BY FUNMI KOMOLAFE & VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A TOTAL of seventeen labour leaders are scheming to upstage incumbent leaders in six out of eight positions opened for grab as Nigerian workers today elect members of the National Administrative Council, NAC of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to round off the 10th quadrennial National Delegates Conference, NDC.

While sitting President and Treasurer, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and Ayuba Wabba of Medical and Health Workers of Nigeria, M&HWN, are unopposed, one deputy President, a Vice President and Trustee, are not seeking re-election as they are technically out of the union that nominated them for the positions. They are Comrade Onikolease Irabor, a Deputy President from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN. Besides the fact the Comrade Irabor have served the mandatory two terms as the President-General of MWUN, he is also into partisan politics; Chief John Onyenemere, a former President of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE. The latest information is that Chief Onyenemere is a Special Adviser on Labour to the Imo State Governor and Commrade Peter Akpatason, immediate past President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG. Comrade Akpatason is today a House of Representatives candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo state.

With the theme; “Building a new Nigeria; The role of the working class towards national transformation, election promises a lot of fireworks.

Two Deputy Presidents, a Vice President, and one ex-offio are seeking re-election. The incumbent Deputy Treasurer, Alhaji Giddado Hamman, late President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, died late last year in fatal auto-crash.

Comrade Omar who was first elected president of the NLC in February 2007, took over from Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, now governor of Edo state

For the posts of the three deputy presidents, two incumbents, Comrades Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary of the Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities ( NASU) and Comrade Promise Adewusi, President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU). Adewusi is the president of SSANU. Their challengers are Comrade Joseph Ajaero, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and Comrade Kiri Mohmammed Shuaibu, President of the Nigeria Civil Service Union; NCSU. Out of these four contestants, one person at the end of the day, would give way for the other three.

For the post of Vice President, only Comrade Issa Aremu, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers, NUTGTWN, is a sitting VP. He is to battle it out with four other to determine who drops out in four seats for the Congress’s four Vice president. The fifth VP is reserved for the Chairman of the Women Commission of Congress.

The other contested are Comrade are, Lateef Oyelekan, President of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Comrade Emmanuel Ajoku, President of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Emmanuel Anthony Nted, President-General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN and Lawal Hussaini, President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

For Ayuba Wabba, current national treasurer who is seeking re-election, there is no contest.

However, there are three contestants for the post of deputy treasurer. They are Leke Success of the National Union of Hotel and Personal Service Workers, K.S. Ogbaloy of the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees and Boniface A. Isok of the National Union of Footwear, Leather, Rubber and Non-Metallic Employees .

There are two candidates for the post of Trustee. They are, Ola Olusegun, general secretary of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employees (NUBIFIE) and Achese Igwe , president of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers. Only one person would be elected for this post.

Four others are vying for the three posts of auditors. They are Alhassan Sunday of the National Union of Posts and Telecommunications Employees ( NUPTE), Danjuma Kunini of the National Union of Printing and Publishing Workers , Abdullahi Bungudu of the Agriculture and Allied Workers Union and Samuel Adeoye president of the National Union of Construction, Furniture and Wood workers.

Only the post of two ex-officio members is being contested by three women.

They are, Coretta Balogun of the Radio, Theatre and Television Workers Union. Coretta is an incumbent trustee. Amina Danesi of Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution ( ASSBIFI) and Sarah Gana of the National Union of Secretaries, Stenographers .

Challenges ahead

As workers elect new officers or re-elect serving officers, the leadership would have to address pertinent some pressing socio-economic and political issues.

For instance the National Assembly has suggested that it could amend the constitution to abolish the national minimum wage. In other words, this is an attempt to move labour from the exclusive list and to the concurrent list. The idea which is being backed by Governors is to allow states “pay according to affordability”.

If as the politicians argue that there cannot be a unified collective bargaining system in a federal system, then should Governors also earn equal pay?

It also means that Collective Bargaining would be decentralised. This to the politicians would stem the tide of strikes over agreements signed at the national levels.

This of course has implications for International Labour Conventions which Nigeria has ratified. Strategies to confront state governors who may foot drag on the N18.000 new minimum wage will also feature prominently.

Another issue which the NLC leadership must address is the attitude of some state Governors to trade unions. For now, no governor has the powers to proscribe any trade union but recent activities of Governor Akala of Oyo state should be of concern to Labour.

Petroleum subsidy, the rot in the education system, security of life and property are also issues which the NLC and affiliate unions must be ready to address.

The value of the Naira which has continued to devalue wages is also one of the issue that organised labour; the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress must work together to tackle.

NLC indeed organized labour must be ready to actualise its slogan “ organize don’t agonize”.