Nigerian press zooms in on 2-day warning strike by Aviation unions, others

APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that chaos may break out across airports in Nigeria as aviation unions vowed on Sunday to begin a two-day warning strike on Monday domintates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Monday.
The Punch reports that chaos may break out across airports in the country as aviation unions vowed on Sunday to begin a two-day warning strike on Monday.
The development could leave many air passengers stranded in Lagos, Abuja and other airports in the country.
Domestic and international airlines are likely to be forced to cancel their flights as aviation workers down tools in protest against what they say is the government’s failure to address their concerns regarding National Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment and working conditions.
Union leaders said they were left with no choice but to take a drastic action to force the Federal Government to implement earlier agreements reached on minimum wage and workers general welfare.
Last week, aviation workers issued a two-day warning strike notice signed by the secretaries general of five unions stating that if the warning strike, scheduled to commence on April 17 failed, an indefinite strike would be embarked upon.
The unions threatened to withdraw their services over the refusal of the Federal Government to release the reviewed condition of service negotiated over seven years ago.
Other grievances include the non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage consequential adjustments and arrears for workers of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency since 2019.
Aviation unions comprise the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.
On Sunday, the union leaders told The PUNCH that barring any last-minute change, they would embark on the strike beginning from Monday (today).
The newspaper says that at the ongoing World Bank/International Monetary Fund Spring meetings in Washington DC, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, explained that the coronavirus pandemic taught the world how important global value chains have become for job creation and inclusion.
Speaking, the WTO DG, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain gave a lot of insight as to how the redistribution of the global supply chain can be structured for more inclusive jobs across the developing world.
According to her global value chains are the backbone of trade. They make up to 45 to 55 percent of world trade. They are forces for inclusion, creation of jobs and also helps to increase incomes.
“Actually, studies have shown that when you have global value chains spreading, per capita incomes go up.
During the pandemic, when we had to deal with vaccines, we had these meetings with the CEOs of the vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer, Moderna, and so on. And what they said; the mRNA vaccine, the Pfizer one is spread over 19 countries.
She revealed that the supply chain has spread over 19 countries and manufacturing in 86 sites adding that it is incredible the force they could be for creating jobs and employment.
She stated that she sees them as a force for inclusion,” the Cable reported.
Advancing her argument on the role the global supply chain plays in driving employment and inclusion, Okonjo-Iweala, said the world needs to look beyond China and India/Indonesia for the expansion of global value chains.
She declared that at this time when global supply chains are trying to build resilience by not being concentrated in one country or the other, we need to see this as an opportunity to encourage them to spread to more developing countries as a force to bring even SMEs and women into the value chains.
The Guardian reports that inundated by calls to postpone the 2023 national population and housing census, National Population Commission (NPC) has pledged that adequate measures have been put in place for smooth conduct of the exercise, holding from May 3 to 7.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and President of Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, had, last week, called on the Federal Government to shift the census, citing fear of exclusion of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from exercise.
They had advised the central government to proceed with project once security fortified to allow the refugees resettle at their ancestral homes for capturing.
But NPC Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Isiaka Yahaya, assured Nigerians that the methodology was robust and in deference with international best standards.
“The methodology devised is not just for counting persons in regular households, but also for those, who stay in irregular households such as people in transit, homeless persons and temporary living camps. The census questionnaire will elicit information on the usual places of residence of people in IDP camps, which is where they stayed before the displacement. These data can be accessed in case of a possible change in status to aid planning process of their respective usual places of residence,” he explained.
“It is gratifying to note that every land area of the country, including the IDP camps, has been demarcated into Enumeration Areas (EAs). The mandate of the enumerators during the census period will be to count every person in the assigned EAs and the aggregation of all persons counted during the census will constitute the population figures of Nigeria,” he added.
The newspaper says that the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has said the sovereign wealth fund (SWF) catalysed over 245,000 direct and 315,300 indirect jobs in the last 10 years.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSIA, Mr. Aminu Umar Sadiq, stated this, yesterday, at a media parley in Abuja.
He said the agency was committed to sustaining a diversified assets strategy to ensure better returns for the country.
According to him, NSIA’s total assets have grown to N1.02 trillion at the close of its 2022 financial year.
He said the figure revealed a 10.5 per cent growth from the N919.73 billion recorded in 2021.
In the presentation that showed the investment institution’s full 2022 performance report, he said its non-volatile revenue, such as interest income, revenue from infrastructure business and management fees earned from fiduciary activities, increased by 34.5 per cent (N15.7 billion) year-on-year.
He said that NSIA’s total comprehensive income stood at N96.96 billion in 2022, representing a decline of 34 per cent compared to 147 billion in 2021, attributing the fall to macroeconomic headwinds.
Sadiq, however, said though the firm’s earnings are lower than that of 2021, he remained confident in its investment strategy and would continue to explore opportunities to mitigate risks and achieve its investment objectives.
“We are committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s SWF consistently ranks high in the league of state-owned funds in terms of transparency, governance and performance. Our foray into some new terrains underscores our resolve to ensure that optimal returns are generated through responsible investing.”
GIK/APA