There was mild drama at the May day celebration in Abuja as aggrieved workers demanded to see President Buhari
Bukola Saraki, Yakubu Dogara, Chris Ngige and other government officials at the event were shielded and rescued out of the venue by security men
Labour still demanding the implementation of new minimum wage by the federal government
An APC chieftain Bisi Akande has warned power mongers of the danger of playing politics with Buhari's health
The Newspaper Headlines for Tuesday, May 2, are focused on the May Day celebration across the country, the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari and other national issues.
Vanguard reports that some aggrieved workers disrupted the May Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja on Monday, following the absence of President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Vanguard newspaper
The workers were angry that since Buhari took over power in 2015, he had not attended a Workers’ Day celebration and had not deemed it necessary to send Osinbajo to represent him. Instead, he kept sending the minister of labour and employment, Senator Chris Ngige, to represent him.
Trouble started when the acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Empoyment, Abiola Bawa, was called to present the address of Ngige, who was seated at the state box with other dignitaries.
The workers started chanting: “We no go gree, we no go gree!” This made Ngige rush to the podium but this did not stop the workers who started throwing empty water cans to the podium.
Head of service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita; speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and Senate President Bukola Saraki were immediately whisked away by security operatives through the exit door of the state box.
Thereafter, many unions left the venue without the traditional march-past.
The Guardian reports that millions of protesters across the world hit the streets to mark May Day.
The Guardian newspaper
The protests were said to have been violent in some parts of Nigeria, France, Turkey, United States of America (USA), Spain and Russia, among others.
Just as the celebration was disrupted in Abuja, hoodlums violently disrupted a rally organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, forcing participants to flee.
According to a senior civil servant, Isaac Omololu, the large crowd that greeted the May Day celebration at the Eagle Square depicted the apathy Nigerian workers had for the present government.
“Do not be deceived; do not think that we are here to praise government. All the people you see here have ears to hear one thing and that is the possibility of increasing the minimum wage, any other thing short of that is useless,” he said.
NAIJ.com reports that Nigerian workers have been pressing for an increase in minimum wage from the current N18, 000 to at least N56,000.
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) have supported the workers’ call for the review of the minimum wage and called on the federal government to grant the workers their wish, The Punch reports.
The Punch newspaper
However, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) are not in agreement with this demand.
MAN and the ACCI said workers need to realize that the economy could not sustain N56,000 minimum wage.
Despite the protest by workers, the federal government has assured workers of the speedy passage of the new National Minimum Wage bill, speedy passage of the new National Minimum Wage bill, This Day reports.
This Day newspaper
In a message to mark the 2017 May Day Rally, President Buhari said his administration would approve the final recommendations of the committee comprising government and labour repres
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