May Day: Halt Last-Minute Looting, Labour Tells Buhari
By Victor Young, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, John Alechenu, Omeiza Ajayi & Luminous Jannamike,LAGOS, Vanguard News
Organised Labour, yesterday, raised the alarm over what it described as last-minute looting of the treasury by out-going governors, ministers and other political office holders and called on President Muhammad Buhari to do everything possible to stop them.
Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and their Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterparts, raised the alarm in a joint address delivered at the National Workers’ Day celebration held at Eagle Square, Abuja
The two labour centres also sounded a note of warning to the incoming government that they would resist any hike in the pump price of petrol in the name of subsidy removal or any other guise.
They spoke as President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, vowed to give more than a minimum wage to Nigerian workers, promising instead to give them a “living wage.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Tinubu to continue to respect workers’ rights, as the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, called on incoming administrations at all levels to initiate, reinvigorate and focus on policies that promote inclusiveness, protect small and medium-sized enterprises, grow the middle class and prioritise infrastructural development.
Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, urged the government and employers to prioritize the welfare of workers in the country, with the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urging workers to reinforce their resistance against anti-democratic forces seeking to take control of Nigeria.
Last-minute treasury looting
In the May Day speech, titled: “Workers Rights and Socio-economic Justice” jointly read by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and President of TUC, Festus Osifo, Organised Labour called for the investigation of the N12 billion spent by the Aviation Ministry to buy 10 fire trucks.
NLC and TUC equally urged the Federal Government not to heed the International Monetary Fund, IMF’s advice on tax increase and all its economic advice “as they are poisonous to our nation’s economic health.”
Charter of demands
Among other demands, NLC and TUC asked that “the privatisation of the electricity sector be reviewed in favour of Nigerians, and the Judiciary should purge itself and redeem our democracy by its handling of the various election petitions before it.
“The outgoing President must take steps to ensure that those in his administration planning last-minute heists on the nation’s treasury are stopped.”
According to them, the nation’s “economy is on autopilot, struggling on its own to survive, while those entrusted to manage it kept throwing filth and injecting toxins into it.”
Serious debt trap
They lamented that the nation had gone deeper into a serious debt trap, saying: “Our debt profile as a nation must worry every patriot and it worries us not just as workers but also as citizens of Nigeria. We have warned repeatedly of the dangers of excessive borrowing of foreign exchange-denominated loans and alerted the nation of the inherent danger, urging the nation’s economic managers to desist but all of these fell on deaf ears with some very unfortunate attempts at justification. This prodigious borrowing has almost left our nation’s economy stranded and fiscally insufficient.
“It is projected by the Debt Management Office, DMO, that by this month, our total public debt will be about N77 trillion, meaning that by the time this administration exits on the 29th, each Nigerian will be owing about N384,860 only.
“Today, our external debt profile stands at around U$42billion and is increasing and the debt to GDP ratio is about 39 per cent. Then, the most worrying, is our debt service as of 2022 to revenue stands at 81 per cent but this year’s budget shows that it is at 123 per cent meaning that we will be unable to service our debts without borrowing. That is for every N100 we earn as income, we need to borrow an additional N23 from somewhere just to pay interest on our debt.
“It looks like, in our nation, the only reason we borrow is to steal because we cannot see its benefits for the people. We insist that while nations can borrow for productive reasons such as investments in well-thought-out projects, it is unhealthy to borrow for consumption. Even a child knows this and that is why we are surprised that at this dying period of this administration, it has decided to receive loans of USD 800 million, as it claimed, to cushion the suffering it plans to inflict on the masses of this nation. If this is not a cash-out, then, it is entirely ill-advised and counter-productive given the history of such in our nation.
“We call on the Federal Government to consider the incorporation of transition fuels such as Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, as an addition to currently available energy in Nigeria. The use of CNG which is a lot cheaper can also be a long-term alternative to petrol thus saving Nigerians of the current and future spiralling cost of petrol.
“We urge our economic managers to be more prudent and seek ways to deliberately diversify our economy by deepening manufacturing capacity and investing in human capital that would drive youth creativity which is key to industrialisation. We advocate a freeing of capital for MSMEs and then a deliberate direct investment by governments at all levels in setting up manufacturing entities across the nation.
“Hiding under the neo-liberal maxim that the government has no business in business rings hollow and is not true. In a weak economy like ours, the Government has business in business and we must invest in businesses to drive economic growth in our nation.”
Decrying the mismanagement of the country’s energy sector, NLC and TUC, said: “It is crucial that any nation that cannot manage its energy resources effectively and efficiently is doomed. One of the key factors holding us down as a nation is our inability to manage this sector effectively for the benefit of the citizens and the nation.
“Power, however, it is generated, remains key to jump-starting any economy while Oil and Gas is critical to robust energy success in every country. It is therefore crucial for the government to work with the people to create frameworks that would make energy work for Nigerians instead of for the few who have succeeded in capturing the state.
“For decades now, we have used all forms of persuasion to make the Federal Government fix the refineries and possibly build new ones but all to no avail. There seems to be a deliberate sabotage of our domestic refineries to ensure that it remains none operational so that few fat cats will continue profiting from the sinful importation of refined petroleum products into the country at the detriment of the economy.
No more fuel price increase
“Our dear country extracts crude, exports to refine and import to sell to the citizens and turns around to talk about subsidy. We insist that we will no longer allow any increase in petroleum product prices in whatever guise until all our Local refineries are reactivated and are fully operational. We will not allow the continued gang-up of the elite against Nigerian workers and masses to continue unabated.
“Congress has been following the activities going on at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Trading Limited, especially as regards assigning products to marketers. We also watch with keen interest the goings on at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, to ensure issues of cargo clearance, tracking compliance, route inspection, metering calibration/maintenance, accurate delivery to trucks, record keeping, etc. are expeditiously taken care of. We demand the inclusion of NUPENG and PENGASSAN in the Steering Committee set up by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.”
Respect workers’ rights, Buhari advises Tinubu
Speaking, President Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, encouraged the incoming administration to continue to respect workers’ rights.
He said: “ I encourage the incoming administration to continue to respect workers’ rights imbued with socio-economic development and driven by the four pillars of the decent work agent to promote jobs and enterprises, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection, and promoting social dialogue for consensus building and maintain a sound national industrial relations system.
“Workers’ rights coupled with socio-economic justice make a happy workplace. We, therefore, agree that a fair economic structure targeted at creating opportunities for all to succeed irrespective of sex, race/ethnicity, age, disability, creed, religion, etc. is the sine qua non for progress and development.”
Earlier, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, among others, said though the Federal Government had done much, “we also recognize that there is a lot more work to be done to improve the lives of Nigerian workers. We acknowledge the fact that many Nigerian workers continue to face significant challenges, including low take-home pay, lack of job security, and unsatisfactory working conditions.
“We are committed to addressing these issues and creating a more favourable environment for Nigerian workers to thrive. The solution to these challenges will not come overnight but is a work in progress. These have been top priorities on the agenda of the outgoing Administration and are also being bequeathed to the incoming Administration with a work plan for addressing them as Government is a Continuum.
“To this end, I am glad to announce that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration has launched several initiatives and programmes, including the National Enterprise Development Programme, the Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme, the Nigerian Social Investment Fund, and the National Technology Development Programme. These programmes were designed to create jobs, provide training and skills development, and support small and medium-sized enterprises. These landmark programmes and achievements are worthy of note. It is hoped that with your support, the incoming Administration will do better in line with the developmental blueprint of our political party.”
Tinubu promises salary increase
In what appeared to be a pledge to embark on a wage increase in the middle of the year, President-elect, Asiwaju Tinubu, vowed to give Nigerian workers a “living wage.”
He said: “In Nigeria, I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families.”
The President-elect made the pledge in a statement issued on the occasion of this year’s Workers’ Day celebration.
While noting that workers would find in him a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social justice, Tinubu also extended a hand of friendship to them, recalling decades of close collaboration between workers and nationalists as well as pro-democracy activists.
He said: “Since 1945 when the railway workers and 16 other public service unions led the first General Strike to demand better wages as a result of the rising cost of living, the Labour Movement in Nigeria has always fought on the side of the masses of our country. It was no surprise that the Labour Movement added fillip, zest and energy to the struggle for independence by partnering with nationalists such as Nnamdi Azikwe, Herbert Macaulay, Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest Ikoli and Anthony Enahoro among others.
“The Nigerian Labour Movement was also not found wanting during our struggle for the restoration of democracy. The Nigerian Labour Congress and its affiliate organisations – NUPENG, Textile Union, and PENGASSAN, among others, collaborated with the pro-democracy leaders and groups to restore democratic governance in Nigeria in 1999 after almost two unbroken decades of military dictatorship.
“On this special day, as your President-elect, I extend my hand of friendship to the Nigerian workers through the two central Labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. In me you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people.
“Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you. My plans for better welfare and working conditions are clearly spelt out in my Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. It is a covenant born of conviction and one I am prepared to keep.
“At this point, I must remind Nigerian workers that we all have a common battle to wage, one which we must win together. And it is the fight against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of our country.
“The days ahead will, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly.’’
NBA asks Tinubu to protect entrepreneurs, grow middle class
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, has urged incoming administrations at all levels to initiate, reinvigorate and focus on policies that promote inclusiveness, protect small and medium-sized enterprises, grow the middle class and prioritise infrastructural development.
He made this call in his Workers’ Day Message to Nigerians, yesterday.
The NBA President said, “now more than ever before, deliberate steps must be taken to safeguard the socio-economic rights of workers” adding that there must be increased accountability on subsidy spending. “The misappropriation and circumvention of money earmarked for subsidies, especially petrol subsidy, must be treated as economic sabotage and those found culpable must be prosecuted.”
Maikyau commended workers in both the public and private sectors, the self-employed, sole proprietors and entrepreneurs whose ingenuity and resourcefulness create employment opportunities despite the current economic challenges.
He noted that with the right tools and incentives, Nigeria will take its rightful place in the comity of nations.
He saluted the resilience and steadfastness of Nigerian workers who, despite the national challenges, continue to keep the wheels of the country turning.
Nigerian workers deserve better treatment —CAN President
In like manner, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, urged the government and employers to prioritize the welfare of workers in the country.
In a statement on May Day, Archbishop Okoh greeted Nigerian workers and emphasized the importance of workers in the development of any nation, stating that workers are the engine room of any economy and the bedrock of any society.
Archbishop Okoh expressed his concern about the current state of the Nigerian economy, which has increased the vulnerability of workers.
He called on the government and employers to create more job opportunities and improve the working conditions of those already employed.
“We also want to use this occasion to express our solidarity with Nigerian workers who have been adversely affected by the current economic situation.”
Resist anti-democratic forces, PDP tells workers
On its part, the PDP commended Nigerian workers for their resilience, loyalty and patriotism in the service of our fatherland despite the sufferings imposed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration in the last eight years.
In a message to Nigerian workers signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP saluted Nigerian workers as they celebrated this year’s Workers’ Day with their counterparts across the world, urging them to reinforce their resistance against anti-democratic forces seeking to take control of our Nation.
“Alleging that the APC had “brought untold life-discounting experiences to Nigerians in the last eight years,” it said: “The deliberate suppression of the rights, well-being and opportunities of Nigerian workers reflects the ugly reality of the inhumanity, insensitivity and callousness of the APC administration which relishes in inflicting pain and suffering on citizens.
“The PDP notes that many Nigerians, especially workers are hurting over the outcome of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election which was characterized by multiple violations, manipulations, alteration of genuine election results and brazen subversion of the Will of the people.
“The Party charges Nigerian workers to use their strength and pivotal position in our country to protect and defend the Nation’s Constitutional Democracy from political manipulators, who are desperate to dash the hope of Nigerians for a credible democratic leadership.”
Claiming that workers voted en mass for its Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, at the February 25 poll, the PDP assured that “it will not relent in its effort to retrieve the mandate at the Tribunal so that our nation can have a breath of fresh air which has eluded her in the last eight years.”
