…Urges ILO to intervene to help Nigeria, others
From Bimbola Oyesola, Geneva, Switzerland
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has lamented that the continuous illicit fund diversion from Africa is impacting negatively on Nigeria’s effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking at the ongoing 106th International Labour Conference (ILC) yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said Nigeria’s efforts to implement Recommendation 202 (social protection floors) as one of the tools to tackle poverty and inequality amongst the people and communities was equally being stalled by lack of funds.
He said, “But resource mobilisation challenges for financing development persist. It is known that our chances at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are greater if Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) activities are halted and the leaking revenues channeled to government coffers to support public service delivery.”
The NLC President said that Nigerian workers are worried about the huge fund diversion from Africa.
He reiterated that the African Union has established that an estimated $60 billion leaves Africa annually through illicit financial flows.
Wabba added that the state situation of the working poor in Nigeria continues to be dire and exacerbating because of the high and increasing cost of living; rising number of dependents given the deepening unemployment situation; low social protection coverage, delayed payment of salaries amongst others.
He said that it is for these reasons that the organised labour have demanded and achieved the composition of the tripartite national minimum wage committee to deliver an upward wage review.
He however commended the report by the Director General of ILO, Guy Ryder on the importance of green initiative aimed at protecting the planet earth from harmful effects of human activity.
“We cannot agree more with the report that economic and development plans can make meaning if they are decent work and respect for the principles of tripartism and collective bargaining.
“Similarly, we share the view that social justice through decent work is a panacea to global peace, as there cannot be sustainable development without respect for human dignity”, he said.