The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, as well as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barr. Julius Abure have been asked to immediately resign from their positions.
The Assembly of Trade Unionists and Labour Veterans in Lagos State made the demand on Friday over what they described as “an endless tussle for the control of the party.”
The veteran labour leaders specifically accused the duo of deliberately abandoning the constitutional responsibilities of their respective offices to pursue personal glorification rather than the collective welfare of Nigerian workers.
At a press conference addressed on Friday in Lagos State, the Assembly premised its call for Abure’s resignation on his failure to “rise up to the challenges demanded by his office” despite the what it described as “overwhelming cases of financial recklessness” brought forward by the Treasurer of the Labour Party against him.
Spokesman of the group and former NLC’s National Vice President, Comrade Isah Tijjani also accused them of focusing their full attention on petty rifts.
Tijjani noted that these have become the loopholes through which the federal, states and Local Governments have leveraged on to “optimally exploit” Nigerian workers through the introduction of unpalatable economic policies.
Flanked by other veterans, Tijjani, a former NUPENG’s National Deputy President, said the Assembly was uncomfortable with the situation, stressing that such amounted to a “callous and complete abandonment” of the constitutional duties and core responsibilities duly bestowed upon the leaders.
“The abysmal failure of the leaders of the Labour Unions and the Labour Party to provide credible challenge to these anti-people policies are indeed sufficient basis for Nigerian workers to demand their resignation, without any further delay.
“So, on both sides of the Labour front, the reality of the situation is that, workers have been made to suffer a crushing defeat, from which they will continue to lick their open wounds and also find it extremely difficult to quickly heal,” the Assembly noted.
It further described as disconcerting the ongoing leadership’s ineptitude, in the Labour Party under the watch of Abure, describing it as a rape on democracy.
“We, the Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists strongly lend our voice to the open call for both Barrister Julius Abure and Comrade Joe Ajaero to resign forthwith,” Tijjani said.
The Assembly went further to demand for a thorough forensic examination and investigation of the Labour Party’s finances, declaring that such should be instituted without any further delay.
