The Nigeria Labour Congress has chastised the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, for describing Monday’s statewide strike by organized labour as an economic sabotage.
While dismissing the SGF’s allegations, the NLC stated that the former Benue State Governor’s comments revealed his mentality.
Benson Upah, Head of Information and Public Affairs at NLC, states that the real economic saboteurs who commit treasonable felonies are those who plunder the nation’s treasury, divert funds intended for hospitals and schools, engage in foreign exchange round-tripping, pad budgets and inflate contracts, and steal trillions of naira in the name of subsidy.
Akume, speaking in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with the Christian Association of Nigeria’s national executive council, accused labour of treason for shutting down the national grid during the statewide strike.
What they’re saying
“Nowhere in the world have workers ever tampered with the national grid. This is treason! You do not engage in economic sabotage, which is a treasonable criminal.
“We’re attempting to reconstruct the economy. The president is taking it up, and they intend to destroy it. What use is it to all of us? “That is not the way,” he stated.
However, the NLC’s statement said,
“The recent remarks made by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the statewide strike called by the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress have left the NLC deeply disappointed and strongly condemned.”
“It is deeply concerning that the SGF has labeled our lawful and constitutionally protected industrial action as a ‘treasonable felony’ and ‘economic sabotage,’ undermining the constructive dialogue that is essential to resolving the ongoing issues.”
“The desire for economic justice and fairness for all Nigerian workers and citizens is the foundation of these demands.
“We are confident that the SGF is aware of those whose activities are treasonous and destroy our economy.
Those who loot our treasury across the country, divert public resources intended for hospitals and schools, engage in foreign exchange round-tripping, pad budgets and inflate contracts, and steal trillions of Naira in the name of subsidies are the true economic saboteurs, committing a treasonable felony.
These folks are in expensive Agbada and drive in convoys all over the country, occupying the corridors of power, rather than innocent workers who are not slaves but have chosen to withdraw their services due to the government’s inhumane treatment of them.
“The fact that the SGF, a senior government official, would dismiss the real concerns of Nigerian workers, is particularly disturbing. The author argues that he cannot afford to pay ₦100,000 a month to each of his four drivers, highlighting the discrepancy between official policy and the practical experiences of Nigerians.
“Such statements increase tensions rather than assisting in the resolution of the current problems. The fact that the SGF clearly pays starvation wages to his personal crew raises the possibility that he is a slave master. The worker claims he cannot afford the tiny fee, so we may have to inform him that a 50kg bag of rice is N88,000, leaving him with only N12,000 if he is to pay it.
“In any case, what exactly does the SGF accomplish with just four drivers? We’d also like to know what job justifies the SGF’s high salary and allowances. Do we need to think too much about why we are here as a nation when people with this worldview hold crucial positions in the halls of power?” the NLC said.
Bottom Line
The NLC continued by saying that its demands were reasonable and unambiguous: they call for the establishment of a new national minimum wage that is commensurate with living expenses, the reversal of the electricity tariff increase to ₦65/kWh, and the elimination of the unfair banding of electricity users.
