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22—Vanguard, FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020<br />
Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council and Tor Tiv, Ochivirigh Prof. James Ayatse<br />
(middle) flanked on his right by his chiefs, the Chairman of BSIEC, Terso Loko, former VC of<br />
ABU, Prof. Daniel Saror. On his left are the Medical Director of First Fertility Hospital, FFH, Dr.<br />
Stephen Hwande, Principal Special Assistant to Governor Ortom, Mr. Frank Utoo cutting the<br />
cake to mark the fifth year anniversary of FFH.<br />
AREWA VOICE TEAM<br />
Editor: Soni Daniel<br />
Correspondents:<br />
Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin<br />
Bashir Bello, Kano<br />
Aliyu Dangida, Dutse<br />
Umar Yusuf, Yola<br />
Ibrahim HassnWuyo, Kaduna<br />
Peter Duru, Makurdi<br />
Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos<br />
Abdul Murtala, Kano<br />
Femi Bolaji, Jalingo<br />
David Odama, Lafia<br />
Charly Agwam, Bauchi<br />
Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja<br />
Andy Asemota, Katsina<br />
Kwara <strong>APC</strong> factions trade<br />
words over anti-party<br />
activities<br />
By Demola Akinyemi<br />
ILORIN-- A faction of the<br />
ruling All Progressives Congress, <strong>APC</strong>, in kwara<br />
State, has accused Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq<br />
of being behind the protracted <strong>crisis</strong> rocking the party<br />
in the state. According to a statement by the Financial<br />
secretary and Treasurer of the party, Mohammed Shola<br />
Tajudeen and Alhaji Dantala Yaro, members of the party<br />
who recently attended a parley with the state government<br />
on behalf of the leadership of the party did not have the<br />
consent of the party.<br />
But the other faction in a statement by Alhaji Tajudeen<br />
Aro Folaranmi, dismissed the claims saying it was the<br />
chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, who was responsible for<br />
the protracted <strong>crisis</strong> in the party, accusing the chairman<br />
of not being accountable to members at any meeting.<br />
He said: “The governor has never been responsible<br />
for any <strong>crisis</strong>, he never had any hand in the <strong>crisis</strong>.Before<br />
our <strong>crisis</strong> escalated, whenever we had meetings and asked<br />
the chairman to give account of the party’s financial<br />
expenditure particularly during the last elections, he<br />
used to curse us, what kind of leadership is that? He has<br />
never been transparent.”<br />
However, the action <strong>against</strong> the governor in the<br />
statement among others, said “For any avoidance of<br />
doubt, we affirm unequivocally that the state chairman<br />
of the party in kwara State is Hon Bashir Omolaja<br />
Bolarinwa. In line with the provisions of the party’s<br />
constitution, the deputy chairman can only represent<br />
the chairman at any official function at the behest of the<br />
chairman."<br />
Borno Lawmaker showers constituents<br />
with tractors, improved seedlings<br />
By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri<br />
AS part of his constituency<br />
project, the member<br />
representing Kaga, Gubio and<br />
Magumeri Federal Constituency,<br />
Borno State, Usman Zannah, has<br />
showered his constituents with<br />
farm implements and improved<br />
seed varieties to boost agriculture<br />
and economic development to<br />
farmers for this year's cropping<br />
season.<br />
He also sponsored the drilling<br />
of boreholes to ensure a steady<br />
supply of potable water for the<br />
people who are mostly farmers.<br />
And to help prevent the spread<br />
of COVID-19, the lawmaker<br />
provided his people with packets<br />
of hand sanitizer, soap and other<br />
disinfectants. At a ceremony,<br />
which was well attended by<br />
stakeholders, Zannah, who is the<br />
Deputy Chairman House<br />
Committee on Basic Education,<br />
gave out two tractors to<br />
communities in Kaga and<br />
COVID-19: Employers can’t sack workers without approval,<br />
due process —FG<br />
By Victor Young<br />
IN its resolve to ensure job<br />
security and an unnecessary<br />
sack of workers during<br />
coronavirus, COVID-19<br />
pandemic, the Federal<br />
Government has insisted that<br />
employers in both public and<br />
private sectors cannot sack<br />
workers without approval or due<br />
process under the nation’s labour<br />
laws.<br />
Speaking through the Minister<br />
of Labour and Employment,<br />
Senator Chris Ngige, the<br />
government also urged private<br />
employers not to default in salary<br />
payment to their workers<br />
following the stimulus package<br />
provided by the government<br />
during the pandemic.<br />
Ngige who spoke in a keynote<br />
address at the virtual High-Level<br />
Panel, HLP, on Labour Migration<br />
in Nigeria, organised by the<br />
International Labour<br />
Organisation, ILO, with the<br />
theme, “Implications of COVID-<br />
19 on the Rights of Migrant<br />
Workers in Nigeria”, saying “this<br />
is also why Government has<br />
continued to pay her public<br />
servants who have been at home<br />
since the Pandemic as a sign of<br />
support during the various<br />
lockdowns.”<br />
Presenting the address titled:<br />
“Accentuating the Role of<br />
Government in Protection<br />
Migrant Workers in Nigeria in the<br />
context of COVID-19 pandemic,”<br />
Ngige described the timing of the<br />
meeting as very apt, because of the<br />
global pandemic which has<br />
resulted in severe economic and<br />
labour market shocks across the<br />
world.<br />
He acknowledged that the<br />
political economy of COVID-19<br />
had had a devastating effect on<br />
employment and basic services,<br />
rising cost of living and reduced<br />
economic activities due to<br />
disruption of the global supply<br />
chain.<br />
The Minister in a statement by<br />
his media aide, Emmanuel<br />
Nzomiwu, reiterated that the:<br />
“Federal Government and<br />
Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,<br />
have decided to halt job losses by<br />
putting stimulus packages and<br />
increased social interventions.<br />
That was why in his (President<br />
Muhammad <strong>Buhari</strong>) May Day<br />
message to workers and<br />
Employers declared that any<br />
retrenchment must follow due<br />
process of our country’s Labour<br />
Law and requisite approval of<br />
Federal Ministry of Labour and<br />
Employment, whilst the CBN also<br />
said any laying off in the Banking<br />
sector will have the approval of<br />
the Banker’s committee. We are<br />
reminding employers in the<br />
country both in private and public<br />
sectors that the federal<br />
government still stands on this.”<br />
He urged the private sector<br />
employers not to default in salary<br />
payment, especially since<br />
government had provided an<br />
economic stimulus to cushion the<br />
effect of<br />
COVID-19. He<br />
informed that<br />
“this is also why<br />
Government<br />
has continued<br />
to pay her<br />
public servants<br />
who have been<br />
at home since<br />
the Pandemic as<br />
a sign of support<br />
during the<br />
v a r i o u s<br />
lockdowns.”<br />
Ngige noted<br />
that the Federal<br />
Government recognised that labour<br />
migrants were among those bearing<br />
the brunt of the <strong>crisis</strong> and that<br />
government had made concerted<br />
and coordinated efforts and<br />
responses to address the situation,<br />
such as the inclusion of migrant<br />
workers in the national pandemic<br />
preparedness and response plans<br />
and promoting equitable access<br />
to essential services.<br />
Magumeri local government<br />
areas. He promised that Gubio<br />
people would soon have their<br />
own share when the security<br />
situation improves.<br />
The gesture, he said, was to<br />
complement efforts of the state<br />
government under the<br />
leadership of Governor<br />
Babagana Umara Zulum, who<br />
had earlier repaired existing 10<br />
tractors for Magumeri Council<br />
alone for this rainy season.<br />
He pointed out that the<br />
improved seed varieties, which<br />
were brought in from Kano,<br />
comprised millet and cowpea,<br />
among other cash crops. This is<br />
in addition to plan for purchasing<br />
seed varieties from the Lake Chad<br />
Research Institute, Maiduguri,<br />
which are short maturity crops.<br />
He appealed to security agencies<br />
to intensify their efforts in the<br />
fight <strong>against</strong> Boko Haram, so that<br />
farmers, who are willing to<br />
become self-reliant, would be<br />
engaged in agriculture to ensure<br />
food security.<br />
His words: " I am very<br />
delighted to be in your midst<br />
today to launch agricultural<br />
inputs to our teaming farmers.<br />
This is a constituency<br />
programme aimed at supporting<br />
the Borno State Government<br />
under the leadership of His<br />
Excellency, Professor Babagana<br />
Umar Zulum who has the<br />
passion for farmers by repairing<br />
10 existing tractors for Kaga<br />
Council Area alone, and other<br />
communities across the state."
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