The Dangote/PENGASSAN dispute is taking a turn for the worse as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed all its affiliate unions to immediately commence mobilisation for industrial action against the Group.
This directive is contained in an internal memo signed by NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, on Monday in Abuja.
The order follows a dispute between Dangote Refinery and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over the alleged sack of over 800 workers.
Ajaero said the directive was prompted by what the congress described as the Dangote Group’s “anti-worker crusade” against Nigerian workers.
He alleged that the conglomerate consistently violated Section 40 of the Constitution and ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which protect workers’ rights to association and unionisation.
According to him, affiliates are placed on full alert and must begin unionisation drives in all Dangote facilities within their areas of jurisdiction.
“The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with resistance. Each affiliate should establish an Action Mobilisation Committee and liaise with the NLC Secretariat within 72 hours,” Ajaero said.
He urged affiliates to mobilise resources and members for nationwide action, stressing that unity of purpose and collective resolve were non-negotiable.
Meanwhile, there is report that the Federal Government has convened a conciliatory meeting to prevent escalation of the dispute.
Insists that the fires are totally not accidents of fate
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded an independent probe into the recent United Bank for Africa (UBA) fire and other infernos on Lagos Island.
This is according to a statement signed by the Acting President of NLC, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, on Thursday in Abuja.
It would be recalled that on Sept. 16, no fewer than six people died in the UBA Afriland Building blaze, while several others sustained injuries and remain hospitalised.
“Our grief is worsened by the fresh memory of another devastating fire that consumed shops and warehouses in the same axis, destroying livelihoods and goods valued in billions of Naira.
“These fires are totally not accidents of fate. They are products of systemic rot, institutional negligence,, and disregard for safety rules which expose citizens to needless deaths and losses,” it said.
The NLC said that the sight of workers jumping out of windows to escape the UBA fire was disheartening.
“Were there safety precautions in the building design? Were workers trained? Where were crisis management teams?” the statement asked.
The congress also expressed concern over recurring market fires in Lagos, calling them an annual ritual that should have been addressed with adequate safeguards.
It added that every society was judged by how it safeguarded citizens.
“In Lagos, we see the opposite fires without water, collapsing buildings without rescue, citizens without emergency response.
“Why do emergency agencies continue to budget billions annually yet arrive unprepared in moments of crisis?.
“Why are corporate institutions allowed to compromise safety standards without accountability?” it asked.
The NLC, therefore, demanded the investigation of the fires, compensation for victims, mandatory safety enforcement, and adequate funding for emergency services.
“No worker should leave home for work and end up in the morgue because of preventable disasters,” it said.
The NLC also warned against reducing the tragedies to mere statistics.
“The blood of the workers cries out for justice,” the statement said.
The NLC commended NEMA for issuing flood warnings but urged proactive evacuations and long-term solutions to annual flooding linked to water releases from Cameroon.
It called on Nigerians to resist normalising tragedies.
“We must demand institutions that work, safety that is guaranteed, and governance that protects, not abandons,” the NLC stated.
The state’s doctors’ pay was also raised from N215,000 to N503,000, while that of tertiary institution teachers went up from N119,000 to N222,000
It’s a bumper season in Imo as Gov. Hope Uzodimma approves a new minimum wage of N104,000 for civil servants in the state.
Uzodimma made this known during a meeting with various labour union leaders on Tuesday night at the Government House in Owerri.
The current value represents a 84.2 percent increase from N76,000 that was the minimum wage previously approved by the governor.
Similarly, the minimum wage of doctors was raised from N215,000 to N503,000, while that of tertiary institution teachers went up from N119,000 to N222,000, among others.
He said Imo citizens had faced numerous challenges since his government took office, including insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardship from reform policies, and disputes over minimum wage and subsidy removal.
“There is no way any government will do well if it doesn’t have a friendly and cordial relationship with the organised labour.
“When workers are paid well, productivity rises, families are happier, and the local economy grows.
“This is our way of investing in Imo people. Government believes in stimulating political and economic activities, carrying bureaucrats along, and making sure that workers’ welfare was highly respected,” he said.
Uzodimma said that the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had grown from N400 million to over N3 billion monthly.
According to him, in 2020, we were receiving allocations between N5 billion to N7 billion, but has increased to N14 billion.
“In 2020, the state recorded a debt profile of over N280 billion but has reduced to less than N100 billion,” he added.
The governor recalled that when he assumed office in 2020, the major infrastructure in all sectors were totally collapsed.
He said a lot had been expended to rebuild the collapsed infrastructure especially roads and combating the insecurity challenges.
He stressed that the removal of fuel subsidy had equally raised the cost of living in Nigeria as much as it had its own advantages.
“It is a thing of joy that we have started seeing the dividends of that bold decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove fuel subsidy.
“What government is confronted with now is how to ensure that the dividends of that policy trickles down to the common man on the street.
“Cognisant of the fact that our effort has started yielding dividends and that our IGR had improved and that reform policies of the President has also increased our allocations to sub-national governments, every responsible government must be transparent about it,” he said.
The governor further said that the state government will on Aug. 27, begin payment of the last batch of gratituity of N16 billion owed pensioners in the state.
He said his administration had carried out major reforms in the health sector, including initiating health insurance scheme and equipping health facilities to ensure world class treatment for Imo citizens.
He said his government had keyed into the Federal Government project of establishing 1,000 businesses in every active INEC ward.
He charged labour unions to unite to foster good working relations between labour and government,
Uzodimma, who solicited for value addition from workers, also cautioned them against unethical practices and redundancy at work.
Responding, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Uchechigemezu Nwigwe described the increase in minimum wage in the state as “victory for the entire work force in the state.”
Nwigwe said Uzodimma did not only rescue the workers from the economic challenges, but had made the state one of the highest in payment of minimum wage.
“Today, no worker in Imo will say you (Uzodimma) have not been fair to us,” he noted.
Nwigwe prayed God to continue to protect the governor, assuring him that workers will reciprocate the gesture with more diligent, efficient and effective service.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of Trade Union Congress, Mr Uchenna Ibe, also lauded the governor for his “strong political will in taking up strong projects, including the increase in minimum wage.”
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for constitutional protection for journalists and their equipment to uphold human rights and align with international best practices.
Mr Alhassan Abdullahi, NUJ National President, made the demand at the South-West Zonal Constitutional Review Conference held in Lagos on Saturday.
He noted that while the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, the safety of journalists remains a critical, inseparable aspect of this fundamental right.
Abdullahi stated that attacks on journalists and independent media are systemic threats, not isolated incidents, undermining national progress and social stability.
He described attacks on media professionals as violations of fundamental freedoms meant for all citizens in a democratic society.
“We meet today at a decisive moment. A free and independent press is vital to transparency and accountability in any democratic society,” Abdullahi said.
He warned that media professionals now face growing dangers, including threats to their safety and a worsening economic climate affecting independent journalism.
Abdullahi stressed that journalists deserve constitutional protections to reinforce their right to life and liberty, especially while carrying out professional duties.
He said the absence of explicit protections encourages impunity, allowing attackers to go unpunished and worsening the suppression of press freedom.
“The time for action is now. This constitutional review must create a safer future for media professionals to work without fear,” he said.
Abdullahi added that National Assembly support for the proposals would reshape the media sector and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
He said the proposal was more than a plea — it is an urgent strategic action to protect democracy and ensure a well-informed public.
Abdullahi reiterated that threats to journalists were broader societal problems, not just industry-specific challenges, affecting everyone’s stability and development.
He called for urgent consideration of a bailout fund to support innovation and sustainability in media organisations.
The NUJ president said the Media Bailout Fund would help secure independent journalism and acknowledge its essential role as a public good.
He added that fund management must be transparent and fully accountable, free from political interference or favouritism.
“An independent body, without government influence, must manage the fund to ensure it supports journalism, not political interests,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Funmi Sessi, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), demanded stiff penalties for states tampering with workers’ pensions or salaries.
Sessi said the constitution must include strong provisions to punish state governments that interfere with labour entitlements.
He also urged the committee to retain all labour-related matters under the exclusive legislative list for federal oversight.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticized the Nigeria Police Force for restricting a peaceful protest by non-teaching staff unions in Nigerian universities.
Benson Upah, NLC’s head of information, made the statement on Thursday in Abuja.
The protesting unions include the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). The police had prevented these unions from proceeding with their planned street protest in Abuja, aimed at addressing their four months of unpaid salaries and other related issues.
The protesters had gathered at the Unity Fountain with plans to march to the ministries of education and labour and employment to submit their letters to the ministers. However, they were restricted to the Unity Fountain.
FCT Commissioner of Police Beneth Igwe had informed the union members that the protest was confined to the Unity Fountain for security reasons.
Upah noted that the peaceful protest by NASU and SSANU was a last resort after all other avenues to secure their salaries had been exhausted, especially since workers from other unions had already been paid for the same strike action.
He argued that the police’s actions breach the 1999 Constitution (as amended), ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantee freedom of association and speech.
”It is a violation of the Supreme Court ruling that citizens do not need the permit or approval of the police to peacefully protest and an insult to the dignity of self-respecting and law-abiding citizens.
“In light of this, we demand an immediate police apology to NASU and SSANU members whom they violated.
“We also demand the immediate payment of the withheld salaries.
“We had had cause to write to government as well as issued a press statement on this matter in the recent past.
“Government will be courting a major national industrial protest if it continues to ignore our wise counsel,” he said.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated the obvious while disclosing that Nigerians will suffer if the Organised Labour continues its nationwide strike.
Nkeiruka stated this during an interview on Monday.
On Monday, the organized labour embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike after the union failed to reach an agreement with the federal government over minimum wage.
The action crippled activities in various sectors, as schools, hospitals and offices were closed.
Reacting to the development, the Minister said, “We know what the issues are and we hope they will be resolved, but going to strike will take the matter to the extreme with a lot of negative implications to both our economy and the welfare of the citizens.
“If the strike continues, the citizens will suffer and they have started suffering.
“Our students who were supposed to be taking exams have been affected because they can’t find means of transportation to exams centres.
“There are people who can’t eat until they go to their places of work. Some people who work at the Secretariat live daily on what they get from the officers there.”
She lamented the effect of the strike on hospitals, stating that the National grid shutdown will continue to affect a lot of medical procedures.
She stressed that hospitals being inaccessible, and doctors not being able to perform their duties might lead to death of patients.
“On production side, we know that when activities are shut down, it will affect our economy. Businesses will definitely be affected. Social life has also been affected too”, she said.
It was reported that the NLC, despite reaching an agreement with the Federal Government after a meeting on Monday night, has insisted on continuing the nationwide strike.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole is urging all levels of government to enforce the Federal Government’s N35,000 grant, emphasizing that no government at the state or local level should experience peace if they fail to implement the grant.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration had approved the N35,000 provisional wage to alleviate the impact of subsidy removal, applicable to all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months.
Expressing his concern on Channels Television, Oshiomhole questioned why no Nigerian state government has implemented the wage increase despite federal approval, asserting that it should be applied universally across federal, state, and local levels, as well as in the private sector.
According to him, “The Federal Government approved N35,000 increase on top of current wage levels. But I’m yet to understand why any Nigerian state government or governor is not implementing that agreement.
“I don’t agree that the money was for only federal employees. Federal employees don’t have different markets from state employees and the struggle that was mobilised, workers in Nigeria were mobilised both public and private sectors in what we called a general strike before that money was awarded.
“By extension, therefore, all state governments, local governments, federal government and private sector employers should implement it. I don’t think NLC business is to lament it.
“They should fight for the implementation of their rights. Any government that refuses to implement the N35,000 is not entitled to peace. That’s my view.”
After an extended vacation in both Lagos and Paris, France, it seems the party is over for President Bola Tinubu as the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have sent a notice of a 14-day national strike to the federal government.
The unions said that the 16-point agreement that was reached on October 2, 2023, between them and the federal government, has not been implemented.
The national leadership of the TUC and NLC expressed sadness that the government appears indifferent to the widespread suffering and adversity in the nation, despite their attempts to maintain industrial peace.
The unions in a statement said: “The October 2nd agreement was focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF/World Bank-induced hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira. These dual policies have had, as we predicted, dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.”
They further lamented: “It is regrettable that we are compelled to resort to such measures, but the persistent neglect of the welfare of citizens and Nigerian workers and the massive hardship leave us with no choice.
“Constrained by this development and recognising the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government to honour their part of the understanding within 14 days from tomorrow, the 9th day of February 2024.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has released a powerful message to mark the 63rd Independence Day of Nigeria.
In this message titled “63RD INDEPENDENT DAY MESSAGE TO ALL NIGERIAN WORKERS AND PEOPLE BY THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC)… NIGERIA: THE TRAVAILS OF A MISMANAGED GIANT”, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, addressed the country’s downward spiral since its early days of independence, emphasizing the critical need for reforms and a nationwide strike to demand change.
According to Ajaero, Nigeria, which was once seen as a promising giant on the world stage, has suffered from mismanagement and corruption over the decades.
He recalled the optimism of the nation’s early years, with thriving agriculture, industries, and a population full of hope. The healthy competition among regions drove progress and prosperity.
“However, the promise of Nigeria’s early independence years soon gave way to a series of missteps, corruption, and missed opportunities. The erosion of ethical governance, widespread corruption, and political instability became the hallmarks of the nation’s trajectory.
“One striking example of this decline is the demise of Nigeria Airways, a once-thriving national airline with a global presence. Today, Nigeria has neither a national airline nor a national shipping line, which has led to embarrassing situations like the ill-fated Nigeria Air project. The country’s once-strong currency, the Naira, has also weakened significantly in comparison to the U.S. Dollar,” Ajaero said.
The press release further questions the privatization of key assets, including power generation and distribution companies, aluminum smelter companies, and steel manufacturing companies, which seem to have failed to deliver the expected benefits to the Nigerian people.
On the healthcare and education fronts, the NLC expressed concern about the declining state of public hospitals and the exorbitant cost of quality education, leading to many Nigerians seeking education and healthcare abroad.
The message also raises the issue of insecurity, particularly the challenges in combating Boko Haram insurgency, despite the military’s past successes in conflicts like the Nigerian Civil War.
Furthermore, the NLC said it has not overlooked the plight of Nigerian workers, who face unfair labour practices, inadequate wages, and the burden of rising fuel prices. They argue that the minimum wage of N30,000 is insufficient to meet basic needs.
The NLC extended its message beyond criticism, as it called on Nigerians from all regions to unite, demand transparency and accountability from their leaders, and work toward a brighter future.
The NLC’s nationwide strike, scheduled for October 3rd, aims to draw attention to these issues and rally citizens to be active participants in reshaping their nation.
Comrade Joe Ajaero reminded Nigerians that the path to a better future for their nation requires collective effort. He called on the people to join hands and build a coalition to address the nation’s challenges, transforming Nigeria into a truly independent and prosperous nation once more.
See Full Statement Below:
63RD INDEPENDENT DAY MESSAGE TO ALL NIGERIAN WORKERS AND PEOPLE BY THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC)
NIGERIA: THE TRAVAILS OF A MISMANAGED GIANT
Our nation with all its flaws at conception possesses a great potential to be amongst the best economies of the world. It had the promise of a nation destined to be prosperous and continually developing. At independence, it began to demonstrate the signs that it was going to fulfill these expectations especially with all the giant strides being recorded in all the regions that made up the country. There was a healthy competition amongst the diverse regions for progress with pacesetting and record-breaking achievements all around the nation.
When Nigeria gained independence on October 1st, 1960, the world watched in awe as a nation endowed with abundant human and natural resources took its place on the global stage. With a thriving agricultural sector, burgeoning industries, and a diverse and vibrant populace, Nigeria held immense promise. The spirit of unity and hope that characterized those early years was palpable, and it seemed that we were poised for greatness.
The famous groundnut pyramids became the symbol of a prosperous north while the famous Cocoa House standing on the Cocoa output and the Western Television showed the readiness of the Western region to outpace others with the Eastern region demonstrating its prowess in Palm produce and its rich technological start-ups. It was indeed a nation poised for greatness as the sky beckons.
Our Hospitals and Educational institutions were top notch as royalties thronged our shores for medical treatments while Asian and other African students found home in our citadels of learning. We had a nation that could feed, house and cloth her people; a nation whose citizens lived in prosperity and enjoyed a life that was comparable to that possible in all parts of the globe.
Our currency which was originally the British Pounds and was changed in 1973 to the Naira was stronger than the U$ Dollars but was at par with the British Pounds. Going abroad for studies or to live was not attractive and foreign nationals thronged our shores for greener pasture. Social infrastructure was efficiently maintained and the public utilities remained functional.
As we celebrate Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary, it is important that we drew our attention to the fact that this nation was once a great nation filled with great hope inspired by great leaders until inept and corrupt leaders took over the helms of affairs and ran the country aground. The crisis of leadership is truly the crisis of our national development.
The continued mismanagement of our resources has made it difficult for us a nation and as a people to make sustainable progress rather, we have continued to march backwards with every preceding year looking worse than the previous one.
Regrettably, the decades that followed were marked by a series of missteps, mismanagement, and missed opportunities. The erosion of ethical governance, rampant corruption, and political instability became defining features of our nation. Instead of harnessing our potential for the collective good, our leaders often pursued personal interests, leaving the masses to grapple with the consequences.
There is no other way to explain the fact that about 43yrs ago, Nigeria had a vibrant Airline called the Nigeria Airways with a large fleet of Aircraft, flying to several parts of the globe and owning large properties which spans almost half of Ikeja GRA and in London and capital cities of Europe. We had a national Shipping line that had in its fleet several Vessels which competed favourably with other shipping lines all over the world yet, as a nation, we have managed to deliberately become a nation with neither a national Airline nor a national shipping line. We became a nation that derives happiness in making a mockery of ourselves as was typified by the Nigeria Air debacle where we had to fake the ownership of an Airline by shamelessly borrowing and repainting an Aircraft from Ethiopian Airline.
This period of independence must serve as a time when all of us have to seriously seek to question ourselves and thoroughly re-examine our actions as a people and as a nation. We have to soberly reflect on why we have moved from a once prosperous nation to become a country that is the poverty capital of the world with over 133m multi-dimensionally poor people. This number has since increased after the hike in the price of petrol (PMS) by His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is indeed an opportunity to find how we have moved to a nation that had a refinery that was operational in the 1960s which grew into another three refineries in the 1980s but which have been deliberately made obsolete by those we have entrusted the leadership of our nation.
Nigerians must seek to find out why we have become a nation that must import a product which can easily be refined in our nation and why the conscious sabotage of our economy by those who occupy the helm of affairs in our country? We must make conscious effort at finding out what the phantom called fuel subsidy is, how much was it worth, who was receiving the monies claimed to have been spent and why the obvious lies when the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) agreement was the framework for the import and distribution of products in Nigeria?
Also of great importance is the willful bastardisation of the Naira and the attendant Dollarisation of the economy by the nation’s leaders. We need to find out whether truly a genuine foreign exchange market exists in its true sense in Nigeria. Why would the value of the nation’s currency continue a free fall when the value of accruals from crude is rising? What magic has made it difficult for the value of the Naira to remain stable against the Dollar especially when the Dollar is being pummeled all over the world?
Workers all over Nigeria would want to find out why almost all the privatized entities were sold at a give away price to the so-called investors? Why is it that most of them have either been stripped and scrapped and no longer operational? Who are the real buyers of these entities? We will want to find out who bought the GENCOS and DISCOs, who bought the Ikot – Abasi Aluminium Smelter company and why it is no longer producing but has been shut down. Nigerians deserve to know and we must ask this question: what is going on here?
This Independence Day celebration should allow us to ask those who are leading us why they have refused to fund public Universities appropriately and have instead decided to establish and own private universities? We may wish to know why they have turned Nigeria from a country where foreigners took pride in coming for education to a country where majority of the citizens go abroad to obtain quality tertiary education. We would want to know why the elites have managed to price education out of the reach of the poor.
It is also an opportunity for Nigerian workers to ask our leaders why our hospitals have been turned into places to go and die instead of places to go and be healed? We would want to find out why our Health care system that used to boast of the patronage of influential individuals and families from all over the world have suddenly become anathema both to foreigners and the Nigerian rich? We want to find out why the Rich throng abroad to treat minor ailments instead of making use of our health facilities?
We want to find out what happened to the Ships in the defunct Nigeria Shipping line and what happened to the Aircraft and properties of Nigeria Airways that scattered all over the world. Who acquired them and at how much and where is the money from their acquisition? It will also be interesting to find out who acquired the Steel companies and why none of them is producing steel today?
Much more, Nigerian workers will want to find out why it has become difficult for an army that fought the Civil war and won, fought in Lebanon, Sierra Leone and in Liberia to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents? We want to find out whether it is a deliberate tool to keep Nigeria in perpetual crisis.
One of the most painful aspects of Nigeria’s journey has been the economic struggles faced by the majority of our citizens. Despite being blessed with abundant natural resources, poverty and unemployment have become entrenched in our society. The promise of prosperity for all remains elusive, as a significant portion of our population continues to live in abject poverty.
Moreover, social disparities have widened, with a yawning gap between the privileged few and the marginalized many. Access to quality healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure remains a distant dream for millions of Nigerians. This inequality not only undermines our social fabric but also hampers our collective progress.
As the voice of Nigerian workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress has tirelessly championed and will continue to champion the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers and people. Yet, we cannot overlook the numerous challenges that persist. Issues such as unfair labour practices, inadequate safety standards, and insufficient protection for workers continue to plague our labor force. It is imperative that we work together to address these issues and create an environment where every worker can thrive.
It is inexplicable why this persistent contradiction of; the harder we work, the less we earn; which has kept Nigerian workers totally emasculated and unable to meet their basic needs. N30,000 national minimum wage cannot buy a bag of 50kg rice but can only buy 30 loaves of average sized bread yet some states have refused to pay. Earned income via wages are seen as charity demanding applause from Nigerians when they are paid. Workers have become reduced to going to work on Mondays and sleeping in their places of work till Friday evening before going home because they cannot afford the cost of transport on daily basis yet, this government has refused to act to save the people from this horrendous suffering. That is why we have continued to ask for a Wage Award to serve as a cushion to the consequences of the hike in the price of Patrol by the Government.
We have demanded that because the level of hunger and disease in our nation has become so pervasive, Government should look at Cash Transfers for the most vulnerable through an acceptable national register of the most vulnerable; Tax rebates for low and middle income earners, Mass Transit schemes driven by CNG and EVs to reduce transport cost to citizens; getting the four existing public refineries back to work of which Billions of U$ Dollars have been spent; Access to social housing, Healthcare and quality Education for our citizens; instead of meeting them, they sought means of hijacking Unions and persecuting trade union leaders to weaken and muzzle our voices as the only remaining voice in the civic space.
Despite the challenges that have beset us, there is reason for hope. Nigeria remains a nation with enormous potential. Our young and dynamic population, if properly empowered, can be the driving force behind our resurgence. It is imperative that we invest in education, skills development, and job creation to harness the untapped potential within our youth.
Furthermore, we must demand accountability from our leaders. The days of impunity and unbridled corruption must come to an end. We call on all Nigerians to actively participate in the democratic process, holding our elected officials to the highest standards of integrity and performance.
We must then in the spirit of this year’s independence go beyond questioning why we have found ourselves in the cesspool of poverty and despair and build a determination to put a stop to this inexorable march to the cesspit and morass of excruciating pains and impoverishment. The citizens have a strong role to play in our collective quest for freedom from the shackles of mindless exploitation and pauperization.
Holding our leaders accountable is one of the very critical roles we must all play to free ourselves from the gyres of the oppressive forces of retrogression. It is the highest form of participation in the democratic space. If we cannot hold our leaders to account for every of their action then, we lose our democracy and we lose our nation. It therefore remains our patriotic duty for those that truly love our nation to rise at this time and speak truth to power to ensure that the salvation of our nation becomes real and our people from the North, the West, South and the East are able to enjoy the full benefits of their “Nigerianness” which holds a great promise.
What will the people say of us when we are gone? How will they perceive our actions today if in the face of the great injustice to the downtrodden and the disdain and contempt being meted to our people, we refuse to take action? How will posterity judge us and how will the generations to come see us – as those that folded their arms while our nation kept slipping down the path to destruction or shall we be seen as those patriotic heroes that stood against the manifest wickedness trampling down on the rights and privileges of the common man with historic arrogance and impunity? Are we going to be counted amongst those who rescued our nation by stoically insisting that enough is enough? What will be our choice?
Until we seek to find out why we moved from a nation that had Automobile plants littered all over the nation like Steyr, Leyland, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Peugeot to a nation with zero automobile manufacturing companies if not the intervention of INNOSON and co, a nation that had strategic Paper Mills around the country but now imports all its paper products; a nation that had Steel Rolling Mills in katsina, Osogbo, Jos including Aladja, Ajaokuta etc but had them all intentionally crippled and hijacked by greedy capitalists, we will not have real independence.
Our nation needs men and women today who can rise and save her from those who have captured our nation and are using its levers just for their own selfish ends without any care at all in the world about the workers, the unemployed and the suffering. We need men and women who will deliver us from the galloping powers of neo-colonialism especially their internal collaborators who rule our nation at their behest without a care of the consequences of their actions for millions of our citizens.
We call on all national gatekeepers especially the Traditional Rulers who are the custodians of our customs and traditions and who are closest to the masses thus can feel the degree of suffering in the Country to plead with Government to lift the burden on the people. In making our nation work for the people, the purpose of Governance is fulfilled as anything short of that makes governance predatory.
As we mark this Independence Day, let us do so with a renewed sense of purpose. Let us acknowledge our past, confront our present challenges, and collectively work towards a brighter future for Nigeria. Together, we can reclaim the greatness that has eluded us for too long. It is time for Nigeria to rise and shine once more as a beacon of hope and prosperity for all its citizens. Remember, when we stand as one refusing to be divided, we will triumph! We call on all Nigerians to join us on the 3rd day of October around Nigeria to begin our march to freedom through the indefinite nationwide strike.
To this end, the Nigeria Labour Congress beckons on all of us to join hands from all parts of the nation; the North, the East, the West and the South to build the needed coalition to make our nation truly an independent nation. This nation can work for all of us! This nation can be made beautiful but good things do not just happen; they are worked out. Liberty is not a ripe fruit that falls to the ground on its own accord. With our hands joined together as the owners of Nigeria, in truth and one heart, we can work for our freedom.
