Prominent Nigerians drawn from the judiciary, academia and organised labour on Saturday called on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to extend its anti-corruption campaign to the oil sector which serves as the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.
The experts who gave the charge at the Pre-May Day Lecture with the theme: ‘Labour relations in economic recession: An appraisal’, co-organised by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), expressed concerns over the state failure of the past and present administrations to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerian workers amidst ‘boom period’ when the country generated so much through the oil sector.
In his presentation, Omotoye Olorode, an academic from University of Olabisi Onabanjo noted that the NLC 2015 agenda for economic revival is for the purpose of engaging the ruling class government rather than mobilising
Olorode who stressed the need to mobilise workers across the country in the bid to wrestle Nigerian workers out ravaging poverty, argued that less than one percent own Nigeria today and they are taking based on religious and ethic sentiments.
To achieve this feat, he tasked the labour and civil society coalition to take advantage of various affiliates and existing structures to challenge the anti-peoples policies and programmes of government.
Speaking earlier, Ayuba Wabba, NLC President noted that the May Day was declared by the Congress of Workers in 1889 in Paris to remember the sacrifice of workers who laid their lives in the struggle for emancipation of the majority of citizens and working class.
“It’s a day that we must recognise that no employer of labour will be so generous and will be so good to award us what we are demanding for. It is through struggle. Even our political elites, no politician seeks political offices to actually better the lots of the citizens, none!
“In politics today in Nigeria, they see politics as an investment. You see somebody very wretched without house, without a car, but by the time he acquired political office, by the time he’a leaving that office, check his assets and liabilities, you will know that he’s not there for our sake.
“They are there to continue to accumulate and so is the issue of business around the world. Business is to make profit and therefore we must continue to be watchdog of the society, we must continue to defend the interests of mouth members and the interests of the larger people. No policy will be made that will serve our interests, no!
“That is why it’s our duty and always been policy contestation. Policies will be made to address our developmental challenges, policies must be made to address the issues of inequality which has continued to increase despite the fact that in the last one decade, global wealth has increased. But what has been our condition? We create the wealth of every society and of every nation but what has been our bargain?” The NLC helmsman probed.
In his remarks, a renowned Economist and legal luminary, Femi Aborisade harped on the urgent need for the organised labour to form political parties in the bid to wrestle power from the politicians who inflict hardship on the masses unjustifiably.
Aborisade who noted that the politicians in the ruling party – All Progressive Congress (APC) and other opposition parties have started regrouping ahead of the 2019 general elections, urged organised labour to take proactive steps of defending the interest of the downtrodden across the country who created wealth being misappropriated by the political class.
“Members of the ruling party are regrouping, they are restrategising, they are not going to display APC and PDP in the next election, so labour must also restrategise. They have raided this country and they do not leave anything for the forthcoming generations.
“The level of criminality will be so much that labour has the challenge to provide alternative for the Nigerian people. Labour should not only organise as labour unions but operate as political parties for the purpose of defending the interests of the poor. Do not let us contest on their platforms, they are structured against the interests of the ordinary people,” Aborisade urged.
He also tasked Organised labour to engage government towards ensuring the recovery of the $200 billion stone funds which Femi Falani earlier hinted the present administration on as well as address various issues relating to high unemployment, devaluation of naira, hike in the prices of petroleum products, among others.
Aborisade who frowned at the spate of fraud being perpetuated by political office holders including former Governors currently serving as Senators at the National Assembly, and incumbent Governors who could not account for securty votes ranging from N2 billion to N400 million per month, urged organised labour to mobilise against neo-capitalist policies and programmes.
According to him, Delta State Governor collects N2 billione as security vote per month; Akwa-Ibom Governor gets N1.8 billion; River State Governor gets N1.5 billion per month; Bauchi state Governor gets N1.4 billion per month; Edo state Governor gets N900 million per month; Abia State Governor gets N700 million per month; Ondo state Governor gets N600 million per month while Kaduna state Governor gets N400 million per month.
On her part, Member Genye, an academic from Benue State University, stressed the need for organised labour to confront government at all levels to deepen the anti-corruption crusade and demand for accountability on the utilisation of multi-billion dollar recovered loots under the ongoing anti-corruption campaign, as well as revenue realised from oil sector.
Genye who emphasised the need for government to discharge its constitutional responsibility of re-inventing Nigerian economy, argued that “the time is ripe for Nigerian workers to rise up to its emancipation mandate to rescue the workers.”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
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