The Nation July 19 2011

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Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

News Meteorologists predict more rains in Lagos, cities Sport Osaze Odemwingie not for sale, says West Brom Business New appointments as UBA adopts holding structure

P3 P24 P12

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 6, NO. 1825 TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Strike talks collapse Govt fails to persuade NLC, TUC on action T

HE stage seems set for another nationwide strike as the Federal Government – Labour parley yesterday failed to stave off the planned three-day warning strike. The meeting ended in a stalemate last night. Unless today’s meeting between Labour leaders and governors turns the tide, the economy will be paralysed for three days beginning from tomorrow. The government promised to: •pay the N18,000 minimum wage to workers on grade levels 01 to 06 immediately; •pay workers on levels 07-17 after the passage of a supplementary budget; and •pay the new wage to only core civil servants But Labour rejected the proposals. Secretary to the Govern-

WHO SAID WHAT I appeal to labour to please A lot has changed. We suspend the strike ... We have agreed with your have no other country than position to review the table. The issue now is the Nigeria. I am aware that labour represents the poor funding. We have also agreed to pay across board. and the poor will suffer. – Amaechi – Wogu From Yusuf Alli, John Ofikhenua, Gbenga Omokhunu (Abuja), Bisi Olaniyi (Port Harcourt), Ugochukwu Eke (Umuahia), Damisi Ojo (Akure), Bisi Oladele (Ibadan), Austine Tsenzughul (Bauchi) and Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu (Lagos)

ment of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim chaired the meeting in his office at Shehu Shagari House, Abuja. Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu; chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Abdulwahed Omar; Trade Union Congress (TUC) President General Peter Esele, Di-

Tinubu hits PDP over Boko Haram •It’s failure of governance, says ACN leader at Chatham House From Yomi Odunuga (London)

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EFORE an elite audience of intellectuals and eminent personalities, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday offered President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan his candid advice on the Boko Haram violence. Find a durable solution to the dilemma or watch as your failure damages Nigeria, he told the President. Tinubu said the Boko Haram threat has serious implication for national security. He described the emergence of the sect as indicative of failure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government. The ACN chieftain was delivering a lecture entitled Democracy and the rebirth of opposition in Nigeria at Chatham House, London. He said without a secured environment, the touted transformative agenda of the Jonathan administration will crash. In the about 100-man audience were technocrats, politicians, researchers and scholars. Tinubu said though there was an improvement in the conduct of the 2011 elections, compared to the brazen electoral heist of 2003 and 2007 elections, there were strong indications that the 2011 election was systemically rigged.

rector General, Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu and others attended the meeting. Wogu told the workers’ representatives that the government shifted its ground by accepting to pay across board, but the immediate challenge is that because the new wage was misinterpreted, the government only included grade levels one to six in this year’s budget. He

First, I have come to know that nothing is impossible. Almost N100billion for INEC. It will not be impossible for a few billions for Nigerian workers. – NLC’s Adewusi

urged labour to be patient for it to be included in next year’s budget. “A lot has changed. We have agreed with your position to review the table. The issue now is the funding. We have also agreed to pay across board,” he told the union chiefs. NLC Deputy President Promise Adewusi said the government was adopting a divide-and-rule approach by offering to pay some workers now and others later. He said the NLC may boy-

CBN credit guarantee for three banks By Ayodele Aminu and Collins Nweze

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cott today’s meeting with the governors. According to him, the Labour leadership had discovered that the government wanted to engage Labour leaders in Abuja to prevent them from mobilising workers for the warning strike. His words: “If there is going to be a strike on Wednesday, all workers in public and private sectors will be involved. First, I have come to know that nothing is impos-

FRESH breather came yesterday for three rescued banks. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) extended for them its interbank guarantee from September 30 to December 31. The beneficiary banks Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and FinBank Plc and Intercontinental Bank Plc – are those that have signed Transaction Implementation Agree-

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MANDELA AT 93

South African President Jacob Zuma (left) greeting former South African President Nelson Mandela on his 93rd birthday at his home in Qunu ... yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

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•SPORTS P13 •MARITIMEP15 •POLITICS P17 •PROPERTY P25 •ENERGY P37


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