FG To NLC Let's Re-Negotiate This

The Federal Government said it will return to the negotiation
table with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the
increase in the price of petrol.
A statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr.
Chris Ngige says the Federal Government appreciates all
the important issues raised by the labour unions and has
taken them into consideration.
It expresses the readiness of the Federal Government
negotiating team to recommence discussions with the NLC
led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba in compliance with the
directive of the National Industrial Court for both parties to
further explore alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
The statement adds that the Government is resolute in
making sure that the economy is not only strong but able to
provide jobs and opportunities for all Nigerians.
It further reiterates the commitment of the Federal
Government to implement the Memorandum of
Understanding on palliative measures already signed by the
other sensitive unions to cushion the effects of the increase
in the pump price of petrol.

NLC To Nigerians; Fight For Your Right And For The Future Of Your Children

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday
thanked its members and affiliates for coming out enmasse
to carry out the industrial action against the increase in the
price of fuel.
This was contained in a statement signed by Peter Ozo-
Eson, NLC’s secretary general. The union said: “We salute
their courage, patriotism and sacrifice in the face of
overwhelming acts of threats and treachery.”
NLC promised to continue the protest, noting that “no
reasonable struggle comes easy, and this cannot be
different”.
“Thus, in pursuance of the mandate given by the NEC of the
Congress in conjunction with our Civil Society allies, the
protest continues tomorrow,
“Accordingly, we urge you to mobilise your members,
friends or colleagues for the continuation of the protest
tomorrow.
“You are requested to assemble at Berger Roundabout
tomorrow at 7 a.m.
“For those who are yet to join the strike action, we similarly
urge you to muster the necessary courage to be part of this
historic struggle in defence of yourself, the weak and the
vulnerable.
“No level of comfort today or primordial sentiments should
blind us to the cruel realities of the increase in the pump
price of the petroleum products as what we are seeing is
just the beginning.”

Father Of 8 Commits Suicide In Calabar

A retired Army Officer, Friday William, has reportedly
hung himself to death in Calabar, the capital of Cross
Rivers state.
According to Vanguard, William, who hails from Mkpat
Enin, Akwa Ibom State, was said to have allegedly tied
a rope on a mango tree outside his apartment at 34,
Edim Otop Street in the night of Tuesday while his
family was asleep and hung himself.
Although the reason for his act is yet to be ascertained,
sources alleged that the man who fathered eight
children, may have been mentally challenged.
According to a neighbour, Abasi Imoh, “The man had
about three cars and got a lot of money from his
retirement benefits two years ago and was living well
which is the reason many people are surprised with his
action”.

Get Involved In The Strike And You Will Be Jailed For 6 Months; Ngige

Minister of Labor, Chris Ngige, says according to the
laws of the land, anyone participating in an illegal
strike is liable to a N100k fine or six months jail term.
He stated this while speaking with newsmen at the end
of the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja .
He said: “If you embark on a strike
that is illegal, if you don’t give 15
days notice especially if you are a
member of essential service, you will
be liable to a fine of N100, 000 or six
months in jail. If we invoke it now
they will say this is a ruthless
government but they(labor) are
going outside the law.
This is a change government and we
want to bring everybody on board
into a peace and orderly process”.

Adults and Good Manners

Recently, I was in a cosmetics shop to buy some items.
As I was browsing through the merchandise, I could
hear a woman talking on her cell phone. It took me
approximately twenty minutes to make up my mind
about what to put into my shopping cart. All this time,
the woman was still on her phone. She was speaking
rather loudly and animatedly, and at some point, she
got emotional. For a while there were only two of us
in the shop, and it seemed that she had convinced
herself that even if people around could hear her, they
could not understand what she was saying. You see,
the shop was in Atlanta, USA, and she was speaking in
Yoruba. You might be wondering why she did not
think about the fact that I could be another Nigerian,
but I have been told my dreadlocks fool some people
into thinking I could not be African. A few years ago,
when I was in a shop in Liverpool Street, London, a
guy was on the phone to someone, raving about the
two women he was currently ‘banging’, and how hot
they were. He said enough for me to know he was
also married! The details were so explicit and juicy, I
lingered longer than I needed to in the shop. When
the guy finished, I decided to teach him a lesson in
discretion, so I walked up to him and said ‘Good
afternoon’ in Yoruba. He reacted as if he had received
an electric shock. I did not know you are a Nigerian he
said. It should not have mattered if I was a Nigerian
or not. He should not have been having that kind of
conversation over the phone in public.
Fast forward to my co-shopper in Atlanta. When I was
ready to pay for my items, I went to the payment
counter and queued behind my Naija sister. She was
still on her phone. She was so engrossed in her
conversation that it did not seem to bother her that
there was no one to attend to us, she kept on talking.
After a few minutes, I called out to get the attention of
a shop attendant, and someone came forward to assist
us. All through the process of payment, the sister kept
her phone glued to her ear. As she turned to go, still
on her phone, I looked at her and said in Yoruba, ‘It is
well’. She too panicked for a second, then smiled and
thanked me. I hope she got the message. In the twenty
minutes or so I spent listening to this sister, I learnt a)
She is married b) Her mother-in-law lives in Nigeria
but looms very large in her marriage, c) Due to the
insatiable demands of her mother-in-law, her marriage
is in jeopardy and d) if her husband does not keep his
mother in check, she will leave him and take her
children with her. I fully sympathise with this
distressed sister, but this is an awful lot of information
to learn about a total stranger in a public place.
We keep talking about how young people these days
do not have values and manners. In the Yoruba
language, when people talk about young people and
manners, they are classified in two. We have the `a bí
ikó – those who were not taught manners when they
were young and the àkó ìgbà those who were taught
and refused to learn. For the purpose of this article, I
am using 21 and above as my definition of an adult.
Good manners are not something that was imported
into African cultures from elsewhere. We all received
the appropriate training from our parents, relatives,
teachers, community leaders, religious leaders and so
on, so we should not have an excuse for poor
manners. When we become parents and wards, we
continue the cycle of teaching and learning. We cannot
claim to be good leaders if we lack character, and good
manners is one of the foundations on which character
is built. I will list a few pet peeves I have with regards
to adult behavior and good manners as follows: continue reading...http://abovewhispers.com/2016/04/09/loud-whispers-adults-and-good-manners/