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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A civil society organisation in Osun State, the World Institute for Peace (WIP), has described the three-day warning strike embarked upon by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as politically motivated, barbaric and needless.
The NLC leadership, comprising the chairperson, Christopher Arapasopo, and the secretary, Victor Amusan, had jointly issued a statement over the weekend directing all affiliate unions to join a three-day sympathy strike.
The action was called in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) over the continued withholding of local government allocations in the state.
However, reacting during a press conference in Osogbo on Monday, the WIP Executive Director, Lamina Omotoyosi, asserted that the warning strike is deceptive and a deliberate attempt to ground the state’s economy and trigger civil unrest.
“We have no reservation in concluding that the strike is being embarked upon in bad faith and is politically motivated, with the intention of blackmailing the judiciary and creating a possible atmosphere of anarchy in the polity.
“This position is informed by the trajectory of the local government crisis in Osun State and the plethora of litigations surrounding local government administration,” Omotoyosi said.
According to the group, the labour movement is expected to serve as a fountain of knowledge, a voice for workers and an advocate for the downtrodden.
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“Labour unions are expected to be populated by people with a sound knowledge of the law and judicial processes. This should reflect in their approach to sensitive issues such as the ongoing local government crisis in Osun State, particularly when the matter is still pending before several courts of competent jurisdiction.
“Unfortunately, the reverse appears to be the case in Osun State, where the movement appears to have chosen political patronage over honesty, integrity and the general interest of workers,” Omotoyosi added.
While expressing concern over the protracted nature of the local government crisis and the legal bottlenecks hindering the release of allocations, WIP maintained that bypassing existing legal obstacles amounts to mischief and an affront to the judiciary.
“We are genuinely interested in a timely resolution of the crisis and the release of funds to improve the lives of people at the grassroots. However, ignoring existing legal obstacles amounts to mischief, dishonesty and an affront to the judiciary, particularly when such a position is advanced by a labour movement that ought to be a custodian of public institutions,” he said.
The group characterised the proposed strike as mere political grandstanding aimed at patronising the state government, intimidating the judiciary or blackmailing the Federal Government.
WIP subsequently appealed to the labour movement to reconsider its stance in the broader interest of Osun State, emphasising that citizens should not be subjected to unnecessary hardship when the ultimate resolution lies with the judiciary.
The organisation called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to strengthen security across the state, ensuring the protection of public and private facilities to prevent criminal elements from hijacking the process and causing a breakdown of law and order.
