By Oluseye Ojo
President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has said dictatorship in any form in Nigeria, attempt to systematically subvert constitutional order by those entrusted with governance, and moves to tax the Nigerian people to death, were unacceptable.
He made the disclosure at the Sixth Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), held at Festival Hotel, Amuwo Odofin, Festac, Lagos, on Friday.
According to him, the NLC “therefore calls on all public officeholders to uphold their mandate with integrity and refrain from actions that betray the collective will of the Nigerian people. Dictatorship in any form is unacceptable.
“We demand that political actors operate within the democratic framework, respecting constitutional limits and prioritising the interests of the working class and the masses. It is only through such principled governance that our nation can be steered away from crisis and placed on the path of justice, equality, and true democracy.
“As patriots, we must resist the concentration of power in the hands of a few and the systematic subversion of constitutional order by those entrusted with governance. The democratic space must not be surrendered to authoritarian impulses, and accountability in governance can only be achieved through active and organised vigilance. Trade unions and other progressive forces must continue to serve as the voice of the people, ensuring that those in positions of public trust are held to account.
“It is our collective responsibility to defend and safeguard our nation. This requires an unwavering commitment to the primacy of the constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy. We must critically examine and challenge all forces and actions that weaken democratic institutions and erode the sovereignty of the people.”
Ajaero stated that no stone must be left unturned to “resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death. At a time when the National Minimum Wage is not being implemented appropriately, and federal civil servants are having their salaries arbitrarily reduced without recourse to negotiation, we cannot remain silent.”
Ajaero also described as a cause for grave concern the purported increasing penchant of the government to renege on agreements reached with the trade union movement.
“We have seen this in the arbitrary increases in telecom tariffs, the unjust hikes in electricity tariffs, and the refusal to engage in meaningful social dialogue,” he stated.