By Victor Ahiuma-Young
THE March 12  rescheduled Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, election holds tomorrow amid plethora of unresolved issues that if swept under the carpet, the Congress and indeed, Labour movement, could not only lose its pan-Nigerianism or Africanism, but also die a natural death.

To start with, until today, NLC was a movement, a body of workers bound together as one family where issues of tribalism, ethnicity and religion were alien and did not matter to members. It was an organization where injury to one was an injury to all, where the maxim was to fight, protect and defend the welfare and rights of members.

*Abdulwaheed Omar, NLC President

Ahead of the election, some gladiators have become tribal, ethnic and sectional champions and are bent on destroying the very fabric of the movement. A case in point is the alleged lopsidedness of the delegates by the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, and its Nigeria Civil Service Union, NCSU, counterpart.

North south dichotomy

The allegation should be thoroughly investigated and if found to be true, both unions must be compelled to rectify this dangerous trend. If not addressed and the candidates of both unions win, are they going to preside over workers from the northern part of the country only?

From available records, workers from the south-west, south-east and south-south that these unions are allegedly disenfranchising, contribute the bulk of the unions’ dues that leaders of the MHWUN and NCSU are spending to cater for delegates from the north among other things. If the alleged sectionally dominated delegates is not addressed and candidates of these unions win, they would create a north-south dichotomy that could destroy the unions’ cohesiveness the movement is known for.

Another issue that must be addressed before the rescheduled election is the report that two of the gladiators for NLC election are currently enmeshed in legal battles at the National Industrial Court, NIC. One is accused of illegally extending his tenure as president of his union after serving the two terms of four years each recognized by the constitution. In other words, the contestant ought to have ceased to be president of his union in 2013, but allegedly induced members of the National Executive Council, NEC, of his union to unconstitutionally extend his tenure with over two years.

The other candidate is being accused of transmuting into the union’s General after equally completing his eight years tenure as president. Whichever way the NIC rules, it portends grave danger for Congress and the movement. First, in the worst scenario, if NIC decides to set aside the union’s constitution and rules in favour of the candidate that breached the union’s constitution and elongated his tenure, supposing he wins the position being contested for, will the Congress has the moral standing to speak on tenure elongation and other constitutional matters? The same applies to the one that has transmuted into General Secretary after eight years presidency.

And if the NIC rules against them after they might have won the positions being sought after, will they relinquish the NLC’s positions? If they relinquish the NLC positions, who would then step into their positions? If they refuse to relinquish their positions, how will NLC cope with law breakers as its leaders?

NLC has about 42 affiliates made up of intellectuals including lawyers, but their criminal silence is suspect. It is surprising that these affiliates are watching NLC degenerate to where tribal and ethnic sentiments have taken centre stage and law breakers become fashionable.

What will be the benefit of the rescheduled election if after the election Congress remains factionalised, where ethnic and tribal champions hold sway, where sectional interests override national interests, where persons lacking credibility, morality, integrity among other values are leaders?

Vital information

At the time of this piece, a tribal or ethnic meeting of delegates from a section of the country to advance the cause of a candidate has been fixed as follows: “arrival ; Tuesday March 10. Meeting day; Wednesday 11 -03-15. Venue; FCT wing . Time: 2 :00pm. Attendance is very important please, because vital information would be discussed. Please, be punctual.” What an insult to the ideology and belief of Congress’ founding fathers.

The good news is that, it is not too late to recover Congress from the claws of tribal, ethnic and sectional champions. All well meaning industrial unions, labour leaders and veterans should rise up and uphold the values Congress was founded on and had been known for.

It is better to be brave and stand for the truth and be countered, than be silence like a coward who dies many times before the eventual death. Nigerians, workers and even international community are watching.