By Funmi Komolafe
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has offered automatic employment to graduands of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi who emerged overall best in the various departments.

He announced this at the 17th Convocation Ceremony of the institution heldn Auchi, in Etsako West Local Government Area. The Governor decried  a situation where no convocation was held in the institution in the last five years, he argued that this was part of the reasons why there is constant crisis and restiveness in our higher institutions adding  that the leadership often abuses the privileges and rights of the young people.

According to him, “A graduate is entitled to the original certificate immediately after graduation, that is what it is everywhere around the world. You are not supposed to have a photo cyclosied document that says certificate shall follow later.

As long as we do not respect the rights of youth, we may not be entitled to a graveyard peace”. He reiterated that the best way to prosperity is to invest in knowledge and the acquisition of skills, stressing that society must play its role by guaranteeing jobs that the graduands need.

ILO urges govts to save jobs

The Governing Body of the International Labour Office called for an “employment oriented” response to the global economic crisis based on policy measures set out in the ILO’s Global Jobs Pact.

In their conclusions, Governing Body members said “A more balanced economic growth pattern must not lose sight of the need to urgently address large-scale unemployment, underemployment and rising income inequality. These issues deserve the same high level political priority that has been given to the rescue of financial institutions.”

“Getting those who have lost their jobs back to work and ensuring that the millions of young women and men who start looking for work each year get a good start in their working lives is a vital first step for recovery and sustainable growth and development,” the Governing Body concluded.

“Making the transition then from crisis response to stronger, more sustainable, equitable development and a fair globalization will need an employment oriented framework for the medium and longer term.”

NUPENG  conference opens today

Stakeholders in the oil industry including the  Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman,  and other  dignitaries are expected to grace the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, (NUPENG) which opens today in Abuja.

Expected at the two day  conference are, the president of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar,  Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state and  minnister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Adamu Aliero. Labour and Productivity minister, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode is expected to deliver a key note address.  Officers for the union would be elected at the conference.

Labour movement urged to adopt LP

The Labour movement in the country has been advised to adopt the Labour Party (LP) as its own party and  transform the party  into a truly working class party.

This was part of the decisions reached at this year’s Kolagbodi memorial lecture held in Lagos with the support of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

A communique  at the end of the communique, signed by the Executive Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, lamented the effect of capitalism on the Nigerian economy, said: “Liberalism continues to be a conscious effort of international capitalism in keeping the average African country on the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of development. The interest of liberal capitalism in Nigeria is oil. Nigerians  have been conquered by the argument that privatization is the only way.

Class alliance is the clearest obstacle in fighting the evil disguised as ‘globalisation’. There is the need to re-educate the people based on class analysis to expose the exploitative character of globalization.

Even though ethnic consciousness is reality and it’s creeping into the working class, an ethnic problem does not have to be resolved with an ethnic solution. We have been engaging in politics without class ideology, and with no class ideology, distinct working class struggles becomes an illusion.”

“The working class can not liberate itself and Nigeria unless it successfully wins state power. The working class must shelve any idea that workers will become free under the neo-colonial economy run by IMF, World Bank and their agents in Nigeria.

The labour movement must be involved in resisting fundamental aspects of imperial domination – privatization of public assets. The leadership of the trade union movement is required to make hard choices to assess its ideological stance and its adequacy or otherwise for workers’ struggle against neo-colonial rule. The labour movement should adopt the Labour Party (LP) as its own party. The Labour Party must be transformed into a truly working class party and this is a challenge to the labour movement.”