Already the Vice President was lurked in a
meeting with the government team yesterday
and was expected to schedule meeting with the
leadership of ASUU after.
This is as the Federal Government has blamed
the private sector of being responsible for the
delay in constituting the Minimum Wage
Review Committee.
Meantime, the Federal Government has
awarded a contract sum of $5.792 billion for
the Mambila Hydro Electric Power Plant in
Taraba State expected to be completed within
six years.
The decision to hand over the Federal
Government Negotiation Team to Prof.
Osinbajo was reached at the Federal Executive
Council, FEC, meeting presided over by
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday.
Briefing State House correspondents after FEC,
the Minister of Labour and Employment,
Senator Chris Ngige expressed the government
regret over the prolonged strike which has
paralyzed academic activities in the nation’s
universities.
Ngige said, “I want to say that the government
sympathises with the parents even with the
students who are supposed to be taking their
degree exams and promotion exams now but
have been forced by circumstances beyond
their control to be at home.
“I have my child at home as we speak. So,
government is leaving no stone unturned to
make sure that we reach a conclusive
agreement with ASUU so that they can go back
to the classroom.
“This is the first national strike that this
government is facing and we want to discuss.
“At Council today (yesterday), the Vice
President has ttaken over some aspects of the
negotiation and discussion. So we are
continuing the meeting in his office and when
we finish the meeting, we will get back to
ASUU with another round of meeting.
“We are hopeful that with another round of
meeting, we will be able to go an appreciable
extent to solve some of the outstanding issues
that have prevailed them from going to work.”
FG blames private sector minimum wage delay
Senator Ngige heaped the blame on the delay
to constitute the committee to review the
minimum wage on the door steps of the private
sector that was yet to send its representatives
to the committee.
He said, “The national minimum wage
committee the government side is ready.
We have on the government side four ministers
– ministers of labour and employment, finance,
budget and planning, I can’t remember the last
one now but we have our team ready.
“We also have Head of Service of the
Federation, Acting Secretary to the Government
of the Federation on the government team. The
chairman will be unveiled when we have full
component of the committee.
“The aspect that is delaying from inaugurating
the committee is the organized private sector.
The organized private sector has eight
representatives of which Nigeria Employers
Committee Assembly has four nominations, we
have not gotten their nominations.
“Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has two
nominations, their nominations just came in
yesterday. Nigeria Association of Small Medium
Enterprise one, they have not sent in their
nomination. NACCIMA have not sent in their
nominations.
“So we are waiting fir these nominations, when
they come in the government will nominate the
chairman and inaugurate the committee.”
FEC approves $5.792bn Mambila Hydro plant
Also addressing journalists, the Minister of
Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola
said that FEC approved the award of
engineering as well as electromechanical works
contract worth $5.792 billion for the Mambila
hydro electric power plant in Taraba state.
Fashola said that the project designed to
deliver 3,050 megawatts of power began in
1972 but made no significant progress since
then, adding that the contract awarded to a
joint venture with a Chinese civil engineering
company will be completed in 72 months which
is about six years.
Giving insight into the scope of work to be
handled by the firm, the minister said funding
for the project was expected to come from the
Chinese government through their Exim bank.
He said, “It requires the construction of four
dams. One of them is about 150 meters in
height , the immediate two are 70 meters in
height and the smallest of them is 50 meters in
height……
“It also include 700 kilometers of transmission
line. It will be in Taraba state in the area called
Gembu, and it will unlease the potential that
have been reported about Mambila, including
agriculture, tourism and energy.”
The minister noted that when completed, the
project will help Nigeria strike a big blow on
the climate change issue and fulfill it’s
commitment under the Paris agreement.
He said, “We have overcome the gas challenges
and the vandals and pipeline repairs have
progressed. And that has impacted success on
the generation side. Our power is going to
come from sources, hydro, gas, solar and that
is why we are investing in Mambila for more
hydro. This is so that when one source is
vulnerable we can rely on another’s source.