LABOUR SALUTES PRESIDENT SHEHU SHAGARI AT 90
Labour joins other Nigerians and the global community to congratulate the elder statesman and Former Civilian President of Nigeria, Alhaji Aliyu Usman Shehu Shagari on the occasion of his 90th birthday anniversary on Wednesday February 25, 2015.
History will credit the former President Shagari for being the first democratically elected President to sign into law the first national Minimum Wage Act in Nigeria.
It will be recalled that NLC under its founding President, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu demanded and led a national strike for national minimum wage in 1981 during the administration of former President Shehu Shagari. NLC has improved in its minimum wage since then.
The late Chinua Achebe was right to say the problem with Nigeria was leadership.
The recent national acknowledgement and celebration of the leadership qualities of former President Shehu Shagari shows that the problem with Nigeria may not necessarily be absence of leadership but lack of acknowledgement of some worthy leadership qualities of some of the leaders.
He reached a number of agreements with labour over wide range of issues that included minimum wage review, car and leave allowances, provident fund and decent work in general. It is to the eternal credit of Shagari’ tenure and his team (the notable being Alhaji Shehu Musa) that there was only one national strike which lasted one day during the second Republic dispensation compared to the successive administration. According to President Shehu Shagari, in ‘…one particular instance in March 1982 I personally intervened to stop a major strike threat’.
An important attribute of Shehu Shagari’s leadership is his remarkable singular ability to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of predecessors even while he did not agree with some of their policies.
On behalf of the National Executive Council of the Union, we congratulate the former President and Commander-in-Chief and wish him many more fruitful years of service to the country. He is truly a symbol of civility, forgiveness and statesmanship.
WE SALUTE THE GALANTRY OF NIGERIAN MILITARY
We acknowledge the remarkable success being recorded by the Nigerian Military in the renewed war against insurgency in parts of the country. We commend in particular the recapture of major towns in the North Eastern States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States by the Nigerian Military and the gallantry of the Nigerian troops. Some of the recaptured towns include Bara, the headquarters of Gulani local government area of Yobe State and Gulak, in Madagali local government area of Adamawa State. Other locations also said to have been retaken from the insurgents include, Shikah, Fikayel, Tetebah, Buza, Kamla, Bumsa, Mubi, Michika, Vimtim among others.
We commend President Goodluck Jonathan for the renewed commitment in the war against insurgency, his recent visit to some recaptured areas and the reassurance that the military would soon recapture other Nigerian territories under the control of the violent sect in no distant time. We also commend the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Major General Minimah and all the generals and other security services for the coordinated approach to rid the nation of insurgency. We call on all Nigerians to support the determination of the Federal government and the Nigerian Military to end insurgency in the country. Security in the North East is security for the entire Republic of Nigeria.
RESCHEDULED NLC DELEGATES CONFERENCE ELECTIONS
The National Executive Council (NEC) of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has fixed Thursday March 12, 2015 for the conclusion of the 11th Delegates Conference of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) dealing with election of National Officers of Congress.
We are committed to make sure the new date of 12th March 2015 is a reality.
However, if we must ensure a successful election and avoid the crisis that marred the previous election, basic rules and practices guiding elections must be strictly followed. There must be fairness and equal level playing field for all contestants.
We call on the NLC General Secretary to make sure the new election is not marred with the mistake of the past so that we can have a free and fair election.
DANGER
We raise this point against the background of our observation from the new list of contestants circulated to all industrial unions by the General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson. The list of contestants did not follow alphabetical order even when the General Secretary clearly stated in the letter dated February 26, 2015 to all the unions that accreditation of delegates will be based on alphabetical order. The contestants’ names were listed in a way that it suggests partisanship.
It will be recalled that our union was the first, prior to the botched NLC Delegates Conference to raise the danger of possible crisis if basic rules and practices of NLC guiding elections are not followed. We were vindicated through the avoidable crisis that marred that election.
ANOTHER DANGER
We warn that all lovers of the labour movement must be interested in what is going at the NLC.
Nigerian workers and indeed all Nigerians, labour veterans and friends of labour will not accept another so-called “printing errors” (such as multiple ballot papers for a contestant).
We really do not want to believe that the General Secretary of NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson is incompetent, dishonest and partisan in such a way that he will refuse to follow the basic rules and practices guiding elections such as listing the names of contestants in alphabetical order.
PRAYERS
We hereby demand that the circulated list of contestants should be withdrawn and a fresh list of contestants arranged in alphabetical order be reissued to all affiliate unions by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). This should also reflect in the ballot papers.
The NLC General Secretary should stop turning Comrades against Comrades. There should be strict application of basic rules and practices to avoid the ugly experience of the recent past.
Issa Aremu, mni
GENERAL SECRETARY
