“Because I Am Involved ”-Dim Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu
Understandably the general presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections scheduled for Febuary have dominated national discourse. However the point cannot be overstated that of equal national and international significance is the 11th national conference of the biggest national trade union centre in Africa, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expected to hold during the first week of February, ( precisely from the 7th to 11th of Febuary), just a week to the national elections in Abuja. Nigeria is on the treshold of ushering in the 7th democratically elected administation. NLC like the Republic shares ill-fated history of unwanted military meddlesomeness in its affairs. It will be recalled that Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was formed by Nigerian workers in 1978 and has successfully conducted 10 Delegates Conferences. Of the 10 Delegates’ conferences, three (3) were special Delegates Conferences as fall-outs of military disruption of independent and autonomous democratic union process; 1977/78 (Murtala/Obasanjo military regime), 1988 (IBB regime) and 1999 (AbdulSalami regime), following Abacha’s dissolution of the NLC executive in 1994.
As NLC prepares for its 11th Delegates’ Conference major stakeholders that include majority of the 43 industrial unions affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have rightly observed that the success or failure of the forthcoming NLC Delegates Conference has great implications for the 2015 Nigeria’s general elections. For one, NLC Delegates’ Conference is significant to the working class because it features agenda setting, assessment of the state of Congress, proposed constitutional amendments and debate and adoption of Motions on critical issues affecting the workers namely wages, security of work, employment, pension, health and safety among others. While the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) prides itself as a reputed democratic organization with vibrant internal democratic process, some stakeholders and labour observers, have raised an alarm about the pressure from some anti-democratic forces within the movement to derail and undermine the entire democratic process. The highpoint of the Delegates Conference is election of the new 17 National Officers that include; President, three (3) Deputy Presidents, five (5) Vice Presidents (1 reserved for Chairperson of National Women Commission of Congress), Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Trustee, three (3) Auditors and two (2) Ex-Officio.
As part of the preparations for the 11th Delegates Conference, the Congress had called for nominations for elective offices at the 11th Delegates Conference via its letter to affiliate unions dated December 12, 2014 signed by the General Secretary of NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson. Provisional list of Delegates for the 11th Delegates Conference have also been circulated to affiliate unions. Relevant committees have been constituted. Completed nominations forms for elective positions have also been submitted by the respective affiliate unions in keeping to the constitutional deadline of Sunday January 4, 2015.
In compliance with Article 29 (4) of the NLC Constitution, the LIST OF CONTESTANTS DULY CLEARED FOR NLC DELEGATES CONFERENCE ELECTIONS was published in major national dailies by the Credentials Committee on Tuesday January 6, 2015 signed by the chairman Dr. Nasir Fagge Isa who is also the President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, Secretary, the Secretary who is also HOD, Admin, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). With the list of contestants out and in the public domain, campaigns among industrial unions have since commenced cutting across the private and public sector unions divide.
Notwithstanding these statutory preparations ans secretariat compliance with the provisions of the constitution, some stakeholders have observed that undue pressure is being mounted on NLC Secretariat to jettison the published list of contestants by the credentials committee.
Any attempt to reopen the list of nomination will be unprecedented in the history of NLC’s Delegates Conferences and will definitely be deemed rightly to be illegal, unconstitutional and certainly unacceptable. It is like saying INEC should reopen nomination process after buffeting us with the menu of presidential, legislative and governorship candidates cleared for elections at the deadline dates. It will amount a subversion of the electoral process which certainly NLC will not accept. Article 29 (2) and (3) of the NLC Constitution is very clear on the conditions that could warrant reopening of the list of contestants duly cleared by the Credentials Committee namely; Article 29 (2) “Should a nominee die before the election, his/her nominator/affiliated union shall reserve the right to re-nominate, regardless of anything in the article and Standing Orders.” Article 29 (3) “Should an affiliated union withdraws its nominees before the election and leave insufficient candidates to fill the existing number of seats or additional seats created, fresh nominations shall be accepted regardless of anything in this Article and the Standing Order.”
Happily cleared nominees are alive and none has withdrawn from the cleared list of nominations. Precisely because I am involved, it is good and desirable of the NLC to keep to the spirit and content of its democratic Constitution and avoid any action capable of creating crisis in the NLC on the eve of the historic 11th Delegates Conference. As a product of credible, free and fair election, the masses of Nigerian workers expect the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, to keep to his oath of office by ensuring that the coming election is held in accordance with the sprit and content of the Constitution of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Any action to the contrary will be deemed illegal, unconstitutional and unacceptable. NLC’s voice demanding for free and fair election in Nigeria cannot be respected if it does not obey its öwn rules or alters rules of engagement, after published list of contestants. As the received wisdom has it; those who seek equity must not only do equity and must come with clean hands.
Issa Aremu mni
