The Federal Government has declared that plans are on top gear to amend Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) act and other related institutes in order to give room for the effectiveness and efficiency in the operations of the institute.
The Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Friday (August 27, 2021) during his two-days working visit to the Headquarters of the institute in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The Minister explained that the act establishing the institute was a product of decree of the military era, pointing out that it precluded representation of all labour centres.
Keyamo said the need to review the laws establishing the institute became necessary to ensure that the institute provides solutions to emerging challenges in the sector.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), assured that the MINILS act like other labour laws would be reviewed to enable it be responsive to the current societal reality.
The Minister also promised to discourage outsourcing of the headship of the institute, saying that it would be in the best interest if workers are enabled to rise through the ranks and head the institute when the time comes.
“For now, I want to set a standard for Ministers that would come after me that whoever that would head MINILS must be someone with requisite experience within the institute, who has gone through the ranks and somebody with passionate trade union background. We should not play politics with the head of MINILS from now on.
“All the labour centres are not represented in the governing council. We are trying to amend all the labour laws. We are going to amend that of MINILS so that we can have other labour centres. For MINILS, it was an old law that was promulgated; a decree that was adopted later as an act of parliament.
“At that time, I think TUC was not in existence. So, we need an amendment. This is just for you to know that we have you in mind, and we are not unmindful of the lack of balance in the governing council”, the Minister said.
He also informed that the old Administrative Block of the institute would be pulled down in readiness for the construction of a befitting structure as well as new conference centre for the use of the organization and outsiders occasionally.
Keyamo added, “I have gone round the institute and directed that we should make a proposal to the government that a whole administrative block be brought down. We need a new smart complex. The old complex was commissioned by (late former President Shehu) Shagari about 40 years ago. The place is decrepit. There is no point renovating. If you repaint an old building, you are not doing justice to it. At times, it is even more expensive to renovate”.
The Director General of the MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu commended the Minister for his two day visit to the institute and sought for adequate funding of the institute to allow it perform it’s duties, as a training body, to the point of effectiveness.
Aremu applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his Keen interest in the upgrading and standardisation of the institute, with a prayer to God to give the President the accomplishment of all his wishes and aspirations for the country.
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