Happenings

The All Workers Coverngence(AWC) has declared that the Federal Government does not have any intention to increase workers' salaries.

The AWC made this declaration through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, in a chat with People.

''It is a delibrate attempt to dash the hopes of the Nigerian workers, who have been underpaid in the past years. And so it is as if, it is also a delibrate attempt to deceive the Nigerian workers, having continually promised since last year, ever since the committee was set up and the promise that the new minimmage will see the light of the day in Septmber, for government to now say it is no longer possible, confirms the fact that government is deceiving the workers and it is the most irresponsible thing to do''.

''In the light of this, the AWC, is calling for immediate radical action from the Trade Union Congress(TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC),  the two unions should  as a matter of urgency, confront this pronouncement with a nationwide strike action, as this remains the only therapy that can help workers in the struggle for a new antional minimum wage '', Comrade Emelieze stated.

The Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Nigige, has a few days ago, disclosed that by September, the committee on new antional minimum wage would be submitting its report, and as a result the implementation would be moved forward.

Training and Retraining of Workers : Oyo Govt Has not Done Enough for us-Chairman JNC

Similarly, the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who also doubles as the Chairman Joint Negotiation Council(JNC) in the state, Comrade Emmanuel Ogundiran, has disclosed that the state government has not done enough in the area of training and retraining of the state's workforce in the last seven years.

''Training and retraining that could have improved our productivity  has been embargoed. This is not good for the workers. However, the state government is trying its best in the payment of salaries, we are only been owed for May, as at now, the government has the will to pay. But in the area of facelift to our work environment, government started well, the Governor's office is a sight to behold, but same cannot be said of our offices'', Comrade Ogundiran noted.

Senior staff of Nigerian universities have expressed reservations over the release of N1.3 billion out of N8 billion the Federal Government agreed to pay as earned allowances to only the academic staff of the University of Ilorin and the University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN).

The position of the university workers was made known by the Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities(SSANU)Western zone, Comrade Alfred Jimoh.

''The information of the release of the allowances to the academic staff of the University of Ilorin and University of Nigeria Nsukka, has got to us. The truth of the matter, is that we have not heared anything about the release of non academic staff allowances. N1.3 billion was released to ASUU, out of N8 billion. The Federal Government has taken care of ASUU and left us in the cold. Government ought to be sensitive enough to take care of us and not the ancillary staff'', Comrade Jimoh concluded.

In the same vein, Chairman of the Non Academic Staff Union(NASU)University of Ibadan branch, Comrade Oluwasegun Arojo has expressed hopes that government would soon release the allowances of the non academic staff.

''We are hopeful that anytime soon, our portion will be released, how soon the money will be released, nobody can tell. We are patiently waiting for government to do the needful'', Comrade Arojo stated.

The Tanzanian Government has assured that it will recruit 10, 140 Teachers by June this year.

The government gave this assurance through Deputy Minister of state in the President's office(Regional Administration and Local Government)Mr. Joseph Kakunda, when he appeared before the Parliament.

''These will be employed, come June this year'', Mr. Kakunda assured.

Mr. Kakunda also disclosed that the certificates of those shorlisted was presently been screened by the National Examination Council of Tanzania(NECTA).

Nigerians have been advised to accept the statement of the Comptroller General of Customs as a wake up call  to reject bad governance.

This advise was given in a chat with Federationews2day, by the National Coordinator of the All Workers Convergence(AWC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''It is actually a wake up call to Nigerians in all fields of endeavour, that we can say that we are actually lazy because we have been tolerating bad governance, agelong misrule, corruption, incompetence, terrorism and so Nigerians must rise up to  prove that we are not lazy, by resisting to tolerate bad governance again,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

In his views the Public Relations Officer(PRO) OF Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners(AWDROP), Mr. Richrad Adeyinka insists that Nigerians are not lazy.

''Nigerians are not lazy, go to the streets, thousands of those who graduate each year, don't have jobs, I know that Nigerians are not lazy, if they are they will not take to commercial motorcycling(Okada) to keep body and soul together'', Mr. Adeyinka disclosed.

For Messrs Edmund  Ogboh and Ifeanyichukwu, both Ibadan based businessmen, the Federal Government should create more jobs for millions of Nigerians who are without jobs. ''If government creates more jobs there would be a reduction in crime and  a change of mind by those considered to be lazy'', they emphasized.

The Founder and Spiritual Head of Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide, Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke has charged religious leaders in Nigeria to make use of religion as a weapon of integration, unification and reformation during and after the Ramadan fast.

Prof. Olagoke gave this charge in a chat with Federationews2day.

''An area of challenge for clerics, we must use religion as a weapon to integrate, not disintegrate, to unify and to reform, in the atmosphere where the people who have must support the cause of clerics, because to reach out to millions of people, the media is essential.''

''Ramadan  fast is to reform, restrengthen and do things the right way. Our elites must come in, everywhere, we see people who have and those who do not have. We must be our brother's keeper,'' Prof. Olagoke advised