Blame politicians for what Oshiomhole has become – Esele

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Peter Esele, former president of the Trade Union Congress, has said that politicians should be held responsible for what Adams Oshiomhole, the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has become.

According to Esele, politicians rather than tell Oshiomhole the truth whenever he missed the mark, kept quiet because he was doing their bidding.

The former 2016 APC governorship aspirant in Edo, was among the South-South leaders that asked for Oshiomhole to be replaced with Victor Giadom, the currently acting chairman.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, the former TUC president listed Oshiomhole’s sins while a labour leader to include disrespecting institutions, not being exemplary in his conduct and that as the custodian of the labour movement patrimony, he had been a big disappointment.

On if he and other labour leaders have tried speaking to the APC National Chairman before reaching that conclusion, Esele said: “Of course, I did. You wouldn’t think I didn’t. I made calls, sent messages but no response but even if he had responded we would still have had a conversation around all of these.

“I am also aware that labour leaders have met with him and have had this conversation. I don’t want to mention their names because I don’t have their permission to do so but he probably just doesn’t listen. Someone said he was running the party the same way he was running the union, I said no. I said the bottom line is the way politicians conduct themselves because, in a labour union or federation, you can’t go one year without calling a national executive council meeting, there is no way you will survive it. A couple of governors have asked me is this how you people do in the union. I said no, it is how you people conduct yourselves. When the guy was dancing to your tune at that particular time you all kept quiet forgetting that the constitution of the party must be respected at all times irrespective of if the person is your friend or not.

“The bottom line is if you see me doing the wrong thing please call me out because you will be doing me a favour. It is not just about the physical aspect of it, it is also to make me a better person. You hold office, not because of your personal aggrandizement, the office you hold must be total, meaning it must be good for you physically and spiritually, that is the way you learn. But if everybody around you is keeping quiet and you are doing the wrong thing then the society suffers and that is what we must prevent.”