Organized Labour in Nigeria, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have risen against those who have been calling for the sale of national assets, describing them as enemies of Nigeria.
The NLC specifically called on Nigerians to resist the planned sale of the nation’s shareholdings in the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas and other national assets.
The President of the TUC, Mr. Bala Kaigama, and the Acting Secretary General of the congress, Mr. Simeso Amachree, said in a statement today, Thursday that the suggestion for the sale of the national assets was also disgraceful. They asked the governments to drop the planned move to sell the national assets in order to avoid incurring the wrath of workers.
The unionists reminded those calling for the sale of the national assets that the country had lost over four million jobs since the beginning of this administration which promised to create three million jobs every year.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria warns those calling for the sale of national shareholdings in Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Company Ltd and concession of the country’s airports to drop the idea if they do not want to incur the wrath of workers. Those suggestions are disgraceful and portray them as enemies of the state.
“In case those canvassing for the sale have forgotten, it is imperative that they realise that this administration promised to create a minimum of three million jobs yearly. Unfortunately, instead of generating more jobs, no less than four million jobs have been lost in the last one and half years, a development that has led to serious security issues.” The statement read in part.
Also, the President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said in a statement that Nigerians must resist the surreptitious moves by some businessmen and the political class to acquire the remaining national assets which he said should be preserved in the interest of future generations.
He said the NLC is prepared to join forces with other progressive movements in the country to resist the current moves to plunder the nation’s assets, adding that it is in the interest of generations of Nigerians for the existing investments to be developed by investing in profitable areas.
Wabba said the NLC is totally opposed to the recent calls by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for the sale of national assets to get the country out of recession.
“The recent call by Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the sale of the national share holdings in the NLNG and the suggestion by the Senate President that the shares, along with other sovereign assets in the oil and aviation sectors, should be sold as a way of stemming the current economic recession are unacceptable to us at the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“Investments in the LNLG and joint venture oil upstream operations are profitable and represent potential sources of revenue into the future.
“Inter-generational considerations require that we build on these existing investments by identifying other profitable endeavours to invest in. What we need is to leverage on the stream of potential earnings from these investments in seeking to turn around the economy.
“We, therefore, call on Nigerians to resist these new schemings by those waiting and wishing to lap up these lucrative national assets. We need to preserve these assets for our children and future generations.
“On our part, we are ready, in partnership with other progressive and nationalist forces in our country, to resist the further attempt to plunder our common patrimony.” [myad]
