Top Stories
Nigerian Workers And The Challenge Of COVID-19 | By Rahaman Onike
Nigerian workers this year are not just in a state of dilemma like other Nigerians, they were caught unaware by COVID-19 pandemic that is currently plaguing the entire universe. Of course,this moment is not the best of time for the Nigerian workers including those in the public service and private sector of the nation’s economy.
Nigerian workers this year are not just in a state of dilemma like other Nigerians, they were caught unaware that is currently plaguing the entire universe. Of course,this moment is not the best of time for the Nigerian workers including those in the public service and private sector of the nation’s economy.
Apart from the anxieties caused by the daily increase in the death toys, workers are equally feeling threatened that they may lose their jobs after the pandemic. Really, there are reasons to fear giving the likely aftermath effects of the pandemic on the global economy.
In a dramatic manner, workers in the last six weeks were forced to stay at home. Ordinarily, one will expect that workers would be doing their works at home, if not fully but on skeletal scales.
Contrarily, the reverse is the case due to myriad of challenges that hsve been the bane of public service delivery in Nigeria since pre-colonial era.
From all indications, it seems both the governments and workers at various levels never envisaged this kind of social problem and as such didn’t prepare for the messy situation we find ourselves giving the near collapse of the economy under the present circumstance.The reality is that we are likely to be doomed, if adequate measures are not taken expeditiously on how to ensure the survival of the nation’s economy after the pandemic.
As the federal and state governments continue to device measures toward the mitigation the dire consequences of the novel coronavirus pandemic, workers should get prepared to make necessary sacrifices to assist the nation achieve speedy economic recovery after the pandemic.
This is the right time for the workers to be engaging in serious rumination on how to assist the nation make up for the loses so far recorded since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One way to achieve this goal is for every worker to capture all the lessons learnt from the ongoing experience with the view to make use of the experiences when work resumes.
Expectedly, When work resumes and workers are fully returned to their desks, it is important everyone thinks about how to make use of the experience learnt during this critical period in our nation’s history to add value and contribute meaningfully to economic recovery measures which the governments are bound to introduce.
For the avoidance of doubt, this period has taught workers a lesson that the business climate may change by technology and pandemic such as COVID-19 as we experience currently. One major failure of the employers of labour in the country as currently exposed by the coronavirus pandemic is that both the government and managers of the private sector lack effective and enduring coping strategies for business and economic survival during global crises.
Unlike the situation in the developed economies where e-organization operate without any serious hindrance , the prevailing business and organizational culture in our own country today is far below the minimum standard. The best way to understand my concern is to look at the issue from the perspectives of its three underlying components-the use of internet, intranet and extranet to achieve effective service delivery particularly in the publiic service as the pandemic wrecks harvoc.
Even the private sector that seems to have already been paying attention to the scientific innovations being the in-thing now such as e-busines and e-commerce have not got it right as workers and management of the private organizations equally face challenge of cyberloofing on daily basis.
More importantly, the current reality has equally exposed our country and the workforce to be ill prepared for telecommuting which is all about operation of virtual office system. Even when workers are ready to operate virtual administrative system, the success still depends largely on critical factors such as availability of power supply, internet access and computer literacy skills of the workforce.
Whatever the circumstances, workers should remain steadfast and not loosing hope. The storm will soon be over. What is expected of the Nigerian workers is to see the period of lockdown to keep safe and obey the government directives on COVID-19.
This is not the time to pursue or engage in any risky venture so much when the storm is over workers will be alive, hale and hearty to contribute significantly to the nation’s economic recovery and infrastructural development.
Rahaman Onike, Public Commentator & Trade Union Activist writes from Oyo, Oyo State
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Saturday zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, declaring that the party’s candidate would serve a single four-year term if elected.
The decision was reached during the party’s national convention held in Abuja amid growing momentum within the opposition platform following a wave of high-profile defections from other political parties.
Announcing the development on its official social media handle, the party stated, “NDC presidential ticket is zoned to the South!!”
The party also resolved that its 2031 presidential ticket would be ceded to Northern Nigeria as part of efforts to maintain regional balance and internal equity.
The convention comes as key opposition figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined party leaders and delegates at the Abuja gathering.
Saturday’s convention is expected to ratify several recent decisions taken by the party’s National Executive Committee, including zoning arrangements, amendments to the party constitution, and the election of new national executives.
According to the convention agenda obtained by journalists, discussions centred on zoning, ratification of the amended constitution, and leadership restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC has in recent weeks witnessed a surge in defections from rival opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
On Tuesday, no fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Their defections were formally announced during plenary at the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The defections came barely two days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
The duo were presented with the party’s membership cards last Sunday shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, officially welcomed the opposition figures into the party.
Obi had attributed his exit from the ADC to worsening internal crises, external interference and what he described as increasing hostility within party structures.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s political environment had become increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny of opposition figures.
He also lamented that institutions meant to protect citizens were now often deployed against them, while individuals committed to genuine public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
-
Politics2 days ago2027: Oyo APC Set for Credible Direct Primaries, Says Alake Adeyemo
-
News1 week agoTCN plans power outage in Ibadan over substation maintenance
-
News5 days agoTegbe clarifies: No 3-month promise on power grid, outlines realistic reform timeline
-
News5 days agoYoruba Heritage Festival Honouring Ogedengbe Begins July 29