Politics

Nigeria: Govt to meet labour leaders over planned nationwide strike

Published

1 year ago

September 3, 2023

The Nigerian government said it would meet leaders of the labour union on Monday to avert the group’s planned nationwide strike scheduled for Tuesday.

Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, told reporters on Saturday that the administration would meet with union leaders to prevent the impending strike.

“Definitely, we are hoping the warning strike can be averted. They are still engaged in discussions and have started to understand each other’s position more. They will meet again on Monday, but the gaps are being closed.

“You know the new minister just came in and has just begun to engage with the NLC. Going forward, you will see more expeditious engagement with the labour union. So far, tension has reduced but work is still in progress. By Monday, they will meet again and hopefully find an amicable resolution on the issue”, he said.

The minister expressed confidence that the issue would be handled before the 21-day strike which is due to start later this month if the parties were unable to come to a deal.

He stated, “This is why I said we are trying to find a common ground to avert the impending strike. Once this is achieved, the other one would have been taken care of.”

While affirming that it was still open to dialogue with the government despite breaching its earlier commitments, the trade union underlined that there was no turning back on the two-day warning strike.

Several state chapters of the NLC had already stated that they were prepared to go on strike, while others had stated that their executive committee would meet on Monday to prepare for the strike.

“They didn’t invite us to any meetings, so there isn’t a meeting between us and the government,” said Assistant National Secretary, Christopher Onyeka. “There is no official meeting schedule and they haven’t met with us”, he added.

In response to the question of whether the union would accept an invitation to a meeting despite the union’s claim that the government had broken its commitments three times, he said, “The labour movement is a negotiation platform founded around dialogue. Rather than leaving the table, the government has been scuttling”.

Since the removal of subsidies on petroleum product on May 29, there has been face-off between organized labour and the government following surge in the cost of living. The labour union appears unimpressed despite government’s recent paliative measures.

Related Topics:Featured Nigeria NLC Strike

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.