•Faction refuses implementation of reconciliatory MoU

•NLC may soon take stern action

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

THE intra-Union crisis rocking the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees, NUSDE, for some years before it climaxed two years ago over disputed Quadrennial National Delegates Conference, in Asaba, Delta, has deepened despite a Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, mid-wived memorandum of understanding, MoU.

It was widely expected that the MoU signed on April 19, 2023 at Labour House, Abuja, would restore peace to a once very peaceful affiliate of NLC that was a force to be reckoned with during the time of indefatigable Bright Anokwuru of blessed memory.

Already three members of the Union have lost their lives since the crisis started. 

Sources informed Vanguard that while two of them died before the MoU was signed in April, one die after the MoU was signed.

They include Subaru Ibrahim, Nickolas Aperima and Jonathan Adedeji.

Vanguard gathered that the alleged refusal of one of the factions led by Innocent Jaja and Babatunde Suleiman to implement the MoU, has heightened the crisis.

Jaja, Suleiman mute

It was reported that Suleiman who, according to the MoU, should retire as the General Secretary of NUSDE in October after serving for close to 44 years, said the MoU he signed alongside five others excluding NLC President Joe Ajaero and NLC Deputy General Secretary, Chris Uyot (witnesses) is not implementable.

Several calls put through to the phones of Jaja and Suleiman were unanswered so also were text messages to their phones were never responded to at the time of this report.

Memorandum of understanding 

The MoU, among others, read  “the parties agreed to work together from henceforth as one union under one umbrella, that the National Secretariat of the Union hitherto shut down as a result of the crisis will immediately be opened so that normal work  resumes.

“All Court cases are hereby withdrawn by all the parties, the Presidency of  Innocent Jaja is hereby recognised by all the parties, the National Administrative Council  NAC, of the Union is now expanded just for this singular purpose of restoring peace to the Union to include: One more Deputy President, One more Vice President and One more Signing Trustee as well as one Auditor 2.

“The new NAC shall continue in office until the next Delegates’ Conference which shall come up in April of 2026, the Complainants shall i.e. the group led by Aminu Megbotowon shall fill the following positions in this manner: Deputy President, Vice president, Signing Trustee, Auditor 2 and two National Executive Committee, NEC, members.

“The current General Secretary;  S.A. Babatunde who has served the Union meritoriously for the past 43 years completes his service within the next 6 months and exits his service with the Union  on the last day of October 2023; and shall hand over to the next in rank who will assume office in Acting Capacity.

“The Leadership of the Union within this period shall calculate his exit package and pay a determined lump sum and work out an agreed modality for paying the remainder. Steps shall be taken immediately for a review of the Constitution of the Union to reflect current realities and strengthen the union with the assistance of the NLC

“All member companies in arrears of check-off dues shall release them to the union immediately. Within this transition period till the next National Delegates’ Conference no staff of the union shall be promoted, transferred, demoted, harassed or intimidated as a result of the crisis.”

In line with the MoU, less than two week after the MoU was signed, the faction led by Aminu Megbotowon put forward the names  to fill agreed positions. They are Deputy President (Aminu Megbontowon),  Signing Trustee (Timothy Agboola), Vice President (Simon Chinedu), Auditor (Popoola Wasilat) as well as Mark Eferunu and Enwoke Emeka as NEC officers.

Complaints 

The other faction to the MoU has petitioned the President of NLC, complaining among others, “It took Jaja and the General Secretary 41 days before the secretariat was opened for workers to resume work.

“The secretariat was opened after a series of complaints to some officials of NLC who talked to them before they opened the secretariat on the 30th of May 2023.

“Several messages and calls were put forward to  Jaja but he deliberately refused to answer our calls. On 7th of June,  we decided to visit the secretariat to commiserate with the secretariat staff over some of the staff we lost in the course of the crisis. 

“Thereafter, we held a meeting with the General Secretary on the need for the implementation of the MOU we all signed in Abuja. To our surprise,  the General Secretary informed us that the MOU can never be implemented. He queried how could the NLC say he should leave the office after 43 years of service to the union, and retain Jaja and Emeka who are jobless to still remain in the union.

“We asked him why he did not say this to the leadership of the Congress while we were in Abuja. He said he didn’t want to make any argument while he was at Abuja and that the leadership of NLC was biased in the judgment on the matter.”

Already, allegations of abuses and corruption, mismanagement of the Union’s finances, among others, now hold sway where the Union’s funds are being withdrawn electronically. 

NLC to wade in   

Fillers from the NLC’s National Secretariat in Abuja, informed that NLC may soon    use the sledgehammer    to end the reign of impunity if it finds out that the MoU is not being respected.

It was also gathered that the Ministry of Labour and Employment could also apply the big stick if no end is found to the lingering unrest.