Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN says ordinary Nigerians were now more vulnerable under the present leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, accusing the organised labour of being a “selfish toothless bulldog.”
IPMAN Chairman in Rivers State, Dr Joseph Obele, said it was unsurprising to him when the news of NLC’s suspension of the strike reached him, and wondered if the issue of Police brutality (a daily issue suffered by ordinary Nigerians) which made the organised labour embarked on the said strike, has been addressed.
Obele who described organised labour as a disappointment to Nigerians reminded the Joe Ajaero-led NLC Exco that the core objective of the NLC was to protect, defend, and promote the rights, well-being, and interests of all workers and to continually enhance the quality of life and improve the condition of workers.
He wondered why NLC has not down tools despite the hardship faced by Nigerian workers including ing 27 per cent inflation rate, casualization of Nigerian workers, and increasing unemployment rate and challenged Joe Ajaero to tell Nigerians his achievement as NLC President.
According to the IPMAN boss, the selfishness of NLC has blinded them from fighting for Nigerian workers, even when an off-spec fuel was brought into the country which destroyed people’s vehicles, or on the continuous importation of fuel and the four moribund refineries.
He said, “It is unfortunate that the present leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress is not people-oriented, rather they are pocket-oriented. They are selfish and political. Joe Ajaero-led Executive Council of NLC is a big disappointment to the Nigerian masses. NLC is a toothless bulldog, Nigerians don’t trust them anymore and Nigerians will never trust them going forward.
“Under the present NLC leadership, Nigeria’s inflation hits 27.33 per cent as food prices tripled; It is okay for labour leadership. At the moment, the average price of PMS in Nigeria is selling at N650 to N750 per litre, depending on your location in Nigeria; this is also okay for labour leadership.
“The practice of engaging casual workers in Nigeria for permanent positions which is referred to as casualization is becoming a norm, yet the current NLC leadership is mute on such slavery condition of service.
“Under NLC, an off-spec PMS was imported to Nigeria which damaged thousands of machines and vehicles; no person was sacked, or either made to face a disciplinary penal till date. Was that not enough for the organised labour to demand the sacking of the petroleum minister and all top management of NNPC? But NLC did nothing about it.
“The shutting down of four refineries is a sufficient reason for NLC to embark on industry action by frowning at consistent importation of petroleum products from the international market for so many years.
“Bad roads, poor educational, and medical infrastructures in the country don’t matter to the Nigeria Labour Congress. Nigeria’s unemployment rate hit 4.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, and millions of Nigerians are jobless, thus insecurity is becoming worrisome, yet NLC sees it as okay.
“We all condemned the attack on the NLC President, but let it also be put on record that Police brutality against the citizens is a daily event in Nigeria, NLC has never convoked his Congress for any of such daily attacks. The alleged bully of the NLC President cannot be compared to the economic bully of the citizens of Nigeria. Nigerians are passing through untold hardship, and they are gradually becoming hopeless.
“I challenged the present leadership of NLC to tell the general public one single achievement of their administration. It is my prayer that the delegates of NLC at any subsequent election will get it right by electing selfless leaders, people-oriented and not political.”
