Current Labour Leadership Selfish, Partisan – IPMAN Chairman

Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Rivers State, Dr Joseph Obelle, has described as selfish and political, the current leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Obelle, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Friday in Port Harcourt yesterday, said it was unfortunate that the Comrade Joe Ajaero-led NLC was not people-oriented, but after their pockets.

The statement reads in part: „It is unfortunate that the present leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC are not people oriented, rather they are pocket oriented. They are selfish and political.

“Basically, the core objective of the NLC is to protect, defend and promote the rights, well-being, the interests of all workers and to continually enhance the quality of life and improve condition of workers.

“Comrade Joe Ajaero-led executive council is the big disappointment to the Nigeria masses. They are toothless bulldogs. Nigerians don‘t trust them anymore and Nigerians will never trust them going forward.

‘Under the present NLC leadership, Nigeria‘s inflation hits 27.33% as food prices tripled. It is ok for labour leadership.

“At the moment the average price of PMS in Nigeria is selling at N650 to N750 depending on your location in Nigeria. It is ok for labour leadership.

“The practice of engaging casual workers in Nigeria for permanent positions which is referred to as casualization is becoming a norm, yet NLC leadership are mute on such slavery condition of service.”

He said under this NLC leadership, an off-spec PMS was imported to Nigeria that damaged thousands of machines and vehicles, no person was sacked, or either made to face a disciplinary action till date, adding that the incidence should have made labour to demand for the termination of the appointment of the minister of petroleum resources and all top management of NNPC. He lamented that the NLC did nothing about that.

„Shutting down four refineries is a sufficient reason for NLC to embark on industry action by frowning at consistent importation of petroleum products from the international market for so many years,“ he added.