NLC STRIKE: SAME ISSUE, DIFFERENT POLITICS

By: ‘Femi Adesope

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

Philosophically, what doesn’t exist doesn’t have a name. Right from the days of my late grandmother-who always advise us not to be selfish, I have learnt that what goes around, comes around. You want to see how karma works? Try Nigeria politics. One of the unforgettable and thought-provoking period of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was that of #OccupyNigeria when the nation was shut down for days by an industrial action of the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliate unions together with civil society groups over an increase of pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) Petrol. The role of the then main opposition party, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the successfully anti-Jonathan’s rallies cannot be swept under the carpet.

On the early morning of January 1, 2015, the news of deregulation of the downstream sector engulfed the media. A litre of petrol jumped from N86 to N141 per litre. Different propaganda, defamatory messages and posts were shared on Facebook pages, twitter handles ad BBM- Blackberry Messenger. Indeed, the south west owns the media. Historically, the grasses suffer wherever two elephants fight. In the case of the strike and protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress, atleast one elephant and the grasses suffered. Drivers slept hungry as a result of curfew declared by states like Oyo, Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, Kogi and Niger which affected vehicular movement. Banks, institutions and public offices were padlocked. Nigerians were deprived of the right to access municipal services and the federal government lost over one trillion naira as reported by The Nation and pockets of violence were also recorded in some states.

The Premium Times of January 18, 2015 reported that the government has announced a decline in the price of petrol from N97 to N87 per litre. The N10 difference was necessitated by the reduction in crude oil prices in the international market. Five days before this time, the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Council asked the government to ‘stop stealing from Nigerians and allow them enjoy the relief that has come to consumers of petroleum products globally’. Now that we buy for N145, what happened to the downstream sector? Subsidy, same issue, different politics.

What goes around, comes around. It is now the turn of the then opposition. Less than a year in office, the APC led administration has witnessed a nationwide strike by the same NLC. The Nigerian Labour Congress decided to proceed on the just concluded indefinite strike action against the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) famously called petrol from N86.5 to N145 on Saturday 14 May, 2106. Though, the strike did not attract the same magnitude of protesters as of 2012 but a strike is a strike! The reasons are plausible.

First, the house divided against itself cannot stand. The same NLC that took to street in the January 2012 #OccupyNigeria campaign has been divided. Only the Yusuf Wabba led faction proceeded on the strike while the Joel Ajaero led faction stayed back claiming that the former is only protesting in favour of their personal interest; writing off the N2billion loan used for the procurement of buses. The Trade Union Congress (TUC), NUPEN and PENGASSAN also saw it as an empty threat.

Similar to a divided house is the debacle of the main opposition party- Peoples’ Democratic Party. The party that would have sponsored or joined the protest and mobilize youths against the verdict of the present administration of N145 per litre is busy struggling to put her house in order. While the strike lasted, the opposition was busy holding ‘fruitless’ parallel conventions. PDP, who you help?

Thirdly, the ‘smart’ APC through the Attorney General of the Federation approached the industrial court, seeking for the pronouncement of the court to stop NLC from proceeding on strike. Next, the media again! The news of no strike owing to a court ruling flooded the media. This was sufficient to cause uncertainty and confusion among Nigerians. Although, it yielded the expected little result as most Nigerians turned deaf hear to the strike on Wednesday but Ayuba proceeded on the strike. The leadership of the Ayuba’s factional of NLC claimed that the APC government made the judgment of the court available to the media and not to them.

I got to know of the Nigerian Labour Congress in 2004 when Governor Adams Oshiomole was the President. It is pertinent to salute the congress for their tremendous achievements and contributions to the nation’s development especially in areas affecting her members. NLC as it is popularly known was founded in 1978 as the umbrella organization for trade unions in Nigeria. Trailing the paths of history, NLC has led several successful protest particularly against government’s fuel price policy. #OccupyNigeria is still fresh in our memory.

In September 2004, the NLC gave the Federal government an ultimatum to reverse the decision to reintroduce the controversial fuel tax or face a nationwide strike. The strike threat was made despite the fact that a Federal High Court judgment in an earlier disputed the organization lacking legal power to call a general strike over government policies. A judgment similar to that of University of Ibadan where students are expected to seek for approval before protesting peacefully against matters or policies affecting students’ welfare.

The recently intervention by the national leader of the All Progressive Congress in calling off the strike cannot be underestimated. The same man that was actively involved in the #OccupyNIgeria campaign until Jonathan reversed the decision interceded for Buhari, saying the deregulation is justified and not for the selfish interest. Not only him, ‘subsidy_protest_3_510288346.jpg.pagespeed.ce.Ox2QQXyROFsalaries owing’ state of Osun and two senators were in attendance when the national leader appealed to striking NLC to the return to the negotiation table as reported by TheNews of May 20, 2016.  The same mouth that says ‘Ade gun, now says Ade o gun mo’.

MISPLACED PRIORITY

It is a bitter truth that there have been reasons in time past for the government to seek deregulation of the downstream sector. It was shocking to hear that the Nigerian Labour Congress announced its readiness to proceed on the nationwide strike protest despite the ruling of the court, they failed to realized that that such protest is not timely. In the last two, three months, we had token in our pockets and ready to buy litres of petrol for N200, yet we exchanged blow at petrol stations before we got two litres. With a shout of ‘twale’, we bribed the ‘area’ boys with N500 before entering NNPC mega stations.

NLC was busy shading shadow.  State Governors do not conduct local government elections nor appoint commissioners. They are celebrating inconsequentialities as projects. Imagine a state Governor showing his teeth for donating school uniform to primary school children or commissioning hand driven borehole in this 21st century.

NLC, where do you expect my mother to get money to purchase and amass food items when the state Governor has not paid salary for months? Twenty seventy states of the federation cannot pay salaries. We barely eat once in a day, even, a congo of garri in the west now sells for N250-N300 as against N90-N100 last year. Pensioners are agitating and sleeping in hunger after serving meritoriously for more than thirty years. One person will serve for 4-8 years and will go home with millions of naira with other emoluments, while the pensioners gnash their teeth in pain of hunger. State Governors could not fully implement the payment of N18,000 minimum wage.

For the past four weeks of my stay at home due to an indefinite strike, I have experienced electricity power supply for just thirty minutes. We sleep and wake up in darkness yet, the electricity bill keeps coming with outrageous figures. Students of the foremost (according to NCU ranking) university in the country also protested against epileptic power supply and poor learning environment which has led to an indefinite strike. Nigeria has continued to a sure market for the manufacturers of diesel and petrol generators. You want to do any business in Nigeria? Get your N50,000-N1000,000 ready to purchase generator.

The same congress was seating comfortably when the nation’s wealth was being mismanaged. An agency boss collected funds in dollars and remitted rebate to the nation in naira. Lives and properties are perishing in the north, owners are becoming refugees. A minister enthused around with jewelries worth millions of naira when Nigerians are suffering. It will be implausible to hear that the Nigerian Labour Congress has not gone to existence when Nigeria and her citizens were being faced with these and other pressing issues.

NLC, ACT NOW!

It is quite astonishing to hear that the same NLC faction that walked out of the negotiation table called off the strike to return without the pump price returning to the initial amount. It is time for the Nigerian Labour Congress to first put its house in order and fight a common goal. The recently suspended strike failed to achieve its set objectives as stated on the congress website. Fractionalization will do any organization no good. A living witness is the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

This is not the first time the government will want to deregulate the downstream sector in an attempt to stop subsidy for reasons such as efficiency, healthy competition and transparency. The Nigerian Labour Congress of the 21st century should seek opposition to government morbid policies through better media other than strike or protest. The objectives should not just be reversal of the increase in the pump price of petrol but to mount pressure on the government to make our refineries more efficient and build new ones.

The minimum wage should be fully implemented. It is not a crime for Nigerians to experience uninterrupted power supply for atleast a month. In the fight against corruption, good governance and transparency, the congress should not be wanted. More pressing needs should be the priority of the NLC and not to enrich their pockets. La Buena suerte es una farsa. El exito verdadero require sacrificio- Goodluck is a farce. True success requires sacrifice.

‘Femi Adesope, is a member of the Union of Campus Journalists’, University of Ibadan. He can be reached via 08177291455 or sopephemmy@gmail.com.

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