A member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Vice President of IndustriAll Global Union, Comrade Issa Aremu mni has called for the declaration of state of emergency on Energy sector.
Comrade Aremu disclosed this on Saturday (March 14, 2020) in his lecture at a workshop organised by the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) Lagos, held at Travel House Budget Hotel, Ibadan.
He said decalaration of emergency on the sector becomes necessary for Nigeria to become a productive and more economically viable country.
Comrade Aremu however commended the Federal Government for its commitment to reindustrialise the country, through sustainable industrial policies, such as the new (CTG, Cotton, Textile and Garment) policy.
“We must curb smuggling and dumping. Nigeria must declare emergency on energy sector if we must improve on productivity.We must improve on policy environment, education and technology to raise the nation’s output” he said.
He suggested work culture and ethics, punctuality, avoidance of absenteeism, time management, motivating the work force, provision of incentives as some of the various ways to improve productivity in Nigeria, adding that a happy home life usually translates into a happy work life. “At 60 Nigeria should be more productive. No better time to raise the noise level of the production crisis than now; 60th independence anniversary.
“LAWAN should be a change agent such that Nigeria should produce what it consumes! Currently we still consume what we do not produce; export raw materials what we should have turned to manufactured goods, import same products produced by others with tears. We import unemployment and export jobs. This must change. Productivity is an input/ output relationship” he added.
Comrade Aremu commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the partial border closure policy and described the policy as a bold step to attain high level of productivity in the country.
The labour leader said it is appalling that Nigeria parades highest number of puboic holidays, adding that Nigeria works 8 hrs, 5 days a week but on average, other 19 countries in our preferred club of 20 most developed countries, work longer hours, 6 days a week.
“Out of 365 days in a year, Nigeria is at rest for some 120 days. Out of the official 8 hrs, we resume unofficially at 10 am, set to do some unofficial school (children) runs by noon, only to unofficially close shops at 3 pm ostensibly to beat the traffic” Aremu said.
Speaking on Civid 19, Comrade Aremu called on organized labour to support the governments to prevent the spread of the virus, saying that employers must invest in workers awareness on prevention and control of the disease.
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