The House of Representatives on Monday summoned the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, over reported mass sacking of workers by telecommunications service providers in recent times.
An ad hoc committee of the House chaired by Mr. Ahmed Abu is investigating the development. The committee gave Ngige the next 10 days to make himself available before the lawmakers to address the issue.
The committee expressed worry that the service providers were reportedly laying off employees without observing the extant labour rules and procedures.
The committee had summoned the minister soon after it met with the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, on Monday.
Ironically, the EVC had told the committee that the NCC could not interfere in the matter because by the provision of the NCC’s Act, the commission was not empowered to make inquiries into the nominal roll of the operators.
He, however, shared the pains of the employees so far affected by the sacking, saying the current economic hardship would be heavier on their families.
He told the lawmakers that the commission would prefer that the industry created more jobs as against laying off employees.
Danbatta noted that while the NCC was restrained by the Act, the labour ministry, on the hand, could look into all labour-related issues in the country.
“These are labour issues and therefore, outside the mandate of the commission.“There is really nothing that we can do,” he stated.
But when he was asked a question on the poor services provided by the operators, like dropped calls, Danbatta claimed that the commission was working hard to ensure full compliance with the guidelines on service delivery and customers’ satisfaction.
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