18042019 - PRESIDENTIAL TUSSLE:I always beat you in every election, Buhari tells Atiku

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24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 08052202308 (sms only) Stories by Victor Young LAST week, Vanguard published report of the exemption of some workers from the N30,000 minimum wage largesse as contained in the Bill sent to President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Assembly for assent. In this edition, stakeholders including some members of the Tripartite Committee on New Minimum Wage, speak on the issue. Those who spoke are President of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, and General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE; Joe Ajaero.Director- General of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Mr. Timothy Olawale; Secretary General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Bashir Lawal and Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and General Secretary of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi. Ajaero According to the of President of ULC: “The existing Minimum Wage Act talks about 50 threshold, and if the Bill awaiting Presidential assent talks about 25, then it is an improvement and more progressive. But we are looking at a situation where a ceiling no longer exit so that if you employ one worker, even it is a domestic worker, you should pay him or her the prevailing national minimum wage. This is what is obtainable in other countries of the world. Domestic workers are protected under the minimum wage. “So, if you have one domestic worker, it could be a security man, it should be covered by the minimum wage law. We need to continue the campaign to totally remove the ceiling because a worker is a worker. The fact that they are 100 in one place, does not reduce the prices of goods in the market. Every worker goes to the same market whether he or she is working with 100,0000 persons in a factory or working alone with the employer. So, the basis for saying whether it is 50 or 25, should not be there in the first place. The minimum wage should be for every worker irrespective of the number at a particular work environment. Olawale On his part, NECA Director- General said: “The 25 threshold is part of the recommendation of the tripartite committee; it was not contrived by the legislature. It is to protect and take into considerations the interest of small medium and micro *Joe Ajaero Shut out of workers from minimum wage: enterprises who ordinarlly especially those who are in the informal sector that might find it difficult, or struggle to implement the new minimum wage. So, it is not new. It was discussed and debated upon and everybody agreed to it at the plenary.” Lawal But ASCSN Secretary- General said: “As far as the committee is concerned, what it did was to removed the ceiling so that all employers of Labour will be affected. So, we put a caveat allowing those employers that might have difficulty in one way or the other, within the ambit of the law to make application to the appropriate agencies of government, in this case, the Minister of Labour and Employment, to ask for NLC insists on review of power sector privatisation Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has berated electricity distribution companies in Nigeria on the aegis of Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, for continuous imposition of estimated billing on Nigerians. NLC in a communiqué at the end of its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting, called on government to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s power sector and take necessary steps to arrest the situation, ordering the reversal of the privatization exercise in the power sector. The communiqué said “The CWC decried the continuous exploitation of electricity consumer by Discos through estimated billing. The CWC went on to call on government to *Timothy Olawale exemption. Such application will be treated on merit by the Minister in consultation with the National Labour Advisory Council, NLAC, as regards to any employer that comes forward to complain that he or she cannot pay the minimum wage. The criteria has been spelled out in the draft we did. “What we did was supposed to be a recommendation to government . I can tell you that what we did was fine as we have removed the ceiling. So, if you as an employer believes that the nature of your job, and by the revenue generation, output and so on, you will not be able to pay the new minimum wage, you apply to appropriate agencies of government to look at it whether it is justifiable. If it is Justifiable, they will grant you your exemption. That was what we recommended.” THE International Labour Organization, ILO, is to launch a new report on Occupational Safety and Health, OSH, today. The report reviews the ILO’s 100 years of achievements in OSH and reveals some of the emerging challenges and opportunities in creating better working environments. *Bashir Lawal Alade Adeyemi For NLC Vice President, “I cannot readily give you the accurate recommendation, but I know we were even saying that every employer of Labour should pay the minimum wage. We were even talking about situation where there are some Lawyers’ Chambers who earn so much but employ about five or six persons. So, we argued that we cannot use the number of employees to determine whether somebody can pay or not because there are some private employers, individuals who earn so much that employ fewer workers. “Before, the threshold was 50 and Labour was pushing for a total removal of the number and employers were pushing for a ceiling. I think we now came down to a lower figure. I served in the same committee with NECA former Director General, *Prince Peters Adeyemi •It's to protect vulnerable employers - NECA •No, every worker deserves minimum wage -- Labour declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s power sector and take necessary steps to arrest the situation, ordering the reversal of the privatization exercise in the power sector. “The CWC also condemned the continued refusal by many DISCOs to supply prepaid meters to electricity consumers in the country describing the use of estimated billing as daylight robbery of poor workers and citizens. The CWC re-affirmed the commitment of Congress to ILO to launch new report on OSH today Embargoed copies of the report, Safety and Health at the heart of the future of Work: Building on 100 years of experience will be made available to journalists upon request, starting on the afternoon of Tuesday 16 April, 2019 by contacting newsroom@ilo.org . A press briefing will be held, today in press room 1 at Mr. egun Osinowo and we recommended a complete removal. There were issues about those who work in the Agricultural sector and they that would also be affected. But at the end of the day, the conclusion was that you cannot completely remove the threshold. “There is also the argument that those who cannot pay should apply to the Minister of Labour and Employment, who will now discuss with other groups. These groups are supposed to be members of the National Labour Advisory Council whether they can qualify for exemption or not. In fact, there was the issue that those who want exemption can apply to the Minister of Labour and the Minister in consultation with the National Labour Advisory Council will consider such application on its merit.” picket NERC for failing in its regulatory duty and also DISCOs that have refused to obey Nigeria’s laws and court processes against estimated billing of electricity consumers in Nigeria.” the Palais des Nations. Speakers will be: Joaquim Pintado Nunes Acting head, Occupational Safety and Health and Manal Azzi, Technical Specialist, Occupational Safety and Health. Embargoed documents will be sent automatically to UNOG accredited correspondents as soon as they become available.
Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 — 25 C M Y #BBOG: Obe, Oyebode, Ajayi, call for release of 112 Chibok girls, Leah Sharibu, others BY EBUNOLUWA SESSOU Nigerian women have called for the release of of the 112 Chibok girls still in the captivity of the Boko Haram insurgence. They also called for the release of the only Dapchi girl, Leah Sharibu among others. The women known for championing the #BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, in a statement signed by the BBOG, Lagos Family, made available to WO as it marked the 5th anniversary on Sunday, April 14, of the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. In an exclusive interview with WO, the women lamented that the abduction of the girls was long overdue saying that government should ensure release of the remaining abducted girls. A legal practitioner, Ayo Obe who is one of the #BBOG Lagos family, frowned that, the release of the abducted Chibokgirls is taking so long.Adding that government should bring back all the captives of Boko Haram. On her part, Aisha Mohammad Oyebode, a human rights activist explained that, “112 Chibokgirls are still with the Boko Haram which is more than half of the abducted girls that have been released. 107 girls have been released through negotiable, 54 of them in 2015 Ayo Obe while 83 girls were release in 2017 and that is situation in terms of the number. “We will continue to retain this in the conscious of the people. If you recall, Leah Sharibu, the only girl from Dapchi is still in captivity among others. So, what we are doing is to bring to the world and Nigeria’s consciousness that we still have hundreds of women and girls still in the net of Boko Haram. We must be put it in the political agenda not just national but internationally. “Until, the last girl is released and accounted for, there must always be hope. We have heard series of reports that we have lost Oyebode some of the girls but they must be accounted for, it is important. “The questions posed on the international communities on ensuring the safety of women and girls and ensuring that there is no repeat of kidnap of women and girls henceforth is germane. And I believe there are international laws and rules that challenge this kind of mass astrocity and there is responsibility to protect the women and girls as well as declaration of human right and laws to protect and prevent this kind of situation but the issue now is about implementation. “We must continue to ask ourselves, how we intend to BY EBUNOLUWA SESSOU Stakeholders in the Human Resources Management have called on employers of labour at all levels to cultivate the culture of training and retaining workers as well as create equal access for workers in order to improve productivity and profitability. They made the call at the just concluded a-2-day summit on human resource management, themed: “The Art of Employee Engagement”, in Lagos recently. Speaking with WO, the Founder, HR Expo Africa, Mrs. Erefa Coker disclosed that the programme was aimed at bringing international conference to Lagos where global perspective and speakers can highlight issues on Human Resources as well as proferring solutions to them. implement the laws, how do we make it everybody’s responsibility, not just in Nigeria but to ensure this does not happen again. These are the things we are asking for. “What we are saying specifically is that the issue of women and gender balances must be on the table. It has be to one of the issues to be discussed. Other issue we have been talking about apart from the kidnap of women and girls is the use of women and girls as suicide bombers. “Women and girls have been used as suicide bombers by Boko Haram. And also the issue of gender balance. Every discussion and negotiation must be about what we are doing about gender balance,it is important”, she said. Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Lagos Trade Fair International Complex, Mrs. Lucy Omosefe-Ajayi, said, “My prayer is that they should be released but I believe President Mohmmadu Buhari is doing everything humanely possible to bring back the girls that are in Boko Haram captivity. They are our girls and children and we are not happy with what is happening to them but I believe that they will be released. “I also used my birthday which was April 15, to pray for the release of the Chibok girls as well as Leah Sharibu, the only Dapchi girl and other women and girls Human Resource: Stakeholders harp on training and re-training ...say it improves productivity, profitability •Erefa Coker •Sarah According to her, “International conferences are very expensive for average HR person to apply for. Therefore, we decided to bring delegates to attend HR programme with affordable price and at the same time get maximum learning opportunities and this was the first of its kind. “HR is a fundamental aspect of any organisation and it has to do with human management. And if you do not know how to manage your HR well, it is bad. People are the most important aspect of organization and if they are not managed properly, it is a problem. “So we thought, we should teach the HR personels properly so as to know how to manage people. So, when they come for this training, they go back with a renewed mind, thought and insight on how to manage people. “People need to continue to learn on how to improve on human management which changes with the tides. It is important to know how to engage people further. And with the sections and speakers available, there is no doubt that Countinues on page 26 Nigerian female supacop CSP Dolapo Badmus elevated to force Provost BY CHRIS ONUOHA The Zone 2 Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Onikan, Lagos, Chief Superintended of Police, Dolapo Badmus has stepped up her career to a new post. The delectable and vibrant super cop known for her high sense of fashion and ever presence on social media chat was redeployed to the Enforcement and Disciplinary Department of the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters as Provost. Under this new elevation, she will be in charge of disciplinary actions to be taken against erring Police officers. You may recall that CSP Badmus in her capacity as PPRO Lagos and PPRO Zone 2 brought some level of sanity to the force through her numerous interventions to broker understanding between the force and the society. She organised a celebrity awareness show, where Nigerian musicians, comedians, Nollywood actors and influential celebrities performed together to sensitise the public about the dangers of hard drug, cultism and Yahoo deals. Besides, she was the exponent and the controversial mediator on SARS activities and the general public. Speaking with CSP Badmus on her new posting, she said: “It’s a great task for me. It’s an indication that I am being recognized to find me worthy to be posted to a department that upholds discipline especially at this moment that seems there are too many complaints against our men on the field. I will contribute my quota” •Dolapo Badmus C M Y K
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18042019 - PRESIDENTIAL TUSSLE:I always beat you in every election, Buhari tells Atiku

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