National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, said
this in a statement, in Abuja, on Saturday.
He said the party’s attention was drawn to a Press Release
titled ‘A misadventure in political mischief, mismanagement and misdemeanour
gone too far’ written by the NLC’s Political Commission as an agent of the
Nigeria Labour Congress.
The NLC letter he said, did not come to party leaders as a
surprise or a shock, because it was long expected before now, having known that
the NLC was going to engage itself in this misadventure.
Ifoh said, “Nigerians will recall that in 2014, NLC has been
involved in a war of blackmail and attrition against the Labour Party and its
leadership.
“It was only recently, following the civil and diplomatic
approach adopted by Barrister Julius Abure when he assumed leadership that he
was able to get the then President of the NLC, Ayuba Waba and the then
President of the Trade Union Congress, Olaleye Quadri to a truce where the NLC,
TUC and Labour Party agreed to work together in harmony.
“Unfortunately, the
rascality of the current president of the NLC, Joe Ajero has destroyed the
successes already recorded. It must be noted that the NLC and its political
commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress has written several letters to
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and to the party on the
need to conduct a national convention.
“In fact, the NLC has queried even the rationale behind the
one year extension which was graciously granted by the NEC in session in Asaba,
which is in line with the party constitution.
“The leadership of the party in its wisdom has decided to
yield to their agitation for a convocation of a national convention.
Article 14:4b of our party constitution mandates the
National Secretary in consultation with the National Chairman to ‘issue notices
of meetings of National Convention, NEC, NWC amongst others.
“ It is in the exercise of this power that the national
chairman and national Secretary have called for the convention following the
decision of the national executive council of the party.
“It is therefore ironical for the same NLC which has been
agitating for a convention to now be demanding the rationale for the call for a
convention.
“At this point, the leadership of the party wants to ask the
NLC, what exactly do they want? If Joe Ajero is interested in the leadership of
the party, he is therefore advised to resign as the President of the NLC and
join in the contest for the National Chairmanship of the party that is
scheduled for the convention on the 27th of March, 2024.”
He further said, “We must note that undue interference by
the Nigeria Labour Congress on the affairs of the party has become worrisome
and it has become needful to emphasis here the distinction that the Labour
Party has a life of its own different from that of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“ In fact, the 1999 Constitution states clearly that once a
political party is registered, it has a life of its own whereby it can run it’s
own affairs without any interference.
“The Electoral Act and the Constitution provide that no
organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation can not
claim the ownership of the Labour Party.
“The constitution of the party is clear that it is only
those who subscribe to the party and those who are financial members of the
party are the owners of the party and therefore can have a say on the affairs
of the party.
“The interference of the present leadership of the NLC on the
party is really choking and we can hardly breath. It is this NLC leadership
which pressured on the Party not to give His Excellency, Alex Otti the
governorship ticket for the 2023 general election on the ground that he was
allegedly not workers’ friendly when he was a Chief Executive of a bank.
“But today, that same Alex Otti is doing Labour Party proud
with the work he is doing in Abia state.
“Again, the same NLC attempted to prevail on the leadership
of the party to upload a different candidate other than Senator Athan Achonu
after he won the Imo state party primaries under the Labour Party.
“It will shock Nigerians to know that members and officials
of the NLC are not even card carrying members of the Labour Party. All over the
country, NLC members have been found to be supporting either the APC or the
PDP.
“It is again of importance to make certain clarification as
to the so called judgements that were referred to by the NLC, we must indicate
clearly that the Labour Party is not in default of any court judgment
whatsoever.
“The agreement reached by the NLC to call for a convention
is what we are following, we have fully implemented that agreement and the
convention is in line with the agreement. We are therefore not in any default
of court judgment as erroneously implied by the NLC.
“We therefore want to advise the NLC and its commission that
it should focus only on its statutory responsibilities of defending the workers
and the workers’ right.
“Today minimum wage is N30.000 while a bag of rice is
N80.000. We hear about NLC talk about ethos and ethics of the Labour movement
and the Labour Party, this is also an NLC that cannot call or sustain a strike
for one or two days without calling it off.
“This is an NLC which cannot think of calling a protest and
sustaining it in order to get the attention of the government for the interest
of the workers.
“The present NLC should take a time to listen to the opinion
Nigerians have formed about them. Can the NLC of today in any way be compared
to NLC of the then Hassan Sumounu, Adams Oshiohmole and a few others in the
past?”
The LP Spokesman said the leadership of the Trade Union
Congress, TUC and it’s Political Commission under the leadership of Comrade
Festus Osifo for their commitment to labour related issues and their refusal to
sign the press release which the NLC issued.
The party equally advised Joe Ajero to emulate leadership of
Ayuba Waba, Olaleye Quadri and Osifo in working closely with the party.
It noted that the ill-intended Press Release by the
Political Commission also made a reference to spurious allegations made by the
suspended National treasurer, Oluchi Opara and it attempted to give it some
credence.
Adding, “This clearly exposes the mischief by the NLC to
hoodwink the people. We have stated clearly that the total money received by
the party was N1.3billion and no other report has contradicted it.
“So for the NLC to be quoting that spurious allegations goes
to show that they are part of the challenges Labour Party has been facing.
“We are shocked that NLC which was a victim of a recent
harassment, threat to life and brutalization of its president would express
shock over similar treatment meted to our chairman, Barrister Julius Abure who
was brutalized for political reasons and nothing more.
“We must also state clearly that our leader, Peter Obi made
reference to the audit of the campaign account and not forensic audit for the
Labour Party. In any case, we have stated clearly that the Labour Party is open
to forensic audit of its accounts.
We are even calling on the NLC to send its own external
auditors to check our financial books. We are also calling on Peter Obi to
expedite action on the auditing of our accounts. And for the NLC to be using
this as a cheap blackmail is to show their high level of desperation and
mischief.”
