Taylor: NLC Threatens Mass Rally
From Chris Nwachuku and Amby Uneze in Calabar
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday threatened that workers would hold a mass rally in Calabar to protest the refusal of the Federal Government to extradite former Liberian leader, Charles Taylor, for war crimes trial. Taylor was indicted for war crimes in Sierra Leone and Liberia by a UN-backed tribunal in Freetown.
Oshiomhole also described the provision of the Labour Bill sent to the National Assembly for passage into law by President Olusegun Obasanjo as unconstitutional.
Addressing a cross section of trade union leaders in Calabar during a senior management course organised by the Congress of Free Trade Unions (CFTU), Oshiomhole said Nigerian workers would be ready to work with the United States of America, and all groups interested in the speedy extradition of Taylor from Nigeria.
He said the protection granted to the former warlord is the greatest disservice to the progressive people of the world committed to checking the spate of injustice being perpetuated by some leaders.
He said Nigeria must relieve itself of the burden by allowing Taylor to face the war crimes tribunal and answer for his past deeds.
"We will collaborate with the American government and other governments of the world to ensure that Taylor is released to answer for his activities in government. By the action of our government, it remains a sad note that we have not contributed to helping African countries to make the leaders accountable after their reign. This will only encourage them to commit atrocities. We must resist this and prove that we align with the progressive people of this world," he said.
He added that Nigeria should not accommodate a man who deliberately made life unbearable for his people.
He also urged the people of Calabar to seek the removal of Taylor from their state so as to make the area retain its status as one of the cleanest states in the country, politically and economically.
Since he was eased out of power by African leaders, Taylor has been in Nigeria on asylum. The war crimes tribunal, US Congress and several other groups have since been calling for his extradition for trial.
While commenting on the Labour bill, Oshiomhole said the bill was intended to weaken the workers movement and make it an appendage of government. "We shall never submit to forces of intimidation. We shall never, never, I mean never take order from Aso Rock in pursuit of our goal to make Nigeria a better place to work and live," Oshiomhole added.
He said NLC leadership had a contract with the Nigerian people not to compromise in the face of injustice. "In 1999, we begged for this job we are holding with an assurance to build a fighting NLC that will defend the Nigerian workers and the people. This is our creed. I will rather resign than to destroy that confidence and sacrifice the innocent Nigeria people. I will rather resign than to take order from Aso Rock instead of Nigerian people that elected us."
Oshiomhole, said the provisions of the Labout bill sent by President Olusegun Obasanjo to the National Assembly are unconstitutional.
He said the bill infringed on the freedom of association guaranteed under Section 40 of the constitution which empowers every Nigerian to join any group and association of his choice.
He noted that government can't determine for workers the union to belong nor stop certain category of Nigerians from joining any trade union, especially workers in the Central Bank, Customs, Immigration among others.
"You can't tell workers in CBN that they can't belong to the trade union. The constitution did not say that if you work in a certain section, you can't be in the union.
"You can't apply the logic and principle of freedom of association selectively. You either accept it or reject. If you do, you do, we'll go to court and stop it". Oshiomhole said.
He said, the restriction in the country's constitution especially as it affects the operations of Labour informed the decision of International Labour Organisation (ILO) to assist Nigeria in the review of the laws. The review, Oshiomhole disclosed, was funded by the United States and expressed concern why the president had to turn down the process only to impose laws on Nigerians.
Oshiomhole urged Obasanjo to realize that if he subscribes to democratic culture, he must accept the right of others to exercise their democratic rights.
He added that no ruler should be angry because the citizens used their democratic rights to question what the ruler does.
"You don't make laws because you are unhappy. You make laws because you want to makes things better. You don't reform in anger. You do not have to make laws in your house because you are angry with your children. This is bad and unhealthy," he said.
Oshiomhole debunked Obasanjo's claims that he created NLC in 1978. The NLC president said Obasanjo seized the process intiated by workers to control the Trade Union Movement. He said after the president's failure to unite and control the body as military head head of state, he had again resorted to divide and control through the Labour bill.
According to him "NLC was formed by Nigerian workers not Obasanjo, not government. I have said it to him several times and I want to repeat it again today. The calculation of Obasanjo when he hijacked the process was to unite and control us. At the end, control was impossible. Obasanjo is returning to divide and control. At best, he can divide but can't control us. He cannot rule Nigeria today as if we are children".
Oshiomhole said all the gains achieved by Labour especially some of the provisions reflected in the constitution was not as a result of positive disposition of the president, rather it was the recognition that the state cannot operate independent of the workers.
He urged the presidency to appreciate the fact that Labour would continue to exist irrespective of measures being taken to weaken it. Oshiomhole said the withdrawal the checkoff dues and other forms of prohibition would only strenghten the commitment of workers to the struggle.
"We won those laws not because of a friendly state, not because of a happy president, not because of supportive legislators. We won these rights because it was impossible for states and employers to run business without the support of workers," he said.
On the new pension laws, the Labour leader said workers are opposed to the ratio approved for workers and governments. He said that it lacks equity and fairness.
The workers, according to the law, are to contribute 7 per cent and the employer, that is government, will also pay the same amount.
Oshiomhole said the ratio was not only inconsistent with what obtains in different parts of the world, especially in Africa, but takes the country backward.
"In Ghana and most other African countries, the ratio is one to two or in most cases one to three, so that if the workers pay 7 per cent at the ratio of one to three, the employer should pay 21 per cent to make a total of 28 per cent."
Oshiomhole said, in passing the bill, the original ratio of one to two agreed by all the stakeholders was rejected .
"Today, the National Assembly and the Presidency have chosen to equalize it, mopped the contribution of the workers and reduced the contribution of government," he said.
The Labour leader urged the National Assembly to take a second look at the bill, to guarantee fairness as that the workers deserve a better treatment.
Oshiomhole also announced that the appropriate organ of NLC would meet tomorrow to make pronouncement on other major issues in the pension law as well as other developments in the society.
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