Decent jobs will enhance Nigeria’s economic development —HoS

The acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has said that the provision of decent jobs to meet human rights needs in terms of employment can enhance the economic fortune of the country.

Dr. Yemi-Esan was speaking at the annual public lecture and national dialogue organized by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin.

Represented by the Provost of the Federal Training Centre, Ilorin, Mrs. R. A Adeyemi, the acting head of civil service described the theme of the lecture as timely and reassured participants that government was working hard to put in place appropriate policies and strategies to meet human rights needs.

While commending the institute for its commitment towards engendering industrial peace and harmony in the public service, she reiterated the commitment of her office to partner relevant government agencies and professional organizations on human rights needs of workers, noting that the step would ensure that issues concerning human rights in employment relations in Nigeria are accorded top priority and treated passionately.

“I want to reassure that government is on track in addressing the issues in relation to employment in Nigeria. To achieve this, my office has initiated various programmes to transform and reposition the Federal Civil Service into a modern public service organization that provides world class service for sustainable national development”, she said.

The guest speaker at the event, foremost human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, called on Nigerian workers to take advantage of the revolutionary constitutional amendment to enforce their rights as guaranteed by the Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights.

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Falana stated that the third alteration to the Nigerian constitution carried out by the National Assembly in 2011 has vested the National Industrial Court with the jurisdiction and power to deal with any matter connected with or pertaining to the application of any international convention, treaty or protocol ratified by Nigeria with respect to labour, employment, workplace, industrial relations or matters connected therewith as well as international labour standards.

In his key note address, Chairman of the occasion Justice Benedict Kanyip, who is  the acting President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), said rights inured to workers, especially under the fundamental objectives and principles of state policy under chapter II of the constitution, are now ordinarily litigable because of NICN jurisdiction over ratified conventions, treaties and protocols.

Represented by Justice Iyabode Kola-Olalere, Presiding Judge, Port Harcourt Division of NICN, he however, pointed out that such litigation must be vide the normal court processes such as complaint.

In his welcome address, the Director General/Chief Executive of MINILS, Alhaji Ishaq Saliu Alabi, stated that human rights are key elements in transforming employment relationships and achieving work place best practices.

“There is increasing consensus that the workplace is a critical platform upon which development processes could be fostered, at both strategic and operational levels. Therefore, it is our hope that this activity will assist the process of evolving progressive social models in which workplace issues and industrial relations actors are given prominence,” he said.

Nigerian Tribune