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N. Assembly to break recess on Obasanjo’s anti-Labour bill
NDIDI OKAFOR and ABIODUN ADELAJA,
Abuja
SPECULATION
was rife in Abuja that debate on President Olusegun Obasanjo’s bill to break the
monopoly of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), among others, many receive major
treatment as National Assembly leadership appeared yesterday to be moving to
recall members from their recess.
It was learnt that both the Senate and
House of Representatives may reconvene next week even as NLC yesterday told
Obasanjo that Nigeria is not his empire where he would employ legislation as a
tool of oppression.
The NLC said the bill coming soon after
last week’s nationwide strike over fuel prices, speaks volumes of government’s
real motives about legislation.
But Senate’s spokesman, Tamar Wada, said
if the bill contains anti-people provisions, the legislative chamber would throw
it out, adding, however, that he was only proffering a personal opinion.
Senate President Adolphus Wabara and
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Bello Masari have met on
modalities of possible resumption of the National Assembly next week.
The parley held at the office of the
Speaker, National Assembly Complex, Abuja a source said, dwelt on the
"modalities for resumption and the issues to be deliberated upon."
It was gathered that the meeting was at
the instance of Chief Wabara who was quoted as saying that "it is very important
to carry our colleagues along in the interest of legislative harmony and
development in Nigeria."
Even though our source said that "a date
was not immediately agreed on at the meeting" it was learnt that the House
Committee on Rules and Business met yesterday with the Senate Leader, Dalhatu
Tafida in his office "to agree on both the date and the items to be discussed."
It was also gathered that the N2.5 billion
contingency fund demanded by President Obasanjo for emergency rule in Plateau
State and the N34 billion budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for 2004
are the possible items that would engage the attention of the lawmakers, if they
reconvene next week.
As at press time, the joint meeting of the
two chambers led by Senator Tafida was still in progress in his office and it
was not clear whether or not the National Assembly will reconvene.
Besides, the Clerk has not yet got
approval to put up notice to recall the legislators in keeping with Rule 12 of
the Standing Rules as at the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the letter by President
Obasanjo to the Senate President on the proposed bill, NLC Senior Assistant
General Secretary (educational and training), Saliu Lukman, expressed optimism,
however, that National Assembly members were not stooges that could be used to
actualise sinister motives.
Good laws must be reflective of the wishes
of majority of the beneficiaries, he said, insisting that Nigerians would not
tolerate any attempt to enslave them through unpopular legislation.
"If you read very well you will discover
that last time they made such move was immediately after a struggle. Why is it
that this move is coming after a struggle?
"We believe that Nigerians will engage the
issue. The NLC working in concert with the TUC and the CFTU will engage the
issue. I don’t think that Nigerians will encourage attempts to enslave them,"
Lukman said.
He advised Obasanjo not re-write history
through his claims that the NLC was his creation.
On the slain commercial motorcycle (okada)
operator, the NLC said it has written to multilateral labour organisations to
intervene in the matter to ensure that justice prevails.
The late Ambrose Mamah was allegedly fell
by Police bullet while on a solidarity visit to the Abuja headquarters of the
NLC during the strike.
Meanwhile, Senator Wada yesterday, said
the Trade Union Amendment Bill sent to the Senate will not be passed into law
"if it is for some mischief and anti-people."
Wada told Daily Champion that he
was yet to see a copy of the bill, but noted that if it is for "some mischief"
it would not enjoy the support of senators.
Wada who said he was giving his personal opinion on the
proposed amendment noted that "majority of my colleagues will only do those
things that are in the interest of the people. They will not support any bill
that is not in the interest of Nigerians."
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