Press Statement Stop the Diversions: Implement the Oil Subsidy Report, Now!

June 12, 2012

The ongoing accusations and counter accusations between the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee of the House of Representatives on petroleum subsidy, Honourable Farouk Lawal and the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum, Mr. Femi Otedola over allegations of bribery involving the sum of $600,000, as serious as it is, should not be used to divert attention on the implementation of the report of the committee.

For us, we believe that Nigerians should not be overburdened with an issue that should strictly be the burden of appropriate security agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Whether or not the Chairman or the entire members of the Adhoc committee solicited for and received gratifications to compromise the outcome of the committee’s investigations though quite disturbing, the final report of the committee still contains names and details enough for thorough and transparent investigation. The report, which has been submitted to the executive arm, must be subjected to proper investigation and prosecution of all those indicted.

We saw in the report a confirmation of our position. We have, since the mid eighties, insisted that subsidy do not exist in the petroleum sector, rather it has always been a conduit for a few cronies of successive governments with interest in the petroleum sector to siphon public funds for their private businesses.

For us, we believe criminal matters as serious as bribery should be what the police or EFCC should take very serious interest in and not politicize the issue through unnecessary diversionary tactics. We therefore urge the EFCC to implement the report of the committee, which President Jonathan was reported to have forwarded to the agency NOW.

Kiri Mohammed

Acting Presiden

Press Statement: Overhaul the Air Travel Industry Now !

    

On behalf of all Nigerian workers, we condole with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in the air crash involving Dana Airline yesterday, Sunday 3^rd June in Lagos.

From reports, it is obvious that the crash could have been averted if the appropriate regulatory agencies were effective in their responsibilities.

The airplane involved was reported to have been faulty and this is to the knowledge of the management of the airline.

We urge the Federal Government to urgently overhaul the industry, review the licenses of all airlines operating in Nigeria, including foreign airlines, conduct proper checks on the airworthiness of all the aircrafts before renewing the licenses of all the airlines. We believe the safety of all air travelers in Nigeria should be paramount to the regulatory agencies as well as the airlines that seem to have placed their priority only on profit and not safety.

We specifically urge the government to do a thorough, transparent and far reaching investigation of this particular crash. Indeed, the management of the airline should immediately be suspended, apprehended, properly investigated, prosecuted and judicially punished if found guilty of negligence or related misconducts as being speculated.

We believe the government should not wait for a repeat of this monumental disaster to reoccur before taking steps to protect the lives of all categories of air travelers within the Nigerian airspace as it is obvious that no one is excluded from the dangers the air industry obviously portend.

We pray that God should give the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in the crash the fortitude to bear the loss.

Abdulwahed Omar

President

PICTURES FROM "AN EVENING OF TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF OLAITAN OYERINDE" HELD ON THE 30 MAY 2012, AT THE ROCKVIEW HOTELS, WUSE 11, ABUJA.

PRESS STATEMENT WE APPLAUD THE RECALL OF DISMISSED LAGOS STATE MEDICAL DOCTORS

                                                                                                June 3,  2012

The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) wishes  to commend  Governor Babatunde  Fashola of Lagos State for  recalling   the sacked  788 medical doctors, and the decision of the Nigerian Medical Association to suspend the strike action, not only in Lagos,  but the threat to escalate the action nationwide.

We are specifically appreciative of the receptiveness of the State Governor to  our intervention,  and his frankness and commitment to improve health services in the state, during our meeting with him on Wednesday, 30^th May 2012 in Lagos.

Congress also wishes to commend the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association ( NMA), at its meeting with the leadership of the NLC,  for its remarkable forthrightness on the issues in contention  and passion for  a virile medical profession and sustainable health  delivery system in Lagos State.

We appreciate the roles played by prominent individuals and organisations within and outside Lagos state as well as the global unions and civil society groups in the course of the crisis. Without their support  and interventions, both parties may not have achieved this resounding feat. This positive disposition of the state governor,  we believe,  has added to the good governance profile of the  state.

We urge both parties in the spirit of this significant  truce  to return to further dialogue as soon as practicable  to ensure that all  contentious issues are resolved across the table without further acrimony. The process of collective bargaining for mutual outcomes in the interest of  the people  remains a major tool that ensures industrial peace and harmony.

Abdulwahed I. Omar

President, NLC