Metro

Nigeria’s labour unions shun last minute moves by govt to stop strike

Published

1 year ago

September 30, 2023

Last minute efforts by the Nigerian government to prevail on organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trace Union Congress (TUC) to shelve their planned nationwide strike scheduled for October 3rd, were rebuffed by leaders of the two unions who boycotted an emergency meeting called by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong on Friday.

The planned nationwide strike is to force the government to address alleged insensitivity to the plights of Nigerians as a result of the removal of petrol subsidy and what the unions termed continuous demonstration of unwillingness and complete lack of initiative.

The minister, on behalf of the Federal Government, had invited the union leaders for an emergency meeting scheduled for 3pm on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with the aim of persuading them to abandon the proposed plan and give the government more time to meet their demands.

However, the efforts turned out to be in vain as leaders of the two unions reportedly shunned the meeting with the excuse that government’s invitation came late as they had scheduled engagements outside the federal capital.

According to insider reports, the NLC and its TUC counterpart had received the government’s invitation in the morning of Friday through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and based on the short notice, could not get all its leaders across the country to proceed to Abuja for the meeting.

The organised labour had, on September 26, given notice to the government of its intention to commence an indefinite strike on October 3 to protest the cost of living crisis after the scrapping of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu during his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

The unions had also directed their state chapters and affiliates to mobilise for a shutdown of critical facilities and infrastructure such as airports, seaports, electricity grids and fuel supply channels nationwide.

In a statement by the National Deputy President of the TUC, Tommy Etim, the union insisted that there was no going back on the industrial action.

“It’s going to be a total shutdown until the government meets the demand of Nigerian workers, and in fact, Nigerian masses,” the statement affirmed.

The unions also accused the government of trying to blackmail and armtwist its leaders by resorting to threats based on an existing court order to intimidate them.

The position followed a warning by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, that the proposed strike contravened a subsisting court order restraining the unions from declaring an industrial action.

The statement insisted that the labour leaders would not succumb to any threat by the government, noting that they were ready to go to prison in their fight for better living conditions for Nigerian workers.

They also accused the Federal Government of refusing to “meaningfully engage and reach agreements with organised labour on critical issues of the consequences of the unfortunate hike in the price of petrol, which has unleashed massive suffering on Nigeria workers and masses.”

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Metro

Zambia: Expert warns of food security threat due to climate change

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A prominent Zambian climate-smart agriculture expert, Oliver Bulaya, has warned of a collapse of the county’s agricultural sector with a potential threat to food security due to the worsening impact of climate change.

Bulaya, who bared his mind in an interview with Zambia Monitor on Friday, warned that ignoring the crisis could lead to severe disruptions in the country’s food supply and economy.

“Unless concerted efforts are made, the country will continue facing dire consequences from climate change,” the expert noted.

He lamented a growing trend of farmers relocating to regions experiencing above-normal rainfall, such as the northern block, as they struggle with losses caused by climate variability.

Bulaya emphasized that the once-reliable rainfall areas like North-Western Zambia are now experiencing lower precipitation, as seen during the 2023/2024 farming season and cautioned that poor farming practices, which had already strained the Southern region, could lead to similar challenges in other parts of the country if proactive measures were not implemented.

Metro

Outrage over murder of Nigerian beaten to death by South Africans inside estate security office

Published

12 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian community, under the auspices of Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), has raised the alarm over the murder of a 37-year-old Nigerian, Julius Chukwunta, who was beaten to death by four South Africans inside an estate.

According to the association, Chukwunta, a native of Aninri Local Government Area in Enugu State, was reportedly attacked on Saturday, December 7, while driving to his residence in Midrand Protea Estate.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the President-General of NICASA, Dr Frank Onyekwelu, Chukwunta was blocked by the four men while approaching his residence.

Onyekwelu stated that information available to the association noted that after attempting to pass through, Chukwunta was met with resistance by the assailants, prompting him to seek help at the security office of the estate.

“At that moment, the four men allegedly attacked him, leaving him severely injured with a head wound,” the PG said.

“His female companion, who was sitting in the car, rushed to the security office and discovered him bleeding on the ground.

“In spite of attempts to call for help, the security office and residents did not assist in calling the police or an ambulance.

“After an hour, Chukwunta’s partner contacted her father, who, along with other family members, took him to Tembisa General Hospital.

“Chukwunta was placed on life support but later succumbed to his injuries and died at the Tembisa General Hospital on December 10, 2024.”

Onyekwelu also confirmed that the case was reported to the police by Chukwunta’s partner at the Midrand Police Station and was registered under file number 262/12/2024.

The NICASA President said the four suspects, aged 20, 24, 27, and 28, were arrested, and the case was presented in Alexandra Magistrate Court on December 13, 2024, where they were charged with murder.

“The court proceedings on December 18, 2024, saw three of the suspects granted bail of R10,000 each, while the fourth had not yet applied for bail. The case was adjourned to February 3, 2025.”

Onyekwelu however, expressed disappointment at the proceedings, wondering why three of the suspects were released on bail and vowed that the Nigerian community would continue to demand justice for Chukwunta and support his family.

He emphasised that the community would not rest until justice was served and the value of Nigerian lives was upheld in South Africa.