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�Labour�s deregulation�ll lead to dictatorship�
Acting Secretary General of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr. Kunle Olajide, speaks with SEMIU OKANLAWON on a proposed restructuring of the council
Are there arrangements to replace Justice Adewale Thompson, the late Secretary General of the council?
That is the internal affair of the organisation. Now, I am the acting Secretary General. The highest decision making body of the organisation is the congress. That congress has enormous power to either confirm me as the Secretary General or appoint another person. At the moment, YCE is quite satisfied with what I am doing as their Secretary General but only the congress has the full power to confirm or elect national officers. And the national congress comes up once in a year.
But do you wish to be confirmed?
If it is the wish of the people, I will be too glad to step into the shoes of my boss.
It was learnt that some groups within the YCE are pushing for a change in the outlook of the council so as to accommodate younger people. Are you considering this yet?
Well, to a point, you are correct and to a certain extent, you are not absolutely correct. There is also some thinking in the group that believes that the council of elders should strictly mean a council of elders. But nevertheless, in Yoruba custom, they believe that you must bring youths to understudy you because the youths will ultimately become the elders. So, the age has now been lowered to 40 years. Initially, it was 50 years and above. But key positions of the council in our reformed structure that we are about to present to the congress in October, would still be retained by elders above sixty. We set up a committee that looked into the entire group and came up with a position paper. And the position paper says the age has now been lowered to 40 years. We are thinking of blending the youths with the elderly in the organisation. That is what we are looking forward to and I guess the congress is going to ratify it.
When is the council planning to implement the proposed restructuring?
We are meeting in October. That is when the congress will meet to ratify the decision of the committee.
The YCE was openly in support of President Olusegun Obasanjo for his second term bid even if the council had not shown any interest in party affiliation. Now a year into his second term, what is the support like now for the President?
Well, I think just as the National Chairman of their political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, said a few days ago, the government has not really got a good control of the economy. In the area of the economy, I think the government is not doing well. Interest rates are rising to the sky. The value of the naira is sliding at a rate that is beyond comprehension. Therefore, they have not gotten the grip of the economy and once the economy is not right, the people are bound to be very unhappy. We have had a lot of theories but the theories are not producing any result.
Obasanjo is seeking a deregulated labour with his recent bill to the National Assembly. What is the position on the council on this?
The council has not yet met to issue its position. But I have a position, which is likely to be adopted by the council. It is going to be very unfortunate if the labour is deregulated. Already, we have a weak labour and there is no political opposition now. It is the labour that is leading the civil society, which is keeping the government on its toes. The moment you weaken the labour, you are on your march to full-blown dictatorship and I am not a party to full blown dictatorship. If anything, I think the government should make laws that will strengthen labour.
The PUNCH, Thursday, July 1, 2004.
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