BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
ABUJA—SENATE leader, Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, yesterday advised the Federal Government to always keep any agreement entered into with labour unions to save the country from sufferings and hardships occasioned by incessant strikes.
The Senate leader, who gave the advice while reacting to the strike embarked upon by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, as well as Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, told industrial unions to find a better way of resolving problems with government.
NUPENG had suspended its services on Monday in a three-day warning strike to demand for rights for workers in major oil companies, higher pay from their employers as well as repair of dilapidated roads the union members use in moving fuel products. ASUU downed tools over alleged inability of the Federal Government to keep to the 2009 agreement it entered into with the latter.
Speaking with Vanguard, Ndoma-Egba said incessant strikes were uncalled for and had become undesirable.
He said: “The strikes are totally uncalled for. The unions should look for more ingenious ways of resolving issues. Strikes are getting very daring.”
On the side of government, he said “government should always keep to whatever agreements it entered into with unions.”
[caption id="attachment_314586" align="alignnone" width="412"]
File photo: Members of the Red Chamber and President Jonathan[/caption]The Senate leader, who represents Cross River Central senatorial district, appealed to the unions to call off their industrial actions and try other methods of resolving issues they had with the government.
He assured that the National Assembly would wade into the matter by making appeals to the relevant bodies involved to save the country from the pains of the strike.
Meanwhile, Senator Ndoma-Egba has described the death of Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido as an unspeakable tragedy.
In a statement made available to Vanguard, Ndoma-Egba said the late senator, who represented Delta Central senatorial district until his death, was a quintessential legislator and one that had courage of his convictions.
The statement read: “I received with great pain and shock the news of the death of Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido on June 30, 2013 at the National Assembly hospital, Abuja.
“Senator Ewherido was the quintessential legislator, cerebral, insightful, clear in language and thought, had the courage of his convictions and had an excellent grasp of legislative practice drawing from his experience as Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly and natural endowments.
“Only recently, Catholic Senators met with Catholic Bishops and his characteristic courage and candour questioned doctrinal positions of the church which, in his view, impaired the faith. He was not one who feared to state his position on any issue and his positions were clear and well thought-out".
“His death, coming just when the Senate is about to start her debate on constitutional amendment, and at the age of just 50 years when his life was about to start, is an unspeakable tragedy.
“We will miss his erudition and depth, his conviviality and his ever present smile. We share this moment of grief with his very young family, his constituency, the Government and people of Delta State and indeed Nigerians yearning for the elevation of governance and a virile legislature. A strong voice has been lost and his sun has dimmed at noon.”
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