Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo (SAN) has revealed that the Federal Government is tinkering with the idea of amending all the labour laws.
Keyamo said this in Ilorin, Kwara state capital during his working visit to Michael Mimoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS).
He added that the labour establishing MINILS and others in the country has become anachronistic, adding that “my coming here personally is to motivate and boost staff morale.”
According to him: “All the labour centres are not represented in the governing council of the institute. We are trying to amend all the labour laws in the country. We are going to amend that of this institute so that all the labour centres will be represented.
“The MNILS law is an old one. It was a decree adopted later as an art of the parliament. At that point Trade Union Congress (TUC) was not in existence. We are not unmindful of the lack of balance in the constitution of the governing council.”
The Minister agreed that high-wire politics in the appointment of head of the institute had brought to its very kneels.
“I agree with the notion of building strong institutions, but I want
to say that personalities also make institutions. The best decision I
made in recommending Comrade Issa Aremu to head this place.
“From now on I want to set a standard for other ministers that will come after me. Whoever wants to head this institute must be somebody with requisite experience with the institute; who has gone through the ranks or somebody with very good and passionate trade union background.
“Either way, we should not play politics with the head of the
institute. Playing politics with who should head it has killed this
place till now. You don’t play politics with strategic institution
like this,” he added.
