By Emma Una

CALABAR—UNITED Labour Congress, ULC, has urged the Federal Government to shun calls for the privatisation of national companies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, saying that such move would cause unemployment and hardship among staff of the companies, who would be laid off by the new owners.

Nigeria Labour Congress President, Ayuba Waba (m) addressing a rally on Good Governance before a delegation took a list of Labour demands to Ag. President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 09/02/2017

Canaan David-Otu, Chairman of ULC in Cross River State, cited instances where the Federal Government sold the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to private individuals and  majority of staff were sacked while some had not been paid their benefits till today.

According to him: “It is time for the government to strengthen the existing companies with a view to making them productive in order to accommodate a good percentage of Nigerians who are currently unemployed rather than sell the companies to those whose sole interest is profit. As we celebrate the 2017 workers day,  I wish to call on the Federal Government to stop the privatization of companies such as NNPC and NLNG. Some workers that were laid off by NEPA and NITEL are still suffering in frustration till date.”

He contended that the Nigerian  economy  had in the past few years been very unfriendly to the masses and harsh to the average Nigerian worker and called for better management of resources by leaders to improve the welfare of the people.

“The ULC is a formidable labour congress that has come to stay. The congress is not an appendage of the government, federal, state or local government,” he added.

The ULC Chairman in the state said that ULC as an autonomous body will continue to work with the Federal Government in other to initiate and implement for policies that would be favourable to the citizens