S/East Traditional Rulers Seek Constitutional Roles To Help Address Insecurity, Others

…Organised Labour Rejects Transfer Of Labour Issues To Concurrent List

…As Women Groups Back Proposal For More Seats In Nat’l, State Assemblies

By Christiana Ekpa

The South East Council of Traditional Rulers have called for the adoption of proposals to provide traditional rulers with assigned Constitutional roles to help government in addressing the challenges of insecurity, provide social cohesion for the overall development of Nigeria.

They made the request at the South East Zonal Public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution for Imo and Abia States held in Owerri on Saturday.

In his presentation, the Chairman, Imo State Council of Tradition Rulers, Eze C. Okeke stated that, the Council, had after several meetings, reached a historical agreement and presented their position to the National Assembly through the House of Representatives Committee on 1999 Constitutional Amendment for the review of the status of the traditional institutions in the new Nigerian Constitution.

According to him, they proposed for the 1999 Constitution to be amended for the establishment of a new body comprising of members of the National Council of Chiefs that will strengthen them with a clear cut Constitutional roles.

He said, “It is therefore to say that the order recommends that the traditional school shall be represented by three traditional rulers of each of the six geopolitical zones, who shall be the chairmen and the members of the State Council of Chiefs.

“Such representation in the Council of Chiefs shall be left to the discretion of each member. The National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria shall establish a National Council of Traditional Rules at the federal level.

“The chairman of the Council shall be the President. The National Council of Traditional Rulers shall comprise the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, chairman of State Council of Traditional Rules and two others from each state of the Federation, and the chairman of FCT, Council of Traditional Rules”.

On its function, the proposed amendment states that, “The Council shall have the following function. To give general advice to the federal government. To advise on religions and traditional matters. To promote and advise on art and culture. To deliberate and express opinion on any matter which is still fit to be of importance to their own country, on which may be referred to each like the federal government. To assist the government in resolving conflicts to call for communal clashes and conflicts.

“To assist in the mobilization of human and material resources to host self-realization and the welfare of the people of Nigeria, to ensure community, nations and the stability of the people. To carry out such other functions as legal and constitutional. To take a stand on the federal republic, on the ideal plan of the future”.

On the other hand, the Organised Labour while making their submission, rejected the proposed amendment to transfer Labour related issues from the ‘Exclusive List’s to the ‘Concurrent List’ in the Constitution.

Speaking on behalf of the Organised Labour South East Zone, Comrade Uche Chikemedu, stated that, they are against the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, to alter the Prohibition of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to transfer labour, industrial relations, industrial goods, and minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list, and other labour-related matters.

He said, “We are here to reject it, even with more buoyancy than the last constitution of amendment. And if you may permit, we have reasons to that effect. One, the history of labour matter being on the exclusive list is rich. It was a product of administrative potency and confidence.

“Labour initiative derives potentially from International Labour Organisation protocols and recommendations. The International Labour Organisation established in 1919 to oversee and regulate labour matters across member countries and sub-regions.

“This explains the near uniformity of labour laws across nations. 17 days after our independence, in 1960 Nigeria adopted the ILO Convention, 89 and 98. This adoption was as a result of the recognised sovereignty of Nigeria as a country. Nigeria, and of course, established her membership of the ILO.

“This means that members of ILO, is absolutely contingent and sovereignty. Therefore, the regulated labour to state will create problems as states are not sovereign entities. This may lead to a very serious judicial dismay in this country.

“Your Excellency, my Honorable Sir, moving labour matters from the exclusive list to the concurrent list is becoming the real correct decimal of national relationship discourse. During the last cycle of the Constitutional Amendment, the Nigeria Labour Congress rejected violently, and today, we are here to do the same”.

Speaking on the the National Industrial Court. The Labour stated that, in the act establishing it, is completely exclusive national court with juridictions over persons across length and breadth of the nation on labour and related matters.

It added, “This is a deep respect of the uniqueness of labour. Labour matters being retained on the exclusive list.

The Labour Unions further added, “The number three is the National Minimum Wage. We all know that the National Minimum Wage serves as a primary social protection scheme that provides a minimum income flow to safeguard a low-income lineage of workers. Therefore, the relegation of labour means destroying the National Minimum Wage.

“Also note, sir, the National Minimum Wage is a global standard established by international labour organisations, ILO, through a binding law. Nigeria signed into on the 16th of June, 1961. This law was established through a minimum wage fixed in Missionary Convention 026 of 1928 and the scheme is seen in many democracies practising federalism. Already, some states have started violating the law enacted by the National Assembly of Minimum Wage if labour is deregulated”.

While making their submissions, Womens groups rallies their support for the proposal to provide additional seats for women in the National and States Assemblies saying that, it will help increase women participation in politics and governance as well as its accompanying advantages to the nation.

Speaking on behalf of the women Groups, Hon.Dr. Blessing nwabala said, “The time has come for Nigerian women to reflect on the whole face of democracy. And democracy is incomplete when half of the population is missing from the table.

“Sir, by supporting this bill, you have not only answered the cry of Nigerian women, you have answered the call of history. This is not just a women’s bill, it is a people’s bill. The bill seeks to contain the Constitution to resolve, to establish 182 seats in the National Assembly. These are not only seats…They are tools for justice and national progress.

“Being a small, we started living in rural areas, schools, markets, churches and what we needed. Give us a voice…They said, give us a voice. Give our daughters a future. We have waited long enough. This was what we heard. Very too slow, they said. We are tired of carrying this burden alone.

“Let our women lead us. In Abia, the people embraced us. The message was the grassroots. The message from the grassroots to the educated, self-denied was the same. Power will build and Nigeria will rise again. Inclusion is not available to these people. Let us declare.

“Women are not asking for papers. We are asking for a safe climate. We are not asking for soft landing. We are demanding what is right. What is fair. And what is overdue. Women lead nation’s pride”.