Guardian / Nigeria: The Senate yesterday directed its Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions to invite the Labour and Employment Minister, Chris Ngige, for interrogation over his threat to revoke the licences of banks which defied government’s directive to stop retrenchment of workers.
Chris Ngige
The Senate took the decision after a complaint about the minister’s threat was presented to it by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, Rafiu Ibrahim.
Ngige, who is attending the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland had on Tuesday threatened that the Federal Government would revoke the licences of banks who continue to sack workers in breach of government’s order.
According to Ngige: “The Federal Government gave the licences to the banks to operate and if its directives are not adhered to, their licences will be withdrawn if the need arises. We will go a step further if they continue. We know what to do. They need to comply. They need to come to the negotiation table.
“We halted the spate of sack in the oil industry and we succeeded. Even if you are going to lay off, there is a way to declare redundancy, there is a process. Section 20 of the Labour Act says it. You must call the unions and discuss with them. You don’t just treat them as slaves in their own country and you want us to keep quiet. We want them to maintain the status quo.
“As far as I am the minister of labour, I will protect the interest of workers; same to the telecommunication companies, they are also talking about compiling lists without discussing with anybody.”
But bringing the matter before the Senate, Senator Rafiu, said: “The ministry gave directive to banks not to retrench. And now, from what we read on newspapers, they want to revoke licences for not obeying. Banking is such a sensitive industry and any misguided statement should be avoided.
“We want to invite the minister, the central bank and the banks to know if they are talking at all about retrenchment. We want to know the basis of the directive and now the threat.”Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who presided over yesterday’s session, said the request to invite Ngige was in order.
