Teddy Oscar, Abuja
The organised labour on Thursday in Abuja warned President Goodluck Jonathan and other politicians “to play by the rules” during the 2015 general elections, or face the consequences.
The workers, who converged at the Eagle Square, Abuja in their hundreds to celebrate this
year’s May Day with their counterparts across the world, threatened that there would be costs, if politicians do not play by the rules.
Led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, called on Jonathan to ensure that forthcoming general elections are free, fair and credible elections, or face the wrath of the Nigerian workers.
Omar, who on the importance of elections and electioneering processes to be transparent and credible, insisted that “votes must count in 2015 because there is no business running a democracy, if votes do not count.”
Omar, however, noted that the problem is not with the electorate, but with those, who seek political powers.
“The motivation for seeking, and the zeal for office is not service, but vainglory and self-aggrandizement,” he added.
While calling for the full implementation of Justice Uwais report on electoral reform, Omar said that the Nigerian workers will no longer fold their hands while fraudulent politicians violated elections and electoral process.
“We call for the full implementation of Justice Uwais report on electoral reform. Similarly, we demand that votes count in 2015. We advise politicians to play by the rules, or there will be costs. Days are gone when workers folded their hands while fraudulent politicians violated and desecrated electoral process.
“We will no longer be by-standers. Nigeria workers will no longer be indifferent while some people toy with the destiny of this country,” he warned.
On the situation in the North eastern part of the country, the outgoing labour leader expressed worry at the state of the nation’s security infrastructure.
He also condemned the conflicting political interests, ambiguous operational order and primordial sentiments, which according to him are some of the factors undermining the counter terror war.
“It is sad that policy makers are only interested in making policies in the interest of capital and the ruling class to the detriment of the working people,” he said.
He warned that such practices cannot guarantee enduring peace and that the search for sustainable national development will not remain an elusive, but a mirage.
On the national conference, Omar challenged the Nigerian public to rise up against retrogressive moves by some agents of governors at the confab to balkanised labour movement and negate national minimum wage as enshrined in the constitution.
On his part, the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bala Bobboi Kaigama, observed that it is a good thing Nigeria celebrated its centenary as a nation.
He, however, frowned that some of the ills fought against by the founding fathers of the country and the labour movement are still persisting hundred years later.
He cited the obnoxious colonial policies such as poor wages, which led to the general strike of 1945 and others, stressing that such practice is still with us today.
”Decades of mismanagement and non-co-operation from successive governments have seen to it that the national minimum wage as at today is still a meagre N18,000, needless to talk about living wage.
Right from the colonial era to the early post-independence years and through the unfortunate civil war that lasted three years and till date, organised labour has remained one of the few truly pan-national institutions advocating national unity, justice and peace and pointing the way forward,” he said.
The theme of this year’s May Day is ‘Building Enduring Peace and Unity: Panacea for Sustainable National Development’.
Recall that May Day, which is popularly known as the
Workers’ Day, is being marked to renew workers’ agitation for improved working conditions and general welfare.
The agitation, which started in the US in 1860, was set aside to commemorate the struggle for
eight hours.
Also recall that 68 countries observe the annual day, which member countries have declared a public holiday, and this year is the 168th formal edition.
In Nigeria, apart from the Eagle Square, the event held at the 36 state capitals of the federation.
Some state NLC suspended holding rally and any form of celebration in order to
sympathise with the parents of abducted Chibok secondary school girls and Nyanya blast victims.
