Ngige Is Undermining The Law - Pensioners

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige on Thursday denied his ministry was behind the crisis within the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Electricity sector.

The minister was reacting to allegation by the NUP, Electricity sector, that he was pressurising the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to stop payment of Check-off dues to pension headquarters.

Abel Eikhor, Chairman Caretaker committee of union had on Thursday at a news briefing in Abuja accused the minister of undermining the law by giving directives to various agencies to “reverse the irreversible”.

Eikhor said the NUP National Headquarters was recognised as the Registered Trade Union to which the sector was an affiliate and recognised to receive remittances of check off dues.

He alleged that the former Chairman of the sector, Temple Ubani, had written to the minister of labour requesting that PTAD be called to order and reverse remittances of check off dues to his account.

”Unfortunately, the minister is undermining the law by giving directives to various agencies to reverse the irreversible.

“The law is sacrosanct in this regard, PTAD is not under the ministry of labour so the minister should be guided,” he said.

He noted that the former chairman of the electricity sector had pulled out of the Union and formed his own association known as Electricity sector Retirees Deputies Welfare Association (ESREWA).

But Ngige insisted the ministry had nothing to do with Ubani or the association.

”I have never talked to PTAD on this issue, I will only write PTAD if there is an issue for clarification,” the minister said.

Ngige noted that the NUP was the only registered Union for pensioners and it had under it different sectors.

According to him, other sub unit within the pension union had applied for recognition and registration, as the NUP had grown big that it could no longer take care of them.

He said the law does not stop anybody from forming sub group and that the law permited the minister to do a regrouping of union when the ministry feels their membership cannot be taken care off.

By Wale Odunsi

Ngige Explains Why Buhari Is Yet To Create The Jobs He Promised

The President Muhammad Buhari-led Federal Government says its inability to create 3 million jobs for Nigerians as promised is due to the downturn of the economy.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in an interview with the Sun.

 The Minister also blamed corruption as being responsible for government’s inability to meet its promise.

Ngige noted that with corruption it was impossible to create jobs.

He said, “If you have corruption, you cannot have resources to create jobs. Job creation to be specific is a multi-faceted; multi-sectoral affair involving all strata of the economic chain of the country.

“We had an instantaneous oil price drop when we came in, and as the prices were dropping, because of militancy, Nigeria couldn’t maintain oil facilities, there were vandalism of oil exports terminals and oil pipelines.

“So, Nigeria could not even meet its OPEC output of 2.2 million barrels per day, at one point we were doing only 1.2million barrels per day last year, it was that bad, around August to October last year, in fact starting from June we didn’t do more than 1.4 million barrels at an oil price of 35 dollars per barrel.

“There was no money to create enabling environment for jobs to be created by the private sector. What is the enabling environment that we need here, we need power, electricity.”

He also stressed that if not for the government’s intervention, the sack of workers in the private sector would have been much more than what it is now.

By Seun Opejobi

Anambra 2017: APC Has Many “Food Is Ready Politicians” – APC Guber Aspirant

A governorship aspirant in Anambra State on the platform of the All  Progressives Congress, Chief Barth Nwibe has described defectors to APC in the state for the purpose of contesting the  November 18 poll as ‘food is ready politicians’.

He added that such people had no party ideology, but were propelled by selfish interest of joining any political party that could serve them as a vehicle to power.

He spoke on Saturday as a guest at the Correspondents’ Chapel Forum of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council.

He said there were two groups of aspirants on the platform of the party for the governorship election  in the state: “those who believe strongly in the change mantra of the APC and those who came in after the party had won power at the centre because they believe they can win election using the platform of the party.

“For me, we have no other party than the APC, and whether the party wins or loses, we will remain in the party. We have been in  opposition for 15 years, but for the other group, we are not even sure they will remain in our party if they win the election.”

Reacting to the story making the rounds that he was being perceived in some quarters as the anointed candidate of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, the APC governorship aspirant,  said there were reasons for some people to have such impression.

Describing Ngige as a political avatar, Nwibe said he had served him, politically for over 15 years.

He said “The minister is a great Igbo man; he did great for this state as governor. I would love to be his anointed candidate; because I know that if he anoints me, my journey to becoming the next governor of the state is sure.

“However, I must say the story that I’m  the minister’s choice is a speculation, apparently because of my closeness with the minister.”

He added that  APC as a political party that champions change in all ramifications would organise a free and fair primary for its aspirants in Anambra State devoid of sentiments.

He said it would amount to political suicide for the party to give its ticket to those who had no kindred interest and affinity in the party.

He said, “I believe that APC will conduct a free and fair primary election in the state. This is a party that does not base its criteria for nominating candidates on money. We nominated our president, Buhari because we believed he was the best, not because he had money. So all those people who are joining our party, hoping that money is all, will be disappointed.”

By Tony Okafor

Group Petitions EFCC Over Alleged US Property Owned By Ngige

A group, ​Advocates for Peace and Effective Justice Development Initiative (APEJDI) has called on the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ​probe source of funds the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige​, used​ to allegedly purchase a property worth $922,600 in the United States.

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This is contained in a petition addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu and signed by its National Coordinator, Maxwell Alaeto​.

APEJDI ​noted that Ngige shortly after leaving office as governor of Anambra State purchased the ​said ​property​.​

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It said the house, purchased on March 7, 2008 is situated in 13910, Crest Hill Lane, Crest Hills Acres, Silver Spring, Montgomery county, Maryland, United States.

Alaeto said the deed for the property was made on 7th day of March, 2008 between Longview VII,LLC, party of the first part and Dr. Chris Nigeria, party of the second part.

“The Federal government cannot be seen to be paying lip service to her much orchestrated fight against corruption. Nobody is above the law.

“We therefore implore you sir, to cause an investigation to be carried out in the overall interest of the people of Anambra State and the country in general”​, APEDJI stated in the petition.

By Wale Odunsi