Organised labour say they are more concerned about solutions to the pervasive hunger, unemployment, housing, insecurity, and escalating costs of basic necessities such as food and healthcare rather than seeking to take over President Bola Tinubu’s job.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the organized labour under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said Tinubu appears to be “oblivious of the profound hardships endured by millions of Nigerians” since he assumed office in May 2023.
The NLC statement titled “MR. PRESIDENT: WE ARE NOT AFTER YOUR JOB” and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, followed recent statements said to have been made by the President during the recent commissioning of the Red-Line Railway Project in Lagos.
Ajaero said the statement credited to the President gave insinuations that Labour lacked the moral ground to challenge his administration over the deplorable conditions in the country barely nine months into office.
Describing such comments as troubling, Ajaero said concerning the historical role of Labour in governance, such a statement was profoundly at variance with the struggles by ordinary Nigerians under existing policies of the present administration.
“President Tinubu’s insinuation that Labour lacks the moral ground to challenge his administration, merely nine months into office is deeply troubling. Moreover, his focus on partisan issues and the distant 2027 election cycle, rather than the urgent needs of the populace further underscores a disconnect from the realities faced by Nigerians on a daily basis.
“It is regrettable that the President seems oblivious of the profound hardships endured by millions of Nigerians. The pervasive hunger, unemployment, housing challenges, insecurity, and escalating costs of basic necessities, such as food and healthcare, which demand immediate attention and decisive action.”
The Labour leader lamented that instead of addressing these pressing concerns, President Tinubu appeared preoccupied with political calculations and future electoral prospects.
He said primary objective of the NLC agitations was not to vie for political positions, including that of the President, rather to focus on advocating for effective governance that prioritises the welfare and security of all Nigerians.
Urging the President to redirect his efforts towards fulfilling this fundamental duty of public office, rather than engaging in political rhetoric, the NLC stressed the imperative for all parties to refocus collective energy on addressing the substantive issues that have been the subject of engagement between Labour and the government since June 2023.
The NLC identified these issues to include wage increases, social welfare programmes, infrastructure development, and the revitalization of key sectors of the economy, such as education and healthcare.
To avoid the dissipation of energy, the NLC underscored the importance to focus on the real issues that Labour has engaged the government on since June 2023 after the “subsidy is gone” statement by President Tinubu.
Ajaero said the issues were around the non-implementation of agreements reached between Labour and the government, citing the example where, on June 5, 2023, after the hike in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), agreements were reached between Labour and the Government on the need to review proposal for wage increase and award, including framework for timing and implementation.
Also, he said the agreement included the review of the programme of Cash Transfer and propose inclusion of low-income earners in the programme; review of issues hindering effective delivery in the education sector and propose solutions for implementation; the need to revive the compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion programmes; review of the framework for the completion of rehabilitation work on the nation’s refineries, and the review of the framework for the maintenance of roads and expansion of rail networks across the country.
Although these agreements were reached with Labour, , Ajaero said the Committee saddled with the responsibility of working on these issues was never inaugurated or any of the issues implemented until the NLC was compelled to organise a nationwide rally after the president gave his personal commitment to implement them.
Regrettably Ajaero said nothing came out of the President’s promises, as it took another round of protests for the October 2, 2023 agreement to be reached.
The NLC outlined the series of agreements with Labour that the government has failed to implement.
They included the agreement on the N35,000 wage award; the promise that the Port Harcourt Refinery would come on stream by December, 2023; the 25,000 cash transfers to 15 million poor households; tax waivers for workers, small businesses and general public; incessant government interference in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN); the agreement to be deposited as settlement with the Court by the government.
The agreement also included the introduction of CNG buses and 55,000 conversion kits; commitment by all parties to the use of social dialogue in all engagements; the immediate set up of National Minimum Wage Committee; payment of outstanding wages and salaries for tertiary education workers in all federally–owned educational institutions; wages award to workers in States and private sectors; fertilizer initiative to farmers across the nation; provision of funds for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the nation, and visitation to monitor the completion of the PH Refinery repairs.
Challenging the government to show those items it has implemented in the agreement, the NLC said the government has also failed to honour the seven items contained in MoU signed with Labour on June 5 and the 15 items in the October 2,2023 document.
“Beyond rhetorics, it has been a chain of broken promises not only to Labour, but to hungry Nigerians,” Ajaero said.
“President Tinubu’s administration must be held accountable for the commitments made in previous agreements with Labour. It is disheartening to note the apparent lack of progress in implementing these agreements, despite repeated assurances from the government. “Nigerians deserve transparency and tangible results, not empty promises and bureaucratic delays”, Ajaero added.NLC
