President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has been asked to step down over alleged incompetence and other sundry issues.
The call was made in Abuja, yesterday by a group, Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI), representing diverse organisations committed to upholding transparency, accountability and fairness in the labour movement.
It expressed concerns over the recent developments within the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), particularly in relation to alleged competency of the current national president.
The national coordinator, DWI, Muhammed Sanusi, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, claimed that the protests spearheaded by Ajaero was a failure and said the president of NLC’s lack of leadership, integrity, and transparency within the NLC had undermined the effectiveness of these protests and prevented them from achieving their intended goals.
He called on the leadership of the NLC to compel Ajero to step down saying the president has lost the trust and confidence of the NLC movement and the trust of Nigerian workers.
He said the DWI stands ready to work with the NLC in addressing the root causes of economic hardship and advocating for the rights of all workers, regardless of region or ethnicity.
“The Civil Society Coalitions stand in solidarity with Nigerian workers and support their right to fair and just labor practices,” he added.
He alleged that the president of the NLC lacks the credibility to advocate for workers’ rights, saying the partisan bias displayed by him further exacerbates the division within the organisation and hinders its ability to effectively represent all Nigerian workers.
He said that it is deeply troubling to see someone entrusted with representing the interests of Nigerian workers using his position for personal interests, rather than advocating for the rights and welfare of the labour force.
“Furthermore, the partisanship displayed by the current leader of the NLC is unacceptable and goes against the principles of unity and solidarity that should guide the labor movement. The divisiveness shown by these biases undermines the strength and effectiveness of the NLC, hindering its ability to effectively advocate for the rights of all Nigerian workers, regardless of their background or geographic location,” he said.
He claimed that the recent protests called by the NLC against economic hardship have been met with little success, leading many to question the effectiveness and sincerity of the organisation in representing the interests of Nigerian workers, adding that the lack of significant impact from these protests can be attributed to the leadership of the NLC, which has failed to address the root causes of the economic challenges faced by the working class.
