Date: 2016-07-04

Though the maiden annual Ramadan lecture of the Kwara State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists was meant to immortalize Hajia Hamudalat Abiodun Aremu, late wife of a foremost labour leader, Comrade Issa Aremu last Saturday, it turned to be a forum where issues affecting the nation's workforce were dissected. Ahmed 'Lateef captures the moment of the lecture held at Abubakar Sola Saraki Pen House along Offa Road, GRA, Ilorin.

The persistent economic recession in the country has thrown up much issues to be desired in the discourse on labour wages and attendant financial crisis, which has dealt a dead blow on the coffers of government at all levels.

In the chequered history of the imbroglio, the workforce seems to be the worst hit by the crisis due to backlog of salary arrears owed workers in most of the states in the federation.

Certainly, this is not the best of time for workers under the employment of state and local governments who are currently contending with the burden of unavailable funds to meet inevitable obligations at home.

As a result of unpaid salaries, most hitherto able and energetic men have lost their superior right in the domestic affairs, thus could not lay claim to the manly position when issues on home affairs are presented before them.

The taproot of the crisis was the price of crude oil that had ceaselessly plummeted with severe effect on the finances of the states while many states that did not have a fall back in the advent of the shortfall in the oil price, have continued to bear the brunt.

Unfortunately, the hydra headed problem appears to have defied all solutions with no end in sight to the period the situation would take its toll on the workforce.

Like a vicious circle, the situation had manifested in the economy as patronage on goods and consumable items in the market had nose-dived.

A visit to a nearby market attested to the low patronage that had been recorded basically occasioned by unavailability money, which could be injected into the economy through buying and selling.

Within the community of workforce, it has been hues and cries as the relief time is shrouded in mystery.

Cognisant of this horrendous challenges, last Saturday June 25 would not fade in hurry in the annals of the Kwara State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists. It was a day set aside to immortalize Hajia Hamudalat Abiodun Aremu, late wife of a foremost labour leader, Comrade Issa Obalowu Aremu.

The event, maiden ramadan lecture of the pen fraternity, was conceived to honour the life and times of Aremu's wife, but surprisingly turned to a forum where emergent issues in the circle of workforce were dissected.

At the Abubakar Sola Pen House along Offa Road, GRA, Ilorin where the event took place, it was spectacle to behold with creme de la creme in the society and those who called the shot in the labour affairs converging to be fed on the issues of the moment.

Delivering his paper at the maiden lecture, Head of Department of the Performing Arts, University of Ilorin, Professor AbdulRasheed Abiodun Adeoye, was of the view that the current salary stalemate had offered the labour body the best opportunity to commence the process of forwarding a national wage bill to the National Assembly unlike the current procedure in place, which is of disadvantage to the workers.

He submitted that the proposed legal framework should be embedded with provisions that would review the existing wages every three years.

In his lecture entitled "Perspectives on Labour Wages and the Nigerian Situation", Adeoye, who represented the Dean, Postgraduate School of the University of Ilorin, Professor Badmas 'Lanre Yusuf, at the occasion, opined that the bill should also take effect at all levels of government.

He said once the wage bill becomes a law, labour wages could be effectively considered along with the rate of inflation and other socio-economic variables.

The erstwhile chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Unilorin chapter, queried the structure of governance, which he said, was tilted to patronage by the politicians while the workforce has not fared better.

"Why can't there be serious pruning down of unnecessary structure of governance and patronage by the political class?

"What about the issue of mass retrenchment which is now at an alarming rate in Nigeria? Certainly, this is not the best of time for government at all levels and for workers and labour leaders in Nigeria. In fact, labour leaders must constantly be on their toes to reinvent the sociological process between themselves and their members on one hand, and the government on the other.

"It is hereby recommended that NLC should sponsor a national bill in which government at all levels will review existing labour wages every three year.

"Once this bill is signed into law, labour wages can effectively be considered along with the rate of inflation and other socio-economic variables at the micro and macro levels.

"The delay in negotiating for new labour wages often makes the workers to be the loosers. NLC should also note that their members working in the private sector of the economy need their attention. They need their protection, support and encouragement", Adeoye said.

In his remark, General Secretary, National Union of Textile and Garment Workers, Comrade Issa Aremu, could not his dissatisfaction when he posited that the lingering salary crisis was turning workers to slaves in the country.

He said the time has come for Nigeria to treat wage related crime as economic crime.

Aremu, widower of the honouree, maintained that it was an impeachable offence for governor of any state who failed to pay workers salary as and when due.

"The difference between a slave and a worker is payment of salaries. Slaves like workers historically had jobs but had no salaries. It is a sad commentary that most states' civil servants in particular and Nigerian workers in general have been turned into glorified slaves as they work without pay for months. In fact, most workers have unfortunately been turned to working beggars.

"But for God's sake, Let's pause a bit and consider the plight of that worker who has not been paid for months. If he or she is the breadwinner, it is clear then that the family support collapses. Food must have been difficult to find to feed the children with all the implications for malnutrition. Some kids must have been withdrawn from school on account of non-payment of school fees while Sallah cloth will necessarily elude them. Pray the family is not sick either.

"Since the breadwinner cannot meet expectation, depression logically replaces love within the household. The options before unpaid workers in a society without social security like Nigeria are therefore better imagined. As a matter of fact, non-payment of salaries amounts to what I called economicide, which means systemic destruction of lives on account of lack of means of live hood.

"It is time Nigeria treated wage-related crimes, non-payment, low payment, wage-diversions (so-called ghost payments) as economic crimes!

"The governors swore to an oath based on 1999 Constitution. Chapter II of the same Constitution deals with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. It says that the duty and responsibility as well as the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people.

"The same section of the Constitution also says that the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring among others that suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national (minimum) living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens. Indeed based on the spirit and content of the Constitution.

"It is not only shameful for some states to renege on salary payments, as President Muhammed Buhari rightly observed but it is also clearly an impeachable offence", Aremu said.

The state chairman of NUJ, Mr Abiodun Abdulkareem, who spoke on the rationale behind the event in his address, said the maiden ramadan lecture was put together to immortalize the late wife of Issa Aremu.

He said the union would continue to appreciate Nigerians who distinguished themselves in the service to humanity.

The sideline of the ceremony chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, University of Ilorin, Professor Adedayo Yusuf Abdulkareem, was the foundation laying of Kwara NUJ mosque named after Hajia Hamudalat Aremu, which was performed by one of her daughters, Asmau Gogo Aremu, to the admiration of eminent dignitaries in attendance.