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59th Independence: Time to reassert our relevance, leadership- NLC, TUC

59th Independence: Time to reassert our relevance, leadership- NLC, TUC

Independence

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, Oct. 1, 2019(NAN) As Nigeria marks her 59th Independence, the organised labour has called on the country to reassert her value and leadership in the continent and stand by the tenets of democracy.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, the NLC President, in a statement said the anniversary of Nigeria, like the ones before it, offered an opportunity for serious soul-searching and very candid reflection.

According to him, in our journey to nationhood, Nigeria has had a number of highs and lows, saying while we should celebrate the highs, we must also ponder on the lows and pick useful lessons from them.

“It is important to celebrate the deconstruction of colonial rule and what independence offered the Nigerian nation and people.

“A priceless opportunity to pursue our dreams and rewrite the history of colonial evil by the strides of our post colonial existence,” he said.

Wabba said that the country started off on a trajectory of solid foundation laid by the country’s founding fathers, who he said were in a hurry to hurl her at par with development elsewhere.

He said that the founding fathers invested heavily to build the social capital of the country through their commitment to quality and universal public education and construction of excellent medical facilities.

The result, according to him, was topnotch human capital development as Nigeria became the doyen of intellectualism in Africa, producing world class scholars, professionals and workers in different sectors of the economy.

He stated that many of the country’s universities and hospitals were ranked among the best on the continent and in the world, adding that it attracted scholars and sick people from all over Africa and even beyond.

According to him, our founding fathers showed sincere commitment to industrialisation because they believed in the dignity of labour and wanted every Nigerian to be gainfully employed.

“Industrialisation was not the dessert but the main menu of governance, our founding fathers proved this by creating the enabling environment for industrialisation, by providing quality roads, mass electrification and security of lives and property.

Wabba, however, said that the 59th independence anniversary offered Nigeria a moment to reflect, re-prioritise, re-strategise, re-position, and re-launch the Nigerian dream.

He said that as leaders and citizens, “we owe ourselves, and generations unborn the responsibility of bequeathing a nation of justice, equity and prosperity.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Quadri Olaleye, and Secretary General, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, in a statement said military incursion into politics, corruption, ethnicity, religious crisis were major reasons inhibiting the nation’s growth.

The statement read, “The military incursion into politics, corruption, ethnicity, religious crisis, have worked against our national development. It is even more worrisome and unfortunate that at this time and age the crack is widening by the day.

“We must interrogate the reason why countries we were at par with have left us far behind. China, India, Indonesia, were our contemporaries but they are now in the first league while we are dragging economic space with some countries in Africa.

“Although revenue from tax has improved significantly but unfortunately, instead of widening the tax net, the impoverished public is overtaxed, leading to despondency and despair.”

TUC also berated the Federal Government for failing to pay the new Minimum Wage of N30,000 as earlier agreed.

“We find it disturbing that months after the National Minimum Wage committee set up by the Federal Government to work on the new wage had submitted their report, government is still not committed to paying the new wage.

“We are beginning to think that signing it in the first place was because of the 2019 General Elections. To talk about setting up another committee over the same issue makes us feel we have been swindled. We have learnt our lessons.

“The argument on the part of government has always been that there is no money to pay minimum wage, whereas lawmakers have budgeted N5.6bn to purchase automobile that are not produced in Nigeria.

“Our belief is that government can actually pay if only the cost of governance will be reduced.” (NAN)

TAK/IFY
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Edited by Ifeyinwa Omowole

Politics

Independence: ADC calls for unity, national reconciliation 

Independence
By Angela Atabo
Abuja, Oct. 1, 2018 (NAN) The African Democratic Party (ADC) has urged Nigerians to “build bridges across their ethnic and religious divides” as the country celebrates 58 years as an independent entity.

The party’s National Organising Secretary, Dr Mani Ahmed, made the call at news  conference in Abuja on Monday.

Ahmed said that unity, love, oneness and reconciliation had informed the  “handshake” initiative of the party aimed at rekindling the spirit of patrotism among citizens.

He expressed regret that for 58 years Nigerian leaders had failed to properly  unite the peoples of the country.

He described as unfortunate, a situation where Nigerians, at the moment, were more comfortable identifying with their ethnic groups and pursuing parochial interests.

“For 58 years, we have continuously witnessed widening gulf among Nigerian ethnic nationalities rather than the  emergence of nationalism, which our founding fathers and first republic politicians professed and stood by .

“We have seen our leaders slump from national leaders to ethno-religious champions.

“Our national institutions are degenerating and going extinct.

“Insecurity is heightening in intensity with devastation of lives and property of Nigerians by fellow Nigerians;this cannot be allowed to continue,” he emphasised.

Ahmed said ADC’s founding fathers had initially  thought deeply on the symbols that could serve as a set of unifying force for the country.

He said that it was for that reason and the need to discourage ethnocentrism as well as emphasize the virtues of national reconciliation that they designed the symbol of handshake as its logo.

Ahmed said that the events, which were  to commemorate the country’s independence, we’re aimed at fostering understanding among Nigerians.

He appealed  to Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe creed and religion, to “remember that there is strength in the nation’s  diversity”.

He said: “We want Nigerians to love Nigeria as their country and to desist from doing anything that will be inimical to the growth and developmemt of the country.

“We want Nigerians to see their fellow country men and women as one indivisible people.”

According to him,  democracy would  in the long run lead  to the progress and well-being of Nigerians and  indeed the nation. (NAN)
ATAB/OSA/YEE

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Edited by Shittu Obassa/Emmanuel Yashim

General news

Ganduje renews commitment to independence of anti-graft agency

Ganduje renews commitment to independence of anti-graft agency

NAN-H-60

Independence

By Mohammed Nur

Kano, May 4, 2017 (NAN)‎ Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State on Thursday renewed his commitment to uphold independence of the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission to enable it discharge its duties efficiently.

‎The governor said this on Thursday during the unveiling of NIPOST anti-corruption stamps.‎‎

Ganduje‎ said the state government would ensure that the anti-graft agency remained totally independent to enable it discharge its duties without interference from any quarters.

‎According to him, the state government had established offices in all the 44 local government areas of the state for rural people to lodge their complaints.

Ganduje said the government would provide computers and Internet facilities to the local government offices to make them operate effectively.‎

‎‎The governor reiterated that fighting corruption would not be won by the singular effort of an agency but through collective efforts ‎and partnership.‎

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in the war against corruption.‎

‎Ganduje also ‎commended NIPOST for creating more awareness for the anti-corruption crusade.

However, he called for more synergy among the anti-graft agencies and Nigerians to combat corruption. ‎(NAN)

MNT/DS/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Ganduje pledges to ensure independence of state anti-graft agency

Ganduje pledges to ensure independence of state anti-graft agency

NAN-H-36

Independence

By Muntari Tukur

Kano, April 12, 2017 (NAN) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has pledged to ensure the independence of the state Public Complains and Anti-Corruption Commission to enable it discharge its responsibilities effectively.

Ganduje made the promise when he hosted some visiting journalists in Kano.

“We have instituted an anti-corruption bureau which is working very well.

“We made it independent. In fact, one of our commissioners has lost his job along other three permanent secretaries and some directors after being indicted by the anti-graft body,’’ he said.

The governor said the state government would continue to ensure that the anti-graft agency remained independent so as to enable it discharge its duties without interference.

He commended the anti-graft commission for discharging its responsibilities as expected, promising to give it all the necessary support and cooperation to ensure effective service delivery.

He said the agency had a synergy with EFCC and ICPC in the area of training of its staff, pointing out that the EFCC recently chose Kano to launch the anti-corruption day.

According to him, the state government had established offices in all the 44 local government areas for people to lodge their complaints for diligent investigation, prosecution and recovery.

Ganduje said the decision to establish the offices was in line with the state government’s desire and resolve to decentralise its activities and ensure adequate coverage of the state.

“We enacted a law forming the due process bureau ‎and we advertise all our contracts. We are precise on our specifications of our contracts.

“Our due process is a very strong outfit that allows people to check very well. That has assisted us in trying to find best prices for our projects,’’ he said.

On inflation, Ganduje said: “We always battle with the contractors to avoid reviewing the contracts. That itself is a kind of control.

“Even though sometimes it becomes inevitable even when the change is so abrupt, if you press hard, you still maintain the highest price because they will have to tap them up in order to succeed,’’ said the governor. (NAN)

MTM/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola