More Troubles For Abure, Ajaero As Veteran Labour Leaders, Trade Unionists Call For  Their Resignation

*Demand forensic examination of LP finances

By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos

There seems no end in sight into the crisis confronting the embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Barrister Julius Abure and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, as veteran labour leaders and trade unionists have called for their resignation from office.

The group under the aegis of Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists specifically demanded the thorough forensic examination and investigation of the Labour Party’s (LP) finances with immediate effect.

Making the call at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, the group asserted that there is overwhelming evidence and array of well established cases of financial recklessness against the LP national chairman and woeful failure of Comrade Ajaero to rise to the challenge demanded by his office, which has made him to score below average in leadership performance.

” Given the overwhelming evidence assiduously marshalled and the array of well established cases of financial recklessness brought forward by the treasurer of the Party against the Party’s chairman and in full cognisance of the woeful failure of Comrade Joe Ajaero to rise to the challenge demanded by his office, thereby scoring below average in leadership performance, we, the Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists strongly lend our voice to the open call for both Barrister Julius Abure and Comrade Joe Ajaero to resign forthwith.

“Beyond this humane angle of looking at any personal tragedy, our Assembly shall remain ever resolute in demanding that thorough forensic examination and investigation of the party’s finances must be instituted without further delay.”, it posited.

Speaking on behalf of the group at the conference held at the Primol Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, a former Vice President of NLC, Comrade Isah Tijjani posited that the unfolding crisis rocking the Labour Party at the apex of its leadership structure and the endless ongoing tussle for the control of the party between the party’s embattled chairman Barrister Abure and the president of NLC, Comrade Ajaero has become a source of worries to the group.

He argued that the needles crisis has resulted in the complete abandonment of the constitutional duties and core responsibilities duly bestowed upon the two leaders.

The crisis, Tijjani noted has been optimally exploited by governments at all levels to introduce unpalatable economic measures aimed at keeping the workers and their poor families in a permanent state of abominable penury and social deprivation.

” On the contrary, Nigerian workers have been abandoned to their fate, consigned to face gloomy future, totally devoid of delightful hopes and cheering promises.

“As the prospect to thus escape from the grip of multi- dimensional poverty dims for the masses of our people, space to impose more burdens in the working class continue to be fully occupied by harsher economic policies.

” With the leadership of both the Labour Party and the apex Labour Center, the NLC, now focusing their full attention on petty squabbles, these rift were optimally exploited by governments at all levels, to introduce unpalatable economic measures aimed at keeping the workers and their poor families in a permanent state of abominable penury and social deprivation.” Tijjani a former National Deputy President NUPENG and former Labour Party Presidential Aspirant stressed.

While justifying the call for the resignation of both Ajaero and Abure, the veteran labour leader maintained that the failure of the leaders of the Labour Unions and the Labour Party to provide credible challenge to the anti- people policies of the Federal Government are indeed sufficient basis for Nigerian workers to demand their resignation.

” From the FG’s sudden and abrupt withdrawal of petroleum subsidy, to the drastic devaluation of the national currency and the newly announced insensitive hikes in the costs of electricity tariff, the abysmal failure of the leaders of the Labour Unions and the Labour Party to provide credible challenge to these anti-people policies are sufficient basis, for Nigerian workers to demand their resignation without any further delay.

” When you devote adequate time to examine the perfunctory manner with which the Ajaero’s NLC, is handling the ongoing Award and the Minimum Wage negotiations, it would be crystal clear to you, that not much should be expected to come out from these razzmataz labour haggles.

” It is a sad commentary that many years after the adoption of the current N30, 000 minimum wage, more than 10 states governor’s, fully aware of the endemic weakness of the union officials, have against all entreaties refused to pay the agreed amount.

” On top of this disconcerting labour leadership ineptitude, our Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists, is pained to admit that, what is going on in the Labour Party under the watch of power drunk Barrister Julius Abure, is a rape on democracy.”, the veteran labour leader emphasised.

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