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Saturday, January 8, 2011

Falana threatens to sue FG over closure of schools.


A human rights activists, Femi Falana has vowed to take legal action against the Federal Government if it did not reverse its order on the closure of schools till Feb. 4.

The lawyer issued the threat in Lagos at the 70th birthday symposium held in honour of Hassan Sunmonu, a former President of the NLC.

The Federal Government on Jan. 6 announced that government and privately owned secondary and primary schools would be closed to enable INEC to carry out voter registration.

Falana gave the government up till Jan. 10 to reverse the decision or face a court action.

He said the government ought to make appropriate arrangements for voter registration without necessarily disrupting the schools’ academic activities because of the pivotal role of education in the country’s growth.

Also speaking, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo urged the labour movement to reject certain government policies such as the reform of the Electoral Act.

Oshiomhole also urged the labour movement to mobilise workers and the entire citizenry to register as voters and elect the right leaders so as to make the desired change in the society.

In his remarks, NLC President Abdulwahed Omar noted that Sunmonu had blazed the trail in purposeful unionism, while leaving shining legacies for subsequent labour leaders.

He described Sunmonu as a true comrade who fought for the institutionalisation of the national minimum wage, while ensuring the establishment of the NLC in spite of perceptible antagonism.

Also speaking, Minister of Labour and Productivity Chukwuemeka Wogu allayed fears that the labour movement would call a strike over the non-payment of the new minimum wage.

Wogu, nonetheless, assured the workers that the government would hold discussions with labour on Jan. 12 to resolve the payment issue.

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