The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on federal, state and local governments to compensate victims of the flooding that continues to wreak havoc in communities across states in the country.
The call was part of the resolutions reached during the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC, held in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, on Monday, October 24.
The NEC also specifically urged the government to construct catchment dams, clear water channels and ensure an effective deployment of ecological funds to mitigate environmental issues confronting the country.
The NLC, in its communiqué made available to BusinessDay on Tuesday, said there was an urgent need for the three tiers of government to adopt measures that would forestall a possible outbreak of an epidemic in communities ravaged by the floods.
In the communiqué signed by Ayuba Waba and Emmanuel Uboaja, president and general secretary of the NLC, respectively, the congress equally demanded an immediate extension of humanitarian services to submerged communities and citizens who have lost their means of livelihood.
“Humanitarian assistance, sanitary support, clean water, malaria nets and drugs should be quickly provided for impacted communities to avoid possible outbreak of cholera, dysentery, and malaria.”
Read also: Floods: Buhari directs ministers to find solution within 90 days
The NLC also demanded the “deployment of just transition initiatives to reduce carbon emission, especially gas flaring and other harmful industrial practices that harm the environment”, and a shift towards a green economy in a manner that ensures that no worker is left behind.
At least 34 states of the federation are affected by the floods that have resulted in loss of several lives, destruction of properties, farmland, and means of livelihood, even as the end is not yet in sight.
Among states worst hit by the flooding are Bayelsa, Delta, Kogi, Anambra, Nasarawa.
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2023 general election, the NLC has urged the various political parties and their candidates to make their campaigns issue-based and refrain from inciting violence, just as it condemned reported attacks by political thugs on the rallies of some parties in different parts of the country.
“The 2023 general election must be about issues and public judgment of the performance in office of political office holders, antecedents of fresh non-office holding candidates and the manifestos of their sponsoring political parties.”
The NLC NEC equally called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be alive to its responsibilities and ensure that the electoral laws are followed to the letter, regardless of whose ox is gored.
“INEC should also ensure that it gets its logistics right, especially with regards to the deployment of technology- the BVAS software for credibility of the 2023 election. Voters’ confidence should be reinforced by timely distribution of voter’s cards to all eligible voters and clean-up of the voters’ register”, the NLC said in the communiqué.
