BY SAMUEL OLOWOOKERE
The world over, labour and industrial sector is central to the government’s agenda. Little wonder countries like the United States of America, France, Germany and the rest of the developed countries do not toy with the industrial sector of the economy because of the important roles the labour sector plays in the attainment of the government’s agenda and development of any nation.

In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity is the sole ministry that is saddled with the major responsibility of the welfare of the human capacity that drives the economy and handling/ settling any form of dispute, unrest, agitation and demand that may arise from the labour sector of the nation’s economy in line with the extant labour laws.

Though the ministry is always seen and perceived as a non-viable ministry with fewer activities among other ministries whereby individual posted or deployed to the ministry is pitied because it is never seen as a thriving sector.

Also, the ministry plays role of a catalyst in the process of employment generation as it is charged with the mandate of creating the enabling environment for national growth through intermediation in the use of best practices for labour administration and the promotion of peaceful and productive industrial relations, safe and decent work, social security and co-ordination of all employment creation activities in the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan, during the electioneering campaign and aftermath of the elections has always emphasized on transforming the country and the need for the industrial sector to grow through various programmes  such as wealth/ job creation and sustenance of existing jobs and the general improvements in the welfare and status of its workforce in the transformational agenda of the government which is unarguably the mantra or what many people will like to christen watchword of the present administration.

It is however important to note that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in the present administration has played a very significant and strategic role in ensuring that there is peace and harmony in the nation’s industrial sector through successful dialogue, negotiations and programmes/ strategies that have sustained the present peace and tranquility being experienced in Nigeria’s industrial sector.

The man in the middle and the one President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has seen as a seasoned mediator, negotiator, conciliator and arbitrator to handle such important sector of Nigeria’s economy is Chief Chukwuemeka Ngozichineke Wogu, a lawyer who has proven his mettle in the area of handling disputes and mediating among players in the world of work (government, employers, employees, and the civil societies), better known as players in the industrial sector.

Strategic position

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity is placed in a very strategic position to contribute to the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring and realising that Nigeria’s vision of attaining the height of one of the 20 economies in the world by the year 2020; better known as (Vision 20:2020).

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has been working assiduously to ensure that the nation’s industrial atmosphere remains calm and peaceful. Worthy of mention was the recent successful negotiations and dialogue that lasted for hours and days just to keep the country out of black- out and in wrong perspective of experiencing what looked like a nationwide strike by all sphere of government and private sector employees.

With these, we can boldly say that Chief Wogu through the support of Mr. President and other social partners averted what could have placed the nation’s economy in a bad shape when considering the economic and manpower loss through industrial actions.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity has been able to avert and curtailed the pressure posed by different form of workers’ agitations. The able and capable senior management personnel in the ministry dowse what looks like industrial acrimony.

This was achieved through the highest level of hard work and cool-head personality who can take labour’s tantrums in his stride; who can sit patiently for hours when labour unions abandon the negotiation table to consult or take unscheduled coffee breaks to annoy the adversary. In this aspect, Chief Wogu has been able to weather the storm.

Also worthy of note is the recent drive by the minister to collate the statistics of unemployed youths in the country. This is done through the 36 State Labour offices in the country. Considering the fact that employment generation is one of the cardinal transformation agendas of this administration. Chief Wogu has put pen on print to ensure that this monster called unemployment is effectively tackled to further stem youth restiveness in the country.

On Tuesday, 16th of August, 2011, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress counterpart concretized the agreements contained in the deliberations between labour and government to implement the New National Minimum Wage that ensures that all cadres of Federal Government Employees from levels 1- 17 benefits from the approved minimum wage that was approved by the President in March, 2011.

The joint communiqué that was read to that effect by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, contained in it that the Federal Government would comply with the National Minimum Wage Act as signed by the President. He also said that government would apply the relativity adjustment to all federal workers across board and payment of the new salaries begins in the month of August, 2011.

The nation’s industrial sector that boast of the human capacity that drives the economy cannot be ignored or taken for granted if the transformational agenda of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will become a reality that will have direct impact on Nigerians.

Samuel Olowookere Assistant Director (Press)   Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity, Abuja