From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Sunday decried socio-economic and security uncertainties facing the country today.
The State Chairman of the Union, Comrade Abdullahi Danfulani, who stated this at a press conference in commemoration of the 2022 workers’ day themed “Labour, politics and the quest for good Governance and Development in Nigeria”, felt disappointed over the deteriorating situations of the economic and security in the country.
To the union leader, nothing is working in Nigeria since independence, “it is quite difficult today to say this is where we have gotten it right as a country since we gained independence.
“It is in recognition of the prevailing realities in socialsoci-economic life, the ongoing economic uncertainty, job losses are increasing geometrically and factories are closing shops, death of forex scarcity, high rate of insecurity in the land to a level that today in Nigeria, hardly 20% of the over 200 million Nigerians sleep with their two eyes closed.
“Our economy is almost stretched out. Corruption is hitting us real bad and fighting back. There is a paucity of infrastructure, lack of political will to diversify the economy, weak naira, depletion of external reserve among others, and the fact that our economy is sick.
“It is high time we realized that we cannot compete in the present millennium with an academic curriculum that was drafted over three decades ago and above all, constant strikes by ASUU due to the refusal of the government to implement collective bargaining agreements.
“We are using this medium to call on the government to as a matter of urgency resume back to the table of negotiations with the academic staff union of universities and other unions alike to reach an agreement to suspend the three-month-old strike in the country.
“With the incidents of kidnappers, cattle rustling, arm banditry and other sectarian crises, the country was virtually at war with itself.
“On our part, we had called for a more robust and coordinated fight against the insurgents on our land and a more transparent process in the huge military contracts.
“We had made a point that if we stood together in sincerity and unity, no army in the world could beat us. I, therefore, advise Nigerians to vote wisely”, the TUC chair said.
