The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige of
resorting to ethnic sentiments in his bid to keep the Nigeria Social Insurance
Trust Fund (NSITF) within his “Sole Proprietorship”.
This was contained in a statement
on Sunday signed by the General Secretary of the Congress, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson.
It said while the NLC is a pan
Nigerian organisation and has carried out its activities without resort to
ethnic or religious colouration, it has over the years engaged Ministers of
labour on issues relating to workers and their welfare and challenged the
Minister to a public television debate on the issue of NSITF in order to set
the records straight.
The statement recalled that the
President had asked him to inaugurate the board of the NSITF, an instruction it
said the Minister failed to carry out.
The statement reads: “our
attention has been drawn to a statement published in The Nation of 3rd May
2019, and credited to the FCT Chairman of Ohaneze, Federal Capital Territory,
one Odozi Nwodozi, in the defense of the less than honourable conduct of the
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, over the matter of the
Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
“The facts of what had transpired
between Nigerian workers and the Minister of Labour are in the public domain.
The issue at stake does not have any tinge of ethnic or religious colouration.
We are, therefore, surprised at the recent borrowing of ethnic voices in the
defense of the Minister of Labour and Employment.
“As sad as this new low by the
Minister and his hired voice is, we must remind the Minister that gone are the
days when a public officer will commit an offence or steal public money and
then hide under ethnic or religious banner for protection.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress is a
pan Nigerian organization with a reputation for conducting itself
dispassionately and for speaking truth to power. The NLC is populated by
workers from all religious and ethnic orientations and can never play the
sectarian or ethnic card.
“The decision to engage the
Minister of Labour was taken at the recently held NLC’s 12th National Delegates
Conference – the highest decision-making body of Congress. This was after all
efforts including quiet persuasions from the NLC, the advice of the national
leadership of the political party to which Dr. Ngige belongs and even a
straightforward directive by Mr. President himself failed to make the Minister
of Labour see reasons and do the needful.
“This is not the first time that
Organized Labour is engaging less than altruistic Labour Ministers. Comrade
Adams Oshiomhole engaged very robustly a former Minister of Labour, Chief Alabo
Tonye Graham Douglas over some of the latter’s anti-labour positions despite
the fact that they are from the same geo-political zone.
“During the time of Comrade
Hassan Sunmonu, the then Minister of Labour, J.M. Johnson was engaged robustly
on labour issues. Mr. Johnson never resorted to ethnic jingoism for cover.
“It is most unfortunate that Dr.
Chris Ngige is the first Labour Minister to introduce ethnic colouration as an
escape route from the smoke of industrial disquiet emanating from a fire
entirely stoked by him. Even workers from the village of Dr. Chris Ngige had
protested against the stand of the Minister on this matter.
“We wish to reiterate our deep
respect for Ohaneze as a pan Igbo socio-cultural organization. It is, however,
unfortunate that somebody in the lower cadre of Ohaneze leadership could be
seduced to misuse his position to achieve the narrow objectives of a
politician.
“We urge the national leadership
of Ohaneze to be wary of such characters who are wont not only to tarnish, but
also to destroy the good image that Ohaneze has built for itself over the
years.
“We wish to candidly advise the
Minister to quit using the press to malign the people he should be protecting.
The way and manner that Dr. Chris Ngige is going about this NSITF issue clearly
shows that he has a lot to hide and there is a lot he is not willing to tell
Nigerians. The Minister should stop twisting the truth as most Nigerians are in
the know of what he has been doing with the NSITF.
“We urge the Minister of Labour
and Employment to redeem whatever is left of his image by inaugurating the
NSITF board under the chairmanship of Chief Frank Kokori without further delay.
Finally, for the benefit of Nigerians who are unaware of the intrigues of the
Minister of Labour to keep the NSITF under his Sole Proprietorship, we
challenge him and other stakeholders to an electronic media debate on this matter
so that the truth can be exposed.”
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