Curbing Excesses of Casualisation and Contract Staffing Agencies in Nigeria – An Agenda for President Muhammad Buhari

After what many political pundits termed historic victory for All Progress Congress (APC), Nigerians look forward to a new Nigeria as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari starting from May 29, 2015. Much is expected of the president-elect based on your antecedent and campaign promise to ruthlessly stamp corruption out of Nigerian public service system.

Hopes are running high, wide and large, as many Nigerians have strong believe in your ability to save this nation from the horrendous looting of state resources by self-serving public service officials across levels of governance in Nigeria. From the south to north, Nigerian citizenry are yearning for good governance and accountability and have put their hopes on the new president based on his antecedent of zero tolerance for corruption and indiscipline as the military Head of State between 1984 -1985. The focal point and strong emphasis of his administration then, War Against Indiscipline (WAI) still vibrate in the minds of many people because it helped fight the growing corruption and stemmed social decadence in Nigeria. Many today are calling for the reintroduction of same if he is really interested in routing corruption out of Nigerian nation.

During the hay days of the 18month administration, powers of state institutions and agencies were reinforced and enhanced to perform their constitutionally assigned duties. Every Nigerian, mindful of the long arms of the law as enshrined in WAI to reach him or her no matter where he or she lives cut his/her lifestyle and attitude within the limit of the WAI rules, this brought some sanity into Nigerian society. Teachers got to school before resumption time, motorists (drivers) plied the road with caution and respect for the traffic rules and regulations. Notoriously disorganised commuters (passengers) did their things orderly in terms of joining the queue whenever they want to board molue buses. Medical personnel attended to their patients with eagerness to service humanity rather for financial gains at the expense of human.

Regrettably, that promising regime of discipline and camaraderie that would have laid the genuine foundation for a prosperous Nigeria was cut short by that of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida eighteen (18) months in the then seat of power, Dodan Barrack.   

Your Excellency, May 29^th, 2015 marked the beginning of another opportunity to prove your worth to the mass population of Nigeria. Based on your performance last time in office as the military head of state, Nigerians had entrusted with the national responsibility once again and want you to do what you were not able to do as military head of state. Nigerians want you to rescue them from the oppression of corrupt elites and cancerous corruption in Nigerian governance system.

As the fourth civilian President of the Federal of Nigeria since the country returns to civil rule on May 29^th, 2015 much expectation is placed on the president in tandem with his anti-corruption stance and zero tolerance for indiscipline which reached an abominable, intolerable crescendo during the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. While corruption in public places is repeatedly reported in the news, the former president displayed a lukewarm attitude towards corruption in governance circles in Nigeria. 

It is however worth mentioning that corruption comes in many forms and shades in Nigeria and  a by-product of where one is delving into. Thus, this piece is aimed at drawing the attention of President Muhammed Buhari administration to the monstrous private sector corruption and make visible the deplorable and condemnable exploitation of Nigerian Labour force by modern day slave merchant and unscrupulous middlemen and women who parade themselves as outsourcing agencies. 

These merchant of bonded labour and self-centred outsource Nigerian agents are nothing but exploiters and gross abusers of fundamental human rights of mass of hapless Nigerians who as a result of desperation for survival and means of livelihood engage for the services of these nefarious outsourcing agencies. The exploitation of any one who goes to these agencies for job offer usually commence at the receptionist’s desk where he or she is asked to purchase a registration form. This is a non-refundable fee that may fall between N1,000.00 and 5,000.00 or more depending on the gullibility and desperation of the applicant.

 If the intending employee is lucky enough to meet an existing vacancy depending on the efficiency and network of the agent concerned, this may be followed by immediate employment but the unlucky ones may never hear any good news from these callous unskilled labour aggregators except no vacancy yet, check back next week till he or she becomes discouraged and stop going to the office in question. 

Terribly, the ones that count themselves lucky unknowingly end up signing themselves into enslavement or heinous labour. They are shortchanged right from salary negotiations and employment form fill-out. For instance, if the company recruiting is paying N30,000.00/month the recruiting agent will pay him/her N10,000.00 pocketing the N20,000.00 difference, about 70% of the total salary. Apart from the scrape off from the salary end, the agency will also collect service commission from the company they recruit for.

The most pathetic experience of most of these outsourcing employees is the issue of being on the pay roll of a company as contract staff for 6/7years collecting pittance for back breaking labour inputs and when the outsourcing company notice that the contract staff is getting comfortable or staying too much in the company and he/she is thinking of being staffed by the company, the outsourcing agent will lay him/her off. This is the normal practice in the outsourcing sector to protect their source of revenue since staffing the contract staff will put him/her or the slot out of the recruiting agent’s pay roll. 

Monetary exploitation of gullible Nigerians and arbitrary lay-offs is one side of the story total lack of respect for fundamental human rights of the employees is another one. They are abused at will by the Asian employers who are mostly owned or managed by Indians and Chinese foremen or supervisors as well as maltreated by the recruiting agencies. Within the premises of the company they work for they are second rated citizenry in their own country. They are not entitled to any benefits or comprehensive medical support in case of injury or sickness nor do they enjoy the protection of any insurance package. In the case of any industrial accident they are hardly taken care of medically. 

They are frequently harassed by the police and other state security personnel who in most cases are on the pay roll of these rent-seeking ventures every month. These workers cannot organise for collective bargaining activities or negotiate for better working condition in the company. They work in strenuous and back-breaking jobs twelve (12) hours a day. No unionism or activism is allowed or encouraged within the companies’ environment.

Your Excellency, this is one of the areas to start the corruption crusade. These Nigerians in their millions crave justice and look forward to your intervention. Like every other Nigerian, they trooped out on March 28^th, 2015 to vote for you in anticipation of your intervention and support for their well-being when you get to the office as President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

It will be terribly disheartening and disenchanting to these helpless Nigerians, if they should not be let down by your administration. No one is calling for an outright ban on the outsourcing agencies but there is a need for better monitoring of the labour market in Nigeria. From close observations, it is obvious that the ministry of labour in Nigeria is sleeping over its constitutional duties and assigned responsibilities, most especially at the state levels. The ministry’s officials in Lagos and Ogun States precisely are evidently compromised, corrupt and needs scrutinised by the Abuja offices. 

This corruption level in the private sector as narrated above is killing and should not be left to fester anymore and if your government is truly interested in fighting corruption in Nigeria, this is one the sectors to start off. This exploitation is grave and should be addressed as such Sir.