The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to mobilise Nigerians on another round of street protest if the Federal Government fails to implement the report of the Farouk Lawan-led committee on the probe of the fuel subsidy.
The President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, stated this in his address during the May Day celebration on Tuesday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, accused the government of alleged plans to outlaw strikes.
The labour leader, whose address was delivered by the state leader, Comrade Bashiru Olanrewaju, called on all Nigerians to support the labour group in the planned confrontation with the government.
Meanwhile, the national labour leader also declared that another nationwide strike is inevitable due to the alleged poor implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage, as Comrade Omar accused some state governments of failing to implement the minimum wage.
Omar alleged that governors of Enugu, Ebonyi and Kwara have continued to deny workers their legitimate wages. He said the struggle continues in Oyo State.
According to the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Peter Esele, “the N18,000 minimum wage was no longer tenable.”
“It is tragic that the Federal Government has been reluctant, or failed to pressure such governors not to continue their violation of the country’s constitution by failing to pay workers their legitimate salaries in line with the law.”
The NLC boss added that there is a contagious revisionist movement in states like Kebbi and Kogi to reverse the new Minimum Wage while the Adamawa State government is violating the constitution and labour laws by tampering with the aspects on labour which is on the Exclusive Legislative List.
The labour groups also accused some governors of exploring the constitutional amendment route to negate the implementation of the Wage Act.
Comrade Omar stated that the state governments are acting under the guise of federalism to replace industrial relations, minimum wage, labour in the concurrent list instead of the exclusive list.
“We also want to use this opportunity to serve a notice on the various governments at all levels that the minimum wage of N18,000 is no longer tenable and it is time for a review. This is to bring it in conformity with the objective reality of our times and to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike on the common masses and the increasing cost of basic commodities including Housing” Esele said.
No more condemnation
Mr Esele also condemned the raging corruption in the public service which the government seems to not bother about, adding that killings of innocent Nigerians by armed robbers and Boko Haram should be directed at the corrupt public servants.
He noted that said no amount of investment drive by the president and governors would attract foreign investors to Nigeria in the face of insecurity.
“As we celebrate, let us pause and look at how lives have been lost. We have become a country that is unshockable. Life no longer means anything. And every day the only grammar we hear is that the Federal Government condemns ThisDay bombing, condemn Kaduna bombing, condemn Plateau, condemns Abuja bombing, condemns Kano bombing, condemns Gombe bombing, condemns and condemns. We don’t want to hear condemnation anymore.”
“We want people brought to book. We want sponsors to be arrested. We want those behind these heinous crimes against the Nigerian state to be brought to justice” he demanded adding that “that is how you can attract foreign investments.”
“Every day, we see governors, the President travelling all over the world asking for investment. No businessman will invest in any country where there is no security. No businessman will put money where there is no security. If the environment is conducive, making money for business is like an ant and the sugar. They will naturally gravitate” he said.
