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From Bimbola Oyesola, Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Organised Labour has vowed to take over the leadership of the country with the formation of its political party and mass mobilisation of workers and other like-minded Nigerians to influence winners in the 2023 polls.
This is even as the former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, warned that Nigeria was on the precipice and the next election would make or mar the nation as a corporate entity.
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba, who spoke at the 2022 Workers’ Political Conference in Abuja, yesterday, said labour would harness its over 10 million workers, eight million pensioners, their dependants and families which run into 40 million people, to influence who wins the 2023 polls.
“We can make this happen by mobilising every worker in Nigeria to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) ready. The next step is to engage politically. We must be ready to engage political parties, especially Workers Political Party and progressive political interests across the country to ensure that a significant number of candidates who would vie for elective positions in 2023 subscribe to the provisions of our charter.
“The purpose of this political conference themed “Commitment to National Emancipation and Development through Effective Engagement by Nigerian Workers” is to reconstruct the critical bridge of issue-based politics that accommodates the interests of Nigerian workers and people. Our determination is that in the run up to the 2023 elections, we must not allow professional politicians to evade critical questions of national
“This is why we have developed a Workers Charter of Demands that prioritises equity, fairness and social justice. Our Charter of Demands asks for free and quality education to tertiary levels for every Nigerian child, insists that every Nigerian should access free and quality healthcare from cradle to grave, makes the argument for the kind of restructuring that brings sustainable development to real Nigerians currently struggling with the crumbs.
“Our Charter of Demand posits that politicians should no longer be allowed to send their kids to schools abroad or treat their sicknesses in foreign hospitals, while the children of the poor are trapped in endless strike actions and poor medical facilities which their failed leadership has imposed on all of us also makes a strong case for decent work for Nigerian workers.”
Former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who was chairman of the workers’ programme, said said a broad alliance of progressive forces was required to rescue and emancipate the country from the current unwholesome situation it finds itself in the hands of visionless leadership.
“Most analysts agree that while Nigeria may not have totally collapsed, it is in the process of collapsing, as reckless elites in control of the governance process are blindly running the country aground. And the 2023 general elections may be the ‘make or break’ epochal moment.
“Nigerian citizens generally, and the working people in particular, can either continue play the ostrich on the current trajectory of reckless, senseless, visionless journey towards democratic and socioeconomic development, and allow the country free-fall to imminent self-destruction, which is clearly in sight, or they have to wake up, rise and join hands in solidarity for struggles and active engagement in the political process towards, national emancipation from a devilish alliance of exploiters, both internal and external, evidently hell-bent on not only eroding Nigeria’s natural potential but also destroying it.”
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, charged labour to go ahead with rejuvenation of the party and participate actively saying the law does not forbid workers from active participation in politics.
He warned that it would be catastrophic if labour fails to rescue Nigeria at this particular time as the two popular parties have failed the nation.
He, however, charged that the new labour party must be a fighting tool to emasculate the citizens and not only do winning election alone.
