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The
balkanisation of the labour movement
By Cornelius
Ojo
With
the passage into law of the OBJ�s preferred labour movement, by the Adolphus
Wabara led Senate, the vindictive action of the president might have become a
fait accompli afterall. Though some people still put their fate on the House
for a reversal, I doubt, going by antecedents that the House will be honourable
to listen to the voice of the reason. Thus, it is only a matter of time before
the House will concur. And I am sure that the bill won�t pass a night in Aso
Rock before being assented to by the President. The President really needs the
law, and very urgently too, to finally nip in the bud, the single remaining check
on his political absolutism.
During the first term of President Obasanjo, the Labour movement, as
represented by the Adams Oshiomhole led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), got
itself enmeshed in a relationship with the President. The situation got to an
embarrassing state such that the civil society groups, which always formed
alliances with the NLC on crucial state issues, had to caution Oshiomhole.
Then, the dictatorial tendencies of the President was beginning to manifest,
and these always resulted in frictions with the Na�aba led House and Anyim�s
led Senate. In fact, there was a time impeachment proceedings was initiated
against the President.
Curiously, everyone, including a very vibrant and vocal section of the
media, felt for the President and became his advocates. Na�aba and Anyim were
variously described as �political upstarts� �opportunists� and �threats to the
nascent democracy� for daring to look in the eyes, a �performing President�.
During this period, Oshiomhole led the army of those in defence of the President.
He was in his element, threatening the House and the Senate for daring to
impeach the President. The situation got to a climax when NLC endorsed the
President for the second term and indeed campaigned for the President. Very few
Nigerians then could muster the courage to warn of the dangers ahead. This was
like yesterday. Today, the table is fastly turning against the erstwhile
supporters of the President and is moving further to consume them. This is a
lesson for us all on how not to create a false sense of history, because, we
all knew President Obasanjo and his beliefs long before 1999 and 2003. Today,
we all know who is the greater threat to democracy.
There
have been arguments and counter arguments on the propriety or otherwise of
Labour movement�s interest in state matters. The argument as put forward by the
President was that, the Labour is mainly for the protection of workers�
interests and not to antagonise government policies. Without being pedantic,
this line of argument is vague and empty. It lacks both academic and historical
substance. Historically, Labour movements, along side Nationalist movements
were the bastion of hope for the colonized nations, particularly, those of the
African continent which were most hit by the rampaging imperialists.
Again, the Labour movement was also at the forefront of the battle to
secure democratic freedom for the oppressed people of Africa in the hands of
military dictators, who held the people to ransom and proved more dangerous
than the colonial masters. In all these, Nigerians in particular, would readily
remember the Hassan Sumonus, the Michael Imoudus for the wars waged against
colonial oppression. Recently too, Frank Ovie Kokori of the famous NUPENG would
be remembered for leading the war that eventually brought the likes of
President Obasanjo to power.
Academics and labour experts also list strike as one of the weapons
employed by the Labour the world over to fight for the welfare of the workers.
The strike option, which is said to be a last resort, after all efforts have
failed, is persistently being employed in this part of our world to bring
dictatorial leaders to order. Besides, the Labour movement is by nature a
pressure group rather than a passive association of workers. It directly caters
for both economic and social welfare of the workers, both in the private and
public services. It also indirectly fights for millions of others who are self-
employed and have no means of resisting oppressive policies. With such natural
obligations, the labour cannot avoid clashing with state policies that tend to
turn the people into slaves and impoverish them the more.
Therefore, the reforms being carried out by this regime, particularly
the energy reform, which has ledto an astronomical increase in the prices of
petroleum products is without gain-saying an anti-people policy. The Labour
could not have turned away its eyes, leaving the government to snuff lives out
of the people. The actions taken so far by the Labour are not only in order,
but also represent the general yearnings of the people. A situation whereby
people will continue to bear the brunt of government inefficiency and corrupt
practices is totally unacceptable. The bill, which therefore seeks to turn the
labour into a toothless bulldog is a direct assault on the entire people of
this country. Though it may eventually become a law, it will turn out to be one
of those laws that will later boomerang and consume its promoters. The peoples�
right to hold opposing views is sacrosanct and can never be gagged by any
obnoxious law.
To the Wabara led Senate, I join Uche Chukwumerije to congratulate them,
for once more desecrating the meaning of representation. Certainly, history
will not be kind on those, who rode to power on the backs of the people, only
to abandon them when they are needed most. Actually, some of us understand
Wabara�s predicament and we do not expect him to show decorum. His case is like
somebody on a life-support machine in a Nigerian public hospital, he becomes
deceased as soon as the NEPA strikes without a generator. The stolen mandate
controversy on his neck, is hanged somewhere in Aso Rock. And as soon as he
refuses to dance to the tune played from Aso Rock, they bring it out to scare
him. And that was why he would blindly justify as proper, the passage of an
unpopular law by 36senators out of a population of 109 senators. However,
Wabara should realize that as soon as he leaves that Senate, honour and dignity
would have departed him.
To President Obasanjo, there should be no joy over this law, because, at
the end of the day, he would realise that, one, an organised group is better
managed to a disjointed one. Secondly, history has taught us all that,
obnoxious laws are worst enemies of their promoters. I therefore, remind President
Obasanjo of Kwame Nkruma�sassertions that �there is no force, however
impregnable, how formidable that the people cannot overcome� because, �people
are the final arbiter in the final analysis�.
Ojo wrote in from Lagos
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