NNPC Sack 200 Support Staff Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic

The Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had on the 31st March, 2020 sacked about 200 support staff without proper consultations.

Just as at the time the support staff were expecting their jobs to be regularised having served the Corporation for several years ranging from 10 to 15 years in the Production and Maintenance Departments of the Refinery with meager salaries, without hazard and medical allowances and made to work under severe and inhumane conditions over the years.

The disengagement came after they were deprived of participating in the just concluded recruitment exercise by the Cooperation such that the criteria were not favorable to most of them and in other to pave way for the newly recruits and the exit door was shown to the vast experienced staff.

Precisely on the 4th and 5th of November 2019, an oral interview and verification exercise was conducted which rekindled the hope of these hard-working staffs that better days are ahead, only to be shocked by the directive from their management that their contract should be terminated with an outrageous and deprived severance package.

The entire support staff of KRPC  is calling on the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the NUPENG to come to their aid at this time when the whole world is ravaged with the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that their source of livelihood is protected by the virtue of being financial members of the NUPENG and in the spirit of INJURY TO ONE IS INJURY TO ALL.

We are also calling on the President of the Faderal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and the Honorable  Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Silva to use their respected offices to prevail over the action of the management of the NNPC. Also, going by the directive of Mr president that no worker should lose their job at this time of this coronavirus pandemic.

Lockdown: Reduce Data Prices For Nigerians - Ayodele Fayose

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Gov. Peter Ayodele Fayose has called on service providers to help Nigerians by reducing their Tariffs.

He wrote on his verified twitter account:

Nigerians have been at home since the beginning of this Covid-19 pandemic, even now that the lock down is relaxed, causing increase in Data usage. Govt will be kind enough to prevail on Network and Cable TV providers to reduce their tariffs to support Nigerians at this time

Covid-19 Pandemic: FG Grants 2 Months License Fee Waiver To Broadcast Stations

A two-month licence fee waiver has been granted to terrestrial broadcast stations in Nigeria to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic in the industry.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the announcement on Wedneday May 6, during a meeting with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja.

A request for the distribution of protective equipment to some community broadcast stations across the country by the NBC, was also approved by the Minister who stated that the federal government has been taking a holistic approach to address the damage inflicted by COVID-19 on the creative industry.

Lai Mohammed said;

“Let me stress here that the Creative Industry is a very critical sector of the nation’s economy and a major plank of the economic diversification policy of this administration.

“It creates the highest number of jobs after Agriculture, especially for the youth.

“Therefore, there is no doubt that we need a collective and government supported approach in dealing with the immediate, short and long term palliatives and initiatives for the industry, in order to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the sector.”

BON’s chairman, Sa’a Ibrahim on his own part appealed to state governments to provide adequate funding for the running of the state-owned media houses at this time, to save the sector from imminent collapse arising from declining revenue.

The federal government was also urged to grant one-year moratorium in the payment of Annual Operating License fee payable to the NBC, approve tax rebates for the broadcast stations and provide guarantees or comforts to de-risk the loans the Broadcast Industry requires to enable Independent Private Broadcasters to access credit facilities.

Unimaginable Mass Job Losses Loom In Nigeria

As this week may yet witness rise in new cases of the COVID-19 pandemic that has significantly challenged the wit of government’s officials in recent weeks, there are indications that em­ployers of labour, after the crisis, may not be smiling when it comes to making the hard decision to part ways with an unimaginable number of their employ­ees, going by insight from economic and corporate data.

While the unusual circumstance of negative threat of mass sack of workers may not be good news to workers, many players in the industry say it is an indi­cation of more bleak days ahead, and the years of government not creating an enabling environment for investment would not be corrected in a period of weeks or even months.

Timothy Olawale, the Director Gen­eral of Nigeria Employers Association (NECA), in a telephone discussion with DAILY INDEPENDENT, argued that while discussions about how to resolve the ongoing global economic crisis ac­companying COVID-19 remain largely unresolved, manufacturers, financial experts are keeping their eyes on eco­nomic and earnings news that emanat­ed from National Bureau of Statistics as inflation report for march hit 12.26% from the previous position of 12.20% to record the highest in 23 months.

He said: “The hard business deci­sions by employers of labour to part ways with employees are seldom un­avoidable. If the needful is not done now, unimaginable mass job losses loom in Nigeria because ‘a stitch in time’, they say, ‘saves nine’.

This call for policy measures, ac­cording to Mr. Timothy, is necessary for government to address the consis­tent rising consumer price index for straight eight months, especially now that coronavirus outbreak and lock­downs globally and domestically have triggered prices of goods and services due to panicky shopping and buying.

Government of countries, in re­sponse to COVID-19, have taken steps to bolster key sectors and lessen the so­cio-economic impact of the pandemic. Measures include economic assistance packages, tax moratoriums, extended deadlines, social security contributions, as well as wage subsidies, loans and guarantees for workers, and Nigeria is no exception,” he said.

He added: “To save jobs in Nigeria, more direct intervention such as: direct wage or income support, wage subsi­dies, tax credits or tax deferrals, short-term work schemes, moratoriums on loan payments and the establishment of a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, where government pays up to 60% of private sector salaries until June as long as workers are not laid off, as done in other climes i.e. UK, France, and Den­mark, would reduce the negative impact on businesses and slow the rate of job loss.”

Olawale, who argued that the dev­astating effects of the long-standing inclement environment for doing busi­ness in Nigeria have been over flogged, said: “This has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the follow-up effect of the unproductive lockdown which understandably was necessary to rein in the blight and protect lives.

“With the lockdown leading to shut­down of manufacturing, businesses, and movement, many companies will not be able to pay salary; this will affect purchasing power of Nigerians there­by leading to supply and demand shock that needs urgent policy measures from the government and policy makers to address the dwindling national and in­dustrial productivity,” he said.

According to NECA’s Director Gen­eral, “While businesses remain pas­sive and unproductive with attendant mass losses of revenue, overhead costs remain. Wages obligations to workers and several statutory payments without respite remain constant.

“The truth is that five weeks of the economic and business shutdown has overstretched the limits and business­es are beginning to buckle under the weight of the burden it is carrying with­out corresponding productivity from workers and necessary support from government. This is the reality today.”

He, however, explained that the government had spoken well in urg­ing businesses to continue to bear the brunt without recourse to staff ratio­nalisation and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), as the most representative body for or­ganised businesses and employers of labour in Nigeria, had equally added its voice by advising its members to contin­ue to keep the full complements of its workers for as long as it is bearable, and as far as economic indices will permit.

Balancing Protection Of Lives With Economic Interests

Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in his response to what is ahead of the workers, especially with respect to post lockdown socio-economic response, said “we can sustain, enhance, and conclusively win the fight against Covid-19, particularly on the strength of tripartism”.

Wabba agreed that balancing the protection of lives with economic inter­ests should, ordinarily, not be difficult for the government.

He, however, said: “While protection of life should take precedence, the need to protect the economic foundation of the nation cannot be discounted as the economy will ultimately sustain life. While the government takes decisive steps to protect lives, efforts should also be made to keep productive activities going.

Government’s Action On Stimulus Package And the questions

While a lot has been said on the in­tervention of the Federal Government and various coordinated efforts of other stakeholders, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), noted that more decisive action on stimulus to businesses need to be taken.

He, however, said: “The announced stimulus, to a large extent, has not ad­dressed the critical needs of businesses that will guarantee sustainability and protection of jobs.”

Relaxation Of Lockdown With Regulations To Protect Lives

Omorodion Ambrose, Chief Re­search Officer, InvestData Consulting Limited, in his chat with our correspon­dent, emphasised that the global eco­nomic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, now projected to be the worst recession since the Great Depression by the IMF, would bring about a reconsid­eration of long-standing need to safe­guard or protect jobs in the country, both in the interim and in the long term after the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “While it is desirable for the lockdown to be relaxed and not totally removed, it is important to state that mismanagement of the lockdown re­laxation process might spell doom for the gains already achieved.

REVEALED: CHINA BANS ONLINE PREACHING AMIDST PANDEMIC

Online preaching banned in China, even during the COVID 19 pandemic, despite this many Christians have continued to share their faith.

Around the globe, the internet has become the principal way for Christians to keep in touch and also conduct prayer services during the coronavirus lock-down, but such an action remains illegal in China.

This is according to Release International, a non-profit organization which serves the persecuted church around the world.

Release International reported on 7 April 2020 that Chinese officials in Shandong Province banned online preaching despite the coronavirus pandemic, and that a state-aided campaign aimed at demolishing churches and tearing down crosses is ongoing nationwide.

“Officials have called for the ‘complete eradication’ of fellowships that avoid coming under state control, the organisation said.

Adding, “Government officials have been inspecting homes to remove religious symbols, and China has also stepped up its campaign against churches that meet in private rather than submit to state control.”

The watchdog Bitter Winter reported April 5 that very few organizations, and “only those that hold state-issued licenses,” can stream religious services online in China.

“We can’t get together because of the pandemic,” an underground house church pastor in the province of Jiangxi told Bitter Winter.

Release International said a pastor was detained for sharing a post on social media about the virus, and a Christian, Sun Feng, was seized by state security officers after asking friends to pray and fast during the outbreak.

The pastor tried to stream a sermon Feb. 9 through an app, but was stopped, according to Christianheadlines.com.

“Our first and only online gathering was blocked by the government soon after it started,” the preacher was quoted as saying.

A 2018 Chinese law bans Church streaming services.

“No organizations or individuals will be allowed to live-stream or broadcast religious activities, including praying, burning incense, ordinations, scripture chanting, holding Mass, worshipping or receiving baptism online in the form of text, photo, audio or video,” the law says.

Churches in China must register with the government and join either the Three-Self Patriotic Movement or the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. But because these state-approved churches face severe restrictions, millions of Christians worship in illegal underground churches.

Earlier, Uganda Christian News reported that Christians in China are risking their lives to share the gospel as they distribute medical supplies in various provinces including Wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic originated.