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New Page 14
Labour bill: Hidden agenda
—Gani
•2 NLC men arrested
THOMAS IMONIKHE, ABIODU ADELAJA, Abuja, and Agency reports
LEGAL
luminary and political activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) said the Trade
Unions Act (Amendment) Bill, read on Wednesday in the Senate, was a ploy to
silence Labour in preparation for constitutional amendment aimed at 2007
presidential race. The activist also said he would run again for President in
2007.
Chief Fawehinmi said the bill, tagged
Anti-Labour Bill in some quarters is to weaken the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
even as two NLC officials were nabbed by the State Security Service (SSS) for
distributing leaflets in Abuja. The respected legal luminary spoke with Daily
Champion in Lagos.
Chief Fawehinmi accused Obasanjo of trying
to reduce the potency of the NLC so as to actualise what they alleged to be his
third term bid and further hike in fuel prices.
"He (Obasanjo) wants to amend the
constitution of this country for selfish purpose and he feels that Labour is
likely to oppose that type of thing and he wants to weaken Labour so that there
will be no institutions left to oppose him when he brings out his plan" he
alleged.
Should the bill sail through the National
Assembly, the National Conscience Party (NCP) chairman predicted that the price
of fuel could soar to N100 per litre before the end of this year, adding that
federal lawmakers owe it a duty to safeguard the interest of organised labour
and the generality of Nigerians. Chief Fawehinmi also said he will again run for
President in 2007.
According to him, he was not afraid to
confront retired military generals, including the likes of General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida in the race if they also choose to run.
Fawehinmi, who will on September 25 this
year, relinquish his national chairmanship of the NCP said his stepping down
would not hinder him from seeking the party’s presidential nomination.
He said he was not intimidated by the
speculated ambition of some retired generals to join the 2007 race.
"The point is that I have the people, I
have the masses, they (retired generals) have money. People must now stand up
for the first time and rescue themselves from the morass of manipulation,
illegalities of election, bribery and corruption.
"Taking N1000 from politicians to go and
vote off their career and the career of their children, their family, the same
bribe they will spend in less than two days, they would have mortgaged their
future forever to a corrupt regime", he counselled.
They two NLC officials arrested by the SSS
within the National Assembly Complex were identified as Labour’s Parliamentary
Liaison Officer (PLO), Mr. Benson Upah and another simply known as Mr. Umaru of
the Administration department.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
report said both officials were picked up at about 1.30pm.
They were later detained on the ground
floor of the National Assembly before being taken to the SSS headquarters in
Abuja.
Attempts to also arrest two other NLC
officials, Mr. Innocent Ogwuche and Miss Jane Alabi, failed as they narrowly
escaped.
NAN which
monitored the arrest of the officials reports their arrest might not be
unconnected with the distribution of leaflets on NLC response to the Trade
Unions Act (Amendment) Bill.
The arrested NLC officials were seen
within the lobby of National Assembly complex distributing the leaflets.
In a statement, NLC acting General
Secretary, Mr. Owei Lakemfa, confirmed the arrest of the officers.
Lakemfa said the arrest of the officials
"was a deliberate attempt to intimidate the National Assembly, the NLC and
Nigerians over the ill-conceived and anti-people bill".
While demanding an immediate and unconditional release of
the detained officials, NLC said it would present its case on the bill before
the National Assembly.
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