May Day: Buhari Must Stop Last-Minutes Looting

Yesterday, organized labor sounded the alarm about what it called last-minute treasury robbery by departing governors, ministers, and other political office holders and urged President Muhammad Buhari to take all necessary measures to put a stop to it.

At the National Workers’ Day celebration held in Eagle Square, Abuja, the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) raised the alarm in a joint address.

The two labor unions also sent a message to the incoming administration that they would fight any increase in the price of gasoline at the pump that was justified by the elimination of subsidies or any other pretext.

They spoke as President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, vowed to give more than a minimum wage to Nigerian workers, promising instead to give them a “living wage.”

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Tinubu to continue to respect workers’ rights, as the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, called on incoming administrations at all levels to initiate, reinvigorate and focus on policies that promote inclusiveness, protect small and medium-sized enterprises, grow the middle class and prioritise infrastructural development.

Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, urged the government and employers to prioritize the welfare of workers in the country, with the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urging workers to reinforce their resistance against anti-democratic forces seeking to take control of Nigeria.

Last-minute treasury looting

In the May Day speech, titled: “Workers Rights and Socio-economic Justice” jointly read by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and President of TUC, Festus Osifo, Organised Labour called for the investigation of the N12 billion spent by the Aviation Ministry to buy 10 fire trucks.

NLC and TUC equally urged the Federal Government not to heed the International Monetary Fund, IMF’s advice on tax increase and all its economic advice “as they are poisonous to our nation’s economic health.”