Bimbola Oyesola, 08033246177
Organised labour has hailed Nigerians for nurturing uninterrupted democratic process for 19 years, adding that regardless of the current challenges of governance, the task at hand is to deepen democracy not lessen it.
In a statement marking Democracy Day in Kaduna, titled “Forward Ever Democracy,” Comrade Issa Aremu, General Secretary Textile Union and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) national executive council member recalled what he called “the gross violations of trade union and workers’ rights under prolonged military dictatorships before 1999” and demanded that “never again should Nigerians and indeed all Africans allow any unelected or unelectable group of military adventurers rule them without their mandate”.
According to the labour leader, within 40 years of its existence, three NLC national executives were dissolved by successive military regimes of Generals Murtala/Obasanjo (1978), Gen. Babangida (1998) and Gen. Abacha (1994) for exercising basic trade union rights to defend the rights of working men and women as contained in core ILO Conventions dealing with Freedom of Association and Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (98).
Comrade Aremu said having being victims of past military repression, “democracy is not just a means for the Labour movement, democracy is an end itself that must be defended at all times.” According to him “Democracy Day celebrates liberty as much as it damns and condemns dictatorships”
Comrade Aremu said it was “insufficiency in democratic practices” among the politicians that is worsening the crisis of governance in the country adding that security and economic challenges can only be overcome if ordinary people are involved in governance. “We must democratize the public space and rescue the country from the total capture and dominance of few unaccountable self serving ruling elite” he said .
The President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Williams Akporeha, however, said NUPENG having contributed painstakingly to the present constitutional democracy through suffering intimidation, victimisation, harassment and other destructive activities from successive military regimes in the land, urged government to remain resolute in entrenching enduring democratic values and legacies.
“Again as we move into election year, we use this widely celebrated occasion to appeal to our politicians to imbibe the culture of sportsmanship and eschew politics of bitterness as only this can guarantee the unity of the country so that the efforts of the labour unions like the who stood for democracy will not go down in vain”, he said.
Akporeha said government needs to express concerns over rising cost of food items and ensure food security in the country.
He added, “Our government must equally put on its priority list mass employment opportunities for the youths in a bid to strengthen the democratic structure and reduce poverty plus other defiant behaviours among vulnerable segments in the society.
“It also need to show strong and unbiased commitment in the area of security of lives and properties of the citizenry and as well address deficits in social infrastructure, health care, education, power and ultimately uphold the rule of law and the principles of separation of powers in order to deepen the virtues and tenets of democracy.”