. We urge you not to be weary as we shall continue to depend on your cooperation in the struggle to achieve our common goal.
Also, let me outstandingly acknowledge the presence of the Executive Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON), the Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Peter Onwusanya, Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovuzorie Macaulay, members of the State Executive Council, Head of Service and other leaders of state functionaries who have come to fellowship with workers on our special day. Your Excellencies, we appreciate your camaraderie.
Congress is particularly grateful to all workers in Delta State for staying the course in our collective struggle while ensuring that Delta state remain one of the states in Nigeria with best harmonious industrial environment. It is a testimony that we can achieve our goals and more through persistent and strategic dialogue.
Your Excellency, my great comrades, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen, today is Workers’ Day. A day set aside worldwide to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for our benefit today and those of future workers. Therefore, we have to continue the struggle not only to consolidate on the contributions of our labour Heros but to bequeath an expanded industrious workforce as well as desirable work conditions to the next generation of workers.
Fundamentally, May Day is an event to appreciate, celebrate work and workforce. But beyond that, it presents a platform for workers to raise issues and prospects of the organized labour in its relationship with government and other employers of labour.
THE THEME OF THIS YEARS’ MAY DAY CELEBRATION
The national theme of this year’s celebration is; Building Enduring Peace and Unity: Panacea for Sustainable National Development. Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Nigeria can be said to be a country with so many nations in search of enduring peace and unity. We have travelled different paths, yet we have shown that hundreds of millions of people who hold different beliefs can be united in peace and unity under one flag. The Biafra civil war experience tells us that unity is more powerful than division.
Today, it is my opinion that Nigerians are determined to live together in peace and unity to enable us secure an atmosphere favourable to grow sustainable development.
However, the fact remains that no amount of opinion or wish can exterminate perceived mutual mistrust and suspicion among the different nations in Nigeria.
Today, innocent citizens and places of worship in the North East are still targets of violent extremists in a country that is not at war. Indeed, this is the time for those that hold leadership mandate to take a decisive stand and bring Boko Haram and its sponsors to justice. A country that seeks sustainable national development cannot afford to concede grounds to terrorists that seek to destroy.
As a country, we have a choice. If we choose to be defined by our differences, if we maintain tolerance for agents of disunity, then we shall continue to chase the mirage of sustainable development and sink deeper into the future of suspicion and mistrust. But if we choose to do the hard work of forging a common ground built on the pillars of peace and unity, then sustainable national development is attainable.
Therefore as committed partners in the Nigerian project, Congress is using this occasion of 2014 May Day celebrations to encourage government to explore available capacities to subdue Boko Haram. As it stands, peace and unity are the only medium for the pursuit of sustainable national development.
Your Excellencies, Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen, here in Delta State, we choose to examine a sub theme; The Challenges of Unemployment in Delta State. Before I proceed, permit me once again to specially pay due compliments to our Comrade Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON) for his exemplary achievements in governance and excellent relationship with labour in Delta state. Your Excellency, how can we forget that historic announcement converting a large number of casual workers into the state’s main workforce on the eve of May Day 2013? Permit me also to acknowledge the donation of 10 buses to Labour for industrial unions. How can we say thank you for approving 2014 recruitment into the state civil service? We cannot also fail to recognize the enormous ongoing infrastructural development in all parts of the state and your Olympian strides as the first governor to look beyond oil driven economy in Nigeria. It is on record Your Excellency, that like no one else, recognition for your achievements has continued to reverberate across and beyond the shores of Nigeria. Your Excellency, the awards are numerous and still counting. Permit me on behalf of Congress to join your numerous admirers and well wishers worldwide to congratulate you on your achievements in Delta state. But you will have to do more even as the resounding applause for your good deeds is everywhere. That is the hallmark of a good leader to his people.
Now, Your Excellency, in the midst of celebrating your achievements, unemployment has remained a concern in our state. We are aware that no government can provide employment for all its citizens but providing the enabling environment for employment to thrive will surely go a long way in reducing unemployment and its vices.
In addition to economic development, democratic governance is also about human development. The recent rebase of our national GDP is an irony because whereas, the GDP rebase has placed Nigeria as the highest economy in Africa and 26th in the world, our per capital income has locked us perpetually among the poorest of the world. In other words, beyond growth rates, development is about whether a child has the opportunity to learn the skills required to make a change in his community and environment. It is about whether a good idea is allowed and encouraged to grow into a business. These are the indices that can translate to better life for human beings.
Your Excellency, while we will continue to laud your human capital development efforts particularly the micro credit scheme that include soap making, beads making, hair dressing and others, we suggest an expansion of the scope through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.
Your Excellencies, Dear Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the right atmosphere to think about the challenges of unemployment. We sincerely do not think that there is any mystery behind those people that resort to social vices. Truly, it is mostly due to lack of the basic things that our people expected from the political and economic systems. Some of these are; Equality of opportunity for all youths, jobs for qualified persons, stoppage of special consideration for a few as well as provision of security because as we all know, insecurity is the heir apparent of mass unemployment. Therefore, the overriding strength of our political system to reduce or overcome the menace of kidnapping, armed robbery and other social vices now depends largely on the extent to which they can fulfill these expectations.
At this juncture, let me heartily congratulate the entire workers in the state for coming out in their great numbers to mark this unique event being observed all over the world today.
Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests, we are here today not only to share the pains and experience of the workforce but to also request government to do the needful as it strives to build a resourceful and dependable workforce for the development of the state.
While we remain very grateful to the state Governor for fulfilling some of our demands last year, permit me to once again use this opportunity to bring before Your Excellency some daunting challenges confronting the State workforce in the various sectors which no doubt require your kind attention and approval.
NIGERIA UNION OF TEACHERS (NUT)
The followings are issues that Government needs to address for teachers in the State.
1. Selective promotion of Teachers in the State
2. Yearly delay in the release of promotions to eligible teachers thereby pilling up arrears that are not easily paid.
3. State Government promise to donate three (3) vehicles to NUT. A promise made during the visit of the National President of the Union to Delta state government in April, 2013.
4. Non-payment of examination grants of 1st and 2nd term to heads of schools in the State.
5. Non-payment of subvention to heads of schools thereby affecting the day to day running of the schools.
6. Inadequate provision of schools’ records, teaching/learning materials e.g. Registers, diaries, chalks, etc.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA NURSES AND MIDWIVES
Shortage of Nursing Personnel in our State Hospitals has been a re-current issue as were clearly brought to your notice during May Day celebrations in 2012 and 2013. Again, we need your urgent intervention on the employment of more nurses not only to meet with the scope of the free maternal and free under 5 years healthcare programme of the State, but also to close the gap created by retirements, deaths and those that left the system for greener pastures.
Today only 1,073 Nurses serve the sixty three (63) hospitals owned and managed by the Government across the State. It must be stated here also that out of this number, 5 nurses are serving in various Departments and Agencies in the state.
Other exigencies such as ill health, bereavements, annual and maternity leave, etc are normal occurrences that take their toll on the availability of manpower in the nursing sector.
NIGEIRA UNION OF JOURNALISTS
While thanking His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Governor of Delta State for the successful London training of Journalists in the State, the Union wishes to remind His Excellency of his promise to commence and complete the NUJ Secretariat which you promised to embark on this year. The (C of O) Certificate of Occupancy, Bill of Quantity (BOQ) and plan are already approved.
2. The NUJ also appeal for speedy approval and implementation of the weigh in allowance for all journalists and information officers under the employment of the State Government as applicable at the Federal level. Although we confirm and appreciate that the issue is currently receiving attention in the office of the Head of Service, but the process need to be done with more dispatch.
NIGERIA UNION OF PENSIONERS
The Union thanks the State Government for the recent payment of arrears on the 6% and 15% pension increases but we however decry the following:
1. The delay in the payment of the 6 months arrears (January – June 2001) based on the 142% Pension increase of 2000.
2. Approval of the supplementary list of retired de-stagnated primary school teachers which has been outstanding since 2008.
3. Release of Twenty eight million naira (N28,000,000) only for the payment of the balance of the de-stagnated Primary school teachers since 2007. It will be recalled that only N5 million was release after some time and this was rejected by the union.
ASSOCIATION OF CONTRIBUTORY RETIREES OF DELTA STATE
The problems associated with the Contributory Pension Scheme in the State have necessitated the formation of the above named Association which has forwarded myriad of its challenges to the State Council of NLC. For the avoidance of doubts, the challenges are as stated below:
i) Government delay in the payment of retirees benefits up to two – three years.
ii) Wrong calculation of retirement benefits based on 2008 salary structure instead of 2010/2011 salary structure; (using the terminal salary point of the retiree).
iii) Payment of 25% of lump sum instead of 50% which workers were told at the beginning of the Scheme.
iv) Default by government in payment of 50% of monthly wage bill of employees to open Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund Account (RBBRF) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as stated in the State Pension Reform law section 16 sub-section 1-6 which has accumulated to over 15 Billion naira. Failure by government to remit 10% into Retirement Saving Account of retirees.
vi) Delay from Pension Fund Administrators (PFA’s) up to three – six months before payment when Government has released funds to them.
At this juncture, may I call on the State Government to set the necessary machineries in motion towards addressing the issue of Contributory Pension in the State. Let me state here that from available records to Congress, many retirees have died out of frustration occasioned by non-payment of retirement benefits under the new Pension Scheme. This serious anomaly should be urgently corrected in the interest of retiring workers to make their rest after retirement a sweet one. The State Council of NLC shall be grateful to Government if this issue is given the serious attention it deserves.
AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES UNION OF NIGERIA (AAEUN)
The union appeal to the State Government to as a matter of concern commence payment of occupational hazard allowance to all Agricultural workers in the core-civil Service at the following Ministries based on the approval by the National Council on Establishment. They are:
1. Ministry of Agriculture
2. Ministry of Environment
3. ADP
4. LGA Agric Dept
We also equally appeal for the State Government to involve the union (AAEUN) in the collection and distribution of Agriculture/Farm inputs, such as fertilizers and Agro chemicals to the local farmers in the State.
SENIOR STAFF ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA UNIVERSITY
The issue of teachers in the Delta State University Secondary School who are legitimate staff of the University, duly employed by the Governing Council of the Delta State University at different dates like every other staff of the University is pathetic and deplorable. Since 2009, they have been denied promotions and deserved allowances. SSANU and the NLC have at various times collaborated through several memos to the schools’ Governing Council for the teachers to be accorded their legitimate status as staff of the University. This, the Council has unanimously admitted and directed the duo of the Vice Chancellor and Chairman to intimate the visitor (Executive Governor).
The Association therefore wishes to urge the Governor to grant audience to the Vice Chancellor and the Chairman for a swift and amicable resolution of the matter. The suffering and frustration is much, more so that the issue of contributory Pension by staff is ragging with an undefined position for these teachers.
COLLEGES OF EDUCATION ACADEMIC STAFF UNION (COEASU)
The issues presently affecting the above named union in the State include:
i) Non-remittance of accrued pensions, State Government 15% Counterpart contributions and members’ contributed Pension to the Pension Administrator
ii) Non implementation of 65 years retirement age for academic staff
iii) Haphazard implementation of migration to Contiss 15
iv) Forceful inclusion of the COE’s into the e-payment system
v) Over taxation and refunds of over deducted taxes
vi) Forceful inclusion of State COE’s in the National Housing Fund Scheme
vii) Non release of funds to accommodate sabbatical leave
viii) Lack of office accommodation for Lecturers and
ix) Non-constitution of Governing Councils
It is sad to note that students, workers and other activities within the entire campus community of colleges of education across the state have been on standstill (strike) since February till date as a result of these issues that have remained unresolved. Congress is using this opportunity to call on the state government urgently wade into the situation to avert a total breakdown of the system.
PARLIAMENTARY STAFF ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
The Association, in its quest for training and Human Capital Development hereby appeals to His Excellency to promptly release funds to the Delta State House of Assembly Commission to enable them meet with this aspiration of our members.
The issue of Casual staff in the State House of Assembly Service Commission is worrisome and we appeal that His Excellency should regularize these set of workers in line with the demand of Nigeria Labour Congress.
Housing and cars are some necessities of life. We urge the Government to promptly and regularly release loans to staff of the Commission to enable workers avail themselves with loans in order to meet their housing and car needs.
JUDICIARY STAFF UNION OF NIGERIA
You will recall sir that the approved payments of peculiar allowances for non-judicial staff of the judiciary in the State as adopted for implementation by the state and the disparity as a result of the implementation of the National Minimum Wage in the State has placed non-judiciary workers at a disadvantage.
The salaries of the non-judicial staff are yet to be synchronized to be in line with the minimum basic salary. This has strongly placed the non-judicial staff at a serious disadvantage when compared with their counterparts in the State Public Service and other State Judiciaries in the Federation.
We appeal that this issue be looked into with a view to harmonizing and putting smiles on the faces of our members.
We also appeal to His Excellency to graciously approve for the union, a bus to facilitate their transport burden.
NIGERIA UNION OF CIVIL SERVICE SECRETARIAL AND STENOGRAPHIC WORKERS
Your Excellency sir, the issue of new Scheme of Service for our members, approved by the Federal Government since 2008 and has not been adopted and implemented in Delta State like in other States of the Country is worrisome and causing agitation.
In line with the Scheme is also the Federal Government approved conversion/elongation of Secretarial Assistant Cadre that are stagnated for over five (5) years to grade level 12.
We appeal that His Excellency in line with his promise to labour in Warri to expedite action in adopting and implementing the circulars for the State Secretarial and Stenographic Workers.
NATIONAL UNION OF PRINTING, PUBLISHING AND PAPERS PRODUCT WORKERS
Your Excellency sir, the issue of weigh-in allowance to our teaming members is one of our priorities.
OUT SOURCING: that all out sourced jobs like the printing of calendars, almanac, diaries etc, be handled by the State Printing Press. The printing of Pointer newspapers should be reverted back to Asaba. This will no doubt enhance and boast workers’ productivity and cost effectiveness.
The machines in use at the Government Printing Press are obsolete and require replacements. Government should purchase state of the art machine for the Pointer Newspaper/Government Printing Press as the advantages cannot be over emphasized.
We also call on the State Government to urgently look inward to give priority attention to the building of the Pointer Newspaper permanent site while not mortgaging the training and retraining of staff including engaging more hands to meet the manpower shortage of its workforce.
We thank the Governor for giving out buses to unions but appeal for more to accommodate the remaining unions like ours.
Having highlighted the above challenges as it affects our different unions/sectors, let me express our implicit confidence in the ability of our amiable Governor in tackling the issues raised, once and for all to put smiles on the faces of workers as the tenure of your administration is indeed on the threshold of finishing strong.
Other issues worth mentioning here for the attention of the State Government include:
Workers’ Housing Scheme
The State Council of NLC is aware of the efforts already being made by the State Government through the Federal Mortgage Bank in the provision of housing for the workforce. However, we are asking for more efforts from Government in the provision of affordable housing for workers in the State. In this regards, I am calling on the State Government to consider the building of more low-cost Housing Estates for workers. More importantly is the granting of interest-free/reasonable loans facilities to workers to enable them build their own houses.
Casualization/Crude Oil theft
Your Excellency, one cannot understand why this monster called casualization should not be administered with a lethal substance once and for all. Painfully, while it has become profitable especially for oil multinationals and service companies to continue to carry on this anti labour practice unchallenged under different guise such as fixed term employment or contract staffing, it is the environment and people that suffers the consequence. It has become very difficult for Labour to intervene in the plight of our youths who are engaged on contract employment because casualization equally denies them the right to unionize and therefore lacks the legitimate platform to negotiate with their employers. Beyond the exploitation and impoverishment of our people, casualization is one of the reasons why a lot of our youths are drifting into the criminal past time of pipeline vandalism for crude oil theft to make ends meet. Through casualization, our people are over-worked and under-paid and since they are familiar with the pipelines systems and processes, they know when and where to strike. But unfortunately, it is our lives and the environment that becomes exposed to danger apart from economic loss as a result of the activities of vandals’ nurtured by casualization.
Once again, Congress is therefore appealing and encouraging Your Excellency to deploy the instrumentality of state legislation to enact laws that would eradicate and forbid any form of casualization of workers in the state.
Ailing Industries in the State
Labour in the State wishes to appreciate the bold initiative of the present administration as encapsulated in Delta Beyond Oil which is targeted at creating more job opportunities.
In this regard, permit me to call on the State Government to consider the revival of ailing industries in the state. We suggest that one of the ways for achieving this is through the provision of tax discounts and other investment related incentives to attract and encourage private investors to bail out these industries which include textile, rubber, timber and plywood amongst others. In addition to the above, we strongly encourage the state government to explore ways of establishing agro allied and cottage industries taking the advantage of the abundant availability of raw materials in our state such as rubber as well as clay soil for the manufacturing of plastics and brick blocks for the building and construction industries respectively. We are very sure this measure will go a long way in accommodating most of our unemployed graduates.
Introduction of Social Security Benefits
Your Excellency, may we humbly suggest that in addition to your laudable programmes of payment of bursary to undergraduates and scholarship for post graduate students, an introduction of payment of social security benefits to unemployed graduates and youths. The scheme can be developed with safety valves to make it possible for beneficiaries to start making gradual returns as soon as they secure employment with the state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). We envisage that a scheme like this would not only check youth involvement in crimes but built confidence between the youth and state government.
Payment of Thirteenth Month Salary
Your Excellency, just as there are always expectations for higher productivity to grow the state economy, there can be no limit to the deployment of additional motivational strategies for the state workforce. Consequently, we wish to remind you once again of the urgent need for the introduction of payment of the thirteenth month salary to the state workers as additional motivation towards the realization of continuous higher productivity. We wish to state that this request may not be peculiar to Delta state as there are indications that other states within the federation are also embracing the concept as an avenue to further motivate their workers. As you gradually wound up your good governance in the next one year, we humbly appeal that you consider this request as a parting gift to workers and for the records as one of the memorable high points of your achievements.
Labour/Government Relations
Permit me Your Excellency to say that Labour Leaders in the state have continued to observe with dismay a gradual but steady freezing relationship between government and labour in spite of labour’s friendly disposition towards government as partners in the Delta state project. We are not unmindful of your very busy schedules but we are also conscious of the changing trends.
Nowadays, ‘May Day’ has become the only time that government interact with labour. Very often, we don’t even get responses or acknowledged for correspondences. But the fact remains that ‘May Day’ is a global event and Delta state cannot organize ‘May Day’ every month or every quarter just so to access our Governor to share acquaintances that will consolidate the relationship. The absence of other forums for interaction is not healthy for the continued industrial harmony and productivity of the state workforce that has always considered this relationship as a source of inspiration even in the presence of issues that could trigger industrial crisis.
Your Excellency, we have hope, we have confidence, that you will not hesitate to create unfettered forums for labour devoid of undue hindrance and interference. In this era of transformation and reformations in governance, forging closer ties with the engine room of productivity can only translate to more productivity.
However, I want to say with confidence that I trust our amiable Governor, he has never disappointed Deltans and he will never disappoint especially with issues highlighted above. Our Comrade Governor, we humbly appeal to you not to relent in your enviable disposition towards labour matters.
This address will be incomplete if I fail to use this medium to once again congratulate the new Speaker of the State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Peter Onwusanya and the newly appointed Head of Service Sir Paul Evhuarherhe.
On behalf of the entire workforce in the State, I heartily congratulate both of you on your recent elevation. While assuring you of our maximum cooperation and solidarity that would enable you succeed in your respective offices, it is our hope that workers in the State would rejoice in your time in line with the biblical injunction that “when the righteous is on the throne the people rejoice”.
Conclusively, let me on behalf of the State Executive Council of Congress most sincerely express the profound gratitude of labour to our amiable Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON), for his humility, simplicity and patience for accommodating all shades of opinion. We are indeed grateful Your Excellency.
I wish to also appreciate the Deputy Governor Prof. Amos Agbe Utuama, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) our own Comrade O.S. Macaulay, the State Head of Service Sir Paul Evhuarherhe, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, other Honourable Members of the House, Honourable Commissioners, Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour and Industrial Relations Com. Mike Okeme and other important Government functionaries who are here today to grace the occasion with their esteemed presence.
Finally, I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to our affiliates unions, our sister labour organizations – the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Civil Society organizations, Christian and Muslim clerics, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Human Right Groups, the Press, friends of Labour and indeed all workers in the State for their continued support in our collective struggles.
May the Almighty God grant you all journey mercies as you travel back to your respective destinations at the end of this occasion.
Long live NLC
Long live Delta State Workers
Long live Delta State
Long live Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan
Long live Abdulwaheed Omar
Long live Dr. Goodluck Jonathan
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
God bless us all.
Thank you.
COMRADE WILLIAMS AKPOREHA
(Chairman, NLC, Delta State)
