The Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) carried out a picketing exercise at the Labour Party (LP) Secretariat in Benin City. This was in compliance with a directive from the national headquarters of the NLC. The picketing exercise was motivated by allegations of financial impropriety and disrespect of the NLC by the LP's National Chairman, Julius Abure. The LP's Secretariat is located at Ogbelaka Street, off Sakponba Road in Benin City.
The state Vice Chairman of the NLC, Suleiman Abubakar, who led the picketing, said their reason for the exercise was because Abure was running the party like his personal business. A circular signed by Titus Amba and Chris Uyot, chairperson and secretary of the NLC Political Commission, respectively, and dated March 19 directed that the NLC's state councils picket all the LP state secretariats following the face-off between the NLC and Abure-led LP.
Abubakar argued that the LP belongs to the NLC, so it should be considered in every decision and warned that the union would not allow Abure to impose any candidate on them as national chairman.
"We were directed across the 36 federation states to picket the LP offices. We ought to have done the picketing on Wednesday as directed by the NLC's political commission, but we couldn't because we could not mobilize our members.
"The reason is that the National Chairman, Abure, runs the party like his property. Everybody should be carried along. He has announced the national convention and wants to hand-pick and impose a candidate on us. This is not the time to hand-pick and impose on anybody.
According to NLC, "The way forward is for him to go to the national and resolve his differences with it. He must learn to play by the rules of the game. We are not being sponsored; nobody is sponsoring us," he explained.
But, the state Publicity Secretary of LP, Sam Uroupa, said the NLC had abandoned its primary responsibility to Nigerian workers.
"It is supposed to be fighting for the interests of workers for a better living. It has left all these things and is now fighting a political party, not in the government. Workers are suffering. Look at the current minimum wage and the cost of food. Today, many people need help paying transport fares to their places of work. The NLC is not looking into that; it is fighting a political party. "How many of them are card-carrying members of the LP? For you to query what is happening in a political party, you must be a card-carrying member and also discharge your financial responsibility to the party. Many of them are in the PDP; others are in the APC. So, why are they concerned with the events in the Labour Party?" Uroupa queried.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketed the Labour Party (LP) Secretariat in Benin City. This was in response to alleged financial misconduct and lack of respect for the NLC by the LP's National Chairman, Julius Abure.
The NLC believes that the LP should work with them to represent the interests of Nigerian workers. The union is concerned that Abure is running the LP like a personal business. He was trying to impose a candidate as the national chairman. The NLC refused to accept this and insisted that the selection process be transparent and fair.
The NLC's Political Commission directed all state councils to picket LP state secretariats following a dispute between the NLC and Abure-led LP. The NLC believes that the councils' actions are in the best interests of Nigerian workers and were not sponsored by anyone.
The LP's Publicity Secretary, Sam Uroupa, accused the NLC of neglecting its primary responsibility to Nigerian workers. However, the NLC believes that it is fighting for workers' interests. It calls on Abure to work with it to represent the interests of Nigerian workers and to respect the NLC.
In conclusion, the NLC's actions reflect that they ignore their primary responsibility to stand up for Nigerian workers and focus on politics. Is that their job? The NLC believes that the LP belongs to them and should work together to represent workers' interests. They hope that the LP and Abure will resolve their differences and work together to ensure a transparent and fair selection process for the LP's National Chairman.
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