By Funmi Komolafe

For sometime, now, politics indeed desperation for positions has become the norm at the headquarters of the nation’s foremost labour centre; the Nigeria Labour Congress so much that the leadership seems to have acted contrary to acceptable labour standards.

NLC members calling for an end to job insecurity

This edition of Labour Vanguard takes a look at the recent appointment of the NLC general secretary and its implications .

Intrigues was at play at the highest level when the leadership of the NLC could not take a firm decision on who should act as the general secretary of the organization after the controversial exit of the substantive general secretary, Comrade John Odah.

Millions of Naira ; workers hard earned money was spent to pay some Senior Advocates of Nigeria on an issue which clearly showed that the leadership was guilty of indiscretion. After wasting so much money, the case was settled  out of court.

Untidy manner

Let it be stated clearly that this article is not about the person who was appointed but about the untidy manner in which the leadership of NLC chose to violate its own constitution and condition of service in the process of appointing a general secretary.

At the end of its National Executive Meeting held in Enugu, Enugu State , the NLC in a communique issued on August 15, 2014 signed by its president, Abdulwaheed Omar and the then acting general secretary, Chris Uyot announced , “ the appointment of a substantive General Secretary in the person of Dr Peter Oso-Eson, who until his appointment was the Chief Economist and Head of Research Department of the Congress”.

It also announced that the “next Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Labour Conference would take place in Abuja from February 9-12, 2015”.

However, there has been a controversy on the manner in which the NEC of the NLC failed to stick to its own rules in the appointment of a general secretary.

First, let’s refer to the internal advertisement of the NLC on the post of the General Secretary, which stated, “ Those who wish to apply for this post are expected to meet either of the following requirements”

1. A suitable and qualified Deputy General Secretary of Congress who has shown manifest vocation for the post and inspirational collective/ leadership attributes and team work.
2. A suitable officer of the rank of the General Secretary of an affiliate union with proven vocation, skill and knowledge with cognate experience of not less than five years on the post provided s(he) has the required qualification required for the post of Deputy General Secretary of Congress.   This will also include commitment to appropriate social and political orientation consistent with the Labour Movement.
3. A Congress staff who has worked at the Congress for a minimum of ten years and has held or holds the rank of Senior Assistant General Secretary or its equivalent”. In addition, the internal advert stated, “ They must meet the following conditions”.
4. A minimum academic qualification of first degree/ HND in any discipline .(additional qualification shall be an advantage)
5. A minimum age of 45 years.”.

When NLC announced Dr. Oso- Eson, a reputable intellectual as its General Secretary, not a few were taken aback. Why? First is that the egg head has not been a general secretary of ANY industrial union. Secondly, the new general secretary is over 60 years and perhaps the oldest person to be appointed into that office.

More disturbing is that NLC which has been in the fore front of campaigns against contract employment, went ahead to appoint its general secretary on “ contract basis” contrary to the provision of the condition of service of the NLC.

The controversy did not end there. Dr. Peter Ozo- Eson became a full time staff of the NLC when the then president of the NLC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole set up dependable research department for the NLC ; named Labour Centre for Socio- Economic Research ( LASCER) . However, the secretariat re-organization Committee in its report to the NEC of the NLC held in Kano in 2008, first reported by the Guardian on September 2, stated “ The original concept of employing Dr. Ozo Eson was to replicate the NALEDI of South Africa in the NLC which was to be known as Labour Centre for Socio-Economic Research. The committee observed that the original intention of Congress for employing him was not being realized”.

The Committee then stated that “ arising from this problem, Dr. Ozo Eson should be re-designated as Chief Economist to the Congress while efforts should be made to employ a qualified Researcher to take care of the envisaged Data bank in the research department.

Very dependable sources at the NLC secretariat confirmed that with his first appointment, Dr. Oso- Eson ‘s salary was way ahead of that of the General Secretary, because “ of the special assignment and the fact that he was not a potential general secretary”.

Potential general secretary

Labour Vanguard also learnt that with the ‘contract appointment’, which has an initial term of four years, the General Secretary of the NLC will be 71years old. Clearly, the age of the new general secretary creates a wide gap with many of the people he is to relate with such as workers, students and members of the civil society group.

A veteran labour leader asked rhetorically “ How can the NLC manipulate itself to appoint someone who is closer to the Pensioners’ Union as General Secretary?”.

During his recent interview with a group of journalists in Lagos, Dr.Ozo- Eson spoke of his intention to relate with the students movement “to try to see if we can bring ideas and ideology back to the functioning of a contestation within the movement”. How realistic is this? Given the wide generational gap between the NLC general secretary and the current leadership of the student movement.

A contestable decision – The manner in which the NEC of the NLC, appointed its current general secretary seems to have fallen short of its own rules. Should an affiliate decide to contest it in a court of law, the NLC will lose the case.