El-Rufai advises FG on corruption, terrorismFormer Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, advised the Federal Government on various national issues, particularly on corruption and terrorism which had taken the central stage in the country in recent years.Mallam El-Rufai, who was the guest speaker at the 2012 May Day lecture organised by the Silver Knights, Ibadan, with the topic entitled: 'Between Terrorism and Corruption ' Implications for Nigeria,' held at Lead City University, averred that terrorism and corruption were big issues with no easy solution, adding that there were no silver bullets and no country had been able to eradicate corruption or be totally immuned from domestic terrorism.The former minister said that there was the need for the government to strengthen institutions by appointing decent people to head the anti-corruption agencies, respect their tenures and appoint successor from within rather than bringing in political hacks to do jobs that they were neither qualified nor trained to do. He added that the anti-corruption strategy had not been able to attack the root cause(s) of corruption.On the judiciary, he said that the judiciary needed surgical operation by re-engineering and revamping the system as the practitioners had done calculable damage to the most important arm of government, saying that without an honest and decent judiciary, nothing would ever work in the country.Security threats: Kano NLC cancels celebrationsTHE Nigeria LabourCongress (NLC),Kano State chapter, said it cancelled the May Day celebrations on Tuesday due to security threats prevailing in the state.Making the assertion on Tuesday while addressing pressmen, the NLC state chairman, Comrade Isa Yunusa Danguguwa, said it was sad that it had can to cancel the day's parade. He said: 'Fellow comrades, today is a day of sober reflection. It is the second time in the history of the labour movement in Kano that we are celebrating the day in low profile manner with a limited number of workers.'Secondly, we are celebrating it this time around without parade as it was normally done in the previous years.'Comrades, all this must not be unconnected with the security situation in Kano, which we are all aware of, hence we decided to narrow our celebration this year.'Danguguwa, who, however, stated thst 'while we once again commiserate with the entire people of Kano over the predicament, may we also use this opportunity to once again pray to Almighty Allah to bring lasting peace to our dear state in particular and Nigeria in general.'Minimum wage: Ebonyi workers fault govt on implementationHundreds of workers of Ebonyi State public service , on Tuesday, openly faulted the state government's claim that it had implemented the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage to workers in the state.The incident occurred during the ceremony marking the 2012 Workers Day celebration in the state, at the Abakaliki Township Stadium, when the governor, Chief Martin Elechi, represented by his deputy, Mr Dave Umahi, announced that the state was the first state to implement the payment of the wage.The workers, who decried the non-implementation of the full payment of the minimum wage, shouted down the deputy governor, when he made the pronouncement. The workers, who were at the Abakaliki Township Stadium for the 2012 Workers Day celebration, disrupted the governor when he stated that his administration had implemented the new wage for workers despite the socio-economic challenges facing the state.Earlier, the organised labour in the state also faulted the N18,000 minimum wage structure put in place by the state government for the implementation of the new wage as prescribed by the Federal Government for workers in the country.The union noted that the state government's structure, which was fraught with some errors, was not a true reflection of the provision inherent in the national minimum wage, even as it appealed to the government to look into the current minimum wage salary structure.Earlier in his address, the acting chairman, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State, Comrade Boniface Igweonwu, among other requests, enjoined the state government to pay the 67 months arrears of 142 per cent increase in pensions for workers, adding that workers deserved improved welfare packages considering their contributions to the development of the state.Workers stage walkout on AregbesolaWorkers in Osun State, on Tuesday, staged a walkout protest against the state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, during the May Day rally when he said his administration spent about 70 per cent of the state resources on public servants' salaries.The presence of the state governor at the venue of the rally, Technical College, Osogbo, had earlier excited the workers, as he waved to them.The workers' praise of the governor was short-lived, as the workers staged a walkout on him because the governor's speech was considered to be at variance with their expectations.The labour leaders in the state had, at a press briefing preceding the May Day celebrations, said the state government should be prepared for a showdown if the expectation of workers over the implementation of the minimum wage was not met beginning from May 1.The state government might have anticipated a hostile atmosphere during the May Day rally, which informed the large presence of regular and anti-riot policemen and armed men of the Department of State Security (DSS).As early as 9.00 a.m., the security men had positioned themselves at strategic locations around the venue.Men of the DSS were also sighted at the venue about one hour after the governor and his entourage had departed the venue.Expressing shock over large presence of security men, the chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Adetunji Oladele, said the development was unusual in recent times in the history of May Day celebrations in the state.Enugu workers want review of salary structureWORKERS in Enugu State have called on Governor Sullivan Chime to review the present salary structure of public servants in the state emploment, saying the non-standard salary chart has, among others, affected the computation of staff leave allowances and retirement benefits.Speaking on Tuesday at this year's May Day rally at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, alleged that the N10,000 and N8,000 added to the salaries of workers in the state were neither in the basic salary nor in the allownaces as applied in othe states.Igbokwe said: 'It is worrisome that at present, Enugu does not have a clear salary chart with the breakdown of its componets. Allownaces are still being paid without reflecting the increase in the minmum wage of the domestic sevants.
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