Flowerbud News

Tag: CISLAC

  • NECA, CISLAC signs MoU to protect workers, strengthen businesses

    NECA, CISLAC signs MoU to protect workers, strengthen businesses

     

    By Joan Nwagwu

    Abuja:  (NAN)/FLOWERBUDNEWS :  The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to protect workers, strengthen businesses in the country.

    Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, NECA’s Director-General said this during the MOU signing ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Oyerinde described the MOU as a momentous occasion, uniting the voice of business with civil society’s watchdog role to confront Nigeria’s pressing governance and economic challenges.

    “At NECA, our role is to be the voice of organised business, to champion enterprise sustainability, decent work, economic renaissance, responsible business conduct and to advocate for a conducive business environment.

    “For years, we have worked to build a prosperous Nigeria from the economic perspective.

    “CISLAC, on the other hand, has masterfully championed the cause of transparency, accountability, and the protection of civil rights.

    “You have been a crucial watchdog, ensuring that policy serves the public good.

    “That is why this MoU is more than a document. It is a declaration that progress comes through collaboration.

    “Together, we will be a more powerful voice for Nigeria’s renaissance,” he said.

    Oyerinde added that the signing of the MoU committed both groups to champion policy reform, decent work, fair taxation, responsible business, gender equity, climate action, and the removal of bottlenecks stifling enterprise and job creation.

    He, therefore, commended CISLAC’s reputation as a leading voice for good governance and reform, adding that businesses and citizens share inseparable needs for transparency, fairness, and stability.

    Also, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of CISLAC’, described the partnership as a covenant of trust between civil society, employers, and workers.

    He said that the dignity of labour and national productivity could no longer be negotiable.

    According to him, workers are not commodities, but human beings deserving fair wages, safe workplaces, and respect, adding that the undervaluing labour undermines national prosperity.

    Rafsanjani said the goals of the partnership included, evidence-based policy advocacy, stronger labour rights, fair governance, health, and climate action, among others..

    “We will hold power accountable, partner with the private sector, and fight for a Nigeria where dignity of work and justice in governance are protected,”he said.

    Rafsanjani also warned against the rising underemployment and informal labour sector.

    To change narrative, he said it required investment in education, skills, and fair workplace policies.(NAN)

  • Untitled post 73685

     

     

    By Perpetua Onuegbu

    Abuja:   (NAN)/FLOWERBUDNEWS:   The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for the repositioning of traditional institutions and the restoration of local government autonomy to promote development at the grassroots.

    CISLAC Executive Director, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, made the call at a stakeholders’ roundtable on Thursday in Abuja.

    It was themed, “Strengthening Local Government Autonomy and Formalising the Role of Traditional Institutions”.

    The event, with the sub-theme “What Next After the Zaria Declaration?”, was organised by CISLAC and the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG).

    Rafsanjani said the meeting was driven by a shared concern and collective hope to revitalise local governance and traditional authority for the benefit of communities nationwide.

    He identified the absence of a clear governance framework, erosion of fiscal and administrative autonomy, and lack of transparency as major challenges weakening local government.

    “Our communities have been left vulnerable, underserved, and underrepresented. Traditional institutions, once vital to community cohesion, now struggle without legal backing, clarity of roles, or adequate resources,” he said.

    Rafsanjani noted that the weakening of traditional authority had contributed to rising criminality.

    “If we are serious about tackling poverty, insecurity, exclusion, and inequality, we must start from the grassroots by dismantling elite capture and reviving local governments as engines of development and service delivery,” he added.

    Executive Director of PANAFSTRAG, Gen. Olasehinde Williams (rtd), said Nigeria’s constitutional gaps must be addressed to strengthen local governance.

    He urged the Federal Government to stop taking on the roles of state and local governments, stressing that sustainable development must begin at the grassroots.

    Williams criticised the practice of state governments paying traditional rulers, saying it made them loyal to politicians rather than their communities.

    Director of Democracy and Governance at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Dr Chris Ngara, said citizens must demand implementation of existing court rulings on local government autonomy.

    “Each of us belongs to a local government. If we all remain passive, this trend will continue,” he said.

    Head of Local Government and Development Studies at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr Umar Dahiru, stressed the need for political, financial, and administrative independence for local governments.

    He accused some state governments of using State Independent Electoral Commissions to install cronies who help siphon funds meant for local councils.

    Dahiru called for full implementation of the Supreme Court judgement granting absolute autonomy to local governments. (NAN)