The Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress and civil society organisations
on Thursday organised a mass rally to protest what they called lack of
good governance and scourge of corruption in the country.
good governance and scourge of corruption in the country.
The
protesters, under the auspices of the #IStandWithNigeria, visited the National
Assembly where they presented their 18-point demand to Senate President Bukola
Saraki, before they went to Aso Rock and were received by Acting President Yemi
Osinbajo, Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige; and the Minister of State for
Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.
The
President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, had while addressing the protesters said
workers were the worst affected by the “absence of good governance,
transparency, accountability’ and corruption” in the country.
Wabba, who
wondered how some of the corruption suspects could divert huge amount of public
funds to the tune of billions of naira, said that such people should be ‘named,
shamed’ and have one of their arms amputated as a mark on those who stole to
the tune of N1bn.
Wabba said,
“We are demanding for increased light, they are saying pay for tariff, we are
demanding for minimum wage, they are saying they are going to pay in
percentages, this is not what we bargain for.
“…We demand
that corruption suspects should be named and shamed. They (the government)
should also cut off one of the arms of anybody that stole public money to the
tune of N1bn. What is someone doing with N1bn?”
Also, the
President of the TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said the organised Labour would
collaborate with the anti-graft agencies to track bailout funds given to state governments
to offset workers’ salaries, which he alleged were being diverted by some
governors.
He said that
the diversion of public funds by a few was partly responsible for the current
hardship.
Ałso, a
former Vice-President of the NLC, Mr. Isah Aremu, described non-payment of
salaries to workers as official corruption.
He also
wondered why some people were opposed to the confirmation of Mr. Ibrahim Magu
as the substantive chairman of the EFCC.
He said that
some of the senators opposed to Magu’s confirmation were 'customers of the
EFCC'.
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