Dignifying Labour In Nigeria.

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

I have been following with keen interest the recent strike embarked upon by members of the Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie – led Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), likewise the various comments from some of the concerned stakeholders, each advocating ways of ending the strike. My interest was influenced by two main factors; first as a former student and second as a former university teacher though in the United Kingdom. I could relate to what the affected students are going through especially those in their final year because my graduation and NYSC call – up was almost derailed by the many ASUU strikes of the 90s when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Uyo particularly the long forced stay-at-home in 1992. This was in the days of the Attahiru Jega – led ASUU.  

As generous as the federal government’s 40% salary increase offer made by the federal government appointed Gamaliel Onosode Re-negotiating committee to ASUU may seem, as against the 109% increase the lecturers are asking for; ASUU maintains that the issue goes beyond money, that they are actually looking at the bigger issue of access to university education in Nigeria. As the impasse continues to the disadvantage of the students, one can see a servant (ASUU) / master (federal government) relationship at play once again which may have influenced the application of the ‘tokenism’ concept by the master in resolving the issue to the neglect of the other issues ASUU has raised. Whatever ASUU may be fighting for, the current strike has provided a good opportunity for the government and employers of labour in Nigeria to look at the recurring issue of employee welfare and benefits in Nigeria.

A casual look at many of the sectors will easily expose the disparity in conditions of service amongst the various categories of staff. There is now a ‘we’ against ‘them’ culture in place in many organisations and sectors which also reflects in compensation and conditions of service; the ‘we’ being the high salary earners with mouth-watering perks, and the ‘them’ being those caught unfortunately in the bottom cadre, including artisans and other sundry service providers such as vulcanisers, bricklayers, drivers, mechanics, cooks, office assistants etc who service and prop up the ‘high yallas’.

One need not be a sociologist to observe that the great disparity in pay and conditions of services has led to a condition I chose to describe as the ‘dehumanisation of the Nigerian worker’, and the ‘pauperisation of the professions’. This has resulted in a crisis of confidence, and forced extinguishing of the career dreams of some of those who find themselves practicing certain trades and rendering certain services in Nigeria which society seem to have come to regard as dead-beats but this should not be so.

It is as if the Nigerian society accords no regards and dignity to drivers, teachers, nurses, members of the police force and other armed services, tradesmen and other artisans hence the very low wages and income they earn. It may seem also that some of these categories of workers have come to accept the presumed low status of their jobs, and also fail to see how their services contribute to national development, thus, they do not act in ways that dignify their labour and profession. Sometimes in Nigeria, if you bring a workman or artisan into your home, you are asking for trouble. If you look the other way, he or she will rob you dry just like the guys that came to do some repairs at my house the other day. I haven’t set my eyes on my Samsung camera or my Diesel wrist watch since they left, and who knows what else? Take your car to be fixed by the mechanic and all he may be thinking about is how to take some of your car spare parts and replace them with bad or reconditioned ones. It is as if the culture of cheating has now been entrenched in all the trades and professions.

During this ASUU strike period, I found myself visiting the Bar Beach police station on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos where my trusted driver of almost 16 months was being detained on suspicion of stealing my Nokia handset containing my United Kingdom T-Mobile contract SIM card which he used to chalk up calls of over two thousand four hundred pounds (£2,400) without my knowledge, an offence he readily admitted to in addition to confessions of other stuffs he has been stealing from me.

While attending to this matter, the opportunity presented itself severally to banter with some of the police officers I met at the station. I came away with the impression that yes, some members of the police force do take bribes but perhaps the government and the Police Service Commission are yet to grasp the ticking time bomb they have on their hands as they continue to play politics with the issue of police welfare, training and equipment, the lack of which may be at the root of all the other issues bedevilling the police force in Nigeria. During one of my visits, I met a band of junior police officers celebrating a recent promotion, on enquiry, one of them told me that his has been 16 years in coming. How can this be acceptable?

This scenario also plays itself out in the education, health and other strategic sectors. From the Bar Beach police station, you could see the multi-storey building located at the back which serves as barracks or quarters to some of the police officers. The run-down building can only be described as somebody’s nightmare and you wouldn’t expect any police officer living inside any of the flats to come to work in the morning with bright ideas of how to crack the rising armed robbery and kidnapping menace in Nigeria. I am told that police barracks all over Nigeria are also in similar states, and some are in even worse conditions.

Back in the United Kingdom, I was attracted to university teaching because it was one of the highly regarded professions. Alongside members of the Police Authorities, Nurses and other allied health workers, teachers were categorised as Key workers by the UK government. Around 2002/2003, we all benefitted from a scheme introduced by the UK government known as Key Worker Living Scheme. The scheme gave priority social housing to members of the profession I mentioned who are covered by the scheme. The U.K government also gave qualifying key workers the sum of £50,000 as down payment towards the purchase of their own homes. Aspiring teachers had their Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) teacher training tuition paid for them and also received a bursary of £6,000 during their training year. Science, Maths, Engineering and shortage subjects teachers received higher bursaries and a special ‘golden hello’ sum of £10,000 if they completed their training and signed on to a teaching job. Teachers’ salaries were comprehensively reviewed upwards and in most cases were higher than what the private sector was paying. This led to many people leaving banks and other private establishments to join teaching. For both the teachers, the government and the society, one could see a high regard for the teaching profession, and the teachers really felt a sense of dignity of labour and didn’t have to wait till they got to heaven for their reward. 

While you may think that the teachers were having it all laid out for them on a golden plate, a massive shortage of skills hit the trade sector comprising plumbers, bricklayers, technicians, builders, electricians and such other skilled and semi-skilled craftsmen. These category of workers commanded higher hourly rates than even the teachers and some city workers. Around this time, there was a reported case of a university teacher resigning his teaching job to learn the plumbing trade. These tradesmen or ‘white van men’ as they are called view their job with a high sense of professionalism, they are dedicated to good workmanship hence the high premium they charge and the society also recognises their importance and compensates them adequately.

In our own situation, such tradesmen may have been pushed to view themselves in negative lights hence the low fees many of them attract. Rather than looking at ways to add value to the work they do, many like my driver have now resorted to underhand activities to live a lifestyle they have not worked hard for. A driver today wants to live big like his Oga, without knowing that his so-called Oga may have paid his dues along the way offering similar type of services in the past before getting to where he may be in life presently. My driver could not believe it the day I told him all the different odd jobs I did when I went to Europe newly; from cleaning office complexes to loading containers at a clothing factory, later graduating to dish washing at a hotel, driving Nigeria - bound cars from Germany to London, and later still as a student, working nights as a security officer while I went to college in the day.

It was at the police station that I told the investigating police officer what I thought the problem with our society was. People, particularly young people are so much in a hurry to reap where they did not sow, workers not having a passion for the work they do, the society not having any regard for some type of professions and workers. There is so little pride left among the professions. In Nigeria, unless you work in a bank, oil, telecommunications or any of the other upscale fat-salary paying professions, the society appears to have little regard for you. There is no longer dignity of labour but great nations have always been built on the strength of the productivity of skilled and semi-skilled workers whose services are recognised, appreciated and rewarded accordingly.

Nworah is the author of Nigeria Confidential.

Robot  # 1 | 14.07.2009 08:52

A casual look at many of the sectors will easily expose the disparity in conditions of service amongst the various categories of staff. There is now a ‘we’ against ‘them’ culture in place in many organisations and sectors which also reflects in compensation and conditions of service; the ‘we’ being the high salary earners with mouth-watering perks, and the ‘them’ being those caught unfortunately in the bottom cadre ...Read the full article.

Shoko Loko Bangoshe  # 2 | 14.07.2009 15:26

Interesting article, Uche. I would separate the case of low-paid self-employed people from low-paid employees. In the case of the latter, they are largely limited in what they can do, since their time is 'owned' by their employer (who may choose to work them really hard). But I believe that a self-employed person should opt to look to the long term and cultivate his customers by giving them good service. Then not only will they come to trust him, they will even recommend him to their friends. Of course, the 'k-leg' is that it's difficult looking to the long term in Nigeria where random unexpected expenses can descend from nowhere. And not all customers are appreciative of good work - some will look down on the self-employed person and try and screw them for every last naira.

enna inot  # 3 | 15.07.2009 06:02

Uche's article is well written and straight to the point as usual. Also Practical and Realistic.I thought i was the only one who has noticed the instant gratification spirit in people. I mean someone starts his career today,next day he wants a Range Rover and wants to own a house in VGC:no:.C'mon it doesnt happen overnight. Work hard at whatever it is you do and God will reward the fruits of your labour that much i do know.:shake:

Elvis OKoYe  # 4 | 15.07.2009 08:13

This has been a nagging issue in Nigeria,when Ifinshed my NYSC in 2004,i got a marketing job with Hallmark Insurance Plc In their Apapa branch for a paltry sum of #2,500 a month .After looking at the appointment letter for two days and having spent about 2 weeks on training i had to reject the offer because it doesnt worth it .Now the HallMark Insurance PLc is owned by a man ,an Engineer who worked with Slumberger fro so many years.I s it what they started him with when he joined the Slumberger.secondly ,can the man afford to allow his daughter/son to be working for a company for #2,500 a month and a graduate for that matter.I guess the problem in Nigeria is that every family wants to establish a business and in that business they do all manner of things to their employees.sad enough my last allownace from the NYSC was #9,500 and having to leave the NYSC to be going to Apapa every day for an Insurnce marketing job for #2,500 was disgusting.It is not worth it.Some employers of labour in Nigeria do not get it and this is especially amongst these so-called insurance companies who do not have anything to offer their graduate marketers.they just run you through the insurance marketing trainnig and put one on the street.In my own case they counldnt even provide a folder for me to be putting the insurance pamphlets which contains the decriptions of their products.They also tell you its from what you generate that you will be paid that is commission.i hate all these insurance companies in Nigeria,even I can never never work for the best of them because they are all cheats.I have other offers from other insurance companies ,even without knowing what they have to offer I turned them down cos I am not interested in that sector any more.Hallmark Insurance Plc as it was then called has merged with other three insurance firms and is now been called Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc with their heda office in Bishop Aboyade cole of saka tinubu street ,V,Island,Lagos.I dont know whether they now have a salary structure in place but it was awful then.It was even later I found out that it was an all comers affair,really any body so interested can pick up the job,Then they had school leavers who are marketers,ond and HND holders and University graduates all sweatingit out in the streets of lagos >it was just so digsusting but who do we blame ,the Federal govt of Nigeria doesnt give a hoot as to whose ox is gored or how employers cheat employees.The Asian -Chinese,Korean and Indian employers even do worse than that and nobody complains.Working in Nigeria is so disgusting except for some very few people who got jobs with good organizations that are well catered for.I can never wish any of my children to be involved with anything called Insurance marketing be it in life or non-life sectors.It nearly drove me nuts then.But now I am a management admin staff in a logistics,haulage and transportation firm in whiich I work. Thanks

Elvis OKoYe  # 5 | 15.07.2009 08:14

This has been a nagging issue in Nigeria,when Ifinshed my NYSC in 2004,i got a marketing job with Hallmark Insurance Plc In their Apapa branchlocated at no 1 Itapkeju str,Apapa,Lagos for a paltry sum of #2,500 a month .After looking at the appointment letter for two days and having spent about 2 weeks on training I had to reject the offer because it doesnt worth it .Now the HallMark Insurance PLc is owned by a man ,an Engineer who worked with Slumberger fro so many years.I s it what they started him with when he joined the Slumberger.secondly ,can the man afford to allow his daughter/son to be working for a company for #2,500 a month and a graduate for that matter.I guess the problem in Nigeria is that every family wants to establish a business and in that business they do all manner of things to their employees.sad enough my last allowanace from the NYSC was #9,500 and having to leave the NYSC to be going to Apapa every day for an Insurance marketing job for #2,500 was disgusting.It is not worth it.Some employers of labour in Nigeria do not get it and this is especially amongst these so-called insurance companies who do not have anything to offer their graduate marketers.they just run you through the insurance marketing trainnig and put one on the street.In my own case they counldnt even provide a folder for me to be putting the insurance pamphlets which contains the decriptions of their products.They also tell you its from what you generate that you will be paid that is commission.i hate all these insurance companies in Nigeria,even I can never never work for the best of them because they are all cheats.I have other offers from other insurance companies ,even without knowing what they have to offer I turned them down cos I am not interested in that sector any more.Hallmark Insurance Plc as it was then called has merged with other three insurance firms and is now been called Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc with their head office in Bishop Aboyade cole off Saka Tinubu street ,V,Island,Lagos.I dont know whether they now have a salary structure in place but it was awful then.It was even later I found out that it was an all comers affair,really any body so interested can pick up the job,Then they had school leavers who are marketers,ONd and HND holders and University graduates all sweatingit out in the streets of Lagos >it was just so digsusting but who do we blame ,the Federal govt of Nigeria doesnt give a hoot as to whose ox is gored or how employers cheat employees.The Asian -Chinese,Korean and Indian employers even do worse than that and nobody complains.Working in Nigeria is so disgusting except for some very few people who got jobs with good organizations that are well catered for.I can never wish any of my children to be involved with anything called Insurance marketing be it in life or non-life sectors.It nearly drove me nuts then.But now I am a management admin staff in a logistics,haulage and transportation firm in which I work. Thanks

Eace  # 6 | 15.07.2009 12:43

Yes we are not well paid, but few of us have grounds to complain considering our attitude to work. Lecturers want more pay but do they solicit the government and private persons/organisations for funds, equipment etc for the university? No. Do they prepare lectures that will put their students at par with their colleagues around the world at least as best as they can? No. Do they carry out research, publish new material, generate new ideas for the country? No. And the list goes on. Some may argue (as I will) that Nigeria makes things difficult but the fact remains that we do not want to make any sacrifices at all...we want to reap where we have not sown and gather where we have not scattered. For labour to be dignified, the labourer must start with dignifying him/herself.

M. Akosa  # 7 | 15.07.2009 16:52

=Elvis OKoYe;371742>This has been a nagging issue in Nigeria,when Ifinshed my NYSC in 2004,i got a marketing job with Hallmark Insurance Plc In their Apapa branch for a paltry sum of #2,500 a month .After looking at the appointment letter for two days and having spent about 2 weeks on training i had to reject the offer because it doesnt worth it .Now the HallMark Insurance PLc is owned by a man ,an Engineer who worked with Slumberger fro so many years.I s it what they started him with when he joined the Slumberger.secondly ,can the man afford to allow his daughter/son to be working for a company for #2,500 a month and a graduate for that matter.I guess the problem in Nigeria is that every family wants to establish a business and in that business they do all manner of things to their employees.sad enough my last allownace from the NYSC was #9,500 and having to leave the NYSC to be going to Apapa every day for an Insurnce marketing job for #2,500 was disgusting.It is not worth it.Some employers of labour in Nigeria do not get it and this is especially amongst these so-called insurance companies who do not have anything to offer their graduate marketers.they just run you through the insurance marketing trainnig and put one on the street.In my own case they counldnt even provide a folder for me to be putting the insurance pamphlets which contains the decriptions of their products.They also tell you its from what you generate that you will be paid that is commission.i hate all these insurance companies in Nigeria,even I can never never work for the best of them because they are all cheats.I have other offers from other insurance companies ,even without knowing what they have to offer I turned them down cos I am not interested in that sector any more.Hallmark Insurance Plc as it was then called has merged with other three insurance firms and is now been called Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc with their heda office in Bishop Aboyade cole of saka tinubu street ,V,Island,Lagos.I dont know whether they now have a salary structure in place but it was awful then.It was even later I found out that it was an all comers affair,really any body so interested can pick up the job,Then they had school leavers who are marketers,ond and HND holders and University graduates all sweatingit out in the streets of lagos >it was just so digsusting but who do we blame ,the Federal govt of Nigeria doesnt give a hoot as to whose ox is gored or how employers cheat employees.The Asian -Chinese,Korean and Indian employers even do worse than that and nobody complains.Working in Nigeria is so disgusting except for some very few people who got jobs with good organizations that are well catered for.I can never wish any of my children to be involved with anything called Insurance marketing be it in life or non-life sectors.It nearly drove me nuts then.But now I am a management admin staff in a logistics,haulage and transportation firm in whiich I work. Thanks My dear Elvis, Work is work!! even volunteering is also work and not a leisure or past time. You must be grateful to Hallmark isnsurance for even giving you a chance. I am sure the owner has other people from his or her village who are also jobless and riding Okada. Yet he or she accomodated you and I am sure gave an employment without you shining congo, favors or any bribery. Please forget about all that graduate ,OND and HND status shit. In the workplace, with more than 5 - 10 employees, you all must lay down your individual pride and strive for a collective bargain. This is why union membership is very essential in every work place to protect workers and make sure that no one is harrassed or cheated into doing things that are unreasonable for the employers. I am very sorry my dear brother. If you are not happy, then seek your own enterprise or a business or even go back to grad school and aim for advanced qualifications in areas that does not require any salary bargaining, where you can market your own individual talents and skills, or negotiate on your own without any employer using you unduely.

Simbili  # 8 | 16.07.2009 17:46

=Elvis OKoYe;371742> After looking at the appointment letter for two days and having spent about 2 weeks on training i had to reject the offer because it doesnt worth it. Does it? Blessed are the peace makers.:shake: All the best sir.

Elvis OKoYe  # 9 | 21.07.2009 04:36

You are surely among the groups of people who unduely engage in unfair labour practices.I have even vowed any employer that does it again to me will be given two hot slaps and a spat during the interview.I am nobody's man Friday or a push over.If it is a graduate cadre of employers that an employee is looking for ,set the bars straightaway ,fair work demands a decent wage ,not setting up some murky financial marketing job which has loose job descriptions and slimy stipends work out.I have people I have already employed in my organization ,during the interview I spell out clearly what they will earn on the job.Now Insurance companies are one of the worst slimy employers after the known gaffe of Asians employers in Lagos. A graduate has a say in what he should be paid, irrespective of whether the employer wants to employ other cadres too, You can’t bring in all manner of people and give them the same roles and target with the same salary structure.In every thing in life there are gradients and levels.Same with so many of the so called consultants who are wolves in sheeps clothing looking for whom to devour ,but that is a topic for another day.A man wants to employ me in a job for #2,500 a month for salary and i have to go From Okota to Apapa every morning and somebody advises me to thank him because he has other folks from his village who ride Okada that he can employ too. What are we a talking here, graduate employment has become crayfish and pepper selling at Odo-oro foot bridge market at Cele bus stop,Apapa-oshodi expressway. I pity some people and their approach to the employment market .I spent four good years in a Fedearal university where there is no accomodation,my parents who are civil servants toiled to train and pay my fees .then on graduation with my second class honours upper divison ,what i should use to pay them back is to take this sucker job of insurance marketing in Hallmark Insurance PLC,Apapa branch>i wanted to conk the head of the so-called manager before I left then but other people saved him from my aggression that day in 2005.Peace out !

M. Akosa  # 10 | 24.07.2009 01:20

=Elvis OKoYe;373472>You are surely among the groups of people who unduely engage in unfair labour practices.I have even vowed any employer that does it again to me will be given two hot slaps and a spat during the interview.I am nobody's man Friday or a push over.If it is a graduate cadre of employers that an employee is looking for ,set the bars straightaway ,fair work demands a decent wage ,not setting up some murky financial marketing job which has loose job descriptions and slimy stipends work out.I have people I have already employed in my organization ,during the interview I spell out clearly what they will earn on the job.Now Insurance companies are one of the worst slimy employers after the known gaffe of Asians employers in Lagos. A graduate has a say in what he should be paid, irrespective of whether the employer wants to employ other cadres too, You can’t bring in all manner of people and give them the same roles and target with the same salary structure.In every thing in life there are gradients and levels.Same with so many of the so called consultants who are wolves in sheeps clothing looking for whom to devour ,but that is a topic for another day.A man wants to employ me in a job for #2,500 a month for salary and i have to go From Okota to Apapa every morning and somebody advises me to thank him because he has other folks from his village who ride Okada that he can employ too. What are we a talking here, graduate employment has become crayfish and pepper selling at Odo-oro foot bridge market at Cele bus stop,Apapa-oshodi expressway. I pity some people and their approach to the employment market .I spent four good years in a Fedearal university where there is no accomodation,my parents who are civil servants toiled to train and pay my fees .then on graduation with my second class honours upper divison ,what i should use to pay them back is to take this sucker job of insurance marketing in Hallmark Insurance PLC,Apapa branch>i wanted to conk the head of the so-called manager before I left then but other people saved him from my aggression that day in 2005.Peace out ! Honey, Thank your stars you are in Nigeria, yet an under developed part of the world for now. You are lucky indeed for having caring parents who spent their hard earned cash, as you say on your tuition fee. Regardless of all these, LIFE HAS NO GUARANTEES my dear. Over here in the western world, there are numerous Phd holders driving taxi cab, working as security guards and in call centre customer services. I am talking about medical doctors and engineers here, not to even mention thousands of MBA graduates who are jobless. They are not spitting on prospective employers or slapping the HR people interviewing them. I am just saying the same things I will tell my son to you. Wait until Nigeria catches up with the rest of the developing nations and gets their act together. None or fewer middle class family in Nigeria would be able to afford paying out of their pockets to educate a child in higher education. Graduates will then be saddled up with debts in tunes of $50,000 to $70,000. And yet, no job for many in sight. What will you do??? Spitting and slapping an employer can get you no where. Be a man and face realities. Life sucks. Or would you rather follow the Anini way? Lagos – Benin Express Way dey oh…. Machine gun gberekete for black market too. It is your call. God bless you my dear brother. Good Luck!!!