Nigeria: Industrial Lockout at the Nigeria LNG

Nigeria: Industrial Lockout at the Nigeria LNG

The strike started by the Nigerian contract staff of the Nigeria LNG Limited on Monday became worse early Wednesday as the aggrieved Nigerian contractors embarked on a lockout of the Nigeria LNG Port Harcourt office and Bonny Plant Complex in Rivers state in the volatile Niger Delta region.

The Nigerian contract staff of the Nigeria LNG in Rivers state embarked on a lockout of the Nigeria LNG Port Harcourt office and Bonny Plant Complex, Wednesday, to reinforce the industrial strike they started on Monday. The lockout is to prevent the permanent staff from working.
The senior management of the Nigeria LNG limited is meeting with the contractors to resolve the industrial dispute over the unprofessional maltreatment of the Nigerian contract staff and the deprivation of other benefits.

The Nigeria LNG Limited does not allow the Nigerian contract staff to benefit from the excellent medical services at the Nigeria LNG Hospital on Bonny Island, but allows the American, European, Australian and Asian contract staff to enjoy excellent medical services and other commensurate benefits and bonuses.

‘You should not rob Peter to pay Paul,” said one of the aggrieved Nigerian contractors who spoke to the Nigerian Times on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to speak to the news media.
He said the Nigerian contract staff have been bearing the deplorable conditions of service for over ten years and they have decided to embark on the lockout as their last resort to compel the management of the Nigeria LNG Limited to give in to their professional demands for better wages and the same commensurate benefits given to the American, European, Australian and Asian contract staff of the Nigeria LNG.

Benazir Bhutto Has Called For President Pervez Musharraf To Step Down

Puja Bharwani reports

Nov. 13 - The detained Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has called for military leader Pervez Musharraf to step down as the country's president.
Bhutto has long called for Musharraf to step down as army chief but this is the first time she has called for him to quit as president altogether.

Military ruler Musharraf set off a storm of criticism when he imposed emergency rule on Nov. 3. He suspended the constitution, sacked most judges, locked up lawyers, rounded up thousands of opposition and rights activists and curbed the media.
Musharraf has come under mounting pressure from Western allies to set Pakistan back on the path to democracy.


Soundbites:
· Lahore Police Chief Aftab Cheema
· Benazir Bhutto via telephone


Nigerian Times Commentary:

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is not an angel and no matter her provocative outbursts, she cannot make President Pervez Musharraf the devil.

Mrs. Benazir Bhutto, from her chequered political biography is not the best leader for Pakistan and no matter her fallacies and hypocrisies, majority of the citizens of Pakistan would vote for Pervez Musharraf than vote for her. She is just a political impressionist and she does not have the support of the military and the support of the military matters more than the support of her emotional followers.

Her house arrest is for her own safety and security and Prevez Musharraf is only doing his best to protest her and save her from being assassinated.

If Benazir Bhutto thinks Pervez Musharraf is her worst enemy, she is wrong.


Watch more of Nigerian Times 24 hours video news below.

Nigerian Contractors Stop Work At Nigeria LNG Bonny Plant Complex

Nigerian Contractors Stop Work At Nigeria LNG Bonny Plant Complex

A group of Nigerian contractors working for the Nigeria LNG Bonny Plant Complex in Rivers state, suddenly started an industrial strike early Monday, and locked all the gates into the complex to stop the staff from working on the premises.

The strike came as a surprise to the management of the Nigeria LNG, because the contractors did not inform the management of the industrial action. They are protesting against the maltreatment of the Nigerian contractors who have been deprived of many benefits.

The Guardian of Nigeria Shut Over Workers Strike

The Guardian newspaper of Nigeria has been off the streets as the employees began an indefinite strike over their demands for 50% pay rise and the complete computerization of the newsroom.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have approved the strike.

The Leadership news media in Abuja, reported that a contingent of the Nigerian Police Force has been deployed to the premises of The Guardian in Lagos, to safeguard it.

The Guardian issued the following statement Thursday.

STATEMENT BY THE GUARDIAN

The Management of Guardian Newspapers Limited wishes to inform members of the public that our newspapers have been off the streets and online, following an industrial action called by our workers.

The two unions in our company - Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW) - withdrew their services on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. Their grouse was that our company would not commit to award a 50 per cent raise on their gross pay. Mindful of the prevailing economic situation in the country in general, and the media industry in particular, we offered a more realistic pay increase to the workers. We also held several meetings with the unions, with a view to reaching an agreement on the issue. But the unions rejected our offer outright and stuck to their demand.

We thank our readers and advertisers both in print and online, and the general public for their understanding, and ask that they bear with us over the prevailing situation.

Corrupt Nigerian Government Wants $44 Billion From Multinational Tobacco Companies

There are issues in Nigeria I deliberately ignore, because it would be a sheer waste of my precious quality time.

I ignored the contract scandal of the former Speaker of the lower house, Ms. Patricia Etteh until I formally reported the news of her resignation.
All the legislators in the National Assembly should be arraigned for electoral malpratices and murder of hundreds of people during the horrible and terrible elections last April. Elections which the local and international monitors reported were rigged and most voters rejected the results. The present administration does not have any democratic legitimacy.

The present news making headlines on major news channels is the $44 billion suit against the tobacco companies in Nigeria.
Nigeria is suing them for damages for public health costs incurred for treating smoking related diseases over the years.
What a scam!

The Federal High Court in Abuja should dismiss this case for lack of documented evidence and breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they duly signed with Nigeria before opening their offices and farms in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government and the three states suing the tobacco companies are just being manipulated by the enemies of these duly registered companies.

British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, and the International Tobacco Company have been registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria.

The British American Tobacco Company of Nigeria is more committed to sustainable human development projects in Nigeria than the corrupt Nigerian government and state governments.

These criminals in the Nigerian government are always looking for ways to scam multinational companies operating in Nigeria.
After they have made millions of dollars from ransoms by using their hired guns to attack and kidnap foreign oil workers in the Niger Delta region, they have now turned their nefarious eyes on the multinational tobacco companies in Nigeria and suing them for $44 billion, a colossal amount, that is larger than the annual budget of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and with the most corrupt ruling party in Africa.

Let me brief you about the British American Tobacco Company in Nigeria.



The British American Tobacco Comapany is a public quoted company with thousands of Nigerian shareholders and the company has been executing the following projects in Nigeria:

1.Sunstainable Agricultural Development Prokect

2.Sustainable Water Project

3.Sustainable Environmental Project and

4.Poverty Reduction and Economic Empowerment.

The agricultural project is the most laudable as outlined below.

Entrenching modern farming techniques among farmers.

Having recognized the role that agriculture plays in the development of Nation, BATN Foundation conceived and developed agricultural programs to empower traditional subsistence farmers to adopt modern farming techniques.

This program involves the establishment of model farms for the cultivation of Cassava, Maize, Watermelon and Rice. In order to enhance farmers’ income from their agricultural produce, the Foundation has built Cassava and Palm oil processing cottage industries in Nigeria.

From its pilot scheme in Ago-Are, this Agricultural Development Initiative has as at today been rolled out to more communities in Nigeria. Some of these communities are Tede and Agro-Are in Oyo State, Jima in Niger State, Amaokwe-item in Abia State, Afia-Nsit Uda-Nko in Akwa Ibom State, Odosimadegun in Ogun State and Akpap-Otoyong in Cross Rivers State

In addition the BATN Foundation has embarked on direct empowerment of farmers through establishment of dynamic and cohesive co-operative groups and enabling the groups with financial take-off to serve as resolving loan.



This is the same company that the so-called Federal Government of Nigeria and three state governments are suing for damages and what else?

You can see how ignorant and stupid the head of state of Nigeria and the three governors are?

Now, you can see why Nigeria is still misguided and misruled?