May Day: NATE calls for improved welfare, training for workers

The Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering, Ogun State branch, Engr Kolawole Ogunwemimo, has urged employers across the country to move beyond verbal commendations and take concrete steps to improve workers’ welfare.

Ogunwemimo made the call in a Workers’ Day message issued on Thursday, as Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark International Workers' Day.

He stressed that the annual celebration should not be reduced to mere symbolism but should serve as a period for reflection and renewed commitment by both employers and employees towards building a more functional and inclusive society.

The NATE chairman highlighted the pivotal role played by engineering professionals, describing technologists, technicians and engineers as critical drivers of national development.

According to him, their contributions cut across key sectors, including construction, manufacturing, energy, telecommunications and technology, forming the backbone of systems that sustain everyday life.

“The comfort, safety and progress we enjoy as a society are largely made possible through the skill, creativity and dedication of engineering personnel,” he said.

Ogunwemimo, however, charged employers in both the public and private sectors to demonstrate genuine appreciation for workers through practical measures.

He identified areas requiring urgent attention to include fair and competitive remuneration, continuous staff development through training and certifications, and the provision of safe and well-equipped working environments.

He also called for the recognition and reward of excellence, alongside the creation of clear career growth opportunities for employees.

He noted that improved welfare conditions would boost workers’ morale and productivity, reduce system failures and enhance overall organisational performance.

Addressing workers, the NATE chairman urged them to uphold professionalism, integrity and excellence in their duties.

He advised engineering personnel to prioritise quality and safety, continuously upgrade their skills, maintain discipline and teamwork, and embrace innovation in solving problems.

“Workers must take pride in their roles, knowing that their contributions have a direct impact on industries, communities and the future of the nation,” he added.

Ogunwemimo further emphasised that Workers’ Day should inspire a lasting culture of mutual respect and shared responsibility between employers and employees.

He commended workers for their dedication and called on all stakeholders to collaborate in building stronger institutions and a more prosperous society.

Segun Showunmi blasts Kio Amachree, defends Hitech's Gilbert Chagoury

Showunmi

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Segun Showunmi, has sharply criticised a recent commentary by Kio Amachree, describing it as “misguided” and riddled with contradictions, while mounting a robust defence of businessman Gilbert Chagoury.

In a strongly worded rebuttal released on Thursday, Showunmi accused Amachree of distorting facts and promoting divisive narratives, insisting that Chagoury’s decades-long investments in Nigeria speak for themselves.

Showunmi wrote, “Amachree’s write-up collapses under the weight of its own contradictions, exaggerations, and ironically the same divisive instincts it claims to condemn.”

He took particular exception to what he described as the “most offensive and intellectually lazy premise” in the commentary — the suggestion that Chagoury was “less Nigerian.”

“That is not just wrong — it is dangerous,” Showunmi said. “Gilbert Chagoury is Nigerian by law, by investment, and by decades of continuous engagement with this country. He has lived, built, employed, paid taxes, and taken risks in Nigeria for over half a century.”

The PDP chieftain also criticised diaspora commentators, arguing that distance from Nigeria often leads to oversimplified assessments of complex national issues.

“You do not get to emotionally exit a country and then question the legitimacy of those who stayed and built within it,” he said. “Many of the loudest critics, including diaspora commentators writing from comfortable homes abroad, cannot claim that level of sustained commitment.”

Showunmi maintained that Chagoury’s contributions to Nigeria’s infrastructure and economy were measurable and tangible.

“If contribution is the metric, then let’s be honest: he has contributed more to Nigeria’s physical and economic landscape than many who dominate online outrage cycles. That is not sentiment — it is measurable reality,” he stated.

Addressing allegations surrounding large-scale infrastructure projects, Showunmi rejected claims that contracts had been improperly awarded, describing such assertions as misleading. ⚖️

“This attempt to reduce complex infrastructure procurement into a simplistic ‘$13 billion gift to one man’ narrative is, at best, distortion and, at worst, deliberate misinformation,” he said. “Large-scale infrastructure projects — coastal highways, port rehabilitation, shoreline protection — are not social media slogans.”

He challenged critics to provide evidence of wrongdoing rather than speculation.

“If there are legitimate concerns, then present them properly: Where is the documented breach of procurement law? Which statutory provisions were violated? What evidence exists beyond assertion? Anything less is noise,” Showunmi added.

The politician also faulted what he described as selective references to past legal controversies involving Chagoury.

“The fixation on past legal issues without context, without acknowledging legal closure or evolution betrays selective outrage. If Nigerian law disqualifies an individual from contracts or honours, cite it. If not, then what we are seeing is not accountability — it is opportunistic character assassination,” he said.

Showunmi further accused critics of replacing tribalism with what he termed “xenophobic insinuation.”

“Swap ‘tribe’ for ‘foreigner,’ and suddenly it is acceptable outrage? That is not reform. That is prejudice in a different costume,” he argued.

He stressed that Nigeria’s governance challenges were systemic rather than tied to any individual.

“Nigeria’s challenge is institutional — weak procurement enforcement, elite capture across all divides, opacity in contract structuring, weak accountability mechanisms. Blaming one businessman, foreign-born or otherwise, does not fix systemic failure,” he stated.

Highlighting specific projects, Showunmi pointed to coastal engineering works and urban development initiatives as examples of Chagoury’s contributions. 

“Look at Eko Atlantic, the stabilization of Victoria Island against Atlantic encroachment, and the coastal engineering behind the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. These are not abstract claims — they are visible, technical interventions that have reshaped Nigeria’s coastline and protected economic assets,” he said.

He also suggested that legal remedies could be pursued against what he described as defamatory claims.

“At this point, enough is enough. I strongly encourage the Chagoury Group to consider legal action against defamatory claims and put this embarrassing cycle of uninformed agitation to rest. Public discourse must carry consequences when it abandons facts for sensationalism,” Showunmi said.

He concluded with a message of appreciation to Chagoury, stating, “You have lived the Nigerian Dream in a way many only theorize about. A grateful nation and its more discerning citizens say: Ese. Daalu. Nagode. Thank you.”